《The Crimson Mage》


 Chapter 1

    Orenda Nochdifache was an orphan. This is an unfortunate situation for anyone, but particularly for someone like her, looking as she did, having a mind like she did, and growing up where she did. Orenda had the misfortune of living all her life in a colony of the Urlian Empire, an empire governed by a empress that she, like most people, had never seen in person, but was well acquainted with because of the numerous pamphlets, posters, and coins that bore her likeness.


    Orenda had been told her entire life that Empress Xandra Uril was the most beautiful woman on Xren, but Orenda did not believe these accounts, unless the person painting and sculpting her portraits was ridiculously bad at their job. Orenda tended to believe her own eyes more than the things that people told her, and by her observations the empress was a willowy, emaciated woman who barely looked as if she could hold herself up under her many layers of dress, with a sunken face and lifeless hair that probably blew out of shape at the slightest breeze- not that it would matter, because the same slight breeze would likely knock her off her feet. Orenda was unable to feel the intimidation that everyone kept telling her should dominate her life. The empress held absolute power, and ruled by divine right, having been chosen by the great god Thesis to unite all elvenkind under her reign. The empress was destined to rule the world, and had accomplished that goal.


    Orenda was skeptical of those claims. When she looked around her, she did not see the will of any god being acted out upon the world. The people of her colony were divided neatly into social strata, for the most part, unless they were those like Orenda herself. Orenda was beautiful precisely because she was not. If the queen was the portrait of beauty, then Orenda should have been the portrait of ugliness with her stout frame, wide hips, and strong profile. But Orenda was a fire elf. This put her in a unique position.


    There were conflicting reports on the subject of her people¡¯s scarcity, which she had often questioned. The official report was that they were a weak people, who bred slowly, succumbed to disease easily, and had so few numbers and such a difficult time surviving that they rejoiced when their savior, Xandra, had sent her champions to drag them from savagery to civilization. She had built the great structures that dominated the city where Orenda grew up, but though she could civilize the fire elves, she could not change their temperament, which was, like a flame, disagreeable and dangerous. Fire elves were known for their tempers, which could be set off at the slightest provocation, and would have devastating results. This was the reason that they could not maintain relationships, even with each other, not even long enough to bear a child.


    Orenda knew that she did feel emotions very strongly, but she often tried to subdue them to avoid this connotation. However, it was her sheer rarity that made her beautiful- not as a person, but as a collector¡¯s item. Most of the men she knew were earth elves, like the great empress, and when they spoke to her, it was obvious that the fascimily of love they presented was more akin to a dragon¡¯s love of gold than a romantic¡¯s love for their partner. So she had, so far, spurned them all. She was not a collector¡¯s piece.


    She was many things. She was a young woman, an intelligent mage, a devoutly religious child of Thesis, and a mystery, even to herself. Xandra claimed to be these things as well, but Orenda, having experienced them all herself, did not believe her. She certainly was not young by any stretch of the imagination, as the colony had been established centuries ago. Even by elven standards, Xandra was lying through her teeth about that. Orenda often wondered just how many liberties her royal artists took. When she imagined what the queen must truly look like, she saw in her mind a shriveled old hag who hid behind magical glamours and make-up, wigs and customary.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Orenda was a real mage. She had to be. Life was not kind to orphans, particularly to orphans of fallen races. Magic came naturally to Orenda, even as a child in an overcrowded workhouse. She had spent her youth on an assembly line, piecing parts from a mine she had only ever heard tell of, run by dwarves who sometimes came with heavy wagons to drop off wares. Orenda like them well enough, she supposed, but at the time she had liked anything that broke the monotony of her existence.


    Orenda did not know enough about the manufacturing process, or the politics of her time and place, to know that these dwarves were forced to provide these materials. She did not know that her colony was an elven one led by Xandra, and that these people were bartering for their lives, trying to prevent war via mercantile acumen. She did not know that the raw ore they got was the most inferior product the dwarves could find without violating their contract.


    She did know that there was something special about one of the blocks she received. She had taken her hammer and chisel, as she always did, to knock away the dirt and stone from the steel- when she found something.


    It was something she had never seen before- but it was beautiful. It was bright red, amidst the sea of grey that was her life, and looked more fragile than she suspected it was. She looked around at the other children, and softly tinked the jewel from where it had been embedded in the ore. It fell into her hand, and she stared down at it, because it did not feel like a cold, dead thing. It felt¡­


    Orenda had never felt anything like it before. The crystal was only about as big as the unkempt nail of her pinky finger- but it felt so much bigger. Orenda closed her hand around it, and she suddenly felt everything.


    She felt the blood pumping through her veins so intensely that it could have been a coursing river- forced along by a pump so strong that it could have torn her to shreds. She felt something in the world around her, something she had always noticed, she supposed- yet never noticed. These two things were incompatible, and the nature of that incompatibility pressed against her sweat-soaked skin, and her blood pressed back, and the thin layer between the two rubbed, and rubbed, and rubbed- until it broke.


    Orenda felt the fires from the forges in another room. She felt the body heat given off by every other being in the building. She felt the magma that she did not know existed, so far below her that it gave no indication of its presence. She felt the core of the sun, radiating outward, toward Xren, breathing life into everything that grew or moved. She felt the heat radiating outward from her own heart, one with all these things, with the lifeforce that moved from the sacred fires that fueled every living thing on the planet-


    And she heard the screaming.


    Orenda had been on fire. As soon as she realized this, she stuffed the crystal into her pocket- and wondered why she still had a pocket. Clothes were flammable- she had seen more than one accident that attested to that fact. But she was not scarred, not injured, not naked. She was completely unharmed.


    But she had been found out. Her supervisor, two years older and seeming very adult at twelve, was marching toward her, grabbed her by the shoulder, and Orenda knocked her away. She glared at the girl she had never liked, and could not see her eyes begin to glow as she smiled- but this time she felt the flames engulf her.


    The screams drew adults.

 Chapter 2

    Orenda stared at the locked gate of the workhouse.  She watched her supervisor, looking very smug, turn on her heel and follow the headmaster back inside.  She had only had a few minutes to collect her things, which she had dumped onto her sheet and rolled up into a makeshift sack, which hung at her side.  There wasn¡¯t much inside it besides a change of clothes and a bar of soap, and she turned her back on the only home she could ever remember, to take in the city around her.


    It was a grim sight.  The smoke from the workhouse permeated the air, and the soot it left in its wake clung to everything.  Orenda rarely went outside, but she had seen everything she could see now from her window- everything was based around manufacturing, and she could feel the fires whirling around inside each of the buildings, and the hearts of those around her.  They were gruff people, as covered in soot and ash as she was, and for the most part, they ignored her.


    Well, there was no use standing around gawking.  Orenda was ten years old, she had been terminated from her last position, and she supposed that it was now time to make her way in the world.  That was, after all, what long-lost princesses needed to do. And Orenda was almost certain that she was a long-lost princess.


    She knew nothing of her parents, but she did hear legends about fire elves.  She knew that they were a people who had existed before the earth elves arrived, even if it had been in a primitive state.  Orenda liked to envision a wild and free kingdom, where the people were not confined to buildings and jobs. Perhaps they lived outside, in huts or tents or somesuch, and held grand ceremonies where they threw intruders like the earth elves into volcanos.  Her parents, obviously, would have been royalty. Elves lived long lives, and when the kingdom fell, her parents would have gone into hiding. They had to have lost her somewhere along the way. She didn¡¯t remember where she had been before the workhouse, but she knew she had come there, so she had to come from somewhere.


    Her parents weren¡¯t really dead, of course.  They were hiding, with a group of fire elf rebels, plotting to take down the empress and restore their kingdom.  Once their army was strong enough, they would come back for her- but she had been taken from the place they left her, wherever it had been, and put in the workhouse.  Because she seldom went outside, they had no way of knowing that she was there. But, now her princess powers had awakened, and she was outside, so it would only be a matter of time before she was found.


    She picked a direction, and began to walk.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The cobblestone street was not thickly tafficed during the workday, and she was shocked that the further she went, the less grey the buildings were.  It was never exactly clean, and she could not see the sky, but the buildings became less black, and the people became less sooty. The way that they dressed changed too- fewer people wore rolled-up sleeves and filthy boots; Orenda was shocked to see that¡­  women dressed like the empress on the posters. They wore long skirts that only did not drag the ground because of their high heels. Their waists were cinched with corsets, and their faces painted. She moved from the middle of the street to watch them, going to and fro about their business, moving into and out of buildings that she finally realized were shops.


    They had children.


    Orenda watched a well-dressed earth elf woman step down from a carriage with the help of a human footman, then watched a little girl who looked remarkably like her do the same.  Orenda thought that the woman was probably the mother, and the child probably the daughter. The woman was not the queen, but the little girl looked like a princess.


    Orenda crossed the street to watch them.


    They entered a shop that proclaimed itself to be a grocer, and Orenda stared through the window as the woman spoke to the man behind the counter.  The little girl had taken a bag, and was filling it using a scoop from a barrel that contained small, hard balls colored red and white. Orenda wondered what they were, and tilted her head when the child stuck one in her mouth.  Orenda let her eyes refocus, and looked at her reflection in the window.


    Her first thought was how odd it was that she looked so much healthier than the girl in the shop.  It was obvious that the girl could have as much food as she wanted- she wasn¡¯t confined to communal meal-times with pre-set portions.  Yet¡­ she was so much smaller than Orenda. That made no sense to her, as she flexed her arm and looked at the muscle on her reflection.  Why was she stronger and healthier than an earth elf, if earth elves were supposed to be the chosen people of Thesis? She and the girl had to be about the same age- and the girl had more than she did.


    So why was Orenda better than her?  Why would she undoubtedly win a fight, were the two of them to have one?


    Orenda did not believe that earth elves were the chosen people of Thesis, any more than she would later believe that the empress was the chosen avatar of a god.


    She shrugged, turned her back on the grocers, and began to walk in the direction she had been going.  After she had walked for some time, she began to realize that she should have, perhaps, stayed where she had been.  Dusk was settling, and she was beginning to get hungry. She was about to turn around and head back, to ask the grocer if she could have something to eat, under the mistaken impression that, like in all fairy tales, he would recognize her as the long-lost princess and be willing to help in any way he could, when she heard a voice.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Who is supposed to be watching you?¡±


    Orenda turned to follow the sound of the voice, and was not at all surprised to see who it belonged to.  The woman looked exactly as if she never spoke above a whisper. She was short and thin, an earth elf like most of the people on the street, with the same narrow face they all seemed to share.  Her dress was much more subdued than most of the women Orenda had been watching, and a pair of glasses sat on her small nose so close to her face that Orenda thought the flesh may grow over them.


    ¡°No one watches me,¡± Orenda said with indignation, as if the idea was ridiculous.  ¡°I have set out into the world to seek my fortune.¡±


    The woman looked first one way, then the other, as if she was afraid someone was listening in to their conversation, then leaned forward and spoke even quieter than before.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I am Orenda Nochdifache,¡± Orenda began with all the pomp she felt a long-lost princess would speak with, and was about to tell the lady all about her title, but the mousy woman cut her off.


    ¡°Oh thank god,¡± The woman did look overjoyed as she put a hand on Orenda¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you!¡±


    Orenda, despite her misgivings, was no fool, and her hand instantly shot to the fire stone in her pocket.  She felt the magic coursing through her, and narrowed her eyes at the stranger who had dared touch her.


    ¡°I am Eletha,¡± the woman said in a frantic whisper, ¡°But you would call me ¡®Ellie¡¯, of course.  We need to get off the street before they find you!¡±


    Orenda weighed her options.  She was still hungry, and it was possible that this woman was sent by her parents, or one of their spies.  Orenda had not considered that they may have recruited earth elves into their army, but now that she thought about it, it made perfect sense.  They could blend into the populace in a way that fire elves could not- after all, Orenda had been out on the street for several hours and had not seen another fire elf in that entire time.  Besides, if the woman was a crazy kidnapper, Orenda thought that she looked as flammable as anything else.


    After this consideration, Orenda nodded, and allowed the woman to take her by the hand.  They walked briskly, while Ellie kept looking two and fro, as if her head was mounted upon a swivel, until they arrived at a rather large building that Orenda thought looked important enough to be a secret meeting place for an underground army, though a little conspicuous for the task.  Ellie ushered her inside to the sound of a little bell that twinkled when the door was opened.


    A human man darted from behind a desk, and opened his mouth to speak, then seemed to recognize Ellie and smiled instead.  Orenda stepped to the side to allow Ellie entrance, and looked around to take in her surroundings, should escape become a necessity.  The building was nothing but storybooks, as far as the eye could see, stacked one upon another in shelves that not only lined the walls, but were also lined up in rows.  A few tables and chairs were littered about, as well as a few earth elves among the stacks of books.


    ¡°Master,¡± the man said to Ellie, ¡°There are a few patrons who are desperate for someone who can read to help them.¡±  He sighed and continued, ¡°I tried to tell them that I know the layout, despite my obvious handicap, but they wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    Ellie stared at him for a beat, as if the gears in her head were turning, before she responded.


    ¡°Right, well, that¡¯s understandable.¡±  She motioned to Orenda, ¡°This is Orenda.  Would you please take her and get her settled in, Charles?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master, of course,¡± Charles smiled at Orenda and offered his hand.  Orenda stared at it for some time, and he eventually withdrew it, and instead asked, ¡°Well, if you¡¯ll follow me, then, miss?¡±


    Orenda nodded, and followed the stranger through the maze of books.  She glanced over her shoulder to see Ellie take her position behind the desk that Charles had vacated, and wondered what this place was.  She quickly lost sight of her as they turned one corner after another, and eventually came to a doorway, which Charles opened, and motioned for her to enter.


    Orenda stepped through the door into a hallway, which was long and poorly lit with a single kerosine lamp, and terminated in another door.  The strange man was now at her back, and her hand closed around the crystal in her pocket as she took first one step, then another. He made no move to hurt her, but she clutched the crystal, and felt the flame in the lamp, the heat in his blood, and the energy radiating from the places before and behind them.


    He reached over her to open the door-


    And Orenda took in the most homey scene she had ever set eyes upon.  The door opened into a pleasant room, with a rug laid out on the stone floor before a blazing fire, upon which a human woman was kneeling, slowly turning something in a metal pan that filled the room with a delicious aroma.  Vegetables had been laid out along the edges of the fire, and a cauldron hung over it, boiling away.


    Orenda stepped inside and saw that the room extended past the kitchen to see a little table all laid out, several chairs, a couch, a writing desk covered in papers, and another hallway that led to places she did not imagine.  There were windows in the room high up on the far wall, and some sheer curtains were drawn over them.


    ¡°An elven child?¡± The woman asked, and stood, almost as if in a panic.


    ¡°Ellie brought her,¡± Charlie explained, and it calmed the woman enough to fix the contortion on her face, but not enough to settle Orenda¡¯s nerves.


    ¡°Is she¡­  does she belong to?¡± The woman began, but the man held up a hand, and hastily closed the door.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± He said, leaning against the door, and added, ¡°Wait until Ellie comes.  I have to go back to work. Her name is Orenda. Get her settled.¡±


    He waited until he got a curt nod from the woman, the two of them exchanged knowing glances, and then he opened the door, closed it carefully behind him, and Orenda listened to his footfalls echoing down the hallway.


    ¡°Well, Orenda,¡± the woman smiled at her with her teeth but not her eyes, and knelt beside the fire to spin the metal contraption as she had been doing before she was interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you.  My name is Susan.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you, Susan,¡± Orenda said and did not smile back.  As far as she could see, the only way in or out of the place was the door she had come from.  She wondered what was down the other hallway.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll need a bath,¡± Susan said, ¡°But I can¡¯t boil any water until after dinner.¡±


    Orenda was a bit insulted by this, as it was nowhere near bath day and she wasn¡¯t particularly dirty- by the standards of the workhouse.  But, she had to admit, the standards did seem somewhat different here.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Ellie runs the library,¡± Susan explained, ¡°As far as I can tell, it¡¯s just a place to put a bunch of stuffy old books written by stuffy old elves.¡±  She made a ¡®huff¡¯ noise, and then her eyes lit up as if she believed she had made some kind of mistake, and she quickly amended, ¡°None of it matters very much to me.  I can¡¯t read.¡±


    ¡°Lessons were not given much importance at the workhouse,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°but I do like stories.  The older children tell stories. I would very much like to read.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± the woman said chipperly, as she stood and carried the metal contraption to the table, ¡°Maybe Ellie will teach you, if she can find the time.  Do you like chicken?¡±


    She opened the contraption, and a chicken fell out of it.  She took two forks and began to pick the meat off the bones, then to shred the muscle into smaller and smaller strips.  Orenda was not accustomed to eating much meant. At the workhouse it was a rarity reserved for times like the solstice or equinox festivals, and even then the servings were small.  It smelled delicious, and she nearly forgot to answer as she watched Susan work.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she finally answered, ¡°I like it very much.  I daresay most people don¡¯t eat much of it.¡±


    ¡°Ellie provides well for us,¡± Susan said, ¡°But normally we make do with fish.  I don¡¯t know where this came from. I don¡¯t ask questions regarding good fortune.¡±


    ¡°I always ask questions,¡± Orenda replied.


    ¡°Well you may want to get over that,¡± Susan advised, placed the stripped bones back into the metal contraption, and continued, ¡°Always save the bones, Orenda.  They make good flavor for soup.¡±


    Orenda thought that she may need that information one day, as it was being given like good advice, and watched Susan pick up each of the vegetables in turn in a towel, and carry them back to the table.  They were soft now that they had been roasted, and she pulled them apart with the forks, just as she had done the chicken.


    ¡°I¡¯m not particularly accustomed to the way of cooking here on the fire continent,¡± Susan said as she opened a cabinet and ruffled through it, picking up various containers of spices and looking at them, until she had gathered everything she needed and returned, ¡°But I quite like it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not from here?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I was¡­¡± Susan said, and changed the subject, ¡°As a cook, I don¡¯t speak to many new people.  I¡¯m not accustomed to children.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not accustomed to adults,¡± Orenda told her.


    ¡°Well,¡± Susan smiled at her, ¡°perhaps we can grow accustomed to each other.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, after much consideration.


    ¡°How did you come to be here, Miss Orenda?¡± Susan asked as she mixed the meat, vegetables, spices, and some liquid from a bottle all together on a large plate.


    ¡°The same way anyone comes to be anywhere, I suppose,¡± Orenda pulled the chair closest to her from its position and sat in it, ¡°I walked.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Susan stopped what she was doing and stared very hard at Orenda, and Orenda clutched the stone in her pocket.  Finally, Susan continued, ¡°Where did you walk from?¡±


    ¡°From the workhouse,¡± Orenda explained.


    ¡°There are elves in workhouses?¡± Susan asked, as if the idea had never occurred to her, and she found it particularly interesting.


    ¡°Elves are not uncommon,¡± Orenda explained.


    ¡°They are less common than humans,¡± Susan clarified, ¡°I¡¯ve never known an elf to work.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you?¡± Orenda asked.  This was as foreign a concept to her as her prior employment had apparently been to Susan.  After she had considered it for some time, she asked, ¡°Then how do they eat?¡±


    ¡°Humans work for them,¡± Susan explained, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked back to the fire.


    Orenda thought the conversation, and Susan herself, were both very strange.  She watched her open the lid of the cauldron, look inside, and stir what Orenda could now see was rice.  She seemed satisfied with it, and stood with a huff, using the same towel to carry the cauldron back to where she had left the rest of the food.  She busied herself with getting a stack of plates from a cabinet, and Orenda¡¯s stomach reminded her that she had not eaten since breakfast. By the look of the light shining in through the windows, it was now nearly dusk.  Orenda reached for the lid of the cauldron-


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that!  It¡¯s-¡± Susan warned as Orenda lifted the lid, but her expression changed as Orenda held it and looked at her, ¡°...hot.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed.  It was hot. She didn¡¯t know why the woman was making up excuses.  Orenda knew not to sneak food. ¡°I¡­ apologise, Ms. Susan. I haven¡¯t eaten since breakfast.  I wasn¡¯t going to take much.¡±


    Susan¡¯s face softened, and she carried the plates to the table.  She smiled at Orenda, with her entire face this time, and piled a heaping spoonful of rice onto the first plate.  She scooped up another spoonful of the meat and vegetable mixture- piled higher than Orenda had ever seen a serving of food- and sat it in front of her.


    ¡°Here, darling,¡± She said, and began preparing the other plates, ¡°If you¡¯re still hungry, there¡¯s more to go around.  Eat all you like.¡±


    Orenda stared at her, and tried to understand the concept- that there could be excess.  She had spent her entire life being carefully watched, carefully rationed. Susan was making three more plates- and they could not have known that Orenda was coming.  Yet, she was right. When she finished, there was food left over- lots of it. The cauldron was still nearly half full.


    ¡°Thank you, mam.¡±  Orenda smiled, and began to eat.

 Chapter 4

    Orenda ate quickly and efficiently, as she had been trained.  She was used to tight schedules and whistles that indicated when time for one¡¯s self, devoted to things like food and sleep, were over.  Susan had gone out the door that Orenda had come in, and had not returned by the time she had finished, so she stood and looked around for a dishtray to put her empty plate into.  She found none, but she did find a sink with a pump, cake of soap, and cleaning brush, so she quickly washed her plate and left it in the sink to dry. It was quite a high sink, and she had been forced to move the chair from the table to do so, but she replaced it, and began, once again, to think on her situation and surroundings.


    The earth elf woman, Ellie, had certainly recognized her, and Susan seemed to recognize her as well, and connect her to her parents.  Orenda believed that they both knew more than they were telling. She thought of them both, and their possible connection to her royal lineage as she hunted around the room.


    She eventually grew bored of the room, collected her sack, and walked into the hallway.  It was lined with doors, and she opened the first one she saw.


    Inside was a small room with a double-bed, covered with a real quilt- not just the sheets that Orenda was used to.  It also held a wash basin and all the conveniences associated with it, a wardrobe, a tiny desk, and a bookshelf. It looked lived-in and Orenda thought that the understated plainness of it all spoke of Ellie.  She closed the door and opened the one across the hall.


    It looked very similar, if a bit smaller.  Another double bed, another wardrobe, another wash basin.  Orenda had never seen two beds in the same house before- in the workhouse only the higher-ups had beds.  Everyone else made do with straw or cloth. Orenda closed the door and moved further down the hall. There were two more doors, and both opened into identical rooms.  The place looked as if it would sleep far more than three people, and Orenda wondered how many people lived there.


    She finally made it to the end of the hallway, which terminated in another door.  It was locked, but it locked from the inside using a metal latch that hooked onto the wall from the door, so Orenda flipped it and pulled the door open.


    The heat of the day hit her as she stared up at the soot-clouded sky.  It was much cleaner here than it had been at the workhouse. She turned her attention closer to the ground, and took in the sight of the small yard.  It was built for practicality, not excess, with a tall fence surrounding it, a few food-bearing plants, and trappings of domesticity- but did hold one feature that spoke of frivolity and perhaps wealth- exactly something that royalty would have: an extra water pump.  Water was scarce, had always been scarce, and very, very few places would have two sources.


    It was located near a clothes line, which was currently empty.  There were three basins laid out near the line, but all of them were empty.  Orenda moved the one closest to the pump even closer, and began to fill it. She did so quickly- she was already strong, and had just eaten the biggest meal of her life.  It took no time, compared to laundry or bath day at the workhouse, and Orenda untied her boots, and stepped inside. She watched the first layer of the soot filter off into the clear, cold water from her dress, and thought about what Susan had said.


    Susan heated water for bathing.  Orenda didn¡¯t understand why anyone would do that, because of how much work it would normally be.  It would have to be carried in buckets from the fireside to the washtub, one at a time, and Orenda didn¡¯t see what benefit that would have.


    Still¡­


    Her hand closed around the fire stone.


    She concentrated this time, on the thing she felt flowing through her and around her, and tried to push it downward, to her feet.  Orenda watched as the water there began to simmer, then to boil with great rolling bubbles. She stared in amazement as the washtub began to turn red.


    ¡°Orenda!?¡±


    Orenda had initially believed that the voice had belonged to Susan, but when she looked up, she saw that she had been mistaken.  She would have never thought that Ellie could speak so loudly.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Orenda asked, as she released the stone, and the washtub slowly regained its proper color, though almost all of the water was gone.


    ¡°Are you¡­¡±  Ellie took a few tentative steps, and seemed to consider saying a great many things, but eventually settled on, ¡°Are you alright, child?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± Orenda told her and stepped out of the tub to pump more water, more than a little ashamed that she had wasted it.  ¡°Susan told me that I needed a bath.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Ellie closed the distance between them, laid a hand on her shoulder- then pulled it away as if she had been burned.  She grabbed it with her free hand, stared at it for a few seconds, and then slowly turned her gaze back to Orenda. ¡°How did you¡­  does magic¡­ come easily to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, and began to pump.


    ¡°Do you have a¡­  staff?¡± Ellie asked, seemingly aware of the fact that the question was stupid even as she asked it, and tried again to compensate, ¡°Or¡­  a wand?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, and stepped into the filled tub.  She sat down, still in her dress, and stared up at the adult, careful to keep her hands out of her pocket.


    ¡°A fire crystal?¡± Ellie asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda lied.  She wasn¡¯t exactly sure that the thing she had found was called a fire crystal, but she guessed near enough to know that she was lying.  But she would not have it taken from her.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Ellie fell to one knee, to be more on her level, ¡°We are your friends here.  No one will hurt you. Everything is going to be alright.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Orenda said, wondering if she should believe it.


    Ellie chewed her lip and played with the hem of her apron, and took a great deal of time to collect her thoughts before she spoke again.


    ¡°Most mages cannot cast from a crystal,¡± Ellie explained, ¡°they have to set it in something.  That something is called a ¡®focus¡¯. Most mages begin with staffs, then work down to a smaller wand.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know,¡± Orenda said, and began to untie her dress, ¡°I¡¯ve never met a mage.¡±  Ellie stared at her as if thinking very hard about something, so Orenda continued, as politely as she could, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, Ms Ellie, but I would like to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ellie said, and jumped quickly and awkwardly to her feet, ¡°Yes!  Just¡­ come inside when you¡¯re finished, please? I would like to talk to you.  Let me get you some real soap- you wouldn¡¯t like to bathe with laundry soap, I assure you.  I¡¯ll be right back!¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    She darted into the house, and Orenda sat in the cool water, moving her hands through the grey that seeped from her into the clarity of it.  A few seconds later, Ellie came back with a little box, and knelt beside the washtub. She opened it, and pulled out a fresh bar of soap, whiter than any Orenda had ever seen, a washrag, and a few bottles that Orenda had never seen before.


    ¡°When hair is quite so curly as yours,¡± She explained, ¡°After you wash it, you may want to rub this into it.  Let it soak in well, and then rinse it out. It will help with the combing. You may like it so much you decide to grow it long.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like long hair,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It interferes with work.  But I thank you.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t if you tie it back,¡± Ellie argued.


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Orenda pretended to consider, for the sake of politeness, but did not think she would grow her hair out.  At the workhouse, they had all had it cut once a month, though now she considered that she would likely have to do that herself.  She wondered if she could burn it. That seemed the easiest solution.


    ¡°Well,¡± Ellie stood with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡±  But she didn¡¯t. She stood there for a few minutes, wringing her hands, and eventually asked, ¡°Do you like any particular color, Orenda?¡±


    Orenda considered this.  She had often thought about colors and which would be nicest to have, on furnishings or clothes, which her parents probably liked the most.  Orenda herself was more colorful than most people, with her bright red hair, burnt umber skin and golden eyes- and those were the colors that she liked the most.  After she had taken this consideration, she elected to answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been fond of red.¡±


    ¡°How nice!¡± Ellie smiled, turned on her heel, and walked slowly back into the house.  Orenda wondered where they were in connection to the other buildings in town, and looked up at the back of the library.  All the windows on this side were dark, and had their curtains closed.


    It took her some time to scrub the few day¡¯s worth of filth from her flesh and hair.  She had a luxury here that no one had called her on- seemingly infinite water, so she emptied and refilled the tub twice.  It grew dark around her as she worked, but she saw nearly as well in the night as she did in the day, and she paid it no mind.


    When she had finished, she carefully unfolded her sheet, took out her spare dress and stockings, and put them on, followed by her boots.  Then, she rolled up her sleeves, heaved the heavy tub on its side to dump it again, placed her soiled clothes inside after taking the crystal from her pocket, and refilled it.  She added the shavings of laundry soap, and left it to soak. It was quite dirty, and she wondered¡­ if hot water made things cleaner.


    She held one hand over the washtub, and wrapped the other around the crystal.


    Every time it got a little easier.


    This time, she was able to heat the water, and watched it roll to a boil.  This brought bubbles and suds that normally took scrubbing to call up, and she smiled.  Magic made things easier- and this was magic. Orenda did magic that other people could not- did it without staves or wands- because she was a princess.  Because she was special.


    She splashed her dress and stockings through the soapy water, and watched the suds begin to turn grey.  She thought, after a while of this and the garments getting no cleaner, that they may have to soak, even if the water was hot, and stood, shaking the water from her hands before she dried them on her shirt, to head back inside.


    She opened the door so quietly that no one could have noticed.


    ¡°She has to be, I can see no other explanation,¡± Charlie was saying to Susan, and Orenda stayed in the hallway where the shadows were longer.


    Susan was sitting at the writing desk, and Charlie was out of sight, but Orenda heard splashing, and thought he was probably wiping or washing the dishes.  She had, after all, been outside quite some time.


    ¡°Does she have a last name?¡± Susan asked, looking in the direction of the sink.


    ¡°Nochdifache,¡± Charlie said as if it held some great meaning.


    ¡°Well, that settles the matter, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Susan said.


    ¡°Children lie.¡± Charles argued.


    ¡°If she¡¯s lived in a workhouse her whole life, I don¡¯t know how she would know,¡± Susan argued back.


    ¡°She looks so much like him¡­¡± Charles said, softly, as if he was afraid of being overheard.  ¡°But¡­ if¡­ if that¡¯s true, I don¡¯t know who the mother would be. You were on that ship with me.  There was no female fire-elf.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know his whole life.  Xac only said that we could trust him.  And I trust Xac.¡± Susan said with conviction, ¡°After everything he did for us.¡±


    ¡°He risked his life,¡± Charles agreed, ¡°risked his children¡¯s lives.  It is better here.¡± There was a clattering of dishes, ¡°I feel¡­ I feel like I have meaning now.  My life means something. I trust that there is something beyond the mountains. I trust that freedom exists.  And¡­ if this is Captain-¡± He silenced himself and held up a hand as the doorknob from the library turned.


    Ellie stepped inside carrying a package, and Orenda stepped into the kitchen as if she had just come in from outside.


    ¡°I set my things to soak,¡± Orenda announced, and everyone turned to look at her.  ¡°I¡¯ll check on them in a bit, if that¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Honey, them probably need to soak overnight,¡± Susan told her, smiled, and continued, ¡°You clean up nice, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Ellie stepped forward and sat her package on the table, ¡°She¡¯ll clean up much nicer once we¡¯re through with her.  Orenda, please come and look at this. I want to know if you like it.¡±


    Orenda walked as she had been bid, and stood with her hands behind her back.  Ellie stared at her as if she expected her to do more, so she said, politely, ¡°It¡¯s very pretty.  I like string. One of my roommates knew how to play games with it. She could make crow¡¯s-feet and kitty whiskers.  I learned them myself.¡±


    ¡°Did you? Ellie asked as if she found that interesting.  ¡°Well, if you like the twine, you may have it, of course, but I was hoping you would open the package.¡±


    Orenda looked questioningly at her, moved slowly to the table, and tugged at the bow to unravel it.  She pulled the twine apart and stuck it in her pocket before anyone could stop her, then carefully unfolded the brown paper, in case they would need it later.  Inside was a white box with a lid, which she removed to reveal a long, folded piece of red fabric.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sari!¡± Ellie explained excitedly, but Orenda stared at her with obvious incomprehension, so she explained, ¡°It¡¯s what fire elves used to wear- hold on, I have a book!¡±  She ran, excitedly, to the room that Orenda had correctly guessed was hers, and came out a moment later with a book the size of her torso. She spread it open on the carpet by the hearth and motioned for Orenda to follow her, so she did.


    Ellie had opened it to a drawing of the most beautiful woman Orenda had ever seen.  She was a fire elf, with long red hair twisted into several tight braids that fell down her back and shoulders, partially covered by a hood and veil, but the fabric was translucent, and did not hide her beauty.  Her face looked very much like Orenda¡¯s, but accentuated by ceremonial makeup in golds and oranges around her eyes and on her lips. Her body was draped in flowing fabric, held together by beautiful gathered belts to create a stunning outfit.


    Orenda thought the woman had to be her mother.  She was beautiful enough to be a queen.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s no one in particular,¡± Ellie explained, ¡°It¡¯s a composite drawing, based on what we know about the lost culture of the fire elves.¡±


    ¡°Was she a queen?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Ellie said in a tone that Orenda didn¡¯t understand, conveying more emotions than children were prepared to process at once- excitement tinged with sorrow tinged with anger and other things lurking below the surface that made Orenda curious as she continued, ¡°Fire elves did not have a monarchy.  They were a religious oligarchy.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, though she did not know what that meant.


    Ellie studied her stoic little face and asked, ¡°Do you know what those words mean, darling?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But I would like to learn.  I would like to learn a great many things. I was told that you may teach me to read, so that I can learn from your library.¡±


    ¡°You were never taught to read?¡± Ellie asked, and the anger was more apparent now, but she quelled it and continued, ¡°Yes, absolutely.  We¡¯ll begin in earnest tomorrow.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and asked, ¡°What is a monarchy?¡±


    ¡°A monarchy is a system of government led by a king or queen,¡± Ellie oversimplified, ¡°Usually power is hereditary.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and asked, ¡°What is a religious oligarchy?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would ask that,¡± Ellie smiled, and explained, ¡°The Fire Elves believed that power could only be given by divine right.  They had a link to the great god, Thesis, and would choose their leader that way. But it wasn¡¯t just one person- it was an entire council, led by a high priest or priestess.  Sometimes the position was hereditary, but not always. It was supposed to go to the most worthy person. So the woman in this picture could not have been a queen. Fire elves didn¡¯t have queens.¡±


    Orenda did not know if she believed this.  Fire elves had to have queens, because her mother was a queen, her father was a king, and she was a princess.

 Chapter 5

    Orenda had been shown to one of the rooms she had looked in earlier, carrying her package.  It was a plain room, really, but it was certainly a step up from the shared hovel of the workhouse, and Orenda thought that perhaps awaking her princessness would come in small steps.  When Miss Susan had left her, she opened the wardrobe and saw that it was empty, so she put the package inside. She didn¡¯t know how to cinch or wear it, so it was really no more than a long strip of fabric to her.  She carefully closed the wardrobe and walked to the small writing table. There was nothing laid out upon it, so she snuffed out the lamp, sat on the bed, took off her boots, then her apron, and folded it to lay it over the back of the chair.


    She thought of the woman in the book.  She was so beautiful, but she did not exist.  She was a ¡®composite drawing¡¯ from a ¡®lost culture¡¯.  She was no one. She was many people. Orenda¡¯s culture¡­  had existed. And people had written it down. She would learn all that she could about it, because it was not dead, it was lost.  Lost things existed to be found, like Orenda herself.


    She thought that her mother probably did look very much like the woman in the drawing.  She may have worn her hair long, under shimmering veils. Orenda realized that she had never seen a male fire elf, but the image her mind conjured of her father seemed easy enough.  He would have been distinguished, of course, as a king- it was very likely that there had been a king- and as beautifully dressed as his wife. They would have lived in a palace, like the ones she heard about in stories, the one the empress supposedly lived in.


    Orenda climbed into the bed and slid a hand into her pocket to grip the fire stone.  They had both been mages, her parents. They were probably the best mages in all of Xren, who had only fallen because of treachery, not because of any lapse in strength.  They would retreat, briefly, to rebuild their forces, and to find Orenda. Then they would reclaim their kingdom, and she would take her rightful place as a princess. She only needed to bide her time.


    The next morning, Orenda woke early, as she had been accustomed to do at the workhouse, and made her way outside to check on her laundry.  She noticed that several more things had been added to the soapy water, and sighed. But she was used to worse, and would not allow it to phase her.  She was not afraid of a little washing. She held one hand over the water, gripped the fire stone with her other, and let out a giggle as the laundry began to boil and bubble.  Then she rolled up her sleeves, knelt beside the washtub, and began to scrub as the sun rose on the horizon, and tried to break through the cloud of smoke that was so much thinner here.


    Ellie found her as she was pumping the rinse water, and looked panicked.


    ¡°I thought we had lost you!¡± She said as Orenda wrang the soapy water from her stockings and tossed them in to rinse.


    ¡°No one told me I was to stay in the bedroom,¡± Orenda shot back as she pulled her dress from the suds and began to wring it out.  She would not be punished for rules she did not know.


    ¡°Oh, no, you don¡¯t¡­  have to stay anywhere,¡± Ellie told her, ¡°I just¡­  didn¡¯t know where you were.¡±


    ¡°I like to keep a close eye on my things,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t like to leave them out here all night.  It¡¯s quite common for things to be stolen.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ellie looked as if this factual statement had saddened her, ¡°You aren¡¯t among thieves, Orenda.¡±


    ¡°One is always among thieves,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°They could have come right over the fence.¡±


    ¡°...I suppose you¡¯re right, at that,¡± Ellie admitted, ¡°But you have to leave them out to dry.  There¡¯s no helping it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Orenda said, but did not elaborate.  She felt that she could probably dry them quicker, with the fire stone, and take them inside with her.  But she would be much more cautious about using magic now that she knew it could be caught.


    ¡°Susan has made breakfast,¡± Ellie told her, ¡°I was hoping that you would eat with us.  Then I¡¯d like to go over the Common syllabary with you.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Orenda wiped her hands on her apron and looked at the laundry still in the suds, ¡°Am I to be working in the library, then?¡±


    ¡°What are your favorite games, Orenda?¡± Ellie asked as they made their way inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know many games,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°I used to be a little good at hide and seek, when I was younger, but I think I¡¯m of an age where my time should be put to better use.  One outgrows such behavior.¡±


    ¡°How old are you?¡± Ellie asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Orenda admitted, ¡°But I think, by my best guess, about ten years old.  It¡¯s difficult to judge, because I¡¯m not sure when I was born. I only know when I came to be at the workhouse, and so I must guess.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t terribly old,¡± Ellie argued, ¡°Elves can live for centuries, if we take care of ourselves.  Are you sure you don¡¯t like games?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there she is!¡± Susan motioned for Orenda to sit, ¡°Here, Orenda, you sit down and eat.¡±  She picked a piece of toast from a plate in the center and put it before Orenda, then opened a glass jar and spread an orange goop onto it.  Then she repeated the process. Then again.


    ¡°I think she can do it herself,¡± Charles explained, with his mouth full.  He swallowed and asked, ¡°Do you like coffee?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had it,¡± Orenda explained.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll want to put honey or sugar in it,¡± He told her, ¡°It¡¯s an acquired taste.¡±


    ¡°Is it in poor taste,¡± Orenda wondered aloud, ¡°To ask where you are from?¡±


    Susan froze, and Charles glanced at the two women.  But he answered, ¡°Not¡­ usually, no. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°You speak so strangely,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I have an accent.¡± He said, as if it hadn¡¯t occurred to him, and to Susan he added, ¡°We have accents.  Shit!¡±


    Orenda had not expected this outburst, and felt badly for calling attention to something he was apparently so sensitive about.


    ¡°There is a child,¡± Susan reminded him, and Charles¡¯s eyes darted back to Orenda.


    ¡°We¡¯ll¡­  have to work on that,¡± he told her.


    ¡°But you aren¡¯t from here,¡± Orenda said, and added, ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want to talk about it.  I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± She took the cup Susan handed her and meant to sip it, but Charles took it from her and began to shovel sugar into it by the spoonful from a little dish on the table.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t upset me,¡± Charles promised.  ¡°I just¡­ didn¡¯t realize I had an accent. I don¡¯t think anyone recognizes their own.  You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not from around here. I¡¯m from Uril, well¡­ I suppose everyone is from Uril.  I¡¯m from the earth continent, closer to the capital. It¡¯s across the ocean. Susy is too.¡±


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Susan hissed.


    ¡°She won¡¯t say anything,¡± He argued, ¡°I trust her.¡±


    ¡°How did you come to be here?¡± Orenda asked.  She had never met anyone from an ocean away before.


    ¡°Well¡­  Orenda, you¡¯re very young.  I don¡¯t know what you know. How much do you know about humans?¡± He asked.


    ¡°She needn¡¯t hear this story,¡± Susan said, took the cup from him, and set it before Orenda with more force than was strictly necessary, ¡°She¡¯s a child.  It will frighten her.¡±


    ¡°Children have lived it,¡± Charles argued.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Ellie sat at the table and put an end to the conversation, ¡°Did you like your room?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine I¡¯ll stay there very long,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It seems as if it was already set up for someone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯ve left,¡± Ellie assured her, ¡°We do take in visitors, from time to time.  I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have more, presently. Most of them are temporary.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Orenda said, and devoured her second piece of toast, ¡°I imagine I will be temporary as well, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­  written a letter,¡± Ellie said, then trailed off.  She had eaten a single piece of toast, quickly, and stood.  ¡°Orenda, when you¡¯ve finished, please come and find me in the library.¡±


    Orenda thought it would not hurt her clothes to soak a little longer.  But it certainly couldn¡¯t be good for them, either. She also thought that she really enjoyed the coffee, but that Charles was right about the sugar.  She finished quickly, more than a little aware that she was asking too many questions and making people uncomfortable, then did as she had been bid, and went to meet with Ellie in the library.


    The library never seemed to be particularly busy, but that made sense.  Orenda thought that most people would be too preoccupied with work to come and sit in a building to read storybooks all day.  She wasn¡¯t even sure why such a place existed. She couldn¡¯t imagine enough people would want it to necessitate its presence. As the books meant very little to her, she ignored them, and found Ellie quickly.


    She was sitting at one of the tables, and had a great deal of parchment laid out, as well as a few books.  She seemed excited to see Orenda, and turned the dial on the lamp to throw light across the entire table.


    ¡°Orenda, sit down, please!¡±  She stood and pulled out a chair for her.  Orenda was not used to so much energy from her, and part of her did not trust it, but she listened as Ellie continued, ¡°This is the syllabary, and I want to go over it phonetically for you!  Once you have it memorized, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to pick up reading easily.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Orenda agreed, and looked over the paper.


    ¡°Each symbol is representative of a sound,¡± Ellie explained, ¡°And these sounds together form words.  So when you know what each sound is, you can easily put them together. You¡¯re so intelligent, Orenda, it¡¯s almost like speaking to an adult.  I know you¡¯ll pick it up easily.¡±


    Orenda was not sure that anyone had made comment on her intellect before, but she had always had a high opinion of herself, and it was nice to see that someone else agreed.  It was rare, because the subject rarely came up in conversation.


    Ellie leaned over Orenda to touch each symbol as she made the sound, and Orenda repeated it.  It took several tries for her to memorize them, but, apparently, less than Ellie had anticipated.


    ¡°Now,¡± Ellie told her, ¡°I would like you to copy the symbol as you speak.¡±


    They went over them again, with Orenda writing, and both of them speaking, until they had finished, and Ellie was confident that she had memorized which symbol stood for which sound.  Orenda had not noticed the passage of time, but apparently they had been at it for a good while, because when Ellie spoke again, Orenda was shocked to learn that it was nearly noon.


    ¡°If you could,¡± Ellie told her, ¡°Write these out again, and keep speaking them aloud, while I make my rounds.  Once you¡¯ve finished, we¡¯ll have lunch.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Orenda agreed, and watched Ellie disappear into one of the rows of bookshelves.  Orenda began writing, but after her second copy, she became curious, and picked up one of the books laid out on the table.  There was a picture of a rabbit on the cover, and above the drawing were symbols that she correctly identified would make the sounds, when spoken aloud:


    Li-tt-le Bun-ny Foo-Foo.


    She opened the book, and began to read, referring, as needed, back to the syllabary.


    ¡°Little bunny Foo Foo, hopping through the forest,¡± She read aloud, ¡°Scooping up the field mice, and bopping them on the heads.¡±


    Each line was accompanied by a drawing depicting what was being described in the text, and Orenda thought it to be a strange story.  The rabbit, Foo-Foo, seemed to be a mass murderer, and thus far, he was an unstoppable force that was going to wipe out all of mouse-kind.  She turned the page.


    ¡°Down came the fairy, and the fairy said, ¡®Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don¡¯t want to see you, scooping up the field mice, and bopping them on the heads¡¯.¡±  Orenda read, and stared at the drawing of the fairy. She looked like an earth elf woman, with the addition of insect wings, which Orenda thought was probably not what fairies would look like in the wild.  It seemed strange that two unrelated creatures would look so much alike. But it was nice to see that someone had come to put a stop to the killing spree.


    ¡°¡®And Little Bunny Foo-Foo¡¯,¡± Orenda continued after she had turned the page, ¡°know that if you do, I will turn you into- a goon¡¯.¡±  She paused, and as she was already speaking aloud, asked, ¡°What on Xren is a goon?¡± Without thinking how strange it was to talk to herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s a type of water bird,¡± A girl said, and Orenda jerked her face to see the same girl she had mistaken for a princess the day she had left the workhouse.  ¡°And that¡¯s a baby book. Why are you reading that?¡±


    ¡°I am a baby,¡± Orenda lied, because she thought it would be funny, ¡°I¡¯ve been cursed to look like this.  I¡¯m hoping to find a cure.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± The girl asked, as if she had the slightest inkling that it may be true.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I just wanted to see if you would believe it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± The girl put her hands on her hips and stared down at Orenda.


    ¡°Good,¡± Orenda said, and went back to looking at the book, ¡°It would have been very foolish of you.¡±


    ¡°So why do you really look like that?¡± The girl asked.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Your skin is so dark,¡± The girl explained, ¡°and your hair is so red.¡±  She laid her hand in Orenda¡¯s hair, and began to stroke it as if she believed Orenda to be a dog, or some other pet.


    Orenda batted her hand away, glared up at her, and responded, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.  It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but you have to tell me!¡± The girl explained, ¡°My father is a scholar, and we have to know everything we can, for posterity.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s very important,¡± The girl assured her.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m called Kazula,¡± the girl responded as if it meant something.


    ¡°Well, Kassie,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°I will tell you, but you can¡¯t tell anyone else.  You must promise me.¡±


    ¡°I promise!¡± Kazula said instantly.


    ¡°I am the long lost princess of the fire elves,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°that is why I am so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were beautiful,¡± Kazula said, ¡°I only thought you were different.  Are you really a princess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you mustn¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Orenda reminded her, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to go.  I was invited to a luncheon and I fear I may be running late.¡± She stood, gathered all her papers, and held them to her chest.

 Chapter 6

    Orenda began to grow accustomed to the daily routine of the library.  She would awaken at dawn, do a few chores, then be set, for hours at a time, with no particular direction to continue her studies.  She had not even really meant to memorize the syllabary, and often carried it with her, but she slowly found herself referring to it less and less as she continued to read.


    She devoured the written word.


    She went through much of the children¡¯s section in less than a week- she learned about all sorts of things, not only bunnies and fairies, but also princesses, knights, dragons, magic, swords- slews and slews of stories that she suspected were not true in the slightest, but which were still great fun.  However, she had wanted to learn to read in order to further her education on real-world matters, and quickly moved into non-fiction.


    Books about fire elves were shockingly rare.  She had expected to find great tomes detailing history, fashion, culture, music, dance, lineage, politics, and especially religion, as she had been told that it held importance to her people.  But she found none of those things, so she began to read the history of the earth elves, hoping that it would tell her anything. There had been a war; it had to be recorded. Important people in that war would be noted in the text.


    Orenda was not prepared for what she had read.


    The book recorded that the fire elves had been a people weak and frightened, who had lived in fear of that which they did not know, because they refused to embrace the more scholarly pursuits of the Urillian culture.  They had been overthrown easily- the entire country had fallen in a day and a night. Their names were not recorded. Their history was not recorded.


    They had fallen because though they were deeply devout, they did not have the knowledge to accept the chosen one when he appeared among them.  Thesis had chosen an avatar among mortals, referred to in the text as the ¡°The Emerald Knight¡±. He had come on a mission of peace, to teach them all the marvelous things the Urilians had, to spread knowledge and love at the hands of a god.


    But they had been frightened of his gifts.  They had not believed him- and they were punished by their god for their hubris.  To reject such a gift had been sacrilege, and the fire elves were smote- the Sacred Mountain had erupted, burying their capital in lava, burning their civilization to ash, and completely wiping them from the face of the planet.


    They were gone.


    She was alone.


    Orenda had decided not to believe the history books any more than she did the story books, and had gone to Ellie to ask if she could borrow the tome she kept in her room.


    It was much more interesting, but so thick and so full of beautiful illustrations that it took months of devoted study to get through.  Orenda poured over it during every spare moment, and did not notice the passage of time as it continued to flow around her. All she knew was that one morning she awakened, and the house was full of people.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go on right now,¡± Charles was explaining to another human man, much younger than he was, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.  You have to hide for a few days.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± The man said, ¡°But the cops are hot on our tails- I think we may need a new safehouse.¡±


    ¡°This is as safe as you¡¯re going to get,¡± Charles argued, and added, ¡°Let me see your neck.  Does everyone have them, even the children?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to watch,¡± A human woman was sitting on the rug with Susan, unswaddling a baby that could not have been two years old, while one of her other two children rubbed his neck.  ¡°But yes, even the children. The ones who had been old enough to be branded.¡±


    ¡°He was so nice,¡± A boy who looked only a little older than Orenda said, ¡°But¡­  but he held me down, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Orenda asked him, because he looked like he was about to cry.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not alright, you knife-eared bitch!¡± He snapped, and the woman, whom Orenda assumed was his mother, slapped him across the face so hard he went thumping into the carpet.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Susan said to her, ¡°Come here, and strain the coffee, would you, dear?¡±


    Orenda caught the words, ¡°How dare you,¡± from the woman to her son, but she correctly guessed that the conversation was none of her business, and did her best to tune it out as she took the warm kettle from the fire to the table.  The boy began to cry, to wail in earnest, and Charles marched over to him, knelt, and Orenda tried very hard not to stare, but she watched from the corner of her eye as he spoke in the most serious voice she had ever heard him use.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± He said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re upset.  I know that you¡¯re scared. But you can¡¯t scream. You can¡¯t cry.  You can¡¯t be loud; you can¡¯t give any indication that you are here.  They are looking for you, and if you give yourself away, they will find all of us, do you understand?  This is a safehouse. We have to all work together to keep it safe. Think of it as hide and seek.¡±


    ¡°He always cries,¡± The little girl had been playing with the hem of her dress, ¡°He isn¡¯t very brave.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be alive if he wasn¡¯t brave,¡± Charles argued, and turned his attention to her, ¡°All humans are brave.  To be human and be alive is a sign of courage. But please, please, be quiet.¡±


    ¡°Apologise to that young lady,¡± the mother ordered, and Orenda saw the boy scowling at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, in a tone that implied he didn¡¯t mean it at all.


    ¡°He¡¯s scared of you,¡± The girl, whom Orenda suspected to be about half her age, told her.


    ¡°Is he?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re an elf,¡± The girl explained.


    ¡°Are elves frightening?¡± Orenda asked, and was waiting for an answer, but received an order instead.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Orenda, would you please pour the coffee for everyone?¡± Susan said in a tone that made it very clear it was not a question, ¡°Breakfast is ready.  We¡¯ll have oatmeal. It stretches easily.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mam,¡± Orenda agreed, and the boy stared at her as if she had lost her mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s much different here,¡± The girl said.


    There was not enough space at the table, so the children sat by the fireside on the rug.  Only Orenda had taken the coffee with her breakfast; the other two drank water from a single cup.  Orenda studied them, and disliked the silence. The boy seemed to positively hate her, for reasons she did not understand, but his sister was much more friendly, and ate much more quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jill,¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯m called Orenda,¡± Orenda said to her, ¡°I like young children.  You¡¯re all so cute. Would you like me to teach you how to make kitty whiskers?¡±


    She unwound a piece of twine from her pocket that she had tied in a loop, and stretched it over her hands.  ¡°Pay attention now,¡± She continued, and wove her fingers through it, like a spider weaving a web. She dropped the twine from her thumbs, pulled, and the string knotted itself into a shape that did look like a cat¡¯s whiskers.  Orenda put them against her face, and Jill laughed.


    ¡°Are you our new master?¡± The boy asked her, with an edge to his voice.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think so,¡± Orenda pulled two of the whiskers and the twine unknotted itself, ¡°I¡¯m an apprentice, at best, myself.¡±


    ¡°Xac says that there are no gods, no queens, and no masters,¡± The boy said to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that isn¡¯t right,¡± Orenda said, going through the motions again with the string, ¡°There must be at least one queen- Xandra.  They put up posters of her likeness. Who is Xac?¡±


    ¡°The white rabbit,¡± The boy said, glaring at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I would trust a rabbit,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how knowledgeable they are on the subjects of religions, politics, or employment.¡±


    ¡°I hate the way you talk,¡± The boy scowled at her, ¡°You think you¡¯re so fancy.¡±


    ¡°I think nothing of the sort,¡± Orenda rolled her eyes, ¡°You seem to have a very low opinion of yourself.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me.¡±


    ¡°Johnny shut up!¡± his sister said, and smacked him, but her youth seemed to rob her attack of any strength.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Johnny screamed, and all the adults glared at him, so he lowered his voice and spoke again, ¡°When are we leaving?¡±


    ¡°When it¡¯s safe,¡± she replied, ¡°For now, we rest, and we wait.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Susan asked, ¡°Could you please take the children somewhere and play quietly?¡±


    Orenda did not want the boy in her room around the book, because he seemed the kind of person who would destroy it, so she got to her feet and asked, ¡°Do you like to read?  We can go into the library.¡±


    The boy stood, and Orenda was shocked when he took a step forward as if he was going to hit her.  She held up a hand, grabbed her fire stone with the other, and a plume of fire sprang from the palm of the hand she held toward him.  She held it there, to the amazement of everyone, and warned, ¡°Think it through, Johnny. This will not be my first fight. Will it be yours?¡±


    After he had recovered from his shock, Johnny asked, ¡°Who have you ever fought?¡±


    ¡°Fights often break out in workhouses,¡± Orenda explained, released the stone, waved her hand, and watched the fire dissipate, ¡°People can get annoying when you have to spend too much time together.  I fear it is inevitable.¡±


    ¡°...what¡¯s a workhouse?¡± Johnny asked.


    ¡°We extracted the ore from clumps of earth,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°and smelted it into shapes, I believe.¡±


    ¡°You did that?¡± The human man Orenda assumed was Johnny¡¯s father asked, ¡°But you¡¯re an elf.¡±


    ¡°Elves are not uncommon,¡± Orenda explained.  She didn¡¯t understand why more than one person had that reaction.


    ¡°He can¡¯t read,¡± Johnny¡¯s mother explained, ¡°Can you, Johnny?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Johnny said in a tone that implied he was obviously lying.  Orenda was confused. Why would they lie about that? It was a useful skill to have.


    ¡°No humans can read, Orenda,¡± Charles explained.  ¡°If any elf asks you, no human can read.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Orenda said, tilting her head as she absorbed the information.  ¡°Why?¡± The silence stretched on for an unbearably long time, so Orenda asked Johnny, ¡°Would you like me to teach you?¡±


    He stared at her, his eyes boring into her, before he said, ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything, Orenda.¡±


    Johnny had locked himself in the room that he was apparently staying in, so Orenda left Jill with her mother and walked into the library to pick out some storybooks to read to her and the baby.  She had just entered the children¡¯s section when Ellie approached her and bent down to speak in a panicked whisper.


    ¡°No, no, Orenda, I can¡¯t believe they let you leave.  Stay inside our apartments today. You¡¯re too conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Ms Ellie,¡± Orenda asked, grabbing books as quickly as she could to obey her, ¡°May I ask a question?¡±


    Ellie tugged her by the shoulder, into a row of bookshelves, as the little bell over the doorway tinkled, and Orenda stared past her to see who had entered.  A team of five people had come into the library, all earth elves wearing identical tunics that, to Orenda, seemed out of style. They all had swords, and looked like toy soldiers come to life.


    Ellie glanced over her shoulder and answered in a whisper, ¡°Yes, but very quickly, and very quietly.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a knife-eared bitch?¡± Orenda asked, and Ellie¡¯s face contorted into a look of shock.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­  very rude, Orenda.  Don¡¯t say that again, please?  Now, head back to the apartments, quickly and silently.¡±  She shoved her, and Orenda knew something was wrong. Ellie was never violent, not even by that small of an amount.


    One of the toy soldiers had gone to the desk to ring the bell, and Orenda stayed in the shadows as Ellie rushed to answer it.


    ¡°Good morning, officers!¡± She said chipperly, and Orenda was shocked at the change in attitude, ¡°What can I help you with, today?  We have an extensive collection on military history-¡±


    ¡°Actually, mam,¡± the man who had rang the bell answered, ¡°We¡¯re patrolling the area.  The Burned Roc was spotted a few towns over, and we have reason to believe that stolen goods may have been trafficked through here.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ellie said pleasantly, ¡°you¡¯ll be looking for the merchant¡¯s guild then.  You head left when you exit the library, follow the cobblestone path, and you¡¯ll see a large sign.  You can¡¯t miss it.¡±


    ¡°Actually mam, it may be a bit more difficult than that,¡± the toy soldier explained, ¡°we¡¯re looking for a group of stolen slaves.  They could be hiding anywhere. We¡¯d like to search the library, well, all the public buildings. You know how it is.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ellie smiled, and Orenda began to move, quickly and silently, as Ellie continued, ¡°Is there any place in particular?  We¡¯ve just opened for the day and I haven¡¯t seen any unaccompanied humans, but I will certainly do anything I can to help.¡±


    ¡°The library is a waste of time,¡± one of the other soldiers commented, ¡°There¡¯s no reason for them to come in here.  It¡¯s not like they can read.¡±


    Orenda skuttled past the rows of bookshelves, grasping the storybooks in one arm, hurrying to the little door that led to their apartments.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big building,¡± another observed, ¡°They probably just want somewhere with a lot of hidey holes.¡±


    Orenda pried the door open, closed it slowly, and leaned against it.  She could feel her heart beating against her rib cage, could hear them, still inside the library, just outside the door, could feel the heat radiating from their bodies.  Orenda bolted down the hall, as fast as her legs could carry her, opened the door at the end, closed it quietly, and slammed the lock into place.


    The adults were all in the living room, and were staring at her in shock, but she paid them no mind as she rushed to the back door and locked it as well.  She ran back to the living room, and commanded in a whisper, ¡°Everyone! Be very, very quiet! There are soldiers in the library, looking for ¡®stolen slaves¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 7

    ¡°You¡¯re sure about that?¡± Susan asked, ¡°You saw them?¡±


    ¡°I heard them say that,¡± Orenda answered with narrowed eyes, ¡°Are we hiding slaves?  Is that what this is?¡± Without waiting for an answer she continued, ¡°Because if so, we need a better hiding place than out in plain sight.  You¡¯ll need to get into the wardrobes or-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Susan said with a calmness to her voice that did not match her eyes.  She was gathering all the dishes quickly and efficiently, stacking them and moving them from the table to the sink.  ¡°Orenda, help Charlie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in Orenda¡¯s room,¡± Charles said as he marched down the hall, ¡°Rendy, get those books.¡±


    His tone left no room for argument, and Orenda thought that she liked the nickname, but now was not the time to bring it up.  She gathered the storybooks and walked quickly after Charles. The woman had picked up the baby and followed after them, but the father went into the guest room, and came quickly out with his children in tow.


    ¡°Help me,¡± Charles said to him, and motioned for him to move to the other side of Orenda¡¯s bed.  The man went to scoot it and Charles chided, ¡°Pick it up! Are you trying to make noise?¡± Together they lifted it, and moved it to the far wall.  Charles quickly dropped to his knees and rolled up the braided run to reveal a door cut into the floor. He opened it, and Orenda could see a shaft going down, but not much beyond.


    ¡°Go!¡± Charles commanded, and the man climbed down the ladder.  The woman handed him the baby, then the girl, quickly motioning for her son to climb.  He did so without argument, though he looked frightened. His mother followed on as closely as she could.


    ¡°What¡¯s down there?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Not a lot,¡± Charles said, ¡°We dug it out ourselves.  It¡¯s just a little dirt hovel with shit ventilation. I don¡¯t think anyone could survive for very long.  But they won¡¯t be there very long.¡± He closed the door, rolled the rug back out over it, and said, ¡°Help me move the bed back.¡±


    ¡°What does ¡®shit ventilation¡¯ mean?¡± Orenda asked, struggling a little with the heavy bed frame, but unwilling to mention it.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± he admitted, ¡°Don¡¯t say ¡®shit¡¯.  I just mean¡­ there¡¯s not a lot of air down there. People can¡¯t stay down there for very long.¡±


    ¡°Are humans often slaves?¡± Orenda asked as she opened her wardrobe and placed the books inside.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Charles answered, and tugged the collar of his shirt up.


    ¡°To elves?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to tell you,¡± Charles said, ¡°We weren¡¯t¡­  not until you were older, or we figured out-¡±


    ¡°Just my personal apartments,¡± Ellie¡¯s voice was so much louder than it normally was, coming from the direction of the living room.


    ¡°Go to your desk,¡± Charles said, ¡°Pretend to be reading.  Act casual.¡±


    He opened the door slowly, silently, then went to the bed and began to strip the bedding.


    ¡°We really hate to intrude,¡± came the voice of the soldier who had run the bell, ¡°We¡¯ll be in and out.  We hate to bother you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no bother,¡± Ellie assured him, ¡°There¡¯s not much to it, really.¡±


    ¡°How many humans do you have?¡± The guard asked.


    ¡°Oh, only the two,¡± Ellie said conversationally, ¡°Just to help with housework and the like.  My work keeps me quite busy. I told you that I¡¯ve been chronicling the precolonial history of the region.  And now that I¡¯ve taken on a child, things have gotten a bit more hectic.¡±


    Orenda heard the door to Ellie¡¯s room opening, and someone walking around in there.


    ¡°Seems like a rather plain set of apartments for such a lovely lady,¡± he said, and Orenda began to absentmindedly copy a section from the text on fire elves.


    ¡°I¡¯ve often found that excess can easily become a distraction,¡± Ellie said, and Orenda heard the other doors open.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Charles stuck his head out the doorway, ¡°Sir, you may not want to go in there- it does not reflect well on me.  I¡¯m changing the bedding and some of the rooms are unkempt.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a human in here,¡± came the voice of someone Orenda had not heard speak, but she assumed it was one of the guards.


    ¡°Yes, his name is Charles,¡± Ellie said chipperly, ¡°He¡¯s quite helpful.¡±


    ¡°Is he?¡± The guard in the guest room asked in disgust, ¡°He¡¯s half-assed one room and moved on to the next.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I suppose he has a system,¡± Ellie laughed, and Orenda did not like how unlike herself she was being, ¡°I don¡¯t question it as long as the work gets done.¡±


    The man who had rung the bell pushed past Charles and walked into Orenda¡¯s room.  His eyes widened when he saw her.


    ¡°This is your ward?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Ellie came in behind him, and Charles stepped to the side, just to her left, with his back against the wall near the doorway, ¡°She¡¯s quite helpful.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a fire elf,¡± The man said, with a tone that Orenda could not place- he was not angry, not in awe- perhaps a little curious.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said to him, ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡­  see so few of them,¡± The man said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said, because she didn¡¯t know what else to say.  ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Where did you find her?¡± The man asked Ellie.


    ¡°She was on the street, poor thing,¡± Ellie explained.


    ¡°Ms Ellie has taken me in,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m grateful to her.  She¡¯s very kind to me.¡±


    ¡°She seems to have many virtues,¡± The man smiled at Ellie in a way that made Orenda¡¯s flesh crawl.


    ¡°Thank you, mam, for your help,¡± He said.


    ¡°Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t like something to drink?¡± Ellie asked, ¡°Or to eat?¡±


    ¡°No, well¡­¡± The man paused, ¡°Not today.  Perhaps I will take you up on your kind offer later.  But for now, I do, unfortunately, have quite a few places to get through.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wish you luck,¡± Ellie smiled at him, ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll walk you out, since I need to return to work.¡±


    ¡°That sounds lovely,¡± The man agreed, and stepped into the hall with her.


    Orenda¡¯s ears had pricked up by her head, and she did not realize exactly how tense she was until she heard the door to the apartment latch closed.  She had not realized that she was not breathing until she began again, and took in too much air too quickly, so much that she was drowning in it, which was not something she knew to be possible.  Charles rushed to her side, knelt to be on her level, wrapped one arm around her shoulders, and used the other to cradle her face.


    ¡°Come on, Rendy, slow down,¡± he instructed, ¡°It¡¯s fine.  They¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°We have to let them out,¡± Orenda said as soon as she could breath, and she did not understand why there were tears in her eyes.


    ¡°No, not until we¡¯re sure that they¡¯re gone,¡± Charles told her.


    ¡°They came here, like you did, didn¡¯t they?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°You¡¯re a slave, too?  You¡¯re all running from something?¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± He told her, and continued in a whisper, ¡°Yes.  I am. I came here because even though that, right there, was scary, things are much better here, Orenda.  And beyond that mountain range, they say no elf has traveled since the colonization. Out there? We don¡¯t know what there is, but we know that it¡¯s free.¡±


    ¡°Beyond the¡­  that¡¯s the Sacred Mountain,¡± Orenda said, ¡°The geography books says it¡¯s all desert.  They¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°The geography books may be wrong,¡± Charles told her, ¡°I¡¯ve studied them and if you trace the sources they aren¡¯t very good.  When I was studying with the Brigaddons, they taught me to ¡®follow the money¡¯. If you look at who funds the research sometimes you see biases.  Xandra has never sent an expedition that came back. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s out there.¡±


    ¡°But what if it is nothing but desert?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°What if there¡¯s nothing there?  They¡¯ll die!¡±


    ¡°Some people¡­¡± Charles sighed and stood, ¡°Some people would rather live on their feet than die on their knees.¡±


    ¡°What were you talking about before?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°What is on your neck?  Everyone¡¯s necks?¡±


    Charles rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away, in thought.


    ¡°I¡­  I don¡¯t want to scare you, Rendy.¡± He said.


    ¡°They¡¯ve left the library,¡± Susan rushed through the door, ¡°All of them.  I thought sure they were going to say something about the breakfast dishes.  I washed them- stuck them in the cabinets still wet, but I couldn¡¯t get through all of them and if they had seen them they would know more than four people ate here today.¡±


    ¡°Did they say anything?¡± Charles asked.


    ¡°No¡­  no they didn¡¯t notice.  I don¡¯t know how. Small miracles.¡± She put a hand on her chest and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Help me move the bed back,¡± Charles asked her, and together they picked it up and moved it out of the way.  Then he rolled up the rug and opened the door.


    ¡°We should probably wash the bedding,¡± he said, ¡°What if they come by and don¡¯t see it on the line?¡±


    The man appeared first and hauled himself up, shaking so badly that he nearly fell back into the hole.  Charles pulled him to his feet, and he instantly went to sit back on the bed.


    ¡°You want a cup of tea?¡± Susan asked him.


    ¡°Please,¡± he begged, and began to cry.


    Orenda was unaccustomed to watching grown men cry, and it unnerved her.  She watched the rest of the family climb out from her position where she still sat at the desk.  Charles had to reach in and take the baby, who began to cry, as if on cue, when he touched it. The boy was the last to come out, and he shocked Orenda by stepping toward her, not towards his father.  His face was expressionless, and she did not know what to make of it.


    ¡°She was gonna sell dad,¡± Johnny said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, because she had no response to that.


    ¡°And me, when I got old enough,¡± Johnny said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Orenda asked, because she felt that he wanted to tell her something.


    ¡°Because boys can¡¯t have babies, I think,¡± Johnny answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t really understand.  But the place they were gonna send him was real mean. He didn¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°How old are you?¡± Orenda asked him, but he only shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met my father,¡± Orenda told him.  ¡°I think he may be a king.¡±


    The boy shook his head.  ¡°No gods. No kings. No masters.  Follow the white rabbit.¡±

 Chapter 8

    ¡°We need rebranded,¡± Charles said, and Ellie nearly choked on her food.


    ¡°No,¡± She said simply.


    ¡°Susie and I,¡± Charles went on, ¡°we need to be branded with your family crest.  They¡¯re going to check. They¡¯re getting worse about that stuff.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Ellie began, cut herself off, and began again, ¡°I won¡¯t¡­  it won¡¯t help anything. Yours is unreadable. It¡¯s so scarred they won¡¯t know whose it is.¡±


    ¡°It needs to be done,¡± Charles said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be the one to do it,¡± Ellie told him.


    Orenda watched the adults stewing over this, then looked back to her plate, then into the fire.  The other family- they had no last name, apparently, very few humans did, she had discovered- had been staying at the library for a few days, and everyone was tense.  Tonight, a mysterious figure that Orenda had never met was supposed to be coming to the house, a traveling merchant, who would smuggle them to a different safehouse, closer to the mountains.  Everything felt darker than it should, and Orenda did not like how heavy the air was. Everything was too quiet.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of the Emerald Knight?¡± Johnny asked.


    ¡°I read something about him,¡± Orenda said, breaking her naan into chunks small enough to eat with, ¡°he was the Chosen One, sent by Thesis to educate the fire elves.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Johnny told her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a scary story!¡± Jill said happily, ¡°the Emerald Knight is a boogieman!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling it,¡± Johnny told her, ¡°hush.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Orenda asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Johnny said, ¡°The Emerald Knight is a monster.  He¡¯s the one who hunts you down, when you run away. He¡¯s killed thousands of people, all over the world.  Back home, they say that he killed the god who used to live in the Sacred Woods. Now, those woods are angry, and haunted.  If you go there, there are monsters who lure children into the trees, and they-¡±


    ¡°And they never come back!¡± Jill interrupted.


    ¡°Hush!¡± Johnny warned.


    ¡°They say that nobody sees him and lives to tell about it,¡± Johnny said, ¡°But that¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°If no one lived, no one could tell the story.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Johnny continued, ¡°But he¡¯s supposed to be ten feet tall, all armored.  And he glows like the sun. It can be the middle of the night, but he lights it up like the middle of the day.  You can see him coming, but if you do, it¡¯s too late. I heard he¡¯s a demon-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jill said, ¡°He¡¯s a ghost!¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s a demon,¡± Johnny said, ¡°Hush!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t frighten her,¡± their mother said, ¡°The Emerald Knight isn¡¯t real.  It¡¯s only a legend.¡±


    ¡°Xac said he¡¯s real,¡± Johnny argued, ¡°And Captain-¡±


    ¡°What did we say about talking about the good Captain?¡± His father interrupted him.


    ¡°But these people won¡¯t tell,¡± Johnny began- but silenced himself at the look his mother gave him.  He lowered his voice and spoke again, ¡°I think the Emerald Knight is real. And I think he killed gods, like they said.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Gods?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°More than one?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they say,¡± Johnny answered, and the flickering firelight made his face look strange, ¡°When he killed the one back home, it caused an earthquake-¡±


    ¡°I thought you said it caused a haunted forest.¡± Orenda said, ¡°Which is it?¡±


    ¡°It can do more than one thing,¡± Johnny huffed.


    ¡°It just seems like a lot of different stories,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He¡¯s a demon or a ghost or a man in armor.  He causes earthquakes or hauntings. He¡¯s either evil or good. It sounds like a legend.¡±


    ¡°You can think what you want,¡± Johnny huffed, ¡°But Xac and the Captain have seen him.¡±


    ¡°The rabbit?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s not really a rabbit,¡± Jill explained, ¡°He¡¯s a human.  He¡¯s just called a rabbit.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s a rabbit, too,¡± Johnny said.


    ¡°I think you just like to tell stories,¡± Orenda told him, and took her last bite.


    ¡°You can think what you like,¡± Johnny huffed, apparently disappointed that his story didn¡¯t have more effect.


    ¡°This history books say that he caused an eruption,¡± Orenda said, after a long silence, ¡°An eruption that wiped out the fire elves.¡±


    ¡°He probably did,¡± Johnny said, with a smug sense of satisfaction.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda countered, ¡°He obviously didn¡¯t wipe out the fire elves.  Because I am here. I exist. I live. We are not gone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever seen two,¡± Johnny said, ¡°You¡¯re practically gone.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Orenda sat down her plate and stared at him, ¡°You¡¯ve seen two?  Who was the other?¡±


    There came a knock at the back door, and Ellie got up to make her way cautiously down the hall.


    ¡°Who comes to call at this late hour?¡± She asked, ¡°And where are you going?¡±


    ¡°One who believes in the path of order,¡± the caller answered, ¡°I follow the white rabbit.¡±


    There was the sound of the door opening, then closing, and a moment later, Ellie appeared, followed by a woman Orenda had never seen.  She was an earth elf, dressed in plain clothes, and she looked impatient.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you stay and eat?¡± Ellie asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re burning moonlight,¡± The woman answered, ¡°Everyone who¡¯s coming, come on.¡±


    ¡°You can read; you were lying,¡± Orenda said to Johnny as he stood.


    He paused, looked down at her, and nodded.


    ¡°Then¡­  write me,¡± Orenda ordered, ¡°When you get where you¡¯re going.  Write me and let me know that you are safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± He said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going.¡±  He paused, looked away, then back at her, ¡°Thanks, Rendy.¡±  He stared deeply into her eyes, ¡°Thank you for¡­ all your help.  Thanks for hiding us.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and Jill tackled her.


    They were gone so quickly.  They had come into and out of her life in only a few days, and as she watched them all climb, quickly under cover of darkness into the woman¡¯s caravan, she wondered where they were going.  Orenda liked to think that beyond the mountains there existed a vast city, constructed by the humans who had escaped. She thought that it was tall, and offered shade from the harsh sun. She liked to think that they had discovered a way to stretch what little water would trickle down from the snow-capped mountains in a way that would let them grow food.  She liked to think that they had created vast libraries, nice homes, schools, and had great festivals to celebrate holidays.


    Orenda also liked to think that she was a long-lost princess, who would be saved by her royal parents, who had gone into hiding after their kingdom had fallen.


    Orenda liked to think a great many things, because she knew that they were not true, but they were better than reality.  In the real world, there was nothing beyond the mountains but a slow death under a hot sun with too little water and too much sand.  In the real world she was an orphan whose parents were probably commoners who had probably died after a harsh life. In the real world, these people were not special, and neither was she.


    But they were going off to find adventure, and freedom, and the people who had gone before them.  They were going to live, and find the city the other humans had built, and live out full, rich lives.


    And Orenda was a long lost princess, who would grow up to be a queen.


    Because they were special.  They were good people. And good people got happy endings.


    She watched Ellie close the gate, and did not see where the caravan went from there, but Orenda liked to think that in a little while, perhaps a few months or a year, she would receive a letter that would tell her all about the wonderful place that existed beyond the mountains, all about the wonderful life that John was leading with his parents and his siblings.


    Orenda knew that she would never see any of them again, and she wiped the tears that fell from her eyes as she made her way back inside the library.

 Chapter 9

    Orenda had read in one of the many books she had studied, that in other places, like the earth continent around the capital, during the winter there would be snow.  It was difficult to imagine, for someone who had always lived in a place where it was always hot and often dry, but Orenda believed the books, because it did make perfect sense.


    She was not overly fond of the solstice, because it had always meant very little to her.  At the workhouse, they would be given the day off, and sometimes people donated gifts to the children, normally in the form of baked goods.  She was told that all of their names were offered up to wealthy patrons, and that those chosen would receive gifts, but she had never been chosen, and had never thought much on the subject.


    But things were different now.  Now she was helping Susan by warming the oven with her hand, which was much more efficient and baked much more evenly than the fire she normally used, and the apartments smelled of cookies.  Susan had taught her to bake, using spices like ginger, alongside flour, milk, eggs and the like, how to roll out the dough and cut it into shapes, and now Orenda had gotten so good at controlling her powers that she was able to shape the oven to her whims, and as soon as Susan told her to stop, they removed the tray from the oven, and Orenda looked at the cookies she had sometimes see other children get around the holiday.


    ¡°When I am queen,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I shall bake cookies quite frequently, and give them to children at workhouses.¡±


    ¡°If I were queen,¡± Susan told her, shaking the pan, ¡°There would be no workhouses.¡±


    Orenda thought that was a better way to do things.


    Charles was humming when he came in from the library, looked to the fireplace, and seemed shocked.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± he said, ¡°You¡¯ve not hung up your stocking.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± She said.


    ¡°Children need to hang stockings from the fireplace,¡± Susan told her, ¡°So that Niccoli will know to leave them their treats.¡±


    ¡°Niccoli isn¡¯t real,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°Though I appreciate what you¡¯re trying to do, I couldn¡¯t expect any gifts.  I have nothing to give in return.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Charles asked, ¡°Niccoli not real?  Have you gone mad? Of course Niccoli is real.¡±


    ¡°If Niccoli were real,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I should have known it before.  He would have come to the workhouse.¡±


    ¡°Did you hang stockings?¡± Charles asked her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in nonsense,¡± Orenda told him seriously, ¡°I would rather not pretend it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being difficult,¡± He told her.


    ¡°Let her alone,¡± Susan told him, ¡°Let her enjoy her cookie.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said, and to Charles asked, ¡°Did I get a letter?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± He answered, and she believed him, because she asked every day, and if he had the information he would give it to her.  ¡°Ellie will know. Happy solstice, Rendy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said, ¡°Happy solstice.  I wish I had gifts to give everyone.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m hanging my stocking.¡±  He took one of the cookies and stomped off to his room, ¡°I would advise you to do the same.¡±


    Orenda rolled her eyes, bit into her cookie, and headed into the library.  It was closed for the day, and likely would not open tomorrow for the holiday, but she wandered up and down the halls, through all the rows of bookshelves, and could not find Ellie.  She returned, puzzled, to the apartments, and picked up a second cookie.


    ¡°Susie!¡± She called, ¡°Charles!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Charles answered, coming back into the room, true to his word, with a sock and a nail.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ellie?¡± Orenda asked.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°She had to go into town to meet with someone,¡± Charles responded, ¡°It¡¯s not a long walk; she¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t know,¡± he shrugged, but Orenda thought he was lying.  ¡°Maybe she knows Niccoli.¡±


    Orenda made a disgusted sound, and went to her room to look through the pictures of her book.  She hadn¡¯t been in there long before Susan stuck her head in and said, ¡°Rendy, maybe you should hang a stocking.  It would mean so much to him.¡±


    ¡°I would hate to receive a gift,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I have nothing to give.  I know he¡¯s gotten me something.¡±


    ¡°Let him give it,¡± Susan said, ¡°Sometimes adults like to see children happy, Rendy.  You¡¯ll understand one day, when you have children.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will have children,¡± Orenda said, ¡°From what I¡¯ve been reading, elves can only have children if they have someone to father them from their own element.  I¡¯ve never met another fire elf, and I shouldn¡¯t like to have children with someone just because he¡¯s a fire elf. My dating pool is very small.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find one,¡± Susan told her, ¡°Apparently they just wander the street, looking to seek their fortune.¡±


    Orenda rolled her eyes.  She was feeling contrary, because she hadn¡¯t heard anything from Johnny since he left, and because she didn¡¯t like it when Ellie went to town alone.  She had been nervous about it since she had seen the soldiers. When one is hiding something, there is a constant, underlying fear that always exists, and must be constantly dealt with.  It never goes away. But if it would make Charles happy, she would hang a stocking. She picked one up, and followed Susan back into the living room with it.


    She was shocked to see Ellie there, because she hadn¡¯t heard her come in.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± She exclaimed, ¡°I have wonderful news!¡±  She held out a package.


    ¡°Happy solstice,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°I do hate to take anything else.  You¡¯ve already given me so much.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t from me,¡± Ellie explained, ¡°It¡¯s from someone else.  Please open it, Rendy, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside it, and I¡¯m dying to find out!¡±


    ¡°Open it now?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°But we aren¡¯t supposed to open gifts until tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Please, Rendy!¡± She begged, ¡°The suspense is killing me!¡±


    Orenda took it slowly.  The box was small, about the size of her hand, and much heavier than she had expected.  She sat down at the table and slowly pulled apart the red ribbon, which was silky and beautiful, then stuck it in her pocket.  The box came apart in two pieces- and inside were two things. One was more obvious and striking than the other.


    A gold medallion on a gold chain sat upon a folded up piece of paper.  Orenda picked it up and saw that it was rusted in some places, or- perhaps it wasn¡¯t rust, but it was some copper colored substance that refused to flake off.  The medallion itself looked familiar, it bore an embossing of a closed fist surrounded by fire. Around the edges were red jewels, and for the first time, Orenda drew the fire crystal from her pocket in front of people.


    She held it to the medallion and compared it to the jewels set around the edges, but she didn¡¯t need to- she had felt it the second she picked it up.  They were fire crystals. The entire thing flickered and pulsed with power like a burning flame. She watched them glow as she held it, and stuck the crystal back into her pocket.


    ¡°By Thesis!¡± Ellie said, ¡°It¡¯s a mage focus!¡±


    ¡°I thought¡­¡± Orenda said slowly, turning the medallion in her hand, ¡°Those were staves or wands.¡±


    ¡°Usually they are,¡± Ellie said, looking as if she wanted to take it.


    Orenda stared at the back of the medallion.  It was smooth, unlike the front, except for the tiniest engraving, so small she could barely read it, near the bottom: GF.  She had no idea what that meant, but she had not yet looked at the paper that had been in the box. She draped the medallion around her neck, and unfolded the paper.


    Orenda,


    Darling, I have no idea how you wound up in that workhouse.  It is NOT where I sent you. So much has happened since I last saw you that I don¡¯t know where to begin.  I promised you that I would return when it was safe, and I swear to you that I will. It simply isn¡¯t safe yet.  Ellie will take good care of you. Please, Orenda, Darling, stay alive. Stay safe. I love you. I have always loved you.  I will love you until my dying breath. You must understand why we can¡¯t be together, not right now, not with the Emerald Knight still pursuing me.  It¡¯s too dangerous for you here. I wish I could come to see you myself, but the damn guards are right on my tail and when they find out that it¡¯s me they¡¯re after, the Emerald Knight will be right behind them.  I can¡¯t drag you into this. I love you. When all this is over, we¡¯ll be together again, just like he would have wanted. I love you so much, Orenda. You¡¯re probably beautiful and intelligent. Ellie tells me that you¡¯re already a great mage, that you didn¡¯t tell her about the fire crystal.  You¡¯re smart, you¡¯re resourceful, and you¡¯ve got a bright future. Please, Orenda, please stay alive until I can come for you. You deserve so much better than the life you have. You¡¯re just like him. You¡¯re a prodigy, destined for greatness. I¡¯m going to put some money back to get you into school, I just have to find a way to launder it.  Those damn earth elves ask too many questions.


    I love you more than you will ever know,


    Gareth


    Beside the name, someone had drawn a peculiar picture.  It looked like a face, but the shape was all wrong- a mask perhaps?  Underneath were crossed a sword and something Orenda had never seen and could not identify.  She didn¡¯t know what to make of it, and so asked the most obvious question she could think of.


    ¡°Who is Gareth?¡±

 Chapter 10

    When Ellie had claimed not to know who Gareth was, Orenda thought that she was lying- but it was difficult to tell.  Ellie was a remarkably good liar, and Orenda suspected that she thought she was protecting her. Gareth was, as far as Orenda could tell after pouring over all the genealogical registries she could find in the library, a unique name.  No earth elf had ever been chronicalled with that name.


    Which made sense- because the king of the fire elves would not have the name of an earth elf, and that was very obviously who this mysterious man was.  Gareth Nochdifache was likely the fallen king, the true king of the region, and Orenda was his long-lost daughter. It made perfect sense that he was fleeing from the Emerald Knight, and had wanted to hide her.


    Orenda had been reading her history, and now had a much clearer idea of how war worked.  Under Urillian law, there were three ways to claim power- one was by divine right: the royal family, the Urils, Xandra¡¯s family, had been chosen by Thesis to watch over all of elvenkind.  The Queen proclaimed this herself, in all of the speeches and press releases that Orenda could find. Xandra said that the Emerald Knight was a holy savior, and the fact that he had come to her, that he obeyed her, was proof of her divinity.  Orenda questioned her claim. Orenda questioned the reality of the Emerald Knight¡¯s existence.


    The second was closely tied to the first- right by lineage.  There were certain people who were born with the attitude, disposition, and intelligence to rule.  These traits were hereditary, and were, therefore, easily traced. Xandra descended from a long line of such people, and had displayed those traits at a young age.  Her home had been attacked when she was a child, and both her parents had been killed- Xandra herself only survived because it was at this time that the Emerald Knight came to her, to protect her.  But once she took the throne, she ruled wisely, and expanded the empire in an attempt to unite all elvenkind under her wise leadership.


    The final claim one could make to power was more straightforward, though probably more difficult to pull off: Right By Combat.  Because the current ruler, in this case Xandra, was protected by divine intervention and hereditary wisdom, it should be impossible to best her in combat, not in any small part because she did not have to fight herself.  She would choose a champion for her deathmatch, and it would be the Emerald Knight.


    Xandra¡¯s father, King Gareth Nochdifache, could contest her power on any and all of these three systems, as long as he was alive and able to make the demand.  Orenda, as his heir, would have the same right. It made sense that Xandra, being unable to kill him when she colonized the fire continent, would send the Emerald Knight after him.  It made sense that Gareth would send Orenda away, so that if he failed, she could succeed.


    Orenda may be the last hope for her people.


    As her intellect and experience grew, Orenda believed and disbelieved all this simultaneously.  Time continued to flow. She outgrew her dresses, and learned from Susan the art of pattern making, dressmaking, and sewing.  Her hair had grown so long that it puffed out around her head and threatened to bounce outward, and she learned that she could, in fact, burn it off, but that the experience would frighten everyone and create a horrible stench.  She learned that she would fly into a rage at the slightest provocation about a week before she should expect a steady stream of blood that would stain her underthings, fortunately, before it happened, when both her female guardians noticed the change in attitude, and she had been forced to endure a long talk about the inner workings of the uterus.


    She learned that it was alright to make friends with the people who came to stay with them, even if they would leave her life quickly.  She learned that heat did more than generate fire, it also changed air pressure, because hot air wants to rise, and if things were very light, could lift them.  It could cauterize wounds and stop the bleeding, if someone cut themselves and were in hiding so could not go to a healer and must wait on Ellie to return from town with a potion.  It could boil more than only water, if it was directed properly.


    Orenda learned a great many things, but she did not learn who Gareth really was, or where Johnny and the others had gone.  She did not learn what they were running from, or why it was better to be here than on the earth continent. She did not learn who had brought them across the sea, or why they were following the white rabbit.  She did not learn who or what the Emerald Knight really was.


    Orenda was about to learn something else.


    She was in the research section on the second floor of the library, going over bills of sell and breeding related to the slave trade, to see if she could see any names that she recognized.  On the earth continent was a city called ¡°Satra¡±, which kept detailed records and apparently made copies for anyone interested, regarding a fertility festival that took place around the spring equinox called Eishtar.  The inhabitants of Satre advertized that their location, on that date, had some sort of magical effect that made conception easier, and expected a huge influx of tourist money during that time. They required anyone who expected to breed slaves to register with them, in an attempt, Orenda believed, to gather data to impress others that their magic existed or worked.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    One entry stood out to Orenda, for a number of reasons.  A man named Commander Agalon had apparently rented one of his slaves as a stud during this festival, about 5 years before she had been born.  The slave was named Xaxac, but beside the entry, someone in a different script, had written the phrase ¡°Foo Foo¡±. Orenda was reminded of the children¡¯s book, of Little Bunny Foo Foo.  There was another column for the outcome of the breeding session, under which had been written the number 4. Orenda checked the other entries, and most were only marked with a check. Some, rarely, had the number 2- but no column other than Xaxac¡¯s went higher than a 2.


    ¡°Ellie?¡± Orenda had asked, holding the book carefully, as she knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to remove it from the record¡¯s section, ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    Ellie was sitting at a table near the edge of the outcropping that would allow her to see the door downstairs, if need be, pouring over ancient texts as she often did, and she did not look up when she answered.


    ¡°Of course, Orenda.  I¡¯ll try my best to answer it.¡±


    ¡°Who is Xaxac OfAgalon?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ellie put down her pen and looked up at Orenda, ¡°Are you studying famous humans?  I¡¯m afraid I probably won¡¯t have much. I would have to ask for an interlibrary loan from Satra.¡±


    ¡°He was famous?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°The accounts may have been exaggerated,¡± Ellie explained, ¡°But yes, he was.  He was a cage fighter- those are¡­ unpleasant. We don¡¯t have them here.¡±


    Orenda sat on the other side of the table, and waited for her to continue.  When she didn¡¯t, Orenda said, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll look it up myself.  I don¡¯t like it when people keep things from me.¡±


    ¡°Cage fighting is¡­  barbaric,¡± Ellie said, folding her hands together on the table, ¡°Human slaves are forced to fight each other, sometimes to the death, for the amusement of a paying crowd.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and tangentially connected this information to how strong Charles seemed to be for someone who worked in a library.


    ¡°Xaxac claimed to be a shifter,¡± Ellie continued, and Orenda¡¯s attention perked up.  Shifters were abundant in the legends she had read in children¡¯s stories. They were a group of humans who had, during a time when gods and demons walked Xren, helped the great demon Morgani Magnus, the Fallen, by hiding him from the great god, Thesis.  When Thesis had found him anyway, as omnipotent gods are want to do, he had cursed the humans to become uncontrollable monsters, beasts, during the time when Xren¡¯s two moons were full. Orenda had assumed that they were part of the general falsehoods of fairy tales, meant to enjoy, not to believe.


    ¡°A wererabbit?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ellie explained, ¡°Which is a strange form to pick, for a fighter, but it sold tickets.  His fans called him-¡±


    ¡°Little Bunny Foo Foo,¡± Orenda put the pieces together herself, ¡°Was he famous for-¡±


    ¡°Head trauma, yes,¡± Ellie answered, ¡°He apparently really played it up.  He was one of the circuit¡¯s biggest draws until his death.¡±


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°There was¡­  a terrorist attack,¡± Ellie spoke slowly, ¡°During the Eishtar festival at Satre.  Xaxac was headlining the cage fight, to defend his title, I believe, for the third year running- which is a ridiculously long time for that sort of thing.  This was years ago, before you were born, but I remember the scare it gave everyone. The good queen was at that festival. You must remember, Orenda, that not everyone is¡­  happy¡­ with the way things are being run. With the world as it is, I mean. Some people are vastly unhappy.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Orenda asked again, more intensely.


    ¡°Despite wards to prevent it, some earth mage, someone who must have been extremely powerful, caused an earthquake that brought down the entire arena.  Many people lost their lives that day. It is believed that they were trying to kill the queen.¡± Ellie sounded as sad as the situation warranted for someone who had been alive for it, but Orenda had no tainted memories, and simply looked at the name in the book.


    ¡°Is Xaxac a common human name?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No, not particularly,¡± Ellie answered as if she felt the question was in bad taste, ¡°But I¡¯m sure many people named their slaves after the famous fighter, in his honor, and perhaps to capitalize on his fame.¡±


    ¡°This terrorist organization,¡± Orenda asked, cautiously, ¡°If their plan was to assassinate the queen¡­  why attack like that? Why¡­ cause so much destruction? Why at an event where they knew humans could be hurt?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t pretend to know those answers, Orenda,¡± Ellie said as if the concept was ridiculous.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda agreed, looking at the breeding registry, ¡°I suppose not.¡±

 Chapter 11

    When life becomes routine, it is easy to fall into a pattern, a pattern that often brings a sense of false security, because it has been noted that it is the remarkable trait of ordinary people that they can become accustomed to anything.  It is said that life is full of hills and valleys, ups and down, and that these stretches of complacency are to be treasured.


    Because there will come a time, in every ordinary person¡¯s life, where that person will have a very bad day.  Sometimes, when that day comes, the person will wake up with an underlying dread, a darkness about them that warns them that this will be the very bad day.  For others, like Orenda, there is no deviation from normalcy, no feeling of dread, no way of knowing that the very bad day is upon them, and thus no way to prepare oneself to face it.


    Everything seemed perfectly ordinary.  There were no other humans staying with them, and Orenda had awoken, breakfasted, and spent the morning among the historical records alongside Ellie looking for anything she may find interesting.  It had been very humdrum as she sat at one table and Ellie another. Looking over the expanse would show Charles standing at the desk, seeming very bored, and Orenda thought, as she often did, how annoying it must be to stand in a library for hours at a time pretending that you could not read.


    Her first inkling that something was wrong, that the day was about to become very bad, came when Charles abandoned his post and came barreling up the stairs toward them.


    ¡°Those soldiers are outside again,¡± He said, hiding his panic well.  ¡°I saw them through the windows.¡±


    ¡°Go to the apartments,¡± Ellie said, looking out towards the door.  ¡°Orenda, go with him.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and followed Charles down the stairs, keeping time with him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust this,¡± he said as he flipped his collar up and took great strides down the hall and toward the apartments, ¡°Something is wrong.  There¡¯s no reason that they should come back. No one has passed through here in a good while.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that soldier would like to call upon Ellie,¡± Orenda suggested, ¡°As a gentleman.  You know, a gentleman caller.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Charles walked into the kitchen and slammed a cabinet open, perhaps more forcefully than he had meant to, and Orenda saw the panic behind his eyes, ¡°Susie!  Susie! Orenda, go find her.¡± He spoke so calmly, the kind of practiced calm that he should not have, that it frightened Orenda, and she darted down the hall, throwing open the doors to their rooms.


    Susan was in the yard, hanging laundry, when Orenda found her, humming a song to herself that Orenda had often heard her hum.  It was all so painfully normal that Orenda hated to break it apart, but she knew she must.


    ¡°Susan,¡± Orenda said, quietly and calmly, ¡°There are soldiers in the library.¡±


    Susan clipped the dress, one of Ellie¡¯s, Orenda noticed, onto the line before she calmly asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda answered.


    ¡°Well,¡± Susan pressed her lips together, ¡°We can¡¯t have that, can we?¡±


    She grabbed Orenda by the hand, and Orenda wondered why everyone was acting so strangely.  It was likely that they wouldn¡¯t come into the apartments, was likely that the soldier was just here to call on Ellie.  There was no reason for everyone to be so tense.


    ¡°You two should hide,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°In the trapdoor, in my room.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s past time for that, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Susan explained, and shoved Orenda into her room, ¡°They know that we¡¯re here.  They know that we exist. Gather your things, child, I have to write a note.¡±


    ¡°A note for what?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Gather everything you think you will need for a long trip,¡± Susan told her, ¡°I daresay you may not be back.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Orenda asked, but Susan was gone.


    Orenda pulled the blankets off her bed to get to the sheet, and began to pile things onto it.  She grabbed the book about the fire elves, her Sari, her spare dress, stockings, underthings, apron, the box she kept on her nightstand with her brushes, combs, creams and other toiletries, any loose papers, her box of charcoal, anything that she thought she may need, gathered the sheet together, touched the fire stone in her pocket, and, for good measure, the medallion against her chest, resting under her dress just above her heart.  She felt the crisp folds of Gareth¡¯s letter, along with the ribbon and twine, the things she always carried on her- then she folded the sheet, knotted it, and walked into the living room.


    Charles was holding a wand.  Orenda had never seen it before, but there he was, standing at the counter, mixing herbs together with water, and channeling some kind of magic that Orenda had never seen.  It glowed with a soft green light from a stone set in the tip, and he didn¡¯t glance up until it had faded. He had made something in two small vials, and walked to the writing desk where Susan was hastily scribbling.  He sat it next to her, and she quickly stuck it in her pocket. Then he knelt, and took Orenda by the shoulders.


    ¡°Orenda Nochdifache,¡± He said seriously, ¡°Look at me.  I want you to remember me.¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°My name is Charles OfVenris.  This is Susan OfVenris.¡± He said with so much weight to his words that it frightened Orenda, ¡°We were trained by Xaxac Brigaddon.  We are Knights of Order, and we have trafficked many people to freedom. Remember our faces, and remember our names. Promise me that.¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°I want you to stay alive, Orenda, and I want you to remember us.¡± He said, ¡°We love you.¡±


    Orenda did not know what to say to this, but had opened her mouth to try when Susan shoved him aside.  She handed a rolled up parchment to Orenda, then spoke.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± she said in the same tone, ¡°Take this, and read it only when you are a safe distance away.  Do not let them find you. Stay off the road, stay in the back alleys, travel away from town, in the opposite direction, until you see the ocean.  Go to my closet and take my traveling cloak. Travel only at night, and hide during the day. You will arrive in another town, and you must find the address on this note.  Go to the back entrance, and find a human woman with dark skin and hair, named Bubbider. Tell her who you are and why you come. Tell her that you are one who believes in the path of order, and that you are following the white rabbit.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Go, now, to my wardrobe,¡± Susan said instead of answering, ¡°take my cloak and go.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I want to say goodbye to Ellie,¡± Orenda protested.


    ¡°Rendy please,¡± Charles snapped, and Orenda had never seen him so angry.  While she and Susan had been talking, he had been shoving all the food he could find into a plain sack, and he shoved it at her, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this!¡±


    Orenda took it, and looked up at them.


    ¡°I love you, Orenda,¡± Susan said, ¡°You are the closest I have ever come to having a child of my own who lived.¡±


    ¡°I¡­  I love you too,¡± Orenda admitted, though she did not have the context to know whether or not it was true, but it felt true, and she did not understand what was happening, ¡°Both of you.  Thank you.¡±


    She stuck the note into her pocket, and ran down the hall to Susan¡¯s room.  She pulled open the wardrobe, tossed on the cloak that would be much too big and much too warm, threw the hood over her head, and headed out the back door.  She rushed around the back of the library, away from town, and stopped as she rounded the corner.


    Ellie was standing between two of the soldiers while the one who had rang the bell, the first day, the one who had flirted with her, flipped through pages that Orenda recognized as Ellie¡¯s research.


    ¡°Ms Eletha Venris,¡± He said, annunciating to the small crowd that had gathered, ¡°You are under arrest for spreading misinformation, crimes against the church, conspiracy to commit treason, conspiracy to commit murder, aiding and abetting the known criminal Captain Nochdifache, and unlawfully altering historical texts to taint the image of our great empire.¡±


    ¡°And theft,¡± The other two soldiers came marching out of the library, each guiding Charles and Susan.  The one holding Charles kicked him, forcing him to his knees, and jerked his head forward.


    ¡°This is OfVahorn, his mark matches Commander Vahorn.  Long way from home, aren¡¯t you, boy?¡± He asked. When Charles didn¡¯t answer, he kicked him again, with so much force that he fell forward and had to catch himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Charles said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°They have the same mark,¡± the soldier leading Susan said, ¡°It¡¯s been burned through, but you can make it out.  If you look real close.¡± He left Susan kneeling on the ground and pulled a long tablet from his bag.


    ¡°We can do the comparisons later,¡± The one Orenda thought to be the leader told them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made a mistake,¡± Ellie said, ¡°This is outrageous.  I¡¯m a civil servant. I have collected and archived the history of this region for almost a century.  I demand to see the evidence against me.¡±


    ¡°Besides the stolen property?¡± He asked.  ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll all come out during the trial.¡±


    He looked around, and said, ¡°Where¡¯s the child?  We need to take her into custody.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± the soldier behind Susan asked, still looking through his documents, ¡°Do you want her?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave her.  She¡¯s a child.¡±


    ¡°Well, she wasn¡¯t in there,¡± One of the soldiers holding Ellie said, ¡°We did the walkthrough.¡±


    ¡°I suppose she¡¯ll turn up,¡± the leader shrugged.


    ¡°I found it,¡± the soldier behind Ellie announced.  ¡°The female is listed as a breeder, and the male-¡± But he did not finish his sentence, because in the time it took him to say it, Charles had stood, and in one, smooth motion, roundhouse kicked him in the face so hard he went flying backwards.


    ¡°Was a cage fighter,¡± Charles bounced on his feet, and Susan scrambled for hers.  ¡°If you fuckers wanna watch me die, step up!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Ellie hissed, but Susan had taken the opportunity she had been given, and darted into the shocked crowd.  She bobbed and weaved through them, running in the wrong direction, towards town, the way she had told Orenda not to go.


    ¡°Shit,¡± the leader growled, and drew his sword.  One of the soldiers threw something into the air, grabbed Ellie to keep her from running as well, and the soldier beside him drew a bow and shot it.  It exploded into a plume of green smoke, and Orenda heard footsteps stampeding in from the direction Susan had run.


    The leader lunged for Charles with his weapon in both hands, but Charles sidestepped him, and brought his elbow down over his head with a sickening crack that Orenda felt in her own skull from where she was hiding.


    Bopping them on the heads.


    More of the adults in uniform shoved their way through the crowd as the man Charles had hit fell on his face.  The other two of the original unit were upon them, weapons drawn, and the one who had been restraining Ellie held his bow taut, following the commotion.


    ¡°Back off!¡± he shouted, and the others hopped away as if on instinct, so well synchronized that it shocked Orenda.  She had never seen real soldiers fight as a unit before, and it took her a moment to understand what had happened, because the arrow moved faster than she could see.  One second it was in the soldier¡¯s bow, and the next, without having moved at all, it was in Charles¡¯s head.


    He didn¡¯t seem to register it either, but he must have felt it, because he staggered, stumbled, and said, ¡°I told that bitch I wasn¡¯t going back.¡±


    Then he fell forward, landed hard on his face, and stopped moving.


    ¡°Well,¡± The leader¡¯s voice was still slurred, as if he had not recovered from his injury, ¡°We¡¯ll tell her that we tried.  I expect she¡¯s already written it off. Can I get a potion, please? I¡¯ve got a splitting headache.¡±


    One of the other soldiers stepped forward and handed him a vial of green liquid, which he drank as if it was a shot.  He massaged his head where he had been hit, and when he spoke again, his voice was completely normal.


    ¡°As I was saying, Ms. Venris.  This misinformation must, of course, be destroyed.  You¡¯ll be placed in the custody of the local authorities until that mission is complete, and then I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all enjoy a nice, long talk on our way to the coast.¡±


    His soldiers passed Ellie to the others, the ones who had come out of the crowd.


    ¡°And,¡± he continued, ¡°We¡¯ll have to find that female, at some point.¡±  He said it as if it was an afterthought, as if Susan didn¡¯t really matter.


    Orenda could only see Ellie from the back, but her posture was strange.  Ellie normally stood a little slumped, a little drawn into herself, but now she stood tall, and her shoulders were squared.  The soldiers, the ones that Orenda thought were not local, based on the context they had given, walked into the library.


    ¡°Let me see him,¡± Ellie said to the soldiers guarding her.  After they made no move to release her, she continued, ¡°Let me see him.  I¡¯m not a mage. I couldn¡¯t help if I was. He¡¯s dead.¡±


    Orenda agreed.  He was dead. The blood that had pooled around his head would have drowned him if the arrow had not been enough.


    They still made no move, but when Ellie hurled herself away and out of their grips, they also made no move to stop her, besides taking a cursory step closer as she knelt, then sat, then cradled his body.  Orenda watched her wrack with sobs, but did not see that she was covering her actions, did not see that she was digging around in his pockets. Too quickly for the soldiers to react, she found the vile he had made, popped the top, threw it back, and drank it.


    Orenda thought that perhaps it would make her stronger, or heal her, as the other potion had done for the leader of the soldiers.  But it did not. Instead, she tossed it away, and for a moment, it seemed to do nothing.


    Then it caused Ellie to be nothing.  Orenda watched as the muscles in her body stopped working, stopped supporting her, and though the soldiers who were supposed to be watching her rushed to her side, Ellie was no longer there.  It had been a transformation potion, Orenda thought. It had transformed her into a corpse.


    Orenda knew what fast acting poisons were.  She had read about them. But she had no time to connect those thoughts into one idea, because she felt fire so strongly, and was aware of what had happened inside the library before anyone else.  She felt the heat, she felt the pulsing fire, and she felt the fire crystals in the medallion over her chest. Orenda pressed both of her hands against the side of the building, and wondered how long it would take the soldiers to get out of the library.


    Then she made a decision.


    In every ordinary person¡¯s life, they will eventually have a very bad day.  And as the fire they had set sprang up in strange patterns, spiraling in ways that no real fire would, burning so severely over the only two exits that it could not be passed without being cooked alive- as the stone of the building heated like an earthenware oven until the inside began to glow a hot red like a washtub, as the blood in their veins boiled and steamed its way out cooking the meat it touched- the soldiers in the library realized that they were having a very bad day.


    They had destroyed the culture of the fire elves, destroyed the record of their existence, and as such, had destroyed any warning they may have had that fire mages existed, or were to be feared.  They did not know that they had crossed the long-lost princess, who had inherited a gift from her father that allowed her to channel the innate power within her.


    They did not know that anyone who crossed Orenda Nochdifache was setting themselves up to have a very bad day.  Orenda had not known this either, but Orenda learned quickly, and would take the lesson to heart.

 Chapter 12

    Orenda has joined the crowd, but did not like to linger.  She had to make a snap decision about whether to follow Susan and find her, or follow her advice.  She had not had to make many decisions as important as this one, but realized that she did not have time to waste thinking about it.  So she let her body lead her, and tried very hard not to think at all. When she thought, she saw Charles, or Ellie, and had to remind herself that they were dead.  She did not like to do this, so she concentrated on the smoke in the sky, the darkness that fell around her, the soldiers that she knew were looking for her.


    It was not always hot on the fire continent.  Sometimes, the nights would be cold, and as night fell, it was no longer strange that she was wearing the cloak with the hood pulled taunt.  To her left, the cityscape eventually ended and there were towering mountains beyond, touching the clouds and disappearing into them. To her right there was nothing but more buildings.  She didn¡¯t care about either of these things, but she noted them, because it was better than thinking. She was walking away from town.


    As the crowds began to thin, Orenda ducked into alleys.  She was somewhere that she had never seen before, and she thought that she disliked it.  Gone were the fancy women in fancy dresses, and in their place were thin, stringy, hardened people, in very little clothing who spoke to each other in pleasantries that made Orenda¡¯s flesh crawl.


    In one of the alleys, an earth elven man was speaking harshly to two humans who looked only a little older than Orenda.  They were both dressed strangely, especially compared to him, and as she passed, Orenda heard him telling them how much he loved them as he handed each of them a small white circle, not unlike the ones she had once watched the girl who looked like a princess shoveling into a bag at the grocers.  But these humans seemed much, much happier to get it.


    Orenda lost sight of them as she came out onto a backstreet and hugged the building closely.  She didn¡¯t know how long she had been walking. When she grew hungry, she broke off a piece of the naan in the sack and ate it.  But the way Susan had spoken, it may take days to get to her location. As Orenda walked, the world around her became gradually lighter, and she knew that she would have to get off the streets and find somewhere to hide until nightfall.


    She was walking through another alley when she made the sensible decision that it would be better to have the high ground, and pressed her hand against the side of the building she was leaning against.  The stone was rough, but did not offer many good hand-holds. She reached up as high as she could, and concentrated as the stones in her medallion began to glow. The stone heated, then melted, and Orenda pulled herself up.  She climbed in this way, opening the handholds with her hands, and closing them with her feet, until she reached the roof. She was fortunate in that the building was already a little dilapidated, and it did not take her long to find a hole in the ceiling.  She had to make it a little wider, as she was still very stout, but she crawled inside, and thought that she didn¡¯t much like climbing.


    The hole had opened onto a rickety ceiling composed mostly of support planks covered in cobwebs.  She sat her sheet down on the wood, turned around carefully soas not to fall, and stared up at the sky.  The sun could work a little better here, peeking through the soot in a way that Orenda had never seen. She thought that she quite liked it, and dug around in her pocket for the note Susan had given her.


    It was not so nice as the note she had gotten from Gareth.  It was only an address, Susan¡¯s name, and a hastily drawn heart.  Orenda rolled it up and stuck it back in her pocket, reminded her body that it must keep very still while she slept least she roll over and fall from her position, then let exhaustion carry her away.


    Orenda was a princess.  She had always been a princess.  But fire elves did not have princesses, in the traditional sense.  Their princesses were chosen, by a voice in a flame, which would call out to them from birth.  It was located in the middle of a beautiful, open-air temple, and Orenda was here for a very important ceremony.  The flame had called to her since she had been born, had told her that power was within her grasp, and all she need do was walk up and take it.


    Orenda walked towards the flame, and was shocked to see that it was not the fire at all that had spoken to her.  It was a long, golden mage staff, beautifully crafted, with fire crystals arranged in a wide circle. The staff was taller than she was, obviously meant for an adult to wield, but it called to her from within the flame.


    Come to me, master.  The staff begged.  You are the chosen one,  You are destined for great things.  Come to me, and I will give you what you seek.  I await you, master. We shall defeat the Emerald Knight, and the imposter Xandra.  You shall become queen.


    Orenda reached into the flame, and she felt nothing.  Her hand closed around the staff, and she drew it out.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± A voice asked, and drew Orenda from her slumber.


    She turned slowly, and looked over the side of the wooden plank, to see a human girl, a little older than her, a teenager.


    ¡°I am no one,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I was never here.¡±


    ¡°I see a lot of noones,¡± the girl told her, ¡°I won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Orenda debated for a moment, then said, ¡°I am one who follows the path of order.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the girl said, looking excited, ¡°Are you-¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I am following the white rabbit,¡± Orenda told her, then stood, gathered her things, and went out the hole she had come in.


    Orenda traveled for two days in this fashion, until things began to change, and the change made her weary.  The buildings became more scarce and farther apart. This troubled her, because she had been breaking into back yards to refill the water skein that Charles had given her, but she could see, stretching before her, that there would be nowhere for her to do that.  The few houses that she saw were that- houses, not buildings. They were few and far between, and had long fields that surrounded them. Orenda thought that they might be farms, because they matched the descriptions that she had read about, but she had never seen a farm and could not be sure.


    She was on the edge of town now, and the night sky above her held something that she had never seen before.  Orenda risked a glance upwards, and without the constant smoke and soot blocking the view, she saw a void that stretched into eternity, speckled with stars.  Twin moons moved in unison across the sky, so slowly that it was almost imperceivable, one silver and the other white. It was beautiful, but she could not stay out on the streets.  She had to think of a way to cross the expanse without being detected.


    One of the buildings on the very edge of town had a stable, and Orenda thought that this may mean that there were people inside who would be willing to show some compassion and give her a ride.  She walked inside, pulling her hood tighter over her face, and took the place in. It smelled like yeast, as if someone somewhere was baking bread, and something that she could not place. It was sparsely populated.  There was a bar, and a barmaid behind it, and several tables lining the walls, with dividers between them, and cushions for seating. Orenda did not know the name of the contraptions that sat upon the table, but she thought that they were beautiful as she watched the smoke rise from their center, and the people holding the long tubes that protruded from them like tentacles.


    Most of the tables were empty, but the few that were not held people who looked as if they would like to be left alone.


    Orenda walked slowly across the room, trying her best to be inconspicuous.  Everyone here seemed to be exuding the same aura, and Orenda thought that perhaps she blended in with them.  She studied each patron from the corner of her eye- mostly earth elves and all adults. She seemed to be the youngest person in the place.  They were all speaking quietly, but their voices would die away as she passed.


    Nothing.  There was no hope here.  She leaned against the far wall and surveyed the room- and noticed something.  At one of the tables sat an earth elven woman and a human boy, a little older than Orenda, old enough that she considered him quite adult, maybe fourteen or fifteen.  He had leaned forward to whisper something to his companion, and though his dark hair was normally long enough to cover his neck, he had swept a hand through it, and in that brief instant, Orenda saw that there was no brand upon his neck.


    She walked slowly to the table, walked as she had walked to the wall, casually, calling no attention to herself, and their conversation died away as she stopped, to stand beside them.


    ¡°Would you mind if I took a seat?¡± Orenda asked politely.


    ¡°Miss, this is a private party,¡± The woman told her.


    ¡°I am one who follows the path of order,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I am following the white rabbit.¡±


    The boy and the woman exchanged glances, and slowly the boy nodded.  The woman stood, and indicated that Orenda should sit closest to the wall.  It was only after she had sat down that the woman took her seat as well. They were silent for a moment, but the boy broke it.


    ¡°Our friend looks like she could use something to drink,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the woman agreed, and stood.  Orenda watched her walk to the bar, and the boy stared at her with his beautiful, dark eyes.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked in a whisper.


    ¡°I am one who follows the path or order,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°So am I,¡± He said, ¡°My name is Ali Al-Haddin.¡±


    ¡°I am Orenda Nochdiface,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°You¡¯re Orenda!¡± He said, as if it meant something, and Orenda nodded, so he continued, ¡°You know Johnny!¡±


    ¡°Johnny is alive?¡± Orenda asked.  ¡°What about his parents? What about Jill?  What about the baby, and all the others?¡± Then a thought struck her, and she said, ¡°Your name is Al-Haddin?  Not OfSomething?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a slave,¡± Ali told her, ¡°I was born free, in the human kingdom, beyond the mountains.¡±


    This news changed something in Orenda.  She had not cried when she had seen Charles and Ellie die, had not thought of it, had forced herself not to think of it.  But now¡­ if this boy was to be believed¡­ it meant something. Everything that they had done had meant something. She pulled her hood tighter, held her face in her hands, and let the tears come.  She felt the woman sit next to her, and heard Ali speak.


    ¡°This is Orenda.  She worked at the library.  She¡¯s been helping people.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the woman said, ¡°You escaped?  We thought you were all dead.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I¡­  left. Susan told me to leave, and I left.  I think she left too. Charles and Ellie are dead.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± the woman sat two glasses before Orenda, ¡°Drink this first, then the water.  It will settle your nerves.¡±


    Orenda sipped the liquid, and it felt like drinking fire.  Orenda had decided long ago that she had a great fondness for fire, and did not feel that she needed the water until she drank it.  Then she realized how thirsty she was.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like to see it,¡± She said, and she felt that her words flowed easier than they normally did as she took another drink, ¡°I¡­  I like them both, very much. Charles told them that he used to be a cage fighter, and he fought them. He let Susan get away, because he fought so hard.  But there were too many of them, and the way they fought together was amazing¡­ I had never seen anything like it. It was like a dance.¡± She took another drink, and then the water, and the glasses were half empty, ¡°they killed him, and Ellie¡­  she drank something, poison I suppose, and then they sat fire to the library.¡±


    ¡°Our sources say that the idiots burned themselves alive,¡± the woman told her, ¡°So at least there¡¯s that.  My name is Rychelle, and this is Ali.¡±


    ¡°Susan told me to go to an address,¡± Orenda told them, ¡°Are you going out of town?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we have some unpleasantness to attend to first,¡± Rychelle glanced at Ali, ¡°You may actually make it easier.  Are you a fire mage, Orenda?¡±


    ¡°Not as such, no,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯ve never been trained, but I¡¯ve had to¡­  be pragmatic. I¡¯ve had to learn to work some magic so¡­ so I don¡¯t¡­ end up like the others.¡±


    ¡°I think we can help each other,¡± Ali said with a smile, then leaned back, put the tube in his mouth, and inhaled deeply, ¡°But I¡¯m getting absolutely shitfaced for it.  I thought I would have to do it myself with a mirror, but now that I know I won¡¯t, I might knock myself out. Because this is going to hurt.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Orenda had fallen asleep in the back of the carriage.  It was filled to the brim with things in boxes covered in tarps.  None of it was particularly interesting. All of it looked like knick-knacks or dry goods, and both she and Ali had fallen asleep covered by one of the tarps, but when she awoke, he was already sitting up.  He had positioned one mirror behind him, and was staring into another, looking at the back of his head as he sat cross-legged on the floor. He had a piece of paper on one of his thighs, and kept glancing at it.  When she sat up, he turned to her, and watched her struggled out of the tarp.


    ¡°You said you had learned to work some magic?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°A little.  Odds and ends. Nothing much.¡±


    ¡°Fire magic?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°The books at the library say that it does not do one well to cast outside their element.  Only the greatest mages can do it at all, but it causes the mind to degrade. It always ends in madness, but it can also cause physical problems.  Your brain can¡­ stop working. It can lead to death.¡±


    ¡°Did you read a great deal?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°I lived in a library,¡± Orenda said, as if the answer would be obvious.


    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Ali chewed at his lip, as if in thought, then picked up the paper that had been sitting on his lap.  He stared at it for a few seconds, and asked, ¡°Can you get very hot?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said.


    A silence stretched between them, and she asked, ¡°Have you ever killed anyone?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°I killed those soldiers,¡± Orenda said, and tried to feel any emotion connected to it.  She was sure she should feel something, but she only felt an emptiness, like the void between the stars.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, less as if he was shocked and more as if he hadn¡¯t heard her.


    ¡°At the library,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°They¡­  they killed them and¡­ then they went inside and started a fire.  I¡­ I used it to¡­¡± She took a deep breath and decided that the best way to tell a story was to tell it.  ¡°I used my magic to make the flames hotter, to block the exits. I waited until I couldn¡¯t feel the heat from their hearts anymore.  They died screaming. People noticed. The crowd¡­ went mad. I used the chaos to escape.¡±


    Ali put down the mirror and stared at her as if he was trying to figure something out.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± He eventually asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Eleven maybe?  Or twelve? I don¡¯t know when I was born. I spent some time at the library.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fifteen,¡± Ali told her.


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to collect intelligence on Lady Genlen,¡± Ali said, ¡°My people are understandably upset with her leadership.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°She is Xandra¡¯s connection to the colony,¡± Ali told her, ¡°She rules over everything that Xandra thinks she owns.  The other elves- that is, the other earth elves, follow her command. I¡¯m going to pose as a slave and sneak into her home, then scry the results to my mother in our kingdom.¡±


    ¡°You can do that?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I volunteered to do it,¡± Ali said, ¡°We have intelligence that she likes pretty, young, male humans.  She surrounds herself with them. I¡¯ve been told that I fit that description.¡± He smiled as if he had meant for it to be charming, but his body was shaking with nerves.  ¡°I may be the one to kill her.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said.  After a moment¡¯s thought she asked, ¡°Will that work?  There are so many earth elves. Won¡¯t another one just step up to fill the void?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Ali shrugged, ¡°But I have to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.  I¡¯m there to figure out things like that, who the successor would be, what steps we need to take.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to scry,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I can¡¯t talk to anyone.  I¡¯ve never met another fire mage.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Ali tried his charming smile again, and once again did not succeed, ¡°Now you¡¯ve met me.¡±  He paused, stared at the wall of the carriage, then turned back to her. ¡°Orenda¡­ the magic¡­ you can feel it.  You said that you felt it go out in the soldiers in the library. Do you feel it now? In me? In Ry?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Do you feel how it¡¯s different?  Look at us, feel us. Look as hard as you can, not with your regular eyes, with your mage eyes.  There¡¯s a difference¡­ there are almost two worlds, on top of each other.¡±


    Orenda thought of what Charles had said, about how badly he wanted her to look at him.


    She could feel the heat of Ali¡¯s heart; she thought she could see it, faintly.  She tried to see the place where she felt Rychelle driving the carriage, and was shocked that she could see it as well, through the wall.


    ¡°Do you see how they¡¯re different?¡± Ali asked.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I¡­  I do, yes,¡± Orenda answered.


    ¡°If you ever want to scry me,¡± Ali told her, ¡°If you ever need to talk to me, don¡¯t cast a regular flame.  Cast my flame. Or transform a flame you already have into mine. I¡¯ll feel it, anywhere in the world. It¡¯s easier if it¡¯s closer, of course, and I¡¯ll cast yours, and we can speak to each other.  If you¡¯re a strong mage, you can even see. I¡¯ve heard that there are mages so strong they can see entire rooms.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and stared at him, trying to memorize the dancing pattern of his soul.


    ¡°Do you have pretty good control?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Orenda replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s usually done with a branding iron,¡± Ali told her, ¡°But I need¡­  I need¡­¡± he paused, took a deep breath, and tried again, ¡°I need you to burn this symbol onto the back of my neck.  We¡¯ve really only got one try.¡±


    ¡°I can put the paper on your neck and burn over it,¡± Orenda suggested, ¡°But I daresay it will hurt.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s going to hurt,¡± Ali said, ¡°I¡­  thought about doing it before I left, but I was afraid we would get caught, and¡­  right now I can pretend that I belong to Ry and we were on our way to have me branded.  If I had done it before we left, she would look like a thief.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I would like to do it if it must be done.  I wouldn¡¯t like to drag it out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ali told her, ¡°Me too.  I¡¯m going to lie down and clip my hair up.¡±  He did it, expertly, as she watched, rolling small sections and pinning them in place with little black hairpins from a box that he pried apart with his mouth.¡±


    ¡°I think you should bite down on something,¡± Orenda told him when he had finished, ¡°I fear that you¡¯ll scream.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will,¡± He assured her, ¡°I¡¯m pretty tough.¡±


    ¡°All the same, I think you should,¡± She insisted.  ¡°A piece of wood or something. Break one of the boxes.¡±


    Ali rolled his eyes, but he did snap a piece of wood from a box next to him, then laid out on the floor.  Orenda climbed onto his back, took the piece of paper he had given her, smoothed out all the creases, and pressed it against the back of his neck.  Despite his words, he was drenched in sweat, and his entire body was shaking.


    ¡°Ms Rychelle?¡± Orenda called.


    ¡°Yes, perfectly normal cargo?¡± She answered.


    ¡°I need us to keep perfectly steady,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I¡¯m going to burn this symbol onto Ali¡¯s neck.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Rychelle said, very quietly and with great meaning.


    Orenda concentrated, felt the medallion heat up-


    ¡°It needs to be as hot as a forge,¡± Ali told her, ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate.  Get it as hot as you can, and do it all in one go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t scream,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I¡¯ve melted stone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve what?¡± he asked, muffled around the wood, but then Orenda touched him, and he was glad for it.  He did scream, the first time, but to his credit, he didn¡¯t thrash, didn¡¯t try to knock her away or mess up her form.  Orenda had exceptionally good penmanship, she enjoyed writing and copying from books, but she disliked the smell of burning flesh, or the way his hands grasped at nothing, flailed out in front of him, clawed at the floor, or balled into fists.  She could hear his breath hitching in sobs, felt the tension within him as she worked.


    She wanted it to be over quickly, but she also knew that she had to get the symbol exactly right.  She didn¡¯t like to hurt him, hadn¡¯t enjoyed killing those soldiers. She felt worse about this than she had about that, and it made her hurt in a way that she didn¡¯t understand.


    Ali stopped moving, and she was afraid she had killed him, but his back still rose and fell as his lungs inflated and deflated, and she wondered if he had somehow fallen asleep.  The paper had melted to his flesh where it hadn¡¯t burned away, and she pried it free. The mark was deep, red, and ugly, but it was exactly what he had asked for.


    The curtain parted, and Rychelle poked her head in.


    ¡°I pulled over,¡± She told Orenda, arcing inside to look at what she had done, ¡°That looks perfect.  Now get in that box there. There should be some leaves.¡±


    Orenda moved the tarp to get into box she had described, and pulled out a huge, thick leaf.


    ¡°Break it open, and rub the gel there all over the brand,¡± Ry instructed, ¡°then get in that box,¡± She pointed to another, ¡°And you¡¯ll find some bandages.  Wrap it up and don¡¯t let him touch it.¡±


    ¡°Are we done?¡± Ali asked, with a slurred voice and eyes that were far too alert, ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad.  I didn¡¯t scream at all.¡±


    ¡°You passed out from the pain,¡± Orenda told him as she broke the leaf apart, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Ali sat up, sat his mirror back on the box he had had it on before, and picked up the other.  He studied the brand and winced.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a fun fact,¡± he told her, ¡°This hurts like hell.  Like right now, I am in excruciating pain. I feel like I have to keep talking, at this current speed.  I feel like if I stop talking about how bad it hurts, I¡¯m going to get very loud. I feel like I have to keep talking, I¡¯m sorry, but you don¡¯t understand how fu-¡± he looked at Orenda, stopped himself, hissed through his teeth, and began again, but it was a constant stream of complaints, and she spoke over him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, in fact,¡± She said, as she spread the goop she found inside the leaf over his neck, and he hissed through his teeth again, ¡°I didn¡¯t know fire mages could burn.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he said, as if he was greatly annoyed, ¡°Everyone is flammable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am,¡± She said, and dropped the leaf in his lap to rummage for the bandages.  ¡°What does that do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an aloe plant,¡± Ali told her, ¡°They grow around here.  They¡¯re suppose to help with the pain. It does, a little. It¡¯s faded to a dull throb.  You really went deep, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You told me to!¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s all¡­  engorged and swollen.  It doesn¡¯t look like the other slaves.  I need to blend in.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help that!¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°I did what you asked.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not complaining,¡± Ali complained, ¡°I just don¡¯t know that I¡¯ve given it enough time to heal.  It felt cold, Orenda¡­ I had never felt a flame that felt so hot it was cold before.¡±


    ¡°I did what you asked!  Don¡¯t touch it! Rychelle said not to touch it!¡± Orenda knocked his hand away and wound the bandages around his neck.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said, softly, ¡°For doing this¡­  once it started I realized I¡­ probably couldn¡¯t have done it myself.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think so,¡± Orenda tied the bandage into a knot, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think anyone could.¡±


    ¡°This hurts so much worse than I thought it would.  I thought that the pain would stop, once we were done,¡± He leaned back, making a great effort to rest the weight on his head, not his neck, ¡°God, why¡¯d I do it right when I got up?  Why didn¡¯t I do it when I would be able to just go to sleep after? This was a terrible decision.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it,¡± Orenda reminded him, ¡°Let it heal.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Ali never stopped complaining about his neck.  Orenda kept reminding him that he had asked her to do it.  They spoke quietly, but Orenda grew more and more annoyed the longer she found herself in his company.  She longed to speak of something else, of anything else, and eventually asked a question that she had been wondering about for some time.


    ¡°What is it like?¡± She asked, ¡°The human city.  Where you¡¯re from?¡±


    ¡°We call it ¡®Huriyat AlIinsan¡¯,¡± He told her, ¡°My mother says that before¡­  it¡¯s been two hundred years, since the Urilians came. This place used to have it¡¯s own language.  This place, before it was founded, was always spoken about in hushed whispers, as if it already existed.  As if it was already a real place, or a real concept, or¡­ something.¡±


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali pulled a pouch from his pocket and began to untie it, ¡°I wish I did.  I¡¯ll find out one day. They took our language like they took everything else. To hear what the new arrivals have been through¡­  they don¡¯t want us to know anything. I think that they probably burned all our books like they burned yours. You ask me what I know of humanity, but what do you know of the fire elves?¡±


    ¡°Next to nothing,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Do you know what I think, Orenda?¡± He asked, as he pulled a ring from the pouch.


    ¡°That your neck hurts, I presume,¡± Orenda said, ¡°That seems to be the central theme of most of your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± he laughed, ¡°No, I mean, about the Urilians.¡±


    ¡°Something distasteful, I should hope,¡± Orenda stood on her knees, and took a skein of water from one of the boxes.


    ¡°I think that they¡¯re scared of us,¡± Ali said, playing with the ring.  It was a simple, silver band with a single fire crystal set into it. ¡°There are more of us than there are of them.  They don¡¯t have many children. They have fewer of them, and less often. They live longer, but they die just as easily.  They know that if we all- all of us at once- had a mind to, we could wipe them out, easily.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re going to do?¡± Orenda asked, ¡®Kill all the elves?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he smiled at her, and for the first time he almost pulled it off, ¡°Not you, you¡¯re one of the good ones.  And not Ry, either. That isn¡¯t what it¡¯s about. It¡¯s not about revenge for me, I¡¯ve lived a pretty peaceful life, compared to some of the others.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it about for you?¡± Orenda asked.


    He was silent for a long time, studying the ring he held, before he answered, ¡°I want the world to be a better place.  People sometimes say, ¡®The world isn¡¯t fair¡¯. I say, ¡®Then we make it fair¡¯. The world, right now, is in a precarious position.  It doesn¡¯t make sense. It¡¯s all chaos- one person who¡¯s trying to control the entire planet with her single, fallible mind. The colonies are madness; people are being slaughtered in the streets, children are working in fields or stuck in buildings with machinery, disease is rampant, there are droughts and famine¡­  this is chaos. That isn¡¯t how it should be. I think¡­ that perhaps the world is being punished. Perhaps Thesis is angry with us. There was no reason to let it go on for this long and to get this bad.¡±


    He turned, and gazed directly into her golden eyes, ¡°I want to bring order back.  I want the world to make sense, as it has in the past. I know this was, once, a free place.  I know that humans and fire elves lived alongside each other before the colonizers came. Maybe it wasn¡¯t perfect, but¡­  it had to be better than this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s true,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°That it necessarily had to be better. It could have been horrible.  You could be imagining a past that did not exist.¡±


    ¡°Are you named for the high priestess?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°As far I know,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I¡¯m not named for anyone.  I haven¡¯t seen another Orenda in any of the registries I studied at the library.¡±


    ¡°There are people who have ancestors who told stories,¡± Ali told her, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that name before.  Before the fire elves fell, everyone knew that name. That¡¯s probably why they picked it. Only a few fire elf names survive.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Who was she?¡±


    ¡°Orenda Firefist was the high priestess of the temple at the Sacred Mountain,¡± Ali explained, ¡°She was the leader of the fire elves.  She was supposed to be able to speak with Thesis himself. She was¡­ the last high priestess of the Sacred Mountain temple.¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a strong name,¡± Orenda said, in thought.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali agreed.


    ¡°How did she die?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Certainly not the way I heard,¡± Ali motioned for the water and she handed it to him.  He took a drink and continued, ¡°They say that she was killed by the Emerald Knight, but I think the humans who escaped from slavery brought that legend with them.  I don¡¯t think that the Emerald Knight is real- I think that people are eager to have a reason for things. If I had to guess, I would say she died in the war, perhaps at the hands of Lady Genlen herself.  She was a leader; she would have been the first one the Urilians went after. We¡¯ll never know what happened. It was more than two centuries ago, and all the records have probably been destroyed.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Did she have a family?¡± Orenda asked.  ¡°Did she have children?¡±


    ¡°It was centuries ago, Orenda,¡± Ali gave her a long, hard, look, ¡°You¡¯re twelve, right?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Orenda admitted.


    ¡°Not two hundred, then,¡± he huffed.  ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why people try to trace a pretended lineage back to someone who was once important.  We can all sit around and pretend that we were once wealthy, once kings or queens- but everyone pretends that.  And it can¡¯t possibly be true for everyone. You and I, Orenda, are the ordinary descendants of ordinary people.  Even if we were descended from someone important, it would mean less than nothing now. What matters now is that I am to be a personal slave to Lady Genlen, and you¡¯re going to complete your mission, and within our lifetimes, we will see this empire fall.  If you want to be important so badly, you would have to earn it either way. What is your mission, by the way?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda reached into her pocket and took out the address that Susan had written, ¡°I¡¯m to go to this place, to the back entrance, and give a dark skinned, dark haired woman with a name I¡­  should have written down¡­ our passcode.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ali said as he looked at it, ¡°I recognize that address.  One of our informants works there. I¡¯ll be talking to her as well.  Her name is Bubbider. Never write down names, Orenda. Never, ever write down names.  They intersect messages all the time, they take any paper on you if they catch you. You have to learn to remember.  You can¡¯t leave a trail. Susan shouldn¡¯t have signed it.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what sort of place it is?¡± Orenda asked, ignoring his chiding tone.  The more time she spent with him, the less adult she thought he was. She suspected that Susan had been lax about security because she thought that she had already been found out, and would soon be dead, at the time she had written it.  She did not like the way Ali spoke as if this had been a light decision, or some sort of mistake, rather than a symbol of her bravery.


    ¡°It¡¯s a private academy for the spoiled children of the earth elves,¡± Ali told her, ¡°It isn¡¯t very populated, but it¡¯s very well staffed.  As I said before, they don¡¯t have many children. I¡¯ll be surprised if the entire region could fill a classroom.¡±


    Orenda was glad that she had found Rychelle.  The cart was much faster than walking, yet still she had fallen asleep again, and when she awoke, they were still traveling. Ali was awake, and peering out the slit in the curtain.  His bandages had been changed, and he had applied so much of the aloe that it was soaking through, splatted out the edges.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked in the way only a cross child who has just awoken can, ¡°You¡¯ll get caught.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel that?¡± Ali asked her, ¡°that change in the air?  The magic is harder to pull? It¡¯s still there, I can still feel it, but it¡­  it¡¯s difficult to drag up.¡±


    ¡°It is a bit different,¡± Orenda admitted.  ¡°I couldn¡¯t say how exactly¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the water in the air!¡± Ali said excitedly, as if this was a good thing.


    ¡°Water in the air,¡± Orenda pondered, then shoved him out of the way to see for herself as she exclaimed, ¡°The ocean!¡±


    Susan had told her to travel until she could see the ocean, but in her haste she had not thought exactly on what that meant.  Orenda had never seen anything like this place, never really envisioned it. She had spent her entire life living under smog, where water was scarce and precious.  She had no idea that only a few day¡¯s journey away she would see the tall, white buildings, the clean streets, the beautiful people-


    And the shimmering water that stretched to the end of the world, where it met the sky and the setting sun, and the reflection sparked as if it would transport her to another world.  Orenda had never seen so much water, and for a few seconds, could not process that that was what it was. It had to be an enchanted portal, or a rippling mirror. But it wasn¡¯t. It was the sea.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange how much it looks likes the desert,¡± Ali said, ¡°They¡¯re both just endless expanses of nothingness- well, not endless, they do have an end, obviously, but when you look at them, you can¡¯t tell, because of the curvature of the planet.¡±


    ¡°The empress is on the other side of that,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Why does anyone listen to her?  She can¡¯t come here. Look how big it is and imagine how long that would take.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali said, ¡°I¡¯ll find out.¡±


    They were in a city now, not a town, and Ali spoke much more quietly than he once had.


    ¡°There is a safehouse, Orenda, near the docks, in the worst part of town- or there was, the last time I checked.  It¡¯s where people go when they get off the boats, an inn called the Sipping Siren. Remember that, if you ever get into trouble- no, don¡¯t write it down, remember it.¡±


    Orenda rolled her eyes, and huffed, ¡°The Sipping Siren.¡±


    ¡°Yes.  It¡¯s getting dark, but I think you can see that giant mansion there, on the cliffside, overlooking the sea?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I can see perfectly well in the dark,¡± Orenda huffed, growing more and more annoyed by his know-it-all attitude.


    ¡°Wait, right, elves can see in the dark,¡± Ali reminded himself, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­  sometimes people like you and Ry¡­ you don¡¯t seem elven. You seem human.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not,¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°Well, anyway,¡± Ali said, ¡°She¡¯s apparently ruled since the war.  She¡¯s over 200 years old.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Lady Genlen?¡±  It dawned on her what he was saying, ¡°That can¡¯t be her house!  I thought you were going to tell me that was the school! No one should have a home that big!  I saw people sleeping in the streets as I traveled! I would have done it myself were I not in hiding!¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s where I¡¯ll be staying,¡± Ali told her, ¡°It¡¯ll take me a while to get integrated into them- I don¡¯t know how many of them are going to be on my side.¡±


    ¡°How many of who?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°The other boys,¡± Ali told her, staring at the mansion.


    ¡°But they¡¯re human,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°Of course they¡¯ll be on your side.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure Slave to Lady Genlen is a cushy position, Rendy,¡± He said, ¡°They know how easy it would be to be in the fields on those farms we passed, or in the cage match fighting for their lives- hell, even cooking and cleaning are steps down.  This is¡­ more like a pet. Like a bird in a cage- but it¡¯s a really nice cage.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would like to be a pet,¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t either,¡± Ali agreed, ¡°But I know what it¡¯s like to fly free.  They don¡¯t. But I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve seen what happens to the ones who try.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°So have I.  Charles flew from his cage, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Ali smiled at her, ¡°Not all of them got caught.¡±

 Chapter 15

    ¡°Rendy,¡± Ry said as she opened the curtain to peek in at them, ¡°Where do you need to go?¡±


    Orenda skuttled forward, and handed her the paper.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Rychelle breathed lightly and spoke quietly, ¡°The mage academy.¡±  She chewed on her lip and said, ¡°I have no reason to call upon them, no pretense I could use to gain entrance.  I may have to drop you off. Do you think you can get inside on your own?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said simply and without hesitation.  She had been on her own before, after all, and this was no different.


    ¡°The school is on the other side of the city,¡± Rychelle told her, ¡°away from the Lady¡¯s mansion.  It¡¯s a little isolated, but absolutely unmistakable. It¡¯s made from the alabaster that people use when they want to look fancy, and is set a decent ways back from the city proper.  It¡¯s a large campus, so listen closely. There is a fence around the property that gives way to plant life. Get into the treeline when you can and make your way around the back. Once you get through the back gate, you will see many buildings and an open courtyard.  Move cautiously, and do not let any of the students see you. You will see slave quarters, but that is not where you are going- we don¡¯t know how many of them follow the path of order.¡±


    Orenda was still processing the idea that there existed humans who were not on their side, so she nodded instead of responding, because if she opened her mouth she was afraid she would speak in judgement of them.


    ¡°The main building, the one in the middle, will be larger than the others,¡± Rychelle continued, ¡°That is where you are going.  You¡¯ll see a small wooden door- not the big archway, a smaller door to the side. That is where you are going.¡± She paused, in thought, and added, ¡°I hope I¡¯ve told you correctly.  I¡¯ve not been there in some time. I¡¯ve had no reason to.¡±


    ¡°This is the side of the city that we¡¯re already on?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rychelle told her, ¡°Walk towards the mountains in the distance.  You¡¯ll come upon it.¡±


    ¡°Then I should be going,¡± Orenda decided.  ¡°I thank you, both of you, for your help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to find a way to see you again, Orenda,¡± Rychelle said, ¡°It is important to me that you stay safe.¡±


    ¡°I will stay alive,¡± Orenda promised, and was shocked when the woman leaned in to hug her.  Orenda had not thought that they had been close enough for that, emotionally.


    ¡°Ellie spoke so highly of you,¡± Rychelle whispered, ¡°She thought of you as a daughter.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and did not have the heart to tell her that Ellie had never mentioned Rychelle once in the entire time she had stayed with her.  But then again, that could have been for security reasons.


    ¡°Good luck, Orenda,¡± Rychelle said when she released her, then she closed the curtain, and Orenda pulled up her hood.


    ¡°Were your eyes not yellow, but a brown or green or somesuch,¡± Ali told her, ¡°With the hood up, you could pass for an earth elf.¡±


    ¡°Do all elves look the same to you?¡± Orenda teased.


    ¡°No,¡± He said solemnly, ¡°You¡¯re one of the good ones.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Ali,¡± Orenda said, and moved to the back of the cart, but before she could leave, he grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± He said, staring into her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll scry you, once I get settled.  It may be a little while, but I¡¯ll talk to you. This isn¡¯t goodbye. We will see each other again.  We¡¯re Knights of Order, remember that. We follow the path of order.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, then,¡± Orenda said, and he nodded.


    Orenda parted the curtain just enough to climb from the cart, and watched Ali tie it shut.  Ry pretended not to see her, clicked to her horse to get it moving, and they rolled away, out of Orenda¡¯s life, as she stepped out of the street to watch them go.


    Orenda was shocked to see how crowded the city was, even during the night.  Some of the buildings shut down, but others were alive with lights, music, and smells that she recognized from the inn where she had met Rychelle and Ali.  She traveled toward the mountains in the same manner she had traveled through the town before, sticking to the darkest alleyways that she could.


    She was shocked at how little the people paid attention to her- but was more shocked by how little they paid attention to each other.  As she came onto one street, she saw an earth elven man in tattered priest¡¯s robes, standing right in the middle of the walkway and shouting.


    ¡°Our savior has abandoned us!¡± He screamed, waving around pieces of parchment and trying to hand them to people who politely pretended not to see or feel him, ¡°The false prophet would have you believe that she rules by divine right, because the pedestal sits empty.  There is no sword in the stone! Xandra did not pull the sword! Xandra does not wield the sword!¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Orenda passed him, and tried her best, as the rest of the crowd around her had done, to politely ignore him, but he shrieked at her as she passed.


    ¡°You are following the wrong path!¡± He screamed, ¡°You are following a false prophet!  Thesis will reign death and destruction upon us all!¡± He shoved one of his papers into Orenda¡¯s face, and she had no choice but to take it.  Everyone else he had done this to had thrown them upon the ground, and they littered the area around him.


    ¡°We are living in the end times!¡± He shouted to the crowd that ignored him, ¡°We must all repent!  We must throw off the chains of the false prophet! We must reject the lies we have been fed! The sky is falling around us!  The truth shall set you free!¡±


    Orenda got away from him, crossing the street as quickly as possible, yet still she heard him.


    ¡°The Chosen Child will awaken!¡± he screamed, ¡°The Chosen Child will wield the sacred sword, and will bring about the vengeance of a neglected god!  The hubris of elvenkind will come to an end! Those who follow a false prophet will be cursed, just as those who followed the demon Morgani Magnus were cursed!  Listen to me! Save your souls! Repent! Do not believe the lies!¡±


    Orenda ducked into another alleyway and out of earshot before she looked at the paper she had been handed.  It looked hand-made, as if the lunatic had spent some time writing them all out. It had an illustration that was actually quite good, and Orenda thought he should have made a career using his artistic talent, but he had probably been crippled by his insanity.  The illustration was of a sword, one that looked more ceremonial that battle-ready. Orenda did not think his chosen one would have been able to use it to cut through anyone, as the blade had been covered in runes and etchings of flowers that she thought would weaken any metal.  But she had, admittedly, no knowledge of swords in the slightest, so she knew her assessment may not be correct.


    The flier reiterated all the points that he had made, but did flesh them out a little more.  The man, or at least the flier that she supposed he was the author of, told Orenda that far away across the sea in the Urilian capital, there was a temple honoring Thesis.  The temple existed in that spot, and in fact the capital had been built in that spot, because long ago when the god created the world, he had also created a special sword, which he plunged into the very living rock of Xren at that location.  One day, the flier told her, Thesis would inhabit the body of a mortal elf, and in order to prove this fact, would take the sword from its resting place, which no one else could do.


    The flier further explained that Xandra claimed that she had or was this chosen one, and that she was in possession of the sword.  However, it had not been seen for three centuries, which the crazy man screaming on the street felt was suspicious, and that she should, if this was true, be carrying the sword with her, for public appearances and the like.


    The man apparently believed that the chosen one had appeared, and was wandering the world.  He extrapolated from this that the chosen one would soon kill not only Xandra, but everyone who had sided with her.  Orenda wondered how long it would be before the lunatic was taken into custody and killed for his treasonous, and somewhat far-fetched, beliefs.


    But she did like the drawing of the sword, and if she had dared to open her sheet, she would have stuck it inside the book about fire elves.  But she wouldn¡¯t like to do that on the street, even in a dark alleyway, so she rolled it up and stuck it in her pocket instead.


    She was delighted to see that the crazed gentleman was not the only loud person on the street attempting to grab attention.  As she came out of the alley, she saw a small crowd gathered around a duo; two earth elves, male and female, were playing fiddles, loudly, and apparently in a rather aggressive way.  They seemed to be having some sort of musical argument, and she watched people in the crowd, or passerby, toss gold coins at them.


    Orenda realized that she was at the point in her life where she could probably do with some money, but she was not willing to bring attention to herself to get it, so she crossed the street and into yet another alleyway.  The mountains never seemed to get any closer, but, she reminded herself, there was a large stretch of wilderness between the city and the range; she had seen it on the maps in geography books at the library.


    Though she could not see them, the tops of many of the mountains were covered in snow.  As it became hotter on the way down, it melted, and trickled down the side in streams, sometimes with force great enough to classify those streams as rivers.  Because the area had once been volcanic, the ash had made the earth there fertile, and over the years this combination had given way to a tropical forest that seperated the civilized places from the wastelands.  On the other side of the mountains, the sea meant nothing, and could not regulate the temperature, so it was excruciatingly hot during the day when the sun bore down, and freezing cold during the nights when the moons drifted across the void that encompassed eternity.


    It was commonly thought that no one could survive in the desert, but Ali¡¯s existence had proven that idea wrong.  Orenda wondered what other things were commonly thought that were objectively untrue as she moved into another street and saw, stretching above the other buildings in the distance tall, white towers that glistened in the moonlight.  They fit the description that Rychelle had given her, and Orenda picked up the pace, not exactly running, but giving the air of someone who late to a very important date.


    Orenda was shocked as she came into the next alleyway, and saw that the entire wall of the building to her left had been covered in a somewhat sloppy white painting.


    It depicted the same symbol Gareth had drawn next to his signature when he had written Orenda on the winter solstice, but now, seeing it larger like this, she realized that the face was unmistakably a mask.  Crossed below it were a sword and the contraption that she could not identify, though now it was rendered in more detail. It had a handle, a long cylinder, some sort of short protrusion at the back, and some kind of something that she could not identify on the bottom, between the cylinder and handle.


    Above the artwork, tall letters spelled out:


    No gods.


    No queens.


    No masters.


    Below the artwork, the message apparently continued:


    Follow the path of order,


    Or fear the White Rabbit.

 Chapter 16

    Orenda did not follow Rychelle¡¯s advice, because she did not think it was necessary.  In order to get to the treeline, she would have to take a long detour, and would actually be much farther from the school.  Orenda suspected that time had changed the layout that Rychelle remembered, and that it had once been closer, but had since been cleared, or she would not have given the advice at all.


    Instead, she huddled inside her cloak and walked swiftly, with purpose, around the gate, thinking of how vast the campus was.  The sheer size was impressive to one like Orenda, who estimated that the grounds of the school were roughly the size of the town she had left.  It spoke of opulence, and she was not sure that she liked it.


    The moons were high in the sky by the time she found the back gate, and she was disappointed to see that it was, understandably, locked from the inside.  No one had told her that this would be the case, but she realized as she tried to open it that she should have suspected as much. It was a tall fence, and seemed to be made of iron or some other sturdy material, so Orenda shoved her sheet between two of the bars, then tried to climb through herself.  It became apparent quickly that she was not going to fit, so she stepped back to assess the situation.


    The fence stretched the entire grounds, and there was nothing to do but to go through it,  Orenda reached through, grabbed her sheet, and pulled it back, then walked farther down, studying the back garden.  It was beautifully kept, with smaller buildings dotting the landscape, some of which she recognized as greenhouses or sheds, and others which were unknown to her.  There were walking paths with little benches, closer to the school, hedges and trees scattered along them, looking like a painting of a story set in a castle. Orenda was not interesting in those things- they were liabilities.  She was looking for hidden places.


    A row of small houses were situated in a corner, closest to the woods that existed much farther from the fence than Orenda had been led to believe, and they were still alive with the sounds of inhabitants.  Orenda thought, because of their cheap but careful construction, that they were probably the slave quarters that she had been told were not her target. Still, they provided cover for what she was about to do.


    She set down her sheet and stepped onto the lower rung that connected the posts of iron together, then reached as high as she could, trying to reach the spot where the post met the top rung.  She wrapped her hand around the spot, and her medallion began to glow. The metal became hot, and she watched it turn red between her trapped fingers- then pulled. It snapped away with a few sparks, and Orenda pulled back her hand to watch it cool.  Once she was sure it had come apart completely, she hopped down, grabbed the place where it met the lowest rung, and repeated the process.


    Orenda sat the metal pole down as carefully as she could, so as not to make any noise, picked up her sheet, and climbed through the opening.  Then she reached through, picked up the pole, held it as upright as she could, and fascened the bottom back into place. One could tell, she thought, if they looked closely, but try as she might, she could not get it to look exactly like the others, to become a perfect replica.  At a certain point, she had to decide that it was good enough, and climbed up to fix the top.


    It wasn¡¯t perfect, but she was inside, and imperfection could be forsaken in favor of speed and silence.  She had to prioritize. The house before her had no glass in the windows, and she was amazed that she hadn¡¯t already been found out.  She skirted across it, and saw something else that she had not been warned on, but instantly felt she should have known to expect. She could see across the openness of the garden, the big archway that Rychelle had spoken of, and could further make out two adults wearing uniforms similar to, but not exactly like, the soldiers that Orenda had burned alive.


    She should have known that the place where the earth elves sent their children would have security, and her eyes were instantly drawn to their weapons.


    That was unfortunate, but not a complete deal-breaker.  They were a good ways off, all the way across the courtyard, and she was partially hidden by the slave quarters.  They also didn¡¯t seem to be paying particularly close attention; they were instead both looking at something on one of their hands and speaking to each other with smiles.  Orenda suspected it was a piece of jewelry that drew their attention, and wondered, if she stayed quiet and moved quickly, if she couldn¡¯t escape their notice completely.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She didn¡¯t think that she would be able to make it to the wooden door- she saw it, and it was far too close to the guards, and had no cover.  But she probably could make it to one of the other buildings, and if she was lucky she could find someone to help her, or somewhere to hide until she could form a better plan.  Right now, she had to focus on getting out of the open before she was caught.


    She knelt low to the ground and crept as quietly as she could to a large building much closer to the school.  There was something about it that she began to feel from a good distance away, but was nearly overpowering as she came closer- the same feeling that she had gotten when she had first come into town.  The magic that flowed around her became much more difficult to pull from, as if it was coated in something, as if it wasn¡¯t just sitting on her skin. It made her uncomfortable, and her stomach felt as if it were trying to rise in her throat.


    This made her curious, and she knew she would have to get out of the open anyway, so she hugged the wall and walked up the few steps to the little porch.  There was a sign over the door that read:


    For a Clean and Healthy Student Body: Glenlen Academy Bathhouse and Pools


    This made sense to Orenda.  The building had to be full of water, and large bodies of water seemed to do something to her magic.  But Orenda also came from a place where water had always been scarce, and baths were taken in tubs that were painstakingly filled by hand.  She had read about bathing pools, but had never seen one. She opened the door, quietly, cautiously- and stepped inside.


    The place had a strange smell that she found distasteful.  It wasn¡¯t flowery soaps or citrus treatments; it wasn¡¯t anything she had smelled before or could classify.  It smelled like it felt, like the absence of life, as if life were not allowed in this place. It smelled of sterility.


    The front room branched off in three directions, two smaller halls and one in the center.  The larger, center hall, was marked ¡°Pool¡±, the one to the left was marked ¡°Ladies¡± and the one to the right was marked ¡°Gentlemen¡±.  Orenda took the instruction of the signs, and walked into the room marked ¡°Ladies¡±.


    It turned sharply, then opened into a room covered in tile.  On the far wall was another door marked ¡°Pool¡±, and directly in front of her were a rows of doors with no markings whatsoever.  The wall with the door, in the places it was not a door, was covered, floor to ceiling, with a giant mirror, reflecting the opposite wall, which was covered in what Orenda thought were cabinets, all stacked one on top of the other.


    The mirror told her that she was alone, so she walked to one of the cabinets, selected at random, and tried to open it.  Inside was an empty space, and she didn¡¯t know what she had expected, yet still she checked them all, and they were all empty.  The room itself held benches but no tables, and she maneuvered around them to open the first of the doors on the far wall. Inside was a water closet, and Orenda expected the others would be the same, and had this expectation met when she checked.


    She walked to one of the benches closest to the mirror, sat down, and reflected on how tired she was.  She looked into her own eyes and allowed herself a moment to think- not on how to get into the little wooden door, but on her general life and well-being.  She imagined that the students at the school would be like the girl she had mistaken for a princess. They were all probably light and small, clothing racks or dolls meant to dress up and play with.  They probably had long hair that fell down their backs because they never cut it. They probably had servants to dress them, as Orenda had read about, and to feed them.


    They really were dolls, she thought, looking at herself.  They were dolls who couldn¡¯t even dress themselves. She felt sorry for them for a moment, for the stupidity and helplessness forced upon them, before she caught herself.  She had gotten too deep in the idea, and frightened herself. She had thought of how weak they were, of how the light had gone out in the soldiers in the library, of how Ali¡¯s flesh had smelled as it burned and how he thrashed and cried but did not try to stop her.


    Orenda was a little afraid of how easy it had been to tell herself that people were toys, of how easily it had been to think of the phrase, ¡°All people are flammable¡±- of how little it bothered her that those soldiers were dead because she had made the conscious decision to end their lives.  Yes, they had killed her friends, had terrorized people- but they were once living, and now they were not, because she had decided that they shouldn¡¯t be, and had carried out that decision.


    She knew that she should feel bad.  She knew that she should care. She stared into her eyes and tried very hard to feel something.  She felt the subdued magic in the air, the humidity against her skin, the metal of her medallion and the weight of her clothes.  She felt that slight underlying nausea that had started outside. But she did not feel regret. She tried and tried, but it would not come.


    Instead, she stood, smoothed out her cloak, picked up her sheet, and walked through the door that proclaimed it would take her into the pool.

 Chapter 17

    The room Orenda walked into was huge.  There were small, circular pools dotted about, but the main draw was obviously the largest body of water.  On one side, a set of steps led into it, and on the other, two boards stretched far above it, with ladders for access.  The water on that side looked particularly deep. Orenda thought it was strange that the far wall had seating, as if bathing were something that should ever have spectators, but she was more concerned with how much heavier the magic was here.  The flow had nearly stopped altogether, and instead of streaming over her, empowering her, it weighed her down, made it difficult to move, and the sickness she had felt before was no longer just nausia; it also made her lightheaded and a little unsteady on her feet.


    She realized that this was a terrible building to hide in.  It had been deserted; there was no help here, and it was making her ill.  She clutched her sheet to her ailing stomach and told herself that she needed to get out.  As it became harder to think, the guards became less of a priority. She walked around the small pools, heading for the door that had to lead outside somewhere, to the freedom of open air.  She didn¡¯t think she would make it all the way back through the changing room if she tried to go back. She had to press forward. Her vision narrowed in on the door, the door that would lead to the open night air, that would lead away from the oppression that she now knew came from the water.


    She could feel it in the air around her, going into her lungs when she took each breath.  She had made it around the small pools, and was walking past the big one now. She concentrated on fighting against the weight of the air that held her down, but every step was more difficult than the last.  She could feel the water in the humid air, settling into her lungs, closing her off not just from the magic, but from the air itself. There was too much of it, and she couldn¡¯t breath. Her stomach flipped, and she knew she was going to vomit.


    She leaned forward and tried to grab for the ladder as she emptied her stomach onto the tile floor.  The spasms of her muscles made her organs contort, and a wave of pain wracked her body; her vision clouded with tears and her eyes unfocused, no matter how many times she tried to blink it away.  She didn¡¯t understand why this was happening, but knew that she had to fight past it, had to escape into the open night air. She clung to the rung of the ladder and shoved herself forward. She couldn¡¯t see, and everything swam around her, but she remembered the general direction of the door-


    But she was no longer on solid ground, and she instantly recognized what had happened.  She threw her sheet and its contents with all her might, hoping she had picked the right direction, because all she had to go on was that she needed to get them away from her.  She knew she could not get the book wet.


    It was interesting how hard it was, how much it was like falling onto a hard floor, and not the soft caress that she had always imagined water would have.  It knocked what little air she had taken in from her lungs, and they began to burn as she flailed, trying to find the wall she knew had to exist. She was afraid to breath, but the heaviness in the air was a thousand times worse, was crushing her, and Orenda became aware of the fact that she was going to die.


    She had never been underwater before- it had always been a scarce resource, and she had never dreamed that it would be a liability.  Orenda, like all people who were not used to unlimited water, had dreamed of seeing enough to fill a pool. Orenda had thought that a perfect place would be full of water.  She knew now, as it tried to fill her body, tried to soak through her clothes and drag her down, tried to rob her of air, that she had been terribly wrong.


    Her vision was useless, and the screaming in her lungs had moved through her entire body to her head, where it pounded so badly she thought her brain may be trying to escape, to save itself.  She was amazed at how much time she had to think. She thought of the workhouse, and how she had never managed to make friends there. She thought of the library, and the many friends she had made.  She thought of Ellie teaching her to read, of Susan teaching her how to cook, of Charles demanding that she remember their names and faces. She thought of Johnny and his family, alive and well in the human city beyond the mountains.  She thought of Rychelle and Ali, who had risked so much to get her where she needed to go. She thought of the unnamed woman, the composite of all the fire elves who had come before her, and how Orenda herself may be the last of them.


    It wasn¡¯t until she had thought of all these things that the panic set in.  The change was instant, and may have been because Orenda felt herself begin to die, felt her body begin to shut off.  Her brain had been without air for so long that it could pull up no more images to show her, her muscles had given up on thrashing and trying to find the wall, and the primal, animal fear was all that she was left with.


    Orenda had promised so many people that she would not die, but now the world around her was so heavy that she knew it would crush her.  She thought of the god, Thesis, whom her ancestors had worshiped in the great temple at the Sacred Mountain, but not as a person, not as a being, as the all-encompassing everything that was present in the very concept of life, and she begged to it, to this faceless, nameless thing that her dying brain conjured, not to let her die.


    The magic was so far away, behind the air, above the water, but Orenda closer her eyes, left her body for dead, and gave into the panic, the animal brain, ready to accept this god she did not understand, ready to enter an afterlife where, if she was lucky, she would meet her real parents- not the ones she had imagined, but the ones she knew, in her heart of hearts and her logical mind, had to have existed at some point, and were probably dead now.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    As Orenda entered into the pleasant nothing, the medallion around her neck and the stone in her pocket began to glow.


    Orenda did not even know she was on fire, and could not begin to imagine how hot it was.  Orenda did not see or feel it simmer, then boil, before the entire pool began to roll as if it was a cauldron hung over a stove.  Orenda did not know that steam, when created quickly and compressed in a small room with closed doors and windows, would explode outward with intense pressure, would need somewhere to go.


    So Orenda did not see the windows of the bathhouse shatter, did not see the steam billowing out, did not hear the high-pitched shrill of a million tea kettles.  Orenda only lay at the bottom of an empty pool, coughing and sputtering, weak and still deathly ill, as her broken body spasmed to get the water from her lungs. She tried to pull herself onto her hands and knees, to make it to the stairs on the other side of the strange underground thing she found herself in but could not identify, but it wasn¡¯t going to happen.  She was too weak.


    She heard someone say something, but she could not identify them, could not have turned her head to see them, even if her eyes had been willing to focus.  She was dying and she knew it, but she did not have to be happy about it. She fought until the end, and she cursed the fatigue that eventually took her.


    ¡°She¡¯s bone dry,¡± a voice said as Orenda¡¯s senses began to work again, and it sent a shot of adrenaline through her that she was thankful for, but did not understand.  She used it to her advantage to shove herself up on shaky legs and take in her surroundings.


    There were more than just the two guards.


    They had been leaning over her, but so had an earth elf woman, and a slew of adults lined the edges of the empty pool, looking down at her.  Orenda narrowed her eyes, and the combination of exhaustion, adrenaline, and fear did nothing to help her think. She was firmly in fight or flight mode, less a person and more a prey animal surrounded by predators, and with nowhere to run, she knew she would have to fight.


    ¡°Do not touch me!¡± She demanded, ¡°Or my things!  If you do- you¡¯ll boil when you die!¡±


    This was an objectively terrible thing to say, and probably an empty threat, as tired as she was, and that emptiness was likely obvious from the way she could barely stay on her feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you,¡± The woman in the pool promised, and kept one arm outstretched.


    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± Orenda demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m a healer,¡± the woman said gently, ¡°Do you know where you are?¡±


    Orenda held one hand up as if to cast a spell, and backed away until she hit a wall.  The adults in the pool were between her and the stairs, and she saw no conceivable way to get past them without going through them.


    When she made no response, the woman said, ¡°This is the Glenlen Academy.  Do you mean to be here? Is this where you were trying to go?¡±


    Orenda could not think.  She was too tired, and too full of fear and rage, but the lady stared at her, and her mouth began to work without the input from her brain.


    ¡°I am the long-lost princess of the fire elves!¡± She snapped with all the confidence and entitlement of one who believed it to be true, ¡°I am the most powerful mage I have ever met, but I have been separated from my parents and my people for my entire life.  I had heard that this was a place that trains those who feel the magic of Xren flow through them, and traveled here. But then it almost killed me! I demand to speak to whomever is in charge here!¡±


    ¡°That would be me, princess,¡± A tall earth elven man began marching down the stairs, and had Orenda been in her right mind, she would have been intimidated by him.  He looked as if he had just been woken up, but as if it hadn¡¯t phased him, with his perfect blond hair neatly arranged in a set of braids winding around his head, and his cold green eyes bored into her as if he was not inconvenienced in the slightest by the destruction of the building or her threats.  He looked like a stern headmaster about to punish a little girl, and held in front of him the book that Orenda had spent so long studying and protecting.


    It was wet.


    ¡°I am Headmaster Quiroris, and I am intensely curious about a number of things.¡±  He pushed his way past the guards and the woman who claimed to be a healer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your curiosity,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°and I would like my things back.  That book is mine.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get it?¡± He asked, running a hand down the cover.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine,¡± Orenda told him.


    He held the book, and studied the cover for some time, before he turned his gaze back to Orenda.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°I would like my things back.¡±


    ¡°What is your name, young lady?¡± He asked her.  ¡°I would very much like to be properly introduced to a princess.  The last time I spoke to royalty it went quite differently.¡±


    ¡°The last time I spoke to someone like you, it ended poorly,¡± Orenda told him as she glared up into his eyes.  She saw something flickering below the smooth green surface there, and something in her wanted to crush it out.  He held her gaze, and together they felt their fields of vision narrow until the crowd became background noise. Orenda felt the air heating around her, and the headmaster finally looked back down to the book.


    ¡°My name is Orenda,¡± Orenda told him when he looked away, ¡°I hear that I am named for my mother.  Perhaps you¡¯ve heard of her.¡±


    Part of her knew this was a lie, but it was all she had, and now that she had begun on a bluff, she felt that she had to double down on it.  She was still not thinking clearly, and could not see the numerous other options available to her.


    ¡°Really?¡± He asked, as if this information was not intimidating, but interesting, ¡°I have heard that name before.  Would you like a cup of tea, Ms Orenda? Perhaps something to eat?¡±

 Chapter 18

    Orenda watched a human woman light a fire in the fireplace of the office where she sat.  Headmaster Quiroris stood before the blaze that sprang to life and opened the book to the middle, then sat it on the hearth and made his way to take the seat behind the desk that Orenda sat in front of.


    When he spoke, it was not to her, but to the human woman.


    ¡°Bring up a tea-tray,¡± he instructed, ¡°With something for the young lady to eat.  She must be famished after her journey.¡±


    The woman nodded, bowed slightly and turned on her heel to leave the room.


    Quiroris turned back to Orenda and smiled, but she was still so full of energy in her mind, and none in her body, that she could not tell if it was sincere.  She regretted the corner that she had backed herself into. His eyes told her that he knew she was lying.


    ¡°That was unfortunate,¡± He said in a voice that sounded caring, but Orenda did not know whether or not he was pretending, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright, at any rate.  I can¡¯t say the same for the bathhouse.¡±


    A different slave came in this time, quietly walked to the headmaster, and waited until he turned and nodded before he spoke.


    ¡°Sir, this is everything they recovered from the bathhouse,¡± he said, holding a pile of things that Orenda recognized, ¡°Would you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Samuel, thank you,¡± Quiroris took them and put them on his desk, ¡°That will be all.¡±


    The man nodded, and left through the door he had come in.


    ¡°Do you have a last name, Ms Orenda?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°Do you have a first name?¡± Orenda retorted.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± he said pleasantly, ¡°It¡¯s Felaern.¡±


    Orenda studied him for some time, and did not answer his question.  When it became apparent that she was willing to go on not answering until the end of time, he decided to speak again.


    ¡°I was fortunate enough to travel here many years ago,¡± he said conversationally, ¡°Before the colonization.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look that old,¡± Orenda interrupted.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± He said with a twinkle in his eye, ¡°the secret, I believe, is a good moisturizer and a trusted hairstylist who knows how to mix the proper color.¡±


    ¡°Vanity suites you,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°At that time, to be fair,¡± he said, ¡°I was very young.  But I did have the good fortune to tour the kingdom of the fire elves.  I do not think that religious oligarchies produce many princesses. You must be a rare breed.¡±


    Orenda stared at him, and he stared back, and the air in the room began to grow warm.


    ¡°Most mages,¡± he said, ¡°Cannot cast without a focus.  However, they have been known to give off bouts of magic in times of great stress.¡±  When Orenda did not respond, he sighed and said, ¡°I know that you didn¡¯t mean it when you threatened us.  I know that you¡¯re a frightened child who is a long way from home. I want to help you, Orenda. This is a safe space.  You can talk to me.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°It distresses me to know that you could have been hurt,¡± Quiroris told her, ¡°Someone should have been watching you.¡±


    Still Orenda said nothing.  This man was difficult to read, and she didn¡¯t know whether or not he could be trusted.  He hadn¡¯t thrown her out, which was more than most people would have done, even after he had called her out on her lies. But Orenda had grown weary of trusting strangers- yet¡­  the more she studied his face, the easier the lines around his eyes became to make out. It was possible that he really had been to the fire elf kingdom, that he may actually know things that could help her.


    ¡°What path do you walk?¡± She asked him.


    He stared at her as if he thought that was a strange question, and she knew that he had no idea what she was talking about.


    ¡°The path of knowledge, I suppose,¡± he answered with a puzzled expression.  ¡°I¡¯m more than an educator; I¡¯m a scholar myself. I want to unlock the secrets of the subject of magic.  I don¡¯t see a reason to ever stop learning, to ever stop researching or experimenting.¡± He seemed a little sad when he sad, ¡°I thought I would never meet another fire mage, Orenda.  I thought you were all gone.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said, ¡°We aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What is your last name?¡± He asked, sincerely, ¡°Who are your parents?¡±


    ¡°I have no parents,¡± Orenda decided to tell a bit of the truth, to test the waters, ¡°I grew up in a workhouse.  I found a fire crystal and set myself ablaze, and I suppose they felt I was a safety hazard. I found the book by pure chance.  It¡¯s stolen, but I would like it back.¡±


    ¡°Where did you steal it from?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Some shop or library or somesuch,¡± Orenda waved a hand, ¡°I don¡¯t know the name.  I have traveled since I lost my job.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible,¡± he said, and seemed to mean it.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Do you think anyone would respond well,¡± Orenda asked him, ¡°to being told that their life is terrible?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said, in thought, ¡°I imagine they wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    The human woman reappeared with a tea tray, set it on the desk, bowed, and went to stand behind and slightly to the left of the headmaster.


    ¡°That will be all,¡± he said pleasantly, and elected to situate the cups and pour the tea himself.  The human woman gave another slight bow, and left the room.


    ¡°Do you like sugar?¡± He asked, ¡°Milk?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, and was unwilling to give further instruction.  Quiroris put in a little of both, and she watched as he mixed his own cup the exact same way before he sat back down and reached for one of the small cakes on the tray.  He ate in a way that was too dainty for her liking, but she slowly reached for the tray and took a cake herself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know your name?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I was told by the adults,¡± Orenda took a sip of her tea, ¡°That it was Nochdefache.¡±


    For the briefest of moments, this seemed to unnerve Quiroris in a way that nothing else had.  It was gone in an instant, and had Orenda not been looking for it, she would not have noticed.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said, finally.  ¡°Orenda¡­ you obviously have great magical potential.  But¡­ I have concerns.¡±


    ¡°About?¡± She asked.


    ¡°About you being my pupil,¡± he explained, ¡°For a number of reasons.  I know so little about fire magic that I¡¯m not sure I could teach you much.  I also¡­ would put myself in a tough spot. If I took in every street urchin,¡± he realized what he had said as soon as he had said it by the change of the temperature in the air and corrected himself, ¡°every at-risk child who wandered near the grounds, I wouldn¡¯t be able to feed them.  And it¡¯s hardly fair to wave the tuition for you, yet not for anyone else.¡±


    ¡°I would have thought that my tuition would have arrived before I did,¡± Orenda thought aloud.


    ¡°In what way?¡± He asked, and Orenda decided it would be stupid to tell him about Gareth.  She stayed silent, and he seemed to think that she was talking out of her head as a frightened child again, and continued, ¡°And it will be costly to repair the bath house,¡± his voice lowered and he spoke almost as if in awe, ¡°steamed the paint right off the walls¡­  the whole pool¡­¡±


    ¡°I will not be indebted for an accident that should have never happened,¡± Orenda felt her rage growing again, ¡°That place is dangerous!¡±


    ¡°You were not invited to the academy,¡± Quiroris had authority in his voice, ¡°I¡¯m actually quite curious to know how you got in.¡±


    ¡°Your curiosity knows no bounds!¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°Young lady,¡± He said, without losing his patience but with the air of the adult he was, ¡°I know that you¡¯re upset, but do we really need these outbursts?  Considering the circumstances, I¡¯m being shockingly nice. You broke into my home and place of business and destroyed a building for reasons that I have every right to question.¡±


    Orenda had to admit that he had made a fair assessment of the situation.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± she said at length, ¡°That it would not hurt me to pay my debts.  I have no money, but I do have skills that can be put to use. I¡¯ve been told that I¡¯m useful in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I would like an elf working in my kitchen,¡± he seemed insulted by the prospect, ¡°You are an elf, Orenda.  You¡¯re not a human. I can¡¯t imagine that they had you in a workhouse.¡±


    ¡°There are elves in the workhouse,¡± Orenda narrowed her eyes, ¡°Not as many of us, of course, but we were there.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right,¡± he said, and when he sensed her anger elaborated, ¡°Morally, I mean, not that I think you¡¯re factually wrong.  You should have never been in that environment. I¡¯m trying to think of somewhere to put you; calm down. I agree that you shouldn¡¯t be out on the street, but honestly, young lady, some things are below a person of your status.  I don¡¯t know how they do things inside the dreadful industrial district, but here on the coast people are civilized. You need to learn some self-respect.¡±


    ¡°That is not a complaint I have often had,¡± Orenda told him.  His words left a bad taste in her mouth.


    ¡°Have you ever had a mage focus?¡± he asked her, ¡°Or have you been using the fire crystal you found?¡±


    ¡°The crystal,¡± Orenda lied, ¡°But I have heard that most mages use staves to begin with, and wands as they improved.  They seemed shocked at the workhouse that I could cast at all. As I said, I believe they found me to be a liability.¡±


    ¡°Fire is, perhaps, the most dangerous of the elements,¡± Quiroris stood and began to walk around the office.  The wall behind his desk was lined with books and housed a door that was not the one that people had been coming and going through, but he ignored it and walked to a window on the right-hand wall, surrounded by plants hanging from different lengths of chain in earthenware pots.


    ¡°Anything is perhaps anything,¡± Orenda pointed out.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Quiroris said, as if she had mistaken his meaning, ¡°But fire can only burn, only destroy.  It is an offensive magic, by its very nature. Earth is more about creating life, nurturing it. It¡¯s very caring and requires calm effort and patience.¡±


    He reached up and broke two bright red flowers off of one his plants, and carried them back to the desk.


    ¡°They¡¯re used for two different things,¡± he explained, ¡°This plant is called salvia.  It has medicinal uses for a variety of things, but is most widely used to help people with digestive issues.  It can cure pain. Fire can only cause pain. Do you understand?¡±


    Orenda thought of Ali, but she also thought of the cookies, warm and smelling of ginger when Susan pulled them from the oven.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that plant could have grown at all without the sun,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°All life begins with fire.  I can feel it, Felaern. I can feel the fire in your heart, in the sun a million miles above me, the magma rolling and flowing a million miles below me.  I feel it in your herth and in the air, and in every living thing that crawls or flies. You¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°I may be, at that,¡± he admitted, ¡°I told you that I didn¡¯t know much of it.  I suppose a society could not have lasted very long without healing spells.¡±


    He handed one of the flowers to Orenda, and she took it because it had been offered, not because she wanted it.  He walked leisurely back to the window, held the flower back to the plant he had pulled it from, and the stones in his ears began to glow as the plant healed.  Orenda didn¡¯t understand why he had hurt it at all, or what point he was trying to make to her.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°It is the middle of the night, after all.  Let¡¯s get you settled. We can work out all the financial details in the morning.  I¡¯ll also have to commission a focus for you. I don¡¯t even know where one would get a fire staff.  I suppose I¡¯ll have to contact the dwarves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d like me to stay here?¡± Orenda asked skeptically.  The entire conversation had put her on edge, and she hadn¡¯t known quite what to think.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you waste away on the street,¡± Quiroris said as if the idea was ridiculous.  He opened the door and Orenda heard the ringing of a bell. She stood quickly and gathered her things, including the book about the fire elves.


    Quiroris came back a few minutes later followed by the human woman from before, and if he noticed, he said nothing.


    ¡°Orenda, Jenny will find you somewhere to stay tonight.  We¡¯ll work out all the details in the morning.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and followed the woman out of the room.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to put you, young lady,¡± Jenny told Orenda when they were both in the hall and out of earshot, ¡°The headmaster told me to find ¡®someplace suitable¡¯ that was not the slave quarters.  I don¡¯t think that he would like you around the other students¡­¡±


    ¡°I would be fine in the slave quarters,¡± Orenda told her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would, but it has been expressly forbidden,¡± Jenny explained with perhaps a hint of sarcasm or¡­  insult. She stood, in thought for some time, considering her predicament, and Orenda stood to her side, clutching her things.


    ¡°What path do you walk?¡± Orenda asked her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jenny asked.


    ¡°Nothing, I suppose,¡± Orenda sighed.


    ¡°I should probably wake the housekeeper,¡± Jenny said at length, ¡°She would know what to do.  She runs the place.¡±


    ¡°Not Quiroris?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Well,¡± Jenny admitted, ¡°I meant that she runs us.  The headmaster obviously runs the students. I suppose he runs us too.  But the housekeeper is¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it to an elf.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told I¡¯m one of the good ones,¡± Orenda offered, as if it would make a difference.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are,¡± Jenny told her, leading her across a plush carpet that descended down a staircase.


    ¡°I asked to be put in the kitchen,¡± Orenda said in an attempt to make conversation.


    ¡°In the kitchen?¡± Jenny laughed, ¡°Destroyed the bathhouse and asked to be put in the kitchen!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine I¡¯m the first person to think of destroying this place,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°Not from what I¡¯ve seen in my short time here.  Do you live in those little wooden houses on the edges of the grounds?¡±


    ¡°Why, yes,¡± Jenny answered, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you plan on blowing them up?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°It just seemed odd to me that you should live there instead of here.  It seems Quiroris lives here.¡±


    ¡°The elves live in the main buildings,¡± Jenny told her, ¡°I built my house- well, my husband and me.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a good skill to have,¡± Orenda liked how animated she was getting, ¡°Back at the workhouse we all slept in rooms.  I think that the idea was that one would sleep where they fell, but everyone had their own little spot. We called them ¡®areas¡¯. I kept a pile of straw and sawdust.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± Jenny asked as if the subject greatly interested her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°I had two dresses, and an extra pair of stockings.  I could hide them, buried, and be reasonably sure they wouldn¡¯t be stolen. Of course, you can never be too sure of anything.  One cannot let down their guard completely. But it worked, for the most part. I don¡¯t like to fight, so I tried to avoid them before they began.¡±


    ¡°That seems a good philosophy,¡± Jenny agreed.  The staircase ended in the biggest open hall Orenda had ever seen, and Jenny led her off to the side of it, into what seemed to be a dining room, but it was so large that it took four wide tables to fill it.  They walked briskly through it, and Orenda remembered what Ali had said about humans being unable to see in the dark of night. The moons shining in through the windows did little to illuminate the room, yet Jenny navigated it expertly, moving quickly down an aisle between tables, and opened a small door to the side.


    Orenda followed her into a large, smart kitchen, with more space than she had been accustomed to back home- no, she correct herself, back at the library.  It had more space than she had been accustomed to, back at the library. Orenda thought she would like to bake here, with the larger oven and more counter space to roll out and cut cookies, but Jenny seemed to be in a hurry, so she spoke her compliments as quickly and concisely as she could.


    ¡°This is nice,¡± She said simply, ¡°It¡¯s rather large, compared to what I¡¯m used to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s strange,¡± Jenny said, ¡°I¡¯d think a workhouse would have more people to feed.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Orenda had no response to that, because she didn¡¯t want to tell Jenny about the library, and followed her out the little wooden door that she had tried so hard to get into from the other side.  It opened exactly where it should, and Orenda saw the guards from before were back to standing by the archway.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± One of them asked her, and Jenny froze in her tracks.


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Orenda said politely, studying the adult woman with the large ring that had attracted her partner¡¯s attention earlier.  ¡°I like your ring.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the woman smiled and looked down at it, ¡°My boyfriend got it for me; he asked to become my husband.¡±


    ¡°How nice,¡± Orenda said, and thought that Jenny had a husband, but no ring.  ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must hurry along. It¡¯s quite late.¡±


    She moved in front of Jenny and began to walk towards the little wooden houses.  The other guard looked as if he was going to ask her something as well, and she absolutely did not feel like getting roped into a conversation with them.


    ¡°You should be more polite,¡± Jenny chastised as she caught up and began to walk beside Orenda, ¡°You have to respect your elders.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that to be true,¡± Orenda challenged, ¡°My elders have often not been respectful of me.  Especially the ones who dress like that.¡±


    Jenny looked down at her stern little face and decided not to press the issue.  Instead, she led them to the first house in the row, and Orenda stood back and watched her knock on it.  All the houses were alive, the flickering fire of what Orenda believed was kerosine lamps was visible from the windows.  She wasn¡¯t shocked by how quickly the door opened, but was a little concerned with how quickly the news of her arrival had traveled.  She had meant to be inconspicuous, but that seemed to have been throw out the window, because when an elderly human woman opened the door, the first thing she saw fit to do was ask about it.


    ¡°Is that the girl who destroyed the bathhouse?¡± She asked, looking at Orenda.


    ¡°Yes, mam,¡± Orenda answered before Jenny was able, ¡°I had no intention of destroying anything.  I was trying to get here, to the school. I¡­¡± Orenda realized, in that moment, that it was these people who would have to fix her mistake, to clean up her mess, ¡°I would like to help in the repairs.  It was an accident. I was in fear for my life.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the headmaster will have that,¡± The woman said, ¡°not in the clean-up, at least.  And, he¡¯ll probably bring in actual masons to repair the damage. I¡¯ll say that place¡¯ll be out of commission for a good while.  I don¡¯t know where the students will bathe.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll have to use washtubs, won¡¯t they?¡± Orenda asked, sincerely.  It was the most obvious solution to the problem, but it was apparently hilarious to the older woman, who began to laugh as if the idea was ridiculous.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see that,¡± She said when she caught her breath, ¡°those kids tryng to pump water, trying to keep it contained- there would be pandamonium.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Orenda,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°This is Mrs OfQuiroris,¡± Jenny told her, but Orenda cut her off in a distasteful tone.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re all Mrs OfQuiroris,¡± Orenda snapped, angered by the idea, ¡°that isn¡¯t particularly helpful.¡±


    ¡°What a little spitfire,¡± the older woman laughed, ¡°My name is Rada, young one.¡±


    ¡°Mother?¡± A voice inside the house asked, and Orenda peered behind the girth of Rada to see that a younger woman had risen from where she had been sitting on a mattress, and was walking to the doorway.  She was the most beautiful person Orenda thought she had ever seen, only a little older than she was, an age that Ali had convinced her was not as adult as she had once thought. The young woman would probably one day resemble her mother, but now she was all curves and curls that flowed down her back and outward.  Her eyes were dark pools that seemed to contain the answers to the universe, and Orenda knew she was staring, but could not look away.


    ¡°Is that her?¡± The girl asked, peering around her mother at Orenda, and Orenda had the sense to nod.


    ¡°Bubby,¡± her mother said, ¡°Go back inside.  This is the child that destroyed the bathhouse.  God knows what she would do to us.¡±


    ¡°I would never do anything to you,¡± Orenda promised, feeling offended that she had been considered dangerous, though she had to admit that she had set the precedence herself.  She took in the beautiful teenager¡¯s dark skin and hair, and gazed into her eyes as she said, ¡°I follow the path of order.¡±


    ¡°What are they going to do with her?¡± The girl asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told to find somewhere to put her,¡± Jenny answered, ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I know of a place!¡±  The girl darted under her mother¡¯s arm before she could stop her, and hurried out into the night, ¡°In the research library, in the tower, there¡¯s a little room that I found one day while I was cleaning up in there.  It has a bed and fireplace. I¡¯m not sure who was using it before, but it¡¯s empty now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably meant for some student up there pouring over all those books and too lazy to walk downstairs to bed,¡± Rada huffed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show her to it,¡± the girl said, ¡°Jenny you¡¯ve been up all night, you get some rest.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate it,¡± Jenny sighed, ¡°But tell me exactly where it is, later.¡±


    ¡°Come along, miss,¡± the girl put a hand on her shoulder, and Orenda knew she could feel the heat when she touched her, but she did not pull away, ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said, ¡°My name is Orenda.¡±


    ¡°My name is Bubbider,¡± the girl told her, ¡°and I love rabbits.¡±

 Chapter 20

    The girl led Orenda in through the archway, and Orenda was thankful that this time the guards did not try to speak to her.  She was beginning to think that perhaps if she was as rude as she had been, maybe more adults would keep their mouths shut, and she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with them.


    The inside of the building was more layrythian than Orenda had anticipated, and she quickly lost her bearings as they walked down halls, took corners, walked up winding staircases and through rooms, until she came into something that she was familiar with.  The rows of bookshelves stretched as far as they had when she had been staying with Ellie, but here she did not have the same feeling of comfort. She was not the one who knew these aisles, not the one hiding in these shadows. Her guard was firmly up as she allowed Bubbider to lead her up another staircase, and did not lower it until they were firmly inside the room that was more open, less difficult to hide in.


    There were bookshelves lining all the walls, and a single table with many chairs set in the middle.  It was obviously part of the library, but it was set off, by itself, and it made Orenda curious.


    ¡°This is the research room,¡± Bubbider explained, ¡°None of these books are supposed to leave this place.  And this is the little room I found.¡±


    She opened another door, and the room was not what Orenda had expected.


    Yes, it was a bedroom.  There was a bed, and that made it a bedroom.


    But there were also tall candelabras, a huge dressing mirror, a podium that seemed as if it should hold some sort of book, and in front of that podium, where Orenda assumed a spectator would listen to the speech from the person reading from the book, strange markings were carved into the floor that she could make neither heads nor tails of.  The door to the room locked from the inside, and Orenda could not imagine that anyone could have just opened the door and walked inside. This was the sort of room that one kept locked. This was the sort of room that things happened inside of. The magic in the air here flowed so freely that it took Orenda¡¯s breath away, and she felt it empowering her with no input of her own, and had to make a conscious effort to stop it.  There were tall, thin, arched windows of colored glass that opened outward, and she walked to one of them immediately, then stopped herself.


    If she opened the window, it was likely that someone could listen in on their conversation, and Bubbider obviously had something to talk about- because she was locking the door behind them.  So instead, Orenda sat her things on the bed and turned to face her.


    ¡°You follow the white rabbit,¡± Bubbider said when she was sure that she had Orenda¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Orenda said excitedly, ¡°Were you expecting me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bubbider frowned, ¡°I have no idea who you are.  But¡­ you seem like a good child. And you seem frightened.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Orenda said, and it was the first time she had admitted it, and the emotions within her swirled and she felt that now she had began, she needed to get them out, ¡°But I¡¯m also angry, and frustrated, and sad, and¡­  something else that I don¡¯t understand! It¡¯s all so horrible, and it¡¯s all been so horrible for so long that I don¡¯t know what to make of it anymore! Ellie and Charles are dead! And those soldiers they¡­ they set the library on fire and¡­  she¡­ we- WE lost all of her hard work! And I probably could have stopped it- could have snuffed it out, but I didn¡¯t, because I wasn¡¯t thinking and¡­ and all I could think was that they were evil, they were so evil, so I didn¡¯t put it out, I made it worse, and now it¡¯s all gone, because of me!  Ellie would have wanted me to save it!¡±


    Orenda had said all of this so quickly and without drawing breath that when she did breath again it caught in her chest, and she could not press back the magic that wanted to flow through her, and the air began to heat and crackle with the force of it before she realized what was happening and fought to contain it.


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead,¡± Orenda went on, as Bubbideer watched her, ¡°All of them!  Not just Ellie and Charles, but the others, too. I don¡¯t know what to do! Am I¡­  do you think, at my core, that I am evil? Do you think that all a fire mage can do is destroy?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bubbider said quietly with comfort in her voice, ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe that at all.  Sometimes, Orenda, healing can hurt. It hurts to cauterize a wound. But sometimes we must burn away the infection so that we can heal.  It is alright to hurt. There were, at one time, great healers among the fire elves.¡± She paused, then continued, ¡°And among the other fire mages, like the humans and the dwarves.¡±


    Orenda nodded and backed up until she was sitting on the bed.


    ¡°I would say that some people are better at some sorts of magic than others,¡± Bubbider went on, ¡°And some cannot feel magic at all, let alone use it.  But I do not think that you can be evil. You¡¯re too young. I¡¯m not sure any child can be evil.¡±


    ¡°I disagree,¡± Orenda wiped her eyes and felt foolish, ¡°I knew some evil children when I lived at the workhouse.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Bubbider said, and went on, ¡°You¡¯re talking about Eletha Venris?  The historian?¡± Orenda nodded, so Bubbider continued, ¡°I used to correspond with her housemaid, Susan.  I suppose you know that she can read.¡±


    ¡°She can write, too,¡± Orenda said, ¡°she wrote the address to this place for me.  She was kind to me.¡±


    ¡°She was a kind woman,¡± Bubbider said.


    ¡°She is a kind woman,¡± Orenda corrected, ¡°She isn¡¯t dead.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Bubbider said and seemed conflicted, but after a span of time, she decided to speak again, ¡°I don¡¯t like being the one to tell you this, but¡­  Susan was found, in the industrial district. I think she was trying to make it to Huriyat AlIinsan, but she didn¡¯t make it to the next safe house. The soldiers were looking for her.  I don¡¯t think she had much of a chance. The word has reached this place already that the soldiers captured her, but I know Susan. She will not go back.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°She had a vile of poison,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Did Charles brew it?¡± Bubbider asked, and Orenda nodded.  ¡°Then I am sure it acted quickly. He was a fine earth mage, from what I understand.  He studied extensively at the library, and Ellie got him a wand, claiming it was for herself.  He would not have wanted her to suffer.¡±


    ¡°Is it really so bad?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°That one would rather die than go back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the capital,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°But all the people I have met say that it is worse there than it is here.  And¡­ it isn¡¯t exactly ideal here.¡±


    Orenda nodded and tried to absorb this information.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a new safehouse, Orenda,¡± Bubbider promised her, ¡°There are good people in the world.  We¡¯ll save others. Their lives mattered. What they were doing matters.¡±


    ¡°I met a boy on the road,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°From Huriyat Allinsan.  It¡¯s a real place.¡±


    ¡°I know it to be a real place,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°I know many people who have made it alive.  I may know this boy. Was he pretty? Not in the sense that some men are attractive. Was he distractingly pretty?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°He seemed to think he was.  His name was Ali.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where he was going?¡± Bubbider asked, ¡°What he was trying to do?¡±


    ¡°He made me brand him,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He was going to the mansion, on the hill.  The home of lady Glenlen, I think?¡±


    ¡°Ali AlHadeen,¡± Bubbider nodded, ¡°He is supposed to scry me and let me know he¡¯s arrived safely.¡±


    ¡°But that would meant that you had met him before!¡± Orenda was alarmed at the prospect.  Ali had never been here before.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Bubbider shook her head, ¡°Only that he knows my magical signature.  Everyone¡¯s is unique. It is easier to find if you¡¯ve seen it, but¡­ mages have ways of tracking things.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a mage?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°A fire mage?¡± Orenda asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How did you learn?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°My father was a mage, and his mother before him, and apparently so on until the beginning of time,¡± Bubbider explained, ¡°Before his death, he taught me all he knew, and gave me a crystal that he claimed came from the staff of my¡­  well I wouldn¡¯t like to list all the ¡®greats¡¯, but it has been in my family since before the colonization. It is said to be more than two centuries old.¡±


    ¡°You deserve a proper staff,¡± Orenda huffed.


    ¡°No one deserves anything, Orenda,¡± Bubbider told her, ¡°We make due with what we have, and we survive.  Things are changing, have been changing for some time. Ali is not the first person to enter Lady Glenlen¡¯s home- he will not be alone there.  Her pretty little harem is not as loyal as she believes. Many earth elves do not know the difference between a slave and a pet. I don¡¯t know how much longer it will be before she finds out, but they hide well.  Things will change, and I think they will change soon. This place is so far from the capital, the empress does not have the reach that she thinks, nor the army. She does not think Huriyat Allinsan is a real place, so cannot think that it could produce soldiers.¡±


    Orenda had not considered this possibility, but now that it had been explained to her, it seemed obvious.  The empress was far away, across the sea, and she was trying to control the whole world. No one could control the whole world.  It had been splintered before, into different peoples and cultures, and unless it benefited people more to stay in the empire than out of it, it would, eventually, splinter again.  People would not be controlled forever; they would eventually rise up. She thought of what Ali had said- of how there were more humans than elves.


    She thought of how she had never seen another fire elf.


    ¡°The texts say that the Emerald Knight destroyed my people in a day and a night,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how many of them there were, but¡­  if that is true, I daresay he could destroy Huriyat Allinsan as easily.¡±


    ¡°The Emerald Knight is a boogieman,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°Meant to frighten people into compliance.  No one has ever actually seen him. I think it¡¯s a legend that developed to explain the missing sword, and to try to make cultures who fell to long warfare seem weak enough to fall in a day.  If there was an eruption, and if a mage did cause it, it was likely a powerful fire mage, or even more likely a group of them, in a last ditch effort to fight off the Urilian army. It was not one monster.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Orenda nodded.  ¡°How did you know about the missing sword?  A madman was screaming it in the streets.¡±


    ¡°People like the headmaster make the same mistakes as people like the Lady,¡± Bubbider explained, ¡°They do not think humans are intelligent enough to listen.  We fade into the background. You can¡¯t do that. You certainly can¡¯t now, now that they know you¡¯re here, after what happened with the bathhouse.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda sighed, ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t hide anymore.  I don¡¯t know what will happen to me now.¡± She paused, staring ahead and seeing nothing, then asked, ¡°Do you know who Gareth is?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bubbider answered, and Orenda knew she was sincere, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  Most of the Knights of Order do not know each other. It is said that the queen can invade the minds of those they capture.  If any one of us is caught and forced before her, we want her to find out as little as possible.¡±


    ¡°How would she do that?¡± Orenda asked in shock.  She had never heard of such magic.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Bubbider shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not even sure that she can.  I only know that we were warned. Know as little as possible and never write anything down.  If you¡¯re human, never write anything at all.¡±


    ¡°I think Gareth is my father,¡± Orenda said, more to herself than to Bubbider, ¡°I think I have a father.¡±


    ¡°You may, at that,¡± Bubbider said.


    ¡°And he abandoned me,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°I used to think¡­ well, I never really thought it.  But I used to dream that I was a princess. I liked to think that my parents were alive, that they were fallen royalty from the kingdom of the Fire Elves, and they would eventually come back for me.  I suppose I never wanted to entertain the idea that I had been abandoned. But¡­ to someone¡­ to someone trying to hide, someone who was powerless- to a nobody¡­ a baby would be a burden.¡±


    ¡°A child is always a miracle,¡± Bubbider argued, ¡°A gift from Thesis.  Even if it is a surprise. Anyone who does not appreciate that gift deserves to lose it.¡±


    ¡°You like children?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I would like to be a mother,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°When I have a world worthy of my child.¡±


    Orenda thought of how Susan had spoken before she had left.  Susan had said that Orenda was the only child she had ever had- who had lived.  She had forced herself not to think about what that had meant, but now she wondered what had happened to Susan¡¯s children.  She forced herself to wonder what a ¡®breeder¡¯ was.


    ¡°Breakfast is at 6,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°You may get a couple of hours of sleep before then.  They may not wake you. I would get all the rest you can. Don¡¯t worry, Orenda, we¡¯ll speak again.¡±

 Chapter 21

    Orenda woke to something slamming against the glass of one of the windows that lined her room, and darted up at the sound.  Her hand flew instantly to her medallion, but she saw that it was not some attacker, it was a tiny dragon, like those that she had read lived along the shores of beaches and scavanged for food, living their lives in little outcroppings on beachside cliffs.  It wasn¡¯t a particularly noteworthy animal, as they were plentiful and common, but she had never been to a beachside city before, and found it odd that one would make it this far inland. It was pretty enough, with shimmering blue scales that the biology book had told her made it difficult for things swimming in the ocean to differentiate it from the sky and water above them, but it was behaving erratically.  It had perched on the windowsill, and was looking directly into her eyes. She thought she saw more intelligence behind them than a creature like that would have.


    It pecked at the glass again, and Orenda decided to open the window.


    The dragon flew inside, and Orenda saw that someone had tied a sack to it that had to be weighing it down.  The seaside dragons were small, on par with other creatures who filled the same niche, and if she were an adult it could have landed on her shoulder.  Instead, it flew to the mirror and perched there, tilting its head to and fro, looking down at her.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Orenda said to it.


    ¡°Hello!¡± The dragon mimicked back in a heavy accent that she could not place.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Orenda let out a delighted gasp, ¡°You¡¯re tame then!  What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The dragon said in the same accent, and Orenda knew that it didn¡¯t actually understand her, but was determined to carry on the conversation nonetheless, because she thought she would like to hear it say her name.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± She told the dragon, and she was delighted when it spoke.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± The dragon said, ¡°Orenda!¡±


    ¡°Did someone tie that to you?¡± Orenda asked as she took a cautious step forward and the dragon kept tilting its head to look at her, ¡°May I see it?¡±


    ¡°Orenda!¡± The dragon said and tilted its head to and fro.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Orenda told it, ¡°I¡¯m just going to undo this bag now, alright?  I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you!¡± The dragon said, and Orenda believed it, though she knew it was repeating her.  She stood on her tiptoes and untied the bag, which seemed to relieve the dragon, because it began to hop around the top of the mirror, then fluttered over to the podium.  It perched there, head tilted at the floor as if it was reading the strange runes there, as Orenda took the sack to the bed and sat it down.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± The dragon said.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Follow the path of order!¡± The dragon told her, ¡°Follow the white rabbit!  Gary loves you!¡±


    It spread its wings, and flew out the window it had come in.


    Orenda started after it for some time, watching it glide towards the ocean in the distance, over the tops of the buildings, over the city that was alive and awake now even though it had not slept the night before.  The dragon knew where it was going, but it was so small that it eventually disappeared from her vision into the sunrise. Orenda thought its name may be Gary, and wondered who it had thought would be in the tower. She was sure it couldn¡¯t have been expecting her, but it had been trained to deliver that message to someone.  Orenda wondered what happened in this room.


    Then she opened the sack, because it was hers now, regardless of who it had been meant for.


    It was filled to the brim with gold pieces.


    Orenda very rarely saw gold coins.  She knew that they were valuable, that only the very wealthy ever had them.  She knew that there was probably more than enough in that bag to cover her tuition and the repairs to the bathhouse.  At first, she could not believe her good fortune. This was unbelievable! This was amazing!


    Then, she realized that this was unbelievable.  She knew that money did not just fall out of the sky.  She knew that someone, somewhere, would miss this bag in a few hours.  Most concerning of all, she knew that that someone, whomever it was, would now know her name.


    Orenda had looked through all the registries at the library, and had never seen another ¡°Orenda¡±.  Orenda was realizing, that in the past two days, she had said a great deal of downright stupidity, and made a conscious effort to start watching her mouth.


    But only a fool would say no to a small fortune.  Orenda needed to find somewhere to hide it. She wouldn¡¯t leave it in the original sack, because that would be foolish, so she opened her sheet and pushed everything else aside until she came to the package.  She had not unfolded her Sari since she got it, but it was really a long strip of fabric, so she unfolded it, draped some of it into the package, poured in most of the gold, then folded the rest of the sari on top of it.  She closed the package, piled the rest of her things back on top of and around it, tied up the sheet, and pushed it under her bed.


    She took the rest of the gold and stuck it into her pockets, then turned the sack inside out, folded it as small as she could, and realized something.


    Once she walked out into the library, she wouldn¡¯t be able to lock the door to her room.  She knew none of the students here, and trusted them even less, so she turned around, grabbed her sheet, and tried to think of what the best place would be, in the room, to hide it.  The bed, the bedside table, the podium, and the mirror- that was it. That was all that was in there. There was no wardrobe where she could stash anything, nothing that locked, no trap doors as there had been in the library.


    Whomever had been expecting Gary would come up there, Orenda realized as she stood around studying the room.  The best course of action would be to set it to rights, exactly as it had been before she came, exactly as if she had never been there in the first place, and then to take all of her things and leave.  As soon as she realized she had a time frame, she worked quickly. She made the bed expertly, as Susan had taught her, as it had been the night before when she arrived. That was really all she had changed, so she grabbed her sheet and walked confidently into the library.


    There was no one in the research room, but when she walked out onto the second floor of the main room, of the library proper, she found it much less deserted.  Headmaster Quiroris was marching toward her accentuating each movement with a fancy walking stick, and with his appearance made up, his long hair fluttering behind him, and his nightclothes replaced with pristine mage robes, he looked far more intimidating.  He looked angry, like the ancient man who controlled the will of the very planet to his whims. Orenda realized, as she saw the earth stones set into his walking stick, saw the earth crystals piercing his ears the same color as his eyes, that she had, in her stupidity, perhaps made an enemy of someone who was infinitely more powerful than she had realized.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    But it was done, and there was nothing for it now.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he called with a tone more friendly than his eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you.  Jenny said that she didn¡¯t know where you had been put. I had to find a damn- that is, I had to speak to one of the kitchen maids, only to find out that you had been done a terrible injustice.¡±


    He closed the space between them in a few long strides, and Orenda thought that even for an adult he was tall.  He put one hand on her shoulder, then knelt to be more on her level before he began to speak again.


    ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry this was done to you,¡± He said, ¡°Students are never permitted in the room they stuck you in.  Are you alright?¡± Orenda stared at him instead of answering so he asked, ¡°Did you see anything in the mirror, Orenda?  Did anything come to you, during the night? By Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes, Orenda, I¡¯m so sorry. Tell me what happened!¡±


    ¡°What is that room?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never have to see it again,¡± he promised, and Orenda was shocked when he pulled her into a hug.  She neither rejected or welcomed this embrace, simply let it happen and felt the heat of the magic inside him, before he released her and held her by both shoulders, ¡°I should have never let that happen.  Don¡¯t worry, the kitchen maid has been properly punished. Come back to my office. I¡¯ll get you properly situated. We¡¯ll have to figure something out about the finances.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Orenda asked him as she took a step back to get his hands off of her, trying not to think about what had happened to Bubbider, ¡°I had meant to ask you last night, but I was so tired and so much had happened that I didn¡¯t have a chance.  How much, exactly, do you charge for your services?¡±


    ¡°Orenda, you could never work it off,¡± he explained, ¡°We¡¯re a prestigious academy.  It¡¯s more than most skilled laborers make in a year.¡±


    ¡°Well, I would like to look at the paperwork,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I would like to know.¡±


    ¡°What did you see in the mirror?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a great many things in and on mirrors, headmaster,¡± Orenda looked into his eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve seen murders, princesses, street urchins, and dragons among them.  I¡¯ve seen crippling poverty and great wealth. I have seen a great many things.¡±


    ¡°It never should have happened,¡± he said.


    ¡°How much would it cost?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°To attend school here and make full use of the facilities?¡±


    ¡°Our normal rate is 200 gold a semester, Orenda,¡± Quiroris sighed, ¡°It¡¯s more money than you¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°What is that room?¡± Orenda asked.


    Quiroris stood and began to change the subject, ¡°I think that perhaps we can get one of the noble families to sponsor you.  Fire elves are so rare anymore; I haven¡¯t seen one in years. Once word gets out of your existence, I¡¯m sure that people will be interested.  I¡¯ll be training the first fire mage that anyone has seen in over a century. I think we can work something out.¡±


    ¡°Felaern,¡± Orenda said, more than a little insulted at being treated like some sort of spectacle, ¡°What is in that room?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to frighten you,¡± He stopped pacing and turned to face her, ¡°But I suppose you¡¯ve already seen it.  Many, many years ago, it was simply another room in the library, for research and the like, but we used it for storage.  A group of students thought it would be funny to try and summon Morgani Magnus- I know that all children, for some reason like to summon demons, at sleepovers and the like, but this time¡­  they did something. They used magic that they did not understand, and they did something. We couldn¡¯t figure out what they had done, and we couldn¡¯t dispel it, so we sealed it away. No one is ever meant to stay inside that room.¡±


    ¡°I slept in the same room,¡± Orenda asked, aghast, ¡°with the most powerful demon known to elvenkind?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°If it was an actual demon, we would have left the building to crumble and found another site to build a new school.  People send their children here, Orenda. It¡¯s just a power magic spell that went awry because it was cast by people who made mistakes. It¡¯s just¡­  chaotic magic. It messes with people¡¯s heads.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Gary?¡± Orenda asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Quiroris said, and Orenda did not think he was lying, but he was so difficult to read, ¡°Is that something you heard in the room?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said simply.


    ¡°Different people hear different things,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°I thought I had the damn thing sealed.  I don¡¯t know how a maid wandered into it. I¡¯ll have to have it bricked up or something, make it physically inaccessible.¡±


    ¡°Felaern?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Headmaster Quiroris,¡± he corrected.


    ¡°Felaern,¡± Orenda said again, ¡°You said 200 gold, right?¡±  She sat her sheet on a nearby table, and began to count the money from her pocket.  He watched with wide eyes as she counted out all that she had, a little over 150 gold pieces.


    ¡°I can get the rest to you later this afternoon,¡± She said simply and with great confidence, ¡°If that¡¯s convenient for you.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he asked, looking closely at one of the coins, ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°I told you,¡± Orenda smiled, ¡°I¡¯m a princess.  I thought my tuition would have arrived before I did.¡±


    ¡°No, Orenda, I am an adult.  I don¡¯t have time for more shenanigans.  I¡¯m not going to just let this go because of what you think is clever word play.  Where did you get this? These were not all minted in the same place. Coins are slightly different depending on where they come from.  This one,¡± He slammed one of the coins onto the table, ¡°Is from here, from the colonies on the fire continent. This one,¡± he slammed another coin down, ¡°Is from the capital, from the earth continent.  And this one,¡± he slammed yet another coin down, ¡°Is from the Islands of the water continent, an ocean away from even the capital! So where did you get this money? Did you sail around the world last night?  Or did someone do it for you?¡±


    ¡°Does it spend the same?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± He seemed very close to losing his patience, ¡°Where did you get this money?¡±


    ¡°It was a gift,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Whatever was in that room seemed to like me.  It was named ¡®Gary¡¯, it said, ¡®Gary loves you¡¯ and it gave me that money.¡±


    ¡°Stop lying to me, Orenda, I¡¯m trying to help you!¡± Quiroris snapped.  ¡°I know what¡¯s going on here! I know about Captain Nochdifache!¡±


    ¡°Then you know more than I do,¡± Orenda snapped back, ¡°And I would, frankly, love to hear it!  I¡¯m sick of being in the dark!¡±


    They stared at each other for an uncomfortably long time, and Quiroris began to shake.  For a second, Orenda was afraid that he was going to hit her, but instead he turned away and began collecting the money he had sat upon the table.


    ¡°I need to know if this money is stolen,¡± he said, ¡°I can¡¯t take stolen money.¡±


    ¡°I told you how I got it,¡± Orenda snapped back, concerned at how quickly the energy had drained from him.  If a person could come down so quickly, she thought they could switch back just as fast. After a beat she asked, ¡°Who is Captain Nochdifache?  I¡¯ve never met anyone else with my name.¡±


    ¡°There are two possibilities,¡± Quiroris considered aloud, ¡°And I would like to believe one more than the other, but objective truth does not care what we would rather believe.  I would like to believe that whoever ran that workhouse you came from knew very few fire elf names, but wanted to give you a name that suited you, and pulled from the only two sources readily available to them.  I would rather not believe that you are lying to me, and it¡¯s going to cause me massive problems.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you settled,¡± Quiroris pocketed the money, and began to walk down the staircase into the library proper.

 Chapter 22

    Orenda was less full of anger and more full of sense when she found herself seated across from Quiroris a second time.  She had a healthy dose of fear, both of him as a figure, and of what she now knew she was capable of, of what had happened to the last group of earth elves who thought that they were strong and important before they crossed paths with Orenda Nochdifache.  Quiroris did not wear his anger or aggravation or whatever it was on his face, but could not hide it in his eyes the way that Orenda suspected he hid his grey roots with a braid that still ran across his forehead.


    She sat quietly as he opened a large book and began to read through it.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had a bit of a rough beginning,¡± Quiroris said, folded his hands over the book, and ran his eyes up and down Orenda¡¯s form.  ¡°I want to help you, Orenda. I feel as if you do not believe me. You¡¯ve lied to me, repeatedly, so I cannot, in good conscious, believe you.  This puts me in a rough place, because the fact of the matter is that you will be unable to learn anything from me, if our relationship stays where it is now.  In order to learn and to teach, there must be mutual respect. You look at me as if you have never trusted a man less, and I don¡¯t understand why. I¡¯ve been nothing but kind.¡±


    ¡°You called me a liar,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that makes me untrustworthy,¡± Quiroris said with great practicality, ¡°When the fact of the matter is that you have lied to me.  I need it to stop. Please, Orenda, let me help you. Let¡¯s wipe away the conversation we had last night and begin anew. This time, tell me the truth.  Only the truth.¡±


    ¡°I can only tell you what I know,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair enough,¡± Quiroris said.  ¡°I can¡¯t expect more than that. But please tell me the truth.¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°Is Orenda Nochdifache your real name?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°At least, it¡¯s what I¡¯ve always been called.  It¡¯s my understanding that orphans are given names at the workhouse. It may not be what my parents intended, but it has always been my name.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Quiroris wrote something down and asked, ¡°You have no contact with any family?  You don¡¯t know who your parents are?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Which is hardly a rare occurrence.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know who your father is?¡± Quiroris specified.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°I imagine he is either dead, or someone who did not want a child.¡±


    ¡°I would say that you are right,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°Which is also unfortunately not uncommon.  I, frankly, feel that it should be a criminal offense. I would like to see those men hang. Elven children are fairly rare.  They¡¯re always a gift.¡±


    ¡°Do you like children?¡± Orenda asked because the idea shocked her.


    ¡°Young lady, I have dedicated my life to helping children reach their full potential,¡± Quiroris sounded insulted, ¡°I would think that would attest to my character.¡±


    Orenda thought this over, but made no response.


    ¡°Was what you told me last night true?  About how you awakened your powers by finding a fire crystal, and then getting thrown onto the street?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said simply.


    ¡°The fool who ran that workhouse couldn¡¯t have known what they had,¡± Quiroris said more to himself than to Orenda, ¡°A smelting plant¡­  I¡¯m going to look into that. Probably some young idiot with a wealthy mother and more pride than sense. Why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, at first.  I walked for days and days.  I¡¯m not sure how long. It could have been a year.  But I did, in my travels, learn that there existed a school where one could learn to work some magic.  So I came looking for this place.¡± Orenda explained, and told herself that it was not exactly a lie.


    ¡°How did you get inside?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°I came in through the fence,¡± Orenda thought there was no harm in telling it now, ¡°I broke a piece of it off and climbed through, then tried to repair it.  I don¡¯t know that I did as good a job as someone with skill would have, but I am willing to pay for that as well.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris stopped writing to look directly into her eyes, ¡°Why did you tell me that you were going to come into some money?¡±


    Orenda was silent for a moment, and chose her words carefully.


    ¡°Felaern,¡± She said at length, ¡°Have you ever¡­  no, I suppose you haven¡¯t. I suppose you wouldn¡¯t know what it was like to be truly alone.  I think that sometimes I tell myself a great many things, things that may not be true, because there is the slightest chance that they may be.  And when something may or may not be, but it is better than the thing that is, that may be the best thing to believe. I like to think that my parents, who are nothing and therefore could be anything, are royalty, and that one day they will come back for me.  I like to think that I will come into some money, because there is no indication that I won¡¯t. It is difficult to see the future, and it would be impossible to say that it wouldn¡¯t happen- and then it did. So I was right. Perhaps I am also a princess. No one could tell me that I¡¯m not and be absolutely certain.  No one really knows much about the fire elves.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris pulled the loose locks of his hair that had fallen over his shoulders up and let them flow down his back, ¡°I hate to be the one to tell you this, but¡­  there is no such thing as a fire elven princess. Fire elves did not have a monarchy system of government. They were a religious oligarchy; they claimed that their leaders were selected by Thesis himself using a prophetic proxy in the temple at their capital.  You¡¯re not a princess. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°I do know it, child,¡± he said more kindly than he had ever said anything else, ¡°I was there.  I toured the temple. I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    Orenda said nothing, just clutched her sheet tighter to her chest.


    ¡°Where did you get the money, Orenda?¡± he asked, ¡°And are you expecting more of it, or is that more wishful thinking?¡±


    ¡°I told you the truth,¡± Orenda said, because in a way she had, ¡°Gary gave it to me.  I can¡¯t help that you don¡¯t believe it; that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more about Gary,¡± Quiroris prodded, ¡°Everything that you can remember.¡±


    ¡°He was a dragon,¡± Orenda decided that she may as well come clean.  The event was as strange to her as it would seem to Quiroris, and there was the possibility that he genuinely was trying to help her.  That didn¡¯t mean that he was a good person, just that he may be the sort of person who liked elven children in particular, and as an elven child Orenda may have an advantage of courting his favor.


    ¡°He was small, about the size of my torso, and a shimmering blue.  He spoke to me, but did not seem to understand what he was saying. He mostly repeated things said to him.  He had a bag tied to him, and told me that he loved me.¡±


    ¡°Where did he come from?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda answered, ¡°He was there when I awoke.¡±


    ¡°Is he there now?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t imagine he would be,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°He flew out the window.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± He said, and seemed to know more than he was telling, ¡°Did he seem the kind of dragon that one would keep on ships?  That sailors are known to keep as pets?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve never been on a ship.¡±


    ¡°A ship that sailed the world, maybe?¡± Quiroris prodded, ¡°That would have access to money minted across the globe?¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Orenda shrugged again, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine I would care for sailing.  Water in large quantities makes me dreadfully ill. That¡¯s why I fell into the pool.  I don¡¯t think it should be stored like that. It¡¯s a safety hazard. I can¡¯t be the first person to nearly drown.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said as if that greatly confused him, ¡°that makes sense, I suppose¡­  mages tend to weaken, that is, if they¡¯re particularly susceptible to the flow of magic, around their retarding element.  You¡¯ll learn all of this in class. I imagine that you would fall ill on the ocean. I imagine any fire elf would.¡±


    ¡°What makes earth mages ill?¡± Orenda asked.


    Quiroris tapped his pencil and seemed to realize that he had made some sort of tactical mistake.  He was choosing his words carefully, but the way he acted gave Orenda her answer.


    ¡°Fire,¡± she said.


    ¡°Fire is dangerous, Orenda,¡± Quiroris explained, ¡°One spark can reduce an entire forest to ash.¡±


    ¡°Fire mages are dangerous,¡± Orenda thought aloud, ¡°So during a war, it would be in the Urilian¡¯s best interest to wipe them out, to take out the mages first.¡±


    ¡°That¡­  would perhaps be a sound strategy, yes,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°But we really need to discuss this money, what it is and where it came from-¡±


    ¡°And it makes perfect sense,¡± Orenda continued, ¡°That someone who was there, who was perhaps fighting in that war, was perhaps a powerful earth mage, would be exactly the kind of person who would want to see the fire mages wiped from the face of Xren.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris said softly, ¡°What happened to the fire elves was¡­  horrendous. It is not something that a child should think about.¡±


    ¡°Not all children have the privilege of ignoring it,¡± Orenda stared into his eyes, and Quiroris looked down at the book he had been writing in.


    ¡°Adult matters,¡± He said softly, ¡°Can get complicated.  Sometimes people, in a group, can take actions that seem perfectly sensible at the time.  But people are mortal. People make mistakes. Sometimes actions, which at the time seemed not only right and just but incredibly important, can¡­  after some time, leave the people who performed those actions¡­ with a lingering sense of sorrow and regret.¡±


    ¡°Sorrow does not reanimate the dead,¡± Orenda said, thinking of the screams that came from the library.


    ¡°No,¡± Quiroris agreed, ¡°And it does not do one well to dwell on the past.  We must look to the future. On the subject of your lodgings, I¡¯ll be placing you in a four person room with second year students, but on the subject of your schedule, your finances, your supplies, and your focus, things will be a bit more complicated.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°You should have been here two years ago,¡± Quiroris explained, ¡°And you can¡¯t actually perform any spells without a focus, and wouldn¡¯t understand them anyway without a grasp of the fundamentals and theory- also, I believe that the workhouse probably hasn¡¯t prepared you in terms of general education, which you should have spent five years learning before you came here for specialization.  You¡¯ll have to learn mathematics, composition, reading, history, things like that. We can¡¯t let it fall by the wayside or you¡¯ll be completely lost on subjects like potions and alchemy. You¡¯ve got a great deal of catching up to do, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be much too busy to have a great deal of free time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been afraid of a little hard work,¡± Orenda shrugged.


    ¡°I expected as much,¡± Quiroris went on, writing something else down.  He seemed to not know he was being insulting when he continued, ¡°I mean, looking at you, it¡¯s obvious that someone has been using you for hard labor.  You could be an animal, a workhorse. Don¡¯t worry, after a few years here, you¡¯ll lose that girth, those muscles that are more suited to a cow or human than a proper elven lady.  I¡¯ll have you in etiquette classes as well. We¡¯ll get you all sorted out, Orenda, you should have never had to put up with the sort of things you¡¯ve been through. We¡¯ll get you some proper clothes, and I¡¯m sure the other students will be more than willing to help you assimilate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should want to lose my muscles,¡± Orenda was shocked that he had said it.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris explained, ¡°You¡¯ll come to learn that¡­  your appearance, the way you present yourself, sends certain signals to other people.  Mages were selected by Thesis to feel and control the magic that flows through Xren. People who were chosen by gods do not look like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like people who were raised in workhouses?¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Quiroris agreed, ¡°You are better than that.¡±

 Chapter 23 & 24

    Orenda did not expect Quiroris to personally lead her to her room.  She would have thought, being in charge of the entire school, that he would have more pressing matters to attend to, and was beginning to understand the dangers of underestimating her own importance.  She hoped that her accident at the bathhouse would not permanently mark her as a danger in the minds of all adults.


    The room was pleasant, at least, possibly the most pleasant that Orenda had ever seen.  There were four distinct areas, but no dividers between them. Each had a pretty wrought iron bed, a large wardrobe, a desk, and a basin.  Three of the four were decorated in different styles, with toys, books and other knicknacks littering every available surface. The fronts of the wardrobes, in particular, had been plastered in a variety of images that greatly interested Orenda, but she knew nothing of the people who had hung them.


    Quiroris stood in the doorway and spoke to someone in the hall.


    ¡°Yes, in here, please,¡± he said, and Orenda was shocked when two women entered.  The first was the healer she recognized from the first night, who had been standing over her when she awoke, but the other was an earth elven woman completely unknown to her.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad to see you up and moving around!¡± The healer said.


    ¡°Yes, as are we all,¡± Quiroris agreed, ¡°Orenda, these are Doctor Vabilla and Professor Ronala.  I thought you may like to have female authority figures present while I went through your things.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Orenda asked as she clutched her sheet more tightly.


    ¡°We go through everyone¡¯s things, Orenda,¡± he explained, ¡°We have to make sure that no one brings anything dangerous into the school.  This is routine. I should have done it last night. I¡­ should have done a lot of things differently last night.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll need to give you a medical exam,¡± Dr Vabilla said kindly, ¡°I¡¯m still concerned.  You nearly drowned.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t got anything dangerous!¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t be fair to the other students.  I¡¯m not here to judge you, only to make sure everyone is safe. You have to understand that.¡±


    Orenda didn¡¯t know what to do.  She briefly considered just zagging between them and running, but she didn¡¯t know how far she would get or where she would go.  She tried to remember everything that she owned- inside would be her spare clothes, the package with the sari and money, the book on fire elves, the notes she had taken on the book, and, she thought, little else.  There was nothing inside that would connect her to the Knights of Order. All those things were in her pockets. Having taken this inventory, she decided that the best course of action was to just let them go through it.  The worst thing they would discover would be the money.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Orenda decided, ¡°But these things are mine.  I won¡¯t have them taken.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t steal from our students, Orenda,¡± Quiroris seemed insulted, ¡°Normally we send contraband back to the family, but in your case, I¡¯ll simply keep it, safe and locked away, and it will be returned when you graduate.  Besides, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be an issue,¡± as he untied the sheet he began to separate her things, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have anything.¡±


    He made a face and picked up a stick of charcoal in two fingers, looking at it as if it had offended him, and Orenda hoped it stained his gloves.


    ¡°The steam has destroyed¡­  you put this priceless book in with¡­  ugh,¡± he tossed it back down onto the sheet, ¡°Can we have her things laundered?  Please? Someone get a servant up here?¡±


    Professor Ronala stepped out into the hall, and Orenda heard her ringing a bell.  Quiroris took off the glove that had been stained and opened the package.


    ¡°Whatever you had been writing or drawing has been steamed past recognition,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Orenda.  But if you like art, we do have a wonderful program to help you hone your skills. Please, please, if you want to keep this book, take better care of it.¡±  His eyes grew wide and he asked, ¡°What is this? Is this silk? Where on xren did you get this?¡±


    ¡°It was a gift,¡± Orenda said, ¡°The merchant said it was a sari, that it was the style of the fire elves, and I should have it, because I am a fire elf.  I didn¡¯t know how to wear it, so I left it in the-¡±


    ¡°Holy he-¡± Quiroris said, cut himself off, and began again, ¡°This is a¡­  great deal of money.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It is mine.¡±


    ¡°Quite worldly money,¡± Quiroris said, and Orenda felt his anger stewing again, ¡°Where did this come from?¡±


    ¡°Are you in the habit of asking your students where they get their money?¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°Most of my students don¡¯t get their money from thieves!¡± He snapped back, and Dr Vibilla put a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Felaern,¡± she said, ¡°A word.  In the hall.¡±


    He nodded, and the three adults left.  Orenda moved quickly to the package and drew out a handful of coins.  There were so many that she estimated the size, and took as many as she thought would not be missed, then quickly shoved them between the mattress and the frame of the bed.  She took everything from her pockets except the fire crystal and stuffed it as far back as she could. Her main concern was hiding the notes from Gareth and Susan, and she smoothed the blankets back perfectly, then went to listen at the doorway.


    The adults were speaking so quietly that she couldn¡¯t even make out sparse words.  She thought that they had anticipated her eavesdropping and gone farther down the hall to avoid it.  So she returned to the bed and wondered what she should do with her medallion. She should probably hide it, but she hated to be without it now.  It was the only real clue she had to anything, the only link she had to other fire mages. She would not let them take it. She would burn them alive first.


    She hesitated too long, and the adults solved this dilemma for her by walking back inside.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris announced, ¡°We¡¯ve made a decision.  We will take this money and put it into a student account for you.  You¡¯ll be able to pay your tuition, your room and board, the repairs to the bathhouse, and, if there is anything left, you¡¯ll be able to make purchases on campus, at the student bookstore, the dining hall, things like that.  I won¡¯t pay for the bathhouse until after we¡¯ve gotten you outfitted today. There is a list that we give to all students,¡± he reached into his robes and produced it, ¡°Please, after your medical examination, go and pick these things up.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you expect me to do with that information,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I don¡¯t like you taking my money, but I feel as if there isn¡¯t much I can do.  You seem to do well when you¡¯re dealing with people in powerless situations.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been this contrary every time we¡¯ve spoken,¡± he said to his colleagues as if Orenda was getting on his last nerve.  ¡°Orenda, please empty your pockets, and I¡¯ll leave you in the care of Dr Vibilla.¡±


    Orenda took off her cloak and threw it onto the bed, then turned the pockets of her dress inside out.  The fire crystal was all that remained inside, and it hit the floor with a soft tinkling sound. Quiroris bent down and picked it up.  Orenda was afraid he would pocket it, from the greedy look in his eyes, but was pleasantly surprised when he handed it back to her.


    ¡°Be very, very careful with this Orenda,¡± he said softly, ¡°I¡¯m going to commission a focus for you, as soon as I can.  It¡¯s dangerous to cast from a crystal, and your magic is more dangerous than most. I only don¡¯t take this because I know it has great sentimental value for you.  Please, Orenda, look at me.¡± Orenda met his eyes and he continued, ¡°Please show me that I can trust you.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and Quiroris stood and began to fill a purse with the coins in her package.  She watched him pick up one piece, in particular, and grimace as he studied it. Orenda saw that it was flaked with something copper-colored and dried, something that had once been a thick, red liquid.


    Chapter 24


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alright,¡± Dr Vibilla said as she walked Orenda into a rather sterile room that she instantly took a disliking to.  ¡°I was so worried when we found you passed out in the bathhouse.¡±


    ¡°I imagine I come from rather sturdy stock,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°Given how few of us are left, I assume only the most sturdy survived.  I¡¯m not particularly worried about it. I feel fine.¡±


    ¡°Behind that screen, miss,¡± the doctor said, ¡°You¡¯ll find a gown.  If you could change into that, I can go over your vitals quickly.¡±


    Orenda stepped behind the screen and instantly peeled off the necklace and stuck it in her pocket.  She changed quickly and marched back toward the doctor, who was lying out a series of tools that Orenda did not understand on a tray beside a table.


    ¡°Sit on this table, please,¡± Dr Vibila instructed, and Orenda did with no trouble.  She sat, kicking her bare feet as the doctor stuck a long tube in her mouth and explained, ¡°Sit quite still and hold this in your mouth.  I¡¯d like to listen to your heartbeat.¡±


    Dr Vibila pressed a cold piece of metal to Orenda¡¯s chest, but Orenda watched the tube.  It had some sort of red liquid inside, and was marked with numbers, but she couldn¡¯t read them very well because it was so close to her face, and when she tried her eyes crossed and she became overly aware of her nose.  Orenda watched the liquid climb up the tube to the top, and tried to get the doctor¡¯s attention without opening her mouth. She tapped her on the shoulder, growing more and more alarmed as she felt the glass of the tube heating in her mouth.


    She was about to disobey and speak a warning- she sensed the liquid boiling and knew the glass was about to shatter- but the doctor took it from her mouth, screamed, and dropped it.  As the red liquid puddled on the floor, Orenda noted that it was more vicious than she had expected.


    ¡°I was going to say not to touch that,¡± Orenda said calmly, ¡°I knew it would be hot.  Earth elves seem not to do very well with heat.¡±


    ¡°Orenda you have a terrible fever,¡± Dr Vibila said, aghast.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°Were that the case I would be ill.  And I would be more hot. I had a fever once as a child, a great many people did.  Something had gone around the workhouse. No one could touch me, because it would scorch their flesh.  I don¡¯t fall ill often. I sometimes get overly hot during my menstruation, but it¡¯s easily dealt with, I just wipe wet rags around my neck until the water evaporates, then wet them again.  I¡¯ve found it quite does the trick.¡±


    ¡°Many people¡¯s temperature fluctuates during that time,¡± Dr Vibila said, trying to pretend as if she wasn¡¯t concerned as she cleaned up the mess, ¡°That¡¯s fairly normal, especially in youth.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°And if it wasn¡¯t, I can¡¯t imagine I could have done anything to prevent it, so I didn¡¯t see a reason to be concerned.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Dr Vibila tossed the broken glass into what Orenda assumed was a garbage can and came back wiping her hands on her apron, ¡°Have you had difficulty breathing since your accident?¡±


    ¡°No, not after I coughed up the water and stood,¡± Orenda explained and let the doctor take her arm.


    ¡°You¡¯ll feel a slight prick,¡± she said, and Orenda did as she tapped her hand with a metal device that Orenda could not name.  ¡°Have you been overly tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been walking too much with too little food,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°Of course I¡¯ve been tired.  I should like some breakfast, at some point.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Dr Vibila said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve missed it.  Breakfast is served at six in the morning, in the dining hall.  But you can buy snacks and such, out of your account. If you go to the dining hall at noon, they¡¯ll be serving lunch.  Do you have any dietary restrictions?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Some people are allergic to certain foods,¡± Dr Vibila explained, ¡°Do any foods make you sick?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, nothing like that,¡± Orenda nearly kicked her when she hit her knee with a small hammer and her body moved on instinct, ¡°I¡¯m quite fond of food, actually.  If I¡¯m paying for it, I expect to eat my fill.¡±


    The doctor laughed, and Orenda didn¡¯t appreciate it, because she hadn¡¯t been joking in the slightest.  She was hungry, and tired of being here.


    ¡°Aside from the fever,¡± Dr Vibila said, ¡°You seem perfectly healthy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°You said that you were menstruating?¡± Dr Vibila asked.


    ¡°Not right now, but occasionally,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°As often as anyone else, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought about motherhood?¡± Dr Vibila asked.


    ¡°Not any time soon,¡± Orenda said as if the question was stupid, ¡°I¡¯m far too young.  And I imagine that I shan¡¯t have children. I would need a fire elf to father them.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Dr Vibila seemed shocked at the prospect, ¡°I would have thought you would want several children.  There are so few of you, I would imagine you would dream of more.¡±


    Orenda was highly offended by this, but could not articulate why.


    ¡°My son is also a doctor,¡± Dr Vibila continued, ¡°I¡¯ve thought of having more children, but I¡¯m so busy with work I don¡¯t know when I would raise them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Orenda said because it seemed polite, not because she believed it.  ¡°If we¡¯re finished I really would like to go collect my supplies and get a bite to eat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, of course,¡± Dr Vibila said, ¡°If I could only get your height and weight, I suppose I¡¯ll be finished.  Can you come to the scale?¡±


    Orenda followed her and stood on a rickety metal contraption while the doctor adjusted dials and instructed her to stand up straight, which Orenda almost always did anyway.  She had never developed poor posture because princesses simply didn¡¯t do that sort of thing.


    ¡°How old did you say you were?¡± Dr Vibila asked, writing something else down.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m about twelve,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°They didn¡¯t really know my birthday at the workhouse, but that seems about right.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± She said, ¡°Because on the charts I would have put you at about fifteen, and even then you would have been on the high end of the weight spectrum.  You¡¯ll be taller than the other children.¡±


    ¡°Children come in many sizes,¡± Orenda said because she knew this to be true and had never thought to rank them.  She didn¡¯t think she was as tall as Bubbider, who was about the age the doctor had mistaken her for. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m much of a child anymore.  I feel that I¡¯ll grow out of it soon. I¡¯m not a baby.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to grow up, Orenda,¡± Dr Vibila said with a tinge of sadness, ¡°Life is a very long time.  You¡¯ll have more adulthood than you can handle.¡±


    ¡°Are we finished?¡± Orenda asked impatiently.


    ¡°One more thing I think you should know,¡± Dr Vibila said, ¡°But I can tell you while you dress.¡±


    Orenda nodded and walked behind the screen to change her clothes.


    ¡°Magical acumen is hereditary,¡± Dr Vibila explained as Orenda pulled her dress over her head, ¡°It flows through the blood.  Whoever your parents were, they had the potential to be great fire mages. At least one of them must have been incredibly powerful.  I hate to think that they were probably never trained. I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here, Orenda. You have an opportunity that most of your people will never get, and the potential to use it for great good in the world.  I hope you take advantage of that.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed after she had gotten her stockings pulled up and was lacing up her boots, ¡°I don¡¯t like to think how much magical talent has been lost to the world.  I wonder how many people just as strong as I am are wasting away in the streets because they¡¯ve no way of knowing. It doesn¡¯t seem fair.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Dr Vibila sighed, ¡°The world is not a fair place.  We can only do our best to help one person at a time.¡±


    Orenda draped the medallion around her neck and tucked it into her clothes.


    Orenda made her way to the student bookstore, which was not a bookstore at all, and she thought she disliked the lie.  It was, in fact, a general store that sold far more than books. The shelves held everything from clothing to foodstuffs.  Orenda grabbed a basket and began to fill it with the things on her list without paying particular attention to what she was doing when she heard a voice that she could not place.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Came a squeal that filled Orenda with an instant rage.  ¡°It¡¯s the princess!¡±


    Orenda turned to unleash her fury, and saw three earth elf girls standing in the aisle with her.  They looked so shockingly similar that in unnerved her, but elves had multiple births so rarely that the event was largely unheard of, so Orenda knew they could not be triplets.  The more she looked at them, the more she saw the subtle differences that told her they were not related, but they all had the same straight hair in the same two braids, the same large eyes and upturned, narrow noses, the same slim body frame, and the same outfit in the form of the school¡¯s mage robes, that it took her a great deal of staring to figure out that they weren¡¯t some mirage that had given her double vision.


    ¡°Why on Xren are you like that?¡± She asked as her mouth moved faster than her brain, ¡°Why do you all look the same?¡±


    ¡°I remember you!¡± The girl in the middle said, ¡°I thought you were trying to trick me, but you really are a princess!  You¡¯re not a pauper! You¡¯re here! With the rest of the nobility.¡±


    ¡°I have absolutely no memory of you,¡± Orenda said, because she didn¡¯t.  She had no idea who this screeching girl was, and was not particularly interested in meeting her.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kazula!¡± The girl always spoke so loudly that it grated on Orenda¡¯s nerves, ¡°We met in the library!  You told me you were a princess!¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Orenda brushed her off, ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a library in my life.  I would certainly remember you if I had met you. You¡¯re quite loud.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a princess,¡± the girl to the left said, ¡°look at her clothes.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in disguise,¡± Kazula explained, ¡°She told me, in the library.¡±


    ¡°I did not meet you in a library,¡± Orenda told her.


    ¡°If she¡¯s a princess, why does she look like that?¡± The girl to the right asked, and added, ¡°I knew you were lying, Kassie.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying!  She is a princess.¡± Kazula whined.


    ¡°If I were a princess,¡± Orenda turned to face her, boring into her eyes, ¡°And we had had some discussion such as the one you present here- I imagine that I would have sworn you to secrecy.  Yet now I find you shrieking lies in public. I can¡¯t imagine that anyone would be very happy about that turn of events.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± The girl to the left asked.


    ¡°I would like to do my shopping in peace,¡± Orenda snapped.  ¡°I¡¯m quite hungry and would like to get it over with so that I can eat.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine you ever get hungry,¡± the girl to the right said as if she didn¡¯t know it was an insult, ¡°You¡¯re big enough to live off your fat for weeks.¡±


    ¡°Think about what you just said,¡± Orenda finally turned toward them, ¡°Think about this entire conversation.  Know that, if the desire struck me, using my power, my girth, and my magic, I could slaughter you where you stand.  You continue to draw breath because of my unending mercy.¡±


    She picked up her basket and walked into the next aisle, where she could still hear them talking.


    ¡°She does talk like a princess,¡± the girl to the left admitted, ¡°She talks like she knows she¡¯s in charge.¡±


    ¡°Why does she look like that?¡± the girl who had been on the right asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s a fire elf,¡± Kazula explained.


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± The girl on the right asked, ¡°I heard it was a fire elf who destroyed the bathhouse.¡±


    Orenda carried her heavy bags and took a big bite of the fried bread she had bought at the bookstore as she walked back to her room.  She tossed them onto her bed and reached into the space between the mattress to retrieve her money, which she stuck into her pocket, and the notes that she cherished from Susan, the only thing she had ever written her, and the mysterious Gareth, the only link she had to her family.


    She smoothed out the first upon the sheet- and was horrified.  The inside of the note was one blotchy, inky stain. In a panic she smoothed out the other and found it equally destroyed.  She grabbed at the last wad of paper under the mattress, the flier from the crazy man, and found it similarly destroyed. She knew, instantly what had happened.  They had been in her pockets when she had gone underwater. And the water had washed the ink away and weakened the parchment.


    Orenda did not like to cry, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself.  There was nothing to be done about it. The note from Gareth that she had read over and over again, the only thing that proved that there existed, somewhere in the world, someone who cared about her and may one day come to find her, was gone.  The note from Susan, the only thing that proved she ever existed at all, that she had been a Knight of Order, that she cared about Orenda, that her life had existed and been worth something- was also gone.


    Susan was gone.


    Orenda sat on the bed with her face in her hands and forgot how to breath as tears welled from her eyes.  She thought of the other girls, with parents and homes to return to when they left school. She thought of the concept of navigating the world with someone there to guide you through it, and realized that she had never, and would never, have that.  Orenda had been guiding herself, and would guide herself. Orenda wondered who Gareth was, and thought of what he had said as best she could, because she wanted to remember it, and now she would have nothing to remind her.


    Gareth was running from the Emerald Knight.  Gareth was hiding from the Emerald Knight. Gareth knew that the Emerald Knight was dangerous, and it was after him, and he didn¡¯t want Orenda to be with him when it caught him.  Orenda had heard nothing more from Gareth since the note, months ago. She kept track of time so poorly it may have been a year ago. Regardless, it was a great deal of time. It was more than enough time to be caught by the Emerald Knight.


    Maybe her father hadn¡¯t abandoned her.  Maybe he really was protecting her, and this was the best he could do.  Maybe he wasn¡¯t evil, just incompetent. Orenda pulled the medallion from her neckline and studied the engraving, the fist shrouded by fire.  She thought of the high priestess Ali had spoken of, of Orenda Firefist, her namesake. She turned the amulet around and stared at the tiny engraving on the back: GF.


    It could mean anything.  It could mean ¡°girlfriend¡± or ¡°goat fight¡± or ¡°gold figure¡±.  But Orenda liked to think a great many things that were not true.  Orenda liked to think that she was a long-lost princess, and that her parents were long-lost royalty who would return for her some day.  Orenda liked to think that her friends had made it to freedom. Orenda liked to think that the initials on the back of her medallion stood for ¡°Gareth Firefist¡±.


    And Orenda liked to think that he was a survivor.

 Chapter 25

    Orenda had actually had as pleasant a day as could be expected for one who spent it meeting tutors and working through a twenty hour a semester class schedule. She had wanted to go find Bubbider, but hadn¡¯t had time, and she was exhausted when she returned to her room, more than ready to get a good night¡¯s sleep. She was pinning her schedule to the wardrobe with some pins she had gotten at the bookstore when the other girls began to filter in.


    They were all earth elves, of course, but the first was much more pleasant than the others. Her blond hair was a little darker than most that Orenda had seen, and though it was arranged in the same braids, it curled at the ends. Her eyes were a dark brown, and set in the same wide face with large features, but her initial response to Orenda was not about her appearance, which was a welcome change.


    Instead she had walked up to the desk where Orenda had arranged her art supplies and asked, ¡°Oh! Are you an artist? I¡¯m Tiala, and I love to paint! I think I would like to make a career of it, but my parents would really rather I was a mage. They¡¯re both in the military, but I don¡¯t think I would much like it. It¡¯s far too structured.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda answered, ¡°Yes, or- not exactly an artist. I¡¯m an amature, but I thought I should do some drawings to hang on my wardrobe, to make it a bit brighter. It seems rather plain compared to the others.¡±


    ¡°What do you like to draw?¡± She asked as another girl entered.


    Her hair and eyes were both green, which Orenda thought was probably the prettiest color scheme on an earth elf, but also one that was relatively rare. Most of them were blond, and the commonality of it made it less interesting.


    ¡°Oh,¡± She asked, ¡°Who are you? I was told we wouldn¡¯t have a roommate. I was going to use that wardrobe for extra storage.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°You shan¡¯t use it now. I¡¯ve been told it was mine. I¡¯m Orenda Nochdifache.¡±


    ¡°This is Shalendra,¡± Tiala explained.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shalendra said as if it should mean something, but when Orenda seemed unimpressed she spoke as if she had been insulted, ¡°My mother is a Commander for Lady Glenlen.¡±


    ¡°How nice,¡± Orenda said, then asked, ¡°I suppose it must be difficult? I imagine people must always compare you. ¡®Your mother did so and so¡¯ or ¡®Be more like your mother¡¯ or ¡®Your mother is very important¡¯. I imagine people must think that you¡¯re here only because of who your mother is. I can¡¯t imagine having to live in someone¡¯s shadow so deeply that the first thing I said to people whom I met was that I was related to someone important. I can¡¯t imagine how broken I would feel to have nothing of my own to add.¡±


    All this was true, but Orenda knew she should not have said it. But the girl¡¯s attitude had made her feel a kind of disgust that she was unaccustomed to. She obviously thought that she was important, and her perception of herself grated on Orenda¡¯s nerves.


    ¡°Who is your mother?¡± Shalendra asked.


    ¡°I have no mother,¡± Orenda answered, making sure her schedule was level, ¡°I only have myself. I stand on my own merit.¡±


    ¡°Did she give you away because you were so disagreeable?¡± Shalendra asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°Do you always ask so many personal questions? You remind me of Felaern.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Tiala asked.


    ¡°Felaern Quiroris,¡± Orenda answered matter-of-factly, ¡°The headmaster? He works here. We had to meet earlier today to work out finances. He¡¯s still quite upset about the bathhouse so I had to pay for the repairs. I still say it was a dangerous situation and I shouldn¡¯t be held responsible.¡±


    Orenda snapped the lock she had gotten for her wardrobe at the bookstore into place and pocketed the key.


    ¡°You¡¯re the fire elf,¡± Shalendra asked, ¡°The one who destroyed the bathhouse? Who are you, really?¡±


    ¡°To you knowledge?¡± Orenda smirked, ¡°No one. But I would like to get up and have a hearty breakfast. I have quite a full schedule in the morning. So if I could have no more disturbances, I would greatly appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Princess!¡± Kazula exclaimed, and Orenda paused where she had been climbing into bed.


    ¡°Kazula for the last time,¡± Orenda snarled, ¡°I am not a princess.¡±


    ¡°Oh but I can keep it a secret!¡± Kazula begged.


    ¡°Kassie, what are you talking about?¡± Shalendra asked.


    ¡°Orenda is the princess of the fire elves!¡± Kazula said excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I¡¯m not. Also, you seem to have great difficulty with the very concept of a ¡®secret¡¯.¡±


    ¡°No, Kassie, you get confused so easily,¡± Shalendra said, ¡°She¡¯s messing with you. Go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tiala suggested, ¡°We should all go to bed. It¡¯s getting late.¡±


    Orenda stared at the unfamiliar ceiling and tried not to think of anything. There were too many thoughts, jumbled around in her mind, filling it, and she could make neither heads nor tails of them.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Shalendra said.


    ¡°Yes, girl whose name was too long to remember?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I know who you really are.¡±


    ¡°I sincerely doubt it.¡± Orenda rolled over and saw Shalendra standing far closer to her bed than she had anticipated. She wanted to jump, but would not show fear.


    ¡°We¡¯ve all heard the stories,¡± Shalendra said, ¡°You¡¯ve got the same name as Captain Nochdiface.¡±


    ¡°I do, at that,¡± Orenda agreed, sitting up in the bed.


    ¡°We know you¡¯re a thief,¡± She said, ¡°a pirate.¡±


    Orenda thought of all the questions Quirios had asked her. After some time, she spoke.


    ¡°The things you think you know are dangerous, Shelly,¡± She spoke quietly and with great meaning, trying not to wake the others. ¡°I can¡¯t comprehend your thought process right now. You believe me to be connected to scallywags and swashbucklers. You believe that I am some sort of dangerous criminal. And yet¡­ your first instinct was to come, alone, to confront me? You saw what I did to that bathhouse. You have no idea what I am capable of. Your little schoolyard nonsense is below me. Do not press me again. I am in no mood.¡±


    She did not know what was behind her eyes, did not know what Shalendra saw there. She did not know that this schoolgirl could not comprehend the eyes that mirrored the soul of someone who had seen the things Orenda had seen. Orenda did not know that her eyes reflected the pool of blood around Charles¡¯s head, the way that Ellie¡¯s muscles slowly stopped supporting her frame, the way Ali twitched and grasped at nothing, the feeling of five fires in five hearts being snuffed out in one decision. Orenda did not know that she was different from other children, but in that moment, Shalendra knew with no doubt that there was something wrong with the strange girl in her room- and that this monster knew where she slept.


    ¡°Good night, Orenda,¡± She said softly.


    ¡°Good night, Shelly,¡± Orenda answered, ¡°Pleasant dreams.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Orenda was particularly good at keeping many things in her mind at once, and it was fortunet for her, because her thoughts were not, and could not be, fully focused on her studies. She went through her busy schedule as a matter of course, took her breakfast alone and made off with it to the library, to search for any books that she may be able to find on the subject of fire elves or the war, but was accosted by a disagreeable librarian who insisted that no food or drink were to be taken into the library.


    Orenda, instead, took her food into the garden, where there were other students milling about, and ate a muffin haphazardly as she walked. She had always eaten quickly, and had devoured it by the time she came to Bubbider¡¯s house, but when she knocked on the door, she got no response. She turned on her heel, confident with the air of someone who now belonged in her station, and made her way to the little wooden door. She knocked on this as well, but was shooed out of the kitchen by a staff that seemed angry to see her.


    There was nothing for it. She would have to go through the day with her questions unanswered, wearing the uniform of the enemy and pretending to belong among them.


    She would have to go through several days with her questions unanswered.


    She grew more and more tense as her days became a routine of nonsense, of assigned readings and numbers, of tutors who did not notice her distraction, because she had always been good at hiding her thoughts. She did not realize so much time had passed, until she awoke one day and saw that the schedule had listed it as a free day, and found that everyone else in her room was still asleep. That made perfect sense. They could sleep in and not be punished, though she suspected that they would still miss breakfast.


    The place was deserted as she headed to the dining room alone, but the spread was the same as it always was. She made herself a cup of coffee, then headed over to take a plate of whatever the hot food was- pancakes apparently, when fate finally decided to smile upon her. Bubbider was coming from the kitchen carrying a tray to lay out on the buffet. There were very few students up and about- and Orenda briefly wondered what they would do with all the excess food, but she pushed the thought from her mind to speak.


    ¡°Bubbider!¡± She called.


    ¡°Yes, miss?¡± Bubbider said in a voice that sounded as if she was speaking to a superior, ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I would like to see you about something,¡± Orenda instantly took note of what she was doing and decided to play her role as well, ¡°I¡¯m told that I was never meant to be in the room in the library.¡±


    Orenda did not move her head when she darted her eyes around to make sure that this cover story had been overheard by the few students who had sleepily made their way to the dining hall. Bubbider studied her for less than a second as she unloaded her tray before she spoke submissively.


    ¡°Yes, miss,¡± She said, ¡°I appreciate your tact.¡±


    Orenda led her back out into the deserted foyer and opened her mouth, but Bubbider shook her head and led them to a hall off to the side that housed lower-level classrooms.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not seen you in so long!¡± Orenda said once she was sure they were still alone, ¡°Are you alright? That bastard Felaern said that he had you ¡®punished¡¯. I don¡¯t know what that means!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Orenda,¡± she assured her, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what my next step should be,¡± Orenda whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to be doing.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re supposed to be studying,¡± Bubbider winced as she leaned in closer, ¡°It would do the Order well to have a trained fire mage on our side.¡±


    ¡°You were my contact,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But you knew nothing about me¡­ listen, a dragon brought me some money, but Felaern took almost all of it. I¡¯ve only got a little left. I thought we should each take half. You could probably do more with it than I could.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± Bubbider shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t spend money without a written pass from the school. But you can. You can go into town and buy anything you like, once a week. You could go today.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t come with me?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave without a pass,¡± Bubbider shook her head.


    ¡°Well, what would you like me to get?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I would like to have some paper and another pencil, something small that I could hide,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°In case I need to send messages. You probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get it to me until next week.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Orenda asked, and watched as Bubbider¡¯s eyes grew wide and she began, frantically, to beg.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know, miss!¡± She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know nothing about no demons! I just seen it had a bed! I didn¡¯t mean nothing by it!¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you up and about so early. And nice to see you becoming a little more accustomed to your station, but I must ask that you not berate my servants. I¡¯ll take care of that. I was looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I wanted to tell you that I was finally able to meet with the dwarven merchants who will be making your focus,¡± his eyes darted back to Bubbider and he dismissively said, ¡°that will be all; return to your post. I trust you¡¯ve learned your lesson.¡±


    Bubbider bowed and walked quickly back toward the dining hall.


    ¡°Look at this, Orenda,¡± Quiroris knelt to be more on her level, ¡°Isn¡¯t it lovely?¡±


    He held out a piece of rolled-up parchment, and Orenda took it. She unrolled it and saw a detailed drawing of a mage staff. From what she knew of them, it looked like the beginner staves that she had seen other students using. She thought that they must be cut from the same cloth. The only difference would be the fire crystal.


    ¡°It does look lovely,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what it would cost.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, ¡°That reminds me. I¡¯ve contacted the mason¡¯s guild and they¡¯ll be starting next week on the bathhouse. I thought you would like to know that. No more having to go into town. I¡¯m sure the students will appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°Though I¡¯m sure the repairs will take some time. Felaern,¡±


    ¡°I do wish you would call me Headmaster Quiroris,¡± he said.


    ¡°Headmaster Quiroris,¡± Orenda corrected, ¡°You¡¯ve told me that I should trust you. I was wondering if I could ask you something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to answer,¡± he said. ¡°I want to help you, Orenda.¡±


    ¡°Some of the other students were making fun of me,¡± Orenda told him, and he winced.


    ¡°Children can sometimes be¡­ slow to warm up, to people who are different,¡± he said softly and pulled himself up using his walking stick.


    ¡°They called me a pirate,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°And you asked me a number of questions about stolen money and ships. That makes no sense to me. A fire elf could not survive on the sea. Why did they say that to me?¡±


    Quiroris tucked a strand of his hair behind his long ear and looked into the distance for a moment, then back at her. He seemed to decide that she really didn¡¯t know, took a deep breath, and asked:


    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard the tale of the dread pirate, Captain Nochdiface?¡±


    Orenda shook her head.


    ¡°Well, I suppose you should hear it from an adult. I should have anticipated that the other children would bring it up.¡± Quiroris looked concerned and fidgety. Orenda thought it was a good look for him.


    She nodded again.


    ¡°They say that there lives a man named Captain Nochdifache,¡± Quiroris explained, ¡°Well, we know he lives, because there¡¯s an active warrant out for his arrest. Well, several warrants. But we also know that sailors exaggerate. It is said that no one has ever seen his face, because he wears a mask, but that he has long red hair and elven ears. It is said that he uses fire magic to attack Urilian ships. It is said that he can sink them on his own, whole ships, not just attacking the crew. It is said that his crew is monstrous, filled with creatures that¡­ I don¡¯t mean to scare you, Orenda, I don¡¯t believe anything about the crew is true.¡±


    He paused and put a hand on her shoulder, ¡°They say his first mate is a shifter, a werewolf, who will tear a person limb from limb. It is said that he travels with zombies, disgraced dwarven noblemen, and most unbelievable of all, a human mage who has lived over a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°Why is that the most unbelievable?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Humans can¡¯t use magic, Orenda,¡± Quiroris explained, ¡°They aren¡¯t attuned to it. It hurts them, tears them apart. Think of it like this- Elves were created by Thesis, and imbued with knowledge to make their way in the world. Humans, like all animals, lack the knowledge of a god, and they lack elemental alignments. You need both those things to cast without tearing yourself apart. A human trying to cast even the lowest spells would be like an elven mage trying to cast a high-level spell outside their element. They just aren¡¯t made for it. Human mages are myths, like zombies. And, they simply don¡¯t live that long. Humans have very short life spans. Most of them don¡¯t make it past fifty.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe in shifters?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°The sacred texts tell us that shifters exist,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°So they must. They were cursed humans who tried to befriend a demon. Nothing good comes from turning against god and hiding demons. But I don¡¯t believe that Nochdiface uses one as a first mate. He¡¯s eluded capture for too long to depend that much on a human, and certainly too long to keep a werewolf on his ship. After the first month it would have been a graveyard.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s a fire elf?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°It seems so, yes,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Orenda. I believe that at the workhouse they just gave you that name assuming it was a traditional fire elven name. You may be able to get it changed, to a proper Urillian name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met another fire elf,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°But you have.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and Nochdiface is not representative of your culture,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°I assure you, Orenda, it was a lovely place. It had the best textiles I¡¯ve ever seen. They were famous for them: rugs, carpets and the like. They had beautiful intricate patterns that we can¡¯t replicate. It¡¯s been lost to time. I¡¯d be very interested to borrow your book, just to have a copy made. There are print shops that do that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t like to lend it out,¡± Orenda told him, and made her eyes as big as she could when she said, ¡°It¡¯s all I have of them.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that,¡± Quiroris said, and Orenda did not believe him.

 Chapter 26

    Two more days went by as Orenda slogged through them.  She was beginning to grow genuinely interested in her studies, but the gnawing at the back of her mind, that she was not really here, that she was on a mission and was actually a Knight of Order masquerading as a student, ate away at her and made her uneasy.  She wanted to move on. She was overjoyed when she looked up from the paper she had been using to take notes on the lineage of Urillian royalty to see Ali¡¯s face flickering in the firelight of the lamp that hung in the classroom.


    He looked strange.  He looked as he had when Orenda had last seen him- it felt like so long ago- but his hair had been arranged differently, a gold jewel rested on a chain around his forehead, and his face had been painted in a way that enhanced his already pretty features.  His eyes, in particular, were so wide and expressive, being offset as they were with thick liner, that they made him look almost like a drawing, and Orenda wasn¡¯t sure she liked it. He looked as if he had acquired a slew of new piercings, and she imagined that they hurt less than the brand she had been forced to give him.


    Her eyes darted to the teacher, who was still going over the Urilian royalty, then back to the flame.  She mouthed the word ¡°tonight¡±. Ali nodded, looked to the side, and was gone.


    ¡°Which brings us to the current administration,¡± The teacher was saying when Orenda tuned back in, ¡°Empress Xandra Uril was crowned on her thirteenth birthday, Year One of her reign, and of our current calendar system.  This is the youngest of any recorded coronation, but shortly before a band of terrorists had attacked the castle, and both King Delphinius and Queen Xandra the elder were found dead upon arrival. Though the exact attackers were never identified, we do know that the group included both water and fire mages, as the castle and the surrounding countryside were attacked using fire magic, but the queen was murdered with a potion only brewed by water mages- yes, Orenda.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°How what?¡± The teacher stood, still pointing to the chart.


    ¡°How were they attacked by fire mages?  Fire mages can¡¯t travel to the Capital. We can¡¯t cross the sea.  I passed out in the bathhouse. Water, in large quantities makes us ill, so ill we pass out.  I don¡¯t understand how they could have traveled there to make such a brazen attack.¡± Orenda¡¯s eyebrows knit in the middle of her forehead as she thought on it.


    ¡°This was over three hundred years ago,¡± The teacher explained, ¡°The fire elves were still plentiful, still had a vast network of city-states that stretched the entire range of the Sacred Mountains.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking if they existed,¡± Orenda clarified, ¡°I¡¯m asking how they traveled to the capital.¡±


    ¡°On ships, I suppose,¡± the teacher shrugged, ¡°It wasn¡¯t recorded.¡±


    ¡°But fire elves can¡¯t travel on ships!¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°Obviously they can,¡± the teacher explained, ¡°They were there.  Now, going back to the texts, you¡¯ll see that this is the first recorded instance of the Emerald Knight appearing during battle.  The reason we have so few records of these terrorists as individuals is because none of them survived the night. By that morning, the entire advancing army had been completely eradicated.¡±


    Orenda began to take notes again.  She wrote:


    They want to tell everyone that we attacked first.  That¡¯s why they say that fire mages attacked the capital.  I do not believe it happened.


    ¡°The Emerald Knight appeared before the princess and drew the sacred sword,¡± The teacher went on, and Orenda became interested in the drawing in her history book.  As the teacher began to speak about Xandra¡¯s coronation and early reign, Orenda took in every aspect of the print. It had been a woodblock, she suspected, and depicted a princess, around the age Orenda was now.  She thought that the wispy earth elves may think she was beautiful in her pretty dress with her pretty hair flowing out behind her. But she did not draw Orenda¡¯s focus. Orenda was looking at the man behind her.


    He was easily ten feet tall, but the branches that extended from the helmet made him even taller.  Every inch of him was covered in armor that the artist had decided to depict as being made of plants and stone- not worked stone, but the very living stone of a forest.  It didn¡¯t look like armor; it looked like a forest had taken the form of a person. The knight¡¯s chest held a stone that seemed to be particularly important to the design, because that was where the glow that surrounded him was coming from.  He was obviously supposed to be a protective figure, standing behind the princess with his left arm held in a defensive stance over her head.


    In that hand he held a sword, a sword that Orenda recognized.  It was a hand and a half blade, though she did not know enough about swords to know that.  She did know that it had the hilt that feathered out toward the blade- did not know that the ¡°feathers¡± were called guards, but thought they were very pretty.  She saw the flowers, vines, leaves, and runes etched down the blade, and thought that it looked more ceremonial than practical. She saw what she thought was an oddly shaped earth crystal in the place where the blade met the hilt and wondered if magical swords were a thing.


    It was the same sword that the crazy man had drawn on his flier.


    Orenda thought that this was a strange way to portray oneself.  In the woodcut, Xandra was nothing; the Emerald Knight was everything.  Were she Xandra, she would have made herself the focal point. She wouldn¡¯t need a legend to hide behind.  Orenda thought it made the princess look weak, as if she was covering for something.


    Orenda wondered if the Emerald Knight was a real person, and if he was, why he was looking for Gareth.  She wondered what Ali had to tell her. She took notes with half a mind and kept these thoughts in the back half, tumbling together with all the other thoughts that she kept there through the rest of her classes.


    She had taken to having her lunches outdoors, where she could sit and read on one of the benches closest to the slave quarters.  She was hoping that Bubbider would see her, in her comings and goings, but though Orenda saw her from time to time, they never spoke.  Their friendship, like much of Orenda¡¯s life, was secret. Orenda had, during her time in town, taken to buying stacks of the sort of cheap books often sold to young women, romances, horror stories, legends, and adventures.  She thought that once she was done she may give them to Bubbider.


    She found that there were quite a few romances about long-lost princesses, more than she had anticipated.  They took her mind off of things, and, she thought, provided cover, the idea that she really was just a girl about to become a teen, interested in silly things like novels.  She really would like to tell Bubbider that Ali had tried to contact her. She wondered if she should try to contact him- but it was difficult to find anywhere secluded during the day.  She would have a better chance at night, and she didn¡¯t want to interrupt him in his important mission.


    So she had to wait, and waiting could be painful.  She made it through the rest of her classes without incident, though she found herself zoning out during her etiquette class, and didn¡¯t realize she had completely ignored everything going on around her until the young man in front of her snapped his fingers right in her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not getting a bad grade because you¡¯re not paying attention,¡± he hissed, ¡°I said, ¡®How does this evening find you, Miss Nochdifache?¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Fine, thank you, guy-who¡¯s-name-I-can¡¯t-remember,¡± Orenda huffed.


    ¡°I want another partner,¡± He frowned.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°I remember your first name, Tolith,¡± She told him, ¡°I can¡¯t remember your last.¡±


    ¡°Where even are you right now?¡± He asked, annoyed.


    ¡°I was thinking of something,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°I can¡¯t remember where we are.  I have a very full schedule and I¡¯ve grown tired. Let me look through the book.¡±  She flipped to the page and read, ¡°It finds me well, Mr- wait, no you¡¯re not mister you have a title, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, oh my god,¡± he whined.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I have it.  ¡®It finds me well, Lord Tolith.¡±


    ¡°My name is Glenlen, there¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know that, come on, why are you so bad at this-¡± his eyes grew wide and he said, ¡°He¡¯s coming over here.  We need to get it right.¡±


    Orenda looked up and, sure enough, their instructor was making his way to them.  Tolith stood quickly and bowed to Orenda.


    ¡°How does this evening find you, Miss Nochdifache?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It finds me well, Lord Glenlen,¡± Orenda answered, glancing at the book, ¡°How is your dear mother?¡±


    ¡°She is well suited for her position,¡± Tolith answered, ¡°And I find her in good health.¡±  He watched Orenda watching the instructor move on to the next table, then whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve not talked to my mom since school started.  This is stupid. Like¡­ we all know this is stupid, right?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Toli,¡± Orenda sighed.


    ¡°I can hear you two,¡± the instructor turned back to them, ¡°Honestly, Tolith, I expect better of you.  I put you with Orenda so that you could bring her up to your level, not so that she could drag you down to hers.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Professor Erkas,¡± they said in unison.


    ¡°Do it again and go over your rankings, please.  Orenda, honestly, never tell anyone to ¡®shut up¡¯.  That doesn¡¯t even have to do with nobility; I feel it shouldn¡¯t need to be stated.  That¡¯s simply common sense. And Lord Glenlen, do not use the word ¡°stupid¡± and do not pad out your sentences with useless expression such as ¡°like¡±.  You know better than that.¡±


    ¡°How does this evening find you, Miss Nochdifache?¡± Tolith asked, sounding as formal as he could.


    ¡°It finds me well, Lord Glenlen,¡± Orenda took the hand he offered and asked, ¡°How is your dear mother?¡±


    ¡°She is well suited to her position,¡± Tolith answered, ¡°And I find her in good health.¡±  He seemed to be fighting laughter as he continued, ¡°It would- hold on-¡± he glanced down at the book, ¡°I was hoping that you would do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to the court this evening.¡±


    ¡°That sounds absolutely lovely,¡± Orenda answered.


    ¡°Much better,¡± Professor Erkas nodded, ¡°Try to make it a force of habit, even when you¡¯re not in this class.¡±  He moved away, apparently actually shifting his focus this time, and Tolith immediately sat down.


    ¡°What did you mean you have a busy schedule?¡± Tolith asked, ¡°You really are always falling asleep in here.¡±


    ¡°My first class is at seven in the morning, and I go through until this one,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°I have more than twelve hours each day and then I have to do my work, of course, so I¡¯m often in the library until late¡­  I do well to get four hours of sleep a night. I feel a bit worn thin.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I came to school rather late,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°So now I must catch up.¡±


    ¡°Is it because you were out adventuring before you decided to study?¡± Tolith asked, growing excited, ¡°On the high seas?  I so wish I could do that! I¡¯ve read all the adventure stories! I want to go exploring into the uncharted regions of Xren, into the desert or the frozen north- I¡¯d like to go to the places on the map where it says ¡®here be monsters¡¯ and see what they are!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Toli,¡± Orenda told him again, and tried to keep her eyes open.  ¡°I would very much like a cup of coffee. Be a gentleman and go get it.¡±


    ¡°Wait I think that is actually a thing,¡± he said, flipping through the book, and Orenda rolled her eyes.


    Orenda really had taken to staying in the library until late at night studying, if not doing homework then reading everything she could about the history of the region, so it was not uncommon for her to take a lamp and go, alone, into the research section, long after everyone else had left.  She had cultivated this habit until it had been expected, and had noticed that though the masons were working on the bathhouse, none of them had come to brick up the secret door to the strange room in the library. She hoped that Felaern had forgotten about it.


    But, as she stood before it, she wondered if he had put up any magical wards.  She had been reading up on them since he mentioned them, and found that there were different kinds.  Some of the earth wards would simply create an impassable wall of stone, which is, she supposed, what he had threatened, but for some reason had not used.  Others would prevent entry by making the person who tried to pass physically ill. Still others would just let the caster know the seal had been broken. Orenda did not know what kind of ward he had cast, and thus was skeptical about going into the room.


    She supposed that she could simply say that she had forgotten something.  For all his talk, Felaern hadn¡¯t ever actually really punished her, aside from the one robbery.  She went through long periods where she could not bring herself to fear him. She put her hand on the door, and when nothing happened, she opened it, and stepped inside.  Instantly the magic of the place flowed through her, and she locked the door and sat the lamp on the floor.


    Then she stretched out her hand, tried to remember Ali¡¯s soul, and cast a flame in the shape of it.  She was shocked at how it shot from her hand, at least twice the size she had intended, and her eyes darted to the windows lining the room- anyone looking up would certainly have seen that, but there was nothing to be done for it now.


    After a few seconds, she saw Ali¡¯s face again, looking extra strange this time.  About half of it had been wiped clean, presumably with the rag he was holding in his hand, and his eyes grew huge when he saw her.  He held up one finger, leaned in, and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll call upon you in a minute. Extinguish the scry.¡±


    Orenda waved her hand and the flame dissipated.  She had barely sat down to wait when the flame in her lamp flickered and she saw his face again.  She reached inside, picked up the flame in her hand, and expanded it to better see him.


    ¡°Can you talk?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I can talk,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m hidden well, I think,¡± still his eyes were wide and full of fear.  He had changed in a way that Orenda did not like.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± he said defensively, ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything more than I thought it would be.  Are you alright? Bubbider said you made it to the school and you¡¯re taking classes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯ve stagnated.¡±


    ¡°Just use it,¡± Ali told her, ¡°Learn all you can.  We need as many skilled mages as we can get. Listen, Rendy, you¡¯re an elf, and that means that they¡¯re going to trust you more there.  You¡¯re not a slave, you¡¯re a student. Learn all you can.¡±


    ¡°I think the headmaster was a soldier in the war against my people,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t doubt it,¡± Ali agreed, ¡°Elves live long lives.  He could know something about them, but I don¡¯t know how you would get it out of him.  Listen, Rendy, I can¡¯t talk long. Most of the boys in the harem do not follow the path of order- actually, most of the boys in the harem are aggravating the shit out of me.¡±


    ¡°You look awful,¡± Orenda agreed.


    ¡°I feel awful,¡± Ali sounded as if the prospect angered him, ¡°Rendy you can¡¯t imagine it.  All they ever talk about is their precious Lady Glenlen, their drugs, and their appearance.  That¡¯s it. They¡¯re like a pack of particularly stupid dogs. They don¡¯t seem to understand that I¡¯m trying to help them, but I can¡¯t talk about it, because if they find out they¡¯ll go running to their precious master.  It¡¯s a balancing act that is getting really tiresome! You have to pretend to like her well enough that you¡¯re completely devoted, but not so well that they think you¡¯re trying to get more favor than you deserve. They rank each other and guard those ranks closely- the entire thing is bizarre.  People have died over it- I¡¯m not exaggerating! These fools have killed over jealousy! It blows my mind!¡±


    ¡°Are you safe?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes, I can defend myself if I have to,¡± Ali answered, ¡°And I get a bit of a grace period because I¡¯m new and I guess they expect it- but I¡¯ll find out all I can.  Rendy, listen, I need everyone to know this who possibly can. I¡¯ve already told Bubbider.¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°In the Lady¡¯s bedroom,¡± Ali explained, ¡°Something is trapped.  I don¡¯t know what it is, but it¡¯s some sort of spirit. It calls out to me when I¡¯m in there. It begs me to let it out.  It says it¡¯s looking for Xaxac.¡±


    ¡°The white rabbit?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ali was speaking more quickly now, ¡°I can¡¯t speak back to it, so I can¡¯t ask it anything.  I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s trying to decieve me. It says its name is Lapus. I want to tell it that I follow the white rabbit and see what it does, but I can¡¯t get in there by myself.  I need more time. I need to make her trust me more, to let her guard down. But I¡¯m going to find out what it is. I think she hears it too. She doesn¡¯t speak back to it, but she makes faces as if she understands, as if she hears.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read stories of spirits trapped in items,¡± Orenda said, and meant to go on but Ali cut her off.


    ¡°So have I,¡± he said, ¡°A djinn.  If she has one, that explains everything.  That explains how they conquered so quickly and how she¡¯s ruled for so long.  If I can get my hands on it, it can change everything.¡±


    ¡°It could be powerful,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Be very careful.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Ali made a sound not directed toward her, and when he spoke again it was hushed, ¡°I have to go, Rendy.  I¡¯ll contact you again when I can. Just stay safe. Stay alive.¡±


    ¡°You too, Ali,¡± Orenda said, thinking of how red his eyes were and how dark the circles were under them, ¡°Stay safe.  Stay alive.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Time passed slowly for Orenda.  She felt every second of it as her life ticked by under the illusion of normalcy.  Days turned to weeks and then to months with no more news of the Knights of Order. She managed an occasional aside with Bubbider, but they were sparse and difficult to arrange.  The time she did not spend in class she spent in the library, and she had developed a sort of gruff politeness, using what she had learned in etiquette class, that she was genuinely thankful for, because it allowed her to keep the other students at a proper distance.


    Because of this, Orenda heard very little of the gossip that surrounded the normal goings on of the other children, and was shocked when she awoke one morning on a free day and all of her roommates were up and about.  They normally slept until noon, but on that day they had actually awoken her, whatwith Kazula¡¯s inane shrieking that she thought passed for speech.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± She was bouncing around the room clutching a piece of paper as Orenda sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, ¡°My parents have already sent money to the tailor!  Please tell me yours have as well! I want to go to our fittings together! And we¡¯ll get our hair done, oh and our nails! I should like to get professional makeup!¡±


    ¡°Has anyone asked to escort you?¡± Tiala asked, and without waiting for an answer continued, ¡°I¡¯m hoping that Voron asks me.  Have you seen him during the exercises? Before the bathhouse was destroyed, I mean.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Shalendra turned to look at her from where she stood, by her basin braiding her hair, ¡°You can¡¯t judge a potential husband on his swimming ability.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a potential husband,¡± Tiala explained, ¡°I want to go to the dance.¡±


    ¡°What are you three prattling on about?¡± Orenda asked with the annoyance of a child who had been awakened from a deep slumber, ¡°It¡¯s the free day.  Some of us are trying to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Nothing that should concern you, Orenda,¡± Shalendra had began to say, but Kazula cut her off.


    ¡°The Solstice Party!¡± She explained, and ran to Orenda to show her the paper she was so protective of.  ¡°Every year the school hosts a formal dance before solstice vacation, after the end of the semester exams.¡±


    Orenda took the flier and read over it.  It conveyed exactly the same information, as well as an illustration of a woman in a beautiful gown, dancing with a man who seemed to have stepped out of the nobility.  Orenda thought it looked like a ball from a fairytale, like something fairies would throw to celebrate the coronation of a princess. But those things were for other people living in a different world, so she suppressed her wonder and instead said:


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will go.¡±


    ¡°Of course you won¡¯t,¡± Shalendra said, ¡°You would have to be asked.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it works?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°That seems to be a bad system.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tiala explained, ¡°The boys have to buy the tickets to fund the dance.  They only get two, so they can only ask one lady to go with them.¡±


    ¡°This school is a money sink,¡± Orenda huffed, ¡°Wait, so only the boys can buy them?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shalendra tied off her hair and spoke as if she was annoyed by Orenda¡¯s ignorance, ¡°Honestly, Orenda, haven¡¯t you learned anything from etiquette class?  The entire point of meeting boys is to arrange a proper marriage.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the entire point of meeting boys,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°There are a variety of reasons one should meet a boy.  Perhaps he has something you would like to buy. Perhaps he has similar interests and you would like to speak on them.  Perhaps he¡¯s wronged you in some way and you would like revenge. Perhaps you own an establishment and he would like to make use of your services.  Perhaps you work at the same place and need to work together-¡±


    She had meant to continue, but Shalendra spoke over her.


    ¡°That is not in their capacity as a boy,¡± She said dismissively, ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I certainly do not,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go with lord Glenlen,¡± Shalendra changed the subject, ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll ask me.¡±


    ¡°Toli?¡± Orenda made a disgusted face, ¡°Why would you want to spend all night with him?  He¡¯s an idiot. I have class with him and getting through it is a chore.¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s from the most powerful family on the continent,¡± Shalendra said as if it was obvious, ¡°His mother is Lady Glenlen, and his father is in the same unit as my mother.  They¡¯ve both got exceptionally high ranks and titles.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s an absolute fool,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°He spends all his free time reading adventure books and pretending to be a fairytale hero.  His life goal is to get himself killed adventuring into the desert.¡±


    ¡°I think I should like to inherit his fortune,¡± Shalendra said as if this was not an impediment to a relationship at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to breakfast,¡± Orenda threw back the blankets, and made her way to her basin to do her morning routine.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to go to the dance, Rendy?¡± Kazula asked, ¡°It¡¯ll be so much fun!¡±


    ¡°I dislike the concept,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°Were I able to simply go on my own I don¡¯t think I would be bothered.  But I won¡¯t accept an invitation and be at the whim of someone else all night. Besides, I have better things to spend my money on than fancy dresses to wear once.  It seems a great waste.¡±


    ¡°Orenda doesn¡¯t have any money,¡± Shalendra said, ¡°It¡¯s the same reason she never makes up her face.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°When one is born with my features no adornment would do them justice.¡±


    Orenda had never really cared whether or not she was pretty, as it seemed a foolish thing to make a priority with everything else she had going on.  In fact, as she tugged a strand of her hair to its full length, pulling out the curl, she felt it was getting a bit too long. Her necklace began to glow as she ran her fingers through it, and the sound of sizzling accompanied by the smell of burn hair began to fill the room.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± Shalendra snapped, ¡°That smells awful!¡±


    ¡°Well, I believe you were the one who mentioned that we all had to pay a price for beauty,¡± Orenda said as she rubbed coconut oil onto her hands and worked it through her hair, ¡°It is not always monetary.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°I like your hair, Orenda,¡± Tiala said quietly.


    ¡°Did you ever think about straightening it?¡± Kazula asked excitedly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen salons do it- not quite as curly as yours, but the women look so beautiful afterwards!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would like it,¡± Orenda said as she worked the oil into her face.  ¡°But you have fun, Kassie. It seems to mean a great deal to you. It¡¯s nice to see people happy.¡±


    Orenda dressed and headed into the dining hall growing more and more annoyed.  The fliers were not the only indication that the school had become obsessed with the dance, which, to Orenda, seemed a particularly stupid thing to focus on.  People were dying. People were risking their lives. Their food was being served by people who were suffering. The very idea of this disgusting show of extravagance for no particular reason made her blood boil.  She had taken a seat and was angrily reading over the notes that she had taken on the cultural makeup of the fire elves from the book in her room when she felt the heat of a group of people standing over her.


    She looked up to see a group of second year boys huddled there, as if Tolith was a knight and they were his regiment of soldiers surrounding and protecting him.  Orenda¡¯s first thought was that they meant to attack her and her hand shot to her necklace as she spoke.


    ¡°What is it that you gentlemen want?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Toli wants to ask you something,¡± One of the boys shoved Tolith and he stumbled forward so hard he almost hit the table.  Orenda recognized the boy who had shoved him as Voron, the person who could apparently swim but couldn¡¯t do much else.


    ¡°Quit!¡± Tolith shoved him back once he regained his footing, Voron shoved in retaliation, one of the other boys in the group caught Tolith and shoved him back towards Voron and back on his feet, and Orenda thought that they may be the dumbest people she had ever seen interact with each other.  The physicality of it made it almost slapstick, and she had half a mind to set them ablaze.


    ¡°Toli wants to ask you something!¡± Voron said again, and Orenda watched Tolith¡¯s face change color as she felt the heat pool in it.


    ¡°Yeah, I,¡± He said, but then he stopped speaking mid-sentence and threw both hands over his face.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Kazula plopped into the seat next to her, apparently unaware of the boys, ¡°You left so fast and you never gave me an answer about going to the dress fitting with me!¡±


    ¡°I answered you three times, Kassie,¡± Orenda was quickly running out of patience, ¡°I told you that I think it¡¯s a waste of money, and that I¡¯m not going to the stupid dance!¡±  The air around her began to grow warm, and she knew that everyone felt it from the way they began to sweat.


    ¡°You think the dance is stupid?¡± Tolith asked.


    ¡°Ooooh, Toooliiii,¡± Kazula said in a sing-song voice, ¡°I know somebody who likes you!  She wants you to ask her to the dance!¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Tolith asked, still red-faced and with one hand covering his mouth so that only his wide eyes were visible, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t tell secrets,¡± Kazula said, ¡°But she¡¯s really pretty and she¡¯s in your grade and she¡¯s my roommate!¡±


    ¡°She likes me?¡± Tolith asked.


    ¡°She like-likes you!¡± Kazula clapped her hands together.


    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Orenda had eaten during the exchange and found that she now had an excuse to leave, ¡°Enjoy your foolishness.  I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Orenda spotted Quiroris walking toward her room and almost turned on her heel to leave.  She had taken the maximum amount of nonsense she was able to take in a single day; her nonsense capacity had been filled before breakfast, and she simply didn¡¯t feel like dealing with him.  But she was wary of the idea that he could go through her things at will, and would rather she was there to see it.


    ¡°Pleasant morning, isn¡¯t it, headmaster?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Oh, it absolutely is,¡± He said as if he was feeling real joy at the prospect of seeing her, ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here, Orenda.  Your focus has arrived and I was excited to deliver it myself. Think of it as a solstice gift.¡±


    ¡°I would,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Had I not been the one to pay for it.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t pay for it,¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯m serious.  Happy Solstice, Orenda. I didn¡¯t take the money from your account, I paid for it out of pocket.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda was shocked by this information, ¡°I¡­  don¡¯t understand why you would do that.¡±


    ¡°Because you needed it,¡± He said, motioning to the wrapped item on the bed, ¡°And it¡¯s the season for giving.¡±


    Orenda stood slowly and walked to the bed, untied the twine holding the fabric together, and let it fall apart.  Inside was a staff taller than she was. It seemed to be made of gold with a long polished handle that ended in an open archway.  Set into the arch on the top were more fire crystals than Orenda had ever seen, each only about an inch apart. As she held it she felt the magic flowing from it into her and from her into it so easily that the crystals began to glow as soon as she touched it, and a flame sprang into the negative space created by the arch.


    ¡°Oh, wonderful!¡± Quoriris clapped his hands, ¡°I had my doubts but¡­  Orenda¡­ this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a real fire mage hold a real fire staff in¡­  god, it¡¯s been two centuries.¡±


    ¡°Headmaster,¡± Orenda said as she stared into the flame she hadn¡¯t even meant to conjure, ¡°How much did this cost?¡±


    ¡°Never ask how much gifts cost, Orenda,¡± he explained, ¡°It¡¯s in bad taste.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said, and slowly let her eyes drift to him.  He looked as if he was about to cry, and the sight unnerved her.  Something was wrong.


    ¡°Why do you look like that?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Oh,¡± He said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry, this is¡­  terribly unprofessional. I¡¯m sorry, Orenda.  I¡¯ll be in my office, if you need me.¡±


    ¡°Felaern,¡± She said, and he paused in the doorway.  ¡°I read up on¡­ that is, I¡¯ve been researching- the war.  The war that led up to the colonization.¡±


    ¡°Have you?¡± He asked and his fingers dug into the door frame.


    ¡°In the army that attacked the sacred temple, the night it fell,¡± Orenda continued, ¡°Serving under the Emerald Knight, there was a regiment of earth mages.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and though he did not turn around, Orenda saw his head fall.


    ¡°Most of them did not survive the battle,¡± Orenda said, ¡°They were listed as deceased.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he spoke with more breath than words.


    ¡°One of them was named Felaern Quiroris,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He was a teenager.¡±


    ¡°He was a child,¡± Felaern said softly, and his body deflated as he turned to look at her, and she saw the tears in his eyes.  ¡°Orenda I¡­¡± He trailed off and Orenda kept staring at him, expecting anything, some sort of justification, some sort of excuse.


    ¡°You think a solstice present will make up for-¡± She began but he cut her off.


    ¡°No,¡± He said quickly, ¡°No, absolutely not.  I don¡¯t think that at all.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­  just let me have this, Orenda,¡± he said, and turned to leave again.  He paused, in the doorway and spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything.  I promise. Just not right now. Not while you¡¯re so young and innocent.  You have to understand, Orenda, that the¡­ the Emerald Knight is real. And sometimes, in life, you have to make a choice.  You have to march forward, or you get shot in the back. It does no good to run from the Emerald Knight. That¡¯s a death sentence.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, emboldened in a way that she didn¡¯t understand, ¡°You¡¯ll tell me now!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± He said, ¡°I can¡¯t.  You¡¯re too young. Too innocent.  Have a childhood, Orenda, please. I will, one day, when you¡¯re older.¡±  He paused and turned to look at her, ¡°If¡­ if you want to know what happens to people who try¡­  I worked with a man named Tolimaur who¡­¡± He sighed, cut himself off, and said, ¡°Happy Solstice, Orenda.¡±


    Then he was really gone, and Orenda listened to the sound of his expensive boots tapping down the empty hall.

 Chapter 28

    Orenda sat in the empty library with the registry before her, slowly going down the names in the unit of earth mages who were assigned, more than two centuries ago, to ¡®protect¡¯ the ¡®diplomats¡¯ who had gone to ¡®meet with¡¯ the council of priests who ruled the fire elves from the temple in the sacred mountains.


    Each column had a title and purpose with statistics such as name, age, sex, rank, and, most interesting to Orenda, a column marked ¡®status¡¯.  As she read down the names, the most common entry in that field was ¡°deceased: KIA¡±, which she knew from her research meant ¡°Killed in action¡±.  Each name was listed with the last name first, which made looking for first names particularly difficult.


    However, there was only one ¡°Tolimaur¡± in the unit.  The listing read simply:


    Name: Sambress, Tolimaur, Age: 19, Sex: M, Rank: Specialist (Mage), Status: Dishonorable Discharge: MIA, (presumed deceased).


    Orenda found this limited information incredibly interesting and wrote it all down.  Tolimaur was only a teenager, yet he had been brave enough to defy the Emerald Knight?  Felaern said that he had run. Orenda thought of the sort of person who would run from the Emerald Knight, and what she knew of Gareth told her that death was a lot for the Urilian military to presume.  It did not do one well to make presumptions.


    She thought of familial connections, and flipped to the index to see what other units may have had young officers.


    It took her several hours, but she did eventually find that Tolimaur was not alone on the battlefield.


    Name: Sambress, Solomaur , Age: 20, Sex: F, Rank: Specialist (Fighter), Status: Dishonorable Discharge: MIA (presumed deceased).


    Name: Sambress, Sokomaur, Age: 21, Sex: F, Rank: Specialist (Archer), Status: Dishonorable Discharge: MIA (presumed deceased).


    Orenda knew that this meant something, but she didn¡¯t know what.  Were they siblings? Elves rarely had so many children so close together.  Perhaps they were cousins? The names suggested to her that they were blood related, not married.  The names ¡°Sokomaur, Solomaur, and Tolimaur¡± spoke of a parent who thought they were cleaver. They had to have all deserted during the same battle to be on the ledger that she was looking at.  They probably left together. Orenda concocted a story in her head.


    In this story, three people loved each other very much, because they were a family.  They were sent on a long journey across the sea, far from their home. Orenda thought that perhaps they were not told that they were being sent to slaughter innocents.  She thought that when they arrived, when they found out, that they may have decided that it was better to die together than to become monsters. She saw spells dissipated mid-cast, swords shieved, and bows lowered with arrows still notched.  She saw three people who looked upon the Emerald Knight, knew the fear that one who looked at a monster would have to know, and broke rank anyway. She saw people who would have had to have more courage than her cowardly headmaster.


    She wanted to know more about them, but didn¡¯t think that the library had those kinds of military reports.  This was probably all the information she would get from books. She would look, of course, but the rest would probably have to be pulled out of Quiroris.


    The bath house was finished the next week, and most of the students celebrated this fact.  Orenda had no desire to ever set foot in the place again. She had been washing herself mostly at her basin, but would go about once a week, on her free day when she could sneak away, to have Bubbider fill a washtub for her in the laundry room.  It wasn¡¯t the best solution, but it was what she had to work with, and therefore what she did.


    She didn¡¯t go the grand opening, she went back to the library.  It meant so little to her. All of these little distractions meant so little to her.  She didn¡¯t understand how the other students could be so blind. Orenda was antsy. She felt as if something was missing from her life.


    She had a reoccurring dream about a magic staff.


    It was not her staff, was nothing like her staff.  It was difficult to see, but she could make out that much.  It was housed inside a flame, and it had a voice that it used to speak to her.  It called her master, and it begged her to take it out of the fire. It told her that she was destined for great things.


    Orenda felt that she was wasting time.  If she was destined for great things, it did her no good to waste her youth in a classroom.


    Orenda also did not go to the dance.  This seemed to shock everyone who discovered it, though she made it very clear that she had never had any intention of going.  She avoided the pomp on principle, and had the room to herself while the others went to the party. As far as she knew, the two of her roommates who had wanted specific dates in particular got them, and Kassie had gone with some boy who was in their history class whom Orenda thought was particularly unimpressive.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    When Tolith had arrived to walk Shalendra to the ballroom, he had looked heartbroken, and Orenda could understand why.  He didn¡¯t seem to want to participate in that nonsense any more than Orenda did, though she suspected it was for different reasons.  Orenda told herself that she did not want to go to the dance precisely because she did, but could not. There was no practical way for her to go, so she told herself that she wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed it anyway.  Tolith genuinely didn¡¯t want to be a nobleman. He wanted to live the types of adventures that only existed in the minds of people who believed adventure stories.


    Orenda thought that he would probably outgrow his reluctance, but she would never outgrow hers.


    She was shocked to run into him again a few days later, after the exams and the dance, because she was in a particularly secluded spot outside, pretending to read a book and watching for Bubbider.  She looked up and he was standing there, in traveling clothes, alone this time, looking as if he had something important to say.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± He said.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I was thinking about, you know, everybody is going home and everything,¡± He said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± She said, ¡°I imagine most people have already left.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asked, very quickly as if he considered it of great importance.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said as if it was as unimportant as she considered it, ¡°I won¡¯t be going anywhere.  Felaern lives here, you know, so there will be at least one adult here to pretend as if I¡¯m being supervised.  I imagine I¡¯ll just get to know the town a little better or catch up on my reading or somesuch.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± He said, looking uncomfortable.


    ¡°I imagine you¡¯re heading back to your mother¡¯s mansion?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No,¡± He said, shuffling his feet, ¡°I don¡¯t particularly like it there, and mother says that we shouldn¡¯t often stay at the same place, in case of an attack or assassination or somesuch.  I¡¯m going to stay with my father at his military outpost, near the mountains.¡±


    ¡°I hear it¡¯s lovely there,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Forest and farmlands.  I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a lovely time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± He said, ¡°My dad says that he¡¯ll try to take the solstice off, so we can go to the temple and then spend the day together.¡±


    ¡°Is that what fathers do?¡± Orenda asked in a detached sort of way.  She wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the conversation.


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­  I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± Tolith promised, and Orenda finally looked at him, trying to figure out what he thought he had said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that I had a dad and you didn¡¯t,¡± He explained.  ¡°That was stupid¡­ look I just wanted to give you this. I got you a present.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s the solstice!¡± he said, a little too excitedly, and his voice made a strange sound in the middle of the sentence that Orenda had learned had something to do with boys and the way they aged.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t know we were exchanging gifts.  I don¡¯t really have anything. Let me see.¡±


    She dug around in her bag and pulled out a book that she had finished reading.  It was the only thing she could think of on such short notice, and was not one that she thought he would particularly enjoy.  It was called The Countess and the Stablehand, and had a cover that depicted the titular characters standing in an open field.  The stablehand was nude from the waist up, standing behind the countess with her long flowing skirts.  Both of them had long hair that fluttered out in the wind as they stared longingly into each other¡¯s eyes.  Orenda did not see many boys reading books like that, but it was all she had, and she wouldn¡¯t take a gift without offering something in return.


    ¡°You can have this, if you like,¡± she told him, and was shocked by how eagerly he took it.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± He said, sounding as if Orenda had completely misread him and he did actually like it a great deal.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box which he held out to her. ¡°I uh¡­ I got you this. But I gotta go!  I uh¡­ I gotta go to my dad¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Have a safe journey,¡± Orenda told him, holding the box.


    ¡°Yup!¡± He said, and again could not make it through the word without his voice hitting the wrong octave in the middle.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She called as he sprinted back toward the school, and he turned and waved in response, which seemed to throw him off balance, because his boot stepped on his cloak, and he nearly fell.  But, he did manage to right himself on the doorway and successfully make his way inside.


    Orenda thought that the poor little idiot shouldn¡¯t have gotten her anything.  He had more wealth than sense and was probably under the impression that he was supposed to get a gift for every student in the school.  She softly pulled apart the ribbon, opened the box- and was shocked by what she saw.


    Inside was a pair of earrings- which would have been something she could have expected from one so stupid, since her ears were not pierced and that was exactly the kind of oversight he would make- but the exact make of the earrings made her believe that perhaps he had a shred of sense buried somewhere deep under all his fumbling clumsiness.  Set into gold fastenings were two glistening, red, fire crystals.


    Orenda had never seen a fire crystal in the shops around town, and she had looked.  These had to be specially ordered from dwarven craftsmen. She didn¡¯t know what to do with this information, so she closed the box and stuck it into her pocket.

 Chapter 29

    Orenda found that she quite liked the solitude of the school over the holidays. The students and the staff had gone away, leaving her all to herself, but still, she knew that Quiroris was watching her, so on the first day, she bid her time, and avoided contacting Bubbider until she had a better understanding of the new comings and goings of the place. It did not do one well to take risks because they got overzealous.


    Still, as darkness descended over the room, she sat on her bed with her staff lying beside her and reached out to the magic that flowed through her, concentrating on Ali. What she saw unnerved her.


    He looked to be in great pain, and there was a fear in his eyes that she didn¡¯t understand. She could only see his face, but his hair and the new hoops on his ears bounced as if he was moving. His eyes were wide and blown open, and the makeup he wore did not disguise the circles under them. He had lost a great deal of weight, and his cheekbones were visible under the flesh that had once held his full cheeks.


    He shook his head in her direction, but said nothing, and Orenda knew that whatever was happening, he did not want her to see it, and definitely could not speak to her. She waved her hand quickly and the flame, with him inside it, disappeared.


    Afterwards she found she could not move. It shook her, to see him change so much, and she realized that it had been months since they had last spoken. She had no idea what Lady Glenlen was doing to him, no idea what he was going through. She shouldn¡¯t be sitting there, in the schoolhouse, doing nothing. She should be trying to save him!


    But that would jeopardize his mission. That would put him in even more danger.


    Orenda didn¡¯t know what to do, so she clutched at her chest and wondered what his face had looked like when she burned the symbol into his neck. Had he looked so bad then? Was this worse than that? What were they doing to him?


    She stood and made her way to the mirror over the basin to look at herself. Despite what she had feared, she was not beginning to look more like an earth elf despite living among them. Her frame was still big, both taller and wider than the other students, though now less of it was muscle and more of it was fat, which she correctly attributed to her sedentary lifestyle. But she was not one of them. She did not look like them. Her profile was still strong, her eyes were still set at a slightly different angle, her flesh was still dark and her hair was still a stark, bright red.


    She was not one of them. She was an elf, but she was¡­ she was one of the good ones.


    As she gave herself this assurance the tightness in her chest began to alleviate a little, but she jumped when the door to the room opened.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris said pleasantly, ¡°I wanted to make some arrangements with you, for meals and such.¡± He took in her startled appearance and asked, ¡°Oh dear, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking,¡± Orenda said, trying to make up a lie on the spot, ¡°Of trying to pierce my ears. But I think it may hurt to just shove them through the skin.¡±


    ¡°What were you going to¡­ why? Why are you doing that?¡± He asked with concern that seemed genuine.


    ¡°I was gifted this pair of earrings,¡± Orenda took the box from her pocket, ¡°And I should like to wear them.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± He said, ¡°Who gave you-¡±


    ¡°Your curiosity knows no bounds,¡± Orenda pulled the box back and stuffed it back into her pocket.


    There was a long pause as he considered this, but he eventually agreed, ¡°Fair enough. Just¡­ can I ask if it was a student? Were dragons bringing you things again?¡±


    ¡°It was a boy named Tolith Glenlen,¡± Orenda rolled her eyes, ¡°Whom I suppose was under the impression he was supposed to get gifts for everyone.¡±


    ¡°I once pierced my ears in the barracks at the military academy, at the capital,¡± Quiroris told her, ¡°It was a terrible mistake. A friend of mine swore that he knew how to do it, he told me that all you needed was a sharp needle and, I quote, ¡®A whole bunch of rags¡¯. The end of that story is that they got terribly infected and I had to let it grow up and then get them professionally done.¡±


    ¡°Did it hurt?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°The infection hurt,¡± he said, ¡°But if the piercing had hurt I wouldn¡¯t have them all up and down my ears. The cartilage hurts a little bit.¡± He shrugged, ¡°But I suppose we all can take a little pain for vanity. Elves are meant to be adorned.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to have them done professionally,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Someone took all my money.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that you¡¯ve learned anything from your etiquette classes at all,¡± Quiroris told her, leaning on the doorway. ¡°I can take you into town tomorrow, to have them done, if you like.¡±


    ¡°Why would I go into town with you?¡± Orenda asked him.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°The same reason you would stay in this school with me, I suppose,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°I imagine, Orenda, that despite how terribly you treat me, I¡¯m the closest thing to a guardian you have.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a guardian,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡±


    ¡°You are when it suits you,¡± He accused. ¡°Sometimes you¡¯re a powerful mage who could set my guards aflame, and sometimes you¡¯re a poor, innocent child who had a terrible accident.¡±


    ¡°What did you want to talk to me about?¡± She asked him with a scowl.


    ¡°During the breaks, I normally don¡¯t have the kitchen staff make a full spread, because I, well, and a skeleton crew of security, are the only ones here. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth them putting all the extra work in, so I was going to invite you to take your meals with me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°thank you. I suppose I can eat with the humans.¡±


    ¡°You absolutely will not,¡± He said, massaging his temples, ¡°Orenda, I really need you to stop fraternizing so much with the servants. It¡¯s below you. You have to learn how to act.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll eat in the dining hall,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Then they¡¯ll have to clean it every day,¡± he huffed, ¡°Honestly, Orenda, just¡­ just come when I call you to meals, alright? Don¡¯t make everything a fight. The dining room isn¡¯t going to be open in the morning. Everyone went home today.¡±


    ¡°Except us,¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°This is my home,¡± He told her, ¡°I have apartments behind my office.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Which seems odd to me. Don¡¯t you have any family? Or any adult friends to spend the solstice with?¡±


    ¡°Normally, yes,¡± He shrugged, ¡°But I wasn¡¯t going to leave a little girl alone on the solstice, Orenda. I¡¯m not a monster.¡±


    She stared up at him, and he smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be upstairs, if you need me. Breakfast is still at six. We¡¯ll go out to see about your ears afterwards, if you¡¯d like.¡± He turned on his heel and left the room, and Orenda stepped forward to push the door shut.


    Orenda was contemplating this invitation when the flame in her lamp sprang to life, and Ali¡¯s face appeared in it. He looked more cautious than usual.


    ¡°Can you speak?¡± Orenda asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and Orenda noticed that his voice sounded off, wrong, as if there was a pain in his throat, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°You look awful.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to report,¡± He told her with less emotion than Orenda thought he should feel, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rendy. These scries are dangerous. We shouldn¡¯t talk when there¡¯s nothing to report. Did you find something out?¡±


    ¡°Quiroris invited me to his apartments,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°And I know for sure he was there, the night the fire elves fell. He worked under the Emerald Knight. He claims he¡¯s a real person. And I¡¯ve met a boy named Tolith Glenlen, Lady Glenlen¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Ali said and seemed to wake up a little, ¡°You¡¯ve been¡­ god, you¡¯ve been putting in the work, Rendy.¡±


    ¡°So you think I should go? To Quiroris¡¯s apartments?¡± She asked.


    He hesitated, eyes darting back and forth, then leaned back as if watching for someone.


    ¡°No,¡± He finally answered. He shook his head as if making up his mind and continued, ¡°No, Rendy. Don¡¯t do that, at least not yet. You¡¯re too young. I¡­ when I volunteered I thought I was old enough, but¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a lot. It sticks with you. Give it¡­ what are you, like¡­ twelve, right?¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go yet.¡±


    ¡°You know something you¡¯re not telling me,¡± Orenda accused.


    ¡°Because you ought to have at least a couple more years of¡­ I don¡¯t know Rendy, of that concept of innocence that we pretend exists. God, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t keep my head straight. We work out all the time and we¡¯re throwing this big twelve day long ball, and we¡¯ve got a lot of ¡°guests¡± and I¡¯m super high right now. I¡¯m tweaking real bad.¡±


    ¡°Tweaking?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yeah I¡­ it¡¯s called ¡®frost¡¯. It¡¯s supposed to keep you awake but when I researched it before I came here I learned the real reason she gives it to them, to us, I mean- god, Rendy, I¡¯m one of them now, I, I can¡¯t scry my mom because,¡± He took a deep breath and Orenda knew he was willing himself not to cry, ¡°It keeps you from growing. Or, at least, not as fast. It keeps you young and ¡®cute¡¯ longer. But it kills you. It¡¯s doing that by killing you.¡±


    ¡°Ali, they need to pull you out of there,¡± Orenda said with as much authority as she could muster.


    ¡°No!¡± He snapped, ¡°No, she¡¯s starting to trust me. I just need more time. I have to get her to let me into that room on my own. I have to find out what¡¯s in there that¡¯s calling to me! I¡¯m not risking an escape right now. I think I¡¯d be ok if I could sleep. After the solstice, we won¡¯t all be working every goddamn night, and I¡¯ll be able to sleep again. I won¡¯t have to take all the frost if I¡¯m allowed to sleep. I just have to get through the next two weeks.¡± He seemed to have been talking more to himself than to her, but his eyes, then his face snapped back to the fire in a movement so fast that it looked unnatural, that it scared Orenda. ¡°Don¡¯t let him get you alone, that Quiroris guy. Don¡¯t go into his apartments alone. Don¡¯t trust any of those earth elves, Rendy. But do try to get closer to the Glenlen kid. That¡¯s the only kid she talks about, so I think he¡¯s the only one she has. You might be the one who has to kill him.¡±


    This information hit Orenda particularly hard. She had never really considered Tolith a bad person or a liability. And he was in the same class she was, so he couldn¡¯t be more than a year older than her.


    ¡°We follow the path or order,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°We don¡¯t kill children.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah,¡± he admitted, ¡°You¡¯re right, Rendy, you¡¯re right. I can¡¯t think straight. I¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m as strong as I thought I was. Bubbider told me to pull out, too. But I can¡¯t. I just¡­ I just have to be stronger. I can do this. I just have to wear her down. Look, I need to go. You¡¯re doing a great job. I gotta get back in there before he wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Captain Liatumal,¡± Ali explained, ¡°He¡¯s in charge of a ship for the Urilian navy that we know has been used to transport slaves. I¡¯m actually glad I was assigned to him. I need to get back. I¡¯m working.¡±


    ¡°Happy Solstice, Ali,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he laughed, but there was no mirth in it, and it frightened Orenda, ¡°Yeah, Happy Solstice, kid. Goodnight.¡±


    Orenda waved her hand, the connection broke, and Ali was gone.

 Chapter 30

    Orenda could not get the image of Ali¡¯s strained face out of her mind. It rested behind her eyes as she tried to sleep, and when the sun peaked in through the window, she thought that she may as well stop pretending to sleep and go about her day. When she went to the basin to do her morning routine, she saw the dark circles under her eyes, the red in her scalara, and thought of how much worse he had looked than her.


    She had to talk to Bubbider.


    She even had a decent excuse, as it had been about a week since her last bath, and so far none of the adults had begrudged her bathing in the laundry room. She imagined that they understood why it would be difficult for her to go back to the bathhouse. As she entered the place the smell hit her, a smell she quite enjoyed of soap and light florals, of the herbs and steaming water. She carried with her a fresh change of clothes and her bathing basket, and was happy to see Bubbider there, not working, as her duties were centered around the kitchen, but simply waiting.


    ¡°Happy Solstice,¡± She said when she saw Orenda, but her heart wasn¡¯t in it, and she looked worried.


    ¡°Happy Solstice,¡± Orenda told her, though it was twelve days away. Orenda saw no reason to conceal her concern and went one, ¡°You spoke to Ali?¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t doing well,¡± Bubbider took a bucket into the garden behind the open-air laundry room and began to pump. Orenda sat her change of clothes on a shelf against the wall and followed her.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, ¡°He isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped,¡± Bubbider said, and picked up the bucket to take back inside, to fill a tub for Orenda.


    ¡°Let me do that,¡± Orenda told her, but Bubbider brushed her aside.


    ¡°I need to do things, Rendy,¡± She said, ¡°I need to keep busy.¡±


    Orenda understood that.


    ¡°Also,¡± Bubbider went on as she dumped the bucket into the washtub and went back to refill it, ¡°I have to ask that you stop giving me books. I¡¯ve run out of places to hide them, and as I¡¯m not allowed in the library anymore, I can¡¯t find inconspicuous places to get rid of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda rubbed her hands up her arms, ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound cross,¡± Bubbider apologized, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ things are getting more difficult, lately. It feels as if something has changed, but nothing has.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed.


    They were both silent as Bubbider emptied the second bucket.


    ¡°When we did prep this morning, for breakfast,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°We sent two covered trays to the headmaster¡¯s apartments. Is he expecting someone?¡±


    ¡°He wanted me to start taking meals with him,¡± Orenda told her, suspecting that she already knew. ¡°Ali told me that I shouldn¡¯t. That I shouldn¡¯t be alone with him.¡±


    ¡°Ali is¡­ blinded by his own¡­ issues,¡± Bubbider said slowly as she refilled the bucket again. ¡°Quiroris knows a lot of important people, Orenda. All the nobility on the colony send their children here. It would¡­ do us well to get on his good side.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Orenda said, thinking she was hiding something.


    ¡°You should be more kind to him,¡± Bubbider told her, ¡°you could learn a great deal if you get him to trust you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both trying very hard not to say something,¡± Orenda told her.


    Bubbider paused after she had dumped the third bucket and looked at Orenda as if she was studying her, as if she was trying to discover something.


    ¡°The headmaster has,¡± She said slowly, choosing her words with care, ¡°that is, he seems to have¡­ taken a liking to you.¡±


    ¡°He was there,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°He was a soldier, during the war against the fire elves. He helped wipe fire mages from the planet.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he feels guilty,¡± Bubbider said as Orenda began to undress and stepped into the washtub. ¡°I think Ali is wrong. I think you should try to get closer to him. Sometimes we, that is, the Knights, all of us, must¡­ give up a little comfort, for the cause.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said as the water around her began to simmer. She picked up a bucket, filled it, and dumped it over her head so that she could wash her hair.


    ¡°They say,¡± Bubbider said, looking out onto the garden, ¡°That the white rabbit himself was once a pleasure slave.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± Orenda admitted.


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s for the best,¡± Bubbider dumped the last bucket into the washtub over Orenda¡¯s head and made her way out of the room, effectively ending the conversation.


    It was around noon when Orenda made her way to Quiroris¡¯s office, clutching the book he had been so desperate to get, yet had not stolen. She knocked loudly, and was immediately answered.


    ¡°Come in!¡± he called, and Orenda let herself inside.


    It was strange to see him outside of his mage robes, and she realized that she had never seen him dressed casually before, in a normal outfit. The button up shirt he wore was rolled up at the sleeves, presumably not to get in his way as he watered the numerous plants that she remembered were everywhere inside the office, so that made practical sense, but his long hair had been pulled into a bun at the top of his head, and without the braid around his forehead she saw that his roots were undeniably grey. He wasn¡¯t wearing boots indoors, and the casualness of it all unnerved her.


    ¡°Oh, Orenda,¡± He seemed happy to see her, and a little startled as his eyes darted to the clock above his desk, ¡°Oh, you must be starving. I¡¯ll ring for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Your hair looks awful,¡± Orenda said, because she could not stop herself. It was true, but she instantly regretted it. Something about Quiroris just put her on edge, made her aggressive.


    ¡°You know, Orenda,¡± he sighed as he walked into the hall and tugged a string that caused the ringing she often heard, ¡°There¡¯s being right and there¡¯s being nice. Honestly¡­¡± He walked back into the room, went to the door that Orenda had never seen opened, and stepped into what seemed to be a little foyer with a mirror on the wall and another shelf full of plants. He studied himself in the mirror and grimaced.


    ¡°Just because something is obviously, painfully true,¡± he said to her, ¡°Does not mean that you should say it.¡±


    ¡°I thought you may not know,¡± Orenda lied.


    ¡°I have an appointment,¡± he said defensively, ¡°I have to attend a party and I want to be presentable.¡±


    ¡°What party?¡± Orenda asked as she hovered on the other side of the desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m in a position where I can¡¯t refuse invitations,¡± Quiroris said as if it was an inconvenience, ¡°I have to go to Lady Glenlen¡¯s solstice party at least once during the season. I have clients I need to socialize with. You¡¯ll learn more about it in etiquette classes. Life as an adult is a constant¡­ job.¡± He smiled at her and asked, ¡°Are you a vampire, afraid to come inside a place? You¡¯ve already been invited.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He walked further into his apartments, and Orenda followed him.


    She instantly hated it.


    The foyer opened into a living area that spoke of opulence. All the furniture was meticulously cared for antiques, and Orenda knew instinctively that he did none of the care himself. Her mind instantly called up images of humans on their hands and knees rolling up his precious rugs to lug down the many flights of stairs to beat and scrub, then lug back up again. She thought of all the heavy wooden furniture that would need to be moved to do so.


    She imagined that it had to be done frequently, because the entire place smelled of dirt- not the kind of dirt associated with filth, but the living, earthy smell of dirt that housed the plants that sat on every available surface.


    ¡°This is my sitting room,¡± he said, sliding large, double doors open that folded into the wall, ¡°And this is my dining room.¡±


    It was smaller than Orenda had anticipated, but the table inside took up most of it, with just enough room left for a small serving bar to the right hand side. Windows lined the opposite wall, looking out over the city, and because they were in a tower, Orenda could see the ocean stretching away into nothingness.


    ¡°All of your furniture is quite thick wood,¡± Orenda told him as she took a seat at the foot of the table.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said proudly, ¡°I had it shipped from the capital after I took my position here.¡±


    ¡°It looks so flammable,¡± She said, because she could not stop saying things like that.


    ¡°I imagine it is,¡± he huffed, ¡°So be very careful. We wouldn¡¯t want another accident.¡±


    ¡°Do you live alone here, Felaern?¡± Orenda asked, looking out at the vast city and thinking of all the people in it.


    ¡°Right now, yes,¡± He answered, leaning against a window frame and gazing out as well.


    ¡°Does someone stay with you?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°When everyone isn¡¯t on holiday?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± he shook his head and turned to look at her, ¡°Time flows differently the longer you live, Orenda. I meant¡­ not for years. A year is a short time when you¡¯ve lived for centuries. I imagine at your age it feels very long.¡±


    ¡°All time is long,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°A month can be forever and a day.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t notice the months flying by,¡± Quiroris sighed, ¡°I miss that.¡±


    ¡°I imagine you aren¡¯t bored enough, then,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Perhaps you should sit in on one of Professor Gilynore¡¯s lectures on the subject of royal genealogy.¡±


    Quiroris laughed, and Orenda thought it held real mirth. She was going to tell him that she didn¡¯t like the sound of it, but the door opened, and two humans came in carrying trays that were completely loaded down. Orenda admired them, particularly the male whose name she couldn¡¯t remember, because he carried one on each arm, a covered tray and a coffee tray, with so much expertise that he made it look effortless.


    They waited for Quiroris to sit, and Orenda was shocked when he took the seat to her right instead of, as she had expected, the head of the table. The male human stood behind and to his left, and slid the covered tray in front of Quiroris with what Orenda thought was some sort of gymnastic magic. Jenny did the same for her, and as the male human was setting up other tray he carried, distributing place settings that Orenda noticed always came in from the left and went away from the right, Orenda spoke.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said to them.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°That will be all, I¡¯ll serve myself.¡±


    They both gave the strange little bow that made Orenda¡¯s blood boil and left the way they had come.


    ¡°I had them bring coffee, rather than tea,¡± Quiroris told her as he poured it, ¡°Which is not typically served with lunch, but I was told you prefer it.¡±


    ¡°I usually just drink water,¡± Orenda told him, and laid her book flat on her lap.


    ¡°Well,¡± He said, ¡°Normally one would drink wine with food and take coffee or tea with desert, so we¡¯re playing a bit fast and loose with the rules. Which I suppose, in hindsight, I shouldn¡¯t have done, because you¡¯re still trying to learn. It¡¯s so easy to forget how young you are, Orenda¡­ you speak like an adult. And you¡¯re so mature for your age, physically.¡±


    ¡°I think fire elves are just bigger,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I daresay I¡¯ll tower over you when I finish growing.¡±


    ¡°You may, at that,¡± He said as he dropped the sugar into her coffee and began to stir.


    ¡°Do you remember?¡± Orenda asked, cautiously, ¡°Were they, that is, were we, tall?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± He said softly, ¡°I would say that fire elves were probably the most¡­ that is, they were known for their stature.¡±


    ¡°All the doors in this building,¡± Orenda thought aloud, ¡°Look as if they were made for people taller than the people who use them. The windows are situated high on the walls.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very observant,¡± Quiroris said with a tinge of negativity to his voice that put Orenda on edge.


    ¡°Was it already here?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very old building,¡± Quiroris explained, ¡°We¡¯ve had to do some renovations, make some changes, but yes, the bones were here when I arrived. This whole place used to be¡­ I think that if one has an eye for architecture, as you seem to have, you can tell the new growth from the old. These apartments, for example, used to be one open area. I had the walls separating the sitting room, dining room, and bedroom installed. There wasn¡¯t a lot of room, so the masons suggested those doors that slide inward.¡±


    Now that she knew what she was looking for, Orenda could see that.


    She also knew that she was living in a building that had been created by fire elves. She had more of a right to be here than any of the other students.


    ¡°Are you still thinking of piercing your ears?¡± Quiroris asked her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said with no elaboration.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll let me get presentable,¡± He broke his muffin into smaller and smaller chunks, and only stuck them into his mouth when they were bitesized, which annoyed Orenda to no end, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to a professional.¡±


    ¡°I think I would enjoy that,¡± Orenda said as she took a large bite of her muffin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard,¡± he said, cautiously, ¡°That you didn¡¯t go to the solstice dance.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I learned that it was improper for a young lady to go by herself.¡±


    ¡°I find it difficult to believe that no gentleman called on you if they¡¯re giving you gifts,¡± Quiroris said.


    ¡°I find it difficult to believe that you can eat in the same room with all these plants,¡± Orenda huffed, ¡°Don¡¯t you get bugs? I would think you would get bugs!¡±


    ¡°I like plants,¡± Quiroris defended, ¡°I like my home to be bursting with life. A good earth mage can speak to plants.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Earth mages,¡± Orenda drained the last of her coffee, ¡°I took your advice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m skeptical of that claim,¡± Quiroris said as if he was annoyed with her, sounding much more like the frightening man he sometimes became, but Orenda pressed on.


    ¡°I looked up the rest of your military unit,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, and took a long sip of his coffee.


    ¡°Yes, and I found the man you told me to look into,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Tolimar Sambress.¡±


    ¡°I should have never said that,¡± Quiroris sat his cup down and stared into it.


    ¡°What does the abbreviation ¡°MIA¡± mean?¡± Orenda asked.


    Quiroris stuck another piece of his muffin into his mouth, and Orenda thought that they were having brunch rather than a true lunch. She wondered if he had eaten breakfast. He chewed slowly, and she thought he was hoping she would get bored and change the subject.


    ¡°It means that there was not enough left to recover,¡± He said at length, ¡°technically it means ¡®Missing In Action¡¯ but we joked that it meant ¡®Maim Incinerate Amputate¡¯. It means that by the time the Emerald Knight was finished with you,¡± He tapped his fork against his plate, and Orenda watched his eyes glaze over. He seemed to be somewhere else, perhaps in a memory, far away, ¡°There was not enough left to identify the body. There was not enough left to bury. They had nothing to send home to your family. He could¡­ There are no teeth, there are no bones, he would just¡­ it was just a red and pink pulp¡­ just a stain.¡±


    His hands began to shake and Orenda watched him drop his fork, ¡°Maury didn¡¯t even want to¡­ it was his sister, his stupid¡­¡± his eyes weren¡¯t closed, but Orenda knew he couldn¡¯t see her as he stared in the direction of the plants on the wall, ¡°He was¡­ he was strong, he was just¡­ when he attacked us, when he attacked me, I¡­ I really couldn¡¯t breath. I really couldn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t pretending, none of us were, he hit us with that poison and¡­ we weren¡¯t helping him, but they¡­¡±


    ¡°His sister?¡± Orenda asked, and she watched the unsettling, unreal way that Quiroris¡¯s eyes snapped back into place. They stopped shaking and turned, focused on her with real clarity, and he threw a hand over his mouth.


    ¡°Orenda I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he said, looking as if he had done something awful, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, it¡¯s just I haven¡¯t¡­ I haven¡¯t really seen a fire mage since¡­ you look so much like them, and¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of the Emerald Knight,¡± Orenda said as if it was a matter of fact.


    ¡°Anyone with any sense is afraid of the Emerald Knight,¡± Quiroris said quietly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve frightened you, Orenda.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not frightened,¡± Orenda assured him, because she wasn¡¯t. This story meant nothing to her, and she doubted that it was true.


    ¡°You finish your lunch,¡± He told her as he stood, ¡°I¡¯m going to get ready and then we¡¯ll have a nice afternoon in town, alright?¡±


    He gave her no time to respond as he walked back into the sitting room.

 Chapter 31

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, Felaern,¡± Orenda said as they walked together toward town, ¡°About this book.¡±


    ¡°I suspected as much,¡± he said, keeping time with his walking stick against the stones of the pavement, ¡°Because you¡¯ve been carrying it with you.  But I didn¡¯t want to press my luck.¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to take it to a print shop,¡± Orenda continued, ¡°And I see no reason not to have a copy made.¡±


    ¡°That takes a long time,¡± Quiroris told her, ¡°They have to make a reproduction, and I would say that they¡¯ll be busy this time of year.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯d like you to know that I¡¯ve made up my mind.  I¡¯d like to allow you to make a copy.¡±


    He looked anywhere but at her as he thought, and they walked a few more paces in silence.


    ¡°That means a lot to me,¡± he said, quietly, ¡°Perhaps if I pay extra they would be willing to put me ahead of other clients.  Do you mind if we stop there first?¡±


    ¡°I think I would prefer it,¡± Orenda answered, and wondered if the headmaster was blushing.  His face had turned a shade pinker than it normally was, but he had been in a strange state since he had told the story about the Emerald Knight beating Tolimaur to a pulp, which Orenda still believed was probably half-remembered fantasy.


    ¡°Lovely,¡± he said and winced.  They had turned a corner and heard the shouting.


    ¡°The false prophet,¡± the crazy man was explaining again, ¡°Wants you to believe that she holds the power of the sacred sword!  She has never made a public appearance with it! The pedestal sits empty in the capital! Xandra does not possess the sword! Xandra is not the chosen child of Thesis!¡±


    ¡°You would think the city guards would do something about that,¡± Quiroris said as he wrapped one arm around Orenda and protectively led her around the man as he continued to scream his warnings.  ¡°Don¡¯t make eye contact.¡±


    ¡°The Chosen One lives!¡± The madman asserted to the crowd that ignored him, ¡°The Chosen Avatar of Thesis walks among mortals!  They will judge us for our acquiescence! The hand of Thesis shall smite those who believe the false prophet! We are being tested!¡±


    He shoved a flier into Quiroris¡¯s face, and Quiroris tossed it to the ground with the others that already littered the area around the madman.


    ¡°Right in the square,¡± he huffed as he guided Orenda into a shop, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, Orenda, it did not use to be this bad.  This was once a respectable place. That kind of treason would not have been tolerated.


    Orenda quite liked the place they had entered.  It smelled like ink, paper, and heat, and there was a sound of crunching machinery that reminded her of the workhouse.  She didn¡¯t know why she enjoyed the memory, because she hadn¡¯t enjoyed her time there. A human woman stood behind a desk, and Orenda could see a large, open space behind her where several earth elves, some younger than she was, worked quickly on machinery that she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Quiroris said pleasantly as Orenda wandered off to look at the posters that covered the walls, serving as testimates to the quality of the services offered.


    ¡°Happy solstice, sir!¡± She said.


    ¡°I need a copy made of an important book,¡± Quiroris told her, ¡°I should like to speak to Lady Kearie, please.  It¡¯s important, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be interested in it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Headmaster Quiroris,¡± the woman said, and Orenda wondered how much business he did there as a particular poster caught her eye.


    It wasn¡¯t on the wall, like the others.  She had wandered back to Quiroris¡¯s side and noticed it buried in a stack of papers on the desk.  It wouldn¡¯t have caught her attention at all, except she recognized the strange machine by its uniqueness.  She could only see the slightest corner, and didn¡¯t want to call attention to it, but she was absolutely sure that it was the symbol that she had seen beside Gareth¡¯s signature and painted on the side of the wall the night she had come to the school.  She knew that if she lifted the papers and looked at it fully, she would see the words, ¡°Follow the white rabbit¡±.


    She stared at it, trying to figure out what to do with this information, when a pleasant earth elf woman appeared, smiled, and said, ¡°Oh, Happy Solstice Felaern!¡±


    ¡°Happy Solstice, Spring,¡± he said with a smile that Orenda didn¡¯t like because he seemed genuinely happy.  ¡°You¡¯re not going to believe what I¡¯ve come across. I wouldn¡¯t trust anyone else with it, and I need a quick turn around because it¡¯s being borrowed.¡±  He motioned to Orenda and went on, ¡°This is Orenda Nochdifache, a student of mine. She¡¯s in a unique position.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Happy Solstice, Orenda!¡± The woman said.


    ¡°Happy Solstice,¡± Orenda said back, thinking of the best way to feel out the situation.  ¡°I quite like your shop.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± The woman said, and left it at that.


    ¡°Orenda, show her the book you¡­  found,¡± Quiroris said, trying to hide his excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite protective of this,¡± Orenda explained as she set it on the counter, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lend it to just anyone.¡±


    The woman stared at the cover, then reached under the counter and put on a pair of gloves.  She opened the book carefully and turned the pages slowly. Orenda saw recognition flicker over her eyes, but she hid it well, and Orenda thought that if she hadn¡¯t known what to look for, she wouldn¡¯t have seen it at all.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°It is,¡± the woman said, ¡°I would¡­  be remiss to say that I could copy something like this quickly.  The illustrations could take years to replicate properly. It has quite a few of them.¡±


    ¡°Years?¡± Quiroris asked, obviously taken aback, ¡°Do you think you could replicate just the text then?  A little faster.¡±


    ¡°I would rather do it justice,¡± Spring said, turning the pages slowly and taking them in, ¡°This is a rare find, Felaern.¡±


    ¡°Do you often make posters?¡± Orenda asked, trying to sound like a curious child.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Spring answered, ¡°We make prints of many kinds.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any of animals?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°I don¡¯t have many decorations, for my room at the academy.¡±


    ¡°What is your favorite animal?¡± Spring asked with a voice lighter than her intentions.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Orenda answered, ¡°What would you recommend?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m partial to rabbits,¡± Spring answered, looking into Orenda¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I like rabbits,¡± Orenda said, ¡°particularly the white ones.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°Like they sell at the Eishtar festival?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Spring said, ¡°Miss, if you would let me borrow this book, I would be willing to do a follow-up job, for free.  Or perhaps I could do it first, today, while you wait. Then I could follow it up, with the book.¡± She nodded, and looked back at the book, ¡°Yes, I could follow the white rabbit.¡±


    ¡°That sounds lovely,¡± Orenda agreed.


    ¡°Really?¡± Quiroris said skeptically, ¡°You would be willing to leave it here, Orenda?¡±


    ¡°It seems a rather safe place,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And I imagine I could come and check in on it.  It¡¯s within walking distance of the school.¡±


    ¡°That sounds perfect!¡± Quiroris said with genuine excitement, ¡°This means so much to me, Orenda. Thank you.  It¡¯s so nice to see you finally building some trust.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get started on your poster,¡± Spring said, writing something out, ¡°Here, Orenda, take this receipt for your book.  Bring it with you when you come to check on it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said as she took the folded paper and stuck it in her pocket.


    ¡°Will it take long?¡± Quiroris asked, ¡°I was going to take the young lady to get her ears pierced.  We may pick it up on our way back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, of course,¡± Spring replied, ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t want to wait, that would be fine.¡±


    ¡°Lovely.  I would say that we will return within the hour,¡± Quiroris smiled, ¡°Come along, Orenda.¡±


    ¡°It was nice meeting you, mam,¡± Orenda told Spring, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other.¡±


    She turned and followed Quiroris out of the shop, and he instantly put a hand on her shoulder to lead her away from the madman still yelling on the street.


    ¡°Honestly,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s the solstice, there¡¯s a crowd about!  You would think someone would do something!¡± He made a disgusted sound, then continued, ¡°Orenda, thank you so much.  I would like to learn all I can about the lost culture of the fire elves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve made that clear,¡± Orenda told him and tried very hard to fight the urge to shrug his hand away.


    ¡°There¡¯s a nice jeweler''s shop that does wonderful piercing work,¡± he pointed down the street, ¡°I think you¡¯ll enjoy the experience.  It really doesn¡¯t hurt very much at all. But, I would caution against getting the piercing with the earrings you have. If they were a gift, they were probably a precious metal.  You need something like steel to begin with.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t any money for new earrings,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°again, Felaern, someone took all of my money.¡±


    ¡°I told you I would pay for it, Orenda,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t particularly like taking charity,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I think that we¡¯ve already established,¡± Quiroris began, and Orenda felt his hand tighten on her shoulder, ¡°that I am repaying a debt.¡±


    Orenda did not like being put in the position he had placed her in.  She was not a stand-in for all fire elves, and certainly not a way to rectify whatever horrible things he had done.  She did not exist to ease his conscious. But, Bubbider was right, and she needed to get all the information she could out of him.  She needed to gain his trust.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°You can ask me anything,¡± he replied, ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll have the answer, but you can ask me anything.¡±


    ¡°Who was Tolimaur¡¯s sister?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Back at your home, you said that he hadn¡¯t wanted to desert, that he had been listening to his sister.¡±


    Quiroris took a deep breath and seemed to be considering his options.  They were outside the shop he had pointed to earlier, and he stared at the sign for some time instead of answering.


    Finally, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about Sokomaur.  Let¡¯s get you adorned, alright? Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s have a fun trip.¡±


    Orenda stared up at him, and when he entered the shop, she followed.

 Chapter 32

    Orenda hung the poster of the rabbit on her wardrobe and surveyed it for hidden meanings. It seemed rather innocuous, in that it was a normal rabbit, fat and fluffy, standing in a field being adorable. Behind the field was a vast ocean, stretching off into the horizon. For flavor, there was a silhouette of a ship against the sunset, or perhaps sunrise, it was difficult to tell with a still image. She eventually had to admit that there was nothing to be gained from studying the poster, and realized that she had been absentmindedly twisting the studs in her ears. She was supposed to do this, and it was an easy habit to fall into.


    She sat down on the bed and took out the receipt.


    It was much more interesting than the poster.


    I don¡¯t have much I can tell you, but I follow the path of order. I¡¯ll try to help in any way I can. Quiroris is not one of us. Say nothing, and write nothing down. Burn this and I will give you a new receipt. I know you can. It is nice to see another fire mage.


    It was so little, but it was the best solstice gift she could have possibly gotten.


    There is a saying, ¡°Nothing to write home about¡±. This saying meant little to Orenda, because she had no one to write, and no home to write to. But it applied to her nonetheless, as her life turned to routine, and the stagnation that she had feared began to eat away at her, wearing her sanity to threads.


    She had said that a month was forever and a day. A year was torture. Time passed, and she hated it. She rarely spoke to Ali, but when she did, it was obvious that his health was in decline, and his mind had gone with it. He spoke of nothing but the voice, the voice in Lady Glenlen¡¯s room, while his eyes grew more sunken and jittery, while his soothing voice became course, while his thoughts became more jumbled. When Orenda asked him when he had last spoken to his mother, he could not remember. When she asked him what information he had gleaned from his mission, he had to stop, collect himself, and remember that he had a mission. Orenda told him that he needed to scry his mother and request an extraction. He needed to leave. He was going to die in that place.


    She spoke to Bubidder about it, but Bubbider did not know Ali¡¯s mother. The Knights of Order were a secret, and communication was limited. Orenda felt herself going mad within the confines of the school. She felt the overpowering normalcy of it all, a mockery of safety in a world of madness. None of the people there seemed to understand the world as it really was, a place of fear, of pain, of exploitation, of genocide.


    Orenda may really be the last of her people. And she was rotting away, for years, in a place that felt more like a prison than a school.


    Spring was true to her word in that she knew nothing, but she was, at least, someone who trusted Orenda explicitly. Orenda did not return the favor. She did not ask Spring about Ali or his mother. When she retrieved her book she learned that the graphitti had been painted over, and the guards were getting more dangerous. They were, as Spring relayed, raiding sagehouses. Orenda needed to stay low, to stay quiet.


    Four terrible, insufferable years passed in that hell. Orenda felt every second of it, and she seemed to grow no closer to her goal. She came to hate Quiroris with a fire fueled by his mystery, his determination that he was somehow protecting her, or somehow doing right by her, or that he had any right to seek redemption at all for the things he would not tell her he had done.


    Ali had been right about one thing. She was going to be the one who would have to kill Tolith.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he said as he stepped on her dress and she hissed at him. ¡°Sorry, sorry, let me find the music.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Orenda rolled her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s a four four measure. You¡¯re a nobleman.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it, Rendy,¡± he hissed back, and under his breath said, ¡°One two three and four, one two three and four.¡± He led them clumsily around the ballroom, and Orenda felt herself heating up.


    ¡°Getting hot, Rendy,¡± he warned.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to set you ablaze,¡± she threatened, and he giggled despite her complete seriousness.


    ¡°Well you lead then,¡± he told her, ¡°If you¡¯re so good at it. Seriously, stop with the fire shield, it¡¯s singing my gloves.¡±


    ¡°Your gloves are awful,¡± She told him, ¡°Green looks terrible on you.¡±


    ¡°The whole outfit looks terrible on me,¡± he sighed, ¡°But it looks worse on you. You should be in red.¡±


    ¡°You should learn how to dance!¡± She snapped.


    ¡°Lord GlenLen,¡± Professor Erakas put a hand on each of his shoulders, then slid them down to his hands, ¡°Lady¡¯s waist, lady¡¯s hands level with your chin. Do you remember the steps?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Please do it right at least once,¡± he instructed, ¡°Less talking. And if you are going to talk, please remember your civility. Try again.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± he said, then under his breath, ¡°One, two, three and four,¡± he stepped backwards, and Orenda followed him thinking of how terribly he was doing.


    ¡°I¡¯m in hell,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°this is a nightmare scenario.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Tolith agreed, ¡°I can smell the brimstone.¡±


    ¡°Civility!¡± Erakas snapped his fingers in time with the band.


    Orenda looked over her shoulder and saw Kassie dancing with a boy one couple over. Kassie noticed her and waved frantically, then realized what she was doing and fell back into step.


    ¡°Do you see them?¡± Orenda asked Tolith, ¡°The way they move with the music?¡±


    ¡°One, two, three,¡± Tolith said, and Orenda heated the hand holding his until he let out a gasp of pain.


    ¡°Stop counting!¡± She hissed.


    ¡°That like, actually hurt,¡± he said, sounding as if his pride had been wounded.


    ¡°I hate this class,¡± Orenda whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault!¡± Tolith snapped back, and Orenda noticed that he was so concerned with the pain that he had actually fallen into step properly.


    ¡°There, just do that,¡± Orenda rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°Hey Rendy,¡± He asked as they spun, ¡°tomorrow¡¯s the free day. You wanna go get something to eat? I¡¯m paying.¡±


    ¡°You would have to,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°is anyone else going?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, yeah,¡± he said, ¡°yeah, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Shelly¡¯s not my girlfriend, Rendy,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°I imagine she¡¯d become enraged,¡± Orenda said, ¡°If she heard you say that.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not, though,¡± he pressed, ¡°I just go to dances and stuff with her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But I could not care less about this conversation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he agreed, ¡°You get bored easily. You¡¯ve always gotten bored easily.¡±


    They spun in silence for a few seconds before he asked, ¡°Rendy?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember, when we were little, and you told Kassie you were a princess, and she told everyone else, and there was a whole rumor around the school that a fire elf princess had burned down the bathhouse and just¡­ all that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda huffed, ¡°It isn¡¯t exactly the sort of thing one forgets.¡±


    ¡°I think,¡± Tolith pursed his lips and began again, ¡°I think, sometimes¡­ that you are a princess, and I am an adventurer.¡±


    ¡°People like to think a great many things that aren¡¯t true,¡± Orenda shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not what I mean,¡± he said, ¡°I mean that¡­ some people just exude like¡­ there are different kind of people, Rendy. And sometimes you can look at people, and you can tell that they¡¯re supposed to be leaders. Some people have a divine right to rule. And you can look at other people, and you can tell that they¡¯re supposed to travel. Some people have a wanderlust. Some people are just meant to do certain things.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°How fatalistic,¡± Orenda mused. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that.¡±


    ¡°Well I do,¡± he said, and after a beat asked, ¡°can we just go? Like, just the two of us? I don¡¯t want to hang out with Shelly.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°would you like my opinion on which engagement ring you should buy?¡±


    ¡°I need to get away,¡± he said, ¡°and I¡¯m not supposed to travel without bodyguards. I think if I sneak out, just the two of us, I¡¯ll have a better chance than if I tried to go in a group.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Yes, I imagine that is quite stifling. How about a late dinner then, instead of lunch? Cover of darkness is always good for sneaking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± He agreed.


    ¡°Volume, Lord Glenlen!¡± Erakas called.


    Orenda found herself standing in the square, watching the sky turn orange as the sun set beyond the buildings, meeting the ocean. She liked the sky better when it wasn¡¯t blue, at this time of day. The madman was on his normal post, shouting into the crowd that ignored him, and Orenda was considering walking up to him to take one his fliers, when a man in a traveling cloak approached her.


    ¡°I ditched my guards!¡± Tolith said in a voice that implied he was quite proud of himself. He threw back the hood and Orenda pulled it back up.


    ¡°You¡¯re not particularly good at disguises, are you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean, Rendy,¡± he huffed, ¡°we both need a break.¡±


    ¡°I think everyone needs a break,¡± Orenda leaned against the building and motioned to the crowd, ¡°Look at them, Toli. Just wandering about as if they¡¯re made of clockwork and set upon a path. I wonder if it¡¯s the same, every day? I wonder if they go through the same motions, do the same things?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has given up on their dreams,¡± Tolith agreed and leaned next to her, ¡°I understand. It breaks my heart. There¡¯s so much more to the world, Rendy. There¡¯s an ocean only a few blocks away. There¡¯s a mountain range behind us. Do you know how little we actually know of the world? How much of it is unexplored?¡±


    ¡°Where would you like to go?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°The dream,¡± Tolith said with a far away look in his eyes, ¡°would be to chart the frozen north. They say that that¡¯s where the Crystal City lies. When Morgani Magnus betrayed Thesis elves were forbidden to enter, and the location was lost. But I¡¯ve been studying the sacred texts, and I believe it lies at the top of the world, in the frozen wastes. No one who has ever gone looking for it has come back, but I believe I could be the first.¡±


    ¡°I mean for dinner,¡± Orenda clarified, ¡°I was promised food.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Tolith jumped up, ¡°Actually, Rendy, I was thinking- do you think that we could sneak down to the docks? I¡¯ve never been allowed down there. It¡¯s not like it is here, it¡¯s a known hangout for what my mother called the ¡°dregs of society¡±. There will be people there like thieves, rough sailors, and pirates!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that you should go among ruffians, Lord Glenlen,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°You have such a delicate constitution.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I do,¡± he said, sounding insulted, ¡°Not deep down, not in my heart. I think that I¡¯ve never had to build up my constitution, because my parents have kept me trapped in civility my whole life. I¡¯m sixteen, Rendy! I¡¯m old enough to set out into the world on my own! I don¡¯t want to be trapped anymore.¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda sighed, ¡°You don¡¯t want to be one of them. You want to walk among them, eat their food, speak to them, and then to go home to your warm bed and your wealth. You wouldn¡¯t give it up.¡±


    ¡°I would,¡± he argued, ¡°I would give it all up in an instant, board a ship, and head off into the unknown.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you would,¡± Orenda argued back. ¡°The world is not a kind place for pretty boys with more ambition than sense.¡±


    She thought of Ali and how long it had been since she had spoken to him, and how terrible he looked. She was jerked, unceremoniously from these thoughts by a strange turn of events. A man in a tattered traveling cloak had walked slowly onto the public platform as they had been speaking, and Orenda, along with the rest of the crowd, jumped and turned at the loud sound of the cloak exploding. The man had tossed it high into the air, where it burst into flame and sent off sparks as if something inside of it had been enchanted.


    It was surreal the way the entire city fell silent, the way all the attention fell upon this man.


    Orenda¡¯s heart leapt from her chest.


    The man was dressed in the uniform of a Urilian Captain, but not in the green of the navy. His jacket and hat were a bright, fiery red. Long dreadlocks fell down his back and over his shoulders, the exact color of Orenda¡¯s own hair, and though she could not see his face, two pointed ears stuck out from either side of the mask he wore, the color of burnt umber.


    This man was a fire elf.


    This man was a fire elf, like Orenda, and a fire mage, who had set the cloak ablaze! For the first time in her life, Orenda knew that she was not alone! She wanted to run to him, to part the crowd and demand to know who he was and what he was doing there, but Tolith had a shockingly strong grip on her arm, and pinned her in place. She went to jerk away from him, but the man on the stage lowered the arms he had thrown into the air, waved one gloved hand over his mask, and spoke in a voice so booming and loud that it shook the square.


    ¡°Now that I have your attention,¡± the man said, and it echoed over the still crowd, ¡°I have come to request an audience with Lady Glenlen! I am Captain Nochdefache!¡±


    The crowd came alive at this announcement. Orenda saw more people crowding in, shoving Tolith and her into the middle of the street to make room as they packed in. It seemed that the entire city was there in an instant, and Orenda, being taller than most of them, made out their faces. She saw her roommates, arriving later than most, and teachers enough to desert the school. She saw Quiroris fighting his way through the crowd and toward the stage.


    She saw humans, sprinting from buildings or darting from alleyways, and she noticed Bubbider and her mother crowded behind a building they would have had to pass to leave the school, with a group of other humans, peeking their heads out to see the spectacle.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Captain Nochdifache asked, ¡°Send a courier! Have her meet me here! Don¡¯t you see me? Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    Orenda saw a battalion of soldiers in their immaculate uniforms, weapons drawn, shoving people out of their way as they barreled onto the stage. She heard Tolith as he spoke, quietly, and with great fear.


    ¡°Dad, no,¡± he said, ¡°Dad, no, please.¡±


    A man with Tolith¡¯s long blond hair stepped forward onto the stage and addressed Nochdifache.


    ¡°You claim to be the dread pirate Nochdifache?¡± He asked. ¡°The scourge of the seas?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Commander Glenlen!¡± The man turned to face him, waved a hand over the mask, and the expression changed to cheeky glee, ¡°I was hoping to speak to your wife- or, no, I suppose. Dreadfully sorry, old man, I heard tale of the divorce. It seems that she¡¯s a rather difficult woman to satisfy. Nice to see that she kept you on staff, at any rate. I know a lot of the nobles kill their pleasure slaves once they can get no more use from them.¡±


    Commander Glenlen shook so hard the staff in his hand began to glow. Orenda knew what it was like to become so overwhelmed with rage that one would cast out of instinct, and she watched as the ground in front of the stage split, cobblestones scattering into the crowd with so much force that she heard them connect with bone, and strong, thorny vines shot from the exposed soil. They grew quickly, and snared Nochdifache, then continued to grow, lifting him from the ground. They had wrapped him so completely that it was difficult to make out his shape, spreadeagled and pinned by thorns thicker than Orenda had ever seen. They had torn his clothing, and were contracting upon him.


    ¡°Did I hit a nerve?¡± Captain Nochdifache asked, ¡°Honestly, Glenlen, you¡¯re probably better off. Oh, I¡¯m so high! Look at that! I can see your son from here! Hello, Tolith!¡±


    Tolith¡¯s grip on Orenda¡¯s arm tightened, and he held it as he pushed his way forward screaming, ¡°Move! Move! Get out of my way! Dad! Dad, let him go, it¡¯s a trick!¡±


    Orenda found herself nearly upon the stage before Quiroris stepped in front of them and held Tolith with a hand on each of his shoulders.


    ¡°Be calm,¡± he told them, ¡°return to the school.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a fire elf!¡± Orenda snarled.


    ¡°I know,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°return to the school. We¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°He has my name!¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°Go!¡± Quiroris demanded.


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache,¡± Commander Glenlen spoke loudly, trying to be heard over the crowd, ¡°You are under arrest for-¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me guess,¡± Nochdifache said, ¡°I rather like guessing games. Treason is probably highest on that list, but were I writing it, I would have led with the murders. You people don¡¯t have your priorities straight. Then probably destruction of property, with a sprinkling of thievery.¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he bleeding?¡± One of the soldiers asked, ¡°This is unnatural. Something is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Captain Nochdifache announced, ¡°I have come peacefully to speak to Lady Glenlen! She is holding a dear friend of mine, Lapus Lazuli, captive! He is, like I am, a Knight of Order! He fought alongside Sokomaur Sambress, and escaped the Emerald Knight! Lady Glenlen is fucking with forces she doesn¡¯t understand! She will relinquish him at once, or she will suffer greatly!¡±


    ¡°You are under arrest for treason, murder, crimes against the church-¡± Glenlen began again, but Nochdifache cut him off.


    ¡°Honestly, Tiarus,¡± He laughed, ¡°I have twice faced the Emerald Knight! I have seen my entire world buried by a shimmering stream of lava! I have seen the mountains explode and take everything that I have ever cared about! I was there the night your pathetic drones followed your false god to spill sacred blood on sacred ground! I have seen the wrath of Thesis first hand! What the HELL do you think you can do that hasn¡¯t already been done to me!?¡±


    ¡°You are under arrest for-¡± Glenlen tried again, but was once again cut off.


    ¡°It is easy to catch the devil,¡± Nochdifache said, ¡°Almost impossible to keep him! You tell your dear ex that if she does not release Lapus, hell shall descend upon her! She will not survive it!¡± He laughed and turned his face skyward, ¡°Oh dear, look how beautiful the moons are tonight. I love a full moon, don¡¯t you? Of course, it is a rather trying time for my beloved. You know women, how difficult it can be during that time of the month.¡±


    The moons had, in fact, crested the horizon, and Orenda heard the long, mournful cry of a wolf.


    The crowd split as if it had been a vase that had shattered.


    ¡°Go,¡± Quiroris shoved Tolith, ¡°Go now!¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± Tolith shouted as a pyre of flame engulfed the platform.


    The soldiers stepped back from the heat as the vines that had imprisoned Nochdifache burned, tendrils of flame licking high into the night sky. Orenda watched the wood of the platform catch as Captain Nochdifache strode calmly and with purpose from the inferno he had created.


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache!¡± Orenda shouted as Quiroris grabbed both of the teens and began to run, pulling them with him in the direction of the schoolhouse. ¡°Captain Nochdifache!¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± Tolith cried with the same urgency, ¡°Dad! It¡¯s on fire! Dad! Are you alive!?¡±


    Orenda watched the burning platform collapse in bits and pieces, only what she could see through the crowd. She watched bodies being torn apart and the severed limbs careening into the crowd and past her. She saw a dark shape, much bigger than any human, running on all fours throw its head back, saw the blood glistening from its maw as it turned to the moons and let out another long howl. Orenda watched Captain Nochdifache hop onto the back of the monster as if it was the most natural thing in the world- and then they were in an alleyway, running back to the school, and her focus narrowed to Tolith running beside her taking his breaths in great sobs as tears rolled down his face.

 Chapter 33

    The chatter was incessant, and Orenda could not bear it, so she marched her way to Quiroris¡¯s office and meant to bang heavily upon the door, but two guards were standing outside of it.  This shocked her so badly that she didn¡¯t see it as any sort of impediment, that her mind elected to ignore their presence completely, and she was confused when she tried to walk between them and they pushed her back.


    She was even more confused when they exchanged glances and grabbed her.


    ¡°Have you gone mad?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°You need to go to your room,¡± one of the soldiers said in a voice filled with a kind of hate Orenda had never heard from an adult directed toward a teenager, ¡°And stay there until we come for you.¡±


    ¡°Felaern!¡± Orenda yelled at the closed door, ¡°I know you¡¯re in there, I can feel your magic signature!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± He yelled, and Orenda picked up the hidden fear in his voice.


    ¡°Felaern!¡± Orenda yelled, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Bring her in!  Let¡¯s be done with it!¡±  The voice was deep and undeniably feminine.


    One of the guards opened the door, and with his partner they handed Orenda to a second set of guards positioned just on the other side.  It seemed excessive to Orenda, but the interior of the office drew her attention so that she had to take in too much at once, too much sensory input, too much to process.


    Ali was there!  Ali was there, in the flesh, kneeling on the hardwood floor in a group of other boys, all wearing collars and jewels and looking at the ground with his head bowed, just as they all did.  His hands, as they all were, were folded neatly on his knees, and so much of his flesh was exposed that it made something in Orenda snap. His muscles were toned and his skin was clean, but his face was sunken, his eyes were huge and she imagined that the makeup was to make him look healthier than he was.  His eyes darted to her for only a fraction of a second, and she saw the red where there should be white.


    She knew what had happened to him.  Part of her had always known, but looking at him, at all of him, in the flesh and not hidden by flames brought it all to the surface.  Seeing him threw her into a rage, but he shook his head, and she tried to control her breathing, tried to control the temperature in the room.


    Tolith sat on the window seat surrounded by plants holding a staff that Orenda recognized as the same one she had seen his father use on the platform.  He was staring at it without seeing it. His eyes wouldn¡¯t focus on anything, and Orenda suspected that he wasn¡¯t with them right now.


    Quiroris stood in front of his desk, at his full height, looking as intimidating as Orenda had ever seen him, with most of his teachers behind him, staring at Orenda as if he was about to fly into a rage.  Before him stood a woman who looked almost exactly like Xadra did in her coins, posters, illustrations and the like. Her long blond hair had been partially pulled up into a bun, and her dress was the most beautiful that Orenda had ever seen.  This woman reminded her of a ghoul in her etherealness. Her hair seemed to move, even in the stillness of the room, and reminded Orenda of whiskers, reaching out, trying to feel for something.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°This is Lady Glenlen.  The leader of the colony, cousin to our great empress.¡±


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you, my grace,¡± Orenda said politely.


    ¡°She looks just like him,¡± Lady Glenlen said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never seen his face,¡± Quiroris argued, ¡°Orenda has nothing to do with Captain Nochdifache.¡±


    Tolith burst into tears.


    ¡°Your son is crying,¡± Orenda told Lady Glenlen, and the woman narrowed her eyes at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Tolith said, ¡°Rendy, I¡¯m sorry.  I didn¡¯t know, I¡­¡±


    ¡°He has a delicate constitution,¡± Lady Glenlen told Quiroris, ¡°I don¡¯t think it would do him well to finish his studies here.  It¡¯s simply too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Tolith shrieked, ¡°Mother, please!  Please! I want to stay! I¡¯ll graduate in four years!  That¡¯s nothing! Please!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s hysterical,¡± She spoke over him, calmly, as if she was used to ignoring him.


    He stood, ran to the guards, and pried Orenda away from them, moving much more quickly than Orenda would have ever thought him capable.  He had shocked her many times tonight.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± he whispered, ¡°We have to go.  We have to escape. They think you¡¯re a pirate.  They¡¯re gonna kill you.¡± He cupped her face as she looked down at him in disgust.  ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m gonna save you, and we¡¯re gonna escape. Everything is gonna be ok.¡±


    ¡°Has everyone gone mad?¡± Orenda asked loudly.


    ¡°Grief can cause emotions to run high,¡± Quiroris held out his hands in an ¡®everyone calm down¡¯ gesture, ¡°But I know that we can work something out.  Lady Glenlen, I reiterate my earlier reluctance to allow you to charge my student on familial grounds when no familial link has been established.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°What am I being accused of?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Be quiet, Orenda,¡± Quiroris instructed, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°This is obviously the child of Nochdifache,¡± Lady Glenlen said, ¡°They have the same name, the same build, the same hair, the same element-¡±


    ¡°None of that proves a familial link,¡± Quiroris argued, ¡°We have no documentation that they share a drop of blood.  I have raised this child myself for nearly five years. I ask that you trust my judgement. Orenda has never thought of treason!  She¡¯s a good student. She¡¯s a productive member of society. She¡¯s made friends and connections here. You¡¯re making a mistake based on little more than her element.  I implore you to reconsider.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being played, Felaern,¡± Lady Glenlen said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re losing your grip in your old age.  Where do you think she got that name, if not from her father?¡±


    ¡°At the workhouse,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°Which is where she was before I took her in.  She was dropped off there as an infant; I did my due diligence. She was named ¡®Nochidfache¡¯ because it was the only name the owner knew for a fire elf!  Her first name was the same way, Orenda Firefist is one of the few names that anyone remembers! And we both remember Orenda Firefist!¡±


    He said this as if it had some great meaning, something that Orenda did not understand, but thought had to do with the war.  Lady Glenlen had been ruling the colony since it was established, since the fire elves were overthrown.


    ¡°I can¡¯t lose this child, Urriceia,¡± he said quietly, leaning in, ¡°I can¡¯t.  I¡¯ll take full responsibility. Let me have this. I know you¡¯re upset. I understand.  But let me have this. I¡¯ve been a loyal servant for two centuries. Let me have this.¡±


    The room was silent for a long time.


    ¡°You take full responsibility?¡± Lady Glenlen eventually asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Quiroris said, instantly, ¡°Yes, for everything.  She¡¯s a child.¡±


    ¡°When this all blows up in your face, Felaern, I¡¯ll have you in for treason.  You¡¯ll go before Xandra. You¡¯ll go before the Emerald Knight.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll consent to it right now.¡±


    ¡°She is to be kept under lock and key,¡± Lady Glenlen said, ¡°I don¡¯t want her wandering my streets.  She¡¯s always to have an escort, any time she leaves the grounds.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Quiroris nodded.


    ¡°You secure a position for her somewhere in the outlands, when she graduates,¡± Lady Glenlen went on, ¡°I don¡¯t want her near my home, near my son.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Quiroris nodded again.


    ¡°Tolith will not be returning,¡± She turned and walked to him, pried him away from Orenda, and he began to cry again, in mourning, in frustration, in an impotent rage.  ¡°This is too much for him. I should have never given in. I thought that it would be safer if we were apart, but now I see that I need to keep him by my side, to protect him.¡±


    ¡°Mother, please,¡± he begged, ¡°I want to finish!  I want to go to school! I don¡¯t want to leave.¡±


    ¡°Tolith,¡± She said like a woman who was running out of patience, ¡°I understand that it is difficult for teenagers to control their emotions, but it has been a very trying night and I will not be expected to put up with fits.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not having a fit!¡± he screamed like someone having a fit, ¡°I¡¯m not an emotional teenager angsting out!  My father is dead! Because he left his post, because he wanted to make up with you, and you put him to work!  Let go of me! I have a right to feel like this!¡±


    Orenda was standing far too close to this family with far too little stake in the complete nervous breakdown that she sensed was about to happen in front of her, and began to slowly back away in the direction of Quiroris¡¯s desk.  She kept glancing to Ali, but he was staring at the floor once again in formation with the rest of his group. Orenda wondered why the hell Lady Glenlen had brought her pleasure slaves to pick up her son, and focused on them rather than the fight that had broken out between Tolith and his mother.


    ¡°Tiarus put in the request himself,¡± Lady Glenlen hissed at a volume that she seemed to believe no one could hear, ¡°I am not responsible for his foolishness.  He¡¯s still technically Commander of the outlands so congratulations, Tolith, you are a Viscount. I will not have you blame me for his death.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going home!¡± Tolith shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not going back with you.¡±


    Orenda noticed that everyone was trying as hard as she was to pretend that this fight was not happening.  She watched the motionless group of human men, and thought that perhaps they were meant to function as bodyguards.  They all looked much stronger than a normal human, and she remembered that Ali had told her that they ¡®worked out all the time¡¯.  She wished desperately that she could speak to him.


    Lady Glenlen put a hand on either side of Tolith¡¯s head and he let out a shriek as the numerous jewels that she wore, in her ears, on her fingers, and around her neck began to glow.  She wasn¡¯t physically strong enough to hold him, but his eyes began to glaze over.


    ¡°No!¡± he tried to pull away, but Orenda watched as his muscles relaxed and became useless.  His eyes fluttered closed, his breathing slowed, and he could not resist as his mother gently guided him to the floor.  He laid there, paralyzed, as Quiroris threw a hand over his mouth, eyes wide in alarm, and Orenda thought of how Lady Glenlen wasn¡¯t supposed to do that.  She had used a paralysis spell, a powerful earth spell, against her own child.


    ¡°You will keep me updated, Felaern,¡± She said sternly as she stood, ¡°send word at least once a week.  Use the individual progress reports.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he said, sounding genuinely confused.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember how to write an individual progress report?¡± She sounded annoyed.


    ¡°The last time I wrote an IPR,¡± Felaern knitted his eyebrows together in confusion, ¡°it was right after the war, for military prisoners.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, and with a motion of her hand everyone in Ali¡¯s group sprang to their feet.  They moved like a military unit, and two of them picked Tolith up, holding him firmly but comfortably.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Felaern said.


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± She said with her back turned, ¡°I¡¯ll show myself out, Felaern.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mam.¡± He said, and he clicked his heels together, stood up to his full height, held one arm in the small of his back and fisted the other over his heart.  She did not see him bow, and when she had gone, he seemed confused to find himself in the stance he had taken.


    ¡°Well,¡± He said to the group, ¡°that¡¯s conditioned deeply, isn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 34

    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris walked around his desk, trailing his fingers on it as he went, ¡°Please, go to your room and pack your things.  We¡¯re going to have to move you. Take your time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a criminal,¡± Orenda told the group of adults who stared at her with different expressions and varying levels of trust.


    ¡°No one thinks you are,¡± Quiroris lied, ¡°Please, go pack your things.  I¡¯ll send servants to help you. It¡¯s gotten late. I think that we¡¯d like to get settled.¡±


    Orenda knew that the instant she was gone they would be deciding what to do with her, but there wasn¡¯t exactly anything that she could do about it.  She felt so powerless. She couldn¡¯t speak to Ali, certainly couldn¡¯t save him. She had seen the first fire elf of her life, but couldn¡¯t get his attention.  She needed to talk to Bubbider, but now she would be guarded every second of her life. She was a prisoner. Perhaps Tolith had been right. Perhaps they should have run when they had had a chance.  She tried to remember the name of the safehouse that Ali had given her, by the docks, but she had no way of knowing if it was even still there. She thought of running to the print shop, but she doubted they could have hidden there for long.


    So she nodded, took a deep breath, and made her way to her room.


    Her frustration was almost too much to bear.  She felt the magic flowing inside and around her, pressing against her skin from her blood, flowing over her quickly from the outside, licking at her and giving off sparks.  She twitched when she stepped into her room and saw what had been done to her wardrobe.


    Someone had carved a skull and crossbones into it, without removing her poster first, which had been shredded in the process.  Looking at it, the rage that had been flowing through her seemed to reach a peak, hit some invisible force, and simply dissipate.  She had felt too much for too long, and she suddenly felt nothing. She was floating a little above her body, looking down, as she opened the wardrobe and began to lay everything out onto the bed.  She felt that she was watching a play, not performing these actions herself, and for the first time in a long time, assessed the situation like an outsider, as if she had been sitting in the audience.


    She thought of Ellie, who had died to protect others, who had tried her best to help her, but who had refused to tell her whom she had met with that solstice so long ago.  She thought of Charles, who had been a secret earth mage all along, and of Susan who had almost escaped, who had come so close only to lose it all in the end. She thought of Bubbider, working in the school and stealing secrets little by little, and of Ali, who she thought was slowly dying of a lifestyle that he could not keep up.  She thought of the print shop, of the woman Spring, and realized that it was on the side of her shop that she had seen the symbol painted the night she had come to the school. She thought of the madman on the street screaming his warnings, and wondered what path he walked. She thought of the students, blind to all of this, dancing through life on a pile of excess and nonsense.  She thought of Quiroris, who seemed to have risked a great deal to keep her safe. She thought of Tolith clutching his father¡¯s staff and shrieking about what it was like to have parents and to lose them.


    She thought about all of this in a detached sort of way, as if it had all happened to someone else, and she thought of the mask that Captain Nochdifache wore, of how he looked when he walked out of the fire he had set, and she thought it looked very much like the mask on the symbol she had seen beside of Gareth¡¯s signature.  Was he Gareth? If he was, who was GF? And why didn¡¯t he recognize her? He had looked right at Tolith, who was clutching her arm. If he knew her, why hadn¡¯t he taken her with him?


    It was a comfort to know that shifters were real, though probably not to the people she had seen being ripped apart.  She hadn¡¯t seen it very well in the panic, but she could piece together that the blood and flesh had to come from somewhere, that the screams had to mean something.


    There had been so many screams that she wasn¡¯t sure whether or not Toli¡¯s father had died screaming.  She remembered that the soldiers she had killed in the library had died screaming, so she assumed he had, as he had died in almost the exactly the same way.


    She looked up to see Bubbider in the doorway holding a wooden box.


    ¡°Some of the slaves won¡¯t come near you,¡± she said, ¡°So I volunteered.¡±


    Orenda looked up to make sure they were alone and spoke quietly, ¡°I saw Ali.  Saw him in the flesh.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± She had more interest than she had the energy to convey.


    ¡°He looks awful,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He looks like he¡¯s dying.  I think that they¡¯ve broken him.¡±


    ¡°He says he¡¯s close,¡± Bubbider leaned in to pack Orenda¡¯s things into the box, ¡°I think that the voice he hears must be Lapus.  It makes too much sense. Lapus must be the djinn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I feel so strange, Bubby.  I feel as if I¡¯m sleepwalking, as if all of this is a dream or a play, and I¡¯m simply watching it.¡±


    ¡°Too much has happened,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°Captain Nochdifache should not have done that.  He made a mistake. He made it more difficult for all of us.¡±


    ¡°That was strange,¡± Orenda agreed.  ¡°Are you alright? Is everyone alright?¡±


    ¡°There are rumors among the slaves,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°there have always been rumors, Orenda, but now everyone thinks that you¡¯re related to Captain Nochdifache.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°I would like to think so.  He¡¯s a good man, Orenda, just a little mad. He has a right to be mad, if what he says is true.  There is only so much one can take before they give in to madness.¡±


    ¡°Where am I going to live?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Felaern said that he was sending a servant for me.  I assume that¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re moving in to his apartments,¡± Bubbider sait it quickly with no room for argument.


    ¡°The hell I am,¡± Orenda hissed.


    ¡°You are, Orenda,¡± Bubbider said quickly and sternly, ¡°he knows everyone.  He knows what happened to the fire elves. He knows every noble in the colony.  He has a private library that has records of all the students and their parents.  You can trace the lineage. You can tell us what the chain of command is. Stay on his good side.  Do whatever you need to do.¡±


    ¡°Do I give that information to you?¡± Orenda asked her.


    ¡°Yes, as much as you can,¡± Bubbider told her, ¡°And learn all you can, Orenda.  You¡¯re an amazing mage. You¡¯ve grown so much.¡±


    ¡°While I¡¯m thinking about it,¡± Orenda reached into her pocket and pulled out the first fire crystal she had ever found, ¡°I want you to have this.  You need a back-up. I¡¯ve meant to give it to you for years, but I¡¯ve always had¡­ I suppose a crippling sentimentality.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Bubbider took it and closed it in her hand, ¡°Orenda¡­  thank you.¡±


    ¡°May as well get it over with, then,¡± Orenda closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and requested, ¡°Take me to this fresh hell.¡±


    ¡°Dismantle it if you have to!¡± Quiroris snapped at the humans who were trying to carry a bedframe up a set of winding stairs in the middle of the night.  He had thrown open the double doors on the other side of his dining room and explained to Orenda that they led to his study, which would be her new bedroom, as soon as she had arrived.  Getting a bed inside the room was proving difficult.


    ¡°Can we please talk about what happened with Lady Glenlen?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°With Tolith?  With the goddamn pirate!?¡±


    ¡°Language, Orenda, please,¡± Quiroris said, sounding as exhausted as he was, ¡°You¡¯re better than that.¡±


    ¡°Was that Captain Nochdefache?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Was it really?¡±


    ¡°I believe so, yes,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°But your guess is as good as mine.  I¡¯ve never encountered him before.¡±


    ¡°Felaern, it¡¯s the only fire elf I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Orenda pleaded, ¡°And I watched him ride away on a werewolf!  He killed a contingent of guards and set the public platform aflame with no focus!¡±


    ¡°He had to have some sort of focus,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°he was wearing a full outfit, it was probably something under his clothes.  If he¡¯s as old as he claimed he may be good enough to cast from a crystal.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to hold me prisoner?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Because those people can¡¯t tell fire elves apart?¡±


    ¡°I kept you alive, Orenda,¡± Quiroris defended, ¡°She wanted to have you executed.  The crown has and will take down entire families for crimes as severe as Nochdifache¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What has he done?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t his first murder,¡± Quiroris explained, more than a little annoyed, ¡°What do you mean ¡®what has he done¡¯?  He killed a Commander- not just any Commander, the father of her only child! In front of a crowd. In a way that¡­ we lied to Tolith about.  It was not quick or painless and he did not pass out from the smoke inhalation first. His flesh melted from his bones. They¡¯re going to have to close the casket at the funeral.¡±


    ¡°This is common behavior for him?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°They called him a pirate,¡± Orenda said, ¡°he claims to be a captain of a ship?  How? He¡¯s a fire elf. He couldn¡¯t sail the sea.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Orenda,¡± Quiroris ran a hand through his hair, then began to braid it, ¡°As far as I know, no one does.¡±


    ¡°Nice to know that shifters are real, at least,¡± he said after a beat, ¡°The only other time I¡¯ve ever heard something like that, there was a Commander back on the earth continent who claimed to have a cage fighter who was a shifter, but his story didn¡¯t match up, so I thought it was probably a gimmick.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Orenda asked.


    Quiroris seemed happy to change the subject, so he continued, ¡°I can¡¯t remember exactly who it was, but I remember there was a cage fighter, Zack or Xac or something like that, who claimed to be a lapin, a wererabbit.  Oh, you like rabbits, you¡¯ll enjoy this story. But they didn¡¯t do enough research on shifters to make it believable. They claimed that the human could change at will, not that he changed at the full moons. That way they could sell tickets any day of the month.  It wasn¡¯t really that long ago, twenty or thirty years.¡± He thought for a second and then amended, ¡°Maybe fourty. I know it wasn¡¯t much longer than that. I told you, Orenda, time runs together when you get to be my age.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Well the werewolf was real.  I saw it.¡±


    ¡°I saw it too,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s destroyed half the city.¡±


    ¡°I would like to go to bed,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I would like for you to go to bed as well,¡± Quiroris huffed, ¡°But it looks like we¡¯ll be up all night.  Honestly¡­ maybe I should call upon the carpender¡¯s guild in the morning. These humans don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°I think I would prefer that,¡± Orenda said, because everyone who was busy taking the bed apart looked like they would really rather be asleep.


    ¡°In a few years,¡± Quiroris said softly, ¡°Perhaps Lady Glenlen will forget that she wanted you sent away.  I¡¯ll send glowing reports, and she¡¯ll eventually come to see you as the shining citizen that you are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dreaming, Felaern,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Some of the other faculty think that you¡¯re a risk, financially,¡± he went on, ¡°That people will be reluctant to send their children here, knowing that you¡¯re studying here.  But I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°I can see their point,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Perhaps you should send me away somewhere and be done with it.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you can sleep in my bed tonight,¡± Quiroris thought aloud, ¡°I can sleep on the sofa in the sitting room.¡±


    ¡°Will you be comfortable?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°It seems improper for someone my age to turn the elderly out of their bed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dying of it,¡± Quiroris huffed, ¡°I¡¯m as spry as I ever was.¡±  He walked past her and into the sitting room, threw open another set of doors and disappeared inside.  He came out a few minutes later with a blanket and a pillow, and set up a place for himself on the sofa, then returned to the dining room.


    ¡°That will be all, gentlemen,¡± he said to the group of humans he¡¯d assembled, ¡°I¡¯ll see you all in the morning.  Orenda, leave your things on the table there if you like, and I¡¯ll show you to bed.¡±

 Chapter 35

    ¡°Rendy,¡± Tolith called out to her in a dream, ¡°Rendy, please.  I know you¡¯re not supposed to do this. I know it hurts. But please, I beg of you, I need to talk to someone!¡±


    No¡­  not in a dream.  Orenda opened her eyes and looked around, trying to trace the sound of the voice.  Had he gotten into her room somehow? Had he really escaped? He sounded as if he were speaking to her from behind a wall or underground.


    She followed the voice to a planter by the bedroom window, where Tolith¡¯s face appeared in the rich, soft earth.  He looked even worse than he had when he had left, and she felt for him, but she could not work earth magic, and receiving the scry was so difficult that she could only make out the basics of his face.  The fire crystals in her necklace or earrings did nothing to make it any better, and it was amazing that she heard his voice at all.


    ¡°Tolith, I can¡¯t accept an earth scry,¡± She told him, ¡°I don¡¯t know how, and if I did, it would drive me mad.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, still far away and underground, ¡°I can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Orenda made a decision to do something very stupid.


    ¡°Hold on a second,¡± she huffed, and walked to a dressing table laid out in Quiroris¡¯s room.  She began to open things that she thought may be jewelry boxes and found a great many creams, tinctures, different kinds of makeup, hair productions, combs, and pins- which is where she finally found something useful.  An elaborate hair pin that looked as if it would be worn to expensive parties had an earth crystal, set in gold, at its crown. Orenda took it, walked back to the plant where Tolith still called out to her, and concentrated.


    She expected the madness to set in at once, or that the magic would be much more difficult to pull from, or that she would meet some sort of impediment as her body tried to warn her that she was making a mistake in trying to channel a kind of magic through it that it was not built to channel.


    But she didn¡¯t.  She met none of that resistance.  It was almost exactly like working fire magic, and in that instant Orenda realized why it was so tempting to cast outside one¡¯s element.  She had often wondered how the mages who did it could be so foolish and risk so much when they had to have known- but there was no warning at all.  Only that the dirt became a real face, and Tolith¡¯s voice rang out clearly, and she could see him, see that he was no longer crying, see that his hair was down and he was obviously somewhere where he was supposed to be sleeping.


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I cannot accept an earth scry.  I¡¯ll go mad.¡±


    ¡°Please, Rendy!¡± he begged, ¡°Please, I need to talk to someone.  Everything has become so horrible so quickly! I can¡¯t stand it!¡±


    ¡°Speak quickly then,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°And know how much I¡¯m risking for you.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­  they¡¯re having the funeral in two days,¡± Tolith said, and his shoulders moved as if he was twisting something that Orenda could not see, but she suspected it was his father¡¯s staff.  ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have¡­ shouldn¡¯t have said those horrible things to my mother. Now that I know what really happened, I¡­ should have never told her that it was her fault. She¡¯ll remember that forever.  I¡¯m a terrible person, Rendy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I would speak to a mother,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°If I had one.  I don¡¯t mean to be rude, Toli, but I¡¯m not overly fond of your mother. She wanted to have me killed because she disliked the way I look.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a bad person, Rendy,¡± he promised, ¡°She¡¯s just upset.  They really did love each other, I think. They just couldn¡¯t make it work.  It was arranged, you know. My father had a pretty good territory and, well, you remember class, you know how it all works.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your father, Toli.¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m a viscount now,¡± Tolith told her, ¡°I¡¯ll be officially inheriting his title at the funeral.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t really remember what that is,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I get confused.  I always had trouble with it, in class. What¡¯s the difference between a viscount and a count?¡±


    ¡°Only location,¡± Tolith said, staring down at his lap, ¡°My father¡¯s territory was up against the sacred mountains at the edge of the colony.  A normal count doesn¡¯t live at the edge, but somewhere in the middle. They¡¯re both lords.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Orenda said, ¡°An edgelord.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tolith sighed.  ¡°But I won¡¯t be moving there to take his place.  My mother has trapped me here.¡±


    ¡°You said you found out what he was really doing,¡± Orenda said, feeling a pang of guilt for using Tolith¡¯s emotional state to pry information from him, but it was important to the cause.  The knights needed to know what the viscount of the sacred mountain province was doing so far from home. ¡°Does it bring you comfort? What was he doing so far from home?¡±


    ¡°My dad was a great guy, Rendy,¡± Tolith said, and his face seemed a little warmer, ¡°He was trying to save a group of humans.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Orenda asked because she could not contain her shock quickly enough.  Fortunately, Tolith took it more as admiration than dismay.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he went on, ¡°I like humans, dad does to.  My family¡¯s always kept lots of them. They¡¯re probably the smartest animal on Xren.  My dad, especially, gets mad when people don¡¯t take good care of them. I was always told that if you get an animal, and then you don¡¯t take care of it, you¡¯re a horrible person and Thesis will punish you.  Elves were put here to guide and care for all the creatures on Xren, it says so in the holy texts, not to abuse them. Humans, especially, need that, because they¡¯re so smart, Rendy. They¡¯re probably as close to elven as any animal is going to get.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Orenda was trying very hard to control her breathing as she said, ¡°Yes, they¡¯re quite intelligent.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a ring of thieves,¡± Tolith explained, ¡°That my father was tracking down, who have been stealing humans and turning them lose into the desert to die.  Humans can¡¯t survive on their own anymore, Rendy, they¡¯re domesticated now. Maybe millions of years ago, but now they¡¯ve lost the ability to hunt and forage. They need someone to take care of them.  These people, this ring of thieves, doesn¡¯t care about that. They just want to hurt the people they steal from. They¡¯re not even reselling the humans or taking care of them, they¡¯re just dumping them into the sacred mountains to die of exposure.  It¡¯s horrible!¡±


    ¡°And he tracked them down?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yeah, his province was the place they were letting them go,¡± Tolith explained, ¡°just out, into the wilds of those mountains, never intending to pick them up again, never intending to bring them food or water.  It¡¯s so hot out there, Rendy, to leave an animal without water. When mom was telling me about this, about the work he was doing, she started to cry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Orenda said, thinking that Lady Glenlen hadn¡¯t cried when her own son had attacked her, so she was probably fairly good at crocodile tears.


    ¡°They would sneak them to the wilderness,¡± Toli went on, ¡°so dad traced them back.  There were a bunch of different stops, it took a long time to find, but he eventually traced the ring all the way back here.  He was trying to find where it started, because that¡¯s where he¡¯d find the leader. Mom thinks that it might be that Captain Nochdifache guy, because he¡¯s sunk a bunch of transport and merchant ships, or stolen all the cargo.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, because she didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    ¡°I¡­¡±  Tolith wiped his eyes, ¡°I used to believe that I wanted to be a pirate, Rendy.  I¡­ let them fool me. I suppose all children believe foolish things.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Orenda agreed, trying to figure out what emotion to feel and which one to project for this conversation.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris asked, and she jumped because she had not known he was there.  ¡°Are you using earth magic? Why would you do that? I can feel it from the sitting room, the force of it woke me up!  Have you gone mad? That can kill you!¡±


    ¡°I had no choice,¡± Orenda explained.


    ¡°No choice?¡± Tolith asked, ¡°Is someone else there?¡±


    ¡°Are you scrying?¡± Quiroris asked, held his hand over the plant, and the rings in his ears began to glow.  Orenda watched as the entire shelf of plants twisted and contorted into a huge scene, big enough to display a room.  She saw Tolith sitting on a large bed in what looked like a playroom that had been cleaned but still held fragments of a childhood like stuffed animals and toy soldiers on shelves, and toyboxes like the ones she had seen in storybooks.  He was staring into a tray of dirt that he had apparently sifted and laid out for the express purpose.


    ¡°Lord Glenlen!¡± Quiroris said sternly, and Tolith jumped, as Orenda imagined his face replacing hers in the tray, ¡°I understand that you are upset, but it is¡­  I don¡¯t even know what time it is. It is stupid o¡¯clock in the morning, and you have a scrying tablet, so I assume you initiated this conversation. Did you ask Orenda to cast outside her element to accept your scry and speak with you?¡±


    ¡°All of the adults have gone mad!¡± Tolith hissed, ¡°Headmaster, please speak to my mother!  I want to return to school!¡±


    ¡°Your mother wants what is best for you, Lord Glenlen,¡± Quiroris explained, ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you.  You realize how badly you could have hurt Orenda, don¡¯t you? What a terrible influence you¡¯re being? Mages who cast outside their element can die.  The magic flows differently. Apologise, now! She can hear you; I¡¯m projecting you.¡±


    ¡°Rendy, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, twisting his father¡¯s staff, ¡°I just needed someone to talk to.  Almost no one listens like you do¡­ people just¡­ just see money and-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that,¡± Quiroris snapped, sounding like a headmaster discipling a student, ¡°I won¡¯t have you corrupting Orenda.  You will not scry her again. If you wish to communicate, send a courier or a letter. Go to bed, Lord Glenlen. You deserve rest.  It¡¯s been a trying day.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Rendy,¡± Tolith sighed, ¡°Goodnight headmaster.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± Quiroris said.


    ¡°Night, Toli,¡± Orenda called without knowing if he could hear or see her.


    Quiroris waved his hand, and his plants returned to normal.


    ¡°Did you go through my things?¡± Quiroris asked, holding out his hand.


    Orenda handed him the comb and replied, ¡°He scried me.  I barely heard him and I could see the outline of his face.  You saw the sort of shape he was in when he left. I couldn¡¯t very well ignore him!¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Quiroris said as he walked back to his dressing table to put the comb away, ¡°But you cannot let someone pressure you into doing something dangerous, Orenda.  We aren¡¯t joking when we say it can kill you. And it is not a quick or painless death. The mind deteriorates first; mages can live for years in a bought of madness before the body follows suite.  The wrong sort of magic will tear you apart from the inside out!¡±


    ¡°His father is dead!¡± Orenda snapped back, and neither of them realized they were shouting.


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow him to hurt you!¡± Quiroris yelled back, ¡°I know that when you are a teenager that first love feels vast and incredibly important, but it isn¡¯t worth risking your life!¡±


    Orenda stared at him as if he had gone mad.


    ¡°You think that I am in love with Tolith?¡± She asked in a voice that had returned to a normal volume, ¡°Why on xren would you have an idea like that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been courting you for years, Orenda, I¡¯m not blind!¡± Quiroris snapped, ¡°The gifts, the outings- did you really think that two teenagers could go away to town together for years on their own and just go undetected?  We aren¡¯t stupid! I simply thought it was a good match, but now, with Lady Glenlen as she is, you need to pull back and take some time apart.¡±


    ¡°I have never been...¡± Orenda laughed, ¡°My god, you have gone mad.  The whole world has gone mad!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing his earrings,¡± Quiroris pointed out.


    ¡°I wear the earrings you got me when the mood strikes,¡± Orenda retorted, ¡°If I fell in love with every idiot who gave me something shiney I would be as star crossed and stupid as poor Kassie.¡±


    Quiroris¡¯s attitude changed in a way that Orenda felt was disproportionate to the thing she had just said.  The energy drained from him as he closed the box where he kept the things for his hair, and his shoulders slumped.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to bed, Orenda,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give a speech at breakfast tomorrow that I prepared earlier with the staff.  There will be no classes for the rest of the week, out of respect for Lord Glenlen¡¯s loss. Do not let me catch you casting outside your element again.¡±


    As he was leaving, he paused in the doorway and reiterated his point.  ¡°I¡¯m a powerful mage, Orenda- you can¡¯t hide it from me. If any earth magic is cast in this school, I will feel it.  I think you¡¯ve forgotten that. I¡¯m not a fool. I know what goes on around here, whether you believe it or not.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, headmaster,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Goodnight, Orenda.¡±

 Chapter 36

    The guild of capenders worked much more quickly and efficiently than the untrained humans that Quiroris had tasked with the impossible, and Orenda was brought into a room that looked like a miniature version of a library.  It was obvious that it wasn¡¯t meant to house a bed, so they had to work for several days to take out overstuffed wooden chairs and other furniture, but eventually it did, at the very least, have somewhere for her to sleep.


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t like to be surrounded by all these books,¡± Quiroris told her as he opened and closed the new wardrobe he had had brought up, ¡°and other knickknacks, I can find somewhere to arrange them in the sitting room.¡±


    Orenda was sitting in a small windowseat, surrounded once again by plants, looking out over the city below that eventually gave way to the ocean.  She was in the tallest tower of the school now, and the view from her prison was, at least, beautiful. She could see lady Glenlen¡¯s cliffside manor, and wondered if Tolith was also sitting in a tower, staring back at her.


    ¡°Orenda?¡± Quiroris asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±  When she didn¡¯t respond he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll have more comforts brought up as I move my things down.  I¡¯ll get you a basin and a dressing table and anything else a young lady may need. I think you¡¯ll be quite comfortable here.¡±


    ¡°When I was younger,¡± Orenda told him without looking at him, ¡°I used to really, truly, believe that I was a long lost princess.¡±


    Quiroris took a long time to respond, and became vastly interested in a rose that had been made from porcelain.


    ¡°I always wondered about that,¡± he said at length, ¡°if you really believed it, or if it was just something you told people, to make yourself seem important.¡±


    ¡°I really believed it,¡± Orenda told him.  ¡°I had to believe something.¡±


    ¡°I¡­  can understand that,¡± Quiroris said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read a great many fairy tales,¡± Orenda continued, looking across the ocean, ¡°There are a good number of them that involve a long-lost princess trapped in a tall tower.  It¡¯s a strangely specific recurring theme.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Quiroris agreed, ¡°I think that may be because¡­  the system of government surrounding real princesses is quite stifling.  I imagine a great many of them do feel trapped. There is a social convention that those born into royalty are important and must be protected.  It¡¯s easy for protection to feel like imprisonment, if one gets the wrong mindset.¡±


    ¡°Mindset,¡± Orenda mimicked, running the word over her tongue and through her mind, ¡°yes, I suppose everything is about mindset, about perspective.  I don¡¯t think I shouldn¡¯t mind it so much if it were for something I had actually done. I didn¡¯t set that platform ablaze. I didn¡¯t kill Tolith¡¯s father.  If I had, for example, willingly participated in genocide, and was being punished for that, I think I could accept it. If I had murdered anyone, and been found out, I think I would accept imprisonment.¡±


    ¡°The world is¡­  unjust,¡± Quiroris sighed, ¡°learning that, I believe, is part of becoming an adult.  At some point, we all have to accept that which we cannot change. We cannot, for example, change the past.¡±


    ¡°There is a great deal that we could change, at any given moment,¡± Orenda thought aloud.


    ¡°When you were a child,¡± Quiroris said as if he was changing the subject, ¡°I was always impressed by how intelligent you were, Orenda.  But¡­ you do have edges that need to be smoothed down. I don¡¯t like to tell my students that they cannot change the world, but¡­ it does no good for someone to be so headstrong, so belligerent, so determined to ignore the rules of society in favor of rudeness.  Eventually, you¡¯re going to have to come to terms with the fact that if you don¡¯t learn how to use concepts such as respect and civility¡­ it could get you killed. It breaks my heart to look at someone with so much potential and watch them squander it with a lack of gratitude and a determination to be contrary.¡±


    ¡°You think I should be grateful?¡± Orenda finally turned to look at him, ¡°For what?  Exactly?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Orenda, I took you in; I risked my career; I saved your life.¡± Quiroris said with great solemnity.


    ¡°Felaern,¡± Orenda narrowed her eyes at him, ¡°You tried to wipe my people and my culture from the face of the planet.  You should spend the rest of your life trying to atone for that. You all should. The fact that Lady Glenlen believes herself to hold power over me is an unforgivable sin.  She needs to confess her wrongdoings, and spend the rest of her life in repentance.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris said with more patience than he felt, ¡°You¡¯re sixteen years old, or thereabouts.  None of us have ever personally injured you. The war was two centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°It personally injured Captain Nochdifache,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Yet I see no one apologizing to him.  He said he was there, that he saw everything he loved burned away by the eruption, swept away by an invading army.  Yet you would all have me believe that he is a terrible person who is guilty of treason.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a murderer, Orenda,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°I won¡¯t have you defending him just because you feel some kind of elemental connection.  You aren¡¯t like that. You aren¡¯t like him. You¡¯re civilized. You¡¯re a good person. We are more similar than we are different.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever killed anyone, Felaern?¡± Orenda asked, staring into his eyes, ¡°Have you ever felt the magic that fuels a soul grow weaker and weaker, then burst in a last ditch effort to remain alive- before it snuffs out completely?  Do you know what it is like?¡±


    ¡°Things happen, Orenda,¡± he sighed, ¡°during a battle, things happen.  They aren¡¯t things that one is proud of, only things that happen.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Murder just happens.  It¡¯s something that you fall into. For you. But when Nochdifache sets a fire to free himself from a spell, it¡¯s something horrible, something he did.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris said sadly, ¡°I understand why you believed yourself to be a princess.  I think you don¡¯t believe me, but I do. Sometimes, we tell ourselves things that are not true, so that we can continue to live.  Sometimes we have thoughts such as, ¡®I have parents who love me, and will return for me¡¯ or, ¡®I had to do it because I was afraid for my life¡¯.  I¡­ am not in a position to begrudge anyone a little fantasy, a little fudging of reality.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a princess trapped in a tower,¡± Quiroris went on, ¡°And I am not a murderer.  You are a student who has free reign of the grounds, and I am an educator who is making the world a better place by helping children grow into adults who have reached their full potential.  You have so much potential Orenda. You could be anything you wanted.¡±


    ¡°I think I still want to be a princess, deep down,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Quiroris said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t give me any of the things I want, Quiroris,¡± Orenda said, ¡°No matter how it would assuage your guilt.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care for you because of some misplaced, generalized Urillian guilt, Orenda,¡± Quiroris said as if he had been gravely injured, ¡°I¡¯ve told you over and over that you can be a great mage.  You have potential. Mages can do more than combat- we¡¯re excellent researchers, healers, diplomats, explorers- a good understanding of magic is a path to any number of careers. Please, start actively thinking about the future, about what you want to do with your life.¡±


    ¡°I want to be a princess,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I want to find my parents.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he said seriously, ¡°I think¡­  that perhaps you should look to the past.  It may do you well to focus your studies on history and exploration.  No expedition has ever returned from the sacred mountains, but¡­ I believe that is because the magic there is too strong.  When we went, the first time, it was already overpowering. The way that you felt, under that water, when you knew you were going to die, is the way we all felt when we were at that temple.  We had to wear special clothing made by dwarven craftsmen in order to avoid bursting into flame. It¡¯s even stronger now. I don¡¯t think any earth elf can survive it. But I think you could. I think you could travel to those ruins and bring back the tales of your people.  You could find that which has been lost, not in the half remembered, half mad fragments of the minds of people who want to pretend a false narrative that makes them look as if they were in the right, but as it truly was. You could be a great researcher. I think you should focus on that.¡±


    ¡°Felaern,¡± Orenda looked up at him, ¡°You said that when I was older, you would tell me everything you knew of the fire elves, everything you knew of that battle.  I am older. Please, after everything that has happened, I think I deserve to know. Tell me what happened. Tell me what they were like. Tell me how they fell.¡±


    Quiroris stared past her, out the window for a long stretch of silence.


    ¡°Alright, Orenda,¡± he finally made up his mind, ¡°But it¡¯s a long story.  I¡¯ll have some coffee brought up, and a bottle of wine. I¡¯ll need it. I can¡¯t guarantee that I can make it through the entire thing, but you¡¯re right.  You¡¯re a young lady now, no longer a child. You deserve to know the truth.¡±

 Chapter 37

    ¡°Before we begin, Orenda,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°I¡¯d like to show you something, something that may be a bit¡­  inappropriate for a young lady to see. But I think it will better help you understand.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Orenda said, stirring her coffee long past the point where it would help dissolve the sugar.


    Quiroris stood, and slowly stipped out of his robes.  Underneath, he wore a flowing poet¡¯s shirt, and he carefully unbuttoned it, looking away from her as if the act caused him great embarrassment, which, Orenda thought, it certainly should.  This was her room now, and anyone should be embarrassed to be half-naked in it, but certainly, a headmaster who had been the one to decide the task himself, not at Orenda¡¯s command.


    But his intentions soon became clear.  The flesh where his abdominal muscles should be, from just under his chest to where it disappeared below his belt was¡­  not flesh, exactly. It looked like melted candle wax. It was not smooth as skin should be, did not resemble skin at all, nor was it exactly a scar.  It looked as if he had been¡­ ¡°melted¡± was the only word that came to mind, over and over, as Orenda stared at the misshapen mound that was his torso.


    ¡°You may notice that I sometimes use a cane,¡± Quiroris said as he went back to buttoning up his shirt, ¡°the healers call it ¡®nerve damage¡¯.  Some days are better than others, but there are times when I cannot stand on my own. I have no core strength, and nothing I can do will ever return it to me.¡±


    ¡°It looks awful,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed, ¡°Which was complicated by the fact that teenagers are not finished growing.  It, perhaps, would not have been so bad, had I been injured as an adult. They may have been able to do more.  Over the years I¡¯ve heard many different opinions. But, the fact of the matter is that I was blessed with great luck.  I should be dead. Many people who met with similar injuries are no longer with us.¡±


    ¡°What happened, Felearn?¡± Orenda asked as he sat back down on the far side of the desk and sipped his coffee.


    Felearn Quiroris did not join the military because he dreamed of fame and fortune, or because he delighted in combat.  The simple fact was that he was a skilled mage from an agricultural family, and he needed the money. He needed it to live, and he needed it to send home.  He had been under the impression, as so many are, that he would be protecting the queen, and would never leave Urilian soil unless he decided to, when he was able to retire, with a complete set of skills and the money he had saved, to live out the rest of his days in peace pursuing his interest in unlocking the secrets of magic.


    That does not mean that he was not excited by the prospect of travel.  Voyages were expensive at the best of times, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the fire continent for a diplomatic mission seemed like a paid vacation.  He was told that on one of the ships the prince regent was traveling, but he never saw him. He and his unit were there to protect Lady Glenlen, a diplomat who was traveling with the prince to meet with the council of priests at the Sacred Mountain Temple to discuss an artifact housed there, which the empress was keen to possess.  It was going to be a quick and easy mission- escort the lady and the prince to pick up the artifact and return home.


    Most of their time would be spent acting as tourists, taking in the local sights, smells, tastes, and, of course, people.  Fire elves rarely traveled, so most of the soldiers, certainly, all of them in his unit, had never seen one. Felaern was not the sort of person to participate in idle gossip or ridiculous speculation, but he certainly heard his fair share.


    He was delighted to find that the fire elves lived up to the hype.  The Urillian soldiers disembarked, all three ships of them, on a coastal city full of tall, white, sparkling spires that reached to the heavens.  Their eventual destination was a temple located high on a mountain range that he could see in the distance, but could not imagine actually marching into.  It was far to the north, and higher than any of the mountains back home, stretching into and above the clouds.


    On that first day, he was in heaven.  As their troop leaders left to haggle for supplies for their journey, they were turned loose upon the city.  It was all sights and smells and food so spicy it made his eyes water, with not only the normal shops that he thought were very similar to Urilian businesses but an open-air marketplace selling all kinds of trinkets perfect for remembering your trip or sending home to your parents.


    One of his traveling companions, Tolimaur, grabbed his arm and pointed skyward.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± he exclaimed, ¡°They can fly!¡±


    Felaern craned his neck to see what Tolimaur had been pointing to, and saw a fire elf woman with her arms outstretched, looking as if she was a water elf surfing along the ocean waves, but she was flying above them, not on a plank of wood, but on a carpet- into the bottom of which he saw several fire crystals woven and alight.


    ¡°They¡¯re giving rides, Maury,¡± Tolimaur¡¯s sister, Solomaur pointed toward a booth, ¡°it must be a tourist thing.¡±


    ¡°We should do it!¡± Sokomaur linked arms with her sister, and they pushed through the crowd to a booth, where three gorgeous, shirtless fire elven men were in various stages of flight.


    ¡°Wanna go with me?¡± Maury asked, licked his lips and added, ¡°Though I would not be at all averse to going by myself.  We¡¯re supposed to stick together but¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, Maury,¡± Felaern said, ¡°I have eyes.  I wonder how they keep from falling?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tolimaur agreed, ¡°That would be tragic.  It would make perfect sense for an earth elf to fear that.   One absolutely could not blame him if he held on for dear life to¡­  whatever he could reach.¡± His eyes seemed to glaze over as he watched one of the men hover a few inches off the ground while his sisters stepped onto his carpet, and both instantly clung to him out of fear.  ¡°...I¡¯m going. Just meet me after the ride.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Felaern said, ¡°Have fun.  Maybe I¡¯ll take the next one.¡±


    Felaern thought that the booth, like many of the booths, had been set up specifically because they knew there would be a large influx of tourists because those carpets seemed to be a fairly common means of conveyance.  He watched as Maury stepped onto the next carpet and wrapped his arms around the man in mock fear, then gave a shout of very real fear as they rose into the air.


    ¡°I know how that¡¯s done,¡± Orenda interrupted.  She stood, picked up her staff, then took Quiroris¡¯s robe from the back of his chair as he watched her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of air currents,¡± she explained, ¡°warm air rises, so you only have to heat the air under the object enough to make it float.  It must be easier with the crystals to distribute the heat. I can¡¯t imagine it would support a person¡¯s weight, but it makes sense.¡±


    She threw the cloak into the air, and Quiroris watched in amazement as it spread out and remained there, fluttering a little, up and down, as Orenda¡¯s staff glowed and dimmed in time.


    ¡°You discovered that on your own?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°It was easy to figure out; I have a natural understanding of heat.  You can see it rise, with water. That¡¯s how steam works, Felaern, don¡¯t be a fool.  It isn¡¯t exactly complex alchemy.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Quiroris said with a soft smile.


    While he waited, Felaern joined a large group of the soldiers who had gathered to watch some sort of street performance.  Glowing red coals, simmering in the heat of the day and still giving off smoke, had been laid out upon the street. A fire elven woman was standing in her bare feet, arms outstretched, walking back and forth as if they didn¡¯t affect her in the slightest.  As the soldiers watched, she began to dance and was soon joined by two other women, holding flowing strips of fabric.


    The three of them sang in a language that Felaern could not understand, accompanied by a group of musicians who stood to the side, and like the others, he tossed coins into the tambourine of a fire elven boy who came around the crowd for that purpose.


    Perhaps the strangest thing about the city on the waterfront were the inhabitants.  In Uril, it was rare to see a dwarf among elves, and unheard of for a human to travel alone without an express purpose, which they would perform as quickly and efficiently as possible.  A human who had not been well trained would simply not be allowed out of the house.


    Here they were everywhere.  Dwarves mingled up and down the streets not as merchants, but in all manner of dress, from sailors to scholars, mages to fighters, shopkeeps to pickpockets.  Felaern had never seen any dwarf who was not a dignitary or representative, usually of the mercantile class and didn¡¯t really know what to make of them.


    Humans wandered up and down the streets in full family groups; their children darted about in the chaos, and he was sure that he saw a group of children- human, elven, and dwarven playing some sort of game that involved running from booth to booth and tackling each other.  He didn¡¯t know what to make of it, but part of him wondered if the elven child would be hurt by the much too gruff kind of play. He wanted to step in and protect her, and wondered where the hell her parents were.


    ¡°Fella,¡± it was Sokomaur¡¯s hand on his shoulder now, ¡°Have you seen my brother?  I want to trick him into eating this,¡± She held some sort of street food wrapped in bread, ¡°I¡¯ve put all of that red sauce they would allow me on it.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They called it a kati roll,¡± She said, ¡°But it looked like a shish kebab rolled into a pancake.  I¡¯ve filled it with that spicy sauce. Solo is already trying to coat her tongue!¡± She laughed, and Felaern thought that was a terrible thing to do.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t trick people,¡± he shrugged her off.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a trick when you prank siblings,¡± Sokomaur told him, ¡°You must be an only child or you would understand.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Maury was saying as Felaern headed back to the booth he had left him, ¡°So then, what do you do when you aren¡¯t flying frightened tourists around?¡±


    He was leaning dangerously close to the man, staring up at him with a wicked smile, and the man was smiling back down with nearly the same expression.


    ¡°I normally work at my father¡¯s textile company,¡± the man answered in his thick accent, ¡°We just saw an opportunity, and we took it.  Sometimes, you must jump at opportunities. There can be¡­¡± He trailed one finger up Tolimaur¡¯s uniform, hitting every button, ¡°A brief window.  You never know when something can come into your life.¡±


    ¡°Darling,¡± Tolimaur leaned heavily on his staff, towards the man, ¡°I understand that more than most.  You have to take chances, grab what life gives you. It isn¡¯t like perfect men are going to just fall out of the sky.  I¡¯m an earth mage, I¡¯m not used to having my head in the clouds.¡± He playfully slid one hand down the long flowing fabric that the man had knotted around his waist as a belt, ¡°But I can make the earth move.  I can rock your world.¡±


    ¡°Maury,¡± Sokomaur burst into the conversation, ¡°eat this.  I know how you love to sample the local cuisine.¡±


    ¡°Go away,¡± he said, happily, without looking at her.


    ¡°Oh,¡± the man said, ¡°Those are quite good.  I actually think you would like it. How long are you going to be in town?¡±


    A loud whistle rang out, and Felaern¡¯s head shot in that direction.  ¡°They¡¯re finished already?¡± He asked, ¡°That didn¡¯t take long at all.¡±


    ¡°You were always awkward, weren¡¯t you?¡± Orenda asked, startling Quiroris out of his memory.


    ¡°What?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°I imagine,¡± Orenda said, ¡°That most people would have told this story to make themselves seem a little better.  You¡¯ve told me that you were too frightened to fly, too pretentious to assist in pranks, and willing to awkwardly stand in the shadows while your friend flirted instead of talking to locals yourself.¡±


    Quiroris was silent for a second before he said, ¡°I take your meaning, but that is what happened.  I¡¯m simply trying to remember all I can about Tolimaur, because I know that you were interested in him.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°I¡¯m more interested in the fire elves,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°The dance those ladies did,¡± Felaern told her, ¡°Is very similar to the one outlined in the book you let me copy.  It relies heavily on a¡­ lack of modesty. It was interesting but I wouldn¡¯t like to describe it to one so young.¡±


    ¡°What about the temple, then?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°The one that no one can travel to anymore?¡±


    Felaern and his unit traveled for days, and he did not recount all of it to Orenda for a variety of reasons, the chief among them that it was a rather dull trip.  His unit was right in the middle of it, neither near the front with the prince, nor particularly close to Lady Glenlen. The simple truth was that he, and others like him, were not overly important.  They were more there for show than actual protection. The nobles had wanted to impress the priests, so they had sent a large force under the impression that most of the people in that force wouldn¡¯t need to actually do anything.


    The sacred site around the temple was shockingly similar to the marketplace, in that it housed more diverse inhabitants than he would have expected.  They had stopped for supplies again, during their trip, at a dwarven city carved into the very living rock of the sacred mountain, though he did not relay this information to Orenda, and the place had been predictably dwarven.  But here, in the city that had sprang up around the temple, he saw, once again, humans and dwarves among the elven inhabitants. It was much smaller than the city on the coast or the other towns they had passed, and there were fewer of them, but there were enough that it did not escape his notice.


    The temple was beautiful, but it made him thankful for the armor they had picked up in the dwarven city.  It had a special magic upon it that reduced the heat, using a mechanism that he did not understand, but which was working wonderfully because the beautiful temple held a terrifying secret.  The rooms that, in Uril, would have been guarded against the elements by stone walls, were out and open, tall white ceilings supported by pillars that allowed the congregation to weave in and out as the outdoors and inside merged seamlessly.  There were no pews, as one would see in a Urilian church, rather the congregation sat on the carpeted floor on their knees, and listened to the priests give their sermons.


    But beyond these public spaces, the temple was carved into the very living rock of the mountain, and as he marched in formation beside Tolimaur with the other mages, he saw the air ripple with the heat of it.  The incense that saturated the air, the voices raised in song of the fire elven congregation, and the heat that made everything shimmer and ripple like a mirage were so disorienting he could not, with any authority, say that he was not dreaming.


    Near the front of the procession, the Emerald Knight stood with Lady Glenlen, looking as terrifying as his reputation would lead one to believe.  His armor moved and rustled like a living thing, like a forest taking life, and the stone in his chest shone with the divine light of his status- the chosen one, sent by Thesis to unite all of elvenkind under divine rule.  The artifact held in the temple had been guarded by the council of fire elven priests for centuries, and finally, the rightful owner had come to claim it.


    The eight priests sat in a semicircle on a raised platform, and the ninth stood tall and strong before them.  She was undeniably beautiful, but in a way that Felaern could not understand. She looked nothing like Xandra, nothing like how the Urilians understood beauty.  She wore her long, flowing priest robes, but was sturdy underneath, and tall enough that the Emerald Knight would only stand a head above her. She dwarfed the soldiers before her.  Her ceremonial headdress drew the eye to a fire crystal on her forehead, in the same place that many of the fire elves wore ceremonial makeup to symbolize the placement of a ¡°third eye¡±, a gesture that mages and priests used to represent seeing into the ¡®spiritual world¡¯ or ¡®magical world¡¯.  Her golden eyes seemed to radiate a light of their own as she spoke.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± She said in her gorgeous accent, deep and exotic, ¡°To the Sacred Mountain Temple.  I have been told that one of you believes himself to be the Chosen Child of Thesis, and would like to be tested.¡±


    The Emerald Knight stepped forward, and spoke, ¡°High Priestess Firefist,¡± he said, ¡°I am the Chosen One.  I am a knight in the service of the Urilian crown, chosen by Thesis to wield the sacred sword.¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡± The high priestess asked.


    ¡°I am the Emerald Knight,¡± the Emerald Knight replied, ¡°And I have traveled long on the advice of my sword.  It tells me that the artifact lies in the heart in the temple, and I must claim it.¡±


    ¡°The great fire spirit dwells in the heart of the temple,¡± The high priestess told him, ¡°That is not where the artifact lies.  The great fire spirit holds a link to Thesis himself, and no one can look upon it who has not been chosen.¡±


    ¡°I have been chosen,¡± The Emerald Knight swore.


    ¡°Only the Chosen Child of Thesis may take the sacred staff from its resting place,¡± The high priestess explained, ¡°This test was devised by the one true god himself, when he built the temple.  It is held in a fire that burns from the very core of the planet, the life-force that flows from within Xren herself, the heat that allows all life, that creates the movement of the continents, that builds mountains and carves valleys.  This is the fire that flows from the heart of the world, just as magic flows from the heart of the body. This is a particularly trying test for you, as a foreigner. All who have not been chosen for the priesthood who have ever tried to take the staff from this sacred fire have been succumbed by it.  The mountain, and the great fire spirit within, will not allow the failure of a false prophet. If you fail this test, you will die burning.¡±


    ¡°I understand the trial by fire,¡± The Emerald Knight said, ¡°And I will overcome this trial, and meet with a god.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± she raised a hand and the entire council of priests rose, ¡°We take your sword as proof of your divine right on your own ground, but to meet with the great fire spirit, to prove you are truly the one chosen by the great god Thesis, you must obtain the sacred staff.  Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Well shit, Tolimaur huffed as the Emerald Knight and his personal guards followed the council of priests, ¡°I thought we¡¯d get to see it.¡±


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d get to spend more time here,¡± Felaern sighed, ¡°We¡¯ve spent most of our time climbing the mountain.  They made it seem like it¡¯d be a vacation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hot as hell in here,¡± Tolimaur used one hand to flutter his robes trying to get some air, ¡°I hate to think what it¡¯s like without this dwarven underwear.  You know, Soko didn¡¯t even get to come inside the temple? The archers are all positioned outside for some reason. She was real pissed about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Felaern said, ¡°But it seems to be a moot point.  None of us will see anything.¡±


    ¡°Taking him a long time to grab a staff,¡± Maury leaned heavily against his own staff.


    That was an understatement.  An hour passed, then another, and another, and eventually the soldiers were allowed to sit down.  Meals were brought and served, and none of them understood why, if it was to take so long, they weren¡¯t allowed to break formation and wander around the town.


    He and Maury had actually been sitting facing each other playing cards when their superior officer ran, raising her staff, and shouting.  It was such an abrupt tonal shift, and the situation was still so dreamlike, that Felaern thought at first that she was a mirage herself.


    Then the ground began to shake, and the sound of something outside boomed so loudly that it echoed in his ears and they were being herded out onto the street into a snowstorm that could not, logically, exist.  Tolimaur was beside him, was shrieking, but Felaern¡¯s ears were still ringing and he had no idea what he was screaming about. The town was in chaos, but Felaern could not understand the snow.


    He looked up to try to make sense of it and saw that the clouds had turned black as his hearing gradually returned and the sounds of the panicked crowd filled his ears.


    ¡°SHIELD!¡± the Commander was screaming, every other breath, and he turned to face her, to face the direction of his unit.


    The earth had exploded, and hell was seeping into their reality.  He screamed himself at the sight of it, and concentrated as hard as he could.  Together the unit worked, and the ground under their feet shifted as they all rose their hands, trying to create a makeshift wall of earth between them and the hellscape that was descending upon them.


    Felaern still did not understand the snow.


    It was the strongest earth shield he had ever seen, tall and thick and composed of the strong rock of the mountain, the foundation upon which the civilization had been built.


    It was melting.


    One of the people screaming rose above the others.


    ¡°Their false prophet has brought this upon us!¡±


    Felaern jerked his head to see a woman standing on the top of the temple, but did not recognize her as a priest, ¡°Orenda Firefist is dead!  The Council has been slain by the Emerald Knight! The Great Fire Spirit calls out to all of us in pain! Can¡¯t you hear it? The Urilians came to slay a god!¡±


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t!¡± Felaern was not the only one who had screamed this- it seemed to be the general consensus- but they obviously were not believed.


    Felaern didn¡¯t know that they had had an army, had seen no signs of them when they had arrived, but they were here now, and he had no idea from whence they came.  But he had already been looking at the sky, and his vision narrowed to the man in uniform on the carpet with a glowing staff.


    He had only enough time to form the thought, ¡°He¡¯s going to fire at us!¡±  He did not have time enough to say it, to warn anyone.


    He could not describe the pain, because it took him too long to register it as pain.  It didn¡¯t even feel like fire at first. It felt cold, as if he had been sprayed hard, in the stomach, by a blast of icy water.  He looked at the wound in disbelief, at the gaping hole that exposed the way his raw abdominal muscles twisted when he tried to sit up-


    The real pain hit him when he looked at it.  And whatever spell had been on the armor was gone now.  The full heat of the area hit him at once, and blood oozed out as his muscles contracted with the force of his vomit.


    Maury was kneeling over him, thrusting a potion at him, speaking exclusively in a string of curses, begging the universe to answer the one pressing question on all of their minds, ¡°What the actual goddamn everloving FUCK!?¡±


    ¡°Drink this you dumb sonofabitch, stop throwing up, you¡¯re gonna die!¡± Maury told him, sensibly, so he opened his mouth and allowed him to pour it down his throat.  He felt it flowing through his blood, but the wound did not close completely.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to die,¡± he hadn¡¯t realized he had said it out loud, but he had to, because Maury answered him.


    ¡°No, shit,¡± he snapped, ¡°We¡¯re all gonna die!  The shield¡¯s melting! It¡¯s hot enough to melt stone!  We have to move, now!¡±


    He jerked him, unceremoniously up by the arm to keep the rest of the unit from trampling him, but the heat was too much, he was too thirsty, he was burning from the inside out- he was dying and he knew it.  He didn¡¯t know where his staff was. His vision swam in the heat of it, and none of it was real, none of it made sense.


    The mages were not the only fire elves fighting back.  They were pressed up against the fighters, duel wielding curved swords and shouting.  Felaern could not fight. He didn¡¯t know where he was.


    ¡°On your toes,¡± his Commander snarled and shoved his staff into his hands, ¡°They¡¯re in the air.  We have to ground them.¡±


    ¡°How can they see through the snow?¡± Felaern asked.


    ¡°Hit them with poison!¡± she commanded, ¡°Protect the fighters!¡±


    She was gone, and Felaern leaned on the staff as if it was a walking stick.


    ¡°Shit they¡¯re doing another pass!¡± Someone screamed, and he looked up to see that they were right.


    Felaern did as those around him had done, and reached into his bag for a projectile.  The potion within was a volatile earth spell that mimicked the airborne pathogens of certain plants.  It was a terrible way to die, closing off the pathways and shutting down the circulatory system, but he told himself that at least it was fast as he threw it.


    It hit the man on the carpet in the face and shattered.  Felaern did not know if it was the same man who had attacked him, because he didn¡¯t have time to make that distinction.  He was in so much pain, he was so hot that he knew he was only a few breaths away from a heat stroke himself, and he had to keep pressing forward.  Everything was chaos and heat and snow and black clouds and fire from every direction and the unrelenting, unending pain in his stomach that made his legs give out more than once, but he picked himself up and he kept moving forward.


    ¡°SOKO!¡± Maury screamed like a man dying, and Felaern followed his eyeline just in time to see Sokomaur¡¯s commander fall.  Soko was still holding her bow taunt, standing on the roof of a building, and Felaern watched her commander move with the force of the arrow in her skull, over the edge of the roof and into the crowd below.  ¡°SHE¡¯S LOST HER FUCKING MIND! YOU DUMB BITCH!¡±


    Desertion would not be tolerated, and several of the mages readied spells to cast or potions to throw, but Tolimaur was faster.  He had already had a poison potion in his hand, and in one smooth motion, he turned-


    And threw it into his own unit with a shout of his sister¡¯s name.


    Felaern was resistant to earth magic as an earth elf, moreso than elves of other elements, so normally this would have been incapacitating, but not fatal.  But he was already so weak, and it was already so difficult to breathe. He clutched his staff in agony as every cough made his abdominal muscles contract and sent that bolt of excruciating pain through his body.  As his vision blurred, he made peace with the fact that he was going to die, and as it faded to black, he hoped that Thesis would count this pathetic wasting away as a warrior¡¯s death.


    ¡°I woke up in a medic¡¯s tent,¡± Quiroris explained, ¡°in what is now the wastelands, the great forest at the foot of the sacred mountains.  I had killed three of the fire mages before I went down. I had been injured in action. They gave me a medal.¡±


    He said this as if it was somehow an insult to him.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said because she didn¡¯t know what she was supposed to say to that.


    ¡°The sky was black around the mountain,¡± he said, ¡°And, I am told, orange, yellow and red everywhere else.  People claimed to see it on the water continent and at the capital. They said that the entire sky changed, that they could see the billowing clouds.  I think that those accounts may be exaggerated, but¡­ sometimes I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    ¡°There were a lot of reports of the eruption,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It destroyed the entire ecosystem of the continent.  I daresay you could see it from a great distance away.¡±


    ¡°The rumor around the unit was,¡± Quiroris stared into his empty cup, ¡°That the Emerald Knight really had killed their god- that minor deity, the ¡®great fire spirit¡¯ that could commune with Thesis.  I liked to think, for a long while, that the fire elves had had time to evacuate, because of the shield we put up to buy them that time, that perhaps at least the children survived. Then, I reached a point, because I had gone for so long and seen none of them, that I admitted to myself that that probably was not the case.  But now¡­ now I have you, Orenda.¡±


    ¡°Two centuries and one person,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Those are not particularly comforting numbers, Felaern.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I thought they would be,¡± he said.


    They were silent for some time, in thought, but eventually, Felaern spoke again.


    ¡°No one goes up there, anymore,¡± he said, ¡°a few expeditions say that they¡¯ve tried but the land must be cursed, because they can¡¯t even get close before they begin to get sick, deathly sick.  More than one person has died of heatstroke, or of a magic blast from their blood that burned them from the inside out.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the Emerald Knight is the chosen one?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Are you the sort of person who could turn me in for treason?¡± Quiroris asked.


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Emerald Knight should have been allowed inside that temple.  I think that we brought something unholy to a holy place, that we spilled sacred blood on sacred ground, and now all of us who let that happen are being punished for it.  Almost everyone who was there that day is dead, Orenda. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯ve been spared. I know that the Emerald Knight claimed to have the sacred sword, but that thing is no child of god.  If anything, it¡¯s a demon.¡±

 Chapter 38

    When the rest of the student body returned from their break and, presumably the funeral of Lord Glenlen, Orenda took to having her meals delivered to her apartments. The others had grown so disagreeable that she found herself unable to eat in peace. Class itself was a chore, especially classes in which she was forced to interact with others in group projects or partnerships, and in those subjects, she found herself lagging behind to such an extent that Felaern offered to tutor her himself, but she denied him and spent most of her time locked in the tower copying genealogy records to smuggle to Bubbider.


    The only thing that hurt to any real extent was Kassie. Orenda had, for some reason, believed that her behavior would not change like the others, but she quickly found that she was mistaken. Kassie never said anything outright to her but she began a plan of avoidance. If she saw Orenda outside of class, she would pretend that she hadn¡¯t, and that she had pressing business in some empty classroom or down a deserted hallway. If they had to interact for some reason during class, she was polite enough, but her friendliness had retreated to a colder, more professional level.


    At first, Orenda received a letter from Tolith at least once a week, then once a month, and slowly these dwindled away to nothing. This concerned her, because he gave no indication that his final letter would be his last. He spoke of the same things each time, of how he hated his tutors and wished to return to school, of how he missed her and looked forward to her letters, of how he felt the pressures of growing older, of how he would like her to come to his parties that he was forced to throw annually to celebrate his birth, but his mother would not allow it. The final letter that she received spoke of a potential trip to his father¡¯s land, and, in fact, held an explicit promise to write again once he reached his destination.


    But no more letters ever came.


    Orenda even felt sorry for him and searched the school¡¯s records for his father¡¯s address. She wrote to him, asking of the journey and how he found life at the outpost, but still, she received no reply.


    If not for Bubbider Orenda would have lived in complete isolation. There is a special kind of sorrow that comes from being alone in a crowd, and it pressed upon her more and more each day. She had often had difficulty making friends, had grown up without them at the workhouse, and had always had more luck with adults than people her own age. She also could not allow herself to feel self-pity over loneliness when she thought of Ali, and certainly not during the rare moments when she spoke to him.


    He did, occasionally, make her think that he was still gathering intelligence. He would speak on various naval or military officials- but those reports were rare. Mostly he became more and more obsessed with the voice in Lady Glenlen¡¯s room.


    ¡°He knows my name,¡± Ali told her one night, his sunken face flickering through the flames of the scry, ¡°He¡¯s always known my name. I know it¡¯s a djinn, Rendy, I know that¡¯s how she¡¯s stayed in power for so long. These elves are bloodthirsty. She only has one heir. Someone would have killed her by now. That thing is protecting her. He¡¯s being forced to do it. He hates her. I think she can¡¯t hear him. I think she feels something, but I don¡¯t think she can hear the voice.¡±


    ¡°How did you come to that conclusion?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Because he told me that he was once in love with a human slave,¡± Ali said, ¡°he admitted that he had helped him escape, and that he would never be found. He said that this human was living in the capital, right under Xandra¡¯s nose. He said that he would escape and return to him. He said he would see elves dead for what they had done to his beloved. He named names. And she did nothing. She made no reply, she made no attempt to catch this man who had escaped, despite the djinn saying his name.¡±


    ¡°What is his name?¡± Orenda asked, intrigued.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never believe it,¡± Ali whispered, ¡°It seems a myth.¡±


    ¡°Still, it would be good information to pass along,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°The Djinn is in love with the white rabbit,¡± Ali explained, ¡°He¡¯s in love with Xaxac. And he told me why the rabbit is white.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of sterilite?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I have heard it mentioned,¡± Orenda said, ¡°In particularly old books, and by astronomers, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s real. I¡¯m not sure how metal would come to be on Xren from the stars.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes the sky falls,¡± Ali said, ¡°that¡¯s what shooting stars are. And when the sky falls, it can be used to neutralize all magic. Sterilite is heaven sent.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t believe in djinns either,¡± Ali said, ¡°Yet here we are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± she agreed, ¡°did he say anything else?¡±


    ¡°He says a great many things, Orenda. He says that he has phenomenal power, and when he escapes the heavens themselves will open and weep with his rage. He says that the sky fell once before, a long time ago, during the rebellion of Morgani Magnus and caused a great ice age. He says that Magnus was right, and he hopes he can stop ¡®that fool boy¡¯, but he has forseen that he can¡¯t. He says that he can see the future, but he has no guarantees that his visions will come to pass.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s just having a thought then,¡± Orenda said, ¡°That isn¡¯t a prophecy. Any fool can do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only telling you what he says,¡± Ali said, looking to and fro as he often did, ¡°I can¡¯t stay much longer.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Has he made any predictions?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°He predicts that the white rabbit is in danger from something called the Kabaal, but I don¡¯t know what that is. He says that he has to get out, to protect him. I¡¯m not exactly in a place where I can research anything. Perhaps you can try to find out if it has something to do with Xandra?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Orenda frowned, ¡°But I¡¯ve become rather familiar with the earth elves and I¡¯ve never heard of that organization.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so close, Rendy,¡± Ali told her. ¡°I have to go. But the revolution is coming. This will all be worth it, one day. Our children will grow up in a free world.¡±


    ¡°Godspeed, Ali,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    It took her years while all this was going on to get a record of all the noble families on the colony associated with the school to Bubbider, and she wasn¡¯t sure how useful the information would be in determining order of succession. But it did free up time that she could spend in the library researching. She was fortunate that the other students avoided her, she told herself, because it meant that there was nothing to interfere with her work.


    The room in the research area had been boarded up with thick wood when Orenda sat down. She realized that she must not have been in the library for some time, because it hadn¡¯t been like that the last time she had been up there. She stood, walked to the area, and pressed a hand to the wood. She felt the magic flowing from inside and wondered what those students had accidentally summoned.


    She studied the wood,and realized that if she burned it away to get through, she would likely destroy the reference books in the blaze once it caught. Sometimes, with fast fires, they were difficult to control. Then again, her control was particularly good, and perhaps she should not second guess herself. She was pondering this conundrum when she heard a voice.


    ¡°Orenda?¡±


    Orenda turned to see Kassie, who looked as if she had been crying.


    ¡°What in the world are you doing in the library at this time of night?¡± Orenda asked, and added, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Kassie cried, ¡°No, I¡¯m not alright at all! Shelly kicked us all out of the room! She just received a scry from Lady Glenlen!¡± She sobbed so that Orenda could barely understand her, ¡°Shelly is so upset that she lashed out! Something has sprouted from the ground and covers the door! No one can get inside!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orenda asked, hearing about every third word through the sobs and unable to piece together any sort of story from it.


    ¡°They found the body, Rendy, but it had been beaten so badly and¡­ and¡­¡± she sobbed into her handkerchief, ¡°he had been beheaded! Who would do such a thing? Why?¡±


    ¡°What on xren are you talking about?¡± Orenda asked, growing annoyed.


    ¡°He was your friend, too, Rendy!¡± Kassie accused, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been so mean, it¡¯s just that everyone said you were dangerous and¡­¡±


    ¡°Whose body did they find, Kassie?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Toli was supposed to go take over for his dad,¡± She explained, taking a seat at the desk as if she thought it would calm her nerves, ¡°But his carriage was accosted by bandits or something. They weren¡¯t caught. All four of his guards¡­ and then¡­¡±


    ¡°Tolith is dead?¡± Orenda asked, and her vision seemed to narrow as the edges grew dark.


    ¡°He had so many guards,¡± Kassie cried, ¡°I¡­ we can¡¯t¡­ we can¡¯t be mean to each other, Rendy! I¡¯m sorry! We have to be nice! We don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be here¡­ the world is a dangerous place.¡±


    ¡°Toli is dead,¡± Orenda repeated, and staggered a little.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris came striding quickly into the room, took in the scene, and said, ¡°Oh. You¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°Toli is dead,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°How much do you know?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Did you say beheaded?¡± Orenda asked Kassie, and the girl nodded. ¡°That seems so¡­ extreme. It seems needlessly violent.¡±


    Scooping up the field mice and bopping them on the heads.


    ¡°Orenda, I hate to trouble you,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°But I¡¯m having a bit of difficulty. Shalendra¡¯s quite strong, as you know, and she¡¯s regenerating her barrier as quickly as we can take it down. I thought perhaps a little fire magic may be more difficult to-¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Go from the roots up, please,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°try to keep it contained.¡±


    ¡°It is contained, Felaern,¡± Orenda said, clutching her staff with one hand and pressing the other against the door, ¡°Though I imagine she¡¯s going to notice any second that her barrier is-¡±


    She was cut off by an anguished howl.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I suspected as much.¡±


    ¡°They had set a date for the wedding,¡± Dr Vibila explained, ¡°poor thing.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine,¡± Orenda rolled her eyes, but no one saw her. On the other side of the door, her small flames ate away at the roots of the barrier Shalendra had created, and she wondered if the room wasn¡¯t filling up with smoke.


    Shalendra began to shriek, and Orenda felt the barrier trying to regrow, but she kept the flame steady and tried the door. The barrier must have weakened enough, because she threw her whole body into it with her shoulder and barreled into the room.


    It was a jungle. All the little potted plants on desks or window planters had sprung to unnatural life. They hadn¡¯t just grown over the door, they had grown over everything, creating an impenetrable forest of vines, stems, and leaves.


    ¡°Shalendra!¡± Quiroris called, ¡°It¡¯s the headmaster. I¡¯m here with Dr Vibila! We know that you¡¯re upset. We¡¯ve come to help you.¡±


    One of the vines slithered up Orenda¡¯s leg, then around her dress, and finally around her waist. It moved almost like a snake, slithering then tightening around her body, which would not have been bad at all, but then, all at once, thorns the size of elven fingers shot from the thing. She gasped instead of screaming as she felt them burrowing their way into her, and looked down to see the blood seeping from her wounds.


    ¡°FELAERN!¡± Orenda shrieked, ¡°FIX THIS NOW OR I WILL SET THIS ENTIRE PLACE ABLAZE!¡±


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes,¡± he ran to her in alarm, and she watched the rings in his ears turn green as he fought Shalendra¡¯s will to control the magic. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± He promised, ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a great deal of blood for it to be fine!¡± Orenda snapped. She was beginning to grow lightheaded, and everything below her waist was going numb, ¡°I think it¡¯s¡­¡± She swooned on her feet, ¡°Felaern? I can¡¯t¡­ focus. She¡¯s poisoned¡­¡±


    ¡°The hell she has!¡± he snapped, reached into his belt, produced a knife, and cut the vine in one smooth motion. It wriggled as if it could feel it, and it was so thick that a green liquid which Orenda thought may be chlorophylle sprayed from it as if it were blood.


    ¡°Vibila!¡± Quorirs shouted, ¡°I need this neutralized! I need her healed!¡± Orenda could not focus well enough to see the panic in his eyes as he screamed, ¡°Medic!¡±

 Chapter 39

    Master, within you lies a great power.  Please, seek your ambition. Do not waste away.


    Orenda stood on the platform and paid no mind to the lava that flowed below her.  Her entire mind was before her, on the flame that burned on the platform, on the staff within.  She would walk through fire for it, because she was a princess, and this was something that she must do to claim her title.


    Master, come for me.  The world must recognize who you are, what you are.


    In a dream, things make sense, even when they do not, and Orenda did not know that she was dreaming, so she knew exactly what the staff was talking about.  She reached into the fire, and it did not burn her.


    But then she was awake, and she had no idea what the staff had meant.


    She was lying on her bed in the tower, and the sun was out.  She had been injured, but she felt no pain. She wondered how such a thing could happen, and rolled down her blankets, then pulled up her nightdress, and looked at the bandages that lined her body.  She tried to stand, thinking that perhaps it would be difficult, but it was not.


    She walked to the window and stared out at the city stretching below her, thinking of Tolith, of the short life he had lived.  She had always known that he didn¡¯t have the constitution to travel, had told him as much, but she knew from his letters that he wanted to get away from his mother, and she knew from his past that he had always wanted to get away from himself.


    Orenda thought that she may kill Shelly, if she ever saw her again.  She had come close to killing her, and everyone else, when she had dared to attack her.  She had nearly set the whole room ablaze. It would have been nothing to do. She could have burned them all alive, watched as they choked on the smoke from the burning plants.  She wondered if that would have released the poison.


    She was unbearably thirsty and made her way downstairs to find Felaern and force him to get her something to drink.  She wasn¡¯t going to ring for a human herself, and she thought that, if she needed to, she could probably make it down to the kitchen.  She was amazed by how little pain she was in.


    ¡°Felaern!¡± She called as she exited the stairs and emerged into the dining room, ¡°Are you up here?¡±


    ¡°Orenda?¡± He called back, ¡°I¡¯m in my office!¡±  But he wasn¡¯t, because he was running toward her, and she heard the opening and closing of doors as he made his way into the living room and threw the sliding doors to the dining room apart.  ¡°How are you feeling? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty,¡± She said.


    ¡°Of course!¡± he said, and he was gone.


    Orenda walked into the living room and sat heavily on a chair there, waiting for his return.  When he came back, he was clutching a bottle of wine and two glasses.


    ¡°I had meant water,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°You may have a compromised immune system,¡± Quiroris told her, ¡°The water may not be clean enough.  Oh, Orenda, I¡¯m so sorry. I think it may comfort you to know that Shalendra¡¯s family have decided it may do her well to recover at home, from the shock of it all, and the heartbreak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not particularly interested by her recovery,¡± Orenda said as she took the glass he handed her and sipped.  ¡°Did she try to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Quiroris admitted, ¡°I would never accuse it, but¡­  it could have been fatal. I was¡­ concerned. But Dr Vibila worked tirelessly.  She extracted the poison from your blood and got you patched up, then filled with healing potions.  I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll scar much, perhaps not at all. It¡¯s¡­ strange. Thesis must have blessed you.¡±


    ¡°Why is that strange?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a fire elf.  I mean, were you an earth elf you probably could have absorbed some of it, but¡­  she..¡± his shoulders slumped, ¡°Yes. She meant to kill you, Orenda. That should have been a lethal dose.  I must admit that I can¡¯t understand how you aren¡¯t dead. There was so much of it in your blood.¡± He looked down at his own glass.  ¡°It never occured to me that she would lash out like that. I imagine she had forgotten your elemental difference. It wouldn¡¯t have killed an earth elf, you see, so¡­  I believe she was only trying to defend herself.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°She¡¯s never cared much for me,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°I think that perhaps I should go back to bed. I only awoke because of a terrible thirst.¡±


    ¡°Take the bottle with you,¡± Quiroris stood, ¡°Do you need help walking up those stairs?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m stronger than that, I believe.  It takes more than a grieving girl to take me out. You do realize, Felaern, that I was holding back?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Felaern said, ¡°So was I.  I came¡­ very close to making a mistake.¡±


    Orenda did not know what he meant by that, but she nodded and headed back to her room.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Bubbider said, and Orenda turned to see her standing in the doorway, ¡°I¡¯m here to change the bedding.  The headmaster is concerned that you may get an infection.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m healed,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It¡¯s weird.  Shelly absolutely lost her shit, didn¡¯t she?  Why are you the one changing my sheets? What happened to Jen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken over her duties.  I got it approved by the headmaster.  Her child vexes her and we think it may be any day now.¡± Bubbider explained as Orenda got up to help her strip the bed.  After a few seconds she went on, ¡°I spoke to Ali. He says that her son¡¯s death has caused Lady Glenlen as much distress as one would expect.  She¡¯s also really losing her shit. She¡¯s lashing out, as well. But, strangely, he says that he finally saw¡­ well, perhaps he should tell you himself.  But I think he¡¯s finally confirmed the djinn theory.¡±


    ¡°No, tell me now!  I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to speak to him again,¡± Orenda demanded.


    ¡°Orenda, you¡¯re nearly twenty,¡± Bubbider chided, ¡°you¡¯re in your last year.  Don¡¯t make demands like a petulant child.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been injured,¡± Orenda reminded her, ¡°I have a right to be a little bitchy.¡±


    ¡°He says that he finally saw her speak to it,¡± Bubbider explained, ¡°She has them stand or sit sometimes, by walls or whathave you, as decoration, for flavor, and he¡¯s been there long enough that he can blend into the scenery like that when he needs to.  He knows where it¡¯s being kept.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s found the djinn?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s under lock and key, and likely magical wards as well, but he knows where it is,¡± Bubbider explained, ¡°She was berating it.  Apparently, it had, at one time, promised her that her son would always be safe. But now he is dead. She was in a rage, as is understandable, but she wasn¡¯t shrieking into the air, it was directed to a bedside cabinet that he is well acquainted with.  He doesn¡¯t have a plan to get in there; it¡¯s right by where she sleeps and apparently that¡¯s always heavily guarded.¡±


    ¡°Ali said that the djinn was in love with the white rabbit,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And Tolith was found decapitated.¡±


    ¡°I thought the same thing,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°It¡¯s his signature move.¡±


    Orenda nodded and helped her tuck the new sheet onto the bed.


    ¡°Where am I to go, Bubbider?¡± Orenda asked after a few long minutes of silence.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bubbider asked.


    ¡°After graduation,¡± Orenda clarified, ¡°where am I to go?  I¡¯ll be a scholar; it¡¯s what you all wanted. I¡¯ve no idea where I¡¯m supposed to go next.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get leads, Rendy,¡± Bubbider promised, ¡°I still don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I need to know where I¡¯m meant to be, before Quiroris sends me off to the wastelands!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying, Rendy.  You know I can¡¯t promise anything, in good conscious.  I don¡¯t know everything, myself.¡±


    ¡°It may not matter,¡± Orenda said, ¡°If Ali gets the djinn, that may be the end of it, and we won¡¯t have to hide anymore.¡±


    ¡°It would do no good to pin all our hopes on a foolish man who could not find a cabinet in nearly a decade, and who has not been as trustworthy as he once was,¡± Bubbider cautioned.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°We both know he¡¯s been damaged, Rendy,¡± Bubbider said sadly, ¡°He¡¯s a shadow of the boy he once was.  I don¡¯t know how much of what he says anymore is true.¡±


    Orenda had never thought to doubt Ali until Bubbider had planted the seed, but she knew in her heart that she was right.  Whatever he had been through, it had driven him to madness, and some days he found it more difficult to hold his sanity than others.  There could be no djinn at all. It could all be in his mind. He could very well be hearing voices. She felt foolish for not seeing this fact, which was obvious once it had been pointed out, sooner.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± She said, ¡°please try to find me another position.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Bubbider promised, ¡°I am trying, Rendy.  You¡¯ve done well here. We know who our targets are now.¡±


    Orenda was not going to ask her next question.  She had promised herself that she would never ask it outright, that she would rather go to her grave without knowing.  But it spilled from her lips before she could stop it.


    ¡°Did we kill him?¡±


    Bubbider stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Orenda.  But he did not follow the path of order.¡±

 Chapter 40

    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris knocked on her door more loudly the second time, ¡°Orenda?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a free day, Felaern,¡± Orenda shoved a pillow over her face to block the light, ¡°I¡¯m trying to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± he said, ¡°But it is after noon.  I can¡¯t imagine how much more sleep you would need. May I come inside?¡±


    ¡°If you must,¡± Orenda slammed the pillow to her side and came to the heartbreaking realization that she was no longer asleep.


    She stood and walked to her basin to begin her preparations for the day as Quiroris let himself inside, looking far more giddy than he had any right after interrupting her slumber.  It must have been one of his bad days, because he was using his walking stick, but Orenda still thought that he never looked as if he truly needed it. Had he not told her he had been injured she would have assumed that he used it as a prop.


    ¡°Good day, Orenda!¡± he said happily.


    ¡°Good day, Felaern,¡± she said sarcastically.


    ¡°Do you know what day this is?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a free day,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°purported to be a day of rest, but I assume we¡¯re throwing that out the window.¡±


    ¡°On this day, eight years ago, near the end of the term, a little girl destroyed my bath house,¡± Felaern told her.


    ¡°The memory seems to have made you absolutely giddy,¡± Orenda huffed.


    ¡°I was hoping, Orenda,¡± he said, ¡°That you would come out with me, to dinner.  I was afraid that if I allowed you much more sleep, you wouldn¡¯t have time to prepare.¡±


    ¡°It takes very little time to prepare to eat,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°And if it¡¯s only a little after noon I suspect we wouldn¡¯t have dinner for a good six hours.¡±


    ¡°Well, a late lunch, then,¡± he amended, ¡°I would like to celebrate the anniversary of the day you came into my life.¡±


    ¡°I would normally say that there was nothing to celebrate,¡± Orenda ran the oil through her hair as she spoke, ¡°But I imagine I should take all the free food I can get.  God knows how I will eat in the outlands.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Quiroris fiddled, pulling the lace of his shirt out of the sleeve of his robe, ¡°I will be ready to leave whenever you are.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± She said, absentmindedly, looking into the mirror and pulling out a curl to check for length.


    ¡°Orenda?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°The book that you let me copy,¡± he said, ¡°I assume you¡¯ve gone over it, once you had it back?  I assume you must nearly have it memorized at this point.¡±


    ¡°You can assume anything you like,¡± Orenda said as she opened the wardrobe to get her uniform and robes, as they were the only real clothes that she owned.


    ¡°It tells how to wear the sari, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He asked, though he knew the answer.  He had poured over his copy, ¡°I should like you to wear it.¡±


    ¡°You can like anything at all, Felaern,¡± Orenda told him as she laid her everyday clothes out on the bed, ¡°that doesn¡¯t mean it will happen.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he sighed, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be downstairs, whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Orenda felt that the restaurant she found herself in reminded her of the test she had taken in her etiquette class.  The easiest way to remember which utensils to use was to eat from the outside in, so that is what she did. Orenda was consistently amazed by the human wait staff, who were forbidden from writing anything down, yet who served flawlessly.  She didn¡¯t think she could have done it.


    ¡°You¡¯re such an accomplished mage,¡± Quiroris said during the appetizer course as Orenda thought that she could absolutely fit a few of the jimikand ke kabazes into the pockets of her robe to take to Bubbider if she could distract Quiroris¡¯s attention away from them.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It¡¯s such a lovely day, isn¡¯t it?  This place has a nice view of the ocean.¡±


    Quiroris turned to look out on the wide open sea from the span between the arches that most public buildings in the area seemed to have.  The fire elves, Orenda remembered as she stuffed as many of the kabazes into her pockets as she thought reasonably would not be missed, liked to bring the outdoors in.


    ¡°It really is,¡± Quiroris agreed, as if he was dreaming of something.  He turned to stare back at Orenda as she took a bite, and picked up his glass to slowly sip his wine.  ¡°Orenda,¡± he began again, ¡°Do you want to go to the outlands?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t much matter, does it?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I mean,¡± he went on as if he hadn¡¯t heard her, ¡°do you want to study the temple?  Do you think you could survive the journey to a site no one has been to in two hundred years?¡±


    ¡°Again,¡± Orenda answered, eating the last kabaz on the plate, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I want; it¡¯s what will happen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only¡­¡± Quiroris said as their waiter took away the empty appetizer plate and headed back to the kitchen.  ¡°I worry that I may have given you bad advice.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Perish the thought,¡± Orenda said and watched in amazement as the waiter carried their new tray, filled to the brim with dishes and expertly began to lay them out on the table without spilling anything.


    ¡°You remember poor Lord Glenlen,¡± Quiroris said, and Orenda thought that their waiter¡¯s face twitched ever so slightly, ¡°The area is rather dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I am not known for my fear of danger, Felaern,¡± Orenda reminded him, ¡°I¡¯m a bit more capable than poor Tolith.  You know, I¡¯ve always felt that earth elves were disproportionately frail. I think that, as a people, you may not be eating enough.¡±


    She said this as she piled her plate from the dishes laid out on the table and broke her bread into manageable pieces to eat with.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that that¡¯s the case,¡± he said, though he did serve himself much more modestly, and Orenda braced herself because she had always been bothered by the delicate manner in which he ate.  She half thought he was going to tell her to stop scooping with her bread and use a fork, but he didn¡¯t.


    Instead he said, ¡°It just¡­  does not seem to be a safe place for a young lady.¡±


    ¡°Well, it certainly wasn¡¯t a safe place for a young gentleman,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°I would really rather not talk about this, Felaern.  I don¡¯t know why you think the subject of a friend¡¯s death is proper meal conversation. I know it¡¯s been a long time since you were in etiquette class, but honestly, bringing up such a grizzly murder while a lady is trying to eat is in poor taste.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, of course,¡± he agreed, tapping his fork against the napkin it had rested on, ¡°I apologise, Orenda, I¡¯ve only¡­  been thinking of it so much, since it happened. I didn¡¯t know it had gotten that bad. Those kinds of crimes had been all but eradicated, under the late Lord Glenlen¡¯s rule.¡±


    Orenda took a long drink of wine and went back to eating without comment, and Quiroris watched her as if she was some sort of rare animal in a zoo that he thought had gone extinct.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is a safe place for you,¡± he said, at length.


    ¡°No place is safe,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Safety is an illusion.  Felaern, you should know that. If the future ever seems uncertain, unpredictable, fraught with danger and deadly experiences- that is because it is.  No matter where you are or what you do, you will not escape pain or death.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he agreed, ¡°in the end, death comes for us all.  But elves are meant to live long lives, Orenda. I would like to see you live a long life.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that you¡¯ll make it to the end of my life, old man,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°You¡¯ve got more than two centuries on me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he agreed, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine I will.  But¡­ I can give you a firm foundation of safety and security.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how,¡± Orenda wondered if there was a way she could sneak an entire plate to Bubbider now that she finished, but most of the food was covered in sauces, and she wasn¡¯t sure how she would manage it.  She was still pondering this over as Quiroris spoke.


    ¡°Lady Glenlen would not send you away if you were married,¡± He said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that to be the case,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it would have any bearing on the situation.¡±


    ¡°I know she wouldn¡¯t,¡± Quiroris argued, ¡°I asked her in my last report.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, thinking it over.  She wasn¡¯t opposed to a political marriage, but in order to be of any real use to the Order, it would need to be someone fairly high ranking.  Tolith, she finally realized, would have been a perfect candidate, had he not gone and gotten himself killed. She was running the genealogy of the nobility over in her head, alongside the idea that Quiroris may be the perfect person to arrange the match because he had known most of those families for centuries, when she was knocked out of her thoughts by the sound of his voice.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he said, ¡°If you marry me, you can stay here, safely and with security that you¡¯ll always have a position, even after my death.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orenda asked, and her confusion gave way to insult.  ¡°Felaern, have you gone mad? Has the bleach soaked into your brain?  I have half a mind to throw this wine at you, but I thought better of it because I need it to settle my nerves after that bought of profound stupidity.¡±


    ¡°It would be the safest place for you,¡± he argued, ¡°You¡¯re a conspicuous person, Orenda.  People still associate you with Captain Nochdifache. If you keep your head down and prove to them that you¡¯re just a law-abiding scholar-¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to prove anything!¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°Honestly, how could you ask me this now?  I¡¯m not leaving before I¡¯ve eaten my dessert, and now that I¡¯ve given my answer we shall have to sit here, trapped by social convention, in a cloud of awkwardness, because you¡¯ve decided to be foolish!  You couldn¡¯t have possibly thought I would agree to something so ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he said seriously, ¡°What match did you think you were ever going to get?  Did you think that some¡­ you don¡¯t have any noble blood. You have no title. I took you in out of the goodness of my heart-¡±


    ¡°You took me in,¡± Orenda corrected, ¡°to ease your own guilt- no, no come over here, I know we¡¯re shouting but I do still very much want the basundi.  Yes, thank you.¡±


    This last part had been addressed to their waiter, who had seen that they were fighting and stood with his tray to take their main course dishes awkwardly a good distance away, but at Orenda¡¯s insistence had come anyway to take them away, then returned to the kitchen to ready their dessert.


    ¡°We¡¯re making a scene,¡± Quiroris said.


    ¡°Felaern, I am a scene,¡± Orenda corrected, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand that.  I am not one of you. Everywhere I go, I would get these stares regardless of how I behaved.  You can give me as many etiquette classes as you like, and it will never make me a model of elven grace to the nobility.  I will always be treated as if I am some kind of spectacle.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he said in a soothing voice, ¡°People only look upon you because of your exotic beauty-¡±


    ¡°Felaern,¡± Orenda snapped and wondered how much of the wine she had drunk, ¡°I am not exotic!  I am from here! I am native to this place! You are exotic! You, and¡­ wow, and everyone else in here, are all exotic!¡±


    ¡°Your basundi, mam,¡± the waiter said as he served it.  He seemed delighted by what was happening at this table in particular, and Orenda saw that the other humans were also smiling, as if they all supported her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said and began to eat.


    He sat the dish in front of Quiroris and stood behind and to the left, a position he could take in his employment, but had not taken for the duration of the meal, because he had other tables to serve.  It was obvious that he wanted to see how the rest of this meal played out.


    ¡°Can the lady get some coffee with her desert?¡± Quiroris snapped; his patience had thinned to the point that it was about to break.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the waiter said, and disappeared into the kitchen.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would be so upset,¡± Quiroris said as he pulled the spoon through the top of his basundi, carving little ditches without eating any of it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why,¡± Orenda snapped, halfway through the dish before the waiter returned to pour the coffee.  ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She stirred it with the same spoon despite knowing perfectly well what a coffee spoon was, and continued, ¡°I do not foresee any marriage in my future, Felaern.  Of course, the future is vast and unknowable, and I may come into some political gain that one would be foolish to walk away from, but not today. I suppose I shall go into the wastelands to seek my fortune.¡±


    ¡°Will you at least write me?¡± Quiroris asked, ¡°So that I can know that you¡¯re safe?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t imagine I will be safe,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°But I can lie to you, if you¡¯d like.¡±

 Chapter 41

    Orenda was still stewing over Quiroris¡¯s stupidity when she returned home, and she didn¡¯t want to be around him, so she made her way as quickly as she could to the library.  The school was decorated with posters announcing the upcoming graduation ceremony, and this grated on her already frayed nerves. This was not an exciting prospect for her, not the way it was for the other students.  She had flown through her exams, written, oral, and practical, she suspected largely because no one really knew how to grade her. She had the theory and her practical subjects down, but on the topic of fire magic, it seemed that she was much more knowledgeable than any of the instructors.


    Her high marks meant nothing, because they were given from a position of ignorance.


    Her research had, at the very least, been valuable to the cause, but she didn¡¯t know how much more she could learn, or how much more she could help.  She was in a terrible position of one who had many skills, but no use to which to put them.


    Her mood was not improved by the gaggle of people in the research room who were not studying, but standing around squaking in a way that set up a flare of emotion that she had to actively work to repress.  Kassie, Tiala, and Voron were standing in the research room, huddled around the boarded up door that had been sealed and protected with magical wards, talking loudly as if they weren¡¯t at all concerned with being found out.


    She had hoped that they had not noticed her, and made to leave, but fate was determined to make her miserable, and she heard Kassie shouting her name in the annoying manner that was her custom.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± She shouted, ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you!  You could be just what we need!¡±


    ¡°I regret it before I speak,¡± Orenda admitted, ¡°But what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to break these wards,¡± Voron explained, ¡°There is a tradition among the senior students of sneaking into this room to perform divination magic- to see our futures.¡±


    ¡°Divination is a waste of time,¡± Orenda said matter-of-factly, ¡°The future is vast and unknowable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a tradition,¡± he argued.


    ¡°And it could be fun,¡± Tiala explained, ¡°But these wards are so strong¡­  if we try to break them, the headmaster will know.¡±


    Orenda let her eyes unfocus and concentrated on the world beyond sight, on the pulsating green energy flowing through the wood and over the door.  It was a strong magic, and it pulsed like the fire in Quiroris¡¯s heart. She saw that it flowed from the bottom up, like a lot of earth magic, and if she burned it away at the roots, she believed she could break it fairly easily.  But she was, understandably, still worried about setting a fire in a library.


    ¡°Fire magic is strong against earth magic!¡± Kassie shouted, ¡°You could do it, Rendy, we know you could!¡±


    ¡°I could,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°But divination is not a real thing.  There¡¯s no point. Besides, Felaern says that something was loosed in that room once, and that he¡¯s trying to contain it.  It may not be safe.¡± She felt her face heating as she admitted, ¡°Besides I¡­ wouldn¡¯t like to light a fire in a library. This place is made of kindling.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Tiala considered, ¡°It¡­  it is true that fire magic is strong against earth magic, but¡­  nothing is cut and dry. The more one looks at it¡­ there are certain kinds of earth magic that have been successfully used against fire mages.  I mean¡­ one does throw dirt on a campfire to put it out. If¡­ if the three of us cast a null zone around your spell, to keep it pushed back, and you work very hard to control it¡­  I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any danger of it getting out of hand. Would you do it then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so much magic,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Felaern will know we cast it.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I never knew you to be so frightened of the headmaster,¡± Voron smirked.


    ¡°You realize how flammable you are?¡± Orenda asked him, and he took a step back.  ¡°It isn¡¯t a matter of fear. I just don¡¯t think he was lying, because he has no reason to.  We don¡¯t know what he¡¯s trying to contain.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Tiala said, so quietly as to be barely audible, ¡°My father was one of the mages who accidentally opened the portal.¡±


    ¡°What portal?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard the story?¡± Kassie asked in her perpetual excitement, ¡°A long time ago, when the school first opened, a group of students, just before graduation, went into the storage room, and attempted to summon Morgani Magnus.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Orenda asked.  She had heard as much, and had always wondered why anyone would want a demon in the same place where they were going to work and live.


    ¡°Because he has powers,¡± Voron explained, ¡°He was born of Thesis after all.  He didn¡¯t have all his power stripped. The legends say that he still walks Xren, that he split the elves and knows how we can all reunite as one people again, as the high elves were when Thesis first made them, whole and perfect.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read the holy texts,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that there is the slightest indication that he would know that, or that it would be something that a group of inexperienced mages could do even if he did.  That would be powerful, advanced magic that would change the very nature of elvenkind. It¡¯s some¡­ peace and love, singing around a campfire, we¡¯re all the same, born of mother xren¡­ nonsense.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t students,¡± Tiala said, ¡°They were faculty.  They were experienced mages.¡±


    ¡°High elves shared a psychic connection,¡± Voron argued, ¡°we aren¡¯t meant to be this way.  We are meant to be one people.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not here to argue philosophy,¡± Kassie said as if the subject didn¡¯t interest her, ¡°But I do know that he¡¯s supposed to have powers!  And people say that you can use them to do the kind of magic that would normally tear a body apart, things like casting outside your element, divination, mind reading-¡±


    ¡°Speaking to the dead,¡± Voron cut in.  ¡°Demons have ties to the afterlife, Rendy.  If we summon Magnus, we can speak to the dead.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda¡¯s face fell as she considered this, ¡°Oh, I¡­  I see. You should have led with that. Do you¡­ suppose the dead wish to be disturbed?¡±


    ¡°He was my best friend, Orenda,¡± Voron leaned heavily on his staff, ¡°He told me stuff he-¡± he cut himself off and looked to the other two women, then back to Orenda, ¡°He told me stuff he didn¡¯t tell many people.  He told me about the girls he really liked.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, trying to say one thing and mean another, ¡°I understand his lover was nearly driven mad by¡­  everything.¡±


    She studied the door.


    ¡°You all cast an earth shield around me,¡± She said, ¡°All of you.  A strong one. I will not burn down a library.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Kassie clapped then held her staff in both hands.


    Orenda focused on the energy in front of her, flowing up from the ground, and pretended that she could not hear the screams, could not feel the fires of five hearts extinguishing, could not smell the scent of burning paper and burning flesh, could not feel the absence of the closest thing to a real home she had ever known.  Her body shook as the flame ate away at the magic at its source, as the fire spread to encompass the boards that had been nailed over the door, burning away the physical barrier as well- and nothing else. Her control had gotten a lot better. Every time it had gotten a little easier, and now it was like breathing.


    Orenda stepped forward, reached into the flames, and turned the handle.  It was locked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Voron said, ¡°pull back, pull the fire down under the knob.¡±


    Orenda stepped back, keeping the fire only as strong as necessary to prevent Quiroris¡¯s spell from popping back up, a small flame along the bottom of the door.  She watched as Voron grabbed the handle and closed his eyes. She did not see the metal within the lock move to his whims, but she heard it clicking into place before he was able to turn the knob, and the door swung open.


    ¡°Everybody inside!¡± Kassie squealed, ¡°You go last, Rendy, then let the wards spring back up!¡±  She ran forward, hopped over the low flame, and waved for them to follow her. Voron hopped over next, then Tiala.  Finally, Orenda stepped over the threshold, extinguished her flame, which had not caught a single page aflame, and watched the magical ward spring back to life.  She looked down at the charred ashes of the boards on the floor and knew that anyone would know they were in there.


    Then she shut the door, and locked it from the inside.

 Chapter 42

    The first time Orenda had entered this room, she had been completely ignorant of the language of the high elves, the oldest recorded language of elvenkind.  But now, she knew that those runes etched onto the floor were a language, and she had a decent understanding of what they meant. She also noted that they had been carved by someone who had only a tenuous grasp of the language, and was not at all shocked that they had made a mistake.  The language was much more simple than common and lacked things like gendered conjugations or pronouns, but the vocabulary was much more varied, verbose, and precise. Whoever had carved the incantation on the ground had tried to copy a common text, nearly word for word, and had, as a result, done a poor job.


    Orenda ignored the people who were kneeling over it, scribbling out furious translations, and instead walked to the window and gazed out over the city below, to the sea that looked more calm than it was.  The ocean, Orenda thought, was an illusion: a mirrored surface that hid an abundance of life. It was the illusion of safety that she so often saw in the world.


    ¡°We call upon the darkness,¡± Kassie said in her chipper voice, ¡°We call upon the fallen.  We call upon the harbinger of doom. We call upon the father of chaos upon Xren. We call upon that which resides within us, the residue left from that first sin that makes us incomplete.  We call upon that which has dared to defy the great creator. We call upon-¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine we need every ¡®we call upon¡¯,¡± Orenda interrupted, ¡°It seems redundant.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a chant to help the magic flow,¡± Voron explained, ¡°This isn¡¯t an element any of us are familiar with.  Come here, hold hands with us.¡±


    ¡°My god,¡± Orenda huffed, but to humor them she knelt and took Kassie¡¯s hand in one of her own and Tiala¡¯s in the other.  She did not chant with them, but instead studied the flow of magic in the room. It glowed with a black light, she realized, now that she knew what to look for, and was very close to a mortal magic signature, to a mortal soul.


    She could finally trace the source.  It radiated most strongly from the mirror.  It crackled and flowed from the glass, hit the frame and bounded back, only flowing out once it overflowed the silver.  The mirror looked so much like the sea that Orenda, in that instance, saw it for what it was- an illusion that hid a life underneath.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the mirror,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°What is?¡± Voron asked and followed her eyeline, ¡°Oh, god, it is.  Everyone, concentrate on the mirror. It¡¯s stronger there. What is it?  I still don¡¯t see a color¡­ I don¡¯t see an element.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t see that?¡± Orenda asked, amazed at the inability, ¡°You¡¯ve had the same classes I have.  It¡¯s glowing a sort of¡­ I¡¯m not sure. It can¡¯t be on the visible light spectrum, because it¡¯s darker than that.  I can feel that it goes below ultraviolet, but it looks violet, like a darkness, if darkness were light.¡±


    ¡°You can see it?¡± Kassie asked, and squeezed her hand, ¡°Ok, then everyone channel into Orenda.¡±


    ¡°What?  No, don¡¯t channel earth magic into me!  I¡¯ll go mad! I¡¯m not-¡±


    ¡°No one can cast in darkness anyway,¡± Voron reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s going to be out of your element either way.  Please, Rendy,¡± She risked a glance, and saw that there were tears in his eyes, ¡°I want to see him. I want to make sure he¡¯s ok.  It happened so fast.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but if it hurts, I¡¯m cutting it off immediately, and as a result, you may all be burned,¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°You remember what I did to the bathhouse!  You remember what it¡¯s like when I get emotional! I could destroy everything in here!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Rendy!¡± Kassie squeezed her hand, ¡°You can do it!  You¡¯re a princess!¡±


    The three of them began to chant the words they read from the floor, but Orenda ignored it as she felt the magic of their souls flow into her.  Her necklace and the stones in her ears began to light, as did all the jewelry her companions wore. She was shocked to see the staves beside them begin to glow- they weren¡¯t touching them.  That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.


    The magic was flowing more strongly now, rushing around and inside her- she was drowning in it, and she was afraid it was all going to escape at once, as it had before.  She couldn¡¯t contain it, and they were all going to die up here, because of her, because of whatever was in that mirror-


    Orenda concentrated on the beat of the stranger¡¯s heart, stared into the mirror, and called out to whatever the entity was.


    Slowly, her reflection changed.  A corpse stared back at her, but it was not Tolith.  It was an elf, but like no elf she had ever seen. It had grey skin, like a corpse left too long to shrivel.  Its black hair had been pulled back into a bun on the top of its head. It was visible a little past the shoulders, and wore no proper clothes.  Black straps of what appeared to be leather were tightened at random around the corpse flesh.


    But the worst thing of all were the eyes.  The eyes were not divided, as they should have been, into pupil, iris, and scalara- they were wide, set at an angle that would have been beautiful on a regular elf on that angular face, and that mockery of beauty made it all the more terrifying when it looked out at them with its black, glistening, eyes that reminded Orenda of the void between the stars- not empty, but vast and unknowable.


    They were frozen as this creature stared at them, tilted its head, and spoke.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Who is scrying me?¡± It asked as if it was having difficulty making them out.


    ¡°Can you see it?¡± Orenda asked them, and though no one answered, she saw a vigorous nodding of heads, especially from Voron, who had twisted nearly double to see the figure in the mirror.


    ¡°Ask who it is,¡± Tiala squeezed Orenda¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I am the cursed thing that haunts your nightmares,¡± the figure answered, ¡°I am the demon who has defeated Thesis himself.  I am that which walks in shadow. I am the first of the elves, the child of Xren herself. I am the guardian, the beginning, the first true elven warrior.  I am Morgani Magnus.¡± The figure paused, and Orenda saw one gloved hand press up against the glass, ¡°And I see you.¡±


    ¡°Morgani!¡± Orenda demanded with more authority than she had any right, but if she had summoned a demon, now would not be the time to show fear, ¡°We have heard tell of your power!  We hear that you can grant us the power to speak with the dead.¡±


    ¡°You have heard lies,¡± Morgani replied, with both hands pressed to the glass now, cupped as if he was looking through a window, trying to see something that was hidden to him.  ¡°I have no interest in the land of the dead. I am interested in the living. I walk the path of order.¡±


    Orenda¡¯s heart stopped.


    ¡°You¡­¡± her voice faltered, ¡°You¡­  you what?¡±


    ¡°Soko?¡± He asked, and Orenda felt him looking directly into her soul, ¡°Soko is that¡­  no¡­ Ronnie? Are you alive?¡±


    ¡°Soko?¡± Orenda asked, more interested than she had ever been, ¡°Sokomaur Sambrees?¡±


    ¡°Soko!¡± Morgani called, ¡°After Xac killed Shabeel everything¡­  are you alive? Are you still alive? Is Ronnie with you? Why can¡¯t I see you?¡±


    ¡°You follow the path of order?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Kassie sounded as frightened as Orenda had forgotten to be, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Who is Ronnie?¡± Orenda asked.


    Morgani hissed, ¡°You would know.  You¡¯re not Soko. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name,¡± Orenda yelled as the magic welled within her, ¡°Is Orenda Nochdifache!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Morgani argued, ¡°It¡¯s not!¡±  He slammed both fists against the glass, ¡°SHIT!  SHIT! COCKSUCKING MOTHERFUCKING FUCK FACE! RONNIE!  RONNIE YOU DESTROYED-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s hitting the glass!¡± Voron¡¯s voice was reaching a fever pitch, ¡°Not to be that guy, but he¡¯s hitting the glass- am I the only one seeing this!?  He¡¯s hitting the glass!¡±


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Talia jerked her hand, ¡°You fool!  You told a demon your name! Why did you do that!?¡±


    Orenda realized too late that she was right.  Orenda had given a demon her name, her real name, and all the legends said that that was the most dangerous thing one could ever give a demon.  A name was an identity, and once a demon had your identity, it could cause you no end of problems.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± Morgani slammed against the glass again, apparently in a rage, ¡°Your father was the biggest fool I have ever met!  The biggest idiot who ever walked the face of Xren! He put you all at risk and Soko was about as stupid for going with him!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know my father!¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡±


    ¡°Orenda!¡± Morgani shrieked as if the name caused him physical pain, ¡°Do not go after the Emerald Knight!  That¡¯s how he died! The idiot tried to take on the Emerald Knight!¡±


    ¡°My father?¡± Orenda asked, then shook her head.  It wasn¡¯t true. He was a demon. Nothing he said was true.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Morgani asked.


    ¡°Rendy, stop!¡± Kassie pleaded, shaking as badly as the rest of them.


    ¡°None of it¡¯s true, Rendy,¡± Talia assured her, ¡°He¡¯s trying to get in your head.¡±


    Orenda tried to end the scry, tried to stem the flow of the magic, but it poured out of her like a wildfire that had gotten out of control.  There was no ending it now, as it crackled and popped and filled the room, from her, to the mirror and back. Talia jerked her hand away first, then Kassie, and Voron, to her amazement, stood between the place where Orenda was stuck on her knees and the maniac in the mirror.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never find her!¡± He declared, ¡°Go away!  We¡¯re ending this!¡±


    Orenda tried to stand, but she barely felt the physical plane anymore.  She was all magic, all ethereal and light. She grasped for her body, channeling all her strength into just feeling the air, the real air of the room, the real fabric of her clothes, any physical thing that she could latch onto, that she could convince herself was real.


    Why hadn¡¯t she been afraid of the demon?  Why had she been so casual? Why had she told him her name?


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Morgani said, ¡°Stay away from the Emerald Knight!  Stay away from that fool Xandra! And whatever you do, if any object talks to you, leave it the hell alone!  I put those things where I put them for a fucking reason.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t cut it off,¡± Orenda said, and it took a great effort to move her tongue, lips, and vocal chords.  It came out in a whisper, and she felt almost none of it.


    ¡°We have to put up a shield then!¡± Kassie said, ¡°Contain her magic, like we did before.¡±


    ¡°MAGNUS!¡± Quiroris¡¯s voice boomed through the room, and he began to speak in a language that the students only barely understood, ¡°Begone from this scry; let us see you no more.  Leave this girl and never return. I raise the earth and extinguish the flame.¡±


    Nothing happened for a moment, then the world around Orenda began to grow heavier, as if someone had piled rocks upon her chest, or heaping shovelfuls of earth.  She was already weak, and tilted on her knees before she fell forward. She did not exactly pass out, that is, she felt herself being lifted and moved, but she did not see who had done it, though it felt like at least two people.  She heard Quiroris, who was as angry as she had ever heard him, but she could not make out what he was saying. She floated through life in a daze for several hours until she came to herself, quite suddenly, sitting in her study apparently in the middle of a cup of tea she had been drinking.

 Chapter 43

    Orenda blinked herself into existence and looked at the man sitting across from her with concern on his face. She had expected anger, but she supposed she shouldn¡¯t have. Felaern would never have the strength of his convictions.


    ¡°I saw Morgani Magnus,¡± She said to the teacup.


    ¡°So did I,¡± Quiroris said, ¡°And it was not the first time. I-¡±


    ¡°You told me it wasn¡¯t Magnus,¡± Orenda spat, ¡°You specifically said it wasn¡¯t! You lied to me!¡±


    ¡°I said they didn¡¯t summon Magnus!¡± Quiroris defended, ¡°And they didn¡¯t. Magnus has never been in that room, never been in this building. They¡­ they simply scried him. And he¡¯s such a powerful demon that his energy lingers.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was really him,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was really anything. Had I known, had you not lied to me-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you!¡± Quiroris defended, ¡°I told you not to go in there! I had it contained! Tell me what you were trying to do!¡±


    ¡°No one else has told you?¡± Orenda snarled.


    ¡°I want to hear it from you.¡±


    ¡°They thought we could speak to the dead,¡± Orenda saw no reason to hide their intentions, ¡°They thought we could speak to Toli.¡±


    ¡°No mage should ever try to breach the realm of the dead, Orenda,¡± Quiroris said, softly, ¡°No mage should ever reach between worlds, or into the mind of another. Magic is not meant to be used like that.¡±


    He reached out, as if to take her hand, but thought better of it and instead hovered awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Orenda. I¡¯m sorry I brought it up, or that I drove you to¡­ I didn¡¯t realize how much you loved him. You hide your emotions well.¡±


    ¡°I never loved him,¡± Orenda said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I never loved him, but perhaps I should have. He certainly¡­ seemed to love me. I was blind to it, on purpose. I have, in the course of my life, liked to believe a great many things that were not true. Among them, I liked to believe that Tolith was never in love with me. But I suppose he was.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Quiroris agreed and withdrew his hands to fiddle them together in his lap.


    ¡°It must have been horrible,¡± Orenda said, ¡°to love someone, and face indifference, and then die knowing that you were unloved. To lose a father, to be neglected by a mother, and then to face that indifference before death.¡±


    ¡°Some people,¡± Quiroris choose his words carefully, decided that he had made a bad start, and began again, ¡°It is important, for children, to have an adult who cares about them, from the time they are born. If someone does not have that, has no one to show them what love is, they cannot be faulted for¡­ not recognizing it. Children are meant to have a loving family, Orenda. They aren¡¯t meant to be corralled together like animals in large groups, seen only for that which they can do. That-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I have the ability to love,¡± Orenda glared at him.


    ¡°I think you were cheated, Orenda,¡± he said sadly, ¡°I think you were robbed of a great many things and that no one can blame you for that. It isn¡¯t your fault that you didn¡¯t love Lord Glenlen, and had you loved him, it would not have saved him. Some things are beyond our control.¡±


    He took a deep breath and steeled himself, watching Orenda for a reply that never came.


    ¡°I think that that void may have¡­ left you particularly vulnerable to demons,¡± he said at length, ¡°How I wish you had never told him your name.¡±


    ¡°It does one no good to dwell on the past,¡± Orenda said matter-of-factly, ¡°One more curse won¡¯t be much, in the grand scheme of things.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Quiroris said as if he had channeled a great deal of meaning into that one word.


    ¡°The graduation ceremony is tomorrow,¡± Orenda said as she sat down her cup, ¡°Does this affect it in any way?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Quiroris replied.


    ¡°Well, judging by the lack of sun, it seems it has gotten late,¡± Orenda nodded toward the window, ¡°I think I¡¯ll go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Orenda, we need to talk about what you¡¯ve just been through,¡± Quiroris stood and grabbed her by the upper arm, ¡°It isn¡¯t healthy to keep brushing everything off like this.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    He screamed and drew back his hand as if he had touched a hot stove. He had not had time to see Orenda¡¯s reaction, but as his glove burst into flames he ripped it off, threw it to the floor and stomped out the fire. Orenda was taller than he was now, and loomed over him in a way that he had not seen in centuries, a way that reminded him of a time so long ago when he was completely out of his element and surrounded by people bigger and stronger than him.


    ¡°Do not touch me again,¡± Orenda demanded. She was shaking, filled with emotions that she could not contain. She had been annoyed since she awoke, and the meeting with the demon had done nothing to calm her. The assertion that her father had died a fool had filled her with a rage because it may be true. The demands that she act in any way from a demon had fanned the flames. And a mockery of comfort from a man who had destroyed the world she should have lived in even as he mocked her for what his people had done to her made something within her snap. A fire burned behind her eyes and spilled out of her flesh.


    ¡°Felaern,¡± she explained, ¡°there is nothing wrong with me. I have loved, and been loved in return. Your people took that from me like you took everything else. I do not love you, and that is not because I am broken- it is because you are broken. Do not touch me again. Do not follow me. When I leave for the outlands, I will never have to see you again. You may stay here and fear your demons, but if Morgani Magnus comes for me, I will slay him as I will slay all who stand in my way. I have reached the end of my patience. Do you know why I told the demon Magnus my true name? Because I do not fear him any more than I ever feared you.¡±


    She turned on her heel and marched into the dining room and up the stairs, leaving a charred mark in her wake while Quiroris clutched his injured hand and thought of what Lady Glenlen had told him the night Nochdifache had killed her child¡¯s father.


    Orenda was dangerous.


    ¡°Orenda!¡±


    She had barely made it to her room, had just slammed the door when a lamp blazed to life and Ali appeared looking even more frantic than he normally did, but radiating a joy she had not seen on him since the night she saw him drive away in the back of a cart.


    ¡°Ali?¡± She asked in alarm, ¡°I have much to tell you; I have seen a demon!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to tell you, too,¡± Ali said in a frantic whisper, ¡°Rendy, listen well! Do not go to the ceremony in the morning! Don¡¯t go to the graduation! Get your things and leave tonight. Bubbider and I have already talked. She can¡¯t go with you; she has to be here for the plan. But it happens tomorrow morning. You have to get out tonight.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening tomorrow?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Lady Glenlen is going to be at the graduation ceremony,¡± Ali explained, ¡°To give a speech and do a memorial thing- her son would have graduated, you know- and that¡¯s when it¡¯s going to happen. We¡¯re going to take out most of the nobles in one swoop. Everything is happening tomorrow and we need you to have a clean name. You can¡¯t be there.¡±


    ¡°Ali, I¡¯ve seen a demon,¡± Orenda said again, ¡°tonight. I saw Morgani Magnus. He said that he followed the path of order!¡±


    ¡°He probably does,¡± Ali agreed, ¡°We helped him, Rendy. That¡¯s where shifters come from. I don¡¯t know that Magnus deserves the hate he gets.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening tomorrow?¡± Orenda asked, because she didn¡¯t want to fight, and because it seemed important.


    ¡°The revolution!¡± Ali said, ¡°I¡¯ll have the djinn. I can get into her room alone while she¡¯s away. I¡¯m integrated enough into the household now, and I know where it is. I¡¯ve contacted my mother and the army of Huriyat AlIinsan will march into the outlands. Do not fear the demon Magnus, Rendy. Gather all your things tonight, and leave that place. It will be dangerous and you¡¯re a liability- plus you¡¯re too important to lose.¡±


    ¡°But I can help!¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°You absolutely can,¡± Ali agreed, ¡°They¡¯re going to send reinforcements, Rendy, once they lose the colony, they¡¯re going to send the Emerald Knight. Even the djinn is afraid of him. As far as I can tell, fire beats earth- and you¡¯re the first trained elven fire mage in two centuries. We can¡¯t lose you this early. You have to go somewhere safe and stay alive, hone your skills, and be our secret weapon for when he gets here. We need you.¡±


    ¡°Magnus told me not to fight the Emerald Knight,¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°Well then Magnus can come and defeat him himself!¡± Ali argued back, ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned anything, Rendy? Anything that can help us fight him?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I think that there is an artifact, in the fire elf kingdom, in the temple, but I don¡¯t know where it is or how to get there, only that it lies on the sacred mountains somewhere. But that range is huge, and none of the expedition parties have ever returned.¡±


    ¡°The night lord Glenlen died,¡± Ali began, but Orenda knew what he was going to say.


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache was there,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He grew up there. He was there the night of the battle. He watched his whole world destroyed in a single night. He can tell me exactly where it is.¡±


    ¡°He does not seem to be a difficult man to find, if you know what you¡¯re looking for,¡± Ali said, ¡°He follows the white rabbit.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ he¡¯s often on the ocean,¡± Orenda said, and her stomach sank as she thought of water.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Ali said with great seriousness and more light in his eyes than Orenda had seen in years, ¡°I believe in you. Tomorrow, we¡¯re going to take these Urillians out, and then we¡¯re going to slaughter the Emerald Knight. We can do this. We¡¯ve sacrificed so much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pack right now,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Be discrete,¡± Ali warned, ¡°And¡­ Rendy?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°If we fail¡­ if it all goes horribly wrong somehow, I want you to know that it was a pleasure knowing you. I will always consider you a dear friend.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± Orenda lied, as she had no way of knowing this and did not believe in divination, ¡°One day, Ali, when we are alive and well in the new world we have created, with the children you wanted, they will not believe us when we tell them of the hardship you have endured. Think of the future, and all will be well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one of the good ones, Rendy,¡± he said.

 Chapter 44 - The End

    Orenda gathered up everything that she thought she would need and wondered where she should go.  She did not want to admit that she would have to charter a ship, or think of how she would do that.  She had no money, and no desire to set foot on the open sea. She had never even returned to the bathhouse after she had nearly drowned.  Fire elves had been limited by the water that covered most of the planet, and she knew that it would weaken her. She dreaded the feeling.  She had been miserable since she moved to a seaside city.


    But she had survived.  She had survived, and she had learned to channel magic even on days when the winds brought in the moist air from the sea.  And Captain Nochdifache lived on the ocean. It was a hurdle, but it was one that could be overcome. She could do it. She had done the impossible before.  She had stared down a demon only a few hours earlier and escaped with her life.


    She packed her precious book, her staff, her extra earrings, and a change of clothes.  It was all she would really need, in the long run. As she looked into the open wardrobe, she pulled out the package- old now, and worn around the edges, but as she lifted the top and looked in at the sari, it was still beautiful.  It was bright red, silky, and had never been worn. It had been a gift from her family, and there was no way she would leave it. She sat it on top of her change of clothes, tied the sheet around them all, clutched the necklace where it fell under her robes, and glanced around the room one last time.


    Everything was going to be alright.  It had to be. Everything was either alright, or she would be dead.  Those were, really, when boiled down to the bear essentials, the only two possibilities for the future.


    She didn¡¯t even have a water skien anymore.  But she was a skilled mage. She had intelligence, well earned over the years, and that had to be enough.  She would make it enough.


    She waited until the moons rose high into the night sky and stared up at them in contemplation.  One was white and the other silver, as they always were. Astronomers swore that they moved in sync around the planet, that all of Xren was hurling through an endless void at a breakneck speed, and everyone on it looked up at the sky and saw those moons.  They were united in the fact that though the world was vast, it was nothing to the moons. The moons did not care about them at all. The universe did not care about them. But Thesis had created the elves, and he cared about each and every one of them.


    Looking up at the night sky, Orenda was not sure that she believed there was anyone looking out for her.  She didn¡¯t know if there ever had been. It was possible that she was alone, that she had always been alone, and that she would always be alone.  It was possible that she had no one to look out for her but herself, and she must guard herself well. The astronomers said that one of the moons was made of rock, and the other of sterilite, and that it could mean a great many things, that their position at the time of one¡¯s birth had a special deep significance.  Orenda did not believe this. She did not believe that the moons or stars knew anything about her.


    Felaern would be asleep by now, but she would be quiet.  She took her steps lightly, never resting her weight upon a new one until she was sure it would support it without creaking.  She slid the doors of the dining room open with caution and did not close them. The door to his room was open, just a little, but she did not look inside.  She told herself this was because she didn¡¯t care- but in reality, it was because she cared a great deal.


    She opened the door of their apartments silently, stepped through into the headmaster¡¯s office, and closed the door on that life forever.


    It felt strange.  She thought it would feel lighter, but it didn¡¯t.  It didn¡¯t feel real, this idea that she was leaving forever, that she would never be back, that she would not see him in the morning for breakfast.  She knew this, in her mind, but in her heart it was as if she were making up another story, telling herself another tale that could not possibly be real.  There was no finality to it. It was not like watching a death. It was an overpowering nothing, an overpowering normality, and she didn¡¯t know how to feel about it, so she ignored it and walked swiftly through the office.


    She paused, retreated, and knew she was risking a great deal as she grabbed a blank sheet of paper and the quill from his desk and began to write.


    Felaern,


    Thank you for fighting back the demon.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    You must know that it would have never worked out.  I have decided not to stay for the graduation ceremony.  I feel that my future lies outside academia. It would, perhaps, do you well to forget that you ever met me.  Find a new project to assuage your guilt. Do not come looking for me. I have gone to find myself.


    I wish you the best in your endeavors, you strange old fool,


    Last of the Fire Elves and First of the Fire Mages


    Princess Orenda Nochdifache


    She could not have told anyone why she wrote this.  She wanted to think that she needed to leave something, some indication that she had left of her own free will and should not be followed.  But that was not the case. She planned to be on the sea by sunrise, and would not be found. She knew, on some level, that she thought he deserved closure.  Though she knew, on another level, that no one deserves anything.


    She threw up the hood of her robes and walked swiftly from the office, then down the hall, taking the stairs that the humans used, down empty back halls and eventually came out into the kitchen.  She pressed her hand to the door and hesitated.


    This felt real.


    This was the feeling she had expected in Felaern¡¯s office.


    She jumped at the sound of a voice.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just walk out, Rendy,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°The guards will see you.¡±


    ¡°This way was the closest to your house,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°I was not going to leave without saying goodbye.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t goodbye,¡± Bubbider stepped from the table where she was standing, and Orenda realized that she must have been sleeping under it.  She had waited here for her until exhaustion had overtaken her.


    ¡°Bubbi,¡± Orenda said, ¡°There is a possibility that it may all go horribly wrong tomorrow.  I like to plan for the worst. It¡¯s kept me alive.¡±


    ¡°Everything will go horribly wrong tomorrow,¡± Bubbider agreed.  ¡°It¡¯s all a matter of perspective. Tomorrow will go horribly wrong for the nobility.  For the Urillians.¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the safehouse on the docks,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I¡¯m going to track down Captain Nochdifache.  Felaern once told me of an artifact the fire elves had, that the Emerald Knight had tried to claim and been denied.  If I have it, I think I can defeat him.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a solid plan,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°Keep your head above water.  You¡¯re strong, Rendy. We all are. Everything is going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could be here to see it.¡± Orenda felt her eyes misting up, and wiped them on her sleeve.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it,¡± Bubbider promised.  ¡°Walk with me. I¡¯ll lead you out through the laundry room.¡±


    Orenda fell into step beside her easily, but could think of nothing to talk about.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you,¡± she eventually asked, ¡°How beautiful I thought you were?  I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter, in the long run, but as we were walking I just realized that perhaps no one had ever told you.  I feel that beautiful people should be told. That is, I feel like people should know how others see them.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Bubbider agreed, ¡°And I¡¯m not sure either of us are well versed in beauty.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to know on the subject,¡± Orenda shrugged.


    ¡°Thank you, though,¡± Bubbider said softly, ¡°I¡­  am not often told that. It isn¡¯t exactly the position I¡¯m in, and humans are really only ever judged by their positions.¡±


    ¡°You do well in your position,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°The Knights are lucky to have you.  I was lucky to have you. I don¡¯t know what would have become of me.¡±


    ¡°The Knights are lucky to have you as well, Rendy,¡± Bubbider stood among the empty washtubs and stared through the columns at the moons.  ¡°We¡¯re all lucky, I suppose,¡± she said, ¡°because we¡¯re all alive. We have the potential to change everything. I can feel the change in the air.  After tomorrow, one way or another, everything will be different.¡±


    ¡°Scry me,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°As soon as it is safe.  I¡¯ll be waiting to hear from you.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± She said, and let her gaze drift back down to Orenda.  ¡°I will always consider you one of my most valuable friends. A little distance could never change that.¡±


    Orenda threw her arms around her, and both of them squeezed so tightly that the other could not draw breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Rendy,¡± Bubbider said into her long ear, ¡°Everything will be alright.  Find your pirate and your artifact. I will find my place as a soldier. I imagine I¡¯ll like it better than a kitchen slave.¡±


    Orenda giggled and wiped her eyes on her sleeve as she pulled away.


    ¡°I want you to have this,¡± Orenda reached into her belt and pulled away her training staff, then held it out to Bubbider, ¡°You deserve a proper focus.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Bubbider took it slowly, and Orenda saw a change in the way magic flowed over her as she held it, ¡°Oh.¡± She repeated, ¡°Rendy it¡¯s¡­  it¡¯s so much easier. I didn¡¯t realize how much easier it flowed. Thank you, Rendy.¡±


    ¡°Until we meet again,¡± Orenda smiled through her tears, ¡°I will think of you often.  We will fight together.¡±


    Bubbider waved as Orenda made her way silently through the empty yard to the fence, and watched as she reached for the top of a post.  Orenda no longer had to climb to reach it, she simply wrapped her hand around it and felt the metal melt. She bent to do the same thing to the bottom, stepped through the opening she had created and stared at the post.  She considered setting it back into place, but what would be the point? Quiroris already knew she was leaving. Instead she tossed it onto the ground and walked away.

 Chapter 45 - Book 2 Chapter 1

    Orenda had never ventured as close to the sea as the docks before, and her body rejected the action with every step. It was exactly like being in the bathhouse. Her vision swam, and her stomach clenched, but she kept her body upright, folded her arms over her torso to fight the urge to empty her stomach, and pressed on.


    The little boardwalk overlooked the sea on one side, and she could see all sorts of ships lined up there. Some were presentable merchant vessels, she was sure, but she knew so little of nautical things that she couldn¡¯t tell a passenger ship from a merchant ship from a pirate ship. Still, they were lovely to look at. They would probably be more lovely if she could focus her eyes well enough to make them out properly.


    There were so many people out and milling about that it may as well have been midday instead of midnight, and most of them carried powerful odors that did nothing to ease Orenda¡¯s stomach. Spices, tobacco, and the yeasty smell of alcohol mingled with the scent of unwashed bodies and hair grease- and she knew she was going to throw up.


    A couple of men had just turned their attention to her, but she could not identify them in any meaningful way because she was running for the edge of the boardwalk. She had just doubled over the fence when she heard one of them ask:


    ¡°What is a lovely lady like you doing in a place like this this time of night?¡±


    Orenda wretched and felt the food she didn¡¯t remember eating force itself from her stomach, up her throat and out of her mouth over the side of the fence. Her eyes watered and her torso convulsed with the spasms as she rode out the illness. She could not pass out again. This would be a terrible place to pass out.


    They had made their way toward her, but she did not have the attention to pay them. She was swooning, and as there was nothing left to throw up, she was dry heaving over the side of the boardwalk.


    ¡°Are you alright, miss?¡± One of them asked, and Orenda blinked the tears from her eyes to see a water elf. His kind were rare in her parts, and she thought he was beautiful with his blue skin and eyes, his long hair the color of seafoam pulled up into a bun on his head. She was going to tell him as much, but another wave of nausea forced her back over the banister.


    ¡°No,¡± She said eventually, ¡°Water makes me ill and probably disagreeable. I may not be proper company for anyone. I¡¯m known to set things ablaze when my patience runs thin.¡±


    ¡°I get that,¡± the other man said, and Orenda looked into his green eyes, ¡°You look like you could use a drink.¡±


    ¡°I could,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°Very much.¡± Her eyes flew open as she realized something, ¡°Wait, magic flows through the blood. Perhaps if I drink, it may ebb the flow of the magic a little. Perhaps I won¡¯t be so ill.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± The earth elven man asked the water elf.


    ¡°I mean, it is true that magic flows through the blood.¡± He shrugged, ¡°And it is true that alcohol replaces the blood in your veins. So I suppose that could work. But I¡¯ve never known anyone to turn to drink to settle their stomach.¡±


    Orenda felt another rush of muscle spasms and clung to the side of the fence for dear life.


    ¡°Here, you know what? I¡¯m gonna get your stuff, ok? Look. I¡¯m not stealing it. We¡¯re gonna take you into the bar, ok?¡± The water elf asked.


    Orenda nodded and grabbed at his companion¡¯s shoulder for comfort. She glanced up as they entered the bar to see a sign depicting a mermaid drinking from a tankard. The Sipping Siren! She had made it to the safehouse!


    ¡°It isn¡¯t as bad in here,¡± Orenda said because it was true. Her vision was still blurry, but it no longer swam, and her stomach was upset, but it no longer shook her entire body. ¡°Thank you, gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you something to drink,¡± the water elf suggested, ¡°What do you like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been much of a drinker,¡± Orenda stumbled toward one of the few unoccupied tables and threw herself into it, ¡°I hate to impose upon your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± the earth elf had followed her with her sheet and sat across from her, ¡°We know who you are, Orenda.¡±


    Orenda was not surprised to hear this at first, as she was the only fire elf that most people probably knew aside from Captain Nochdifache. But the longer she thought on it, the more strange she thought it was. The earth elven man had an accent almost exactly like the one Charles and Susan had had, which made Orenda think he was from the earth continent. The water elf had no business in such a dry place as the fire continent and probably hadn¡¯t traveled very far inland. They should not know who she was.


    ¡°How do you know of me?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We walk the same path,¡± The water elf said as he came back carrying drinks for everyone, ¡°The path of order. We follow the white rabbit.¡±


    ¡°And the captain speaks of you highly,¡± The earth elf explained.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°We were just a crew for hire,¡± The earth elf winked at the water elf, ¡°But we always supported the cause, Rendy, almost everyone does, off the record. But then we met ol captain moneybags and we could finally do something about it.¡±


    ¡°I meant your names,¡± Orenda said as she took a drink and felt the fire settle down her sore throat. It wasn¡¯t delicious but it did wash away the taste of the bile, and for that she was grateful. It did also seem to work a little, as the magic pressing on her was far less intense.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m Stephandore, and this is Adamareyn.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t from around here,¡± Orenda surmised as her vision finally returned to normal and she was able to get a good look at them. They were obviously travelers, both dressed in traveling cloaks and seafaring clothing, but Stephandore was much older than she had assumed from his voice and the strength of his body when he carried her. His hair had gone completely white, and unlike Felaern he made no visible effort to conceal that fact, or the wrinkles that lined his face. He did not seem to have the vanity that Orenda had come to associate with the earth elves- he seemed content to simply grow old in peace. She thought that he must have seen centuries, but his green eyes were still bright and alert.


    ¡°I¡¯m not from anywhere,¡± Stephandore explained and began to unpack a pouch onto the table. It contained a pipe, a matchbox, and a great deal of a plant that smelled like the hookas Orenda had seen so long ago when she first met Rochelle and Ali. He began to break the plant up as he spoke. ¡°The place I am from no longer exists. When I was younger, I lived in the mountain province of Uril, back before it was an empire.¡±


    ¡°But that would make you more than three centuries old!¡± Orenda exclaimed.


    ¡°Old people exist,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I know most of my kind try to hide that fact with paints, dyes and glamours, but I¡¯m not among them. The natural ways are the best ways.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever come here?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Did you ever meet the fire elves?¡±


    ¡°Before the colonization?¡± Stephendore asked, ¡°No. No I defected to the water continent after the Emerald Knight started his killing spree and the nobility got too strong back home. I saw it coming. I knew something awful was going to happen.¡±


    ¡°They came for us, too, Orenda,¡± Adamareyn explained, ¡°The Emerald Knight came for our queen. She was a¡­ there are so many words for it in common¡­ a siren? Mermaid? Water Nymph? The Emerald Knight killed her and our god in the Sacred Ocean Temple. The entire continent is still underwater, except for the islands. It used to be a landmass that met the northern continent in the ice fields, but the sea rose and swallowed it in a single day and night.¡±


    ¡°My god,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Mine too,¡± Adamareyn agreed.


    ¡°And mine,¡± Stephendore added. He had packed the pipe and was rolling his pouch back up. ¡°The Emerald Knight killed the god of the Sacred Woods.¡±


    ¡°Three gods?¡± Orenda asked skeptically, ¡°...I don¡¯t know, guys, that¡¯s a lot of stories.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind, dear?¡± Stephandore asked, holding the pipe towards her.


    The magic flowed through Orenda so sluggishly that even producing the small flame was difficult, but she did it, and he puffed contentedly away.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Adamareyn asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling differently,¡± Orenda answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know that it¡¯s better.¡±


    ¡°We have to let the captain know who we¡¯ve found,¡± He said happily, ¡°If you¡¯re feeling better, let¡¯s head upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Do you work for Captain Nochdifache?¡± Orenda asked as she stood, and the men stared at her as if she had gone mad.


    ¡°Nochdifache?¡± Stephendore asked, ¡°The madman who sails with werewolves and ghouls? No, of course not.¡±


    Orenda clutched her half empty cup and thought that she had gotten too drunk. As she climbed the stairs in the back of the tavern to the inn above, she wondered what captain could possibly know her if not Nochdifache? He was the only link that she had to the sea, or to anything really. There was no one else she knew who would know her, who would speak of her.


    The men opened the door to a room, and Orenda saw many things. First, she saw a chipper halfling woman, and the sight interested her greatly because she had only ever read of halflings, had never seen one in person. They only lived in the frozen north and would have no business here, but the Sipping Siren made its business on people with no business where they were, so she filed that away as interesting, but not her main priority.


    Her first priority was the man sitting on the bed beside the halfling, half naked with his bare torso glistening in the moonlight with brand new scars, his long blond hair pulled up in a ponytail and covered by a bandana, new gold earrings set with earth crystals in his long ears, and his eyes wide with an emotion that she could not read.


    Orenda heaved the tankard at him and it connected square between his eyes. It did not shatter with the force, she was never very athletic, but it did splash all over him and his lady friend, which did not give her the same satisfaction, because she had no reason to inconvenience the woman.


    ¡°You piece of shit!¡± Orenda screamed at him, ¡°I summoned a demon! Your girlfriend lost her goddamn mind and had to drop out of school- after she almost stabbed me to death! You absolute fucking asshole! I¡¯m going to kill you, Toli!¡±


    The halfling woman stood and ran from the bed as Orenda leapt onto it and tackled him. Her hands were around his throat before she caught herself, and had she been in her right mind, she would have, perhaps, thought that she should, in the future, not drink as freely when she had abstained from most of her life.


    ¡°Rendy stop!¡± Tolith shrieked, and she knew that she was not mistaken.


    ¡°No!¡± She screamed back.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t¡­ breath¡­¡± he protested weakly.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m choking you!¡± Orenda explained as if she felt it shouldn¡¯t have to be explained.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Stephendore grabbed her around the waist and lifted her bodily off of him, ¡°You are actually going to kill him if you keep going.¡±


    ¡°He said he was dead!¡± Orenda protested.


    ¡°I never said that!¡± Tolith argued through his raspy, crushed throat, and shoved himself upright with one hand over his heart and the other over his diaphragm, ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes, Rendy!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Rendy?¡± The halfling woman asked, and Orenda thought she was unbearably cute, ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you! I¡¯m Anilla.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to get you wet,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I do apologize. I had hoped it would shatter in his face and kill him.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Adamareyn picked up the glass, ¡°It¡¯s fairly thick glass. Very well made. I hear they make glass well here in the land of fire.¡± He chuckled as he stood and added, ¡°I will admit, given how the good captain speaks of you that this is not the welcome I was expecting.¡±


    ¡°Where the hell have you been, Toli!¡± Orenda raged.


    ¡°I can explain,¡± He said, coughed, and begged, ¡°Adam, can you please get me some water? God damn, Rendy, when did you get strong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m powered by rage!¡± Orenda snapped. ¡°Whose corpse did you send to your mother?¡±


    ¡°I can explain,¡± he said again.


    Orenda watched Adamareyn produce a wand from his belt, wave it at the tankard, and as the stones set into the wand began to glow blue, little droplets began to gather on the insides, like they do on a steamy window, trickling down toward the bottom. It happened faster than it takes to tell it, and the glass was full in no time. He handed it to Tolith, who drank it greedily.


    ¡°You better have a damn good explanation!¡± Orenda spat.

 Chapter 46 - Book 2 Chapter 2

    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Tolith said as he massaged his neck, ¡°My throat, Rendy, by Thesis!¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t the worst thing I¡¯ve done to someone¡¯s neck,¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mean drunk,¡± he accused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± She shrieked.


    ¡°You know what,¡± he snapped back, ¡°That¡¯s fair, I suppose. Would you like to know why I¡¯m not dead?¡±


    ¡°I know why you aren¡¯t dead!¡± Orenda hissed, ¡°You live because I am too drunk to cast and you have the elderly restraining me!¡±


    ¡°Back home,¡± Anilla spoke as if Orenda were not in a rage, ¡°When we had disagreements, where two people felt so passionately, we would have the disagreement settled by a neutral third party who had no stake in the conflict, called an arbitrator. We could do that, if you like. Each side would tell their story, and we could come to an agreement.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be disrespectful,¡± Orenda said, ¡°As I don¡¯t know you in the slightest, but were I able, rest assured I would set you ablaze for that suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Rendy, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Tolith said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for months!¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been out at sea, just as I said,¡± he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything, if you calm down and listen.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t owe you a calm conversation!¡± Orenda snapped at him, ¡°I owe you an interrogation!¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± He threw up both hands in a gesture of submission, ¡°But Rendy, listen, I swear- we¡¯re on the same side! We walk the same path! I follow the path of order! I follow the white rabbit!¡±


    ¡°Since when!?¡± Orenda demanded.


    ¡°Since I watched my father burn to ash before my very eyes!¡± He answered, ¡°The way we¡¯re doing things is wrong, Rendy. Dad was¡­ he was doing his best, but he was wrong. He should have never been in town. He should have never been following that lead. Just¡­ listen, alright?¡±


    ¡°When I returned to my mother¡¯s estate, I fell into a terrible depression. I was already hurt by what had happened, and any time I tried to talk to mother about it she told me that I was throwing a fit, that I needed to grow up and act like the viscount I now had to be. There were never any other elves there, besides the stuffy nobility that said the same thing. So I¡­ took to drinking. You know how miserable I was. I sent you letters.¡±


    Orenda was calming, little by little, and had stopped fighting Stephendore¡¯s grip quite so much.


    ¡°The bar was frequented by my mother¡¯s harem, and the more I drank with them, the more I¡­ got to know them. As people. They¡¯re people, Rendy. But you¡­ you know that. They aren¡¯t pets. They were my only friends on that terrible estate. And¡­¡± He took a deep breath, ¡°Ali was not as smart as he thought he was.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that.¡±


    ¡°Let her go, Steve, she¡¯s fine,¡± Tolith sat back down on the bed and made a disgusted face, ¡°Right. That¡¯s soaking wet. Lovely.¡±


    ¡°Tolith!¡± Orenda hissed as Stephendore released her.


    ¡°I followed him, one day. He seemed to be the smartest person there, and late one night I followed him to a secret alcove away from the guards, and I watched him¡­ cast a spell. He was a human, Rendy, but he pulled a ring from his pocket with a fire stone set into it, and he cast from it. I know there were wards up, but I expect mother didn¡¯t think there would be anything but earth magic going on in the house- the fire mages were all dead, and he was a human. A human!¡±


    ¡°Humans can be great mages,¡± Stephendore said as he walked to the small table in the room and began to pack himself another pipe.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ no one had ever told me that,¡± Tolith explained, ¡°But Ali cast a scrying spell, and though I could not see what he saw in that flame, I could hear his end of the conversation. He said your name. And¡­ it was the way he said it. It wasn¡¯t, ¡®Ms Nochdifache¡¯ or even ¡®Orenda¡¯. It was ¡®Rendy¡¯. You were friends. He was happier, when he spoke to you, than I had ever seen him.¡±


    ¡°We are friends,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He isn¡¯t dead or anything. We¡¯re friends right now. It isn¡¯t that we ¡®were¡¯ friends.¡±


    ¡°I confronted him,¡± Tolith said, ¡°but I¡­ confronted is not the right word. I tried to explain to him that I was on his side, on your side. Any friend of Orenda Nochdifache is a friend of mine. And¡­ it took a long time for him to believe me. I called upon him, brought him up to my room, and we talked until long after the sun had risen. I talked, mostly. I told him everything, about my father and his mission, his beliefs, his death. I told him about my mother and how she only saw me as an heir, how she didn¡¯t care when dad died and wouldn¡¯t let me care either. I told him about the school, about you- about what a real person you were. You¡­ you¡¯re different from the other girls, Rendy. You¡¯re a real person.¡±


    ¡°Have you gone mad?¡± Orenda asked him, ¡°All girls are real people. What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± He said.


    ¡°I absolutely don¡¯t, Lord Glenlen,¡± she spat, because it was true, and she had a sneaking suspicion that if she figured out what he meant, it would fuel her rage.


    ¡°I just mean¡­ that you¡¯re one of the good ones,¡± Tolith explained, and Orenda smacked him so hard and so quickly that he hadn¡¯t expected it and went careening from the bed onto the floor.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Ow!¡± he complained and pushed himself up, ¡°Ok, for real, what the hell? Why are you strong? You never exercise! I¡¯ve never seen you do a goddamn thing!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°I¡¯ve got no physical strength! You¡¯re just unthinkably weak!¡±


    ¡°Not for nothing,¡± Stephendore laughed, ¡°But that¡¯s true. He¡¯s so skinny and small he¡¯s scared me a couple of times. He¡¯d have never made it in the military academy. The smallest guy we had there could have kicked his ass up one side of the field and down the other.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Tolith shoved himself to his feet, ¡°Where¡¯s your bread buttered?¡±


    ¡°Smallest guy we had there was really cute, though,¡± Stephendore said as if lost in a memory, ¡°Had the prettiest blue eyes.¡±


    ¡°Put a shirt on!¡± Orenda demanded of him.


    ¡°I was getting ready for bed!¡± He argued, ¡°which, by the way, we only have the one room and the one bed, and you ruined it for everyone!¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard him talk back,¡± Adamareyn laughed, ¡°You¡¯ve got him real fired up. Oh! Shit can I say that here? Is that racist? I¡¯ve never been to the fire continent, I don¡¯t know what I can say. Is ¡®fired up¡¯ insensitive somehow?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda massaged her temples, ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fine. You all seem like lovely people. Your captain is just a jackass.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Anilla said, ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to resort to violence to solve conflict. You seem to have a lot of pent-up anger. Have you ever done yoga? It really helps to channel that energy into something positive! I can teach you, when you¡¯re feeling more agreeable. I think it could really help.¡±


    ¡°I just,¡± Orenda said to herself, under her breath, ¡°I want to punt her. I just want to kick her like a sportsball and watch her go flying across the room. I can¡¯t take it. It¡¯s like Kassie leveled up like a master spell.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean to Anilla,¡± Tolith said, ¡°She¡¯s the sweetest person I¡¯ve ever met. She wants to sail with us.¡±


    ¡°After you harassed Ali,¡± Orenda asked, ¡°How did that turn into faking your own death?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± He said and bounced on the wet bed, ¡°Let¡¯s light a fire in the fireplace. That may dry it out.¡±


    ¡°Tolith!¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok!¡± He said, but he did get up to crouch by the fireplace and began to lay kindling, ¡°So¡­ I think he¡­ liked me? Or felt sorry for me? Or something? Because he told me that the Knights of Order had been planning to kill me, after they killed mother. He thought I would be upset by the murder plan, by the by, and seemed shocked when I told him that had I been in his position I would have set her ablaze ages ago. No one would believe that a human had done it. Do you know what he said?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda huffed, ¡°Why on Xren would I know that?¡±


    ¡°He said that he was afraid they would blame you, somehow. He knew the trouble that you were already in, and he was afraid the rest of the family would find a way to blame you.¡±


    ¡°I could see that,¡± Orenda agreed, reluctantly, ¡°The nobility has been after my blood since they connected me with the pirate.¡±


    ¡°He told me that if I wanted to live, I should leave,¡± Tolith explained, ¡°And I told him I didn¡¯t want to leave, I wanted to help. So he told me how to help. My father was wrong, Rendy, about the humans. They don¡¯t deserve to be treated like¡­ pets or¡­ farm equipment or¡­¡± he sighed and when he spoke again, it was quiet and slow, ¡°The things that elves do¡­ to people like Ali¡­ let¡¯s call it what it is. They aren¡¯t pets. That isn¡¯t something you do to a pet. The very concept of a pleasure slave, when you¡­ when you really look at it¡­ is horrendous. It needs to end. And¡­ in the wild humans live much longer than we think they do. Their lifespan is pretty long so¡­ I¡¯m not even sure that people like Ali are¡­ adult. When they get there. I don¡¯t know how that works. I¡¯m not a zoologist.¡±


    ¡°It took you awhile,¡± Orenda huffed, ¡°But I suppose you did get there, eventually.¡±


    ¡°Dad didn¡¯t deserve to die, Rendy,¡± Tolith clicked his flint and steel but did not seem to be able to get it to catch, ¡°He thought he was doing the right thing.¡±


    Anilla stepped forward, took the flint and steel from him, and lit the fire. As it sprang to life, Orenda instantly felt the sluggish magic pick up a little.


    ¡°The road to hell is paved with good intentions,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I hope not,¡± Tolith said, ¡°I¡¯ve prayed for his soul.¡±


    ¡°So you faked your own death to avoid your real death?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes, and I robbed my mother blind before I left,¡± Tolith snarked, ¡°I took as much gold as I could carry, jewels that have been in our vaults since before the colonization- oh, I actually have something for you, but it¡¯s on the ship. Don¡¯t let me forget. I think it belongs to you. I took it all and bought a ship, hired a crew, and set out onto the open sea.¡±


    ¡°Looking for adventure?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No, looking for Urillian ships,¡± Tolith corrected, ¡°Cargo ships in particular. They transport people like cargo, Rendy, mostly from the capital to the colonies. The plan was to intersect ships and take the humans north- there¡¯s a human settlement up there. It¡¯s been there since before the empire existed, or so I¡¯m told. No one goes up there- there¡¯s nothing there but ice and death. It¡¯s on the edge of the world.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my home,¡± Anilla said, ¡°they said they would take me back, since I really need to check in again. Whenever you have time. No rush.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been¡­ correcting your family¡¯s mistakes,¡± Orenda said, thinking it over. ¡°Better late than never, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Tolith said, ¡°I haven¡¯t found anything. Rendy, do you honestly think I had time to said to the northern peak of the world and back again?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s also not telling you the whole story,¡± Adamareyn said. ¡°We aren¡¯t just looking for slave ships. We¡¯re looking for Captain Nochdiface. We fly a Urillian flag because Captain Moneybags thinks he¡¯ll see it and attack.¡±


    ¡°He killed my father in front of me!¡± Tolith said, ¡°By burning him alive! They told me he died of smoke inhalation as if I would believe it! I was there! I saw what happened to him! I deserve revenge.¡±


    ¡°Your father was a monster, Toli,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Captain Nochdiface walks the path of order. He follows the white rabbit.¡±


    ¡°My dad was doing what he thought was right!¡± Tolith argued, ¡°He thought he was helping! He was a good guy who was taught bad things!¡±


    ¡°Felaern was in the contingent of soldiers who wiped out my people,¡± Orenda said, and paused to let that sink in for a moment, ¡°Your mother, by all accounts, ordered the attack. Your family is evil. You don¡¯t have to like it, and you don¡¯t have to be like them, but I will not stand here and listen to you defend someone who tried to kill a man for freeing slaves! Did you listen to what Nodifache said? He said he was there because your mother would not free a dear friend of his! And your father attacked him! You have no leg to stand on!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my dad, Rendy!¡± Tolith shouted back, ¡°You don¡¯t understand! He loved me! He took care of me! He raised me!¡±


    ¡°Hopefully one day you can rise above that,¡± Orenda said. ¡°Grieve for your father, Toli. Mourn the father, not the monster. Captain Nochdifache was not wrong.¡±


    ¡°I deserve to confront him,¡± Tolith argued, ¡°I deserve to at least be looked in the eye when he tells me why he killed my dad. I want to see what¡¯s under that mask.¡±


    ¡°Tolith,¡± Orenda asked, ¡°When do you plan to set sail again? I¡¯m looking for Nochdifache myself.¡±


    ¡°You want to go with us?¡± he sounded as if she had hit him again. ¡°Rendy¡­ the bathhouse almost killed you. The ocean is an endless expanse of water.¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda sighed, ¡°I think¡­ I think his name is Gareth. And I think he may be my father.¡±

 Chapter 47 - Book 2 Chapter 3

    ¡°She¡¯s called ¡®The Recovery¡¯,¡± Stephandore explained as they walked along the docks with Orenda clinging to him fighting the urge to pass out.  ¡°And she¡¯s been on the sea for nearly three centuries! Fresh coat of paint and a few repairs, and she¡¯ll go for centuries more. There is value, you know, in old things.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a Urillian navy ship,¡± Adamareyn went on, ¡°That Steve stole when he deserted.  That¡¯s a fun story.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t sail this model anymore,¡± Stephendore continued as he led Orenda up the ramp onto the deck, and continued to speak, but she couldn¡¯t hear him.  She could no longer feel the comforting grip of the heat from the middle of the world under her feet. The water, she realized, must act as a barrier.


    ¡°I need something to hold onto!¡± She said in the middle of his sentence, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  can¡¯t focus, can¡¯t see very well. The world feels as if it¡¯s moving.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Tolith explained, and she tried to focus on the sound of his voice, ¡°It always moves because the water is moving under us.  You get used to it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Orenda stuck out one hand to try to feel for a wall or banister or anything, but there was nothing but air, ¡°Because I hate this.  This is awful. This is the nightmare scenario. How long does it take?¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take more than a day or two,¡± Anilla said helpfully, ¡°Then everything will be right as rain!  I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love sailing, Orenda, when you get used to it.¡±


    Orenda wished she would learn to read the room.


    ¡°Are there only three of you?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Can you sail a ship with so small a crew?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Stephandore wrapped an arm around her shoulders, ¡°I count five!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dying,¡± Orenda said as she clutched her stomach.


    ¡°Let me make you a nice cup of tea,¡± Anilla suggested, ¡°In the galley.¡±


    ¡°And let me put a touch of rum in it,¡± Stephandore added, ¡°To settle your nerves.  I think a lot of it may be nerves.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Orenda protested, ¡°It¡¯s the magic of the ocean.  It vexes me. Also, I have an announcement to make- everyone gather round!¡±  She paused and asked, ¡°Have they gathered? My eyes aren¡¯t working very well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Rendy, we¡¯re here,¡± Tolith sounded concerned.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Orenda spoke loudly, ¡°I have never had occasion to learn the sport of swimming, and I believe that even if I had learned it intellectually, I would be unable to perform it physically.  I think that, perhaps, fire elves are unable to swim, as a people. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that I avoid falling into the sea. I don¡¯t see how I would survive it. I would appreciate it if everyone was aware of this and helped me avoid it, because I can¡¯t see where the edges of the ship are, my stomach has descended into my intestines, and my legs cannot grow accustomed to the constant movement.  I¡¯ve never felt so useless in my life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Rendy,¡± Tolith reached out a hand and cupped her face, ¡°We¡¯re gonna take care of you.  But¡­ if you don¡¯t want to be here, you don¡¯t have to. There are places to run on land.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me, Toli, I¡¯m not a child,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°You¡¯ll feel better once you get your sea legs,¡± Anilla promised and Orenda did not believe her, ¡°Right now you just need to sit down below deck and have a nice cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be down there once we¡¯re far enough out,¡± Adamareyn promised, and added, ¡°Babe, make the ginger tea.  It¡¯s a fire elemented plant. It may settle her stomach.¡±


    ¡°What a good idea,¡± Stephendore agreed, ¡°Come along, young ladies, we¡¯ll get you sorted.¡±


    Orenda clung to him and felt the atmosphere change as they walked into a room that echoed.  Her blurred vision told her that it was darker here, and as they descended a narrow set of stairs she put out one hand to grab the wall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how Captain Nochdifache does it,¡± Orenda huffed, ¡°This is torture.¡±


    ¡°You said he may be your father?¡± Anilla asked, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of him, the pirate captain.  They say that he sails with a crew of necromancers and clockwork men.¡±


    ¡°They say a lot of things,¡± Orenda said, ¡°About a great many people.  I hear so many different stories that almost none of them can be true.  I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve been terribly rude to you. Who are you, again? I should have paid more attention, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve been under a great deal of stress lately.¡±


    ¡°My name is Anilla,¡± She said as Orenda allowed Stephandore to lift her a little until she was sitting on what she thought was a bar stool.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Lean forward a little,¡± he instructed, and she did, onto what must have been the bar, ¡°There you go, young lady.  I¡¯ll pack a pipe, as well. It¡¯ll help to settle your stomach.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said, and her vision cleared a bit.  Anilla had lit a fire, and as the heat filled the room her sickness began to dissipate enough for her to get her bearings.  It did not go away completely, but it was pushed back to the peripherals.


    She was in a small room with a brick stove, large washtub, and various other kitchen utensils against the wall, and a bar between that area and the door they can come through.  There was an open archway beside the stove leading further into the ship, and Orenda thought from its design that the stove was not just for cooking, but also for heating. The heat would be sucked along that hall and into the depths of the ship.  Anilla had put a kettle on a metal grate over the brick stove, and was humming a song Orenda had never heard before as she took down a metal tin and opened it to let the scent of the dried leaves and herbs fill the small room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about elemental magic or elves,¡± Anilla admitted, ¡°Where I¡¯m from there aren¡¯t any elves.  I think it may be too cold for them.¡±


    ¡°I could imagine,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯ve read about the frozen north.  It¡¯s supposed to be unlivable.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Anilla argued, ¡°It¡¯s quite nice, actually.  There are root vegetables that love the cold, and trees that stay green all year round, unlike in your capital where they change with the seasons.  There are swaths of ice that we put blades on our boots and skate upon, and giant dragons the size of houses that lumber through the forests docile and sweet.  There are foxes and bunnies and bears, seaweed to harvest from the ocean and white, fluffy baby seals that you see while you¡¯re there. There are lights in the sky during the night that the moons dance through.  The nights are so short in your land. I don¡¯t know how you chart the stars... There are festivals and friends and all manner of great things.¡±


    ¡°And Xandra has never touched it,¡± Orenda thought aloud, ¡°She¡¯s never fought past the ice, snow, and wind to see what lies beyond the frozen sea.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t see many elves,¡± Anilla agreed.


    ¡°Why did you leave, then?¡± Orenda asked as Anilla measured out the tea into a strainer and poured the boiling water through it, ¡°If it was so nice?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for my dragon,¡± Anilla explained as she knocked the strainer out in a barrel, refilled it, and made a second cup, then a third, ¡°in my homeland, when a child is a born, somewhere in the world a dragon hatches at the same time.  The person and dragon are soulmates, and are destined to find each other. Most people find their dragon before they can walk. No one has ever gone more than five years without finding it¡­ before me. We think that my dragon was born a great distance away, and we¡¯re having difficulty finding each other, so I set out into the world to look.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t have one,¡± Orenda suggested.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t have a dragon, I would be dead,¡± Anilla explained, ¡°We¡¯re soulbonded.  You said you were a mage?¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°When you look at me, you see my magic signature?  You see how it moves and flows? How every person is different?¡±


    Orenda nodded again.


    ¡°Well, my dragon will have the exact same soul.¡± Anilla explained, ¡°We aren¡¯t two different people; we¡¯re two halves of a whole.  Somewhere out there, my dragon is looking for me. And we will find each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet,¡± Orenda said as she sipped the tea.  After a beat she said, ¡°What if you never find it?¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± Anilla said chipperly, ¡°Anything that has been lost can be found, you just have to keep looking.¡±


    Orenda made an affirmative humming sound and watched the liquid in her cup move with the motion of the ocean.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little easier down here,¡± She said, ¡°Which makes no sense because we¡¯re closer to the sea.  I think that perhaps it¡¯s easier when I¡¯m near a fire? Maybe I should start carrying a lantern about with me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe!¡± Anilla said chipperly.


    As Orenda¡¯s vision cleared she tried to focus more on Anilla¡¯s soul, the way the magic flowed through her, the pattern it made as it moved. It seemed strangely familiar and novel all at once. It was white, a color she had never seen on a person before, but she thought that had something to do with Anilla being born in the frozen north. It was the pattern itself that felt familiar, but she couldn¡¯t say where she had seen it. She knew it had not been on a dragon, as she could only remember ever having seen one dragon before, Gary, so long ago, and she had not known that she should be looking at his soul.


    ¡°Well,¡± Tolith said as he came striding into the galley, ¡°We''re officially out at sea. How are you feeling, Rendy?¡±


    ¡°This is a terrible place,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I can''t imagine anything good happens at sea. But I''m trying my best not to be contrary. I have a job to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tolith said, and had the tact and good manners not to bring up their contradictory goals, ¡°Orenda... you do know about the plan, right? Back at the mage academy? That''s why you left, isn''t it? You know about the attack?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± She said to her teacup, ¡°Or... I knew of it.¡±


    ¡°The sun is rising over the sea as we speak,¡± Tolith said, looking toward the doorway he had just come through, ¡°And by sundown, if all goes as planned... I''ll be an orphan.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed.


    ¡°I''m sorry about my mother, Rendy,¡± He said, solemnly, ¡°And... my cousin, Xandra.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s right,¡± Orenda laughed at the ridiculousness of it, ¡°You''re part of the nobility. You''re related to the empress. Tolith that''s... that''s insane. Edgelord Glenlen.¡±


    ¡°There will be no nobility at all, eventually,¡± He leaned over the counter, ¡°That''s the goal.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Stephendore handed the pipe to Orenda, ¡°I had best go up and help Adam.¡±


    She had nearly forgotten he was there, he had blended in so well and stayed so silent, and she wondered why he didn''t put those talents to better use. He would make an amazing spy.


    ¡°I was up all night,¡± Tolith stretched his arms above his head, ¡°And I imagine I''ll be awakened when Ali scries you? Please? Let me know how everything went. But for now I must get some rest. Our goal is one that can come upon us at any time.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said, thinking he was taking his mother''s death far more casually than he had his father''s. She thought that there was a lot to unpack there. ¡°Where will I be sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Dealer''s choice,¡± he shrugged, ¡°All our sleeping cabins are full. You can bunk with me or Anilla.¡±

 Chapter 48 - Book 2 Chapter 4

    Orenda did not sleep well in the ship¡¯s cabin that Anilla had taken to calling the ¡°Lady¡¯s Cabin¡± even with the alcohol she had taken with her tea.  They had no proper beds, and were, instead, expected to sleep on hammocks- straps of fabric that had been hung from the walls and sung wildly with the motion of the boat.  Anilla had expected that Orenda may fall ill again and had brought in a bucket for that purpose. Orenda hated herself for how annoyed she got with her so easily. It was obvious that the poor thing cared for her.  She never left her side, but did not bother her and instead sat in the other hammock reading quietly while Orenda prayed that they were all right about the sea-sickness, and that it would eventually dissipate on its own.


    She stared up at the lamp swinging from the ceiling and thought it was a wonder that the ship hadn¡¯t caught fire before she had arrived.  She thought she may be exaggerating the motion in her mind, that it may be a gentle sway that someone, probably the water elf, could find comforting.  She may be being a bit harsh because of her affliction. She threw one arm over her eyes and tried her best to sleep.


    Sleep would not come for her, but she laid there and pretended, soas not to have to talk to Anilla, and soas not to be bothered in general.  She knew that had she gone to Tolith¡¯s cabin instead very little sleeping would have occured. She was still angry at him for faking his death without telling her, for deserting his responsibilities, and for dancing around the topic when she asked whose corpse he had sent to his mother.


    She did not know how much time had passed before the lamp above her sprang to life and began to speak.


    ¡°Rendy?¡±


    ¡°Bubbi,¡± Orenda sat up weakly and extended her hands.  She took hold of the lamp and stared hard into the flames, ¡°I''m so sorry, I can barely see you. Are you alive? Are you well?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Bubbider shouted with joy, ¡°Yes, Rendy, we''re alive! And we''re here! And Lady Glenlen is dead!¡±


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Ali?¡± Orenda nearly fell from the hammock, ¡°I''m... I''m on the sea. I can''t see much of anything. But I can hear you. I can feel you. You''re alive?¡±


    ¡°We''re alive!¡± He shouted, ¡°We''re alive and we''re together! We''re on the run, but I have the djinn and he is angry! His name is Lapus, and he has been held against his will for years! It was amazing, Rendy! He''s attached to a cup- it''s quite beautiful, really, a metal I''ve never seen before- sterilite!  All set in with magic crystals of different sizes and types. It''s beautiful, but it''s a prison. He was trapped there, just like I was. Rendy, you would not believe how many of the boys in the harem were great fighters! We had to cull a few of them who would not forget their loyalty, but overall it was a triumph! A huge success!¡±


    ¡°The colony is free?¡± Orenda asked, in awe. It didn''t seem real, hearing it like this, second hand.


    ¡°No,¡± Bubbider cut in, ¡°It isn''t as easy as all that. We took out most of the royal family, but a government does not fall just because you destroy those at the top. There are still nobles here, and they are fighting fiercely. But this battle has been won, and we have retreated to safehouses to hide. Besides, now, even if they do find us, we are ready for them! You should have seen it, Rendy! How the Djinn wiped them out! Lightning reigned from the heavens, storms rocked the seas and tore their ships to shreds-¡±


    ¡°I saw one guy get hit with a bolt,¡± Ali cut in, ¡°It fried him from the inside out! You could see it burning!¡±


    ¡°Half the city is burning!¡± Bubbider said in wonder, ¡°They will never forget it, Rendy! The devastation was strangely beautiful. When lightning strikes a tree it burns from the inside, too. I couldn''t stop looking at it. It was so beautiful, it reminded me of you!¡±


    ¡°The entire school flooded,¡± Ali said, ¡°Weirdest shit I''d ever seen. The town was dry, it flowed like a river and came cascading down from the tower. It was beautiful- it was all so beautiful! They''re definitely weakened, and our army is approaching. We expected war, and we got it. We planned for this. They didn''t know what hit them! It came from nowhere! We''ve taken the mansion on the hill.¡±


    ¡°The guards that came for us... I had never seen anything so gruesome,¡± Bubbider did not sound as if the experience had been so unpleasant as she claimed as she went on, ¡°Oh, Rendy, you should have seen it. He clenched his hand and stilled the blood in their veins. They turned red, then he released it, and it all came pouring out everywhere- their eyes, their mouths, nose, ears- everything. Watching that blood spray from their eyes... I''ll be seeing it in my nightmares.¡±


    ¡°They deserved it,¡± Ali said, ¡°If you knew what they did to me, to us...¡±


    ¡°But you''re safe?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Safe?¡± Bubbider laughed, ¡°Rendy, all the humans, Knights or not, have come here for safety. We''re being protected by an impenetrable vortex of water pulled from the sea. We have all the late Lady Glenlen''s provisions, and the cosmic power of a djinn! Our army advances from the mountains in full force. These Urillians are doomed!¡±


    ¡°And I''ve still got two wishes left,¡± Ali added, ¡°Everyone gets three- though the third is supposed to be to put the djinn back in the cup, so really, I have one, and then I''ll give it to Bubbider and she''ll have two, and we''ll just keep passing it along. We''ve promised that after the war no one will cage him, and he can walk free. I trust him, Rendy. He was hurt as badly as we were.¡±


    ¡°That''s amazing!¡± A smile split Orenda''s face despite her infirmary, ¡°Tell me, how did Lady Glenlen die?¡±


    ¡°Screaming,¡± Ali cackled, ¡°It. Was. Satisfying. I didn''t even have to order it- it was the first thing he did. He took me to the school with him to see it- oh that was amazing. He grabbed me, and in the blink of an eye we were there. I don''t know how he did it. He just... POOF- and there we were. He had quite a bit to say to her. I''ve never seen anyone so angry. He held up his hand- all of this, by the by, was done with no crystals, no focus at all, and I watched him pull the life force from her. It was slow, Rendy- and all this while we heard the water rushing up the streets and the storm gathering, all this while the lightning was striking people dead and setting the fires, he looked right into her eyes, and he told her that she had kept him from his beloved-¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°It was so romantic, Rendy,¡± Bubbider chimed in.


    ¡°I don''t know what he did to her,¡± Ali went on, ¡°She just... just shriveled up like a plant in the sun. She shriveled and shriveled until there was nothing left but a husk, and in the winds from the storm it just... blew away. It was surreal to watch. I don''t know when she died. It was so slow, and... she looked alive, didn''t she? Right up until she blew away?¡±


    ¡°That she did, but the change was so gradual I don''t know how we would have known. Rendy, her screams were so strange. They began as the sort of shrieks one would expect from death howls, but they became light, raspy things. She really did look like a date set out to dry, so it would keep, you know? But it''s over now, the entire Glenlen family is dead, and most of the other nobility too! Their underlings will not be able to fight off the army without them. We can''t get too excited yet, we must be vigilant for the Emerald Knight- what?¡±


    ¡°Lapus says that the Emerald Knight won''t come for us for a good long while,¡± Ali told Orenda, ¡°He says that he''s not at the capital. He''s gone to the frozen north to fight the demon Morgani Magnus? He won''t tell us more than that, but that does buy us more time for you to get ready. Have you found Nochdifache?¡±


    ¡°No, I''ve only been at sea a few hours and I hate it. I''ve been ill since I stepped foot on this ship. Ali, may I ask you a question? It doubles as constructive criticism.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± the picture was beginning to grow a little clearer, and Orenda thought that perhaps the seasickness was dissipating little by little.


    ¡°Why the hell didn''t you tell me that Tolith was alive and one of us!?¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°Shit, Rendy, I forgot. So much was happening. Oh shit, but- if you see him-¡±


    ¡°I''m on his ship!¡± Orenda explained.


    ¡°Well, tell him to be a lot more careful. One of Lady Glenlen''s wishes was that he would stay alive, that no harm would come to him. He''s been under that protection since he was born, and now that she''s dead and Lapus doesn''t have to follow her orders anymore, that protection is gone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she''s safe!¡± Bubbider called to someone, and to Orenda said, ¡°My mother wanted to know if you were alright, and Jen said to tell you that she''s going to be taking the reading workshop that we''re offering. Her and the baby, though I suspect he''s too young to pick up most of it. We''re using the time we have before the war truly reaches us to prepare. Everyone needs to be educated on the ways of the world.¡±


    ¡°And in magic and combat,¡± Ali added.


    ¡°Yes! Lapus transported all the books from the academy library here!¡± Bubbider said excitedly.


    ¡°Everything is so wonderful right now,¡± Ali said, ¡°We deserve a celebration. I wish you could be here with us, Rendy. It''s the only thing I- shit, no! No! That one doesn''t count- please! Please!¡±


    Adam screamed from above them and Anilla jerked awake.


    ¡°LOOK! LOOK! HELLO!?¡± Adam shrieked, so Orenda grabbed the fire from the lamp and followed Anilla to the stairs. Behind them, Tolith came bursting out of his room, shirtless again, much to Orenda''s annoyance, shoved past them, and went barreling up the stairs.


    ¡°What the holy hell!?¡± He asked.


    Orenda''s vision swam as she teetered onto the deck. In the commotion she had forgotten how badly it threw her to be on the deck with all the clear water stretching on for miles in either direction. She could no longer see land anywhere.


    ¡°I was just messing with him,¡± came a loud and booming voice, ¡°I won''t take you away, Orenda. Such a strange name... it isn''t what they said they were going to name you, you know. In my head, all these years, I''ve been calling you Bruanna. It means ''hope'' in the language of the high elves. But that is Gary''s story to tell, not mine.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Orenda asked, weakly as she staggered to the railing and looked out over the ocean.


    A huge face took up her entire field of vision, and she was surprised by how much it resembled the demon she had seen. The creature in the water looked as if Magnus had somehow mated with a water elf. He had his same angular, beautiful features, but none of the evil in his eyes.


    ¡°Are you a demon?¡± She asked, and tried very hard not to throw up into him.


    ¡°I don''t know what mortals call me,¡± Lapus said, ¡°They''ve been saying Djinn. My lover, Xaxac, called me Lappy. I cannot travel to him without permission from my master, as I am a slave to the chalice. When you see him, and it must be soon, tell him to watch out for Lapus! The boy has gone mad! He''s found his grandmother''s diary.¡±


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°You sound busy. We have a celebration to join. We''re going to tear into that bar! Let us know when you find something!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Orenda promised all three of them.


    ¡°Lapus!¡± Orenda yelled as the fire dissipated and her illness worsened, ¡°If you love him, why should I warn him of you?¡±


    ¡°You''re just like your mother,¡± Lapus said, ¡°You ask too many questions.¡±


    ¡°You know more than you are telling!¡±


    ¡°Orenda, listen to me,¡± he replied, ¡°Do not trust the staff, the sword, or the medallion. They were all wrong! Morgan was right, but they don''t believe me!¡±


    ¡°The staff in my dreams?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°They''re in your dreams?¡± He frowned, ¡°I was afraid of that. Don''t trust them! They were wrong about Morgan.¡±


    ¡°The demon?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don''t know what you mortals call him,¡± Lapus replied, ¡°But ask no more questions. It is not my story to tell. He''s lost so much already, I won''t take this from him. But I will take you to him. I suggest you take a seat. Don''t worry, the illness will pass with time! You still feel the heat of the sun above, and I promise, even though you cannot feel it, the magic of xren''s core still burns through you. A little water has never stopped your people before!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orenda asked, but she received no answer, because she, like the rest of the crew, had gone careening backwards into the wall that would lead to the kitchen as the boat began to rocket across the ocean at breakneck speed.

 Chapter 49 - Book 2 Chapter 5

    The boat gradually slowed, and Orenda had no idea how long she had stayed pressed to that wood, feeling as if she were going to die. When it finally slowed enough that she was not pinned by the great gusts of wind, she staggered and fell, hard, onto her face on the deck.


    ¡°That was the strongest water magic I''ve ever felt,¡± Adamareyn stood above her, clutching his chest, but Orenda could not see him. She was doubled over in pain, her vision was completely gone, her entire body heaved and spasmed, and she thought she could not endure it. She tried to push herself up on one arm, but it gave out and she fell back against the wood so hard she felt her brain rattle against her skull.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± Tolith called and lifted her by the shoulders, ¡°God you''re heavy, someone help me! Steve!¡±


    ¡°Orenda, please,¡± he begged with panic in his voice, and she tried to open her eyes, or to raise a hand, or to speak, but she could not. Her body was so heavy, it felt as it had in the bathhouse, when it had been weighed down on all sides by water.


    ¡°Holy on,¡± Adamareyn said, and Orenda felt a second set of hands take her by the waist, ¡°I''m going to try... this will either be very helpful or very harmful.¡±


    ¡°Don''t kill her!¡± Tolith shrieked in a voice that did not sound much like his own, he was so frightened.


    ¡°I''m not trying to,¡± Adamareyn said, ¡°I''m going to dry her out, take the water off of her. I''ll do it slowly. She still needs blood. I''m going to be as gentle as I can. She''s breathing. She''s not dead.¡±


    Orenda wanted to tell him that she could hear him, and that he should go ahead, that she liked this plan and thought it would work, but she could not will her tongue to move. It was taking everything in her to draw breath, which she could only do by concentrating with all her will, and it only came in slow, shallow droughts as if she were drinking rather than breathing. The damn djinn had nearly killed her, and she would let him know the next time she saw him!


    Orenda did not see the liquid as Adamareyn pulled his hands away, but she felt it. She felt the weight of it leaving, little by little, felt her breath come easier and easier. It happened slowly, gradually, as he had promised, and eventually she was able to open her eyes, then to raise her arm and rub them. She looked down and saw that Adamareyn was no longer touching her, he had stepped back, holding his wand in one hand and with the other controlling a long stream of water that flowed from her waist to his hand.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked her, and she nodded, so he waved his hand and the water went crashing to the deck.


    Orenda clung to Tolith, because she was still not as steady as she had been on land, still as sick as ever, and still about to pass out from the pain of it all. But she was alive, and she could move on her own, and that was enough, in the end.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Tolith took her face in his free hand, ¡°You were talking to Ali, weren''t you? In that fire? Please, I know you''re ill, but please, tell me what happened to my mother.¡±


    ¡°She''s dead,¡± Orenda said, because her brain was not functioning well enough for tact, ¡°The djinn killed her. Ali and Bubbider do not consider you nobility, and I don''t... think they''re coming after you. They said that the entire royal family was dead. Toli, I know you''re upset, but please, I have to go downstairs and sit down. I can''t take this. This is the worst I''ve ever felt. I''m so, so sorry I made fun of you for your poor constitution, I don''t think I have the constitution for sea travel. I hate this so much. I can''t stand being so weak.¡±


    ¡°She''s dead,¡± he said, not as if he was upset, but as if it gave him some kind of closure. Then he seemed to take in the rest of Orenda''s message and added, ¡°Right, of course. You''re not weak, Rendy, you''re out of your element. If I tried to walk through fire, I''d be dead. The fact that you''re alive means that you''re strong.¡±


    ¡°I feel dead,¡± Orenda said and wiped the tears from her eyes. She had not meant to cry in front of him, but she could not explain the fatigue, the pain, the helplessness, ¡°I can''t live like this. It isn''t going away.¡±


    ¡°I think it will,¡± He said.


    ¡°Captain,¡± Adamareyn said, ¡°I''m going to the crow''s nest to try to get our bearings. It''s not quite midday so... it''ll be a while before the stars are out and I have no idea where that creature has taken us, but I know we''ve traveled some great distance.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Tolith agreed, ¡°I''m taking Rendy to the galley to try to settle her stomach.¡±


    He did not say that it was also to think of his father, mother, and life choices, but it absolutely was, and Orenda knew it without him having to say anything at all. He sat her at the bar and she folded into it with her elbows resting on it and her head in her hands.


    ¡°Hey, so,¡± he said, speaking quietly as if he thought she had a headache, ¡°I uh... look, Rendy, everything is going to be ok, ok? Wait, that was stupid, look... I''m going to make you a healing potion, ok? I got really good grades in potion class, it might help. I think the sea may be draining you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said to her hands, ¡°It''s worth a try. I''ll try anything at this point.¡±


    She heard him making noises as pots clattered against grates, cabinets opened and closed, and she felt the fire flare up with it''s comforting aura when he lit it.


    ¡°My mom''s dead,¡± he said at length, after a desperately long span of time had passed, after Orenda could already smell the herbs mixing in the pot.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, because it did not feel like he wanted comfort, only confirmation.


    ¡°Do you know what it was like?¡± he asked, ¡°With my mother?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Strangely enough, Ali did not speak often of her. I got the impression that he did not much care for her.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°When I was young, I spent my time with my nurse, when my parents were still together. My mother never really... interacted with me much. We didn''t take meals together or anything. When I was older, I learned that other people... they had mothers who read them stories at night, or bathed them, or sang children''s songs to them, or various other things. They knew their mothers.¡±


    ¡°It must be nice,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I sometimes wondered what it was like, to have a mother. But I didn''t know anyone like that, anyone who did. We were all the same in that regard, at the workhouse. I liked to imagine that my mother was a queen, who had lost me, but would one day return.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± he said as he took the pot from the stove and set a teacup with a strainer over it on the bar. Orenda watched the rings in his ears glow as he poured the liquid into it, and it turned from clear to a glowing green, and she thought of Charles and felt a pain in her heart.


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± he said as he set the pot and strainer in the sink, ¡°I found something in my mother''s vault when I was robbing her. I think it was meant for you, Rendy, I really do. I think fate wanted you to have it.¡±


    He dashed off down the hall and Orenda took a sip of the potion. She felt it moving through her system like a well made potion would, but it didn''t seem to do much. She had drank about half of it when he returned, and her eyes widened, her mouth fell open, and she threw one hand over it.


    It was a tiara. A gold tiara with a large fire crystal in the middle that would sit on the wearer''s forehead, just between and a little above their eyes. It was beautiful, fit for a princess, and obviously made for a fire mage, or at least... someone from a culture that valued fire crystals.


    ¡°That isn''t even the best part,¡± Tolith said, delighted by the reaction, ¡°Look at the inscription on the inside. I think it was a wedding gift.¡±


    He turned it around and handed it to Orenda. On the inside, she saw, inscribed in tiny letters:


    To Orenda Firefist: Thesis has made the best choice. Congratulations, my love. We will be united forever. Your soulmate, Shiron.


    ¡°This...¡± Orenda''s hands trembled so that she was afraid she would drop the tiara.


    ¡°It has your name on it,¡± Tolith said, ¡°Orenda.¡±


    He put his hands over hers to steady them.


    ¡°I''m... I''m sorry that I... had this in my house and... I''m... sorry it was stolen. It had to be stolen. I''m sorry, Rendy. I want you to have it.¡±


    ¡°This belonged to the high priestess,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But she was killed by the Emerald Knight and no one is said to have come back from an expedition to the temple where she was slain... Toli, that means... that means that one of the soldiers... someone who was there that night... this was looted from her corpse.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit you''re right,¡± he said and drew his hands back, ¡°Oh wow fuck! Yeah, that''s... it''s probably cursed or haunted or... why did I think that would be romantic? Here, have this corpse crown! My mom stole it from the people she genocided! Girls will looooove that! What the actual fuck is wrong with me?¡±


    Orenda thought this rant was much more than the situation warranted, and watched him as he marched around the kitchen with his head in his hands.


    ¡°I don''t think it''s cursed,¡± She said at length, ¡°Also, what actually is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, Rendy, my mom is dead,¡± he said, and she realized he was crying, ¡°And I... I don''t care! I let it happen! I never liked her and... she''s my mom! I should like my mom! She''s never hurt me, not really... I should love my mom! I should care that she''s dead! But I don''t and... and she was a monster! She... had people killed, had corpses looted, did horrible things to her slaves, made me believe... they made me believe, Rendy... that this was just... just the way of the world, just how things were and I... I hate her for it, I... I''m kind of mad at my dad too, but... she did this! She did all of it, and I... It''s my mom! It''s my mom, Rendy, it''s inside of me. It''s inside of me, that evil, and you don''t understand...¡±


    ¡°I really don''t,¡± she said, confused.


    ¡°I don''t know how to explain it,¡± He said through his tears, ¡°but if I like... wear a uniform, like my father did, like the one they made for me before I was supposed to leave, I can... I can feel it inside me trying to come out. Those lessons, those etiquette lessons I start... I start talking like that by default, I start... I feel it. I feel like I''m... Like I''m supposed to be like them. I can feel it slipping like... I can''t... I can''t explain it to anyone who has never felt it.¡±


    ¡°I''m going to wear this, Tolith,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I do quite like it. And I do wish I could learn more about the high priestess. I believe Felaern was right, that I was named for her. Probably because ''Orenda'' was the only fire elven name to survive long enough to reach those at the workhouse.¡±


    ¡°The djinn said your real name was ''Bruanna'',¡± Tolith said quietly, rubbing his upper arms with his hands.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda corrected, ¡°He said it was what my parents wanted to call me, not that it was my name. My name is Orenda. It has been all my life. I won''t change that to please someone who abandoned me. I can''t imagine I would change anything about myself to please anyone who would leave a child in those conditions. I will ask him, though, when we find him.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Tolith stared at the wall and seemed to see nothing.


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Come here and put this on my head. I''d like to pretend that I am a princess at her coronation, and that this illness is an attack of nerves rather than my incoming death.¡±


    He laughed and took it from her outstretched hand.


    ¡°Hey Rendy,¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Since I already made a fool of myself, can I just, you know, roll with that and keep digging myself deeper?¡±


    ¡°I''ve always thought you were a fool, Toli,¡± Orenda smiled.


    ¡°That makes sense. There''s something about you that makes me stupid. I got top marks in every class except the etiquette one, the one where I had to interact with you.¡± He said as if it puzzled him, ¡°You make me stupid. And I... I don''t like being stupid, but I like being around you.¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± She said softly.


    ¡°No, no, I know,¡± he said, ¡°I''m not trying to... I know you don''t love me, Rendy. I know you never did. That''s not...¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry for that,¡± She said, and meant it.


    ¡°It''s alright,¡± He said, ¡°I know it doesn''t... it doesn''t sound like it''s alright, but... we still share a bond, you and I. I know it isn''t... what I want it to be, but I understand how you feel. You can''t force yourself to love someone. I... I never loved Shelly.¡± He said it like it was a confession. ¡°I tried to. I tried so hard, Rendy. My parents said it was a good match, and she would be a good wife, and she was from a good family, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. We had similar interests, we had fun dates, we could have had a pleasant marriage... but I just... I just couldn''t.¡±


    ¡°It''s a rather melodramatic day for you,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± he said.


    ¡°I''m sorry about your mother,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And your girlfriend. I''m sorry you didn''t love them. Now give me my crown.¡±


    ¡°Bend down a little,¡± He said, ¡°the stool is tall and you''re tall anyway.¡±


    She lowered her head and he slowly slid the tiara into place. She felt the magic from the fire crystal flowing through her, and it fought back the pressure of the water a little. It felt right, as if he had been correct, as if it had been made for her, was waiting for her. She suspected this was because it had been made by fire elves, like her medallion.


    ¡°How does it look?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You look beautiful, princess,¡± Tolith said.


    ¡°That can''t possibly be true,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I''m dying. I... I still really need to lie down, Toli. This is very sweet but I...¡±


    ¡°Maybe you''d feel better on a real bed,¡± he suggested.

 Chapter 50 - Book 2 Chapter 6

    Part of her felt terrible. She didn''t love him, and she knew that he loved her, and part of her thought that wasn''t acceptable. But she was so sick, and he was so warm, and she could feel the fire in his heart when she leaned on him to walk down the hall to his room, the room with the real bed. He was so conflicted, so depressed, and he deserved at least one good thing after how hard he had worked to overcome the evil inside him.


    He didn''t question it when she shoved him against the wall, leaning heavily on him. Likely he thought she had just stumbled with the motion of the ship, because he grabbed her by the waist and tried to steady her. He seemed to think that she had fallen when she wrapped her arms around his neck.


    ¡°It''s almost like we''re dancing,¡± he laughed, trying to cheer her up, trying to lighten the sour mood he thought she had, ¡°back in class, remember?¡± He took her hand and began to rock with the boat, ¡°One, two, three, and four.¡±


    ¡°Tolith,¡± she rested her head on his shoulder, ¡°I''m ill.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said, ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I can feel it,¡± She told him, ¡°the fire in your soul. You know, the night you scried me, I thought it would hurt, to accept it, to have the earth magic flow into me. But it didn''t. I... can see why people cast outside their element, why they fall prey to it so easily.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry I did that,¡± he said, ¡°I should have known it would hurt you.¡±


    ¡°It didn''t, though, that''s what I''m saying. It doesn''t hurt like they say it does. That must be how it gets you. It seems so easy, and before you know it, your body and soul are deteriorating.¡±


    ¡°That''s scary to think about,¡± he said, and Orenda noticed he hadn''t moved from his position against the wall.


    A silence descended over them, and she wasn''t sure how to feel about the look in his eyes. It wasn''t an awkward silence, not one she felt needed to be broken, as he stared at her, it seemed as if he was really seeing her, as if he was taking in a painting, committing it to memory.


    ¡°I''ve...¡± he said, as if mesmerized, ¡°I''m sorry, it''s just... your eyes are exactly the color of the tiara, and your hair is exactly the color of the crystal. It... I''ve... I''ve never seen anyone else with golden eyes, Rendy. They''re so beautiful. I''m sorry, I know I... keep...¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± She said, ¡°You''ve lost everything, haven''t you? I never thought you would throw it all away and go adventuring, but you have, haven''t you?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°You don''t have to mourn your mother,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°You can mourn that safety. You thought you had somewhere you could return to. You thought you had a home. It hurts to realize that you don''t.¡±


    He nodded again.


    ¡°I thought I had a home, once,¡± Orenda said, ¡°At the library, with Ellie, Charles, and Susan.¡±


    ¡°Library?¡± he asked, ¡°You never told me that.¡±


    ¡°The historical library,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°The one that burned down?¡± He asked in alarm. ¡°Did you-¡±


    ¡°The soldiers set the fire,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°They killed them, in front of me, the only people who had ever shown me kindness. They destroyed my home. So I trapped them. I barely knew how to use magic, but I trapped them inside until I felt them die. And I wanted to care that they were dead, just as you want to care that your mother is dead. You didn''t warn her. You could have stopped it, if you had tried. You didn''t release the djinn. I didn''t set the fire. I simply didn''t let them out. I-¡±


    ¡°My god,¡± he said, ¡°The reports said there were half a dozen-¡±


    ¡°There were.¡±


    ¡°Rendy how old-¡±


    ¡°I don''t know. Ten or so. It isn''t important.¡± She said.


    ¡°It seems important. Rendy, that''s horrible!¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t matter,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I''m a murderer, too. What do you think of that?¡±


    ¡°It should have never happened. It wasn''t your fault.¡± He said.


    ¡°It absolutely was my fault,¡± She argued, ¡°I remember it well. I decided to do it. It wasn''t an accident; it wasn''t my magic getting out of control; I decided to kill them.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said, and immediately regretted it, ¡°God I... I''m sorry I''m so hung up on that. I... in my head I had this thing where I was going to give you the tiara and... but you... you''ve never really... never needed... you''re not... Rendy, when I say that you... that you''re more real, I don''t mean that I think other women are dolls. I mean that you don''t try to be like the books in etiquette class. You''ve never... it''s all so... none of it matters at all because sometimes you have to burn people to death because sometimes, some motherfuckers deserve to die! The world is a terrible place and we can''t sit around eating teacakes and talking about textile prices!¡±


    ¡°I quite like teacakes,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°That may actually be part of what''s wrong with me. I imagine I haven''t eaten enough. I had to leave in a hurry, and then I got ill on the boardwalk- oh, did I tell you that I summoned a demon?¡±


    ¡°There''s so much I don''t know about you,¡± he said, ¡°And all of it''s amazing!¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± she said, ¡°Look, let''s... address this... you being in love with me thing before it gets out of hand.¡±


    ¡°I thought we did,¡± he said, and seemed as if he didn''t want to have the conversation at all. ¡°But um... let''s get you inside so you can lie down.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said, and clung to him as he opened the door.


    She stepped inside his room and found it to be tiny, but well made. It had room for a desk and a bed, but not much else because it was very small, and every spare inch was covered in trunks that had been chained to the wall.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, they''re everywhere,¡± he said, ¡°You''re taller than me so watch your head. It''s really only set up for me.¡±


    ¡°Toli, why are you like this?¡± she whined.


    ¡°I robbed the bitch blind!¡± he said, ¡°I had to have somewhere to put it. It was like three carriages on the getaway caravan. Most of the rooms down here are like this.¡±


    She stumbled onto the bed and pulled a pillow over her head in case one of the trunks fell. The motion of the ship made her nervous that it was a real possibility. She felt the bed dip beside her and knew that he had sat down.


    They sat in silence like that for some time, and Orenda had decided not to breach the topic after all, and to instead try to get some sleep, but when she rolled over to tell him as much, she saw that he was half turned, looking down at her with tears in his eyes. She did not know what it was like to lose a parent, but she did know what it was like to lose the life you thought you could return to, that you thought was real, that you thought may be forever, even if you knew it wasn''t true.


    She thought that she would have liked to have had someone.


    ¡°Toli,¡± She said, and lifted one arm for him, ¡°Come here.¡±


    He moved slowly, but he did eventually settle into her arms. He stretched one arm under the pillow, as she had, and she let him lace their fingers together, then he wrapped the other around her waist.


    ¡°I''m sorry about the library,¡± he said.


    ¡°I''m sorry about your family,¡± She said.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, and pressed their foreheads together, ¡°Thanks, Rendy.¡±


    ¡°You''ll have an indention in the shape of a fire stone, doing that,¡± she teased, and he giggled.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He sat up a little and said, softly, ¡°You''re still wearing the earrings I gave you.¡±


    ¡°Well the only other pair I have are from Felaern,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°And I don''t think I shall ever forgive him for asking me to marry him.¡±


    Tolith''s eyes widened and shook in a way that was off putting, but that Orenda felt was an understandable reaction to the news. His grip also tightened on her, and she nodded.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± she said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°He''s like... two hundred years old!¡± Tolith said.


    ¡°I know, can you imagine? And I was in public, in a restaurant. We had to sit there and finish our meal after that.¡±


    ¡°What an asshole,¡± Tolith huffed, ¡°Wonder if he''s dead.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t ask,¡± Orenda said, ¡°On purpose. I don''t think I want to know.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I feel as if we''re stalling and I don''t know what we''re expecting to happen, what it is that we''re putting off. Do you?¡±


    He blushed and looked away.


    ¡°Nothing is going to happen,¡± he explained, ¡°I''m sorry, Rendy, I''m... I''m causing-¡±


    ¡°Did you keep that?¡± Orenda asked in alarm, pointing to the desk at a book so well read it wouldn''t close. Penny paperbacks were not meant to be read more than once, and it looked awful, but she recognized it as The Countess and the Stablehand.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, ¡°I mean... you gave it to me, and-¡±


    ¡°Did you actually read it?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I read it a bunch of times. I have... critiques in some places but overall I liked it.¡± He pretended to be very interested in the worn cover so he wouldn''t have to look at Orenda.


    ¡°Critiques?¡± She laughed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ¡°I think some of the scenes are impractical. I don''t think one should... lie on his back on the hay while a lady... I think it''s impractical, for a number of reasons. I don''t think the author has ever lain, nude, on a pile of hay while someone... bounced them around. It sounds more painful than romantic, honestly. The whole scene could have been improved by laying down a blanket.¡±


    Orenda cackled and smacked him with a pillow.


    ¡°Why are you laughing? I''m right!¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± She asked, glad the tension had been broken, ¡°How do you know? Do you have experience? Is that what you did with Shelly?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, no,¡± he said, ¡°Rendy I... you forced that image into my brain and I want you to think about the scene you just painted. Can you imagine Shelly in a stable at all? First of all. Secondly can you imagine that she would ever allow herself anywhere near a haybed, even a fresh one? Thirdly, can you imagine her ever, ever...¡±


    ¡°Riding a dick?¡± Orenda asked, and Tolith threw both hands over his face to contain his laughter.


    ¡°Oh god,¡± he said, ¡°It''s funny cause it''s true. It''s just... it''s so not HER. She would... I imagine, I had always imagined, that she would want a room with different scents and flowers, and there would be a bed with bedcurtains drawn, and it would have to be fairly dark with only the faintest hint of candlelight or somesuch, and it would need to be over and done with quickly, and we''d be straight away to the healer to see if it ''took''. You have to produce an heir, you know.¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°I had never given the topic any thought, but that sounds absolutely right.¡±


    ¡°I bet her pussy tastes like a cleaning solution,¡± he said after a moment''s thought.


    ¡°Toli!¡± Orenda smacked him in the back of the head with a pillow.


    ¡°I never found out, because I ran like a bitch from that engagement. God,¡± he scooted back to sit next to her, ¡°That must really be awful, mustn''t it? To have someone who would rather fake his own death than marry you? At least you just have the decency to say, ''I''m not in love with you, it''ll never happen.'' Closure is... it has to be much nicer. She thinks I''m dead. I wonder if she''s alive. I''d like to get a list of who is alive and who isn''t, at some point.¡± He thought on it and added, ¡°I probably shouldn''t talk about not wanting to eat her out if she''s dead. It seems disrespectful, like I should pretend like I did.¡±


    ¡°You''re so stupid,¡± Orenda said, ¡°that makes no sense.¡±


    ¡°I can''t help it,¡± he protested, ¡°I told you, you make me stupid. I never talk like this, ever. This isn''t something I do. I''m a viscount, well bred and well trained. And then some, some...¡±


    ¡°Street urchin?¡± Orenda suggested.


    ¡°Comes along and gives me these commoner books and starts putting thoughts in my head about rolling in the hay- which is just... just unpleasant is what it is. It''s a terrible idea all around.¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Could you make me a cup of tea? My stomach really is... just won''t settle. And I''m trying to make a decision, and I''d like to have a clear head.¡±


    ¡°Some of that ginger tea?¡± he asked, ¡°Did that help you last time?¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely.¡±


    She watched him walk away and reached for the book. She couldn''t believe he had kept it, and as she flipped through it, she made a startling realization: he hadn''t been joking. He really had, in the margins, written notes. He seemed to have treated it as a textbook, as all the notes were as practical as the one he had already told her about. He had overplanned, and she thought of him trying to dance, of how easily he fell into step when he stopped thinking about it.


    Orenda had been so alone for so long. She thought that it might be nice to have someone who cared about her, even if she could not return the affection. She had read that in arranged marriages, love sometimes comes after the wedding; it''s not always instant. He was certainly pretty enough, and there was no way of knowing how long they would be at sea. And he really needed someone like her, a friend, someone he was close to, who would understand his pain. But... would that really be fair to him? Should she care? Should she be upset that he was a Glenlen, that he had, for years, been complicit in the plight of the humans? He had changed his mind and joined the cause as soon as he had realized how wrong he had been, and it was important to acknowledge that people could change.


    She didn''t know what she should do, and it seemed a very important decision, but she didn''t have anyone from whom she could solicit advice, except perhaps Anilla, who she had not really gotten to know very much, but who was, at least, another woman who had been in bed with a topless Tolith at one point, and therefore might know something worth telling.


    ¡°Oh, god, don''t look at that,¡± Tolith said as he came in carrying two cups of tea.


    ¡°I thought you said you were only stupid around me,¡± Orenda accused.


    ¡°I am, that isn''t stupid at all, it''s all well and practical, and if you can''t see that, you''re the dumb one, not me.¡± He argued, ¡°Here, drink your tea.¡±


    ¡°Are you dating Anilla?¡± Orenda asked as she put the book down and took her cup from him.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°She''s just a client looking for a dragon. Keep your eyes peeled, by the way, we''re all looking; we told her we would.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Well are you sleeping with her?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, and it took him a second to process the question, ¡°because we were in bed together? No, we were all going to have to sleep in that bed if we hadn''t left. Inns often work like that. Also, she''s so small... I''m not sure she''d find it comfortable? It seems like... that just... would be unpleasant. I''ve never had sex with anyone, Rendy. That''s really the beginning and end of that conversation. But it''s not exactly brain surgery, so I think my notes are valid. It seems rather easy to figure out if you study biology. Which I have. You know I was good at it.¡±


    ¡°I know that you''ll ramble to no end if no one interrupts you,¡± She sipped her tea.


    ¡°I''m nervous. I was already upset and this... this conversation makes me nervous.¡±


    ¡°Don''t be nervous,¡± she said, staring into the tea. ¡°I was just... thinking. We''re friends, aren''t we? We''ve been friends. I wouldn''t have wanted to hurt you so badly, if I hadn''t cared, when I thought you were dead and it turns out you were only a liar.¡±


    ¡°I like to think so,¡± He said, sipping his tea and watching her.


    ¡°Well,¡± Orenda said, ¡°We... we may be at sea a while and I''m... I''m so very ill, Toli, you have no idea... and you''re lonely and upset, and perhaps we could... try to make it work.¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to do that,¡± he said instantly, with such conviction that it confused her. He caught her expression and continued, ¡°I don''t want to be some... mockery of a boyfriend. I''ve done that once. If I ever have another relationship, I want it to be real for everyone.¡±


    The silence was heavy this time, and they both felt it.


    ¡°We really can just be friends,¡± he said, ¡°I won''t make it weird. I mean... it''s weird now, but once this weirdness dissipates, then I won''t make it weird again.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to kiss me?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Oh god so much- why would you ask me that?¡± He snapped as if it had made him angry.


    ¡°Because we''re both alone, Toli, and we don''t have to be. It doesn''t have to be real if we never say it is. I like... I think of things, often, and they... they aren''t real if you never say they are.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said, ¡°Like... you''re not a real princess. And I''m not a real adventurer.¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°But I am a real adventurer, princess,¡± he said, ¡°this is my real ship, and this is my real life, and I can never go back to pretending it isn''t real. This is me now, because Viscount Glenlen is dead, and Toli the explorer is all that''s left. It has to be real for me now. Everything has to be real.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°You''re a Knight of Order,¡± He said, ¡°You''re an adventurer, too. And we''re both going to find a pirate, and we''re going to ask him why he abandoned his daughter, and why he killed my father.¡±


    ¡°I''m going to ask him where the temple of the fire elves is,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I didn''t tell you what my actual mission was. Captain Nochdifache is older than the colony. He knows where it is, so we won''t need an expedition. And in that temple, there is a staff, a weapon of the gods, that calls out to me in my dreams.¡±


    ¡°Is that the one the djinn said not to trust?¡± Tolith asked.


    ¡°I''m not going to trust it,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°I''m going to use it to murder the Emerald Knight.¡±


    She was shocked when Tolith, despite everything he had said, and in complete defiance of logic, leaned in and kissed her.

 Chapter 51 - Book 2 Chapter 7

    ¡°I''m sorry!¡± He said as he pulled back, ¡°That was... there may legitimately be something wrong with me.¡±


    ¡°I''m not upset,¡± Orenda said and moved one hand to her lips to run her fingertips over them. When he had kissed her, she had felt that fire within him even more strongly, it had connected like a mage focus, and the feeling still lingered there. ¡°It... it felt like that scry. I don''t understand why it doesn''t hurt. Did you feel it? The magic?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think that''s what that was,¡± He said and stood up, massaging his temples with one hand, ¡°I don''t.. I can''t...¡± he covered his mouth with that hand and stared out his only porthole, on the opposite wall and surrounded on all sides by those trunks, for some time before he continued, ¡°I hate this. I hate being this stupid. I hate that I can''t think, or speak, or act with any kind of conviction. It''s... is it a bad time or am I just...¡±


    ¡°I just wish I could feel normal again,¡± Orenda said and curled her legs up to her aching stomach.


    ¡°I''m sorry, Rendy,¡± Toli looked like he was going to cry again, ¡°I''ll leave you alone so you can lie down. I''m... I''m bothering you with nonsense and it''s... it''s never going to change or get any better so I... I''m just going to... try very hard not to mention it again.¡±


    ¡°It isn''t you,¡± She said, ¡°It''s this infernal ocean. I''m incredibly interested in you. I mean-¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± he said, ¡°And I appreciate it. It''s nice to know that you don''t hate me for the sins of my parents.¡±


    ¡°I don''t hate you at all.¡±


    ¡°That''s what I meant,¡± he wrapped his arms around himself and said, ¡°You know, maybe it isn''t the ocean. Maybe you have something catching. My stomach is starting to knot.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I... I know we made fun of you for having a weak constitution and a poor set of nerves, but I was supposed to tell you something and I sort of forgot it. About that-¡±


    ¡°It''s better now than it was,¡± he said, ¡°I''m told that when I was a baby I almost didn''t make it through my first year because I just could not get well. I caught every disease a child could have.¡±


    ¡°The djinn,¡± Orenda said because she needed to get it out, ¡°Has been protecting you. Your mother made a wish that you would be safe, and, I suppose, healthy. But now that she''s dead he''s not going to protect you anymore.¡±


    This news seemed to confuse him.


    ¡°She wouldn''t have done that,¡± he said, ¡°She''s never given any particular indication that she cared about me at all.¡±


    ¡°I''m only telling you what Ali said,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He told me to warn you.¡±


    ¡°Do I look sick?¡± He asked.


    ¡°All you earth elves have always looked sickly to me,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I can''t judge it. You''re all spindly and pale. Except for Stephendore, actually. He''s rather strong. He has a bit of heft to him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he''s like crazy strong to have one foot in the grave,¡± Tolith said in thought, ¡°I think I just... worried myself into a fit or something. I''m sorry, Rendy. I''m trying really, really hard not to be like this. I don''t know why it went on for so long. You would think I would have gotten over it.¡±


    He was touching his lips, and Orenda thought that he didn''t realize he was doing it.


    ¡°I''ve put a little weight on, traveling,¡± he said, ¡°It''s a lot of exercise, sailing with such a small crew. I''ve been doing a lot of the work myself.¡±


    Orenda looked at the man on the cover of the book, and back at Tolith and made a connection that caused her to feel conflicting emotions. His emulation was, one one hand, worthy of sympathy because it proved that he was trying to do something- but on the other it was so overwhelmingly stupid that she wanted to throw something at him, so she did. She picked up the book and threw it as she had the glass, and like the glass, it hit him right in his stupid pretty face, but it was much lighter, and it didn''t seem to hurt him at all.


    ¡°Stop throwing shit at me!¡± He demanded when he bent to pick it up, ¡°What is your problem?¡±


    ¡°It''s just so annoying,¡± She said, ¡°That you sat around your whole life reading adventure stories or romance novels or textbooks and then tried to mold your life around patterns that you liked. It''s too obvious for someone as smart as you are. Aren''t you pale people prone to sunburn? You''re going to hurt yourself to try to look like a book cover?¡±


    ¡°I''ve got a crate of aloe somewhere,¡± he said, ¡°I think it''s in the kitchen.¡±


    He sat back on the bed and tossed the book onto the desk. He seemed to have something serious to say, so Orenda waited for him to gather his courage.


    ¡°I don''t want you to pretend to love me,¡± he said.


    ¡°We''re going in circles,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°And I can''t do that, Toli. I like you but I can''t. I''m too ill. You need a journal.¡±


    ¡°Why did you ask if I wanted to kiss you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Because you did.¡± She said, ¡°And then you actually did. Why did you do that if you were going to mope about it?¡±


    ¡°Because... because you... you really, will, Rendy. You really will kill the Emerald Knight. You''ll just walk up with some magic staff and say, ''I''m Orenda Nochdifache, and I''m going to kill you!'' And then you will! You just... you just don''t care, at all. You did that to Quiroris! We were all terrified of him, all of us! He was a war hero! He was a hardened soldier! He could slaughter any of us with a word and you called him by his first name and threatened to set him on fire!¡±


    ¡°What? When I was a child?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°I panicked, when I met him- I had nearly drowned! I was frightened of him, but by that point I had already made my bed, I had to lie in it. I couldn''t back out. Who knows what he would have done then? Nothing, probably, knowing what I know now and how big of a pushover he is. He''s not frightening at all, really.¡±


    ¡°I''ve never seen anyone else stand up to my mother,¡± Tolith argued. ¡°Well, I mean... before Ali, I guess. I feel like that counts. I can''t think straight right now. Or maybe ever again. Part of me wants to just get very drunk, but I don''t... know why exactly? Or think it''s healthy.¡±


    ¡°I would do that,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I''ve never really been that drunk, and I think it may settle my stomach.¡±


    ¡°But it''s a bad decision,¡± he said, ¡°Like... we both know it''s a bad decision, right? Are we really willing to be that wrong on purpose?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn''t be the worst decision I ever made,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I mean,¡± he leaned back on one arm and stared into her eyes, ¡°I guess I just... I feel better if... If I have someone else to make bad decisions with. If I... I don''t want to say ''get permission'', but... God, Rendy, I want to do things that I''ll later regret.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°I know,¡± She told him, because it was true, and to drive the point home she reached up with one hand and cupped his face and smoothed out little circles under his eye with her thumb.


    He took that hand by the wrist, and without breaking eye contact pulled her hand away and kissed her open palm, then brought it back and snuggled into it.


    ¡°You''re so hot,¡± he told her, ¡°so much warmer than anyone else... it really is like... it''s like there''s a furnace burning under your skin.¡±


    ¡°I think we run hot,¡± she said, ¡°all of us, fire elves.¡±


    ¡°Everywhere?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± She smiled and reached up with her free hand to pull him closer, then down with her so she could lie on her back, partially, she admitted because Tolith was so concerned with practicality, because it really was making her more ill to sit up like that.


    He braced himself with his hands on the blanket on either side of her and looked down with indecision.


    ¡°God, Rendy, it''s... it''s such a bad decision, I''m... I''m gonna regret...¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked, ¡°I don''t think I will. You said you studied extensively, that you knew what you were doing.¡± She laughed, and he didn''t appreciate it as much as she thought he would. He seemed to think she was making fun of him.


    ¡°Toli,¡± she ran one hand down his cheek to force him to look at her, ¡°Why are you making this out to be so massive? In the grand scheme of things, the entire world is changing. I''m going off to find an ancient artifact to kill something that has killed gods. You have gone from a stuffy nobleman to,¡± she looked around the small room at the chests then back to his eyes, ¡°An aquatic thief- I think we have a word for that- this is nothing. Relax.¡±


    ¡°It is something,¡± he argued, ¡°It''s something to me. Not... not because I think... that it would mean that you had... fallen for me or anything, but because among the nobility it''s supposed to be this... it''s tied in with the arranged marriages and all that, and it''s... there''s this whole thing where you''re supposed to produce an heir, and you''re only supposed to try to do that with someone that your parents pick out... which is... god that''s so weird to explain? Like to say? It''s all so weird... and after that first time, it... it changes you, and you''re not the same person anymore.¡±


    ¡°That''s not a real thing,¡± Orenda told him as if she had any knowledge on the matter, ¡°That''s just something they write about to sell books. Real people don''t think in flower metaphors and other nonsense. Also, you couldn''t get me pregnant, could you? You''re an earth elf. So there won''t be any heir and I''ll be glad of it. Toli, I cannot imagine your child. You''re an idiot and you''ve been educated. We''d have to watch it every second or it would run headfirst into the ocean or something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, they do actually do that,¡± he said as if he had considered it, ¡°Kids are so dumb, Rendy, they just eat shit off the floor and like, plants and stuff- they''ll touch hot coals, you really do like- that wouldn''t just be if you had kids with me, literally any kid is like that and it is terrifying and I don''t know why my parents were so into me having one. Because... I just do not want that kind of responsibility? Like, that''s terrifying, right? ''Here''s a real person that you have to take care of, that knows nothing of the world.'' And it''s like... I can''t take care of myself!¡±


    ¡°I imagine that''s why people hire nursemaids,¡± Orenda said, annoyed that they had gotten off topic, ¡°My point is, nothing is going to change and none of it will matter in the long run. You need comfort, we both need friendship, and... the idea that the act somehow fundamentally changes who you are is ridiculous. I can''t imagine that that''s really the case. I don''t think my vagina has that power, to fundamentally change a person.¡±


    Tolith''s mask of fear broke and he fell from his hands to his elbows with the laughter.


    ¡°Oh my god, you''re right,¡± he said, ¡°That''s... that''s really fucking stupid, isn''t it? God, Rendy, you just, have this gift to say things as they really are, without all this cultural bullshit surrounding it. The idea... the idea that my dick could fundamentally change a person- it''s so arrogant, isn''t it? I don''t... I''m not even super sure how this thing works because it''s weird, like I know you don''t get it but there''s like... it''s this whole thing- in dance class-¡±


    Bur Orenda felt a rant on and cut him off.


    ¡°You don''t know how it works?¡± She asked, ¡°From the books it seemed quite simple. Point and shoot, isn''t it? I mean, it doesn''t seem particularly complicated. That''s like... when you look at a sword, you can more or less tell that the pointy part goes in the other person.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± He buried his face in her bosom to contain his laughter.


    She thought it was nice to see him laugh.


    ¡°Here,¡± she said, ¡°Sit up and help me get out of this dress.¡±


    ¡°Oh god,¡± he said, ¡°Ok uh... Rendy, seriously, let me... Let me get my head on straight. I gotta... I''ve thought about this so much and-¡±


    ¡°You overthink things,¡± She told him.


    The books had been wrong about a number of things.


    The most obvious of which was that the language had been all wrong. Orenda was right in her assumption that real people did not think in metaphors about flowers opening up or winding yarn or any other nonsense. The thought process was very much as straightforward as she had thought it would be.


    The second was that she felt the magic flowing as much as the physical touch. The heat of his heart sparked everywhere they touched; it felt like a focus, like he was flowing into her, and she was flowing into him, and the magic in their blood formed a single river that ran through them both. It had opened her up almost too much, but she was in it now, and there was no turning it off, because she imagined that the sudden absence would make her angry.


    He had made her angry at first. He really did seem to have notes, to have a road map in his head, just as he had with the dance, and it made him just as terrible at the rhythm. It did not interest her, at least right now, though it would perhaps be interesting at literally any other time, Toli, for the love of god, what biological structures were or how they worked. She didn''t need to know what the hood or the thing under it was called, and she had figured out quite easily why he was pulling it back. He also seemed to be saying these things more to himself than to her, so she had grabbed him by the hair in a rage, and it didn''t take much heat to get him to close his mouth.


    She didn''t feel nearly as sick as she had when they had begun, and they hadn''t even reached the final act yet. As it was, she found that the magic was flowing so strongly that it pushed back the awful blanket the sea tried to weigh her down with, and as the physical jolts washed over her with it, became closer together, and it became impossible for her to ride one out before the next began, she gave into the sensation and began to scream.


    When her ears stopped ringing and her muscles unclenched, she was confused about why he was screaming with her. He hadn''t been in any kind of position to warrant that kind of sound- they hadn''t really gotten to him yet, so to speak- so she sat up, trying to blink some sense back into her head, and saw that he had, for some reason, conjured an earth shield. The stone clung to his body, and it took her longer than she would care to admit to see the scorch marks.


    It crumbled apart and he brushed it from the bed with wide eyes, and Orenda reached up to touch him, but her hand hovered awkwardly in the air and her body trembled. He had two deep burns that ran along either side of his face just under his eyes stretching all the way to his hairline.


    ¡°Toli, I,¡± she said, ¡°I didn''t... it was an accident, I...¡±


    He held up a hand, reached under the bed and came up with his father''s staff. She watched it glow and knew he was trying to heal himself, but she could not hear the incantation until his mouth began to move, his flesh had more or less knit back together, and he was left with only a slight discoloration from the middle of the wounds. Still though, they were scars, and it was obvious that he couldn''t heal them. He would be scarred for the rest of his life.


    Then a smile split his face and he said, ¡°We''ll have to stop somewhere and pick up some new blankets when Adam finds out where we are, because... god, Rendy, I''d hate to see what you could do when you weren''t weakened by the ocean. Pretty sure if we''d been on land I''d be dead and the entire house or inn or whatever would be gone.¡±


    ¡°It''s not funny!¡± She snapped.


    ¡°It''s pretty funny,¡± he argued.


    ¡°I could have really hurt you!¡± She said, and flashes of the library flittered through her mind, then of the bathhouse, the steam that had destroyed the building, that she had never meant to conjure. Bad decisions and no decisions and terrible, terrible things.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± He threw down the staff and cupped her face, ¡°It''s... don''t cry, it''s fine! I''m fine! Everything is ok, remember? Just like you told me? None of it matters, we''re just having fun and everything''s ok. You know what? Let''s... let''s take all this stuff off- the earrings, the necklace, the... god I really wanted you to leave the crown on, but let''s take it off, ok?¡±


    She nodded and asked, ¡°You''re alright?¡±


    ¡°I''m great,¡± he said, ¡°Little... little bit concerned that I can shriek ''fire'' at the top of my lungs and my whole crew will just ignore me, but... that''s a good life lesson to have.¡±


    ¡°You were screaming ''fire''?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°You were screaming my name,¡± he giggled and unclasped the necklace.

 Chapter 52 - Book 2 Chapter 8

    Things went much more smoothly from that point onward- it seemed that the key was to make sure she couldn''t accidentally conjure or cast any kind of flame. Tolith had offered to take his earrings off as well, but it gave her piece of mind, to know that he could protect himself if he needed to, if she somehow accidentally invented a way to channel magic without a focus like a djinn. Such a thing was impossible, of course, but if she was going to do something, she would do it right. And this was not a time when she would like to be plagued by worries.


    The motion of the boat fell from her mind, and as the magic began to flow through her again, she felt very nearly well, almost as if she was back on land. Had she been able to think properly, which she absolutely could not- because as far as she could tell Tolith''s studies had, despite her misgivings, served him well- she would have made a connection between the strength of her emotions and the ability of her magic to push against the barrier created by the ocean.


    Her headache was the first to go, and took with it the blurred vision, for which she was able to keep enough of her wits to be thankful. She had, it can perhaps be forgiven, been so caught up in the sensations, both magical and physical, that she had forgotten Tolith existed as anything more than the thing causing them. She had blissed out of reality so often, and felt she had no real reason not to simply give into that sensation, that she had forgotten he was a sentient person with his own thoughts, feelings, and emotions until she heard him screaming her name. This knocked her out of her cloud a bit, and she realized that she was, perhaps, stronger than she had once thought, and much more flexible, as she was bent nearly double and she had not, prior to that exact moment, realized that she could do that. Hadn''t Anilla said something about stretching being good for the nerves?


    She didn''t think on this for very long, but she did connect it to her rage at the inn when she had found out he had lied about his death, and managed to work out that she, like most people, did gain strength from any strong emotion, both positive and negative. Which was fortunate, because had she not been using that extra strength to push against him, she would be slamming her head into the headboard, as she had more or less disintegrated the pillows during her first orgasm, which rendered them useless as padding against it. But she was holding her own, and she made note of that fact before she flicked her eyes up to meet his.


    When she locked eyes with him he took his hands from her thighs and instead cupped her face, and kissed her so hard that it pressed her into the wood beneath the burned mattress. It was a kiss more worth having, in her opinion, than the first one they had shared, and what he lacked in experience he made up for in passion.


    He had gone completely rigid above her, and eventually pulled away from the kiss to draw breath, but not a moment before he would draw it or die.


    She noticed that some of his hair came away with her hands at the roots, though it was still stuck in the ponytail, and realized that she had singed it off along the side of his head when she had scarred him. His hair had become matted, and he looked as if he had just run a race, which Orenda thought must be awful for him, because he was probably exhausted, but she couldn''t remember ever feeling more relaxed. She stretched out under him and felt that all the tension had gone from her muscles. Her bones felt lose in their sockets, and she did feel tired, her stomach in particular burned as if she had been doing crunches, but it was not the kind of tired that came from stress or hard work. It was a kind of tired she had never felt before, but that she rather enjoyed.


    Tolith pulled himself up and away from her, and she realized for the first time that it was possible to feel empty after having full, and considered that for a moment, considered opening her mouth to discuss the subject with him, but he was kissing down her stomach and the wisps of singed hair were tickling where her flesh folded, so she arched up to dislodge them and giggled.


    ¡°Toli, darling,¡± she said and heard the fatigue in her own voice, ¡°that''s how you scarred your face. Besides, I... there can be an ''enough'', I believe. It has to end at some point?¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn''t,¡± he argued, ¡°give me like... ten minutes to build up and we can go again.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°If you have so much energy,¡± she said, ¡°Could you get me something to drink?¡±


    ¡°You... I mean... seriously we''re done?¡± he asked, ¡°I''m not complaining, I just... I mean I can keep-¡±


    ¡°You look exhausted,¡± Orenda told him and pushed herself up on her elbows, ¡°God, it''s not just the bed, it''s the mattress and everything. You''ll be sleeping on... it''s just wood. Maybe not even wood. It''s charcoal. I''m covered in ash... I need a good washing. So do you- god, it''s all over you too,¡± she giggled because he did have charcoal and ash all down his forearms, his knees, and anything else that had been touching the bed.


    ¡°I''m not saying it''s not a clusterfuck,¡± he giggled. ¡°Because I mean... yeah, it''s... Look.¡± He blew on the remains of the pillow by her head and ashes floated into the air. ¡°I''m actually not... super sure what to do about that? Like I don''t know how to get it out? Maybe we''ll just throw the whole bed into the sea and be done with it. We''ll get new blankets and sleep on the floor.¡±


    ¡°Toli, get some towels or something,¡± she told him, ¡°I didn''t realize how gross I was until we called attention to it.¡±


    ¡°You use ash to make soap,¡± he argued, ¡°It''s pretty clean. Like... ashes and oil.¡±


    ¡°You have to distill the lye,¡± Orenda argued back, ¡°Ugh... You know, your stupidity annoys me less now. Perhaps it really did change something.¡±


    ¡°My dick is magic!¡± he proclaimed, and threw both arms into the air, accidentally hitting one of the chests harder than he meant to. He pulled the injured hand to his chest with a yelp and Orenda laughed.


    ¡°A towel?¡± she asked, ¡°And some water or... literally anything to drink. My throat is burning.¡±


    ¡°It''s... weird, right?¡± Toli asked.


    ¡°What is?¡± Orenda sat up and looked around for any strip of fabric that did not belong to her to keep from sitting in the ash. Despite Toli''s stupidity that seemed like an excellent way to get an infection.


    ¡°That it''s not weird,¡± he said, ¡°that you were right, that it''s not weird and nothing has changed.¡±


    ¡°That''s very much how I thought it would be,¡± she told him.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Toli, a towel or something, once again,¡± she said, ¡°I can''t sit in this ash. That isn''t how women work.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um,¡± he jumped up, knelt, and opened one of the trunks beside the bed, ¡°Here, this is one of my shirts? Can you use that until I get some cleaning stuff?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± she laid it out on the bed and went about cleaning herself as best she could while he hopped back into his pants, ¡°I am really sorry about your face. Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Rendy,¡± he said seriously, ¡°This is the best thing- like... you do realize that for the rest of my life, people are gonna look at me, and they''re gonna be like, ''look at those badass battle scars. Hey, Captain Toli, how''d you get those scars?'' And I''m gonna be all, ''I made the greatest fire mage on the planet cum so hard she melted my face''. Like... that''s a thing, Rendy, that is gonna happen. I don''t think you understand how fucking awesome that is. That''s not a thing that happens to a normal person. That''s a thing that happens to Tolith Glenlen, adventurer extraordinaire.¡±


    ¡°I,¡± She began, thought, and admitted, ¡°I have absolutely no response to that, Toli. That''s...¡± she shook her head, ¡°It''s nice to see you in better spirits.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he smiled, ¡°You seem like you''re feeling better, too. I guess my magic dick also cures illness. I''m gonna have to find a way to exploit that. Make me some money.¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I haven''t anything else to throw at you, I''ve burned it all away. But get me something to wash with, and something to drink.¡±


    He took the tiara from where they had put it on the desk and gently put it back on her forehead.


    ¡°Of course, princess,¡± he said, and kissed her again, but this time it was quick, light, and friendly. As Orenda watched him go, she thought that she hadn''t made a bad decision at all, and had absolutely no regrets.


    The boat lurched particularly hard on the next crest, and the ash around her flew into the air. As she coughed, she amended her thoughts- one regret.


    In the future she would make sure that she had no focus, at all, on if she was going to lie with anyone.

 Chapter 53 - Book 2 Chapter 9

    ¡°I can''t stand up,¡± Orenda clutched Tolith as she tried to step into the washtub, ¡°I... Toli, I''m going to pass out.¡±


    She had barely managed to speak the words before the world around her began to blur and her legs gave out. She heard him yelp and knew that her muscles had refused to support her, but he managed to guide her down and into the washtub.


    ¡°Rendy!?¡± he asked in a panic, and she wanted to tell him that she was alive, but could not find the strength. Oh how she hated the sea! Once she had accomplished her goal she would never set foot on it again!


    She felt him splashing the water over her and wondered what the hell he was doing or why he thought that could possibly help.


    ¡°Adam!¡± He yelled, and when he got no response she heard the sound of his footfalls, and a door opening and closing, and when she realized she was alone the panic began to set in.


    The room he had brought her to was more open than the bedrooms, and she thought it was probably used for storage. She imagined that most of the crew bathed in the ocean rather than in a washtub and they had no room set aside for bathing. He had been improvising for her, and now she was alone, and her body was so weak that it would not obey her.


    She was, she reminded herself, sitting in water and floating in water, but not underwater. She had to concentrate on drawing breath, and once she had that down, she could work on opening her eyes. But she never quite managed to get to that step. Her entire body felt the weight now, of the magic, and it was crushing her. She considered very seriously drifting off to sleep, but she feared that if she did, she would never awaken.


    ¡°What''s wrong with her?¡± it was the light, piping voice of Anilla.


    ¡°I was... she just wanted to get clean!¡± Tolith swore, ¡°I don''t know how to...¡±


    ¡°Orenda?¡± Anilla asked, ¡°Are you asleep?¡±


    Orenda tried to answer her, but found she could not.


    ¡°You should wash her off and get her out,¡± Anilla suggested, ¡°It probably isn''t good for her to be in water like that. It seems to weaken her so much...¡±


    ¡°I should wash her...¡± Tolith said as if the idea thrilled him and he was trying to hide that fact, but had not succeeded.


    ¡°I mean,¡± Anilla said, ¡°You shouldn''t stand around talking about it. I think time is important here. How did you both get so covered in soot anyway?¡±


    Orenda heard splashing, and then felt the weight of a rag moving across her body. She seriously considered, once she had her strength back, that she may just kill Toli and be done with it. His company did not seem to be worth the price.


    ¡°I''ve got this,¡± he said, ¡°it''s... probably rude to have you in here.¡±


    Orenda found that this bought of common sense among the rest of his stupidity made her even more angry than had the stupidity been consistent.


    ¡°I think I''ll make dinner,¡± Anilla said, ¡°It''s getting late in the day.¡±


    Orenda did not hear her leave, likely because she was so light, but she did hear the door open and close. She wished that Toli was as strong as he claimed to be when she felt him lifting her from the washtub, and the moment she was out of the water, it was as if a weight had been lifted, and she drew her first deep breath, jerked open her eyes, and found that she was lying on a towel in the storage room.


    ¡°Tolith,¡± She said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Oh thank god,¡± he said, ¡°you were breathing but you-¡±


    ¡°I could hear you!¡± She snapped, ¡°Don''t... don''t bring others- strangers!- in to gawk at me in-¡±


    ¡°I was scared!¡± He cut her off, ¡°Anilla is a mage, too! I mean... not the same way we are, but among her people, and I couldn''t get Adam to come down from the crow''s nest, and I was trying to move quickly- I''m sorry, Rendy, I got scared.¡±


    ¡°I hate the sea!¡± Orenda sat up and rolled herself in the towel as best she could, ¡°Hurry up, I need you to lean on so I can return to my room and get dressed!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, ¡°I''m gonna use this same water.¡± He said this as if it wasn''t obvious, when it very clearly was, because he was sitting in it.


    ¡°Toli,¡± She said as he scrubbed himself, ¡°I''m sorry I''ve been so ill. I know it''s frightening you.¡±


    ¡°It''s scaring the shit out of me,¡± he said, ¡°I keep thinking you''re dead. Maybe you should go back to Anilla''s room and lie down. I''ll get Steve to help me shovel the ash out and break down that bed... we''ll scrub it clean and put down a new blanket, and then you can bunk with me.¡±


    ¡°I... suppose I could,¡± she said, ¡°I hadn''t really thought about it.¡±


    ¡°I''ve thought about it a lot,¡± he said, scooped up a bucket of the gray water from the tub and dumped it over his head, ¡°I''ve... I''ve wanted to sleep next to you, for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked, because that seemed a strange thing to fixate on. They couldn''t possibly get any closer, physically, than they already had.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I don''t like sleeping alone,¡± he said, ¡°I just... I don''t know. I would like it.¡±


    ¡°I love sleeping alone,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I never really got a place of my own at the workhouse. That was the only good thing about living with Felaern.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have to,¡± he said, standing from the tub and taking the other towel he had brought with them. He dried himself quickly, then wrapped it around his waist. ¡°I shouldn''t have brought it up. I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It''s probably safer,¡± Orenda considered, ¡°Since I''ve been feeling so ill. I think I would like to sleep next to you, in particular. You''ve been taking care of me, Toli. I appreciate it. I want you to know that.¡±


    ¡°I like taking care of you,¡± he said, ¡°I mean, I wish you weren''t sick, but I''d like to take care of you in other ways. I want to... I don''t know, buy you things.¡±


    ¡°I don''t really need anything,¡± she said, ¡°And I don''t have any money to buy you anything in return. I don''t think I would like that. I''ve never really liked expensive gifts. It''s an awkward social convention that makes me feel indebted.¡±


    ¡°What do you like, then?¡± he asked as he helped her to her feet.


    ¡°I like...¡± she considered, ¡°well-cooked meals or snacks, like gingerbread cookies cut into shapes and warmed together. I like dancing, though I know you don''t care much for it. I suppose I don''t have a very long list, Toli, I''m sorry. I''ve never spent much time thinking of what I like from other people. I''ve often not had anyone whom I wanted anything from.¡±


    ¡°I don''t like to dance because I''m bad at it,¡± he said. ¡°I feel like I''m making it worse for the person I''m dancing with.¡±


    ¡°I liked the sex,¡± she said, ¡°perhaps for the same reason I like to dance. I think I like to do things more than I like to get things.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± he asked, ¡°We can do whatever you like, whenever you like.¡±


    She leaned heavily on him as they made their way to Anilla''s room, where she sat on the hammock as he unpacked her sheet to retrieve her change of clothes.


    ¡°What a hefty book,¡± he said as he set it aside to hand her her underthings.


    ¡°Yes,¡± She said as she slid the bloomers up and tied them off, ¡°I suppose you''ve never seen that. It talks of the culture of the fire elves. There''s no author, but I suspect Ellie- that is, Ms Venris- put it together. She seemed to have studied the fire elves pretty extensively. She was interested in precolonial history.¡±


    ¡°She seemed like a good person,¡± Tolith said, ¡°I wish I could have met her. I''d like to hear more about her.¡±


    He stood and carried the rest of the clothes to her.


    ¡°Can you get dressed on your own?¡± he asked, ¡°I''m going to start cleaning up so that we can have somewhere to sleep tonight.¡±


    ¡°I''m not an invalid, Toli,¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Oh... sorry,¡± he said.


    ¡°I just mean that I''m fine,¡± She explained, ¡°You can dote over me all you like, but I''m sure I can get dressed. I just can''t wait to get off the infernal sea.¡±


    ¡°If you give it a couple of days,¡± he promised, ¡°I think you''ll feel better.¡±


    He kissed her between the eyes and left the room with a spring in his step, and she desperately hoped that he was going to get dressed before he began cleaning, but he seemed to have lost all sense of modesty, so she could not take that as a given.


    She didn''t put her stockings on because she had left her boots in Toli''s room and wouldn''t be at all shocked if they had been incinerated, but she stood and kept one hand to the wall to steady herself as she made her way, slowly and with great care, to the kitchen. It had gotten a little easier- she could see clearly now at least, but she didn''t know what she was going to do about bathing if stepping into water threw her back to the most terrible parts of the sickness. And Orenda had never been the type of person who could go without cleaning herself.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± Anilla said chipperly as she entered the kitchen. She had pushed one of the wooden boxes to be near the stove and stood over it stirring a wok with large chopsticks. ¡°I don''t know what sort of food you like, but I''m trying to make something bland, to settle your stomach, so I''ve got rice boiling, and I''m just going to throw some vegetables in with it. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°I''m actually not overly fond of plain food,¡± Orenda pushed off the wall and caught herself on the counter, ¡°But I''m starving. I''ll take whatever''s put in front of me. I appreciate you thinking of me.¡±


    ¡°I thought maybe you were getting better,¡± Anilla said, ¡°because I felt a big burst of energy from you, like you had cast some magic. I thought if you felt well enough to cast, you must be feeling better.¡±


    ¡°I hadn''t meant to do that,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°And I scarred Toli. It wasn''t... something I''m as proud of as he is.¡±


    ¡°I like Tolith,¡± Anilla said simply.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°I mean, do you have any kind of romantic interest?¡±


    ¡°I don''t really understand romance,¡± Anilla said, ¡°In my culture we do have pair-bonds, but they aren''t as serious as they are for elves. They aren''t expected to be for life or anything. I didn''t know what a marriage was until I began to travel. I think elves do that because it''s so hard for them to have children, so they need someone that they can keep trying with. It''s really easy for us to have children! We have the Eishtar festival, the fertility festival? Almost everyone gets pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Lovely,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°The children are raised communally, like dragons,¡± Anilla continued, ¡°So you don''t need to stay with your partner. I think it''s a better system. The whole village acts as parents. It really takes a village to raise a child. It''s better to have more adults who love and watch out for you. Two people is... so few.¡±


    ¡°I could see that,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It sounds lovely. I think... not having enough people to care for them has harmed a lot of children. You may be onto something.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to get pregnant?¡± Anilla asked her.


    ¡°What? No! Why... what would give you that impression?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Oh. I thought that''s what the elven pair-bonding was for. Are you in love, then?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No!¡± Orenda began, and was going to say more, but Toli came into the room, fully dressed for once, pulling his hair back to tie off with a ribbon.


    ¡°It singed my hair all along the sides,¡± he said, ¡°It actually looks pretty cool when I pull it up, now that I''ve combed it out.¡± He kissed her on the cheek and asked, ¡°Are you feeling any better?¡±


    ¡°I''m fine,¡± she said, trying to hide her annoyance.


    ¡°I''m gonna try to get that cleaning done,¡± he said, tying his hair off into a bun at the very top of his head. ¡°You just rest and try to feel better, ok?¡±


    ¡°Toli, I''m fine,¡± Orenda found it getting more difficult to hide her annoyance, ¡°See if you can find my shoes while you''re cleaning.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± he giggled and jogged up the stairs calling, ¡°Steve!¡±

 Chapter 54 - Book 2 Chapter 10

    ¡°How do you use these?¡± Orenda asked as she picked up the chopsticks Anilla had set beside her bowl, ¡°I don¡¯t know what these are.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Anilla took some time to climb up on the stool beside her, ¡°I didn¡¯t really know either. Adam showed me how to use them. In the water continent they use them for everything! It¡¯s not just eating, they cook with them too!¡±


    When she wasn¡¯t in a terrible mood, Orenda found that she quite liked Anilla¡¯s upbeat attitude. She really did remind her of Kassie in a lot of ways, and she was so small and cute that she had to constantly remind herself that she was not a child. She let Anilla move her hands so that she was gripping the sticks in what must have been the correct way.


    ¡°You¡¯re not trying to stab it,¡± Anilla said, ¡°It¡¯s not like a fork. You¡¯re scooping the food up. Put the bowl up next to your face and shovel it in.¡±


    Orenda took a bite in that manner, and as she was chewing said, ¡°Oh. That¡¯s not actually difficult at all, is it?¡±


    ¡°No! They¡¯re great!¡± Anilla said, ¡°It¡¯s like having two forks, really, once you get used to it!¡±


    She hopped down and made her way back to the stove to make herself a bowl.


    ¡°I¡¯m too old for this shit,¡± Stephendore said in a tone that implied he wasn¡¯t actually put out at all, as he came through the room carrying a box filled mostly with ashes, but with pieces of broken, burned wood sticking out at angles. He paused, looked at Orenda, and laughed.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m so glad you decided to toss that boy a pity fuck. I hate that you had to take that one for the team, but he¡¯s going to be so much easier to deal with now. You¡¯ve no idea.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ welcome?¡± Orenda said slowly. She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of that. She wasn¡¯t accustomed to sailors, but she had read, and heard colloquially, that they were known to speak rather freely. She had often heard the phrase, ¡®to cuss like a sailor¡¯, but still found herself unprepared for such straightforward language.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve made a man out of him, maybe he¡¯ll keep his head out of his ass and we can actually set a proper course instead of sailing around looking for a phantom who may or may not exist,¡± Stephendore laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Orenda took another bite and mostly chewed it before she continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know that I like the idea¡­ I¡¯ve heard it before, and it never sat right with me¡­ that masculinity is defined by ¡®ability to have sex¡¯.¡±


    Stephendore laughed again and said, ¡°I was joking. You can¡¯t be so uptight on a ship, youngun. If we let ourselves take ourselves too seriously we¡¯ll all go mad. It happens- it¡¯s called ¡®cabin fever¡¯. We have to keep morale high.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It¡¯s all quite new to me. I don¡¯t think I like sailing. I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±


    ¡°And make sure to eat lots of vegetables,¡± he said, ¡°You need your strength. We¡¯ll resort to seaweed if we have to.¡±


    ¡°Steve!¡± Tolith called from his room, ¡°Why is that taking so long? I¡¯ve got another box!¡±


    ¡°Then bring it yourself!¡± Stephendore called back, the rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Can none of you hear me!?¡± Adamareyn came bursting into the room, ¡°I¡¯ve been screaming for a good ten minutes!¡±


    ¡°Daling, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Stephendore asked, dropping the playful attitude he had had a moment earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯ve screamed myself hoarse!¡± Adamareyn snapped, ¡°Ship ho!¡±


    ¡°I told you not to call me that,¡± Stephendore said quickly, almost as if he couldn¡¯t catch himself, and instantly regretted it, ¡°I¡¯m sorry- what sort of ship?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one like it!¡± Adamareyn said with wide eyes, ¡°It¡¯s jet black- the wood looks- actually it looks quite a bit like that in the box. Why do you have a box of ashes? Actually, no, whatever it is, my news is more important-¡±


    ¡°What flag are they flying?¡± Stephendore asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a Urillian flag!¡± Adamareyn said, ¡°Or the flag of the old water continent, which are the only other ships we really see. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a mask, with a sword and some other symbol I don¡¯t understand crossed under it. It¡¯s the symbol of the Burned Roc! It¡¯s Captain Nochdifache!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tolith came running into the room, ¡°You- you actually spotted the Burned Roc? Are you sure? I have to get my staff!¡± He took off back down the hall, but he didn¡¯t make it very far before the ship began to move of its own accord.


    ¡°Shit!¡± he called as he slammed sideways into the wall of the hall.


    Orenda, for her part, went flying directly into Stephendore, who dropped the box he had been carrying. The ashes went flying down the hall with the direction of the air, which Orenda, had she not been violently ill again, would have used as a point of pride, because it meant that she had been right about the stove and the ventilation of the ship, despite knowing nothing about ship construction.


    Anilla was the lightest of them all, and became wedged in the space where the wall met the ceiling.


    ¡°We¡¯re tilting!¡± Tolith screamed, because it was true. Orenda was so disoriented she didn¡¯t quite know which was was up, but the wall she was against was now nearly the floor, and the light above them fell on its chain as if it agreed. Her stomach was flipping again, and she pried herself off Stephendore with his help, and clung to the wood of the wall.


    ¡°Adam!¡± Tolith called, ¡°counter it! Please? Do LITERALLY ANYTHING!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get to the deck!¡± Adam screamed back.


    ¡°Try harder!¡± Tolith came out of the hall half-crawling on the wall, holding his father¡¯s staff, ¡°They¡¯re manipulating the sea! They must have a water mage!¡±


    ¡°The hell they are!¡± Adamareyn snapped, ¡°I could feel a water spell! This isn¡¯t water magic!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s air magic!¡± Anilla called in her tiny voice from where she had been wedged, ¡°It¡¯s the same kind we had back home! You can feel it all around us! I bet it¡¯s even stronger outside, but it¡¯s not a particularly hard spell. Whoever it is is just manipulating the wind.¡±


    ¡°We have to pull up the sails!¡± Tolith was crawling over them, and Orenda thought, for the first time, that he was acting like a real adventurer, ¡°Come on!¡± He grabbed Adamareyn by the collar, ¡°Steve! Come on! Let¡¯s get furlin¡¯!¡±


    He looked up at Anilla and asked, ¡°Can you counter it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Anilla said, ¡°But I can¡¯t get down, right now. We¡¯re moving so fast.¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda grabbed for him and he took her hand, ¡°I¡¯m going to throw up again. I hate the sea.¡±


    ¡°Stay down here!¡± Tolith told her, and to Adam he said, ¡°Fight the wind with a water spell. Use the current to push us back. Steve and I will furl the sails.¡±


    ¡°Aye Aye, Captain,¡± Adamaeryn agreed, and shoved off the wall as best he could to follow Tolith above deck.


    Orenda watched the three of them, and tried to move along behind them, but the sea had drained her, and she was so sick that she couldn¡¯t keep her footing on the relative levelness of the ship before- now it was impossible. She was forced to crawl with her hands along the wall and slide her feet, so she had only made it to the bottom of the stairs when Tolith threw open the door at the top. It hit the wall on the outside with a BANG, and his hair instantly came undone from the bun and began to whip around his face. She watched the ribbon fly off into the storm.


    ¡°God damn,¡± he said, ¡°that¡¯s strong! Maybe we should get some rope- oh holy shit, Adam, how close was that ship?¡±


    ¡°If you can see it with the naked eye now,¡± Adam shouted to be heard over the wind, ¡°Then it¡¯s far too close!¡±


    Orenda grabbed at the wall of the stairway, determined to make it to the top. She wanted to see what they were seeing, to see the ghost ship of the unbelievable pirate, the fire elf who lived his life upon the sea, who sailed with werewolves, ghouls, and clockwork men.


    ¡°How many do you see?¡± Came a booming voice from the top of the stairs- and Orenda could not believe her eyes. Above Tolith¡¯s head she saw a tiny dragon flittering through the storm- then all at once the wind stopped, and the boat lurched. Orenda saw a wave of water that must have been splashed onto the deck when it was nearly sideways, and was amazed that all three of the sailors stayed on their feet. She certainly hadn¡¯t. She heard a crash behind her and turned her head.


    ¡°Anilla?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m ok!¡± Anilla popped up among the toppled barstools, dishes, and food, ¡°I only fell! I¡¯m fine!¡±


    ¡°I count three cops!¡± the dragon said, and must have began to fly in circles, because he kept passing the doorway. Orenda wanted to tell them that she knew who that dragon was, and tried to push herself to her feet. She had made it to her hands and knees when the bought of overwhelming nausea overtook her, and she turned to vomit into the kitchen rather than the stairway. She hated the sea! She hated it so much! This was the worst possible time to be ill! She cursed the tears that collected in her eyes as a different voice rang out, this one decidedly feminine.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Three little pigs?¡± It said, ¡°Should I huff and puff and blow their ship down?¡±


    Tolith¡¯s staff lit up as he charged outside with his crew behind him, and Orenda barely heard Anilla, asking is she was alright, begging her to stay, as she crawled up the stairs after them. Her vision had blurred again, her stomach was turning, but she had to tell them that she knew that dragon! That was unmistakably Gary, the sea dragon who had visited her all those years ago! He had the same shimmering scales, but more importantly, the same voice. She couldn¡¯t speak and move at the same time, but she had to make it to the deck.


    ¡°I demand to know-¡± Tolith began, but Orenda didn¡¯t hear the rest of it, because someone else had yelled over him.


    ¡°LIGHT UM UP!¡±


    Then the world around her was nothing but the sound of an explosion as the stairs directly behind her were gone. Splinters of wood flew into the air and she braced herself with the wall. If she hadn¡¯t been moving, if she had still been there, she would be dead!


    ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± Tolith asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it!¡± Stephendore shouted back.


    Orenda looked behind her and saw the hole that now existed. It hadn¡¯t been burned, something had gone through it too quickly for her to catch.


    ¡°LIGHT UM UP!¡± the voice called again.


    ¡°No!¡± Tolith screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t light anything! Stop blowing holes in my ship! Parley! Nochdifache!¡±


    Orenda tried to hold herself upright and took another step. She had to make it to the deck, because she could no longer see Tolith from the doorway.


    ¡°Lord Glenlen?¡± Nochdifache asked, sounding much more like he had on the public platform, ¡°I say! The rumors of your death have been greatly exaggerated, haven¡¯t they boy?¡±


    Orenda clung to the doorway and begged her legs to keep her upright. She pulled with all her might and fell onto the top step- but now she could more or less see. She blinked her eyes to steady them and could not see where the voice was coming from. But she saw the other ship. The Burned Roc was so close now that she could have made it out in detail if only her eyes would stop watering. As it was, she could see the darkness of it against the sunset, and it really did look like a ghost ship. The sails were out, and she rubbed her eyes to focus on the flag-


    It was when she looked up that she saw them.


    A red carpet floated in the air over the deck. The three sailors were standing below it with weapons drawn, Toliwith his staff, Adam with his wand, and Steve with a bow that Orenda hadn¡¯t even known he had. On the carpet stood Captain Nochdifache, exactly as she remembered him. He was wearing his bright red navel uniform, with white lace puffing out the sleeves over his red leather gloves, with his red jacket accented in gold, his leather pants and knee high boots, his tall hat, his long, red dreadlocks streaming down his back, his long ears the same color as her skin accented with gold and fire crystals- and his mask shimmering in the sunset, reflecting the scene around him.


    There was a human woman beside him in a red traveling cloak with the hood drawn, but her face was visible underneath it. She wore an eyepatch and held a wand made of glass and inset with white stones that Orenda had never seen before.


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache!¡± Toli shouted at him, ¡°Why have you attacked my ship?¡±


    The elf and human both jumped as if they had rehearsed, as if they were acrobats, him forward and her backward, and both landed hard on the deck. Nochdifache held out his hand and Orenda watched the carpet roll itself tighter and tighter until he was able to grasp it. He tucked it into a strap on the back of his jacket, and Orenda was amazed at how small it became when it rolled. It must have been a very light material. She had seen pictures in her book, had heard tales of flying carpets, but she had never seen one in action before.


    Captain Nochdifache was another fire elf, a fire mage! He had lived in their kingdom before it fell! He could tell her everything! He was such a great mage that he could fly across the open sea on a carpet, that he could cast spells strong enough to carry him and his friend, with seemingly no effort. He wasn¡¯t doubled over in pain. He wasn¡¯t throwing up. The heels of his boots clicked along the deck as he walked, and Orenda realized, for the first time, that she may be short for a fire elf as he towered over Tolith.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like Urilians,¡± Nochdifache explained. ¡°When I see a Urilian flag, I can be forgiven, Lord Glenlen, for jumping to certain conclusions.¡±


    Orenda opened her mouth because she wanted to call out to him, but on the deck again, with the sea rolling below her, she just could not get her lungs to work. She pushed herself up on her arms and tried to will herself not to pass out, to make it to her feet.


    ¡°What path do you walk?¡± Tolith asked him- and Nochdifache tilted his head, and waved a hand over his face. The neutral expression of the mask changed to a smile.


    ¡°What path do I walk?¡± he turned his back on Tolith as if he had no fear of him, ¡°Lord Glenlen, you have no idea the path I walk. You have no idea what your people have put me through. You think anyone can bring order to this chaos? I have seen a great many things, Lord Glenlen. I have seen an eruption happen so quickly that my entire world turned to ash in an instant. I have seen grown men order the slaughter of children. I have seen the Emerald Knight- twice!- and lived to speak of it. I have seen the world more times than you can imagine. I know what makes the rabbit white. I know the path of order, and it does not, and will not ever, exist. I have outlived more sniveling little noblemen like you, playing pirate, than you can possibly imagine. I¡¯ve seen ships like this back when they used to mean something, and seen men like you!¡± He pointed at Stephendore, ¡°Back when they used to be something. I walk no path. I have no name. I have no face. Oh,¡± He tilted his head and waved a hand over the mask again. It¡¯s expression became one of sorrow.


    ¡°So sorry to hear about your mother, Lord Glenlen,¡± he said, ¡°Believe me, I can sympathize.¡±


    ¡°You killed my father in front of me!¡± Tolith accused.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill your father,¡± Nochdifache waved a hand and the mask returned to its neutral expression. ¡°Your father tried to stab me, to poison me. If I hadn¡¯t been wearing sterilite, I would be dead. It isn¡¯t my fault that he didn¡¯t run from a fire. I only freed myself. I¡­¡± his voice dropped and he sounded genuinely remorseful, ¡°I would never do that, Tolith. I would never kill a father in front of his child. I didn¡¯t mean for that to happen.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Toli spat.


    Nochdifache strode up to him and grabbed him by the chin, and Tolith looked absolutely horrified. Orenda found that she could not make it to her feet as the world swam around her.


    ¡°What happened to your pretty little face?¡± Nochdifache asked, and ran his thumb along one of the scars.


    ¡°What happened to yours?¡± Tolith snapped, ¡°Who are you, really?¡±


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache!¡± Orenda had meant to scream it, but her lungs betrayed her and it came out in a whisper.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you,¡± Nochdifache released him, ¡°What path do you walk, boy?¡±


    ¡°We walk the path of order!¡± Tolith told him, ¡°All of us!¡±


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache!¡± Orenda tried again, and the effort of it was draining her. The ocean had settled on her again, and she was putting all of her effort into breathing.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Nochdifache asked, then, over his shoulder added, ¡°Bella! They walk the path of order!¡± He clicked his tongue and said, ¡°I could see that for you¡± he pointed at Adam, ¡°But you, sir, are a Urillian soldier,¡± he said to Stephendore, ¡°I¡¯ve seen quite a lot of you. And you, Lord Glenlen-¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me that!¡± Tolith snapped and actually took a step toward him. ¡°You killed my father! In front of me! I deserve justice!¡±


    ¡°Would you like to hear a story?¡± Nochdifache asked.


    ¡°Not particularly,¡± Tolith answered.


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache,¡± Orenda whispered, and tears of frustration leaked from her eyes and onto the top step. She hated the sea, hated it more than anything- she had never felt so useless, so helpless.


    ¡°Oh, but I think you¡¯ll like it,¡± Nochdifache said. ¡°When I was a boy, I, too, had a father. He loved me, I think. Certainly he loved¡­ someone. And when I was ten years old, I watched the Emerald Knight slice him clean in half. His blood splashed on my face- I was standing that close. He was standing between us and the Emerald Knight, to protect us. And I watched that evil sword split him clear across the middle.¡± He stopped walking and Orenda wished she could see the expression on his face, see his eyes. ¡°He¡­ he had looked back at us, my father. We¡­ we weren¡¯t supposed to be there. We were supposed to evacuate but¡­ but someone¡­ he was¡­ he was so stupid and he thought¡­ We were TEN!¡± He snapped at Tolith as if his age had been his fault, ¡°What the hell could we do, Glenlen!? We were children! What the hell were we supposed to do!?¡±


    Tolith didn¡¯t answer him, so Nochdifache clutched his mask, thought for a moment, and continued.


    ¡°Ah, yes, a story, the story has an ending, you see, that¡­ well, with stories you do get a point, a moral. And I do have one, you see, it just¡­ it gets so hard to think, sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache,¡± Orenda cried, but she could not make him hear her. None of them heard her. They were afraid they were going to have to fight, and they were focused on each other.


    ¡°The Emerald Knight is a person, you see, I knew it then and I know it now. The legends aren¡¯t true. He isn¡¯t a demon- I¡¯ve met demons and they¡¯re much nicer. He isn¡¯t a ghost, because if ghosts are real and I¡¯m not being haunted then I¡¯ll be quite angry indeed. He isn¡¯t a fairy tale, unless¡­ unless my life is a fairy tale, and I assure you it is not. He is a person with real life in his eyes when he looks at you through that helmet that holds the power none of us can comprehend. He looked me right in the eye, and do you know what he said to me?¡±


    He seemed to expect a real answer, so Tolith held his stance and, in a voice that plainly said he didn¡¯t believe the story at all, answered, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache!¡± Orenda begged the universe, but her prayers went unanswered.


    ¡°He said ¡®Run!¡¯,¡± Nochdifache said, ¡°So I did. And I¡¯ve been running ever since.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Tolith said.


    ¡°More¡¯s the pity,¡± Nochdifache shrugged, ¡°You see, Lord Glenlen, the thing about the truth is that it is not dependent upon you to believe in it. It¡¯ll be true no matter what you believe. Just as it is true that I never meant to kill your father,¡± he had turned away from him and was pacing the deck, but turned back swiftly, ¡°Your father was not a good man. But you loved him.¡±


    Tolith said nothing, but Orenda could see that he held and attack stance.


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache!¡± She tried, and heaved with the effort of it. She was tired of being insignificant, and tried again to stand, but she shook too badly with the fatigue.


    ¡°Then, I suppose you¡¯ll want a chance to kill me,¡± Captain Nochdifache said as if it was perfectly reasonable, ¡°What weapons, then? Right by Combat rules, I assume? One on one?¡±


    ¡°Staves,¡± Tolith said simply.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I haven¡¯t got one,¡± Captain Nochdifache reached into his jacket from the neck and pulled out a medallion. The sun cast its last rays out over the sea and reflected on the glowing fire crystals lining the edges in the exact pattern that Orenda recognized. ¡°Can I use any focus? Your rules, lord Glenlen. I notice you have your father¡¯s staff- this is something like that. My mother gave it to me, before she died.¡±


    Orenda felt the medallion glowing against her chest more strongly than it ever had before. She felt the magic coursing through her, and she reached up, and with every ounce of strength inside of her, from the stars burning millions of miles away above her, and the rolling magma beneath the sea below, from the hearts of every person on the ship- she pulled herself to her feet. And with everything inside her, she shouted with all her lungs.


    ¡°GARETH FIREFIST!¡±


    Nochdifache jumped, stumbled, and jerked in her direction. The shock nearly knocked him off his feet, and Orenda stared into her reflection on his mask.


    The human woman took a step towards Orenda with her eye wide, and the dragon finally came to light on the deck just in front of her. Everyone had gone silent, no wind blew across the still water, and one by one, the stars twinkled into existence in the cold, uncaring void above.

 Chapter 55 - Book 2 Chapter 11

    ¡°Orenda,¡± Captain Nochdifache took a step forward, ¡°Oh¡­  Oh you¡­ you look so like¡­ you look so much like my mother.  I knew you would. When I first held you, I knew you would.¡± He turned, rounded on Tolith and smacked him so hard with the back of his hand that Orenda heard the crunching of bone, and he went teetering to the floor.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Adamaryen shouted and rushed to his side, ¡°Yeah that¡¯s broken.  I gotta set it. I¡¯m sorry, kid, I gotta set it. Oh my god how¡¯d he do that with a slap!?¡±


    He sounded panicked, and they both quivered under the might of Nochdifache¡¯s voice as he drew something from his belt, and Orenda finally saw the thing she had often seen on the flag in action.  He raised the item, long, sleek, and black, and there was an audible click as he slid his thumb over the small protrusion at the top.


    ¡°How dare you bring her out here!¡± He hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t you know this could kill her!  You put her in danger! I should kill you where you lie! You people took everything else, and now you want to take Orenda!  I was supposed to keep her safe! She¡¯s all I have left! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°Gary!¡± The woman called.


    ¡°I PROMISED HIM!¡± Nochdifache screamed, ¡°I promised him that I would keep her safe!  I knew he wouldn¡¯t survive it! I swore to him I would keep her safe! She¡¯s all I have left!¡±


    Orenda felt the flame within Gareth swell, and it pushed back the sickness a little.


    She tightened her grip on the doorway and said something she had wanted to say for her entire life.


    ¡°Gareth!¡± She screamed, and he turned to look at her again.  She was sure it was his name now. ¡°Fuck you! Fuck you and the ship you rode in on!¡±  She shoved off the doorway and let her rage carry her past the illness, ¡°You abandoned me!  You left me among strangers! You left me to die!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±  He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t!  I swear! They were supposed to get you to Aunty Krothy!  They were supposed to keep you safe! What the hell was I supposed to do, Orenda?  Raise you on a ship? Leave you in the capital with Xaxac? It was the safest place!  I¡¯ve been looking for you for years!¡±


    ¡°You told me you would come for me!¡± Orenda snarled, and she didn¡¯t understand why the sickness had faded completely.  She saw nothing but red, felt nothing but the fire flowing through her, ¡°You left me to die! Twice! You knew where I was in the library!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t safe,¡± he said.  ¡°It isn¡¯t safe.¡±


    ¡°You owe me!¡± Orenda closed the distance between them and grabbed him by the collar.  She shook him for all she was worth, and he made no move to stop her, ¡°You owe me more than you can ever pay!  You¡¯re the worst father in all of creation! You abandoned me with no news, with no hope, with no context or clues about who I am!  You gave me nothing! And now, you¡¯re going to spend the rest of your life trying to make that up to me! You¡¯re going to take me to the artifact so I can kill the Emerald Knight!¡±


    He slid the machine back into his belt, and reached up to gently, but with shocking strength, take her hand by the wrist and pull it away.


    ¡°You got¡­  almost every bit of that wrong,¡± he said.  ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere near the Emerald Knight.  We¡¯re certainly not going back to the temple. I never meant to abandon you, but I¡­  I did, at the end of the day, and I will absolutely spend the rest of my life trying to make that right.¡±


    Orenda stared at her own reflection, heaving and shaking with rage, in the mask.


    ¡°And,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I¡¯m not your father.¡±


    Orenda reached with her free hand, grabbed the mask, and it burned.  It felt like touching a hot stove, and she heard him gasp, but then whatever spell he had cast on it fell away, as if he felt she had the right to jerk it away, as if he was letting her, and she did.  She ripped it from his face and threw it onto the deck where it singed the wet planks there.


    It was obvious why he wore a mask.


    A scar split his face diagonally from one corner to the other.  It was so deep and wide that it looked as if someone had, at one point, tried to cut it in half, perhaps peeled it apart.  It sank far below his flesh, distorted his appearance as if it had once cut through the muscle, or maybe all the way down to the bone.  It had had time to heal, but time had not been kind.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    He stared at her with his golden eyes, and it was the first time she had ever seen them, ever seen eyes like her own.  The first face she had ever seen like hers was twisted, broken, and horrible. She could not blame him for wanting to hide such a disfigurement.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he said softly, and she noticed that the muscles in his face did not move properly with his words on the side where the scar ran down his cheek, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    He let her go, reached down and picked up the mask, and turned to look at Tolith.


    ¡°Fuck it,¡± he said, and in one motion, faster than Orenda thought he could move, he drew the thing from his belt, clicked the top into place, squeezed the trigger below, and the deck rang with a loud boom like the one Orenda had heard when the stairs exploded.


    Tolith was screaming when her ears stopped ringing, and clutching the side of his head where blood pooled from between his fingers.  Adamareyn was screaming too, and trying to pry his hands away so he could heal it, and both of them were glowing from every crystal around them, muttering spells as quickly as their lips could move.


    ¡°Gary!¡± Bella chastised.


    ¡°No!¡± He said to her, and Orenda saw now, without the mask, the intensity of his anger, ¡°He brought Orenda out here!  Brought her onto the open sea! Brought her to me! You know the Emerald Knight is chasing me!¡±


    ¡°You could have killed him,¡± She said.


    ¡°I only took his ear off,¡± Gareth argued, and marched over to where Toli still huddled on the deck.  He grabbed him by the hair with his free hand and jerked him so that he was forced to look at him, at an angle so that he could speak into his good ear.


    ¡°Look at me, boy,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Look at my face.  The Emerald Knight gave me this scar. I survived that.  You never had a chance.¡±


    Toli was crying, sobbing with the pain, and Gareth seemed to think that would impede his listening ability, so he shook him by the hair.  Adam still clung to him, as if he could protect him, as if he could do anything.


    ¡°If you ever do anything to put her in danger again,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.  I¡¯ll cook you alive and feed you to the monsters of the deep. I¡¯ll destroy you. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°She¡­  she wanted,¡± Toli said, and Orenda was amazed he had the courage to talk back, ¡°She wanted to find you.  She wanted to come. I¡¯ve never hurt Orenda.¡± He narrowed his eyes and added, ¡°You have.¡±


    Orenda saw Gareth¡¯s back shudder as he stood.


    ¡°Tie your ship to ours,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to run.  If you try to run I¡¯ll blast it apart.¡±


    Orenda hated this man, and opened her mouth to tell him so, but she was cut off by Anilla, who had apparently come running up the stairs.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± She asked.


    ¡°A halfling?¡± Bella asked, ¡°Are you from the north?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Anilla said happily.


    ¡°So am I,¡± Bella told her, ¡°You¡¯re a long way from home.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Nochdifache unfurled the carpet and set it on the deck, ¡°Come with me.  I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll tell you everything. I¡¯ll¡­ I need a drink.¡±


    Tolith hissed in pain as Adamayern ran a piece of cloth over his ear, and Orenda saw that it was destroyed.  Even with the flesh knitted back together it was half the size it should be, and she doubted it functioned at all for actually hearing anything anymore.  What was that thing? What had Gareth done to him?


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch them,¡± Bella said, as if ¡®watching¡¯ the four crewmembers was nothing, as if there was no chance they could ever overpower her.  She took a step closer to Orenda, then another, and her eye softened as she looked at her. She pulled her into a hug so fierce it suffocated her, as if she was afraid to let go, and Orenda wondered if that was what it felt like to be hugged by a mother.


    ¡°Oh, Orenda,¡± Bella said softly, ¡°How I¡¯ve dreamed of seeing you, alive and well and grown.  Your mother would be so proud of you. We have to tell Xac. He considered you his child, too.  Go with Gary. He¡¯s not a bad person, he¡¯s just made a bad impression.¡±


    ¡°The dragon?¡± Orenda asked, confused.


    ¡°What?¡± Bella pulled back and looked at her, ¡°No, with Gary- Gareth.  The dragon¡¯s name is Draco, and he isn¡¯t a dragon, not really. It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, and felt stupid for not figuring that out earlier.  ¡°And you¡¯re¡­ Bella?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m your aunty.¡±


    Orenda looked over her shoulder at where Gareth stood on the carpet with his mask in one hand and the other outstretched for her.  She glared at him, did not take it, and stepped onto the carpet. The seasickness was completely gone as she felt it heat under her bare feet, and when they rose into the air, she felt like she was once again on land.

 Chapter 56 - Book 2 Chapter 12

    As they landed on the Burned Roc, Orenda noted that it was completely different than being on the Recovery.   She assumed that Gareth had done something to it to fight back the danger of the sea, to fight past the magic that pressed upon her, that had to press upon him.  She wondered if it had anything to do with the appearance. She didn¡¯t think the wood was actually as burned as it appeared, because that would mean it wasn¡¯t seaworthy, wouldn¡¯t it?  A ship so badly burned would sink.


    ¡°Captain!¡±  the oldest human man Orenda had ever seen came toddling up to them with the dragon on his shoulder.  He wore a tattered set of blue mage robes, and his features were so distorted by age that Orenda could not tell what they had originally looked like.  He wore a long beard and moustache, yardstick straight and stretching to his waist. The silver matched his long hair that flowed out behind him, and in his gnarled hands he clutched a beautiful silver staff that had also seen better days, tarnished with time and use, and inset with blue crystals.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± he said, and came so close to Orenda that for a moment she was afraid he was going to kiss her, but he was adjusting his spectacles and seemed to be studying her face, ¡°It¡¯s her, isn¡¯t it?  It really is Orenda. I¡¯m sorry, child, my eyes aren¡¯t what they used to be. Let me get a good look at you.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± the dragon said, and he opened his wings and closed the distance to alight on Orenda¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I would know her anywhere.  Orenda, I wanted to tell you, that day at the mage academy. But it wasn¡¯t safe. And it wasn¡¯t my story to tell. Gary¡¯s been so kind to me, I couldn¡¯t¡­  I couldn¡¯t go against him.¡±


    ¡°You brought me the money,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°We wanted you to learn,¡± Draco explained, ¡°You aren¡¯t a charity case, Orenda.  Your family has been taking care of you.¡±


    ¡°My family?¡± Orenda narrowed her eyes, ¡°I haven¡¯t got any family.  And¡­ how is it that you can speak like this? Sea dragons can only mimic.¡±


    ¡°Not true!¡±


    Orenda jerked her eyes to the sound of a voice, and saw something that would, if she had been in her right state of mind and not blinded by her rage for Gareth, haunt her nightmares.


    The thing had, once, perhaps, been a human man.  But now it was a tattered mockery of humanity, rotted flesh attached to yellow bones sticking out of a set of normal clothes as if it had every right in the world to be alive and moving.  The muscles under the decayed flesh moved with it as it leaned on the mop it was holding, and its eyes floated in lidless sockets to meet hers.


    ¡°We speak!¡± The thing said, ¡°We speak!  We have nothing to say! Not to you! To us!  We speak to us!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Draco said.  ¡°We¡¯ll tell you sometime.¡±


    ¡°Captain,¡± Orenda turned again to see a dwarven man tying a rope to the railing of the ship.  She followed the rope and saw Bella at the other end, securing it to the Recovery. ¡°They¡¯ve seen your face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to let them live,¡± Gareth said softly, ¡°they kept her alive.¡±


    ¡°You hit him with your hand,¡± the dwarf said.


    ¡°I was overcome,¡± Gareth moved each of his fingers, and Orenda saw that they moved with great difficulty, as if he had been overcome with arthritis, and he may have, given how old he had to be.  His face didn¡¯t exactly show it, because his flesh stretched tight around the scar.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he turned back to look at her, ¡°This is¡­ are¡­  my friends. This is Falsie,¡± he motioned to the dwarven man, ¡°That is, we call him that, we used to call him ¡®Falsebeard¡¯ at his request, and I suppose we all got lazy.  He¡¯s a genius with clockwork. He made the canon.¡± He motioned to a large metal object, ¡°And the gun,¡± he motioned to the thing on his hip that Orenda had seen on his signature, on the graffiti on the wall, and the flag above them.


    ¡°Nice to see ya again,¡± the dwarf shook her hand, ¡°You don¡¯t remember me, do you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    ¡°This is Imperius,¡± Gareth continued, motioning to the old man, ¡°He is, as far as I know, still the greatest water mage on the sea, though time has taken a toll on him.  He¡¯s also a genius- I like to surround myself with smart people, because idiocy runs in my family.¡±


    ¡°He is a genius,¡± Draco said proudly, ¡°though I did warn him against dabbling in necromancy.  It¡¯s said to rot the mind, to pollute the soul. But he¡­ just wasn¡¯t going to let me die.¡± He flew from Orenda¡¯s shoulder back to Impy and snuggled into his hair.


    ¡°This is Draco,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Impy¡¯s husband.  He was an accomplished mage in his own right. There was¡­  an unfortunate accident, during the war. I¡¯m afraid Impy had to use whatever was at hand.  We thought we could switch them back, at some point, but¡­¡±


    He nodded to the walking corpse.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, putting the pieces together.


    ¡°Well,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Let¡¯s not stand around gawking at Orenda like she¡¯s some sort of spectacle.  I would like a drink. We¡¯re going to my sitting room, and I wouldn¡¯t like to be disturbed.¡±


    ¡°Too late for that, Captain,¡± Draco laughed and Gareth cracked a smile.


    ¡°Come along, Orenda,¡± he said, leading her to a door that she suspected went below deck.  She followed him and took the set of stairs behind him. It opened into a kitchen, like it had on the Recovery, and Orenda thought that perhaps ships were all similar on the inside.  Gareth led her on down the hall and opened another door.


    The inside was crowded, but much better laid out than Tolith¡¯s room.  It looked like an office, with a table that seemed to serve as a desk, given the books and papers laid out on it.  A map of the world was hung along one wall over a bench, below it hung a poster that seemed to chart out the phases of the moons, and bookshelves with doors that closed over them lined it on either side.  Cabinets lined most of the walls, but there were spaces open for artwork and one dressing mirror. He took off his jacket and slung it over the back of a chair at the table, set the mask down gently with it, took off his hat and set it on top of it.


    He was making himself at home, and Orenda watched him in silence as he opened one of the cabinets, took out a cloudy glass bottle and two glasses, and glared down at his hand.  He adjusted the grip, moving the fingers individually with the other hand to make it tighter, and set everything out on the table. He lifted the bottle to open it, but it slipped from his grip and he had to fight to catch it.


    ¡°Goddamn it,¡± he said and set it back down.  ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve¡­ it¡¯s partially a bought of nerves.  My hands are shaking. I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to see you.  I can¡¯t do it one-handed with my hands shaking. Can you pour that, please?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Orenda said as she popped the top of the bottle.  ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Rum,¡± Gareth explained, peeling off his gloves.


    His right hand was exactly what she had expected, but his left¡­  his left was like nothing she had ever seen before. He peeled off the glove to reveal a second, smaller and tighter fitting glove underneath that ran up under his shirt, and as she watched he rolled up his sleeve and peeled it away as well.  As the tight fabric peeled away, Orenda saw that his hand was not made of flesh and bone and blood- it was made of a well worn metal, of clockwork gears that turned and spun as he tried to touch each of his fingers to his thumb, but some of them were stuck at the knuckles, exactly where it would have connected with Tolith¡¯s cheekbone.  The gears there weren¡¯t turning properly, as if he had bent some of the cogs when he had smacked him.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Well fuck,¡± Gareth said, and Orenda watched him undo his shirt with his good hand, saw the medallion standing out there against his chest, saw the symbol upon it, and knew it was exactly like hers.  A strap connected to Gareth¡¯s elbow, and he undid it, laid his hand on the table, and pulled away. The hand stayed where it was, along with what looked to be about half a forearm all inset with fire crystals, and the leather straps she had seen attached at the elbow.


    Gareth picked it up and left the room.  She could hear him calling down the hall.


    ¡°Falsie!¡± He called as she poured the two glasses full, ¡°It¡¯s the knuckles!  Can you fix it?¡±


    ¡°Gary, I swear to god!¡± came the voice of the dwarf, ¡°I told you to be careful with the damn thing.  What¡¯d you do?¡±


    Orenda could not hear the rest of the conversation, as Gareth had apparently gone to find him and have it in person rather than screaming through the ship, so she busied herself with looking around the room.  The papers lining the desk were letters, apparently, and she read over the one on top, which seemed to begin on the second page.


    still think about him all the time.  I¡¯m not worried. They wouldn¡¯t want me to be worried.  It¡¯s just that Lappy is acting so strange. Sharon wants us to take him to a healer, but what the hell are they going to do for a human?  They¡¯ll treat him like obsolete farm equipment that needs to be destroyed if it can¡¯t work. You know how they are.


    Sometimes, Gary, I think I should send the kids out.  I need to do something with my son. He¡¯s miserable here.  Would he be happier in the settlements? In the north? Or on the fire continent?  Could he make something of himself there? He thinks he¡¯s wasting his life here.


    I¡¯m not worried.


    Agalon is still the inspector in this area, and that means something.  He likes me. He¡¯s always liked me, even when his father was alive. But I¡¯m not as young as I used to be.  I don¡¯t know how long I can keep flirting my way out of real inspections. And¡­ Mary has¡­ offered to¡­ it broke my heart, Gary.  She¡¯s not going to do that. My kids aren¡¯t going to do that. I didn¡¯t spend half my life in a cage so my children could live that same life.  She¡¯s a Brigaddon. She¡¯s not a slave.


    I don¡¯t have a lot to report in this letter, but please, please, for the love of fuck, let me know if you hear anything from Lapus.  I need an elf to put in an appearance. Agalon can¡¯t keep this charade going forever. It doesn¡¯t matter how good I am in bed, shit is going down in the capital.  I¡¯ve got it on good authority that Xandra¡¯s sent an expedition out to the frozen north. Why would she do that? They can¡¯t possibly know, can they? We¡¯re the only ones who know what¡¯s up there.


    Unless the Kabaal survived.  I saw Shabeel die, but Lapus took me out of there so fast I don¡¯t know what happened to the rest of them.  But they couldn¡¯t have survived, could they? Bella had to live in that hell longer than I did, so she¡¯d know more about how resilient they are.


    I miss Ronnie and Soko so much sometimes, Gary.  When I¡¯m with the kids, I often think¡­ I think about how different our lives could have been if it had worked, you know?  I¡¯ve never been in love like that. I don¡¯t think I ever will again. They¡­ they really treated me¡­ they thought I was a person, not a thing.  I¡¯ve lived most of my life being this pretty little thing. I¡¯m like the first piece of bread when you cut a loaf. Everyone touches me, but nobody wants me.


    I really wish that you would come and see me.  You look so much like him. Is that pathetic? I know that¡¯s pathetic.  Please, Gary, please just come and see me. I can hide you. No one has to know.  It¡¯s getting to be that time of year again and I miss them so much my heart aches.  You look so much like him. I don¡¯t mind the scar. Please, it¡¯ll be good for both of us.  Just come down to the burrow and let me teach you how to bunny hop-


    ¡°Those are private,¡± Gareth said, and Orenda looked up at him.  ¡°I don¡¯t mind you going through my things, but that¡¯s¡­ it may not be something he wants other people to see.¡±


    He only had one hand now, and it made gathering up the papers difficult for him.  Orenda sipped the rum and felt it burn down her throat as she watched him.


    ¡°I have that same medallion,¡± She remarked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ¡°And it was hell to get it.  I had to go back and¡­¡± His eyes darted around the room, then he closed them and said, ¡°You should have had it.  It was a gift from my mother. She would have loved you, I think. I¡¯m glad you have her tiara. I don¡¯t know if I want to know where you got it.¡±


    ¡°So you are a Firefist,¡± she said.


    ¡°I was,¡± he said, and walked to the mirror.  When he spoke again, it was to himself, and it put Orenda right off.  ¡°She¡¯s here, Ronnie. She¡¯s here and she looks so much like mom. It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?  Everyone said we looked more like dad but¡­ but it was there, inside us. Inside you, I suspect.  You were the prodigy. There was probably nothing of her in me.¡± He laughed and said, ¡°Ronnie I¡­ I can¡¯t do¡­¡±  he started crying and leaning against the mirror, ¡°I¡¯m nothing! I never was anything! I wasn¡¯t even supposed to exist!  I¡­ I was a parasite! A parasite needs a host!¡±


    He slammed his fist into the mirror and Orenda was afraid he was going to break it, so she asked a rather obvious question to get him away from it, because she felt none of them needed the bad luck.


    ¡°Have you always been mad, then?¡± She asked, ¡°Or did you go mad?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he blinked the tears from his eyes and turned to look at her, ¡°I was always a little mad, I suppose, but¡­  I went much more mad. And I won¡¯t be told I can¡¯t. This is my maddness, Orenda. I¡¯ve earned it!¡±


    ¡°Do you often talk to yourself?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Talk to myself,¡± he considered as if he hadn¡¯t realized that was what he had been doing.  He turned back to the mirror and looked into it. ¡°It is¡­ it always will be. It isn¡¯t his face.  It never will be. It isn¡¯t¡­ we¡­ it isn¡¯t us. But it¡¯s me. And now it always will be, and we aren¡¯t¡­  it¡¯s not supposed to¡­ we¡¯re supposed to match!¡± He stared at his reflection and said, ¡°If we did, I could¡­   mirrors are special, Orenda. Mirrors are¡­ are supposed to¡­ conduits. Impy is a necormancer but it¡¯s¡­ I get in the way.  I always got in the way. We¡¯re the same and it only pulls to me, as if he¡¯s trying to conjure me. But we¡¯re not the same, not anymore, not ever again.  This isn¡¯t our face! So I¡­ I am just¡­ just talking to myself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should drink too much of this,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It¡¯s rather strong.¡±


    ¡°You filled those full, didn¡¯t you?¡± He asked.  He picked up the glass and much of the rum sloshed out with the shaking of his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re not my father?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°I would never¡­¡±


    ¡°Is the man in the mirror my father?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Gareth said and took a long drink.  He sat the empty glass down and began to pace around the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell her,¡± he said to the either, ¡°I don¡¯t know where to begin.  It all went so horribly wrong and I knew it would! I tried to tell you but you never listen!  Because I¡¯m the bad one and you¡¯re the smart one, and there was never any reason to listen! And now¡­  now I¡¯m all that¡¯s left!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Orenda asked.  She was growing more and more annoyed with his insanity, and more and more worried that he had lost his mind completely and wouldn¡¯t remember where the temple was that she wanted him to lead her to.


    ¡°Well I mean,¡± he said, talking directly to her now, ¡°It is hard to keep a matched set, isn¡¯t it?  You take it out and play with it and you start¡­ you lose some pieces here and there, but it¡¯s still a set, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I never had many toys,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t,¡± he laughed, ¡°You had a horrible childhood, because I can¡¯t do anything right!  I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m the evil twin!¡± He said as if it was an explanation, ¡°There¡¯s always¡­ he was a prodigy.  He was casting shields when we were five years old! He was going to be the next high priest, after mom retired.  Thesis had chosen him, of course, that¡¯s why he was so good at everything! He had such a bright future and¡­ and people thought I would be jealous, but, I never was, Orenda.  Being the evil twin is easy. Being the lazy sack-of-shit who was expected to mooch off your brother is easy. It¡¯s so easy to be nothing. It¡¯s so easy to do nothing. I never told them that I could do it too, and they never expected me to do anything, even though it made no sense, that one of us would be great and the other wouldn¡¯t.  We were the same. We were exactly the same. We were a matched set. We could slip out and replace each other, but I never told anyone but Ronnie, and he never shared my secrets. If he had¡­ we could have had¡­ god, it all went so wrong and then it just keep going wrong! It changed him, Orenda, the Emerald Knight changed him!¡±


    ¡°I demand that you start making sense!¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°I won¡¯t piece it together from bits and bobs!  I demand to know who I am! Who is Ronnie? Is that my father?¡±


    ¡°Garon Firefist,¡± Gareth said, ¡°He¡­  he was my brother. I¡¯m almost positive he¡¯s your father.  It makes no sense, but that¡¯s what it has to be, right? Look at you.  You¡¯re a fire elf. You have to be his child. You don¡¯t look anything like Soko, so you must take after your father.¡±


    ¡°Soko?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Sokomaur Sambress,¡± Gareth explained, ¡°Your mother.¡±

 Chapter 57 - Book 2 Chapter 13

    ¡°Sokomaur Sambress?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°That¡¯s an earth elf name. I¡¯ve seen it before.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Gareth picked up his empty glass, ¡°Because she¡¯s an earth elf. Refill this for me, darling, I need to take the edge off.¡±


    Orenda opened the bottle and poured the glass about half full.


    ¡°That can¡¯t possibly be true,¡± She said, ¡°That¡­ the world doesn¡¯t work that way. An earth elf can¡¯t give birth to a fire elf.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, too,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I grew up thinking that, thought it my whole life. But then I watched her push you out of her vagina, and I looked at you, and I thought, ¡®this baby looks like a fire elf¡¯. But I didn¡¯t like to dwell on it, at the time, because I¡¯ll be honest with you, Orenda, I was just so concerned with everything else going on. I saw how badly she was bleeding, that I couldn¡¯t cauterize it, that Bella had absolutely nothing she could do, and most of my thoughts were more along the lines of, ¡®Oh fuck, she¡¯s dying! She¡¯s going to die! I have to find Ronnie!¡¯ and also, I will admit, ¡®I told that bitch she was pregnant!¡¯.¡±


    He threw back the entire glass in one drink and slammed it on the table.


    Orenda was more disappointed than she could put into words. She had expected real answers, and a real future, but Gareth was a madman, an old man who had lost his mind from what seemed to be a lifetime of hardship. It was so unlikely that anything she was hearing was true that it was impossible to believe any of it. It was more likely that she would never know what had actually happened, where she had actually come from, or who her real parents were.


    Gareth was probably only right about one thing- that he had earned this madness, and he was entitled to it. She knew how easy it was to convince yourself of things that weren¡¯t true, that it was as easy to be a princess as it was to be the son of a high priest, if you were more used to high priests than queens. Gareth probably had lived in the kingdom of the fire elves before it fell, and he may have even had a brother that he was mourning. But he was a sad, crazy old man, who had lost everything, including pieces of himself, and his mind matched his body.


    Her anger dissipated a little at the sorrow she felt for him.


    ¡°How long have you been alone, Gary?¡± She asked, ¡°As a fire elf? Are there more of us?¡±


    ¡°There have to be,¡± he said, ¡°There absolutely have to be. I¡¯ve not seen them, but they must exist, mustn¡¯t they? One man can¡¯t wipe an entire race off the face of the planet, not even one as strong as the Emerald Knight. I¡¯ve seen him twice, Orenda. Not just when he killed dad, but when he killed Ronnie.¡±


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Orenda said softly, ¡°Sit down. You¡¯re pacing. Sit down and tell a story, all at once, from beginning to end.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can try to do that,¡± he said, and pulled out a chair.


    Sokomaur Sambress, at the time Gareth knew her, had two lovers. One was Garon Firefist, a man who had grown up on the sea- that was a story in itself- but he had a major chip on his shoulder. When the Emerald Knight had killed their father, Gareth had had to pull him away, to run, to force him to escape. Garon would have fought. He was ten years old, and he would have fought that invading army, would have stood up to the Emerald Knight himself. The Emerald Knight had told them to run, and Gareth had the good sense to know that they were running from something. Garon had believed they were running toward something.


    Her other lover was a human man named Xaxac Brigaddon. His history was too complex to go into, but Gareth remembered him fondly. When he had met Xac and spent the most time with him, he was in the middle of what Garon called ¡®a bender¡¯. Garon had gone on to say that Xac had every right to it, that he deserved it, that he was ¡®working through some stuff¡¯ and Gareth should ¡®let him do what he wanted¡¯. Gareth was not agreeable to those terms, because Xac, in his drunken haze, often mistook Gareth for Garon, and letting him do what he wanted was going to entail some things that Gareth was just absolutely not comfortable with. He had had to shove him away and tell him of his mistake more than once.


    But he liked him. He had liked him then, before his hair and eyes were silver, when he was full of stories and life and the kind of righteous anger that was infectious. Xac had the same kind of energy as Ronnie, and, in fact, his personality meshed so well that Gareth could see why they were together. He was happy for them. Xac didn¡¯t come out of that bender until a lack of supplies forced him to, and by then there was so little time for them to spend together that he didn¡¯t really get to know him until after everything happened.


    He wasn¡¯t with them on the return journey from the frozen north. Ronnie and Soko said that he had been spirited away by Lapus, that there was more to Lapus than either of them knew.


    But this isn¡¯t really a story about Soko, or Ronnie, or Xac. This is a story about Orenda.


    Soko would not admit that Orenda existed; she had an explanation for everything. She was gaining weight because she was stress eating over Garon¡¯s delusion. She was ill because she had developed seasickness, as some people do later in life. She was having mood swings because she was mourning the loss of her siblings, and the disappearance of her lover. But she was absolutely not pregnant, as Garon insisted, because that made no sense. She had only lain with two men in the timeframe that would result in such a pregnancy, and neither of them could have impregnated her. If she had been pregnant, the child would have to be either half-human or half-fire-elven, and those were not real things that existed in the real world.


    Sokomaur was a warrior and a strategist, she was a leader who had organized an underground rebellion, who had saved lives and sewn seeds, who had met with demons and cults to achieve her goals. She was an intelligent woman, who knew the ways of the world. And she knew that a pregnancy, for her, was impossible.


    Nevertheless, Gareth, while not a doctor or leader or soldier or anything really, knew what a pregnancy was when he looked at one. Garon knew this as well as he did, and it was Ronnie who said he would not allow his child to be born into a world structured as it was, with the Emerald Knight terrorizing the planet, with Xandra shrinking the globe to fit inside her empire. He was going to destroy the Emerald Knight.


    Garon tried to take the sacred staff. It rejected him.


    But he had a plan.


    Well, Soko had a plan.


    Xaxac was an expert in the art of textiles; he often knit, and had a particular quirk that he had learned during his time as a slave. He had been a pleasure slave for years before he was a cage fighter, and like all shifters, he had spent his life in two forms. Xaxac was a lapin- a wererabbit. This, to most people, may be the least threatening animal form to take, in a world with werewolves and weretigers, but Xaxac did not originally come from a world of fighting. Xac had grown up a pleasure slave, in a world where things were soft, comfortable, alluring, and seductive. Xac had grown up in a world where cute little bunnies were prized for their big eyes, adorable faces- and soft fur.


    Angora was expensive at the best of times, but when Xac shifted, he was covered in it. He had learned to collect the hair and spin it, then to knit with it. He wore clothes made of his own hair for most of his life, and made garments from it to give to his friends.


    Gareth paused here, and stood.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll show you!¡± he said, and walked through a door that led deeper into the ship, not back out into the hall. Orenda saw that it opened into a bedroom with a large, canopied bed, but did not follow him. She heard him banging around in trunks or somesuch, and a few minutes later he came back out holding what seemed to be a very thin sweater. It was the color of the silver moon, and shimmered in the lamplight.


    ¡°Touch it!¡± He said, and she did.


    ¡°It¡¯s so soft,¡± Orenda said, because it was. She had never owned anything made of angora, but she had read of it, and did know what it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s made of sterilite,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I wear it, and the pants, whenever I¡¯m going somewhere I think may be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be made of sterilite,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Sterilite is made of metal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Gareth said, ¡°One that I¡¯d have to tell second hand. But when Xac came back from the Crystal City in the frozen north, there was sterilite flowing through his veins, and it came out in his hair. It really does repel magic, or nullify it, or something- it makes magic useless. I can¡¯t even scry Xac. He¡¯s invisible to mages.¡±


    It was as beautiful as it was soft, and it really existed. Orenda looked at the shimmering, soft fibers that twisted together to become thread, and wondered how much of the story was actually true. She may have been wrong about Gareth.


    Whatever the Emerald Knight was, he was magic. The armor moved as if alive, and though both Gareth and Garon believed there was a person under that spell, it was obvious that it was probably the greatest mage on Xren.


    But even a great mage can do nothing against sterilite. Garon did not have a sacred weapon, but he had an entire suit of clothing that would repel magic, he had the blood of the high priestess in his veins, and the heart of a father who was protecting his child. He was going to kill the Emerald Knight.


    Sokomaur was going to draw him out with her presence. She was well known as a deserter to the Urillian army, and she could easily proclaim that she was the leader of the Knights of Order, and using her skill could easily fight off any normal elven soldiers the empress threw at her. Gareth did not know if he believed her in this regard, because when she proclaimed these facts to be true, she was already showing, and he suspected that by the time they made it to the capital she would be so pregnant that standing would be an obstacle, let alone fighting off hordes of imperial guards. But when he brought up his objections, it led to a terrible fight. Garon didn¡¯t like the plan either, because Soko was pregnant, and should stay safe on the ship while the pirates and the Knights who had been hiding in the area drew out the Emerald Knight. But Soko insisted she was not pregnant, given the obvious impossibility, and correctly pointed out that she was the military strategist, Garon was just the vessel through which the will of Thesis flowed. Soko really believed that she would probably have to deliver the killing blow herself.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The armor, the knitted sterilite, was a breakthrough, Gareth couldn¡¯t deny that. But he had never believed it would be enough. He had, at first, refused to take them to the capital, but Garon had, correctly, insisted that the ship was as much his as it was Gary¡¯s, and made it clear that they were going with or without him. Still, during all the months at sea, Gareth tried, every day, to change his mind. He knew they weren¡¯t ready. He knew they were putting Soko and the child in danger.


    But Gareth was the evil twin. Ronnie was the one Thesis had chosen, and Soko was the smart one. They knew things, they could see things, and Gareth was just the lazy piece-of-shit who was mooching off his brother.


    Their plan worked. They had approached the capital, gotten inside the gate, and the servant uprising had began. Many of the guards fell quickly, because to them, it had come out of nowhere, but they were not so easy to dispatch, and soon the streets were filled with the sounds of battle. They would have to fight through the waves to draw the attention of the Emerald Knight.


    ¡°Gary!¡± Ronnie said, ¡°I¡¯m going toward the castle! I¡¯m taking on the Emerald Knight! Stay with Soko. Make sure nothing happens to her! Keep her safe, her and the baby.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gary asked, ¡°But that¡¯s not the plan! Ronnie we went over this! We went over and over this! That isn¡¯t the plan! We¡¯re supposed to stay together! We¡¯re supposed to fight together!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t risk losing her,¡± He snarled, ¡°She shouldn¡¯t even be here! She wouldn¡¯t listen to me!¡±


    ¡°None of us should be here!¡± Gareth screamed, ¡°We¡¯re all going to die tonight! I¡¯ve told you for months this is an awful plan! We should have found Xac first! We should have found Lapus!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to argue this with you!¡± Garon was already running, ¡°Don¡¯t let her follow me!¡±


    ¡°Soko?¡±


    Gareth heard Bella¡¯s voice through the chaos, and shoved his way through the fighting, not attacking, just running, weaving through the crowd. The medallion on his chest heated, then ignited, and people gave him a wide breath as he became hot to the touch and they figured it out.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Soko argued, and she seemed to be, because she stood at the front of her people, and had just pulled her sword from the slit in the helmet of a Urillian soldier. But Gareth thought she was very much not fine, from the way she screamed, and from the shimmering red liquid that covered her from the thighs down.


    ¡°Soko, please don¡¯t be mad,¡± Bella said as she lifted her bodily and took off in the opposite direction, away from the thick of the fighting. Gareth turned and ran after them, following the sound of Soko¡¯s cursing.


    He was more familiar with Bella¡¯s magical signature than Soko¡¯s, and followed her, running as fast as he could, but unable to keep up. He eventually found them in a building that must have once been a home goods merchant, but the shop had to have been abandoned when the fighting began.


    ¡°Soko, when did it start?¡± Bella asked, as angry as the situation warranted.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gareth locked the door and began to pile furniture in front of it.


    ¡°I need to be on the front lines!¡± Soko tried to shove her out of her way, but a bolt of pain must have shot through her, because she grabbed onto the counter and bent double, clutching just below her belly button, ¡°Oh god, it burns!¡±


    ¡°Soko, when did the contractions start?!¡± Bella insisted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not having contractions!¡± Soko snapped, ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant!¡±


    ¡°We have to get your tights off,¡± Bella said, ¡°They¡¯re covered in blood!¡±


    ¡°I have to get back out there-¡± her sentence devolved into screaming.


    ¡°Soko, please,¡± Gareth begged. He took her by the arms and stared into her eyes, ¡°For Ronnie, please. Look at me. Look into my eyes. When did the pain start?¡±


    She stared into his golden eyes, still leaning heavily on the counter, hair matted to her forehead, tights, boots, and the hem of her tunic covered in blood.


    ¡°It was¡­ it was before the meeting. Way before. It¡¯s been about eight hours.¡± She admitted.


    ¡°Soko, what the actual fuck!?¡± Bella asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant!¡± Sokomaur insisted, ¡°I know you think I¡¯ve gone mad, but this isn¡¯t-¡±


    Bella ripped her tights at the seam of one side and jerked them away, then the other. She screamed before she caught herself.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong!¡±


    ¡°I told you!¡± Soko snapped, ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant! It¡¯s something else! I know what pregnancy is! Your hips come apart, your cervix dilates, everything is horrible, but it isn¡¯t on fire! I don¡¯t know what this is! But it isn¡¯t a baby!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Gary said, ¡°We gotta¡­ fuck how do¡­ how does this work, I¡­ I¡¯m not¡­ we need a healer! We have to get you back to the ship!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± Bella said, ¡°This baby is- I mean, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°There is no baby!¡± Soko insisted.


    ¡°Soko, I see it!¡± Bella argued, ¡°Or¡­ something! I see something!¡±


    Soko looked into Gareth¡¯s eyes. He had never seen anyone in more pain, with more fear. The only image he could conjure up was his father, the way he looked at them, right before the Emerald Knight cut him in half.


    ¡°Ronnie,¡± she said, and he knew she knew better, but did not correct her, ¡°Ronnie, I¡¯m dying.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not dying, Soko,¡± he promised, ¡°We¡¯ll get through this!¡±


    ¡°It burns!¡± She shrieked, and grabbed him so hard it knocked him to his knees.


    As the battle raged outside, Gareth clutched the baby to his chest. He had grabbed a blanket at random from one of the shelves, purple and meant for nobility, judging by the price tag, and tried to wipe her down, but he had no water, and she was covered in blood and goo.


    ¡°Gary, we have to go,¡± Bella said.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t,¡± he said, and let his eyes drift back to Soko, to the blood that had pooled around her, to the burns she was covered with, ¡°We can¡¯t just¡­ just leave her here.¡±


    ¡°We have to think of the baby,¡± Bella said, and fluffed out the sheet she had found, folded on a shelf. She draped it over Soko¡¯s body. ¡°I don¡¯t like it either, but we have to think of the baby.¡±


    ¡°The baby¡¯s asleep,¡± Gareth argued.


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Bella insisted.


    ¡°Bell, look at her,¡± Gary begged, ¡°She¡¯ll clean up nicely, won¡¯t she? She looks a bit like my mother, I think. We should call her Orenda, after my mother. She loved Ronnie so much it¡­¡±


    ¡°Ronnie wanted to call her ¡®Bruanna¡¯,¡± Bella reminded him. ¡°Soko did too. She said if she ever did have a daughter, she would name her ¡®Bruanna¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Ronnie can call her what he likes,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I¡¯m calling her Orenda.¡±


    ¡°Well, we need to get Orenda to the ship and away from the danger,¡± Bella said.


    ¡°But Soko needs to be healed!¡± Gareth insisted.


    ¡°Soko is dead, Gary,¡± Bella said matter-of-factly, because it was true. ¡°She should have told us, she should have done-¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t believe it,¡± Gareth said, ¡°People can¡­ people can make themselves believe almost anything. Even after all this, even after everything, Ronnie still believes in mom¡¯s god. Because a world with Thesis is better than one without him. Maybe for Soko, a world without a baby is better than one with one. Maybe she knew¡­ maybe she knew she was going to die tonight, and this was her last big hurrah.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t stupid,¡± Bella said as if it confused her, ¡°So¡­ that must be it. She had to know. I wonder how long it¡­ she kept screaming that it burned. Do you think it¡¯s been burning inside her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it happen before,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t know it could. We were always taught we couldn¡¯t¡­ you had to¡­ you couldn¡¯t, with two two different elements. You just couldn¡¯t make children.¡±


    ¡°Gary, we have to go now!¡± Bella pulled him up, ¡°Look!¡±


    Gareth looked where she was pointing and saw Garon running towards the docks, followed closely by Falsie.


    ¡°Ronnie!¡± Gareth said, ¡°We have to tell him about Orenda!¡±


    ¡°Bruanna!¡± Bella corrected, drew her wand, took a deep breath, stood to the side of the furniture Gareth had stacked, and blew it all away. ¡°Go, Gary!¡±


    Gareth burst through the door and ran after his brother.


    ¡°Ronnie!¡± he called, but Garon was too far ahead of him, and as Gareth ran following him through the gated wall, past farmhouses and down a steep incline he had to stop and secure himself. The hill was too steep, and he was afraid he would fall, that he could hurt the baby, but he had to hurry, because what he saw at the docks put the fear of god in his heart.


    The Emerald Knight towered over them by a head, towered over the Urillians by a head and shoulders. He glowed in the night, brighter than any torch, brighter than any fire spell, glowed with a green light that would have rivaled the sun. Garon was running toward him, like a fool!


    ¡°Ronnie!¡± Gareth screamed, and took off down the hill.


    Falsie had made the smart move, and was running for the ship, and Gareth made note of this, but he didn¡¯t hear what he said, didn¡¯t hear Bella calling to him, trying to get him to move in the right direction. All Gareth could think is that if he caught up to Garon, if he showed him the baby, if Ronnie knew that he had something to live for, he could stop him before he did something stupid, and they could sail away together, and it would be like they had never joined the Knights. They could live, together, again, like they were supposed to. They were a matched set, and they were supposed to be together, and if Garon realized that he would stop having delusions of grandeur, stop thinking of himself as some sort of fairytale prince who was going to defeat the bad guy and save the day. They could be safe, they could be alive, and Sokomaur¡¯s death could mean something.


    ¡°Ronnie!¡± He screamed, but Garon was already there, already before the Emerald Knight.


    ¡°Emerald Knight!¡± Garon screamed, and Gareth moved as fast as his legs could carry him. ¡°I am Garon Firefist, son of Orenda and Shiron Firefist! I am a Knight of Order! You killed my parents! You destroyed my home! I have come to challenge you to Right by Combat!¡±


    The Knight turned his attention to Garon, and took great strides across the battlefield. He looked a lightning flash. He seemed so bright. Gareth was nearly blinded by the sheen. It was as if he wasn¡¯t real, as if a ghost were passing, every inch in green.


    ¡°Ronnie!¡± Gareth screamed, and the Knight turned to look at him. The blood froze in his veins.


    But it was over in an instant, and the Knight was in front of Garon.


    Ronnie threw up a fire shield, and he was every bit the mage he claimed to be. As that sword, too beautiful for combat, borne of a metal Gareth would not have recognized, had he not been wearing it under his clothes in the form of soft, fluffy rabbit fur, met that shield, the living armor under it burned away. Garon was strong enough to hurt the armor, strong enough to hurt the Emerald Knight!


    Under that armor, as it burned, Gareth caught the glimpse of a hand, a normal hand. The light tinted everything green, but Gareth was sure the skin was light, like a Urillian, like an earth elf. There was a person under that armor.


    The sterilite sword met Garon¡¯s throat, and in one motion went through it.


    Gareth watched as his head flew from his shoulders with the force of the blow, and went rolling towards the sea.


    The fire went out.


    The Knight did not pause to watch Garon¡¯s body fall, and he was upon Gareth in an instant. Gareth threw up his free hand out of instinct, but did not have time to think. He didn¡¯t cast, he didn¡¯t run, he didn¡¯t move, and he barely felt it as the sword cut into his flesh. It severed the hand he had thrown up at an angle, and as it carved into the flesh of his face, Gareth let out of a shriek of pain- but there were words there, instinctual words, begging not for his own life, but for the only thing that really mattered to him.


    ¡°Please!¡± he screamed, ¡°I have a baby!¡±


    The sword paused where it was, slicing open his face, and Orenda, as if on cue, began to cry.


    The Emerald Knight withdrew quickly, staggered, took a step back, and threw one hand over his heart, over the light that glowed there. He seemed like a person coming to his senses, and Gareth watched him as the helmet fell, as if he was looking at the baby in his arms, and for the second time in his life, he heard the Emerald Knight speak.


    ¡°Run,¡± The Emerald Knight said again.


    Gareth did.

 Chapter 58 - Book 2 Chapter 14

    ¡°Pour me another drink, darling, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Gareth said, and Orenda emptied the bottle into his glass.


    How much of the story was true? If it was true, Bella could corroborate it. Falsie was close enough to have seen it happen. If it was true, Orenda was the cause of her mother¡¯s death. If it was true, Gareth had been maimed protecting her.


    ¡°I was beautiful, once,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Like Ronnie. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s really all I had going for me, you know. We were both beautiful. On the outside. But I was never much of¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I never wanted to go with her, you know? We had already lost so much, and I knew that going after the Emerald Knight was asking for trouble. But Ronnie¡­ Ronnie had made a decision, early on in life, that he was going to be something, you know? That he was going to be someone. I think he thought he was a fairy-tale prince. I think he thought that he was going to save the princess, and they were going to live happily ever after. And he found Soko, or¡­ the second time, you see, we found her, long after she found us, and she was a leader, she was very much like¡­ she had all those qualities you associate with royalty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk,¡± Orenda said, not with judgement, just because it was true and she thought he may not know.


    ¡°I¡¯m very often drunk,¡± Gareth agreed. ¡°But we were¡­ we weren¡¯t, you know? We weren¡¯t heroes. We were never going to be. We were ordinary people, once we grew up. Being a gifted child doesn¡¯t mean anything once you grow up, especially if all the people who told you how smart you are were dead. It didn¡¯t mean anything, but for those first ten years or so, when we were still young and small and truly believed things, they told him he was special, and he¡­ he really started to believe it, Orenda. He really thought he was. But he wasn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t anybody. He was just another mortal who went before the Emerald Knight. He was never smart, I don¡¯t think, looking back on it. Not smarter than I was, and I¡¯m a goddamn idiot. I should have known that, I think. I should have told him, but I didn¡¯t, not until it was too late.¡±


    ¡°And the strange thing is,¡± he said with slurred words, ¡°That Soko was smart- she was well and truly gifted with intelligence. If she hadn¡¯t listened to him, hadn¡¯t tried to protect him, she would¡­ she could have done it, I think, eventually. We were, she was, that is, wearing them down, the empire. The Emerald Knight can¡¯t be everywhere at once, and the plan was to keep the Knights of Order going on the edges, in the colonies. He couldn¡¯t be everywhere in the world. You can¡¯t do everything, no matter how strong you are. That was a good plan, to wear them down. It has to, you see, to have an empire, it has to be worth more, for the people, to be part of the empire than not. And it wasn¡¯t. It never was, for any of them. Xandra hasn¡¯t wiped us all out, and they have this¡­ with the humans, with people like Bella and Xac, or not¡­ yes, like them. With humans, they want them, but they want them to work for them, to keep them, and you can¡¯t¡­ that won¡¯t work forever. There are more of them than there are of us. If there¡¯s any hope at all, it lies in the humans. An elf can¡¯t do anything, not really.¡±


    ¡°Gary?¡± Falsie¡¯s voice was accompanied by a knock on the door.


    ¡°Yes, come in, old friend,¡± Gareth slurred.


    Falsie came in holding the hand, wearing a set of goggles that had several different lenses that could be flipped down.


    ¡°Ah hell,¡± he said, ¡°I can smell it from here. You¡¯re shitfaced. I need you to have working fine motor skills so I can test this.¡±


    ¡°My drunkenness is no impediment,¡± Gareth argued.


    ¡°Ya can¡¯t cast for shit when yer drunk,¡± Falsie argued, ¡°Nobody can. Magic is in the blood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that drunk,¡± Gareth argued.


    ¡°Rendy, can you hold this for me?¡± Falsie handed her the hand, ¡°Put your hand inside and touch the crystals. Make a fist.¡±


    Orenda obeyed him.


    ¡°I just wanna test it,¡± he said, ¡°Move yer hand inside, touchin the crystals. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work and it not on ya, but Gary¡¯s gone and let himself fall apart.¡±


    ¡°I was just telling Orenda about the night Ronnie died,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Falsie said with great meaning, ¡°Not a happy story, is it? But that¡¯s all over and done with, and yer here now, and that¡¯s worth something.¡±


    Orenda made the fist and touched the crystals, and the hand balled itself into a fist to match. She unclenched her hand as much as she could in the confines of the sleeve, and watched the hand follow her movements.


    ¡°This is amazing, Mr Falsie,¡± she said.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Eh,¡± he said, ¡°Just Falsie. If it¡¯s ¡®Mr¡¯, it¡¯d be ¡®Mr Hillheart¡¯, and that¡¯s my daddy¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your real name?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Harold,¡± he answered simply, as if it wasn¡¯t a secret, and Orenda chided herself for thinking that everything was some kind of mystery. ¡°Harold the lesser. Little Harry. That was my daddy¡¯s name too. Falsie¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m told I was named for my grandmother,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°That ya were,¡± Falsie said, ¡°seems it works. Don¡¯t fuck it up again, Gary.¡±


    ¡°You tell me that every time,¡± Gareth took the hand from Orenda and went about the process of strapping it back onto the stump of an arm on his left side, ¡°And every time I tell you that I absolutely will.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a mask,¡± Orenda told Gareth, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look that bad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does,¡± Falsie said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to him, girl, he knows what¡¯s what.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even notice it, after a while,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I had forgotten about it.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like us,¡± Gareth said as if that settled the matter. He motioned for his gloves and Orenda slid them across the table to him. ¡°See, Falsie, look, I can work it perfectly fine.¡± He wiggled his fingers as he slid on the thin glove, but they barely moved, not nearly as fluidly as they had when Orenda had been playing with it.


    ¡°That one keeps the water out,¡± Falsie explained, ¡°I¡¯m from the fire continent too. None of my stuff works underwater. I¡¯d love to learn how to do that, but in all my years I¡¯ve never seen clockwork that won¡¯t rust eventually.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been so kind to my uncle,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Somebody needs to,¡± Falsie said, ¡°Hey, is that boy with half an ear and the burned up face your lover? He¡¯s been standin on the deck a his ship hollerin up a storm for you. Been aggravating the shit outta me. Bilge threw mop water on him to try an make him stop but he just keeps right on goin.¡±


    ¡°Oh god, I hope not,¡± Gareth made a disgusted face as best he could, ¡°You can do better, Orenda.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And you¡­ you really did kill his father. I know you didn¡¯t mean to, but he has a right to be upset.¡±


    ¡°And I shot him in the face,¡± Gareth reminded her, ¡°I daresay he does have a right to be angry, but you don¡¯t know how badly I don¡¯t want to deal with that kind of nonsense right now. Is it late? I feel as if it¡¯s late.¡±


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Orenda laid a hand gently on his forearm, ¡°We really do need to return to the temple. I need you to show me where it is. None of the expeditions have ever come back. I don¡¯t think the Urillians can take the environment.¡±


    ¡°Nah, they can¡¯t,¡± Falsie said as if he knew exactly why, ¡°the only reason they got up there the first time is because my mama, god rest her soul, made that armor for them. We learn from our mistakes, us Hillhearts. We don¡¯t make the same ones twice. We like to make room for new mistakes. That¡¯s how you learn and grow, girl. Won¡¯t no earth elf ever get armor like that again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, that can be your family motto,¡± Gareth told him, ¡°for us, I think, perhaps¡­ ¡®I¡¯m good right here¡¯ would be a good motto. As in ¡®Hey Gary, would you like to go fight the Emerald Knight?¡¯ ¡®Why no, as a matter of fact, I¡¯m good right here.¡¯ Or ¡®Hey Gary, would you like to return to your childhood home so you can relive the first or second worst day of your life?¡¯ ¡®No, as difficult as this is to believe, I¡¯m good right here¡¯. That¡¯s the new Firefist motto. The Nochdifache motto.¡±


    ¡°Why did you change your name?¡± Orenda asked him, ¡°Why did you name me Nochdifache?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re looking for Firefists,¡± Gareth explained, ¡°My mother was the high priestess, and Ronnie just¡­ literally screamed that at the Emerald Knight. We need to stay in hiding. We don¡¯t need to go looking for trouble. We¡¯re good right here. Can you pour me another drink?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t anymore,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Yes there is, in that cabinet,¡± he pointed. ¡°Oh, and Orenda? Your full name, I believe, should be ¡®Orenda Solomaur Firefist¡¯. Sokomaur had a sister, another amazing soldier, named Solomaur, and I think they would have named you for her.¡±


    ¡°You must really dislike ¡®Bruanna¡¯,¡± Orenda said as she opened the cabinet.


    ¡°I think you should name your children for people who meant something to you,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Ronnie was named for our father and our maternal grandmother, Shiron and Garenda. I was an afterthought, but they did name me after my grandmother as well. She was the high priestess before mom was. Thesis often chose people in our family, if you believe that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Orenda asked as she opened a new bottle and poured him a fresh glass.


    ¡°No god would allow the things I have seen,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I don¡¯t fear hell, Orenda. I¡¯ve spent most of my life asking, ¡®Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?¡¯. I don¡¯t fear any demons, least of all Morgani Magnus. What the hell is a demon going to do that hasn¡¯t already been done to me?¡±


    ¡°Yer drunk, Gary,¡± Falsie said, ¡°He gets like this, gets real blasphemous when he¡¯s drunk. But he wears the medallion of a priest.¡±


    ¡°My mother gave it to me,¡± Gareth said, ¡°That¡¯s why I wear it. And it works. It¡¯s better than a staff or wand or somesuch nonsense. I don¡¯t think Bella would carry a wand if her grandmother hadn¡¯t given it to her. Some people are sentimental old fools, or sentimental young fools.¡±


    ¡°You have to take me to the temple, Gareth,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I deserve a chance. I¡¯ve been having dreams about the staff.¡±


    ¡°Dreams?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m standing before a giant flame, and a mage staff inside calls out to me.¡±


    ¡°How did you even know it was there?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I heard it in my dreams before I ever knew it existed.¡±


    His face contorted into a look of confusion, and he said, ¡°Ask me again in the morning, alright?¡±

 Chapter 59 - Book 2 Chapter 15

    ¡°Toli?¡± Orenda stood on the deck of the Burned Roc and looked out across the sea.  The deck she was standing on was a little higher than the Recovery, and she saw him, still standing by the rails and looking over at her.  A little ways off Bella was standing against the wall, talking with Anilla, and Orenda could see the place where the canon had blown a hole through the Recovery, but it was being patched as if someone was inside nailing up boards.  She suspected those someones were Adamareyn and Stephendore, since they weren¡¯t on the deck.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± He called back, ¡°Are you alright?  Did he hurt you?¡±


    ¡°He told me a great many things,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Some of which may be true!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you!¡± he shouted, ¡°I¡¯m coming over there!¡±


    ¡°This¡¯ll be good,¡± Bella nudged Anilla with her elbow.


    Orenda watched Tolith climb over the railing, spread his arms, and step onto the rope.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind!?¡± Orenda shrieked, and in response Stephendore and Adamareyn both poked their heads out, and then stepped out onto the deck.


    ¡°I got this!¡± Tolith assured her, standing with his hands outstretched and taking another careful step, ¡°I totally got this!¡±


    Interestingly enough, he seemed to be right.  He was moving slowly, but he wasn¡¯t teetering much.  Orenda watched in amazement as he kept his upper body straight, using his core muscles and in a few minutes he was standing before her on the railing.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Because no one stopped me,¡± He said, ¡°I really thought they would.  I didn¡¯t think the werewolf would just let me do that. She¡¯s¡­ well, I suppose she¡¯s not as big of a dick as she could have been.¡±


    ¡°Bella is the werewolf?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s told us all about it.  Well, she told Anilla about it. They¡¯re from a similar place.  Apparently even other humans don¡¯t much care for shifters. Where¡¯s Nochdifache?  Did he hurt you?¡±


    He hopped onto the deck and Orenda reached out to touch his damaged ear.  It had been blown in half, and though he had healed it over, and washed it, it looked as mangled as it was.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Toli,¡± She said.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, just try to speak into this side,¡± he pointed to the undamaged ear, ¡°I don¡¯t know that this one will ever heal properly.  But I¡¯m alive, and that¡¯s another good story.¡±


    ¡°Move,¡± Adamareyn shoved him out of the way and hopped onto the deck.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Stephendore called and they turned to look at him, still on the Recovery, ¡°I¡¯m not doing that!  I¡¯m old!¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t!¡± Adamareyn yelled back, ¡°I wanna see the ghost ship!¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any ghosts!¡± Bella called, ¡°You¡¯ll be disappointed!¡±


    ¡°Adam, it looks less cool if a bunch of a people do it,¡± Tolith explained, ¡°I was trying to look cool in front of a girl.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what that¡¯s like,¡± Adamareyn said, ¡°But I feel like you aren¡¯t supposed to just say it like that.  Look.¡± He pointed to the rope, and they turned to watch Anilla, who was walking across as if it was something she did every day.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Toli whinned, and to Adam he added, ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to try to impress someone?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he explained, ¡°I plan to get by on youth and attractiveness for most of my life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good plan,¡± Toli chided, ¡°No one stays young and beautiful forever.¡±


    ¡°By the time it matters, my lover will be half blind with age,¡± Adam explained, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have,¡± Toli argued.


    ¡°Well, at the very least I¡¯ve thought it through more than you have, burnsides,¡± he giggled and helped Anilla onto the deck.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± Bella called.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Orenda called back.


    ¡°Is Gary ok!?¡± Bella asked.


    ¡°I left him in a drunken stupor!  Do you think¡­ can you come over here?  Is it safe? I¡¯d like to ask you some things!¡±


    ¡°Why is everyone coming over here?¡± Tolith whined.


    ¡°The magic feels different over here,¡± Anilla said as she wandered along the deck, ¡°It feels¡­  I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°I¡¯m less ill here than I was on the Recovery.  I think Gareth¡¯s done something. I should like to ask him what.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not getting my duel, then?¡± Tolith asked.


    ¡°I¡­  I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda frowned.  She hadn¡¯t been prioritizing his feelings as high as perhaps she should.  She knew that he had loved his father, but it seemed so small to her, in the grand scheme of things.  She felt badly that she didn¡¯t feel badly enough, and thought that perhaps it was because she had never had a father and therefore didn¡¯t know how to compare his feelings to her own.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Mr Bilge said in what Orenda could only explain as ¡®animal¡¯ accent.


    Tolith took an involuntary step back, and Orenda remembered that he had already seen him, that Bilge had thrown a mop bucket at him.  She wondered how he had reacted when he had first seen him, shaking as he was now. Bilge, for his part, seemed to pay no particular attention to the newcomers.


    ¡°Attention, everyone!¡± Draco came bursting from the doorway and flew in circles over the ship, ¡°RING RING RING, RING RING RING, DINNER BELL!¡±


    ¡°We already ate!¡± Bella yelled back.


    ¡°Orenda hasn¡¯t!¡± he circled both ships as he cried, ¡°RING RING RING, RING RING RING, DINNER BELL!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not¡­  he¡¯s just saying ¡®ring¡¯,¡± Tolith huffed, ¡°That isn¡¯t how that works!¡±


    ¡°I imagine he can do what he likes,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°He¡¯s a man trapped in dragon¡¯s body who has to watch his chances of ever being human again decay in front of him.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Tolith asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s as far as I got with that story,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t really know the rest of it myself.  But it might as well happen. It makes as much sense as anything else that¡¯s happened today.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Toli turned to look up with her, and put a hand over hers on the rail.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± he said after some time had passed, ¡°Is he¡­  Nochdifache¡­ is he your father?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said matter-of-factly, ¡°He¡¯s my uncle, I think.  If any of it is true. He¡¯s a raving madman, Toli, I don¡¯t know how much of his story I can trust.¡±


    They both ducked as Stephendore came flying across the expanse between the ships, screaming with the force of it.  He was holding a rope that he must have cut when they hadn¡¯t been paying attention, from one of the Recovery¡¯s sails, and as his swing reached its arch he can careening down, hard, to the deck, where he tucked, rolled, and stood with a bounce in his step and his arms thrown up.


    ¡°Yay!¡± Adam said.  ¡°See, Toli? That¡¯s impressive!¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Stephendore said, ¡°Because I¡¯m never doing it again.  Are we¡­ are all just politely ignoring the literal zombie? Why? Why are we doing that?  Rendy, kill it with fire!¡±


    ¡°Not a zombie!¡± Bilge argued.  ¡°Not a zombie! A trap!¡±


    Bella came flying over their heads as well, but she held no rope.  She had ran and simply jumped, allowing the air to carry her. She landed on her feet and one hand, the other held her wand, which was glowing, and she alighted so softly she made no sound.


    ¡°Who cooked?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Impy,¡± Draco alighted on the rail.


    ¡°Oh, Draco, no,¡± She whinned, ¡°Why?  He can¡¯t see!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s worked over a hot stove!¡± Draco argued, ¡°And you¡¯re going to eat it!  I helped!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± She said, ¡°And he doesn¡¯t need to be around fire!  He¡¯s going to burn the ship down!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not useless,¡± Draco was insulted, ¡°Just old.  We¡¯re both old.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we need to take care of him!¡± She insisted, and walked through the door to the kitchen, ¡°Impy?  Are you alright? Has it gotten too hot in here?¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Stephendore said, ¡°That killed my back.  I regret it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a massage,¡± Adamareyn laughed.


    ¡°We used to do things like that all the time,¡± Stephendore sighed as Adam, true to his word, began to rub his shoulders, ¡°I used to be in good shape.¡±


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Adam hugged him from behind, then went back to work, ¡°You¡¯re still strong.¡±


    ¡°No I¡¯m not, you¡¯re just nice.¡±


    ¡°I hate them,¡± Toli said, ¡°He knows he¡¯s the strongest person on the ship.  Why does he do that?¡±


    ¡°Because he was stronger once, perhaps,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And now that he¡¯s lost some of it, it feels important.  People see more of what they lose than what they have.¡± She stared up at the stars and asked, ¡°Toli¡­ Gareth says my mother was an earth elf.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Tolith said.


    ¡°Is it?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Or is it just unlikely?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s never been anyone else like that,¡± Tolith said, skeptically, ¡°And I don¡¯t want to disappoint you, Rendy, but Nochdifache seems as if he¡¯s¡­  one banana short of a bunch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible,¡± Stephendore cut in.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Tolith argued.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t, it¡¯s just very rare.  And I don¡¯t think most people in that situation would report it.  I went to school with a boy like that. He looked exactly like an earth elf, but he had the most beautiful blue eyes.  No one wanted to really talk to him- not because of that, for¡­ other¡­ reasons¡­¡± He trailed off for a moment, but refocused his mind and continued, ¡°But his eyes were so beautiful, and I tried to, you know, get to know him.  He told me that his father had been an adventurer, and his mother had been a water elf. But she had died in childbirth, so he had never met her.¡±


    ¡°How convenient,¡± Tolith rolled his eyes, ¡°That he couldn¡¯t produce this mother.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t the sort of person to tell tales,¡± Stephendore argued.


    ¡°But you are,¡± Tolith argued.


    ¡°I believe you, babe,¡± Adamareyn promised.


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± Tolith huffed, ¡°You believe everything he says.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not a cynical asshole,¡± Adamareyn said, ¡°Anilla gets it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me,¡± Stephendore said, ¡°Klin was half water-elf.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s happened before,¡± Orenda considered, ¡°Then it might be true.¡±


    ¡°Well a hundred years and a hundred more,¡± Gareth and Falsie burst from the door, and Gareth grabbed Orenda by the hand and began to spin, ¡°Since I¡¯ve seen that firy shore!¡±


    He sang and she stared at him.  He hadn¡¯t put his mask back on, and he was very clearly drunk, but his feet were moving expertly through the steps as he swayed on them, and she fell into step easily.


    Falsie began to clap, and Anilla was the first to join in, then Adamareyn, and everyone, including Mr Bilge picked up the rhythm, except for Tolith, who leaned against the railing and scowled.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s Gary gone forevermore,


    But I knew him well upon the shore,¡±  He paused for a moment, as if he had expected someone else to sing instead, but picked up when he realized that Orenda didn¡¯t know what he expected from her.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s Ronnie who¡¯s the boy for me,


    A buckle on shore and a storm at sea!


    Well it¡¯s been a long time, a very long time


    Been a long time since I made this rhyme,


    My darling mother, she called to me,


    Come home, my boy, back from the sea!


    It¡¯s been a hundred years and a hundred more,


    Since I¡¯ve seen that firy shore!¡±


    ¡°That song isn¡¯t true,¡± Orenda said breathlessly as she caught her footing when Gareth released her.


    ¡°I never said it was,¡± He shrugged.  ¡°Let¡¯s have more music! Orenda is here!¡±


    ¡°Gareth!¡± Tolith barked, and Gareth¡¯s expression faded.


    ¡°You killed my father!¡± He accused.


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda warned.


    ¡°He did!¡± Tolith said, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to just let that go!?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Absolutely not.  Of course not. What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I want you to die!¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°Because I¡¯ll tell you, Glenlen, the only reason I haven¡¯t done that is because I promised my brother that I would keep his child safe.  I tried¡­ I tried to find meaning. But the truth, the real truth?¡± He walked slowly towards Toli, ¡°The real truth is that there are no gods, no afterlife, no one looking out for us, no meaning in life, no certainties.  Nothing we are doing now matters. You don¡¯t matter. In a few thousand years when we, and anyone who knew us, is dead, it will be exactly as if we had never existed at all. If you want me dead, boy, kill me. Do what the Emerald Knight could not, and put me out of my fucking misery.¡±


    ¡°Orenda needs you to guide her to the temple,¡± Tolith said, looking at the deck.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I expected,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Falsie said as Gareth turned his back and walked back towards Orenda, ¡°He¡¯s drunk.¡±


    ¡°I think I should like to eat,¡± Orenda told Gareth, ¡°I.. appreciate it, but I don¡¯t think I want to dance.  It feels as if I¡¯ve been ill for days and I think I do need to get some food in me.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gareth agreed.  ¡°First mate!¡±


    ¡°What, Gary?¡± Bella stuck her head out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Set a course for Makannar!¡± Gareth ordered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night, we¡¯re tied to another ship, and it hasn¡¯t existed for two centuries.  You¡¯re drunk, darling.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°What is Makannar?¡±


    ¡°The place,¡± Gareth explained, ¡°Where we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°The fire continent,¡± Bella explained, ¡°Come and have some stew.  Gary, eat something. You¡¯re going to be ill.¡±


    ¡°What a fine idea,¡± Gareth agreed, ¡°Then we set a course!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Bella promised.


    ¡°You¡¯ll take me to the temple?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Gareth proclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m going home!¡±

 Chapter 60 - Book 2 Chapter 16

    ¡°We¡¯ve got loads of guest rooms!¡± Gareth proclaimed as he stumbled down the hall, leaning on his good hand, ¡°We do often have guests.¡±


    ¡°I heard,¡± Orenda said, ¡°That you would attack slave ships and free the people there.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth smiled, ¡°When I can.  We take them north, most of the time.  Xandra hasn¡¯t got her claws into that place yet.  There¡¯ll be hell to pay when she actually does.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up there, Gareth?¡± Orenda clutched Toli¡¯s hand tighter.  He still radiated anger, and she knew that if he wanted to jump Gareth, down here, while they were alone, would be the best place to do it.


    ¡°I can only tell you what they told me,¡± Gareth slurred, ¡°And Ronnie¡­  Ronnie looked through things with a lense. He was going to be a high priest.  He thought everything was a goddamn sign, just like a good little puppet. He wanted something to believe in so badly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that a fire elf led an expedition to the frozen north?¡± Tolith asked, skeptically.


    ¡°What?¡±  Gareth asked as if that was ridiculous, ¡°No!  That¡¯s stupid, god you nobles are so inbred you can barely stand up-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not inbred,¡± Tolith protested.


    ¡°Ronnie couldn¡¯t lead his way out of a bag,¡± Gareth went on, ignoring him, ¡°Xac was the one who got those directions.  Whatever happened to him in the Kabaal really fucked him up. He doesn¡¯t really talk about it much. But he¡¯s the one who knew where to find Morgani Magnus.¡±


    ¡°Morgani Magnus?¡± Tolith obviously didn¡¯t believe a word of it, ¡°Is in the frozen north?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I meant to tell you that, Toli, but I got distracted by your¡­  tragedy.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are we using ¡®tragedy¡¯ as code for my dick?¡± He asked in a tone that said he was determined to be contrary, ¡°I don¡¯t like that.  That¡¯s really insulting.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°I meant the literal tragedy, your parents?  That we had a long talk about? Honestly, Toli.¡± She understood why he was upset, but she was growing short on patience, and the general tension in the air was killing her.


    ¡°A real captain would have stayed on his ship,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Toli said, ¡°You¡¯re saying that a human led an expedition into the frozen north?  Where even well prepared elven expeditions have failed?¡±


    ¡°Humans live there, Glenlen,¡± Gareth stopped walking to stare at him, his golden eyes glowing in his mangled face, ¡°They really indoctrinated you, didn¡¯t they?  That shit is programmed deep.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean-¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth cut him off, ¡°You did.¡±  As he opened a door he spoke again, to himself, as if he was talking to someone else.  ¡°She¡¯s too good for him.¡±


    Tolith apparently had nothing to say to this, and averted his eyes as he walked into the room.


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Orenda paused in the doorway, ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Rendy,¡± he said, with a sincere happiness in his eyes behind the alcoholic haze, ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re home.  But¡­ I¡¯m worried. I don¡¯t like both of us in the same place like this. Not with them chasing us. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m afraid,¡± he admitted, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we may really¡­  be the last of us.¡±


    She reached up to hug him, and he clutched her so tightly it hurt.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Uncle Gareth.¡±


    She slowly closed the door, leaned against it, and listened to him moving off down the hall.


    The room was larger than Tolith¡¯s on the Recovery, but not by much.  It also had a larger bed, so the overall effect was very similar. Tolith was sitting on the bed, staring at Orenda with sorrow in his eyes.


    ¡°That¡­  that story, the one you asked Bella and Falsie about, at dinner,¡± he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem real, Rendy.  That¡¯s not the sort of thing that happens to real people.¡±


    ¡°Real people don¡¯t get their ears blown off by pirates,¡± Orenda said as she took out her earrings and set them on the desk, before taking off the tiara and setting it around them.  She turned to him as she unclasped her necklace. ¡°I know he seems mad, but¡­ what if it¡¯s true? What if that¡¯s why I could receive your scry so easily?¡±


    ¡°See?  That right there is why this shit is dangerous!  Please don¡¯t try to cast earth magic, Rendy! It could kill you!¡± Tolith begged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan to,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Help me out of this dress.  I don¡¯t have any night things. I suppose I¡¯ll sleep in my underthings.¡±


    Tolith stood and began unlacing the dress.


    ¡°He really does have a fucked-up face,¡± he said slowly.


    ¡°He really is missing a hand,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°After all this time,¡± He slid his hand down her back, ¡°You really are royalty.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not.  Not if this story is true. I¡¯m the child of two fools, a soldier and a pirate, who tried and failed to overthrow an empire.  They weren¡¯t important. Garon was ten when his kingdom was destroyed, he never even got to really enter the priesthood, and they have to take a test, it isn¡¯t genetic.  Sokomaur was a normal soldier who is, in the records, considered missing in action, which Felaern says is as good as dead. They were never important. I¡¯ll never see a painting of them.¡±


    ¡°Important parents are overrated,¡± Tolith said as he helped her pull her dress over her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted,¡± Orenda said as she took it from him and draped it over the chair.


    ¡°I found your shoes,¡± he said, ¡°I was going to tell you that, but then the pirates attacked.¡±  He blinked as if processing what he had just said and added, ¡°God damn my life is awesome!¡±


    ¡°I wish I had your zest,¡± Orenda told him as she threw back the blankets and climbed into bed.


    Tolith extinguished the lamp, and she watched him in the dimness of the room as he sat on his side of the bed to take off his boots.  He stripped completely, taking his time with it, and staring out the porthole at the moons drifting through the night sky. He waited until he climbed back into the bed to speak.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a bad person?¡±


    ¡°I¡­  Toli why are we talking about this?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Because I¡­  I talked about it before, and Gareth can see it.  It¡¯s in me. My parents put it there. Is that why I love them, love my dad?  Even though he really was¡­ he was a real Urillian, through and through. He would hate me, Rendy, for what I¡¯ve done.  For helping with the rebellion, for joining the Knights. If he was alive he would hate me.¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± she rolled over and looked at him, sitting there, silhouetted against the moonlight, ¡°Everyone deserves a second chance.  You don¡¯t have to¡­ even if you feel it inside you, you don¡¯t have to give into it. If my mother was an earth elf, she was a soldier who¡­  to be a Urillain soldier, to decide to travel to a foreign land and attack them- that was something she did. She deserted on a battlefield on the fire continent.  She came there, it seems, fully intending to fight and kill fire elves. But she changed. People can change. The Knights of Order are a testament to that. It¡¯s good to realize that you were wrong and to become a new person, if you don¡¯t like who you were.¡±


    ¡°Will it always be inside me,¡± he asked, ¡°do you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But this has always been inside you, the person you are now.  You told me, once, that you believed that some people were born with certain destinies. I never believed that, but you did, and, ironically, I think that allowed you to change, to go against your destiny.  You were supposed to be a stuffy nobleman married to a dignified soldier¡¯s daughter with an heir and a spare to take over your viscount position after your boring life came to an end. You decided to be a Knight.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Rendy,¡± he said.  After a beat he added, ¡°Gareth doesn¡¯t think you should fight the Emerald Knight.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t.  That¡¯s how my father died, and my grandparents.  The Emerald Knight killed them all. Gareth thinks we should spend the rest of our lives running.  But¡­ I¡¯ve spent much of life running from place to place, hiding in shadows, keeping my head down, listening to other people- sometimes people I didn¡¯t even know, things that came through the grapevine.  But this¡­ this was my plan. All the Knights told me to do was to stay alive. But I can do this. I can get the staff, and I can slay the Emerald Knight.¡±


    ¡°Rendy, I¡­  I don¡¯t doubt you,¡± he said and began to play with her hair, ¡°But I¡­  he is a legend, a monster. Maybe Gareth is right. Sometimes I think we should just¡­  you and I, that is, we could¡­ we could go anywhere we wanted. We could be happy, sailing the sea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m miserable on the sea, Tolith,¡± She said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be!  You can find out what Gareth¡¯s done to this ship, and you could replicate it.  You¡¯re a better mage than he is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not well, Toli, the effect is only lessoned.  I¡¯m still ill, right now, I¡¯m just not complaining as much about it because it isn¡¯t knocking me off my feet.  And I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re basing that on,¡± Orenda said, ¡°That I¡¯m a better mage. There¡¯s no reason to think that.¡±


    ¡°I know you are,¡± he argued.


    ¡°Tolith,¡± Orenda sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life sailing around aimlessly, adventuring with you.  I don¡¯t want a life with you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I keep forgetting that,¡± he said.


    Orenda snuggled into the pillows and thought that without the intense sickness that accompanied it, the gentle rolling of the sea could actually be quite comforting.


    ¡°I think I could forgive him,¡± Tolith said after some time, ¡°Nochdifache.  I think I could forgive him. I¡­ understand where he¡¯s coming from. That¡¯s what hurts so badly, Rendy.  There¡¯s no reason for me to be this angry.¡±


    ¡°You have a reason to be angry,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°So does Gareth.  Neither of you are wrong, so it¡­ it makes it difficult.¡±


    ¡°He loves you,¡± Tolith said, ¡°He shot me with that gun because he loves you, because he doesn¡¯t believe that I do, or¡­  doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s good enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Toli,¡± Orenda said, because that was true, but there was nothing she could do about it, certainly not now that it had already happened.  All she could really do was say, ¡®I wish that hadn¡¯t happened,¡¯ and that would do no good for anyone.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s good enough, either,¡± he said, ¡°My love.¡±


    ¡°What?  You know that isn¡¯t what this is.  We talked about this.¡± Orenda was shocked that he would say something like that.


    ¡°The reason you can never love me,¡± Tolith said as if it was a fact, ¡°Is because I have this¡­  this thing inside me.¡±


    ¡°Toli, I¡¯m going to sleep,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m not listening to nonsense.  You can keep spouting it if you like, but I won¡¯t pay particular attention.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so angry,¡± he said, and began to cry, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  I don¡¯t know what to do with it! I want him to¡­ I want him to be wrong!  I want to have a reason, somewhere to put these emotions, this energy! I can¡¯t¡­  I can¡¯t just¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s actually going to be rather loud,¡± Orenda pushed herself onto her elbows.  ¡°Toli, do you want a frank assessment of the situation?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I really don¡¯t,¡± he said, ¡°I want¡­  I want you to tell me something that will make me feel better, if we¡¯re being honest?  I want some support.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to make you feel better,¡± Orenda admitted, ¡°I¡¯ve been through quite a lot recently, and as we¡¯ve both dealt with a lot of shit, I think we both need to start looking at things objectively so we don¡¯t wind up dead.  Objectively, you have to be prepared for a fight, and you are not prepared for a fight with Gareth any more than I am prepared for a fight with the Emerald Knight. I¡¯m going to go questing for weapons and armor, but you want to go barreling in right now.  If you attack Gareth in the shape you¡¯re both in right now, he¡¯ll kill you. He could have killed you on the ship. He could have put that thing between your eyes.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why he didn¡¯t,¡± Toli thought aloud.


    ¡°Because he likes you, I think,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I imagine he believes in second chances as much as I do.  He just knows that you¡¯ll always hate him for what he did to your father, and he doesn¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t blame you.  He watched his father die, too, and then he did that to someone else, and it will haunt him until the day he dies.  And he doesn¡¯t have much room for more ghosts in that head of his, I imagine. It¡¯s about as full as it can get.¡±


    ¡°If his stories are true, he¡¯s had a fucked up life,¡± Toli agreed.  ¡°I don¡¯t know how much of it is true, though. None of it makes much sense.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda admitted, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t have to, if it works out in the end.  I don¡¯t really need to look back, now that I know what I¡¯m looking at. I don¡¯t want to see a foolish man who died bragging, or a woman with more pride than sense who couldn¡¯t admit the obvious.  I had wanted my parents to be royalty, but¡­ Gareth says foolishness runs in our family. I think maddness probably does, as well. I don¡¯t think it would take much to drive me mad, Toli. I always lived with one foot in a fantasy.¡±


    ¡°God damn,¡± Toli sighed, ¡°The whole world is fucked up, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not the frozen north,¡± Orenda said, ¡°but the rest of it is, yes.  For our purposes it may as well be the whole world.¡±


    ¡°Sorry I snapped at you,¡± he said.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t really a concern,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I have so many things on my mind.¡±  After a few seconds she went on, ¡°I do think my mother had the right idea about the armor.  I¡¯m going to try to find Xaxac and ask him to make me an outfit, before I go to find the Emerald Knight.  It may not hold up against a sword, but it certainly couldn¡¯t hurt anything.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine sterilite rabbit fur is a real thing,¡± Tolith said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And, again, Toli, I¡¯ve amended my worldview to, ¡®well, this might as well happen¡¯.  I¡¯ll have to test it, of course, but it may as well exist.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said with great skepticism.  ¡°If you really are half earth elf, do you¡­  do you think I could get you pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Orenda said, because this had not occurred to her.  ¡°Well I was sick before that, so¡­ I don¡¯t think you have, at any rate.  Besides, pregnancy is rare. I think I¡¯m fine. Pull out next time, though.  Don¡¯t do that again, now that we know.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± he said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t like to take any chances,¡¯ Orenda said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like to have children.  And even if I did, the timing is off. This is a terrible time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d have really pretty kids,¡± He said, and Orenda thought that perhaps Gareth¡¯s madness was catching.  Tolith had been acting strangely since he stepped foot on the ship.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep, Toli,¡± She said, and laid back down to pull the blankets up around her shoulders.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Toli agreed and threw one arm over her to snuggle into her back.  ¡°Rendy thanks for¡­ listening to me. After you said you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Toli,¡± She said.

 Chapter 61 - Book 2 Chapter 17

    Orenda woke up in great confusion, as people often do in new places.  She did not open her eyes immediately, and therefore was not greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling.  She was, however, in the throngs of a physical sensation that had not yet become familiar enough to be immediately identified, but which was welcome, and in her half-awake haze she let her hands drift to the source, and buried them easily in Tolith¡¯s hair.


    That was strange.  As far as she could remember, they had fallen asleep during a fight, and she wanted to concentrate on that, because she felt it was important, but he seemed to have learned from his experience to add to his notes, and she couldn¡¯t keep any thought in her head for very long because the physical sensations kept knocking them out.


    Whatever Gareth had done to his ship had muted the magical interference that kept her ill, and that apparently also kept up a certain barrier that she hadn¡¯t even known existed the first time, but which was certainly gone now.  She felt the magic flowing out of him and into her, and when she tightened her thighs around his face she felt the scars there, felt his damaged ear, and knew that when she regained her wits she should connect those parts into a meaningful whole.


    She screamed and arched up into him, and didn¡¯t understand how she hadn¡¯t knocked him off the bed, but when she settled back into the blankets, the soft, unburned, still-in-one-piece blankets, he was standing over her on his knees wiping his mouth and smiling.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she answered.  ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°You sleep like the dead,¡± he said instead of answering, ¡°That insepent dragon is flying around shouting ¡®ring ring ring¡¯ again, so I suppose they¡¯re serving breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, normally,¡± She said, and wrapped her arms around him to pull him down on top of her, ¡°I must have been¡­  tired.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± he admitted.  ¡°Yesterday was¡­ a clusterfuck.  But it¡¯s a brand new day.¡±


    He kissed her gently and Orenda didn¡¯t understand the change in attitude.  She feared that so much had happened to Toli so quickly that he was losing his mind.  She had never been particularly extroverted or interested in other people beyond the ones she cared about, had always had more pressing matters to attend to, and didn¡¯t understand that he was suppressing all his awful emotions for her benefit.  She didn¡¯t really understand him all, and though her confusion was justified to herself, it was hindering her from making a real connection with him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked when he pulled away to breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m great,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be even better in a minute.¡±  He kissed her knee and ran his hands down her thighs. ¡°I think you¡¯ll like it more this time, now that you¡¯re not sick.¡±


    ¡°Toli,¡± Orenda began, because there was something about him that made her think this was a bad idea.  He was enthusiastic enough on the surface, but there was pain behind his eyes, and she didn¡¯t understand why he was hiding it from her.


    ¡°Just¡­  Rendy, just relax.¡±  He said.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t want to do this,¡± she said, because it was true, and his actions didn¡¯t match his emotions.


    ¡°I want this more than I¡¯ve ever wanted anything,¡± he argued, and she didn¡¯t believe him.  He wasn¡¯t exactly sincere, but he wasn¡¯t exactly lying, and she didn¡¯t like it. Orenda prefered things to be real and simple- it was how she lived her life.  Some things were lies and others were truths and the issue was finding out which were which. But this was both at once, and it made her uncomfortable. It was distracting, and Tolith was wrong because of it.  It wasn¡¯t better the second time, even though he seemed happy enough.


    Orenda thought he must have lied or- not exactly lied, but he had not been awoken by Draco, because he had already done quite a few things while she had been asleep.  He had already refilled the basin and soaked the cloth that he was using to clean her, he had already laid out their clothes and an assortment of brushes and other things for their morning routine.


    ¡°Toli,¡± She asked again as he stared down at her with an emotion she didn¡¯t understand in his eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± he said, ¡°I swear.  You didn¡¯t like it?¡¯


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that,¡± She said and sat up, ¡°It¡¯s that you¡¯re¡­  you¡¯re sad?¡±


    He chewed his lip and stared out the porthole at the sunrise fighting against the night sky in a beautiful explosion of color.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this emotion is,¡± he said after a long time, ¡°I¡¯ve felt a lot of things, Rendy, that I don¡¯t understand.  And the thing is¡­ I stayed up a long time last night, thinking about how I was feeling and trying to figure out why and there¡¯s¡­  there¡¯s just so much of it, but I¡­ I think I did. And it made me realize¡­ a lot of things that I had to admit.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± She asked.


    ¡°My parents weren¡¯t good people,¡± he said, ¡°Mom never was, and dad was good to me, but that doesn¡¯t make him good, you know?  And¡­ I¡¯m not sure those terms even mean anything. They¡¯re all relative. They don¡¯t have objective meanings. Nochdifache, that is, Gareth, he¡¯s¡­  he¡¯s not a good person either. He could have done more to stop your parents¡¯ deaths, he should have never abandoned you, and when he hurt me, I think¡­  I think it was some sort of fucked-up metaphor for him. I think he knew, somewhere in that rattled, wadded-up mess of brain of his, that he was the one who was wrong, he was the one who¡­  he was the bad guy. He hurt me because I was there. He killed dad because he was there. He says that these things were accidents, but they aren¡¯t. He just doesn¡¯t care. He doesn¡¯t care who he hurts because he wants to hurt himself, but he doesn¡¯t know how.  So¡­ I¡¯m not going to fight him. Not even like you said where I go prepare and come back. I¡¯m never going to fight him. Because he¡¯s a sad, crazy old man who wouldn¡¯t even understand why I was doing it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he ever claimed he accidentally shot you,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I think he meant to do that.  But I get your meaning. I can¡¯t stay angry at him either, and it¡¯s bothering me, because he¡­ he did abandon me.  And it put me in danger. But I¡­ I don¡¯t really know that I would have liked to grow up a pirate, either. I don¡¯t know that it¡¯s worth thinking about, really, because it didn¡¯t happen.  This is the world; there is no other. There is no world where I grew up on this ship, so it isn¡¯t worth thinking about. Just like there was never a world where I was going to be royalty.  It¡¯s time to stop thinking stupid thoughts like that.¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± he sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­   I don¡¯t want you to stop thinking¡­  I liked our pretend worlds. But¡­ that¡¯s what I decided, too, last night, princess.  I realized that¡­ life is like a storybook. You said that I had modeled my life on books, and I have, because¡­  it really is like that. Life is like a storybook that no one is ever going to read. Gareth was right last night.  Eventually I¡¯ll be dead, and everyone who ever knew me will be dead, and it¡¯ll be like none of it ever happened. The good doesn¡¯t come from¡­  the book isn¡¯t for the person reading it, it¡¯s for the person writing it. We have to live for ourselves, not for our parents or teachers or arranged girlfriends or¡­  even the girlfriends we really want. I¡­ I realized that¡­ You¡¯re not the main character, Rendy. You¡¯re not the protagonist of my storybook. I am.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you expect me to say to that,¡± Orenda said in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re very good for each other,¡± he said, ¡°And¡­  I don¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t go with you, to the temple. I¡¯ll die like everyone else who tried to go up there.  I think that place is cursed, that only fire eleves can go. When you start out on that journey, I can¡¯t go with you.  We can never be together.¡±


    ¡°I¡­  yes, that¡¯s true,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It was never going to be forever.  I thought you knew that.¡±


    ¡°I liked to¡­  to tell myself some things that weren¡¯t true, princess,¡± he said, ¡°Because¡­  a world where they were true was better than a world where they weren¡¯t. I liked to tell myself that the storybook was about you, and I was the love interest, and you would eventually have this revelation like, ¡®Oh!  He fits all the tropes! He¡¯s a dashing adventurer! We were childhood friends! We¡¯re meant to be together!¡¯ And¡­ if the story was about you, that would¡­ that would make sense. But the story isn¡¯t about you. The story is about me.  And in a story about me, the moral, I think, after everything that¡¯s happened, is that I get to learn, ¡®I don¡¯t need someone else to make me happy¡¯. I have to learn that my parents weren¡¯t going to make me happy, taking revenge on a perceived enemy isn¡¯t going to make me happy, and getting the girl isn¡¯t going to make me happy.  And if I don¡¯t learn it now, you¡¯re going to die.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°To learn that, they always kill off the protagonist¡¯s love interest,¡± He explained, ¡°so if I don¡¯t end it now, you¡¯re going to die fighting the Emerald Knight.¡±


    ¡°Tolith,¡± Orenda narrowed her eyes and stared into his messy soul, ¡°I need you to understand something, right now.  Life is not a storybook! Life does not follow a three act structure, life does not have love interests, and destiny is not a thing!  You¡¯ve gone mad! You¡¯ve spent so much of your life doing nothing but reading to escape that it¡¯s tainted you, and it¡¯s going to drive you mad.  You aren¡¯t the protagonist of anything- you¡¯re just a guy trying to make it through life. And whether or not I die will have nothing to do with you!  I can¡¯t deal with anymore crazy bullshit! I can¡¯t do it! I can¡¯t have you going mad on me, too!¡±


    ¡°This is the least mad I¡¯ve ever felt,¡± he argued.  ¡°Rendy, listen to me. Today you¡¯re going to sail back to the fire continent on this ship, but me and my crew aren¡¯t going to follow you.  We¡¯re going to repair the Recovery, and we¡¯re going to spend as long as we can being a thorn in the empress¡¯s side. I think¡­ I think I¡¯m a fighter, not a lover.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± She said as she stood to wash her face and get dressed, ¡°At least the madness suits you.  It doesn¡¯t suit Gareth at all.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯ve gone mad,¡± he said, ¡°I like it.  And I think I¡¯ve earned it¡­ Rendy?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I think part of me will always love you, because in your life, the story is about you.  And we will always be friends, right? If you need me¡­ there has to be a way to get a message out.  I¡¯ll always help you. I think you¡¯ll always help me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so sentimental,¡± She said as she clasped the medallion around her neck, ¡°If you are leaving today, I don¡¯t think it will be forever.  I¡¯ll never believe rumors of your death again, you know, you had your chance at that, so now I¡¯m working under the impression that you¡¯re immortal.¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s proven you wrong yet, princess,¡± he smiled and stood, ¡°want me to tie that dress?¡±

 Chapter 62 - Book 2 Chapter 18

    ¡°So really,¡± Stephendore said to Falsie as he looked into the canon from where it opened at the back, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t need fire magic at all if you had some kind of firing mechanism for the combustion powder?¡±


    ¡°I guess ya wouldn¡¯t,¡± Falsie agreed, ¡°It¡¯s the same powder we use in the mines, back home.  You could really light it with any fire, if ya had to. But I have a perfectly good fire mage, so I didn¡¯t much think of it.  I can spark it myself, if I need to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fascinating,¡± Stephendore said.


    Orenda walked past them in the early morning light, because she thought she spotted the top of Gareth¡¯s hat on the outcropping, the ceiling of the room that led to the kitchen, and heard Adamaryen¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± he was nearly swooning, ¡°It really is you!  Tolith, come here! It really is Imperius Cornellius Oldman, the greatest water mage who has ever lived!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is,¡± Toli broke away from Orenda to talk to them.


    ¡°During the war, when the Urillians were colonizing the water continent,¡± Adamaryen explained, ¡°Imperius was the greatest student the mage academy ever saw.  He held off an entire contingent of guards by himself!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The old man asked, ¡°No, no, my boy, not by myself.  With the student council. The teachers were nearly all killed in the attack, you see, they took them first.  I suppose they thought we would be helpless without them.¡±


    ¡°That was more than a century ago,¡± Tolith said, ¡°He¡¯s lying to you, Adam.  They don¡¯t live that long.¡±


    ¡°No he¡¯s not!¡± Adam insisted, ¡°I was there!  I remember him! I was so young¡­ Imperius, you saved my life!  I always admired you!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Impy asked, ¡°I can¡¯t hear so well anymore.  Did you say I saved someone? I didn¡¯t save anyone. We lost.  Had to retreat. Were it not for the good captain I¡¯d be dead.¡±


    Draco flew and alighted on Impy¡¯s shoulder to snuggle into his hair.


    ¡°Are we telling stories?¡± He asked, ¡°Trying to impress the young blood, Impy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never impressed anyone in my life,¡± Impy seemed insulted at the suggestion.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± Gareth called to her from the platform where they had lain out a table with a map on it.  He was, once again, not wearing his mask, and Orenda suspected that he didn¡¯t wear it among friends, only when he had people to whom he was ashamed to show his face, or to whom he wanted to hide his identity.  His hand was working much more fluidly now, and under his gloves she was sure she wouldn¡¯t have known it was clockwork had she not already been shown.


    She made her way to the table, and stood on the only free side, so that she, Bella, Anilla, and Gareth created a sort of barrier around it.


    ¡°We¡¯re just here,¡± Gareth explained, and pointed to a wide expanse of sea between the earth continent and the fire continent, ¡°It won¡¯t take more than a day at top speed to get back to shore.  I mean, once we ditch the vagabonds.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going with you!¡± Anilla proclaimed happily.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you just come from there?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get very far,¡± Anilla explained, ¡°my dragon could be in the mountains!  I couldn¡¯t find anyone willing to take me up there! I¡¯m so excited, Rendy! I need to look everywhere I can!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible idea,¡± Gareth told her, ¡°But I¡¯ve stopped trying to prevent people from making horrid mistakes.  If you¡¯d like to burst into flame, be my guest.¡±


    ¡°Gary,¡± Bella chastised, then looked at Orenda, ¡°I¡¯m going with you, as well, and Falsie.  The three of us can stand the temperatures up there, provided it hasn¡¯t much changed in the past couple centuries.¡±


    Gareth made a face indicating that he didn¡¯t believe this, so Orenda spoke up.


    ¡°You can?¡± Orenda asked, a little shocked at this information, ¡°But you¡¯re human.  It¡¯ll have the same effect on you as it does on the earth elves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get over it,¡± She waved her hand dismissively, ¡°Shifters are more hardy than other humans.  We heal much faster, often so quickly it¡¯s as if the environmental factors haven¡¯t affected us at all.  The only downside is you have to plan your life around the phases of the moon.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Gareth smiled, ¡°I think you could do just about anything shifted that you like.  It¡¯s just much furrier and a little more intense.¡±


    Bella giggled, and Orenda looked from one of them to the other, the way Gareth¡¯s face had softened, the way his eyes lidded ever so slightly, and she put pieces together that she could have lived without.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°You may be able to make it up the mountain, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to go into town; and you certainly can¡¯t enter the chamber with us,¡± Gareth said, ¡°That¡¯s the only thing.  Only the council of priests and the person taking the test are allowed into the sacred space. But¡­ we don¡¯t have a priest to guide you, Rendy. I¡¯ll try to come inside with you, but¡­ I want you to know that we could travel all that way and still not get inside.  And if we do get inside¡­ don¡¯t hold your breath about taking the staff out. It¡¯s rejected everyone who ever tried, including mom and Ronnie.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping,¡± he said softly, ¡°That when you see that there¡¯s no point to this silly quest, you¡¯ll give it up.  It¡¯s my most sincere wish that you¡¯re more intelligent than your father.¡±


    ¡°In this route,¡± Orenda said because she didn¡¯t want to make any sort of reply to that statement, ¡°We won¡¯t be coming in anywhere near the colony¡¯s capital?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Gareth said, ¡°That¡¯s the way we sometimes go in.  It¡¯s closer to Huriyat Allinsan, and closer to the Sacred Mountain temple.  It¡¯s just been a pain in the ass because Lord Glenlen had a vendetta against us; he was watching us so closely, so we had to amend.  But I suspect it may be easier to move through now, more friendly allies now that the Allinsanian army is marching through. I suspect they¡¯ve already taken most of this land and it¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    ¡°The outlands here,¡± Orenda pointed to the map, to the place they would have to travel, ¡°That was supposed to belong to Tolith¡­  that¡¯s where his father owned land.¡±


    ¡°Glenlen never owned a goddamn thing,¡± Gareth countered with more anger than Orenda had expected, ¡°All the lands stretching from the sacred mountain to the sea belonged to the spirit of the Sacred Mountain Temple.  No mortal would dare try to possess it.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were an atheist,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°It¡¯s disrespectful,¡± he mumbled, staring down at the map.  Then, to Bella he asked, ¡°Can you please get those boys off our ship?  I¡¯d like to set sail.¡±


    ¡°You said a day,¡± Orenda asked, ¡°But looking at the map¡­  this looks like a journey of about two months. We would have never arrived here so quickly without the djinn.¡±


    ¡°It would be,¡± Gareth said, ¡°If I relied on the universe to provide for me.  But we like to make our own way on the Burned Roc.¡±


    ¡°Get on the carpet,¡± Gareth demanded.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Tolith held both her hands in his and gazed into her eyes, ¡°This isn¡¯t goodbye.  I know we¡¯ll see each other again.¡±


    ¡°I never thought it was,¡± Orenda said and squeezed his hand.


    ¡°Glenlen, get on the carpet!¡± Gareth demanded.  He had already taken Stephendore and Adamaryn to their ship, and his patience was running thin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about you often,¡± Tolith promised, and pulled her into a kiss.


    ¡°Get on the fucking carpet!¡± Gareth demanded.


    ¡°I more meant¡­¡±  Orenda said as she pulled away, ¡°Because I had to go over to the Recovery to collect my things.  So does Anilla.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Tolith giggled and leaned up to press their foreheads together, ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Get on the carpet, or I¡¯m throwing you into the ocean!¡± Gareth demanded.


    Orenda stood on the deck of the Burned Roc and waved to the crew she was leaving behind.  Toli had climbed up two rungs of the railing and was waving enthusiastically, and his crew stood on either side of him.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Stephendore yelled, ¡°I hope you both find what you¡¯re looking for!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll miss you!¡± Adamaryen agreed.


    ¡°Goodbye!¡± Anilla yelled from her position beside Orenda.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Toltih shouted, ¡°I believe in you!  You can do this! I believe you¡¯ll get your staff!  Send word as soon as you can! Make Impy scry Adam! Let me know that you¡¯re safe!  I love you!¡±


    Orenda waved, but did not know how to respond, so she said nothing, and turned her attention to the crew of the Burned Roc as they unfurled the sails.  They worked together more fluidly than those on the Recovery, in tandem, each to their ability. Draco had flown to undo the ropes where they met wood high above the ship, and as the heavy sheets unfurled Bella, Gareth, Mr Bildge and Falsie moved together, like a dance, to secure them in their open position.


    Impy stood at the back of the ship, looking out over the sea, holding his staff in both hands, as if in deep thought about something.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Gareth called, ¡°Everyone tie yourselves down, we¡¯re going full speed ahead this time!¡±


    ¡°Tie ourselves down?¡± Orenda asked as Falsie handed her a rope.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he explained, ¡°We tied everything down while you were getting ready, getting your things and putting them away.  Folks and things tend to go flying off into the sea until we get our momentum stable. It¡¯s stable. The universe is like a clock- or, no a clock is like a universe- you know how fast the planet spins, but you don¡¯t feel it because you¡¯re used to it?  Look, just tie yourself down. We¡¯re gonna go real fast and that initial lurch is hell.¡±


    ¡°I get seasick,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Well when we get moving try to puke over the deck,¡± Falsie advised, tying the rope around his waist.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Gareth shouted from his position at the wheel, ¡°Check in!¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain!¡± Came a chorus of voices, so Orenda not only tied herself in, but wrapped the rope around her arm and said, ¡°Aye, captain!¡±


    ¡°Course is set!¡± Gareth yelled, ¡°Calm seas, Mr Oldman?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that, captain?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Are you ready to propel us?¡± Gareth yelled, annunciating each word clearly.


    ¡°Oh!  Yes!¡± he said, ¡°Here we go!¡±


    Orenda lurched as the ship jerked forward, moving at breakneck speed, but she kept her grip on the railing, didn¡¯t fall, and though the illness returned, it wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as it could have been.


    ¡°First mate!¡± Gareth yelled, and Bella raised her wand, took a deep breath, and the world around Orenda became a blur as Bella¡¯s wand lit up and she exhaled into the sails.

 Chapter 63 - Book 2 Chapter 19

    Orenda was dying. She had been unable to keep her grip on the railing and had gone flying back as far as the rope would allow, where she was pinned, face first, to the deck. Behind her, Imperius stood with his staff raised, his hair, beard, and robes whipping out into the wind in front of him. Draco was tucked into the robes at his chest, and Orenda couldn¡¯t see him.


    Gareth was in front of her, leaning heavily into the wind, braced with one leg back and the other slightly bent. He was tied to the wheel, but he didn¡¯t seem to need it, and Orenda suspected that he had some kind of magic protecting him from it, though she didn¡¯t understand what it could be. His clothing and hair moved as if they were affected, but he hadn¡¯t gone flying back, and his hat was still sitting on his head.


    Bella still stood before the sails, and was breathing rhythmically in a way that Orenda thought must be part of the spell.


    ¡°Are you steering?¡± Orenda tried to shout over the wind, but Gareth couldn¡¯t hear her. And he seemed to be using all his attention, so she felt it was better not to bother him.


    She found that while traveling in this way was faster, it was terribly dull, and it made her illness worse, so she pressed the side of her face to the wood of the ship and tried to rest.


    They slowed down at what Orenda thought was some sort of arbitrary point; all she saw was Bella lowering her wand, and then the ship, while still moving quickly, slowed enough that she probably could have gotten up had she wanted to. There were stars in the sky above once she could see it, after the motion blur passed, and she heard the sound of Gareth¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Impy, old friend, that¡¯s enough!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°What¡¯s that captain?¡± Imperius asked.


    ¡°We need to slow down!¡± Gareth shouted, annunciating each word, ¡°Draco needs to scout for shore!¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± Imperius agreed, and the ship slowed to almost nothing.


    Orenda watched Gareth shove a piece of wood onto the wheel that apparently did something she did not understand, then he made his way to her and offered her his hand.


    ¡°Come on, Ronnie,¡± he said, ¡°Up you go.¡±


    ¡°Rendy,¡± She corrected.


    ¡°What did I say?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Maybe that is what you said,¡± she said as she took his hand and he pulled her to her feet.


    ¡°Still sea-sick?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± She lamented, ¡°Gareth, I¡¯m dying.¡±


    She watched Draco crawl out of Impy¡¯s robe, snuggle into his face, and then make his way to the crow¡¯s nest. He alighted there for only a moment, hopping from place to place, then spread his wings and flew off over the ocean.


    ¡°It took me years,¡± Gareth said kindly. Then, as an afterthought he added, ¡°We¡¯ve been traveling all day and I¡¯m starving, but I think perhaps we should wait until we make it to shore to eat. We really need to make a supply run. It shouldn¡¯t be much longer.¡±


    ¡°Land ho!¡± Draco called as he came flying back. He spun in circles coming lower and lower, screaming the entire time, ¡°Land ho! Land ho!¡±


    Gareth held out his arm and Draco alighted on it; the crew had been summoned by his cries and gathered around them.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to see from the air,¡± Draco admitted, ¡°And I didn¡¯t want to fly too close, but we were wrong about the time frame, captain. We¡¯re sailing into a battlefield. They¡¯ve not taken the shore. Perhaps the outlands, but the Knights have not taken the shore. The docks are closed, and the Urillian soldiers are guarding them.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Well,¡± Gareth said, ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    Orenda watched as he opened his hand and a flame appeared inside of it.


    ¡°Zena, darling,¡± he said in a voice obviously meant to be charming.


    ¡°Nochdifache?¡± The voice of an older woman, stern and businesslike asked, ¡°I can¡¯t see you? Is something wrong with the scry?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gareth said, maintaining his air of underserved confidence and charm, ¡°No, love, I¡¯m not wearing my mask. But I am a few naughts from your shore and I was wondering where you were. I¡¯m coming in along the western coast.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± She asked, ¡°Thank god. Do you think you could take out the ships along the docks? The Urillians have a barricade of sorts. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in them. We can¡¯t get down there.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he sighed, ¡°I was really hoping I was sailing into a safe zone. My niece is with me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a niece,¡± She said.


    ¡°Give us time to eat,¡± Gareth sighed, ¡°And we¡¯ll secure your docks. Perhaps I¡¯ll just set them ablaze and give any ships that may come this way nowhere safe to situate themselves. At the very least we¡¯ll take out the soldiers stationed there. But we¡¯re running low on supplies, so as much as I hate it, darling, anything on those ships is mine.¡±


    ¡°Fine, Nochdifache,¡± she said, though she didn¡¯t sound happy about it.


    ¡°Can we do that?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°There are only 8 of us, and¡­ how many soldiers are there?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t count,¡± Draco said, ¡°normally about half a dozen per ship, at least. But we aren¡¯t worried about it, Orenda. We¡¯ve done much worse.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°we have the cover of darkness.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t how I do things, Rendy,¡± Nochdifache laughed, ¡°Let¡¯s get a bite to eat, and then we¡¯re going shopping.¡±


    Orenda watched the shape of the fire continent come into view as they sailed closer, first the mountains in the distance, as shapes against the night sky, and then the mass itself, growing in detail as they moved closer. Gareth was at the wheel again, but now he wore his mask and full naval regalia.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he asked, ¡°Do you feel confident to come raiding with us? I know you¡¯re ill.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ll be much help,¡± She said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m useless upon the sea.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± he said, ¡°You¡¯re a Firefist!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re close, captain,¡± Bella called, and Gareth reached behind him to take out his carpet as she came forward to take the wheel.


    ¡°You¡¯re in charge of the canon, Rendy,¡± He said, and she nodded, and walked as quickly as she could with her illness as it was, to the place where Falsie waited for her. He had just placed a large metal ball in the cylinder, and was locking the wheels in place as Gareth flew off in front of them.


    They were so close now that Orenda could make out the other ships, four of them, taking up every spot a ship could tie down on the harbor. Gareth was flying towards the first one, and they were nearly upon it.


    ¡°Attention!¡± Gareth called, and Orenda watched a group of earth elves dressed in Urillian military uniforms running to the deck. None of them seemed to believe what they were seeing.


    ¡°My name is Captain Nochdifache!¡± Gareth proclaimed, ¡°And I need to speak to the captain!¡±


    ¡°I am Captain Trayjor!¡± One of the soldiers stepped forward, but Orenda could not see who it was. She could barely hear his voice. ¡°And¡­ you claim to be the dread pirate Nochdifache?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to claim it, captain!¡± Gareth said, ¡°I have come here with a warning. You¡¯re in my way, and I require an immediate surrender. I need access to your supplies, and I need you to move so I can dock my ship. If you agree to these terms, you, and your crew, will walk out of this encounter alive.¡±


    ¡°Give him what he wants,¡± Someone yelled, but again, Orenda did not know who.


    ¡°He¡¯s trying to intimidate us!¡± The Captain snapped, ¡°He¡¯s bluffing. Come down here, Nochdifache. You know you have no way-¡±


    ¡°Think it through,¡± Gareth advised, ¡°You can walk away from this night alive, if you make the right choice. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll kill you where you stand and take what I want anyway. I¡¯m being courteous right now.¡±


    ¡°Alert the others,¡± The captain called, and Gareth shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you,¡± he said, drew the gun from his hip, and shot. Orenda heard the noise, and saw the splatter of blood from the captain¡¯s skull, but she didn¡¯t see the projectile, didn¡¯t see what had knocked him backwards.


    Gareth pulled a bag from his pouch and began to pour something into the gun as he yelled, ¡°LIGHT UM UP!¡±


    Orenda ignited the gunpowder inside the canon and her ears rang from the instant bang. She threw both hands over them to protect them, but all she could hear for some minutes was the disheartening sound of silence. Falsie was smiling and slapping her on the arm, but she couldn¡¯t hear him. Their ship had moved, was closer now, and Orenda saw the hole they had blown through the other, saw the bodies that had scattered from it, and thought, once again, of the soldiers in the library.


    But then Gareth was in front of her, holding out his hand and tilting his head up and down and side to side as if he was speaking behind the mask.


    ¡°What?¡± Orenda shouted.


    ¡°I said,¡± Gareth screamed over the silence, ¡°Come on if you¡¯re coming!¡±


    Orenda took his hand and climbed onto the carpet.

 Chapter 64 - Book 2 Chapter 20

    ¡°Take everything you can carry!¡± Gareth yelled as the carpet landed and Orenda stepped onto the deck of the Urillian ship.  The hole they had blown through it had torn a huge gash through the deck, and there were several soldiers who were trying to get up, but were impeded by their lack of limbs, the blood flowing from their injuries, and, she suspected, a general lack of morale.


    The captain was lying spread eagled with a pool of blood surrounding his head like a halo.  He wasn¡¯t lying as Charles had been, on his face, but on his back, staring up at nothing with eyes that could not see.  Gareth stepped over him to make his way below deck. A healer knelt beside a soldier missing a leg, chanting with her staff glowing in the dim night, and the soldier stared at Orenda in fear.


    Orenda recognized the healer, and the sight before her was doing nothing to ease her nausea.  She felt her vision going again, blinded by tears, and did not see Shalendra rise, but she heard her voice.


    ¡°Orenda Nochdifache,¡± She said with the sort of contempt that scared Orenda.


    ¡°Shelly,¡± Orenda tried to say, but she was doubled over in pain, so she only let out a moan and fell to her knees to throw up on the deck.


    ¡°Nochdifache!¡± Shelly repeated, and Orenda felt the kick to her ribs that sent her sideways, ¡°I knew it!  I had always known!¡±


    ¡°Rendy?¡± Anilla ran to her side, ¡°Rendy?  Are you ok?¡±


    Orenda tried to shake her head.  She tried to say that no, she absolutely was not ok, that she would likely never be ok again, but she had to concentrate with everything in her to draw breath, and those actions were beyond her.  She wanted to tell Shelly that Toli was alive, and tried to at least roll over, to figure out which was was up, to get back onto her knees. But there was something more than the sea pressing down on her, something sharp, covered in thorns-


    She couldn¡¯t manage a scream as something grew at amazing speed through her dress, through her flesh, and into her lung.  She coughed, and the convulsion made her sick, and she had felt this before.


    She was drowning.


    She was going to die.


    The sea pressed in on her from all sides, and the thing in her lung was growing, sprouting, and she could not identify the poison, but she felt it as it entered her blood and began to flow through her body.  She did not know what the liquid was she was drowning in, could not identify it, had no way of knowing it was her own blood.


    ¡°Get the fuck away from him!¡± Gareth called, and Orenda blinked the tears from her eyes- but she couldn¡¯t see Shelly.  She knew the sound of her scream, but she could not see her over the light of the fire.


    ¡°Ronnie,¡± Gareth said and the thing inside Orenda was still poisoning her as she felt his hands on her.


    Shelly was still screaming, and Orenda couldn¡¯t move.  Gareth snapped the thing inside her with one hand and supported her with the other.  If she could think clearly, she would have known that it was his flesh hand holding her, would have made the connection between it and the fire that moved through her.  She felt the plant inside her burn away to nothing, felt the poison in her veins heat- and it hurt, it hurt so badly to burn away all the bad parts of her, but then they were gone.


    ¡°I need a healer!¡± Gareth called, ¡°I need a healer or she¡¯ll scar!  Imperius!¡±


    But Orenda knew Imperius was back on the ship, and couldn¡¯t hear you when you were standing next to him.  There was no way he would hear them now.


    ¡°I can do it!¡± Anilla said, and laid a hand on the carterized scar on Orenda¡¯s back.


    Orenda felt the sort of fresh air to which she was unaccustomed.  She had lived her entire life under the smog of the industrial district or the salt of the coast.  She had never known what clean, fresh, mountain air was, how cold it was, how crisp, how it smelled of nothing with no coal particles or throngs of bodies.  She could breath for the first time in her life, and it felt amazing.


    She felt the fluid in her lungs being swept away by the current, and opened her mouth to let it escape, spat it all over Gareth, but he seemed unaffected as he hugged her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said to Anilla, ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Anilla asked her.


    ¡°I¡­  yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Gary,¡± Bella said, and they all looked up at her, ¡°You set the ship on fire.¡±


    ¡°I had good reason!¡± Gareth agreed as he stood.  He laid out the carpet, picked up the several bags of rice he must have thrown down, and said, ¡°Come with me, Rendy.  Let¡¯s get you back to the ship. We¡¯ll take on the rest of them. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry I let that happen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Orenda said, though she was still sick, ¡°But¡­  yes. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be much help.¡±


    ¡°Can you get this put away while we¡¯re gone?¡± Gareth asked, standing by the supplies they had looted as Orenda watched the four ships that had lined the harbor burn.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Bilge said, turning a barrel on its side and kicking it towards the kitchen, ¡°I do everything.  Everything around here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gareth said and seemed to mean it, ¡°but I¡¯d like to get this all over and done with.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Bilge said.


    ¡°Not to worry, captain,¡± Impy promised, ¡°We¡¯ll keep the ship safe while you¡¯re away.¡±


    ¡°I know you will,¡± Gareth smiled, ¡°She¡¯s in capable hands.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, they¡¯re looking pissed on the shore,¡± Bella said looking out with a barrel of rum on her shoulder.  Orenda was not accustomed to shifters or their enhanced strength and thought it was amazing that she could do that.  She was even more amazed when she watched Bella toss it, then point her wand at it so that a current of air carried it to the wooden docks.  The soldiers who had gathered there scattered, and she laughed as it shattered.


    ¡°You¡¯d best move, lads!¡± Gareth shouted at them, and they seemed to agree with him.  ¡°Orenda,¡± he continued, ¡°Those Urillians are so obsessed with their earth magic that they don¡¯t stop to think what you get from working together.  Do you know what a fire enjoys?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I ever thought about it,¡± Orenda answered, leaning heavily on the railing and trying not to think about hearing Shelly die screaming.


    ¡°Well, you know how you snuff out a candle?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°It¡¯s because a flame needs air to burn.  The more air,¡± he produced a flame in his right hand, raised it above his head, and Bella took a deep breath as her wand began to glow.  He threw the fireball, and as she exhaled it spread, wider and taller as it moved, until it collided with the harbor, hit the rum, and a wall of flame sprouted.  ¡°The bigger the flame.¡±


    ¡°Like bellows on a forge,¡± Falsie said as he slapped Orenda on the back.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Weren¡¯t we going to dock there?¡± Orenda asked.


    There was silence for a beat before Bella spoke.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°...did not think it through,¡± Gareth agreed.


    ¡°Just¡­  instant regret,¡± Bella stared at the flames dancing toward the sky.


    ¡°Well,¡± Anilla said, ¡°It¡¯s very pretty.¡±


    ¡°I can probably fit three people on the carpet if one is the halfling,¡± Gareth said as if it would be helpful.


    Orenda was the last to make it to shore.  They had gone the long way round, and were all huddled behind a mansion overlooking the sea.  Orenda was so thankful to be on solid ground again, without the constant sickness that had plagued her through the entire journey, that she hugged the wall, leaned heavily against it, and sighed with contentment.  This night had been a lot to process, and when she opened her eyes she saw the fire of the docks below, and several black silhouettes against it as the Urillians worked to try to put out the flames without any noticeable success.


    ¡°Zena, love,¡± Gareth asked the flame in his hand, and this time Orenda saw her.  The woman had thick dark hair corralled under a headdress, chiseled, symmetrical features, and the same beautiful, dark eyes that Orenda had seen before.  She looked so much like Ali that for a moment it threw her. It could have been Ali in a costume.


    ¡°Good work, Nochdifache,¡± Zena said, ¡°I can see the flames from here.  We¡¯re in the stronghold, the mansion on the hill. We¡¯ve dispatched with the nobility.  We¡¯ll have the city by morning.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Gareth said, ¡°Because I¡¯m outside.  I¡¯ll see you in a moment.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± she said, and disappeared from the flame.


    ¡°Does she have a son?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I never thought to ask.  It¡¯s possible. She had a husband, and those things do happen.¡±


    ¡°She had a husband?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Orenda,¡± he said as the party made their way along the back wall, ¡°I don¡¯t ask people intrusive personal questions.  ¡®Oh, hello, General AlHadeen, nice to see you again. How did your husband die? Was it gruesome? Or is he still alive but you had a terrible break-up?  Why don¡¯t you relive that for me in detail? Isn¡¯t this a pleasant conversation?¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Gary,¡± Bella warned.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s rude,¡± Gareth defended, ¡°People don¡¯t like to have conversations like that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Orenda, she has a son,¡± Bella answered, ¡°And he knows that perfectly well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that,¡± Gareth argued, ¡°I have absolutely no memory of that.¡±


    ¡°Gary, that¡¯s how we finally found Lapus!¡± Bella argued, ¡°You do know that.¡±


    ¡°I have no memory of that event whatsoever,¡± Gareth argued.


    They went on bickering, and Orenda got the distinct impression that Gareth was being contrary and disagreeable on purpose for reasons that she didn¡¯t understand.


    As they rounded a corner, Orenda saw something she had never seen before- humans in military uniforms.  One held a staff, and the other had a sword on his hip and a large, round bronze shield. They were wearing padded armor under some sort of metal tunic, and seemed not to think that they shouldn¡¯t be.  Both wore helmets that rounded at the top and effectively protected their faces, but they were visible underneath, bright eyed and alert.


    They seemed to recognize Gareth, and that didn¡¯t shock Orenda.  His mask was apparently a symbol the Knights used, but still the soldier with the staff spoke.


    ¡°What path do you walk?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Gareth said, and as if he were running through a passcode rather than living by a creed he rambled off, ¡°Path of order, white rabbit- for fuck¡¯s sake I had to push that rabbit off my lap- you people make me tired.  Let us in. I just went through four ships in fewer hours and we need a good rest and some supplies. We¡¯ve a long walk ahead of us and I¡¯m old. I need a fucking nap.¡±


    ¡°And a drink,¡± Bella chimed in.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t hurt me to take a bath,¡± Falsie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy to be on land,¡± Orenda said because it was true, ¡°I quite like your uniforms.  The color¡¯s much more fetching than the silver the Urillians use. Is that bronze?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­   I¡¯m sorry, Captain,¡± the guard said, ¡°we have to ask everyone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Gareth pushed past them and strode through the gate followed by his crew.


    Orenda clutched her bag and took in the garden they had walked into.  The mansion reminded her of the school with its tall white towers, but in the back, the way they had come in, bathing pools were set under archways supported by columns that ivy had climbed its way up.  Sheer curtains draped between them, and Orenda could see humans inside, bathing, or resting on piles on pillows. The garden itself was full of animals the likes of which Orenda had never seen outside of books.  Peacocks strutted around as if they had every right to be there, attempting to impress peahens who seemed to not be impressed in the slightest, though Orenda was. One of them caught her staring, looked at her, opened his mouth, and let out the most godawful noise Orenda had ever heard.


    ¡°Oh I hate those things!¡± Gareth said as if this was a common annoyance for him, ¡°I¡¯ll roast you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in a bad mood because you¡¯re tired,¡± Bella accused, but Orenda thought she was wrong.  Orenda thought he was in a bad mood because he didn¡¯t want to go get the staff, didn¡¯t want to go to the place he had once lived with a happy family to see it in ruins.


    Gareth only grumbled in response, and walked past two more guards stationed at a back door.  It opened into a hall that was more impressive than Orenda had expected for a back door, and she followed Gareth because he seemed to know where he was going.  He led them to a wide open room, where Orenda could see the foyer for the main entrance where people were supposed to come in.


    ¡°Zena!¡± He screamed.


    ¡°What, Nochdifache?¡± A voice rang out.


    Orenda turned to see three human women walking down the stairs.  Two of them were wearing similar armor to the guards they had seen since they arrived, but the one in the middle¡­  she looked like a queen. She wore long, flowing fabric that wrapped around her body and trailed behind her. Orenda thought it looked impractical for the battlefield, but she also thought she knew what it was.


    Zena was wearing a sari, like the fire elf in the book.


    Orenda remembered that the humans had family lines stretching to before the colonization.  This was their land, their culture, as much as it was the fire elves. And they were taking it back themselves.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you look beautiful,¡± Gareth said as if it was an accusation, ¡°Are you going to fight in that?  It looks rather flammable. Are you hosting a fucking ball?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t have your sailor-speech in my presence,¡± She smiled, ¡°You¡¯re too rough for such a lovely home, Nochdifache.¡±


    Gareth huffed behind the mask and crossed his arms.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± he said, ¡°Come meet General AlHadeen, leader of the Allinsanian armed forces.¡±


    ¡°Orenda Nochdifache,¡± The woman smiled and walked slowly down the stairs with her guards on either side of her.  She looked to Gareth and asked, ¡°This is your niece?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± He said, and stepped to the side to let Zena get closer to Orenda.


    ¡°My son has told me so much about you,¡± She said, ¡°That you found genealogy records that helped him in his research, that you seduced Lady Glenlen¡¯s heir and dispatched him almost as soon as her lover died, that you discovered the presence of an artifact that may defeat the Emerald Knight, that you helped to smuggle humans to safety, and that you were a great friend and source of comfort to him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up about the artifact,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°Ali is a treasured friend,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°You say you¡¯re tired, Nochdifache?¡± Zena asked.


    ¡°Yes, and we need supplies to get us to Henoluhur,¡± Gareth answered, ¡°We won¡¯t stay here more than a few hours.  I¡¯d like to get this whole thing over and done with.¡±


    ¡°Come with me to the stables and I¡¯ll get you outfitted,¡± She threw one arm around his shoulders and began to lead him away.  ¡°The rest of you can rest in our lodgings. The guards will show you the way.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I just come with you?¡± Bella asked with something in her voice that Orenda didn¡¯t understand, and she caught up to them in long strides.


    ¡°Best to get rest while we can,¡± Falsie said and began to walk towards the guards to ask for directions, ¡°I¡¯ll lead us right to Henoluhur.  It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°The way you said that make me think that perhaps it won¡¯t be fine,¡± Orenda said, because the tone of his voice and the way he had brought it up with no provocation made her nervous.


    ¡°He said it would be fine,¡± Anilla clarified, as if she thought Orenda has misheard.


    ¡°But he said it apropos of nothing,¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not as if¡­  we¡¯re traveling with anyone who¡¯s mother sold the evil invading army the weapons and armor that they used to overthrow the fire elves, financially crippling Henoluhur so badly that it still hasn¡¯t recovered and that that family is perpetually hated because one person¡¯s greed can be, perhaps, if you stretch it reeeeeaaaaal hard, said to have caused the downfall of civilization.  And even if we were, that person always wears a false beard and disguise because he lost his ability to grow facial hair in a horrible clockwork accident, and there¡¯s absolutely no reason to think that anyone would recognize him. He was so young when he left with those¡­ see there aren¡¯t even two of them anymore. It¡¯ll be fiiiiiiine.¡±


    Orenda had no response to this, and paused in her steps to consider the fresh hell she was walking into as Falsie walked up to the guards and began to speak.


    ¡°See, Rendy?¡± Anilla said as if she had convinced, ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine!  Think of it as an adventure!¡±

 Chapter 65 - Book 2 Chapter 21

    Orenda had never seen so many humans in one place before, and it was obvious that they had never seen someone like her- or¡­ perhaps she was giving herself too much credit. She was walking into a group of humans with a dwarf and a halfling. She spotted the bar, and thought that this place may be very similar to the place where Ali had been forced to live all those years.


    She thought that there was a joke in there somewhere. A fire elf, a dwarf, and a halfling walk into the bar, the bartender looks up and says-


    ¡°Holy shit, Rendy?¡±


    Orenda stared at him, trying to figure out where she knew him from. He looked to be about her age, but she absolutely could not place him. She couldn¡¯t remember a male slave that she was particularly close to at the academy, who would speak to her so informally.


    He seemed hurt when he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    He put one hand on the bar and jumped over it to grab both her hands in his own.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, John!¡±


    ¡°Johnny!?¡± Orenda exclaimed. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug, ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡±


    ¡°So are you!¡± He shouted and squeezed so hard he pulled her off her feet. ¡°Oh my god, Rendy, I¡¯ve thought so much about you over the years! I couldn¡¯t get word out! There¡¯s no postal service that goes from Huriyat Allinsan to anywhere else! But you¡¯re alive, and you¡¯re here! We¡¯re taking back everything! We¡¯re going to have the whole continent!¡±


    ¡°What¡­ Johnny,¡± she rested her hands on his shoulders, ¡°What happened to you? After you left?¡±


    ¡°What happened to you bein behind the bar?¡± Falsie asked, stripping out of his clothes and folding them neatly as if he wasn¡¯t in a crowd of people, ¡°Get me a drink for my bath!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a bartender, and I¡¯m never saying ¡®Yes sir¡¯ again, so go fuck yourself,¡± Johnny giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it!¡± Anilla said helpfully, and struggled her way behind the bar. She was climbing shelves when Orenda looked back to John.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean to him,¡± She said, ¡°Falsie¡¯s a dear friend of mine, and a Knight of Order.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re right, I just- I never expected to see you. And I know him, and he always fucked with me when I was a kid.¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing,¡± Falsie said, ¡°Hey, kid, wanna see something cool?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Johnny said, ¡°Fool me once shame on you, fool me nine or more times and you¡¯re an asshole. Come on, man, you know how gullible I am.¡±


    ¡°How do you know each other?¡± Orenda asked as Anilla poured them all drinks from a dark bottle.


    ¡°They run together,¡± Falsie said, ¡°But if I had to guess, I would say that we faried him to freedom. We get lots of humans who are on the run. We bring um here or to the frozen north.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Johnny said, ¡°I was on your ship, with Captian Nochdifache, and the werewolf lady, and the pirate, and the old guy and his¡­ as an adult like¡­ is he fucking that dragon? Like that¡¯s weird right? No one ever called him on it- ow goddamn!¡±


    Falsie had thwacked him hard with the back of his hand from his position on the bar stool.


    ¡°Respect your elders boy,¡± He took his glass and began to make his way to the bathing pool, ¡°Watch your mouth!¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Johnny called after him, but Falsie merely grumbled in response.


    ¡°Rendy, what are you doing here?¡± Johnny led her to the bar so they could both sit down.


    ¡°We¡¯re going into the mountains,¡± Anilla answered, ¡°Orenda is looking for a staff, and I¡¯m looking for a dragon.¡±


    ¡°Ok so maybe that¡¯s actually common and I am just a judgemental asshole,¡± Johnny took a long drink from one of the glasses Anilla had poured. ¡°God, Rendy, so much has happened. Where have you been all this time? Is everybody back at the library ok?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda stared into her glass, ¡°You haven¡¯t heard. No. No they aren¡¯t¡­ I wouldn¡¯t classify them as¡­ well perhaps they are. I don¡¯t know how people feel about being dead.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, ¡°shit, Rendy, I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead, and the library burned to the ground,¡± Orenda explained with as little emotion as she could. ¡°It¡¯s all gone. You couldn¡¯t have gotten a message to me even if you could send one out. The place you would have sent it to is gone, has been gone for some time. We were raided by those soldiers. They found Ellie¡¯s notes on the precolonial historical period, which apparently she was not supposed to be studying, found that Charles and Susan were ¡®stolen¡¯ and¡­ they tried to burn the library to the ground. They did burn the library to the ground. I cooked them alive.¡±


    She said it as casually as she could, because she didn¡¯t want to dwell on it, and she was tired of feeling bad for not feeling bad enough. They had been terrible people, and Tolith was right. Sometimes the world was better without certain people in it. The world was changing, and those who could not change with it, could not better themselves, would burn. It was more cause and effect, simple physics, than it was anything she should hate herself for.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he said.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°It¡¯s the way of the world,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But not for long. I¡¯m going to kill the Emerald Knight, Johnny, and then Xandra won¡¯t have her boogieman to keep us at bay. I think certain people need to learn lessons about¡­ inherited power. I think that perhaps some people need to learn that they aren¡¯t special because of who their mother choose to let cum inside her.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± he said, ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ you¡¯re different.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help that,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I suppose I grew up when I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Wait- did you say you were going to kill the Emerald Knight?¡± He asked, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°If he exists, I¡¯ll kill him. That¡¯s the thing about people who are alive, Johnny, they can be killed. If a thing moves I can stop it moving. A friend of mine once told me that everyone was flammable. I don¡¯t know that he was right, but I drink to his spirit.¡±


    ¡°What friend?¡± Johnny asked. He seemed to be enjoying the conversation less than he thought he would.


    ¡°Ali AlHadeen,¡± Orenda said, ¡°The night he asked me to burn that brand into his flesh.¡±


    Johnny was silent for a long stretch, both of them sipping their drinks and ignoring Anilla to the point that even she felt the weight of the silence and went to join Falsie for a bath.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to unpack here,¡± He finally said.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Orenda said, ¡°We¡¯re both alive, and both happy to be in a world that was trying so hard to kill us. No living thing wants to die, it will fight until it no longer can. That type of existence¡­ it creates people like us, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Rendy,¡± He said and laid one hand over hers on the bar, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t like to dwell on the past,¡± Orenda told him. ¡°I¡¯m happy that we¡¯re safe. How did you jump over the bar in that armor?¡±


    ¡°This shit is lighter than it looks,¡± he laughed, ¡°I can turn cartwheels in it. Not in here, the crowd¡¯s too thick, but it can be done.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan here?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°As far as military strategy goes?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to take the harbor tonight,¡± Johnny said, ¡°And the city, establish a base here and move on until we reach the capital of the colony. We¡¯re taking back the whole coast.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s beyond the mountains?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°How did you get there?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god it was crazy,¡± Johnny picked up the bottle and poured himself another glass, ¡°We had to hide at different places like we did at your house, different safehouses. Those soldiers were out hot and heavy looking for us. I think¡­ the other two, my sisters, they were too little to really understand. But my parents, god, especially dad¡­ his heart was shot, you know- not shot as in with an arrow or anything, just he stayed so tore up for so long that it¡­ really took a toll on him. He¡¯s in rough shape. He really didn¡¯t want me to join the army. But- we went from safehouse to safehouse, and eventually we went in a group, past the barricades into the mountains. They can¡¯t patrol the whole thing, Rendy, it¡¯s too big. They can¡¯t guard the whole border to keep us from leaving, so our guide studied where they would be and when, and she took us through. Once we got through that, we met up with our dwarven guide, and god, Rendy, it was so hot. You think it gets hot here, but there¡­ there you can die from it. It beats down on you on the mountains, it strips your body, it burns your flesh, all you can think about is the next time you¡¯ll be allowed to stop for water. It¡¯s so fucking hot, but you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re a little kid, right? I was a youngun. And¡­ I knew we were rationing, but the girls didn¡¯t really understand and they would not shut the fuck up about it!¡±


    Orenda squeezed his hand.


    ¡°Once we were past that border though, we didn¡¯t really have to be afraid anymore. They weren¡¯t going to come after us again up there, because they had as hard of a time as we did. They just couldn¡¯t take the heat. Our dwarven guide took us to a place, I think it was a secret, I¡¯m not sure, underground. It was so hot down there too¡­ I thought it would be cooler underground, but it wasn¡¯t. Caves are cool back home, back on the earth continent. The temperature drops, that¡¯s what we were always told, and dad kept saying it, kept saying, ¡®At least it¡¯ll cool down when we get underground,¡¯.¡±


    ¡°But it was so much better, in the dwarven city. There was no hiding, everyone there welcomed us! The earth elves just don¡¯t go there anymore- apparently they did at one time, but now it¡¯s a free place. Humans live there, full time. But it is so close, so close to the Urillian colony, and my dad was so paranoid, so terrified, so we pressed on. We walked for days through those caves, through these mine shafts that weren¡¯t being used anymore, and eventually we came out the other side.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was hot underground¡­ but it opened to a desert. There was no hope of water, no hope of shade- but we had another guide, and this one was human and¡­ she¡­ she didn¡¯t have a brand. It wasn¡¯t that she had one and burned through it like mine, to hide where it came from, it was that she just didn¡¯t have one at all. I¡¯d never seen anything like it. She was¡­ she had been born and no one had ever¡­¡±


    Orenda smiled.


    ¡°It was beautiful, when we got there,¡± Johnny said, ¡°It¡¯s out in the desert, and if you didn¡¯t know what you were looking for, you¡¯d never find it. The Urillians will never find it. There are people there who can work all kinds of magic, all the elements, all together, and there are reservoirs of water underground, and tall buildings that do anything you can imagine. There was a school- there had been people, before, who had been scholars once. There were people who had trained in all kids of trades. I joined the military, my sister, Jill, you remember her?¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°She¡¯s an astronomer,¡± he said, ¡°Charting out the stars. It¡¯s so clear out there, you can see into eternity.¡±


    ¡°It sounds beautiful,¡± Orenda said, wistfully.


    ¡°It is,¡± He agreed, ¡°And once you taste it, you can¡¯t go back. I¡¯m never going back. We¡¯re going to save everyone, eventually.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°We are.¡±


    ¡°You said you were going to kill the Emerald Knight with an ancient artifact?¡± Johnny asked. ¡°I think¡­ if anyone can kill the Emerald Knight, it¡¯ll be an army. I don¡¯t think one person can take him down. You¡¯ll need help.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll find help,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I have many people to find. I¡¯m going to meet the white rabbit to see if he¡¯ll make me a suit of his hair.¡±


    ¡°Rendy, you¡¯ll love Xac!¡± Johnny exclaimed, ¡°He¡¯s the best, real good with kids. That was the first safehouse we went to, at the Burrow. He¡¯s the one who messed up my brand. I knew why we had to do it but¡­ god it hurt, but he was so kind to me. He taught me a few moves with his kids. He teaches all his kids how to fight. He used to be a cage fighter. And apparently he loves to knit because he and my mom talked on and on about it. He¡¯s just a great guy. I don¡¯t know how many people he¡¯s saved. He gets that reputation for a reason. He¡¯s a symbol for a reason. Why do you want a suit of his hair?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s made of sterilite,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°Well, I mean¡­ legends say it is. I know that makes no sense, but I¡¯m becoming less skeptical of legends now that I¡¯ve seen some of the things I¡¯ve seen, djinns, werewolves, zombies and such.¡±


    ¡°BIlge scared the shit out of me as a kid,¡± Johnny said, ¡°At first. But he¡¯s actually really nice. He kept telling me he was a dragon, I guess trying to make me less scared. I feel bad about how I treated him, because really it¡¯s like¡­ an affliction. He can¡¯t help that he¡¯s like that.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s always been nice to me,¡± Orenda agreed.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Gareth called, and she looked up to see him enter with Bella, ¡°And everyone- oh look, the crowd¡¯s looking at us, darling, you¡¯d think they never saw a beautiful woman before- I¡¯m leaving in two hours so nap or bathe or do whatever you like, but then meet us in the stables. We¡¯ve got a lot of ground to cover and I¡¯d like it to be over and done with as soon as possible.¡±

 Chapter 66 - Book 2 Chapter 22

    Orenda settled into the back of the wagon with Bella, Gareth, and Anilla.  It was a tight fit, and she was surprised that all the boxes they were situated around managed to fit inside with them.


    ¡°Is it a long trip?¡± She asked as the wagon jerked.  Outside, Falsie must have started up the horses.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Gareth said, leaning heavily on Bella and pulling down his hat as if he planned to sleep, ¡°We¡¯re going a bit of a long way round, to avoid most of the fighting and¡­ because we have a certain schedule that we don¡¯t want to break. We don¡¯t want to be anywhere near civilization until about three days from now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we travel as quickly as possible?¡±


    ¡°The moons will be full,¡± Bella looked away as she said it, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­  trust myself in large crowds.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, and felt that she had said something offensive.


    ¡°Does it matter underground?¡± Anilla asked, ¡°You can¡¯t see the moons.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to have any effect whether or not I can see them or the rays touch me or anything like that,¡± Bella explained, ¡°It just¡­  happens, no matter where I am.¡±


    She pulled her traveling cloak tighter around her and leaned against Gareth, and Orenda thought that if she ever came into some money she would get her a new one.  Hers was old, threadbear, and dreadfully tattered. She did like that she and Gareth had matching color schemes, though. She thought it was cute. They seemed happy together.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Bella said, ¡°That I¡¯m delaying us.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t delaying us, darling,¡± Gareth said, ¡°It¡¯s safer to go the long way regardless.  I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but there¡¯s a war on.¡±


    ¡°Bella,¡± Orenda said cautiously, ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Bella said without much enthusiasm.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a brand, a slave mark,¡± Orenda said, ¡°You said you were from the frozen north.  Have you never been a slave?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bella said, ¡°I was lucky.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you come to be here?  Why didn¡¯t you stay where it was safe?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t safe,¡± Bella shook her head, ¡°I wasn¡¯t safe there.  There was¡­ an accident, when I was a child. I think it¡¯s changing a bit now, because of Xaxac, but¡­  when I was younger other humans were not so keen on shifters. We were run out of town, there was¡­ there were some problems.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bella shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s fine.  It¡¯s an interesting story. My father was a shifter, not my mother, but it does seem to be hereditary.  I ¡®caught¡¯ it from him, I suppose. He was fairly good about hiding it- his mother was a shifter too, and she lived out in the woods a bit away from the rest of the town.  She was a healer, a mage. She taught me, when I was young, how to work a little magic. But every month we would go out there, away from the other people, to wait it out. But¡­  people can be unkind, and I suppose someone must have spotted him. I don¡¯t know how they found out. I was very young.¡±


    ¡°My mother gave me this cloak; it was hers.  It was an unusual color, and she made it herself- she often wove things to sell... people seemed to like them.  Nearly everyone wore white in those days, in that place, but my mother made this, and she wrapped me in it. She gave me a basket of food and told me to go to my grandmother¡¯s with my father, as I always did.  I don¡¯t know what happened to her, my mother. I don¡¯t know if she just wanted us out of her life¡­ or if there was a reason she never came back for me.¡±


    ¡°When we made it to grandmother¡¯s house we thought we were safe.¡± Bella explained, ¡°She was beloved.  She was the healer. They had no reason to hate her. She was old, probably in her 70s or 80s, very much like Imperius in that regard, though he is older still, but my point is that she was a little old lady, no harm to anyone.  We thought we would be safe there. I don¡¯t think they knew she was a shifter, that any of us were shifters¡­ but they must have, mustn¡¯t they? I don¡¯t know why we thought it was safe there, with them looking for us as they must have been¡­  I don¡¯t know why he¡­ sometimes I think he put her in danger, but¡­ none of it make sense to a child. I¡¯ve given up trying to rationalize it.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember things¡­  I can¡¯t remember very well the time¡­  when I¡¯m shifted. I don¡¯t really know when it all went so horribly wrong.  The moons came out while we were there, and everything gets fuzzy. I remember thinking we were safe, because the adults told me that we were.  But¡­ we weren¡¯t. They found us, and they had axes. They attacked my grandmother¡­ even shifted she was weak. She was still old, frail- being a werewolf does not ease the passage of time.  Father tried to defend her, I think. I can¡¯t really remember. All I remember is the smell of blood in the air, the overpowering sense of wrongness, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±


    ¡°When I was able to¡­  to think clearly, to see clearly, the inside of her house, it was such a small house, only two rooms, I think, the whole place was covered in blood.  The walls, the floor, the furniture¡­ the corpses. There were more than just my father and grandmother, and I recognized them from town. I don¡¯t know why they hated us so.  My clothes were drenched- We wore very loose-fitting clothes, to keep from ripping them, you see... and they were destroyed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold in the frozen north¡­  I didn¡¯t know what to do. I was all alone.  I drug the bodies outside, and I thought about going home, but¡­  people¡­ people had legends about shifters. They called us monsters.  The people would assume I had done those horrible¡­¡± she paused, took a deep breath, and continued, ¡°I took my grandmother¡¯s cauldron and boiled a pot of snow to try to wash my clothes.  I knew I had to leave. I scrubbed and scrubbed but they wouldn¡¯t come clean. I kept thinking that my mother would come for me. I waited and waited, for hours in that house, alone, among the blood.¡±


    ¡°But she never did.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get the stains out, so I just set them out to dry, and still my mother never came for me.  But someone else did. There was another crowd of them, of the people who had killed my family, and I was in fear for my life.  I knew these people. They knew me. They knew I was a child¡­ but I thought perhaps they saw the bodies from the first¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­  I only know they were out for blood. I had only just dressed- I had no time to pack; I grabbed my basket and my grandmother¡¯s wand and ran out the back way, as fast as my legs could carry me- but they could see me.  The red cloak against the white snow stood out, and I could hear them, running through the trees, moving so much faster than I could- they were adults and they knew what they were doing, but I was smaller, and I could slip into places they could not.  I remember it was snowing¡­¡±


    She was looking at Orenda without seeing her.


    ¡°I ran for so long that night fell again.  I was starving, and I couldn¡¯t be sure that I would be safe again, but I had to eat or die, so I found somewhere I thought I could hide, to take out some of the bread in the basket, to eat- I remember it all so well¡­  it was so long ago, but it just¡­ it sticks out. There are some things you never forget. A great hunger comes over you, you see, the next morning, after the shifting¡­ the kind of hunger people who are not shifters cannot imagine...¡±


    ¡°I heard more people, and I thought they had found me, the villagers.  I thought they were coming to kill me, but¡­ then I heard what they were talking about.  They were on an expedition, looking for something. They weren¡¯t from the village at all- they weren¡¯t even from the Frozen North.  At the time, I didn¡¯t know where they were from. But then they said something¡­ strange. They said they had gotten far off track, because they had messed up their camp the previous night- when they had shifted!¡±


    ¡°I ran from the treeline towards them, screaming for help.  The man-¡±


    ¡°Was Xaxac?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Was that when you met the white rabbit?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bella said, and added, ¡°Xac and I are nearly the same age, Orenda, I¡¯m only a little younger than him.  He wasn¡¯t in this group- it was an expedition of shifters; they were looking for Morgani Magnus, but they hadn¡¯t found him, couldn¡¯t find him.  I ran to them screaming, and they were as taken aback as they should have been, to see this child in clothes that were too big, covered in those stains, running and screaming.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± she shrugged, ¡°They took me in.  I lived with them for years.¡±


    ¡°Who were they?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s another long story,¡± Bella said, ¡°I don¡¯t know that I want to tell two in a row.  We¡¯ve been awake such a long time.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a particularly happy one, either,¡± Gareth added, which shocked Orenda, because she thought he had fallen asleep under his mask.  ¡°Why are all our stories depressing, darling? You would think we would have one nice story between us.¡±


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Orenda asked, ¡°What happened in the dwarven city?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such a broad question,¡± he said.


    ¡°I mean with Falsie,¡± Orenda clarified.


    ¡°I can hear ya,¡± Falsie said, ¡°It¡¯s burlap.  It¡¯s not soundproof. I told ya, nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened,¡± Gareth echoed.  ¡°Not everything is an interesting story, you¡¯re just starved for entertainment without your little boytoy.  Ugh. I¡¯m going to have to do right by him one day or he really is going to catch me off-guard and kill me.¡±


    ¡°No, he won¡¯t,¡± Bella said.


    ¡°He¡¯d have every right,¡± Gareth argued, ¡°Here, move, darling, lie down.  Spread the cloak over both of us. Everyone has to be worn out.¡±


    ¡°Why are you wearing a cloak?¡± Anilla asked, ¡°It¡¯s so hot in here.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth said, ¡°But I can¡¯t sleep without a blanket.  The monsters will get me.¡±

 Chapter 67 - Book 2 Chapter 23

    ¡°I¡¯m going to scout out a ways,¡± Gareth said, heaving a bag over his shoulder, ¡°I would appreciate it if there was some sort of food upon my return. Falsie? Please?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± the dwarf grumbled, throwing sticks onto the fire that Gareth had set.


    Gareth paused to speak to Bella, who was staking the horses that they had borrowed from Zena so they could graze. They had, in their travels during the day, passed through the forest and were firmly in the outlands at the base of the mountains, and Orenda, from where she sat with Anilla by the fire stared up at those mountains until they disappeared into the canopy of stars.


    ¡°We have mountains like this at home,¡± Anilla said, ¡°Much colder, of course, but it¡¯s remarkable how alike they look.¡±


    ¡°I suppose if you¡¯ve seen one gathering of rock and dirt, you¡¯ve seen them all,¡± Orenda agreed.


    ¡°Nothing could be farther from the truth,¡± Falsie argued, ¡°No two mountains are the same.¡±


    ¡°What is it like in your homeland?¡± Orenda asked Anilla, ¡°I¡¯ve always found it difficult to visualize. I¡¯m from a place that never sees snow.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Anilla considered, ¡°We all have to work together more, I think. There¡¯s less, you know, to work with. There are fewer resources compared to the plenty in the rest of the world, so people are kinder, more generous with what they have. We don¡¯t have little isolated groups like you do. We think more in terms of what is best for the tribe. It¡¯s more communal, but we also believe that every person should do what is best for them. I didn¡¯t meet any resistance when I decided to leave, for example. Everyone knew that once I found my dragon, I would be back.¡±


    ¡°It must have been terrible,¡± Orenda said, ¡°To grow up without something that everyone else had.¡±


    ¡°It was strange,¡± Anilla said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think it was terrible. I don¡¯t think anyone would like to be told that their life was terrible.¡±


    Orenda felt her face heating with embarrassment and pulled her legs to her chest as she agreed, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I only meant¡­ as a child, for a long span of my childhood, I lived at a school where everyone else had parents. I sometimes did feel as if they had something I didn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t a particularly pleasant feeling. Which is odd, because some of them, like Tolith, made me think it was¡­ perhaps it was better to have no mother and imagine that the one you could have had would have loved you, than it was to have a real mother and know that she didn¡¯t. But still, there was an underlying¡­ I can¡¯t describe it, but that¡¯s all I meant.¡±


    ¡°I lost my mother too,¡± Falsie said, ¡°You never knew Soko so I don¡¯t know if my experience was better or worse. I was young, but I can remember her, sometimes. She seemed like a good woman. I don¡¯t think she helped the Urillians knowing it would do anything bad, that it would cause any problems. I think she just made a mistake. I don¡¯t think she was a traitor or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Did you have a father?¡± Orenda asked him.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, I had one. I stayed with him a lot longer. He didn¡¯t¡­ I guess didn¡¯t have the stress ma did, didn¡¯t have to live with as much¡­ so much it made it hard to live. But he did take to those Firefist boys when they came back, and, ya know, they were wanted pirates and all that. Traitors to the crown. Not all of you get away, sometimes, when yer running from the law.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Was that when Garon came to take the staff?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Falsie shook his head, ¡°They come through here all the time, back in the day, before Ronnie died. Not to go up to the temple, to go through to Huriyat AlIinsan, to take folks home or whathave you. And to visit us, I suppose, not us in particular, but the dwarves. Those boys did a lot of good in their day. Real hard to tell um apart, you know, before Garon cut his hair and everything. They used to look just alike.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Gareth used to go up there all the time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Falsie shrugged.


    ¡°So then he could have taken me to safety!¡± Orenda snarled, ¡°He could have taken me to Huriyat Allinsan, but instead he dropped me off at a workhouse?¡±


    ¡°He stopped going up there after Garon told the Emerald Knight who he was,¡± Falsie said, ¡°Didn¡¯t want to put anyone else in danger. After my daddy got arrested an with the Knight so hot on our tail, it just didn¡¯t-¡±


    Bella plopped down hard by the fire and stared at the kabobs Falsie was skewering. She seemed to be thinking hard on something, but it took her a long time to voice it.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± She said, ¡°Gary doesn¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to get that staff. I¡¯ve heard so much about it- it¡¯s supposed to be magic, to be able to tell a person¡¯s soul. It¡¯s like that sword Xandra has, or claims to have. The person who can take it is supposed to be the Chosen One. So¡­ by Gary¡¯s logic, the only person who can get it would already have the sword. There¡¯s only one ¡®Chosen One¡¯- it¡¯s right there in the name. It wouldn¡¯t really be special if there were a bunch of chosen people.¡±


    ¡°Xandra doesn¡¯t claim she has the sword,¡± Orenda corrected, ¡°And neither does Gareth. They claim the Emerald Knight has the sword.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°The Emerald Knight is just something Xandra uses,¡± Bella said, ¡°Just like any weapon. Gary¡­ thinks too much on it. He thinks it¡¯s an actual person. He thinks a lot of things that help him sleep at night.¡±


    ¡°He says he saw under the armor,¡± Orenda said, ¡°That he saw flesh.¡±


    ¡°Gary¡¯s seen a lot of things,¡± Bella shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know how many of them are real or just¡­ it¡¯s easy to see what you want in a situation like that. He wants someone, a real someone, to blame for the atrocities he¡¯s seen.¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Falsie shrugged, ¡°I saw that thing myself. We both did. It¡¯s alive. It¡¯s alive and it¡¯s got something in there moving it and whatnot. It might not be a person, but it¡¯s something. It¡¯s a living thing and it¡¯s got a soul controlling it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was chosen by any god,¡± Bella argued.


    ¡°It might not be, at that,¡± Falsie agreed, handing out the kabobs, ¡°But it¡¯s alive, is all I¡¯m sayin.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think the legends are wrong, about the staff, and maybe the sword too,¡± Bella said as she held two of the kabobs in the fire, ¡°I think it¡¯s more a matter of time. I think that if the need is great enough, someone could get it out. But¡­ I don¡¯t know how a need would have been greater than Ronnie¡¯s. So I really don¡¯t want you to be disappointed if it doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Orenda said, slowly turning her kabob and listening to the crackle of it cooking, ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ there are holes in the story. I think that¡¯s what the Emerald Knight was after, when he first came here. He was taken to get the staff, and if it¡¯s still there that means it rejected him. So he can¡¯t be the Chosen One, and he shouldn¡¯t have the sword. But Gareth saw him with the sword.¡±


    ¡°Gareth saw him with a sword,¡± Anilla said, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean it was the same one.¡±


    ¡°There may have never been a sword at all,¡± Bella said, ¡°It could be a legend. I mean, no one has seen it in over three centuries, resting in that rock. There¡¯s no proof it ever existed. That temple claims to have the sacred stone it was pulled from, and I bet they make a fortune in tourism money from that claim. It may not even be a real thing.¡±


    ¡°But the holy texts speak of the sword,¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°The holy texts that survive, that we can read,¡± Bella huffed, ¡°Say a lot of things. They¡¯re filtered through a Urillian lense and say what Urillians would like us to believe. They say, for example, that humans were not created by Thesis, but rather evolved here like any other animal. Elves were created special, and because they are special, they have the ability to rule over the domain that they were given. But that¡¯s not true. Elves are animals, just like the rest of us. When you cut them, they bleed. They¡¯re not made of any special god-stuff, they¡¯re made of flesh and bone.¡±


    ¡°I wish I was made of flesh and bone,¡± Gareth huffed in aggravation as he plopped down beside her, and Orenda jumped. He had come up so silently that she hadn¡¯t noticed him, despite his garish dress. He slid the mask up under his hat and took a bite of the kabob Bellla offered him, ¡°Not that I¡¯m not thankful, old friend, but I¡¯d love to be able to cast two-handed again. But, I suppose we must be thankful for the things we have. I¡¯ve been bitching too much lately. What are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°The sacred texts,¡± Bella explained.


    ¡°Oh, yes, load of nonsense. Was that the consensus?¡± He asked as he chewed. ¡°Where¡¯s the rum? Thank you!¡± He took a drink of the flash Bella passed him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a load of nonsense,¡± Orenda said. This was partially true. She had read over the sacred texts and she classified them the same way she classified other possibilities. The world would be a better place with someone watching out for her than without. Gareth had voluntarily given up that position, so she had, on the occasions where it was warranted, filled it with the existence of a god. At other times she felt so alone and forgotten, in a world that was so cruel, that it was impossible to believe Thesis existed or cared about her.


    ¡°Those things have been used by the Urillians to commit atrocities,¡± Gareth said as if he thought it would end the conversation, ¡°they put elves on a pedestal that we don¡¯t deserve, and that will hurt bigger than hell when we fall from it. Also, there just are a bunch of scientific inaccuracies that don¡¯t add up. People cannot teleport, for example, around the planet as they were said to do during Morgani¡¯s rebellion. And there were never three moons, Rendy, we know the planet would have behaved completely differently. It would fuck up the tides and whatnot. Elves may have once been a single, multi-elemental race, common ancestor and all that, but if that was the case, the divergence wasn¡¯t the result of a curse from some god, it was lots of small changes over millions of years as we adjusted to our different environments, like any other creature. In that model, it makes sense that, for example, an earth elf who had a common ancestor with a fire elf, could give birth to a fire elf. In a model where that distinction was made because a god cursed us, that couldn¡¯t happen, because an all-powerful god could not half-ass a curse. Orenda exists, there is no god, thank you for coming to my symposium, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know any of that to be true,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Rendy, I was raised by a high priest and her god-chosen soul mate. It may have been long ago, but believe me, no one can quote the sacred texts like a child who was forced, against his will, to memorize them.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Because you seem to have forgotten that the Urillians are twisting the sacred texts to fit their narrative. The texts say that we are to guide and shape other creatures, not to enslave them! It also says to beware false prophets who seek to do the very twisting that the Urillians have done. Do you know what I think, Gareth? I think you¡¯re angry about the way your life has turned out, and you¡¯re lashing out at anything. The ¡®scientific¡¯ inconsistencies that you¡¯re talking about may not actually exist. The tides could have been different before Morgan fell, when there were three moons.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, Ronnie!¡± Gareth snapped, ¡°Gravity is a thing! Three moons would throw the whole planet out of whack! I don¡¯t need your apologist bullshit! Mom was wrong about-¡± he caught himself, realized that his anger was disproportionate to the situation, and amended, ¡°Your grandmother was wrong, Orenda. She dedicated her life to a god that did not exist.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Falsie said after he swallowed a drink from his flask, ¡°I heard that it¡¯s impolite to talk religion or politics at the dinner table.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Orenda sighed, ¡°Gareth, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that I would like to believe that this staff exists, and that it is powered by a god, and that I¡¯ll be able to use it to defeat the Emerald Knight. That¡¯s all. I would like to be allowed to believe that.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t believe things that may not be true, Rendy,¡± Gary said, ¡°Even demons don¡¯t give false hope. False hope is the worst¡­ to have it and have it dashed, or to learn that it never should have existed in the first place¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree,¡± Orenda shook her head, ¡°I think hope is important.¡±


    ¡°He wanted to name you after it,¡± Gareth said.

 Chapter 68 - Book 2 Chapter 24

    The trip up the mountain was so painfully inconsequential that it could be called ¡°boring¡± and the label could not be argued.  Orenda spent most of her time in the wagon talking to Anilla, and found that her travels had been relatively short. She had ventured as far as she could across the frozen north, but the consensus of her people had been that had the dragon been on that continent, it would have come to her.  When it didn¡¯t, she had set off, and found her way to the fire continent, but hadn¡¯t traveled very far there, either. Orenda thought that for someone on a life-changing quest, she was not doing a very thorough job at it.


    Anilla believed in the concept of a soul-mate, apparently all the halflings did, and she seemed to think that she could find hers by simply being in the same place at the same time, or¡­  a similar place at the same time. Orenda thought that Anilla didn¡¯t understand how big continents were, because she expected a dragon to travel over vast distances to find her. Of course, there were all different kinds of dragons, even in the frozen north, and most of Anilla¡¯s people had dragons that were big enough to at least transport a halfling with no trouble.  But not all of them were big enough to ride. Some species were as small as Draco.


    On the third day, Falsie stopped the wagon to make camp far earlier than he normally did, and Orenda sensed the change in the air as they all piled out to set everything up.  Bella was twitchy and nervous, and Gareth far more relaxed, calm, and accommodating than he normally was. He went off to scout, something Orenda now knew he did to make sure that no one was anywhere near them so he would feel comfortable taking off his mask, and left Orenda and Anilla in charge of staking the horses while Falsie set up the fire, as he always did.


    Bella sat by the fire clutching her upper arms and staring at the sunset.


    Gareth was gone far longer than he normally was, and Orenda had began to worry by the time he came jogging back to their camp.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°We¡¯re a little close to civilization for comfort, but¡­  it¡¯s well hidden, I suppose. Besides, I don¡¯t think anything will happen?¡±


    ¡°How close?¡± Bella asked.


    ¡°Not close enough for me to walk,¡± Gareth said as he slid his mask under his hat, ¡°But, I suppose, as the wolf runs¡­  one could get there and back easily in one night.¡±


    ¡°Gareth!¡± She snapped, ¡°That¡¯s¡­  that¡¯s not what¡­ we agreed!¡±


    Orenda followed her eyeline to the setting sun.  It was hitting the horizon. The day was giving way to night, and any minute she would see something she had only ever read about.  She had always wanted to see a shifter, to see it in person, the transformation. She had seen Bella before in her shifted state, but only in bits and pieces, not a good look, not a real look.  This was something legends were told about.


    ¡°Darling,¡± Gareth sat next to her and took her hand, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.  It¡¯s always fine.¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew how Xac did it,¡± She said.


    ¡°Xac was tortured until his psyche and body broke,¡± Gareth said matter-of-factly, ¡°That¡¯s how he did it.  I wouldn¡¯t wish it on anyone.¡±


    ¡°I need to get out of these clothes,¡± She jumped up, moving with a mania that made Orenda sad.  She had, she supposed, forgotten that shifters had been cursed. She had only seen it as a good thing, as something miraculous to be studied.  But this was Bella¡¯s life, this uncontrollable transformation every month that made her something she apparently did not want to be.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± Gareth got up to follow her and together they walked behind the wagon.  They were gone for some time as the sky changed from orange to purple, and when they emerged Bella had her cloak drawn tightly around her; Orenda suspected that she was nude beneath it.


    ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± Gareth promised, ¡°Everything is always fine.¡±


    Orenda was drawn to Bella¡¯s eyes, because- she did have two of them.  Orenda had always thought that she didn¡¯t. Bella always wore an eyepatch, but now she had taken it off, and Orenda couldn¡¯t tell a difference in her eyes.  One didn¡¯t look injured or in any way different from the other. She was going to ask about this, but the moons began to crest the horizon, and Bella fell to her knees as if she was in pain.


    Orenda had expected that she could observe the transformation in detail.  She thought that it would be like in the stories, the tales that linked them to the demon Magnus, the horror books that spoke of shifters, that gave a step-by-step account of a person¡¯s skeletal structure knocking out of whack, of muscles that stretched and snapped out of place so hard it made noises as they jerked bone and flesh with them, of hair growth that sprouted and could be tracked, of a face that moved slowly from a human to a snout, growing teeth and expanding in a way that made sense.


    If any of that happened, it was over in the blink of an eye.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    All Orenda saw was Bella falling to her knees, then Gareth kneeling to keep a hand on her back, to comfort her, and then she was¡­  different. The woman was gone and the creature stood before them, on all fours- but it was not a wolf. It was the thing Orenda had seen in the city center in bits of pieces, the monster- for it was a monster, not a wolf, before her crouching on hands that she could see spread out on the ground beneath the cloak.  They were hands more than paws, but ¡®hands¡¯ was not the right word. The nails did not come from a nail bed as they did on a human, but from the tip like a dog¡¯s. But there were fingers, spread out in a configuration like a human hand.


    Her face was decidedly canine, with the snout and ears that Orenda had expected.  She used it to snuggled into Gareth¡¯s chest so hard it knocked him off his feet, and Orenda saw that she did have a tail that threw off the style of the cloak and arched over her back as she licked Gareth across his scarred cheek, then threw back her head and let out a howl so long and loud that Orenda was reminded of her lungs, of her powers as a mage of the air.


    ¡°There you are, darling,¡± Gareth reached up and took handfuls of her hair on either side of her face, ¡°You¡¯re fine.  You¡¯re safe. I do wish you wouldn¡¯t be so loud. You may draw people we wouldn¡¯t like to see.¡±


    Bella stared at him- huge, intimidating, monstrous, and he stared back, and Orenda was amazed to see no fear between them.  Looking at Bella, at how much taller and broader she was in this form, she was reminded of how easily she tore through the crowd at the city center, of how easily she could rip Gareth, rip any of them, to shreds.  But he held no fear of her.


    Instead he asked, ¡°Who¡¯s my good girl?¡±  He struggled backwards until he was able to stand, and Bella rose with him, towering above him as he asked again, ¡°Who¡¯s my good girl?¡±


    Orenda watched the muscles in her arms flex as she lifted him by the waist and took note of the strange way that her legs bent.  Her interest in biology told her that her back legs were far more canine than her arms, but there was no one part of her that was fully wolf or fully human.  Gareth giggled and buried his face in her fur, which was much longer at the neck where it puffed out over the hood tossed behind her. She was trying to get Gareth onto her back, and he obliged happily.  He was smiling when he slid the mask back onto his face.


    ¡°Have fun,¡± Falsie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will,¡± Gareth said, ¡°She never disappoints on land.  Lots of places to explore tonight. We may come back with meat. Oh, I guess we¡¯re leaving!¡±


    This last statement carried back to them on the wind, because Bella had taken off at a sprint.  She had spent Gareth¡¯s goodbye sniffing at the ground, and she must have found something she liked, because she was gone in an instant, running so quickly that they disappeared into the night almost as soon as they set off.


    ¡°You smell like wet dog.¡±


    This assertion dragged Orenda from her slumber, and had come from Falsie.  She blinked the sleep from her eyes to see Gareth without his mask, plucking the feathers from a chukar that had apparently been gutted before it had been plucked, which seemed a backwards way to do things, but there were several other animals laid out beside him in similar states of disarray, and it was not difficult for her to put together what had happened.  He was covered in dog hair. His outfit needed a good cleaning, and, in fact, he was no longer wearing his coat. His medallion stood out against his chest in the open shirt he wore, shimmering in the morning light.


    Bella lay on the bedroll she and Gareth shared with her back to Orenda covered by her cloak, and her body rose and fell with the gentle rhythm of sleep.  There was nothing at all canine about her; it was as if it had never happened.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why,¡± Gareth said in alarm, ¡°We didn¡¯t get wet.  I mean, we did run through a stream, once, because we had to stop for water, but it was such a warm, dry night I can¡¯t imagine it would cause a smell.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Falsie said as if he didn¡¯t believe him.


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Orenda said as she stretched.  She had meant to say more, she had a question, but she paused too long in an attempt to wake up, and he thought it was a conversational opening.


    ¡°Shush,¡± he said, and cocked his head toward Bella, ¡°It takes a lot of energy to transform, takes a lot out of someone.  Let her sleep. I only want to wake her to get her into the wagon. She should sleep all day, if she could.¡±


    ¡°Is there nothing wrong with her eye?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Gareth said as if that was a strange question, ¡°Shifters regenerate from injuries.  I mean, maybe not an entire eye, but it would take a lot to damage her in a way she wouldn¡¯t heal from.  Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°She always wears an eye patch,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gareth said as if he had to convince himself that this was strange, ¡°Yes, Rendy, humans can¡¯t see in the dark.  Their eyes have to adjust to different kinds of light. So if she needs to go below deck in a hurry she flips the patch from one eye to the other, so she can see instantly in darkness.  Haven¡¯t you ever noticed that she changes them when she goes below deck?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t on your ship long, Gareth,¡± Orenda reminded him.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, considering this, ¡°I suppose you weren¡¯t.  Well, humans have strange eyes. Shifters have better eyes than most, sometimes, but that adjustment period is still a killer for them.  Elven eyes adjust almost instantly. I don¡¯t know what the difference is. I¡¯m not a doctor.¡±


    ¡°Impy doesn¡¯t wear an eyepatch,¡± Orenda said as she moved to sit in the same circle that Gareth and Falsie made up.


    ¡°He used to,¡± Falsie said, ¡°But now the poor buggar can¡¯t even see in sunlight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all going for him, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gareth said sadly, ¡°I hate to lose anyone else¡­¡±


    ¡°He gave it up when he found it wasn¡¯t doin nothin,¡± Falsie explained, ¡°Time makes fools of us all, an all that.¡±


    ¡°It certainly does,¡± Gareth agreed.

 Chapter 69 - Book 2 Chapter 25

    Orenda didn¡¯t understand why they were going underground to go up the mountain.  It seemed counterintuitive. Once the darkness of the cave settled around them, Gareth hopped up front with Falsie and they began to speak in a language that Orenda could not understand.  Occasionally Bella would say something to liven up the conversation, but she still seemed tired and starving, so her attention was much more focused on the constant snacking she had been doing since she awoke.  As they drove into the darkness she didn¡¯t flip her eyepatch, which seemed strange to Orenda.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see in the dark, either,¡± Anilla said to Bella as Bella ate fruit jerky by the handful, ¡°Maybe I should wear an eyepatch.¡±


    ¡°I do it out of habit, mostly,¡± Bella shrugged, ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t scare you last night.¡±


    ¡°I love dogs!¡± Anilla announced happily, ¡°You must have loved it back home, where you could run through the snow.  I can¡¯t believe the others were so mean to you- you¡¯re so big and strong you would have been useful to the village!  You brought back more food than we can eat.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda disagreed, ¡°She¡¯s going through it pretty fast.  Are you alright, Aunt Bella?¡±


    ¡°Xac, you know, the ¡®white rabbit¡¯, he doesn¡¯t¡­  he¡¯s the only shifter I¡¯ve ever met who can just do it.  He can control it. And he remembers it. I asked him how he learned to do that- I didn¡¯t think it was possible- and he told me that when he was young it was ¡®beaten into him¡¯.  He said that you would be amazed to find what you could do to avoid pain or death. He was right. Still¡­ I wish I could control it.¡± She said as if that answered the question, though it very clearly did not.


    ¡°Everyone,¡± Gareth stuck his head between the burlap and pulled up his mask to speak to them, ¡°Here¡¯s the plan.  We don¡¯t know if Falsie¡¯s mother¡¯s old shop is still here- the last time we were here was a good two decades ago and it was in bad shape then, so¡­  if it¡¯s not and we can¡¯t get that armor, the three of you are going to have to stay here. Rendy and I will have to go alone. That place¡­ it isn¡¯t safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Gary,¡± Bella rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be fine, you¡¯ll be in constant pain, but you¡¯ll heal.  That¡¯s how it was last time. Anilla will probably burst into flames and die.  Falsie¡­ we have no way of knowing whether or not he¡¯ll survive. It¡­ it wasn¡¯t just the eruption.  The land there is angry, since the night everything went to hell. They say the spirit died. I don¡¯t know what happened but it¡¯s too hot for you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re going looting?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°is that a good idea?  With a war on? Wouldn¡¯t the army of Huriyat AlIinsan have to march through here from what you¡¯ve told me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever claimed it was a good idea,¡± Gareth sounded insulted, ¡°I said it was what we were going to do.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Orenda said with as much sarcasm as she could muster.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be negative, Rendy, it isn¡¯t a good trait,¡± He smirked, ¡°My point is, everyone be cool.  We don¡¯t want to draw a lot of attention to ourselves.¡± He pulled his mask down and disappeared through the fabric.


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache!¡± A voice that sounded important rang out, so everyone inside the wagon pushed themselves forward to look out past the drivers.


    A huge gate was barred tight with a lock the likes of which Orenda had never seen.  The entire thing was made of metal, and the bar that ran across the middle seemed to be held in place by some sort of clockwork mechanism.  The gate was guarded on either side by a dwarf in impressive armor, and the wall on either side of the gate was apparently thick enough to be considered a room, because two additional guards peered out the windows.  Orenda saw that each of them held a mage staff with the biggest fire crystals she had ever seen. They looked like real staves, like the one Tolith had inherited from his father, used by real fire mages.


    If there were dwarven fire mages, why did Felearn and the other earth elves act as if the art had died away?  They traded with dwarves. Surely they knew¡­ but they didn¡¯t. Somehow they didn¡¯t.


    Orenda knew that earth elves didn¡¯t travel this far up the Sacred Mountains; she could feel the fire magic in the air, cracking around her, so she knew that being here would feel to them like being on the ocean had felt to her.  But she couldn¡¯t imagine that they interacted with the dwarves and it never came up.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    The people of Henoluhur apparently knew Gareth on sight, and were all aiming their weapons at him.  He seemed as alarmed by this as anyone else.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, and a dwarven warrior stepped forward.


    ¡°No elves have entered Henoluhur since the Urillian colonization,¡± The warrior announced, ¡°Your kind is not welcome here.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Gareth stood with one foot on the dashboard and spoke loudly, ¡°I¡¯ve been here since the colonization!  I took refuge here! I have traveled to Huriyat Allinsan! I am a Knight of Order!¡±


    ¡°Elves are not welcome in Henoluhur,¡± The warrior said.


    ¡°I am!¡± Gareth argued, ¡°You know what, fuck it, I want to speak to the high council!¡±


    ¡°What happened to not calling attention to ourselves?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°What part of ¡®fuck it¡¯ was difficult to understand?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°We won¡¯t harbor a known pirate,¡± The warrior announced.


    ¡°I got this,¡± Falsie said, and more loudly continued, ¡°I am Harold Hillheart the lesser, son of Helga Hillheart the traitor.  I have come to restore honor to my family. I have with me the Chosen Child of Thesis, come to take the sacred staff from the sacred flame.  And this man here is not some dread pirate- I travel with-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°I travel with-¡±


    ¡°The Emerald Knight is after me!¡±


    ¡°I travel with Gareth Firefist, son of Orenda Firefist, high priest of the Sacred Mountain Temple.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that name in my life,¡± Gareth argued.


    ¡°Harold Hillheart?¡± The warrior asked, and turned to address the guards, ¡°Send a courier.  Tell them Harold Hillheart the younger has returned and demands to speak to the council. Tell them he claims Gareth Firefist is with him, and the Chosen Child of Thesis!¡±


    ¡°And also a human and a halfling,¡± Falsie called, ¡°I mean if they¡¯re setting out places at a table or what have you and need to know how much food to order.¡±


    ¡°I hate you!¡± Gareth hissed as he sat down heavily with his arms crossed.


    ¡°Well, we had to do it eventually,¡± Falsie shrugged.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask me!¡± Gareth argued.


    ¡°Gary they¡¯re already on the Knight¡¯s bad side,¡± Falsie argued, ¡°It can¡¯t get worse.¡±


    ¡°Orenda doesn¡¯t need an entire city rallying around her,¡± Gareth¡¯s voice was low, but Orenda caught it nonetheless, ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to get her hopes up.  That staff isn¡¯t coming out of that fire. It¡¯s never going to happen. If we have a lot of people cheering for us, as I suspect is your plan, it¡¯s going to be a lot of disappointment for a lot of people in a time where no one needs false hope.  This is all going to hell in a handbasket.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Falsie shrugged, ¡°I ain¡¯t afraid of the devil.  What the hell¡¯s he gonna do that ain¡¯t already been done to us?¡±


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Orenda said, because she was tired of being left out of the conversation, ¡°I know that you¡¯re determined to be contrary, but I am going to get that staff.  It¡¯s going to happen. And even if it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll figure something else out. Either way, I¡¯m going to kill the Emerald Knight. Anything that lives can be killed. The books are wrong.  The research I¡¯ve done has been wrong about him. He can¡¯t be immortal, because he is alive.¡±


    ¡°Your mother tried everything,¡± Gareth told her, ¡°She went to Morgani Magnus himself to try to find a way to kill the Emerald Knight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to Magnus myself,¡± Orenda said more out of spite than a desire to convey any actual information, ¡°I didn¡¯t know who he was talking about at the time, but he apparently knew my parents.  The only thing that I can remember him saying in particular is that ¡®Ronnie was a fool¡¯, a sentiment that you seem to share.¡±


    ¡°And if you go up against the Emerald Knight, you¡¯re just like him!¡± Gareth snapped as he turned to face her, ¡°Stop chasing danger!  We need to stay alive! We¡¯re all that¡¯s left! We¡¯re good right here!¡±


    ¡°Hillheart!¡±


    There was a loud clacking of metal on metal as the gears in the lock began to turn, and the gate split down the middle.  It opened to reveal another contingent of guards, lined up in three rows and staring as if they had been expecting them.


    ¡°You will be escorted to meet with the high council,¡± The warrior continued, addressing Falsie, ¡°To discuss your plan, and to determine what is to be done with you.¡±

 Chapter 70 - Book 2 Chapter 26

    Their wagon was ¡®commandeered¡¯ as soon as they passed the gate, something that angered Orenda, but apparently no one else.  Because no one else shared the sentiment, she assumed there was something that she was missing about the social ramifications of how they were being handled, and pushed that emotion down as best she could to take in her surroundings.  She, Gareth, and Bella were taller than the guards surrounding them, and easily able to see over and around them.


    The place was beautiful in a strange way.


    The magic in the air was as palpable as it had been outside, flowing freely over her, but especially under her.  Orenda felt the fire below her, at the core of the planet, the beating heart that all life drew from. She felt the magma flowing there, holding the earth on its back, supporting her and everyone else, in a way that she never had on the surface.  This place¡­ this place felt more like ¡®home¡¯ than anywhere she had ever been, in the sense that the very area called out to her, welcomed her, held her its magical embrace.


    Not in the sense that the people welcomed her, because they very clearly did not.  The guards crowded them on all sides, ushering them down a street lined with buildings that seemed to be military outposts.  Dwarves in armor looked down on them, but most of them wore helmets that made it impossible to see their faces.


    Large fire crystals embedded into the side of the buildings gave off a soft, red light that lit more evenly than a flickering flame; Orenda had never seen them used in that way, hadn¡¯t known that they could be.  This place was alive with the magic of a type that Orenda had never felt, but understood instantly. She liked it here. She was powerful here. She suspected Gareth was as well.


    The military tunnel eventually opened up, and Orenda took in a city the size of a colony.


    She did not know civilization could be this vast, that it could stretch on for so long with no wilderness between it.  They walked into a wide open cave that stretched out for miles, but the middle of it had been, either naturally or by force, hollowed out.  Buildings only lined the one side, the other overlooked the edge, which was set off by railing to prevent accidents, and Orenda looked down.


    It stretched on forever.


    It spiraled downward with more buildings, people, and bustle, farther than her eyes could reasonably track.  She thought that if she dropped something she would not hear it hit the ground. If she had been afraid of heights, she would have felt the vertigo, but as it was, she simply stood in amazement at the grandeur of what the fire people had wrought.


    To be fair, the scale was more impressive than the buildings or people themselves.  It was obvious that the people here were on hard times, from the hobbled together repairs she saw on the living and the inanimate.  The strange thing was, it looked as if these things had been grand, once, but could not be sustained. People wore garments of silk repaired with a fabric Orenda was unfamiliar with, but it looked a cheap imitation of silk¡¯s sheen, too thick and too¡­  the only word that came to mind was ¡®fake¡¯. The repairs done to buildings were the same, as if the people were faking a grandeur that they had lost, and longed to return to.


    There were dwarves and humans in the street in this state of disrepair, all staring at their group as they marched past, and Orenda began to feel a bit like a prisoner, which, she supposed, she was.  But it was the first time in a long time that she did not feel an unearned air of superiority to those who wished to do her harm. The earth elves had always had an underlying fear of her, of the concept of fire- but these people understood it as she did.  Here she was not a great mage, last of the fire mages- here she was one among many who may not have been as well trained as those around her.


    It was not a good feeling.


    They were approaching a building that looked like a temple, and she saw Gareth¡¯s shoulders square as he walked through the large archway, tensing for the first time since their arrival, and she wondered, in that moment, if he was scared too.


    Inside, the building was carpeted in a lush red that ran from the doorway to a little stage, upon which was a table.  At the table sat nine dwarven figures dressed more nicely than the general populace, but still with that aura of degradation, of someone who had been better, once, and had lost something.  They had plates of metal before them that stood up at an angle, probably displaying a title of some sort, but Orenda could not read the text.


    These were obviously nobility, but Orenda had never interacted much with dwarves.  They only came to the industrial district to trade, and she hadn¡¯t seen any since she left the workhouse.  Even at the workhouse she never worked the deliveries, so she knew little of them then. They were a rarity, she had thought, but she realized how wrong she had been.  They were many, they simply didn¡¯t want to interact with the Urillians. Orenda did not blame them.


    She was shocked to hear a feminine voice come from the person sitting in the center of the table, because she had mistakenly thought the figure was a man.  She had a full beard which had been braided and arranged with flowers, and a stocky build. She also wore long flowing fabric, that, together with the beard and her long hair, which had been curled and braided, masked most of her body.  Her face was gnarled with age, a true crone, and age blurred the genders, but still Orenda felt a twinge of embarrassment for making assumptions about people, and wrote the lesson away in the back of her mind for the future.


    ¡°Harold Hillheart,¡± the woman said in common, for which Orenda was grateful, ¡°You have returned to us.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Falsie stepped forward, ¡°I have returned to right my mother¡¯s wrongs.  I have come as a Knight of Order to restore the Fire Elves. I have brought with me Gareth Firefist, son of Orenda Firefist the greater, high priest of the sacred Mountain Temple, and Orenda Firefist the lesser, Chosen Child of Thesis who will take the sacred staff from its sacred flame.¡±


    ¡°This is a high claim,¡± The woman said.


    ¡°Ms Metaldelver,¡± Gareth stepped forward, ¡°I do not like the whole,¡± he waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Nobility thing.  I¡¯m not my mother¡¯s son. I¡¯m not a priest, I¡¯m a pirate. And I¡¯m not here to swindle you or to get your hopes up. I¡¯m here for a supply run, pure and simple.  The last time I was here there weren¡¯t guards at that gate-¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°Gary!¡± Falsie warned, ¡°I¡¯m tryin to do a thing here-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about your etiquette!¡± Gareth snapped, ¡°My niece is not a figurehead!  She¡¯s not a martyr! She¡¯s not going to die on some dumbass quest like her father to appease a group of people she¡¯s never met and who don¡¯t give a damn about her!  I asked to speak to the high council, and I¡¯ll do it on my terms!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll watch your mouth!¡± Falsie snapped at him.


    ¡°This is me watching my mouth,¡± Gareth snapped back, ¡°You wanna see crazy?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Gareth Firefist?¡± Another council member asked, ¡°Captain Nochdifache is Gareth Firefist?¡±


    Gareth huffed and stood with his legs apart and one hand on his hip, as indigent as he possibly could be.


    ¡°Thank you, Falsie,¡± His voice dripped with sarcasm and ire, ¡°For your discretion.¡±


    He turned to the council and continued.


    ¡°It would be stupid to say ¡®no¡¯ now.  I am Captain Nochdifache. I am Gareth Firefist.¡±


    ¡°Take off the mask in our presence,¡± Ms Metaldelver said softly, ¡°I know Gareth Firefist.  He was not ashamed enough to hide his face. He and his brother Garon fought against the evil conquering Urillians with a spirit that could not be broken.¡±


    ¡°Well Ronnie¡¯s body broke a lot easier than his spirit!¡± Gareth yelled.


    ¡°I have heard of your loss, Gareth,¡± she said, ¡°I loved him, too, but I can¡¯t imagine what you¡¯ve been through.  Reveal your face so we can confirm your identity.¡±


    Gareth looked over his shoulder, then around at the guards surrounding them.


    ¡°Everyone not on the council or in my party will clear out,¡± he demanded, ¡°it¡¯s¡­¡±  his voice broke, and Orenda did not like the change. He sounded almost like a child when he said, ¡°It¡¯s real bad, Aunty Krothy.  It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s so bad. Mom wouldn¡¯t¡­ wouldn¡¯t recognize¡­¡±


    ¡°Clear out!¡± The woman demanded and pushed herself heavily to her feet.  She walked slowly and with great difficulty, leaning heavily on a mage staff for support, but she made it down the steps of the podium, and as she walked toward him, Gareth fell to his knees.


    Orenda watched the soldiers file out of the building, and felt the atmosphere in the room change.  There was something about this woman that was not intimidating, and the fear inside her lessened, gave way to something else, something she didn¡¯t understand, but it was more warm than hot, more comfort than authority.


    ¡°What have they done to you, Gary?¡± She asked softly, and Gareth fell to his knees.


    ¡°I¡­  I¡­¡± Gareth said, staring at the floor.


    The old woman reached out and peeled off the mask.  Gareth slowly raised his face to look up at her, to meet her eyes, and she ran the back of her knuckles along his scar.


    ¡°How did this happen, Gary?¡± She asked.


    ¡°The Emerald Knight killed Ronnie,¡± Gareth explained, ¡°And¡­  he almost killed me. He took my hand. Falsie, that is, Harry, made me a replacement, and it¡¯s served me well.  I don¡¯t¡­ I never thought Helga meant to hurt us. Rendy isn¡¯t the chosen one. She needs to learn that. Oh- Orenda, come here.  This is my godmother, Krothith Metaldelver. She was¡­ great friends with my mother. She was supposed to ferry you to Huriyat AlIinsan.  I still¡­ don¡¯t know how you wound up at that workhouse.¡±


    ¡°Your niece?¡± Krothy asked, ¡°Named for your dear mother?¡±


    Gareth nodded.


    ¡°Come here, child,¡± Krothy said, ¡°Let me get a good look at you.¡±


    Orenda stepped forward and knelt to be more on the old woman¡¯s level.


    ¡°Oh, you look so much like your grandmother,¡± She smiled, ¡°Those boys didn¡¯t look anything like her; they took after their father, but you got lucky, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the chosen one,¡± the old lady said as if testing the concept, ¡°Who will take the sacred staff and protect us from great danger?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I may as well be.  Someone has to be, don¡¯t they? I think I should at least try.  It couldn¡¯t do any harm.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gareth shook his head, ¡°She isn¡¯t.  Just like Ronnie wasn¡¯t.¡± He was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again it was so low as to be almost inaudible, ¡°Just like I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Harry,¡± the old woman turned to him, ¡°I want you to know that I never blamed your mother.  I sent representatives to barter for your dear father, after he was abducted by the Urillians.¡±


    Something about this statement set something off in Gareth, and he began to cry where he still knelt.  It was soft, and Orenda didn¡¯t think she would have noticed had she not been kneeling beside him, but she could see his reflection in the mask from where Krothy had sat it on the floor, and she watched great tears roll down his face.  She stood and put a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°He was trying to protect us!¡± Gareth said, ¡°Me and Ronnie.  He was trying to protect us, trying to get us off this¡­ we got away but¡­  they took him to the capital! I¡¯m sure she¡­ she got into his mind, she tortured him!  Because of us.¡±


    Orenda did not know what to say to this, so she tightened  and relaxed her grip on his shoulder in what she thought was a show of support.


    ¡°My father died as he lived,¡± Falsie said with conviction, ¡°Protecting people.  He was always nurturing, caring, and protective. He had a heart as big as these mountains, and he would not back down against anyone who tried to harm those who could not defend themselves.  He was a great warrior and a great father. I hold his memory dearly, and god willing, some of that has been passed to me. I have come to restore the last priest to the temple, to lead the Chosen One to her destiny.¡±


    Orenda had not known that her decision would be treated so formally, would affect so many people.  She had been acting, more or less, on a sense of what she felt she should do next. It never occurred to her that the ¡®chosen one¡¯ was a real title with real responsibility.  She simply wanted the staff, for very practical reasons. Orenda had never really had a family, and though she had always dreamed that there existed, somewhere out in the world, someone who loved her unconditionally, like a father, to see the only relative she had on his knees crying because he could not find worth in his life to equal the price that had been paid to protect it, she wondered, for the first time, if she was doing the right thing.


    ¡°Gareth?¡± She asked tentatively, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not alright!¡± He snapped, ¡°I¡¯ll never be alright again!  I wouldn¡¯t be alright if you paid me! I told you, Orenda, I¡¯ve earned this madness!  I will live it and no one will take it away! I won¡¯t lose it, not for social convention.  I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m making a scene!¡±


    That wasn¡¯t what she had meant, but he seemed somewhere else, far away, and she rubbed his back because she didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need armor,¡± Falsie said, because everyone else was politely ignoring Gareth¡¯s outburst, allowing him to just sob into the carpet until it passed, ¡°Like my mother used to make.  For the three of us- the human, the halfling, and me. The magic has gotten too strong up there and needs to be nullified so we don¡¯t burst into flame.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Krothy agreed, ¡°but the building has been abandoned.  I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll find there. I doubt you¡¯ll find any armor left.  No one travels to the temple anymore, not since the spirit died, not since Thesis abandoned that place.¡±


    ¡°I will reawaken the love of a god,¡± Falsie said as if it was a fact, as if it was something he could just do, at any time, with relative ease.  ¡°I will restore Order.¡±

 Chapter 71 - Book 2 Chapter 27

    ¡°That went much better than I expected,¡± Falsie said as the group walked from the temple, ¡°I thought they¡¯d be mad about me abandoning the place after my pa was captured.  You think they felt sorry for us because of the good captain¡¯s bitch-crying?¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Gareth snarled, ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you for this.¡±


    He was wearing his mask again and Orenda couldn¡¯t read his face.


    ¡°I think you were worried for nothing,¡± Anilla said, ¡°The old lady seemed so kind.  She acted as if she really liked both of you.¡±


    ¡°She knew my grandmother,¡± Orenda said softly, ¡°She recognized me.¡±


    The more people Orenda met, the more true her past seemed.  It was, perhaps, not all the ramblings of a madman. She had been born on a battlefield, the night her parents died, to an earth elven deserter of the Urillian army.  Her mother had defied the Emerald Knight and refused to help conquer the fire elves. Her father had defied the Emerald Knight in an attempt to create a better world for his child.  Both her parents were brave. They weren¡¯t royalty; they had never been royalty. They were a dishonorable soldier and a fallen priest. They were not recorded in history books.


    Three people had seen her father die.  Two had seen her mother die. Two had seen Orenda born.  It was a day that, to Orenda, seemed to mean something, to represent some sort of cycle, of birth, life, and death.


    Both her parents had died on her birthday.


    She didn¡¯t know how to feel about that.  She had never asked to be born and would not bear the responsibility for it.  But she had spent her entire life hoping that her parents were alive, and it gave her no closure to know that they were dead, because she would never meet them.  She wanted to know more about Sokomaur Sambrees. She remembered that Felaern had known her, but she didn¡¯t even know if he was still alive.


    ¡°Did any of you know my mother?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Everyone but Anilla answered, in vastly different tones and inflections.  Gareth was in a terrible mood, and spoke quietly, pregnant with meaning. Falsie seemed happy to recount memories, and Orenda suspected that Bella was just worried about Gareth.


    They were walking through a district that may have, judging by the bones of the buildings, been a place where the nobility went to shop.  Now many of the places were boarded up and abandoned, and it was towards one of these buildings that Falsie was leading them. There was a sign above the shop that Orenda could not read, but the picture of a ring made her think it was a jewlers.


    The large windows had been broken out and anything valuable that had once been displayed there had been stolen.  Falsie climbed expertly over the broken glass and into the shop, because he apparently considered this easier than dealing with the door, which had been nailed shut with boards criss crossing across its surface.  Bella did not share this sentiment, and kicked the door in with one mighty blow.


    Orenda followed her inside and saw the darkened interior had once been a storefront.  It still held the counter and most of the racks and display cases, but anything inside had been taken.  The moneybox behind the counter was missing, but as they walked past and into another door that swung by one hinge, she noticed that there were a stack of books behind the counter.  They looked like accounting measures, and as Orenda had always held a great love of books she stopped and opened one to the last page. The final entry read:


    ¡°200 suits of enchanted armor, climbing equipment, grappling hook, display jewelry, paid in full by Prince Regent of the Urillian Empire.¡±


    The sum of gold that accompanied this looked like a made-up number, an incomprehensible amount, and it shocked Orenda to learn that Falsie came from such wealth.  She had not really absorbed the fact that his family was patronized by royalty, that his parents were armorers for-


    Wait, Prince Regent?  Xandra was married?


    That was¡­  strange. Orenda didn¡¯t remember a Prince Regent at all from her history lessons.  She thought she remembered Felaern saying something about a prince, but for whatever reason she hadn¡¯t really registered what that meant.  Was he dead? Was Xandra a widow? There was absolutely no reason that this mysterious man should be recorded here but nowhere else.


    ¡°Orenda?¡± Gareth called, ¡°Darling, where are you?¡±


    Orenda closed the book and hurried through the door in the wall.  It was so dark inside that even her eyes strained, the pitch blackness of underground without even a sliver of light for her elven eyes to pick up, so she held out her hand and summoned a flame.  The door entered into a long, stone and earth hall that branched out into several rooms and other halls in a labyrinthian, twisting bit of disorientation, and after she passed the first room, a forge with chunks of metal and not much else- it too looked as if it had been picked clean- she stopped.


    ¡°Hello?¡± She called, ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Follow the sound of my voice!¡± Gareth yelled, and she did.


    ¡°Keep speaking!¡± Orenda demanded.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Bella said, ¡°You¡¯re a mage.  You should be able to find us. Look for our souls.¡±


    Orenda stopped, concentrated, and stared off into the darkness.  Almost instantly she felt them, and walked briskly in that direction.  So much had happened lately that she felt her plan pressing more on her than it had any right, and she thought that perhaps the hereditary madness was setting in.  Or it may be that she was just stupid. She certainly had a long history of speaking before she thought. How had she not realized that the staff was important? How had she forgotten about the prince?


    She caught up to Gareth, Bella and Anilla standing by a doorway.  Gareth held a flame as well in his flesh hand, and she spotted it before she spotted them.  They came into focus as she came nearer, and she found it odd that Falsie wasn¡¯t with them.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Falsie?¡± She asked.


    ¡°This room is sealed,¡± Gareth said, ¡°With blood magic.  Which, frankly, shocks the shit out of me. Normally something like that dies with the person who cast it.  Some would say it requires pulling from a higher power to cast a spell that lasts after death. Maybe Helga was stronger than we thought¡­¡±


    ¡°She left it for her son,¡± Orenda said, ¡°that¡¯s sweet.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only place that hasn¡¯t been looted to hell and back,¡± Bella said, leaning against the wall, ¡°Which is a shame.  Helga Hilleart was said to be the best armorer on Xren.¡± She paused, in thought and said, ¡°I suppose now that title goes to Xaxac Brigaddon, which is¡­  absurd. He had no idea how to work metal, but that sterilite clothing has to be considered armor, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Little bunny Foo Foo,¡± Gareth sang, ¡°Stumbling through my poor ship.  Picking up my brother and giving him great head.¡±


    Bella laughed, and Orenda realized she had forgotten Xaxac.  Her mother, and apparently her father as well, had had another lover.  Sokomaur had considered one as likely the father of her child as the other, since neither of them should have been able to get her pregnant.  Xac¡¯s letter said he had children. Xac was alive and well and leading the Knights of Order- he was the key to understanding what sort of person her mother was.  He may even consider her family. He would certainly be more use than Gareth in fighting the Emerald Knight.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going in there?¡± Bella asked, and Orenda looked into the room beyond the doorway.


    The room was covered in chests, much like Tolith¡¯s room on his ship had been, and Falsie was so deep inside a chest so large he bent at the waist to fit, with his feet dangling a little off the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s going!¡± He called back, ¡°It¡¯d go a lot faster if you could help me look!¡±


    ¡°Can you dispel the ward?¡± Bella asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°But Gareth¡¯s a better fire mage.  Can you do anything, Gary?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gareth snarled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, are we living in a world where I¡¯m not still angry at you?  Take your time.¡±


    ¡°It needed to be done, Gary,¡± Falsie said, ¡°She was worried about you.  And I knew it¡¯d get us out of any trouble for good.¡±


    ¡°I took off my mask,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Falsie said.


    ¡°In public!¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°I know.¡± Falsie agreed.


    ¡°I¡­  she shouldn¡¯t have seen me like this,¡± Gareth argued.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad, Gary,¡± Falsie said, ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you.  I won¡¯t tell you it doesn¡¯t look awful. But it¡¯s you.  It¡¯s not Ronnie. It¡¯s you. An¡­ you gotta-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what I have to do!¡± Gareth snarled and the flame in his hand doubled in size, flaring and lighting the corridor.


    ¡°That¡¯s real healthy, Gary,¡± Falsie said sarcastically.  ¡°Look. Rendy might actually be the chosen one. The kid is special.  We don¡¯t see a lot of earth elves give birth to fire elves. Maybe it means something.  I want you to accept that it might mean something.¡±


    ¡°No earth elf could free the staff,¡± Gareth leaned against the wall, crossed his arms, and the fire went out.


    ¡°I needed that, Gary,¡± Falsie said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure Orenda can take care of it,¡± he said dismissively, ¡°Since she¡¯s your fucking messiah and all.¡±


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Orenda snarled as she conjured a flame and held it in the doorway for Falsie to see by, ¡°I am consistantly amazed at the things you think I would care about.  I would expect,¡± she said, knowing full well as the words left her mouth that they were cruel to say, yet gaining some sort of vindictive satisfaction from the pure truth in them, ¡°That you would understand that you gave up any right you may have had to judge my life choices when you abandoned me.¡±


    Gareth¡¯s hands dug into his arms so hard that she heard the mechanical gears as he forced them to stall with the sheer strength of it.


    ¡°Rendy, I swear,¡± he said, ¡°I sent you to Huriyat AlIinsan with some very trusted friends.  I couldn¡¯t take you myself. The Emerald Knight was actively searching for me. I had to seperate us from each other as quickly as I could.  I don¡¯t know what happened. I lost track of you. I thought you were dead. I know you don¡¯t believe me, but I swear to you I tracked you as diligently as I could.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take me with you?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°That night, when you accidentally killed Tolith¡¯s father?  I know you saw me.¡±


    Gareth looked one way, then the other, and slid his mask up under his hat to look her in the eye.


    ¡°You were safe where you were,¡± he said, ¡°Your safety was my top priority.  I knew that fool Quiroris would risk his life for you. I made sure of that.  I told him that if he didn¡¯t keep you safe I would burn that school to the ground with his students inside of it, and he believed me.  I have a reputation that far exceeds the evils I would actually do.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°When did you do that?¡±


    ¡°I met with him several times, Rendy,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Not for long and always in secret, but he learned not to trust shadows.  I am a pirate, you know. I have other clothes. I was ten when my life fell apart, I grew up on the streets, on the sea, a wanted man.  The Urillians saw Garon and I as heirs, for some reason. They were always after us, always watching for us. I know how to hide.¡±


    He looked away and added, ¡°That isn¡¯t the only time I saw you.  We¡¯ve been watching out for you. You know that there were times you¡­  got lucky.¡±


    ¡°You should have taken me with you,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Gareth deflated, relaxed his arms and Orenda heard the tinkling of his fingertips against the wall.  ¡°But life is full of ¡®shoulda woulda coulda¡¯. I suppose we must look to the future. I¡­ I want our future to be one of survival, Rendy.  I don¡¯t want it to all be for nothing. There¡¯s no reason to go after the Emerald Knight. There¡¯s no reason to chase death.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡­  think that you¡¯re right. There is no reason to go after the Emerald Knight, not at first.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He said, his golden eyes lit up in the darkness, ¡°Oh thank god!  You¡¯ll forgive me if I¡¯m a bit skeptical, Rendy, that¡¯s exactly the sort of thing Soko used to say to fuck with people and I¡¯m afraid that prankster dickisness might be hereditary.¡±


    ¡°Again,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to go after the Emerald Knight at first.  I mean to go after Xandra.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re back to jackassery,¡± Gareth threw his hands to the air, ¡°There it is.  I knew it was too good to be true.¡±


    ¡°Gareth, listen,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I have a real claim!  My family was apparently nobility. I¡¯m the granddaughter of the high priestess.  If I get the staff, I¡¯ll have a claim by divine right. If I call her out, she can¡¯t say anything.  If I have the staff and she can¡¯t produce the sword, I have a claim by divine right to the throne, and she doesn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°You want to be empress?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°Have you gone mad?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­  a pretty big ask, Rendy,¡± Bella agreed.  ¡°I don¡¯t know that you¡¯ve thought that through.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be empress,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I just want to knock Xandra off her throne.  She has no heir. It would result in a bunch of nobles stabbing themselves in the back in a race for the crown.  I think they would self-destruct.¡±


    ¡°They would try to assassinate you,¡± Bella pointed out like a mother speaking to a child.


    Orenda had to concede the point, but at that moment, the answer came to her.


    ¡°Tolith!¡± She said, ¡°Tolith has a claim by birthright!  He¡¯s Xandra¡¯s cousin and the perfect puppet.¡±


    ¡°You would put Toli in danger?¡± Anilla asked as if the thought broke her heart, ¡°But he loves you!  That¡¯s so mean!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Rendy, can¡¯t we just go home?¡± Gareth begged, ¡°Just go home and forget this quest, the empress, the Emerald Knight?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Orenda argued, ¡°We¡¯ve already come so far!  I have to at least try. We¡¯re already halfway up the goddamn mountain!¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can do down as easily as we can go up!¡± Gareth heaved in frustration, ¡°Or, actually, easier, because that¡¯s how gravity works.¡±


    ¡°Gareth, listen to me,¡± Orenda grabbed him by the shirt and looked directly into his eyes, ¡°Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be someone important.  I told myself that I was a princess, that I would grow up to be a queen. I told myself that I had parents who loved me, who were going to return for me. I kept myself alive on that false hope that you despise.  And now? Now I am telling myself that I am the Chosen One who will bring Order to the fire continent. And I need you to understand something. It doesn¡¯t have to be true, it just has to be right. I¡¯m going after the staff with or without you.¡±


    ¡°You sound just like him,¡± Gareth said sadly.

 Chapter 72 - Book 2 Chapter 28

    ¡°Well,¡± Falsie said as he finally came out of the enchanted storage room and Orenda looked up from where she had been playing cards one-handed, sitting on the ground with the others, ¡°I¡¯ve got good news, bad news, and weird news.¡±


    ¡°Bad news first,¡± Bella said, ¡°It¡¯s easier to digest that way.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Falsie said, ¡°Ya don¡¯t get to pick.  The bad news is-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± She said.


    ¡°The bad news is,¡± he went on, ¡°That there isn¡¯t any of that armor.  But the good news is that I¡¯ve got some water crystals and some blueprints, and it actually looks decently easy to make.  The weird news is that it isn¡¯t exactly armor, nor clockwork. It¡¯s textile magic, like the carpet, magic crystals imbued with a spell and woven into fabric.  I¡¯ve never seen anyone actually do this before.¡±


    ¡°I think I would count that as more bad news,¡± Orenda frowned, ¡°If you¡¯ve never seen it before, how can you be sure it¡¯ll work?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s water magic?¡± Gareth asked in alarm, ¡°Falsie, you can¡¯t make it then.  You can¡¯t cast water spells. You¡¯re a fire mage.¡±


    ¡°Oh now look who¡¯s worried about me,¡± Falsie laughed, ¡°Broke the mask, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Well I mean, no, you can still go fuck yourself,¡± Gareth said with concern, ¡°But you can¡¯t hurt yourself¡­  why would Helga do that? On such a large order? That can kill you!¡±


    ¡°Guess she was always a little nutty,¡± Falsie laughed, and went waddling down the hall with his pockets jingling to the playful ¡®tink tink tink¡¯ sound of crystal against crystal.


    ¡°Where the hell are you going?¡± Gareth jumped to his feet and sprinted after him.


    ¡°Nice to see them getting along again,¡± Bella said.


    ¡°But he¡¯s right, isn¡¯t he?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°He really shouldn¡¯t cast outside his element.¡±


    ¡°Probably not, no,¡± Bella agreed, ¡°But I don¡¯t know that he can be stopped.  He¡¯s stubborn as a mule when he puts his mind to something.¡±


    She stood and continued, ¡°Well, I suppose I should follow them.¡±


    ¡°Anilla,¡± Orenda said when they were left alone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry this has gone so poorly for you. We haven¡¯t seen any dragons at all, I don¡¯t think.¡±


    ¡°Well, no,¡± Anilla said, ¡°But¡­  I¡¯m not completely selfish, you know?  I think people think that we¡¯re¡­ that we self-isolate, because we don¡¯t care about other people.  But that isn¡¯t the case at all. I know that your people are hurting, Rendy, that your friends are hurting, and I want to help you.  I have my whole life to find my dragon; I know that we¡¯ll find each other. I think what you¡¯re doing is important. This empire has hurt you.  It took your family, and family is so important. A sense of belonging is important.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda felt the soft smile on her face, ¡°You¡¯ve been so kind, and so positive.  You had this ability to see the best in people, in situations, that¡­ grates on my nerves a bit, but it¡¯s so refreshing in a world that seems determined to tear one down.¡±


    ¡°There is good in everything,¡± Anilla said as if saying it made it a fact.  ¡°And in everyone. There is good in every heart, maybe buried deep, but it¡¯s there.  I think we have to protect it.¡±


    ¡°Some would say that attitude was naive.¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child,¡± Anilla said, not unkindly, ¡°There is a difference between seeing the world as a place of ignorance and seeing the world for its potential.  The truth is that we¡¯ve all worked so hard to get here, and everything is going to be alright. Everything is an adventure, and it¡¯s been so exciting, especially since I left my home.  I think that some people may get caught up, in their lives, and they forget that the world around them is amazing.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Orenda agreed.


    ¡°It is,¡± Anilla said, ¡°Think of the numbers.  Our existence isn¡¯t impossible, but it certainly isn¡¯t very likely.  Especially yours. If any one thing had gone differently, you wouldn¡¯t exist, for so many reasons.¡±


    ¡°The way Gareth speaks,¡± Orenda said, ¡°The Emerald Knight spared his life because of me.  One would think he would be a bit more grateful.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s what I mean,¡± Anilla said, ¡°Things like that.  The Emerald Knight is supposed to be a monster, but he likes you.  He decided to spare your life. You turned a monster away from murder.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°That does strike me as strange,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Gareth said he didn¡¯t want to kill a baby.  But he would have killed hundreds of children in the disasters he caused. None of the stories about the Emerald Knight have ever made any sense.¡±


    ¡°There is good in everyone,¡± Anilla said, ¡°Like I said.  If he is a real person, there must be some good in him.¡±


    ¡°Not enough to make up for what he¡¯s done,¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Anilla said, ¡°that isn¡¯t what I¡¯m saying.  I just¡­ don¡¯t know that anyone sees themselves as a villain.  I wonder how the empress and her knight think of themselves¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care how they think,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Xandra created a world that destroyed everything about me.  It destroyed everything for a lot of people. I don¡¯t care how she¡¯s convinced herself that she¡¯s not evil.¡±


    ¡°If you want to challenge her,¡± Anilla said, ¡°Perhaps you should try to learn more about how she thinks.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°I know enough.  The earth elves are all cut from the same cloth.  They even feel it themselves. Toli says he can feel it inside of him.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t your mother an earth elf?¡± Anilla asked, ¡°Sokomaur?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what everyone says,¡± Orenda said slowly, ¡°But I¡¯m not sure I believe it¡­  It makes no sense.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why they would lie about it,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s wrong with me,¡± Orenda thought aloud, ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s why it was always so easy for me to convince myself that I was¡­  special. They think they¡¯re special, I think, by default. They seem to have some sort of innate drive that makes them think that they¡¯re better than other people.¡±


    ¡°Do they?¡± Anilla asked, ¡°I haven¡¯t gone among them much.  They seem to see me as if they think I¡¯m a curiosity, as if I¡¯m special.  I thought that they just saw everyone that way.¡±


    Orenda stared at the cards in her hand, then folded them and began to collect all the hands the others had laid down.  She shuffled them into the deck absentmindedly as she thought. Anilla saw what she was doing and handed her the cards she was holding to allow her to clean up, but Orenda wasn¡¯t cleaning up.


    In her divination class she had learned that cards were sometimes used to see the future.  She didn¡¯t believe any of it, but after she spoke to Gareth about the possibility of a god, it had strengthened her convictions.  She had heard that being forced to argue a position often made one realize what they truly believed, and if she really had been having dreams that were prophetic visions, there may as well be a god who gave each elf an individual fate.  It was something her father apparently believed.


    She laid the cards out in order and Anilla leaned forward to watch her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Anilla asked.


    ¡°Some people believe that there are no random occurrences,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°that everything that happens happens for a reason, and that these reasons are decided by the great god Thesis, who created elves in his image.  If that is the case- and I¡¯m not saying it is- there are people who believe that this curtain can be peeled away, and that reasoning revealed, by looking for signs. If you find the pattern in the occurances, you can use it to predict the future.  Supposedly. I don¡¯t know if I believe that.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Anilla said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of divination.  I didn¡¯t know one could do it with cards. Back home we charted the stars.¡±


    Orenda made a noncommittal noise and flipped the first card.


    The seven of cups.  Orenda realized that this gesture was meaningless, because she had never believed in divination, and could not remember which cards stood for what.  She thought that the suite had something to do with love, but could not remember what the individual cards meant. It was all meaningless anyway, so she flipped another card.


    The fool.  She knew that one, and if she believed in what she was doing, it would worry her.  She flipped another.


    The six of swords.  What did swords mean?  She couldn¡¯t really remember.  She thought it had something to do with combat or power, but this exercise was quickly becoming even more meaningless than she had anticipated.  She flipped another card.


    The nine of staves.  She knew what staves meant, they were the suite most often associated with mages.  If a reading came up primarily staves, that was a good thing for a mage¡­ if she believed that sort of thing.  She flipped the last card.


    The king of staves.


    Orenda looked down at the cards, sitting there on the stone floor, and realized that had she paid more attention, she would know what those symbols meant together, but the truth of the matter was that they would never mean anything.  They weren¡¯t going to tell her her future, because her future was not preordained. To prove this, she drew one more card and told herself that it would be the ¡®true¡¯ sign.


    Morgani Magnus looked back at her.


    It was obvious whoever had carved the woodblocks the cards were printed from had never seen Magnus themselves, had only gone off of descriptions, but still, his black eyes stared out from the cardstock, and Orenda could not remember what the card was supposed to mean, because the only thing that she could think in that moment was that Magnus had not lied to her.  Magnus had known her parents. Magnus knew her.


    ¡°What does it all mean?¡± Anilla asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I can¡¯t remember what they mean, and I never much believed in it anyway.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that one in your hand?¡± Anilla asked.


    ¡°The devil,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± Anilla smiled.  ¡°He¡¯s cute, with his big eyes.¡±


    ¡°If I put it down it would be upside down, from my perspective,¡± Orenda said as she did so, ¡°I think that changes the meaning, but I can¡¯t remember.  It doesn¡¯t matter. None of this matters. Let¡¯s go find the others.¡±


    She gathered all the cards up, for real this time, and climbed to her feet.

 Chapter 73 - Book 2 Chapter 29

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice,¡± Gareth was saying as Orenda followed the magical signatures of the group to find them, deeper in the maze-like corredores, ¡°If we could just head back to the ship?  Poor Impy must be bored. I¡¯m sure one of her lackies has sent word to the great and powerful Xandra. We don¡¯t need to stay in one place for too long.¡±


    ¡°This place has really been picked clean,¡± Bella said.


    Orenda came into what seemed to be a sitting room, but it was disheveled and unused.  Bella was right, the place had been looted and there was little left. It looked as if it had once been a bright and cheery place, lit, as the outside had been, by fire crystals set into the walls, because she could see where they would have been placed.  But some unnamed hand had pried them loose and stolen them, and now the room was lit from the flame in Gareth¡¯s hand. The light increased as she walked in holding her own flame, and Anilla came trailing behind her.


    ¡°This is where I was born,¡± Falsie explained, ¡°Well¡­  maybe not born, but where I dwelt. This place was a home, once.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not a scrap of workable fabric in this place,¡± Bella said.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Xaxc knit with his hair?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Sterilite doesn¡¯t conduct magic.  Spells won¡¯t permeate it. It would be the worst material to make this armor from.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to go buy some then, won¡¯t we?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I¡­  I honestly think that this hardship may be a sign,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°You believe in signs now?¡± Orenda asked him.


    ¡°No, but I mean¡­  we¡¯re wasting time that we don¡¯t have,¡± Gareth explained.  ¡°If you and I went alone I could fly us up there in no time, and we could come back.  I don¡¯t like staying in one place this long.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no indication that the Emerald Knight can move that fast, Gary,¡± Bella said softly, ¡°We can stay in one place long enough to construct this armor.¡±


    ¡°I want to get it over and done with,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I want to be back on my ship.¡±


    Orenda felt for him.  She understood his fear, but she did not share it.  She had never seen the horrors that the Emerald Knight could do, and wasn¡¯t entirely sure she believed them.


    ¡°Do you remember the night the Fire Elves fell?¡± Orenda asked him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ¡°I was young, but I¡¯ll never forget it.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember a prince regent?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°From Uril?  I didn¡¯t know Xandra was married, or that she had ever been married.¡±


    ¡°I remember some to-do about nobility,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I was supposed to go meet with them, but I didn¡¯t, because I was pissed at dad.  So¡­ I didn¡¯t go. Ronnie went. I let my father down on his last day alive. It¡­ I was a child, and I tell myself that children act out.  I tell myself that I had no way of knowing.¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to meet a prince,¡± Orenda asked, ¡°And you chose not to go?¡±


    ¡°We were being presented like prized goats,¡± Gareth said, ¡°¡®Welcome your majesty, this is my son Garon, the prodigy, the good one, the one Theisis has chosen- and this is Gary.  He¡¯s here, also.¡¯ Even then I was no child of their non-existent god.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, because she didn¡¯t know what else to say.  She collected her thoughts before she spoke again. ¡°I think that I would like to meet a prince, even if I was upset, just to say that I had.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the authority of the Urillian Empire,¡± Gareth said with great seriousness, ¡°I didn¡¯t then and I don¡¯t now.  They had no right, and still have no right, to be here. Even by mom¡¯s own logic they didn¡¯t have that right. Hell, they had less right!  They spilled sacred blood on sacred ground. They came to kill us, to get that stupid staff. That thing caused this war, and now we¡¯re going after it again.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°We are gonna have to buy it,¡± Falsie declared, ¡°I need yarn I can weave the crystals, and the spell, into.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to do that?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°How hard can it be?¡± Falsie laughed, ¡°People weave cloth every day.  I just have to work the magic.¡±


    ¡°Completely out of your element,¡± Gareth snarled, ¡°No, you know what?  I¡¯m sick of this. I¡¯m not letting you hurt yourself for me. Orenda, I¡¯m leaving.  If you want to come with me, then follow me!¡± He waved his hand and his fire went out.


    ¡°Gary!¡± Bella called.


    ¡°No!¡± his voice carried down the tunnel, ¡°I¡¯m done!  We don¡¯t have time for this! This entire quest is foolishness!  We go alone or we don¡¯t go at all!¡±


    ¡°Gareth!¡± Orenda ran after him.  She caught up quickly, grabbed his arm, and said again, ¡°Gareth!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one he¡¯s tracking!¡± Gareth turned to face her, ¡°I¡¯m the one he¡¯s after!  Ronnie screamed my name at him, not theirs. I¡¯m the danger here, as I am everywhere.  They can hide here while we¡¯re gone, and if he comes for us it will be me he¡¯s after, and I can fight him while you get away.¡±


    ¡°But he isn¡¯t here at all,¡± Orenda tried to appeal to reason, ¡°Gareth, these things are in your head.  Even in the story you told, the Emerald Knight never said he was after you! He told you to run away!¡±


    ¡°I know they¡¯re after us!¡± He shouted, ¡°Me.  After me. There is no us anymore¡­ I know they¡¯re after me.  That¡¯s how we met Soko¡­ that¡¯s how I met the Knight the first time¡­  I know they¡¯re after me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been running for two centuries,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I know he didn¡¯t succeed, but perhaps Garon was right about one thing- you can¡¯t run forever.  It¡¯s driven you mad. You deserve better, Gareth. I don¡¯t care what they all told you- Garon is dead and you aren¡¯t, and the only reason for that is that you were smarter.  You didn¡¯t go into danger unprepared. You knew when to pull back. You¡¯re the good one.¡±


    He stared at her hand on his arm and though he was not wearing his mask, Orenda could not read the expression on his face.


    ¡°Gareth,¡± she said softly, ¡°I need your support.  You¡¯re the only family I will ever have. And I need your intelligence.  You¡¯ve faced the Emerald Knight twice and lived. You know the danger, but you must also know the reward.  You know that you¡¯ve been running for too long. You deserve a rest.¡±


    ¡°Because¡­  because my father was so proud of Ronnie,¡± Gareth said, ¡°They knew he had been chosen by Theisis.  They knew he had been accepted by the temple as a priest. I think they wanted to wipe out the entire priesthood.  Anyone who takes the test must be accompanied by a priest, Rendy. They were trying to keep that from happening, to seal the temple away forever.  Ronnie may have¡­ you may be¡­ right. The staff may be able to hurt him. And they wanted to make sure no one could ever get to it again.¡±


    ¡°You have to have a priest to get to the staff?¡± Orenda asked in alarm, ¡°You told me that they might not be able to get in but we could!  Are you telling me now that we may not be able to get in to even try?¡±


    He looked from her hand to her eyes, then away.


    ¡°No,¡± he said softly, ¡°No, magic flows through the blood.  It¡¯s genetic. It¡¯s inherited. We were¡­ a matched set. I never told them I could¡­¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t part of a set,¡± Orenda told him, growing more annoyed.  She knew he was upset, but his madness was coming on, she felt it in the way he moved, and she needed to cut it off, ¡°Because you aren¡¯t a doll.  You never were. It can¡¯t be good for you to think like that. I know that you loved your brother, but he¡¯s gone, and I¡¯m here now, and¡­¡± She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and told a lie, ¡°And I forgive you for abandoning me.  I believe you were doing what you thought was right; that you were doing the best you could.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar,¡± he said, ¡°I had hoped you wouldn¡¯t be.  Both your parents were so good at it. I was always good at it. Priests have to be good liars, so it runs in our family.  You have to convince people to take things on faith, and that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s difficult to do if you¡¯re speaking to people who are prone to thinking.  Faith is a vice, not a virtue. To believe something without evidence, even if it¡¯s to believe in yourself is¡­ foolish.¡±


    Orenda remembered the card she had flipped and frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± She said, ¡°I am a terrible liar.  But that¡¯s because I stride toward truth, and the truth is that I want to forgive you, Gareth.  I want to believe you. I actually believe¡­ that you were frightened, that you perhaps panicked and made a decision that hurt us both.  But I can see why you did that. You had a very bad day.¡±


    ¡°I had a very bad life,¡± Gareth laughed, then amended, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t say that.  That I had a bad life. I¡­ all things considered I suppose I¡­ well, I don¡¯t think most people have legends told of them.  Most people can¡¯t walk into a place, proclaim their identity and start a panic. I¡¯ve done good in the world, I think. Haven¡¯t I?  We both have. All of us. I need to write Xac back.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still alive,¡± Orenda said, ¡°In a world trying to kill us, we¡¯re still alive.  We can¡¯t keep running, Gareth. We have to take it back. We have to avenge our family.  Their lives have to mean something.¡±


    ¡°I still think we should go alone,¡± Gareth said, ¡°It¡¯ll be faster.  And¡­ perhaps more fitting. We would have gone into the sacred space alone anyway, were we to really perform the ritual, to do the test.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say a proper goodbye,¡± Orenda squeezed his arm.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth relented, ¡°We¡¯ll have a proper goodbye.¡±

 Chapter 74 - Book 2 Chapter 30

    Orenda didn¡¯t like the way the dwarven guards eyed her as she and Gareth made their way back through the gate.  They were both wearing packs now, full of food, toiletries, and full waterskiens that made her think the journey was going to be longer and more treacherous than Gareth had given her reason to believe.


    She was amazed how easily the others had let them go, particularly Bella, who had changed her tune so quickly and with such ferocity that it frightened Orenda.  Something about this, about them going alone, made the experience bearable to Gareth. He had stopped his complaining and almost seemed chipper. The change unnerved Orenda.


    It was true that he had been mostly kind to her, but it was also true that he was the man who was supposed to take care of her before, who had let her down in a way that she would never recover from, and now she was with him again, alone.  She didn¡¯t trust him, and could not be blamed for that. He didn¡¯t seem to be in possession of his full faculties, and even if he had been, he had a reputation as a bloodthirsty pirate, and she had seen him kill before.


    Not that she was in a position to judge anyone.  She remembered the soldiers in the library, the soldiers on the ship in the harbor.  The second one had almost been worse, but in a strange, detached sort of way. That had not been something she had decided, more something that had just happened.  She remembered that once she had told Felearn that murder never ¡®just happens¡¯, but¡­ perhaps she had been wrong. Perhaps she had judged him too harshly. He had been right about circumstances, about moving forward into battle or being shot in the back.


    It was easy to tell yourself that it was for the common good, that these were evil people who did evil things because they were, at their core, evil.  Until you saw that it was someone you went to school with, who had nearly grieved herself to death for an unrequited love- no¡­ no not even that, but for a life lost.  Shelly had only wanted what her parents had wanted for her, a good husband, a good match, with whom to have good children. It wasn¡¯t her fault that Tolith hadn¡¯t loved her any more than it was Orenda¡¯s fault she hadn¡¯t loved Tolith.


    Orenda thought Gareth was in love, but¡­  still he was the only adult who seemed to understand her relationship with Toli, though she wished he hadn¡¯t said it in such plain terms.  She thought of the letter she had read, the private letter that she had no business reading, and thought that maybe most people spoke in plain terms.  Xac had been very upfront with his intentions. He never pretended love. He had called himself pathetic for wanting that companionship, for wanting to settle for an imitation only because he couldn¡¯t have his real love.


    She found herself thinking about Xac a lot.  Earth elves did sometimes take more than one lover, and Soko¡¯s situation, with one of them being human, would not have been so unusual if Xac had been considered a pleasure slave.  There were even tales of elven women who took another elven lover, in the romance novels Orenda used to read when she was young and cared about such things, but one was always secret, always hidden away.  If a woman was in love with more than one person at once it was¡­ improper, in high society. It was an affair. It was one of those things that happened, but that you were not supposed to talk about.


    That didn¡¯t seem to be what her parents had.  From what she could gather, they were all in love, at once, all together.  They defended each other, helped each other, until whatever happened with Xac happened.  The Djinn was in love with Xac, and Orenda wondered when that had happened. No one had ever mentioned him as part of¡­  whatever her parents had had together.


    She was, in her mind, beginning to see them all as one group, altogether, but she knew so little of them.  But Gareth knew where Xac was, and after they had the staff, they would travel to him, and she would learn everything.  She would pry from him the most intimate details of the parents she would never know.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    She was not an earth elf, and it was still so strange to think that her mother was.


    But it had been so easy to work earth magic the few times she had tried.


    Perhaps it was there, inside of her, and perhaps she would feel it, as Tolith did, if she knew what she was looking for in order to identify it.


    ¡°Gareth?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he said as he led her out into the open air from the cave and pulled the carpet off his back.


    ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re my only living relative?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My mother, Sokomaur,¡± Orenda said, ¡°had siblings.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth said, ¡°She had siblings when she went to the frozen north, but she was an only child when she came back.  Life can change your identity like that.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, really.  I mean, I do, but I wasn¡¯t there for it.  They said to me, ¡®Gary, would you like to wander into a snowstorm on the off chance that the holy texts are right and we find a lost sacred Crystal City before we freeze to death?¡¯ and I said, ¡®No, I¡¯m good right here,¡¯ as is my want.¡± He answered.


    ¡°But they were right,¡± Orenda said, ¡°They did find it.¡±


    ¡°They found something,¡± Gareth argued, ¡°When Ronnie scried me to pick him up he and Soko were alone, she was pregnant, and they were both talking nonsense.  That¡¯s when they truly went mad and started that ridiculous notion about killing the Emerald Knight. Rendy, come here, step onto this carpet, I¡¯d like to teach you how to work it.  I realize I haven¡¯t.¡±


    Orenda stepped onto the carpet as Gareth sat behind her.


    ¡°Can you feel it?¡± he asked her, ¡°Feel the energy under you?  It¡¯s like the heat at the core of the planet. You aren¡¯t actually trying to raise the carpet, you¡¯re casting under it.  You get a feel for it. You heat the air below and it raises, and you¡¯ll find that you have to activate certain crystals to change direction- they¡¯re woven all through it.  But just go slowly at first and take us up. It¡¯s so easy a child can do it.¡± He spoke more softly when he continued, ¡°I mean¡­ we did it, as children. It was a common spell for children to learn¡­  it can be fun... there are all sorts of games we played in the air¡­ I actually¡­ I shouldn¡¯t complain. I had a nice childhood, before that terrible day. I had two parents who loved me. God, Rendy, I¡¯m¡­  I¡¯m so sorry that-¡±


    He clung to her legs as Orenda focused the heat under them and they shot so high into the air so quickly that she hit a cloud and began to choke.


    ¡°Water vapor!¡± Gareth screamed as Orenda felt her headache return, felt herself getting nauseated, ¡°Fight through it!  It isn¡¯t much! It isn¡¯t like being on the ocean- and we¡¯re falling, well,¡± He clutched her by the waist as they began to drop; Orenda felt the carpet slip out from under her feet, felt herself in freefall, but their descent slowed, and as they came out of the clouds Gareth sat her back on the carpet.


    ¡°You can go into the clouds,¡± Gareth told her, ¡°When you get better at it, but there are so many reasons not to.  The air gets thinner the higher you go, the clouds are made of water, and though they are much less dense than the ocean it can make you ill, especially if you aren¡¯t used to it, but look!  You¡¯re doing fine now. You went too high too fast; it¡¯s a common mistake.¡±


    Orenda knew that he was trying to placate her, especially after he had told her that he could manipulate the carpet as a child, and she was an adult who had nearly killed them.  But he was right, she was more-or-less situated now, and they were standing in the air without her really having to think too much about it. She was adjusting the crystals in the fabric automatically, heating when they began to drop and stopping when they began to rise.


    ¡°Look,¡± Gareth pointed, ¡°Do you see that sheet of absolute white?¡±


    Orenda followed where he pointed and saw what he was referring to.  It was far away, but it looked so strange. There was, exactly as Gareth had said, a patch of pure white against the red stone of the mountain.  It looked unnatural, but she couldn¡¯t make out exactly what it was supposed to be. It was only color, stark and contrasted from the natural, like a wound, like exposed bone against injured flesh.


    ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re going,¡± Gareth told her.


    ¡°That¡¯s the temple?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Gareth shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s BaladAl¡¯Naar, my homeland.¡±

 Chapter 75 - Book 2 Chapter 31

    Orenda did not know how to process what she saw as they drew closer to the white speck, because Orenda did not know that death could be beautiful.


    This small fragment of reality seemed disconnected from everything around it. It was, unmistakably, a tomb, but the surreal beauty of it was like nothing she had ever seen. It was so still it should have been a painting, or a chalk drawing, all in white. Everything was so perfectly preserved it was almost like walking into a real city, a living city. The white buildings were open for business for the white patrons who lay sprawled out on the street as if they were waiting, at a moment¡¯s notice, to spring back to life. The corpses, because they had to be corpses, were not decayed, not after two centuries, and Orenda didn¡¯t know what to make of that. They looked as if they had been carved from marble. This city was in the same architectural style as the coast, the tall stone buildings should have sparked, but the texture was all wrong. This was not the white of marble or alabaster, this was¡­ unmistakably death. This was the snow Felearn had talked about.


    Gareth walked quietly down the empty street with his hands in his pockets, leading Orenda through the stillness, and his boots made no sound, could not press back the silence that suffocated them. Orenda saw his footprints and turned to look back at her own. When she turned back to him, he had removed his mask and was staring into its polished surface.


    ¡°This entranceway,¡± he said, ¡°is where the open market was. Dad used to give us money, every weekend, and we¡­ that¡¯s what used to be here. There were people here. I¡­ There was a dwarven merchant who sold clockwork toys,¡± Gareth walked to one of the booths. It had been overturned, and the tiny white figures were scattered across the street. Orenda was shocked when he went to pick one up and it disintegrated in his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s all turned to ash,¡± Gareth said, ¡°And it¡­ it used to be even¡­ there used to be more of it. You would sink into it, when you walked through here. I don¡¯t know if some of it¡¯s blown away, or if it¡¯s been compacted or¡­ I don¡¯t know. It seems like the wind never blows here. I¡¯ve been here since¡­ it just¡­ it seems like the wind never blows.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all ash?¡± Orenda turned to take in the city. It had obviously been thriving once, had obviously been alive once, but now¡­ now it was a fragile testimate to a place long forgotten. ¡°Gareth¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°They say,¡± Gareth said as he stood, ¡°That we were wiped out in a day and a night, but they were wrong. It didn¡¯t take that long. That¡­ I¡¯ve studied it since then. That isn¡¯t how eruptions happen. When the clouds begin you should have a good two days to evacuate. We weren¡¯t stupid. We knew it would happen eventually. We knew why the earth moved. There were¡­ the adults had a plan in place, but it¡­ it happened so fast, Rendy. We didn¡¯t have a day and night. We had hours.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I watched¡­ he killed my father and¡­¡±


    Gareth Firefist was ten years old when the Urillians came for their diplomatic mission. He was supposed to meet with them, to be shown off by his father alongside his brother, but Gareth had always been difficult. He had run away, and when he wanted to hide, there was no finding him. Only one person in the whole world knew where to look, as he sat on top of the tallest spire of the temple with his back to the town, looking over the expanse, over the kingdom from his position at the top of the world.


    Garon was angry when he landed, but he understood. They always understood each other.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s gonna kill you, Gary,¡± he said, ¡°You missed it.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Not until they leave, at least. Think how it would look.¡±


    ¡°You should have come,¡± Garon said, ¡°You should have seen royalty. You may never get the chance again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about royalty,¡± Gareth said, and he meant it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t care about anything,¡± Garon accused. ¡°You want to float through life.¡±


    ¡°And so far I have,¡± Gareth laughed, ¡°But I can tell how badly you want to tell me what they were like, so go for it.¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± Garon shrugged, ¡°They were beautiful, what you would expect. They were shorter than most adults, and the lady was so thin she looked like she would float away on the wind. The prince was a little more sturdy, but¡­ I don¡¯t know. If you hadn¡¯t told me he was a prince I don¡¯t know that I would have believed it.¡±


    ¡°Then I didn¡¯t miss much, did I?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°It would have meant a lot to dad,¡± Garon said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t spend every waking moment figuring out how to please mom and dad,¡± Gareth huffed, ¡°I¡¯m the black sheep.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too young to be a black sheep,¡± Garon sat next to him, ¡°You just like to be contrary. Just tell them that you can do it too. Just take the test. Enter the priesthood with me. We¡¯re supposed to do things together.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a priest,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it and¡­ it just¡­ it doesn¡¯t make sense, Ronnie.¡±


    ¡°What doesn¡¯t?¡± Garon asked.


    ¡°The whole thing,¡± Gareth explained, ¡°Like¡­ they tell us two different things. We learn in class that teleportation spells don¡¯t exist, but in the holy texts people teleport around the world in a matter of seconds? Humans turn into animals with the phases of the moons? There were once three moons and one of them crashed into the planet? I mean¡­ that just doesn¡¯t¡­ science. None of it does. And neither does elves being split as a punishment. No just god would punish kids for stuff they had nothing to do with.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand it,¡± Garon said.


    ¡°So I can¡¯t be expected to explain it to anyone else,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I can¡¯t be a teacher if I don¡¯t understand it myself. I can¡¯t be a priest. Besides, you¡¯re supposed to be chosen by Thesis. You¡¯re supposed to be called. I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Garon said, ¡°You have to take the test. You have to walk through the sacred flames and see if it lets you in the chamber of the staff. You know that you-¡±


    ¡°Ronnie,¡± Gareth said seriously, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think Thesis exists. I¡¯ve been thinking about it, and I¡­ I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°You have to have faith,¡± Garon said, ¡°That¡¯s the whole thing. You have to believe things that you can¡¯t prove are true.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just choose to believe something,¡± Gareth argued, ¡°You either do or you don¡¯t. It¡¯s not that easy. All I¡¯m saying is¡­ what if it¡¯s not true? What if there is no god?¡±


    ¡°Gary,¡± Garon looked concerned, ¡°Of course Thesis exists. He¡¯ll take care of us. You need to tell them that you can do it too. They need to know that you¡¯ve been chosen.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Ronnie,¡± Gareth said, ¡°We¡¯ve both started school. Think about it. There¡¯s no god picking and choosing. I can only do it because you can do it. We have the same magic signature, so the spell on the sacred flame reacts the same way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Garon argued, ¡°Thesis-¡±


    ¡°Thesis is no more real than Niccoli!¡± Gareth said, and he meant to say more, but he was cut off by the loudest boom either of them could imagine.


    The world went black, not the kind of darkness that one felt on a moonless night, the kind of darkness in a windowless room when the lamp had been snuffed out.


    ¡°Ronnie?¡± Gareth asked, and slowly the world around them began to light up as people began to cast flames in the city below. Gareth had never experienced snow before, and did not associate the white stuff falling from the sky with it.


    ¡°Dad?¡± Garon screamed into the scry he had cast, ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°Ronnie,¡± Shiron¡¯s form flickered in the flame, ¡°Ronnie, find your brother NOW. You have to- where are you two?¡±


    ¡°I found him!¡± Garon shouted.


    ¡°Get out of the city,¡± Shiron told him, ¡°Something went wrong. Your mother never came out of the sacred chamber. Take only what you can carry, and go to your godmother¡¯s house. Stay calm. Everything is fine. But do what I say. I¡¯ll find your mother and I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±


    ¡°Dad?¡± Ronnie said, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Ronnie,¡± Shiron said, ¡°I love you. Tell Gary I love him. Do as I say. I¡¯ll meet you at your godmother¡¯s. Don¡¯t dawdle. Go now.¡±


    ¡°Ronnie!¡± Gareth jerked him to look towards the peak of the mountain, ¡°Look!¡±


    Lava moved slowly. He knew from school that lava moved slowly. He also knew that there should be no lava at all. They had run drills; they knew what to expect; they should have time- but there was no time. It was coming for them, and it flowed almost as quickly as water. The world around them was suddenly so loud, and when he looked down he didn¡¯t understand the chaos he was seeing.


    ¡°We have to find dad,¡± Garon said, unrolling his carpet. He hopped onto it and held out a hand. ¡°Gary, come on!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what he said,¡± Gareth argued, ¡°He said to go to aunty Krothy¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Garon argued.


    ¡°Of course something¡¯s wrong!¡± Gareth shouted, and choked on the ash falling from the sky.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find dad!¡± Garon said, ¡°You can come with me or not, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°We have to stay together!¡± Gareth decided, took his hand, and allowed Garon to pull him onto the carpet.


    Gareth didn¡¯t understand the chaos inside the temple. This was their home; they lived in the high priest¡¯s chambers with their family, and this was supposed to have the safety of a childhood home.


    So why were there corpses? Why were the lower ranking holy people splayed out on the floor, gushing from wounds? Why had the internal structures collapsed in some places? Why were sacred flames eating away at the carpets and wall hangings? Why was the place filled with smoke? Why were there sounds of metal against metal? Why did it smell like burning flesh? Why was it so difficult to breath?


    ¡°Come on!¡± Garon drug him by his hand as he ran. They had, both of them, always been fast and agile. They had always played the sort of games that children their age played, had always been gifted with the boundless energy of youth, and they wove their way through the chaos that was once their home. Gareth didn¡¯t know why Garon was running towards the awful sounds, running deeper into the smoke and danger. Anyone with sense would run the other way.


    ¡°Ronnie, we have to go!¡± Gareth pulled against him, but Garon wanted to move forward more than he wanted to move back. Gareth did not have the strength of his convictions.


    ¡°Go!¡± The boys heard the voice of their father, but he wasn¡¯t talking to them, ¡°Evacuate, get outside! I¡¯ll hold them off! Move quickly! Take the evacuation route!¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± Garon called and darted through the chaos in that direction.


    They entered the chamber of the priest council, and Gareth took in the scene before him, committing it, against his will, to memory. He had been wrong- the smoke wasn¡¯t coming from the furnishings. A thin woman was standing in the place his mother should be, holding her staff high, casting so fiercely her eyes were glowing. Some sort of plant had sprouted and covered the room. It was on fire, and was billowing out black smoke that choked him. Smoke didn¡¯t normally choke him. Something was wrong with it.


    The table behind her had been overturned, and Gareth saw that the room was littered with people he used to know, who used to be people, who used to be alive. He didn¡¯t understand. They were the most powerful mages in the country.


    ¡°There he is!¡± Garon said, and pulled Gareth away from the scene. Shiron was standing in a corner; he had burned a hole in the plant matter and was ushering a group of survivors, mostly low-ranking holy people, teenagers only a little older than the boys themselves, out to the relative safety of¡­ anywhere else.


    The fighting had so far not reached him- he was hidden and staying out of the scuffle- and Garon hugged the wall of what Gareth knew had to be poison to make his way to him, shouting as he went, like a fool.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Garon shouted, and Gareth knew the soldiers would hear him.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Shiron asked in a rage that scared Gareth. His father was a holy man, a stern man, but he never cursed, and never looked at them with that terrifying emotion in his eyes, ¡°I told you to leave!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s mom?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°Go!¡± Shiron demanded, ¡°Go now!¡±


    ¡°Ruvean!¡± Came a voice that would haunt Gareth¡¯s nightmares, ¡°I got it. It¡¯s over.¡±


    The smoke was nothing against the light that shone through the room. The creature easily towered over them, and the very ground below them trembled at his presence as the Emerald Knight came striding from the room of the sacred test. In his left hand he held a sword that Gareth did not know was important, and in his right-


    In his right hand he held by the shoulder the inanimate object that had once been Gareth¡¯s mother. The Emerald Knight held the lifeless corpse of the greatest fire mage on all of Xren as if it was nothing to him. He tossed her onto the podium beside Lady Glenlen and spoke to her, but Gareth did not register what he said. He only had the same thought as Garon, running over and over in his head, but he did not, as Garon did, speak it aloud.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Garon shouted, and Gareth felt the hand he was still holding heat up.


    ¡°Go!¡± Shiron grabbed Garon by the shoulders and shoved both his sons behind him, ¡°Go, now!¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Garon begged, as if it was a complete sentence, and Gareth knew what he meant and agreed with him.


    ¡°Go!¡± Shiron shoved them toward the opening he had made, but he saw their faces and turned to see what they were looking at behind him. As his attention diverted, Gareth felt their exit close with the powerful earth magic that had conjured it.


    The Emerald Knight was upon them, and Shiron brandished his staff. A flame leaped from him, surrounding himself and his children, but the Emerald Knight was not looking at the boys, didn¡¯t seem to register them. His focus was on Shiron, and, in hindsight, Gareth believed that it was purely on the headdress that identified him as a member of the priest¡¯s council.


    The shield did nothing.


    The sword hit their father at an angle, and Gareth remembered that he did not scream. He looked over his shoulder at them, and the expression on his face burned itself into Gareth¡¯s memory.


    There was so much in his eyes. Love. Horror. Regret.


    Then his body slid apart at the angle it had been cut, and Gareth was covered in something wet, thick, and sticky.


    It was only then that the Emerald Knight seemed to notice him.


    The monster took a step back, sword still raised, and looked around the room. Gareth was frozen. It was obvious that something was going to happen in the next second, and whatever it was, it would decide their fate forever.


    ¡°You monster!¡± Garon stepped forward and grabbed Shiron¡¯s staff from where it had fallen, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡±


    The Emerald Knight stared at him as the staff began to glow, then he calmly reached down, took the staff easily from Garon¡¯s grasp, and stared at it as if it meant something.


    ¡°I once¡­¡± The Emerald Knight said, ¡°I¡­ that is¡­¡±


    He looked around the room again and his gaze lingered on Lady Glenlen. Then he reached out his hand, and the light from his chest intensified as the curtain of plant matter behind them parted. The helmet tilted as he looked down at them. He threw the staff through the opening he had created and spoke again.


    ¡°Run.¡±

 Chapter 76 - Book 2 Chapter 32

    Gareth ran.


    Gareth ran, pulling his brother who fought tooth and nail, screaming stupidity in an impotent rage that blinded him to reality. He was still shrieking threats of murder that he had no power to carry out, and Gareth understood, but they had to stay together. They had to be solution oriented.


    For Gareth, it was as if none of it had ever happened, or if it had happened to someone else, a character in a book perhaps. He didn¡¯t register Ronnie¡¯s screams or the attacks as he clawed as his brother¡¯s arm, didn¡¯t think about how evenly matched they were and how, if Garon had really wanted to fight him, he could have. Gareth¡¯s world had narrowed to a single idea. He had to obey his father and make it to his godmother¡¯s house. His parents were going to meet them there. That¡¯s what his father had said, and his father was a holy man who believed in the importance of telling the truth.


    They had to run. They had to make it through the city, through the darkness and the ash that fell from the sky and whatever was in that smoke that hurt to breath, and they had to make it to the marketplace, then down the mountain. They shouldn¡¯t take to the air, because it was full and the smoke was even worse up there.


    Gareth was hot, which was strange because he didn¡¯t normally get hot, but he pushed this, like everything else, from his mind and kept pressing forward, ignoring his brother, ignoring the people they ran into, ignoring the corpses or the pleas of those who would soon be corpses that he stepped over. He didn¡¯t speak to Garon or anyone else, because they would try to tell him terrible things, and he didn¡¯t have time for them.


    Because he had to get to his godmother¡¯s. His parents would meet him at his godmother¡¯s. And then everything would be alright.


    But it is impossible to ignore your name, even if one is single-minded and in a crowd of noise, pain, and busyness. It was a strange voice that called, ¡°Firefist!¡± And it came from above.


    ¡°Heir of Orenda Firefist,¡± the voice said, and Gareth looked up.


    An entire regiment of archers were aiming at them, and like he had done with the Emerald Knight, he froze in his tracks.


    Then something strange happened. One of the archers broke rank, and released her arrow in the wrong direction. It hit her commanding officer right between the eyes, and Gareth watched her fall with the force of it from where she had stood on the edge of the roof of an apartment building.


    ¡°Soko!¡± A voice came from behind them, ¡°She¡¯s lost her fucking mind! You dumb bitch!¡±


    The archer jumped, dangling from windowpane to windowpane until she hit the ground hard and came barreling toward them.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok!¡± She yelled over the crowd, ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    But it was not ok, not at all. The rest of the archers had recovered from their shock, and they released at once. The torrent of arrows rained down upon them, and Gareth raised his arms to shield his face as if it would do any good.


    But the pain never came.


    He opened his eyes and saw that another woman stood in front of them, holding a shield over them. She was a little taller than the other, a little more muscular than the archer, and Gareth had difficulty telling the earth elves apart, but he thought they may be related.


    Soko fared worse. She was bigger than the children and only partially under the shield. Three arrows stuck into her body on the right side, embedded in her thigh, torso, and shoulder. Gareth did not have time to think too heavily on this fact, because the relative darkness became pitch darkness, as a dome of stone flowed over them, cutting off the light from the fires burning outside.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± A male voice asked, and Garon lit a flame.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let them,¡± Soko broke off the arrow in her shoulder and threw it to the ground as her sister pulled it out from the back, ¡°fire on children.¡±


    ¡°Soko, we¡¯re gonna die!¡± The man, who Gareth also thought looked remarkably like her, accused. ¡°We¡¯re gonna fuckin die here! The Emerald Knight is here!¡±


    Soko continued to break off and allow her sister to extract the arrows, and Gareth stared at her wounds.


    ¡°The Emerald Knight killed my father!¡± Garon said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fuckin great, kid!¡± The man snapped.


    Soko opened her pouch and pulled out a green potion. She downed it as if it was a shot and leaned heavily against her sister.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± The man yelled, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this! They¡¯ll break the shield! We¡¯re fucked we¡¯re fucked we¡¯re fucked why did you do that!?¡±


    The tall woman slapped him full in the face so hard he went spiraling to the ground, but it seemed to calm him down. His breathing became more regular and he pushed himself onto his arms. Gareth thought he was right, though. There were cracks forming in the shield he had cast.


    ¡°We have to get to our godmother¡¯s!¡± Gareth told them, ¡°In Henoluhur.¡±


    ¡°We have to go down,¡± Sokomaur said, ¡°That¡¯s all we can do. We have to be solution oriented. Hey, kids,¡± she knelt to be more on their level, ¡°My name is Sokomaur Sambress. This is my sister, Solomaur, and my brother Tolimaur. Everything is going to be alright. We¡¯ll get you to your godmother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already tired,¡± Tolimaur said as he stood, but his staff began to glow, and the ground opened up before them at an angle, ¡°Go!¡± he said, ¡°I can¡¯t maintain the shield- go go go go!¡±


    Gareth took his advice because he had to, not because he trusted these people, and ran into the hole pulling Garon behind him. The Sambresses rushed in after them, and the last thing Gareth saw before Tolimaur closed the opening behind them was his earth shield shattering.


    ¡°It was,¡± Gareth said, staring at a spot on the ground in the middle of the street, ¡°a really bad day. It¡¯s amazing how it can only take one really bad day to change your life, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed. She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. ¡°Gareth¡­ it¡¯s possible this place can be healed. Perhaps it could¡­ be rebuilt. We can rebuild.¡±


    ¡°Rebuild for who?¡± Gareth asked. ¡°That was the last time I ever saw another fire elf. I don¡¯t know how it happened so quickly¡­ I don¡¯t know how they destroyed everything so fast¡­¡±


    ¡°You said that there had to be others,¡± Orenda reminded helpfully.


    ¡°I say a lot of things,¡± Gareth began to walk forward again. ¡°Do you see that tall building built into the mountain? That¡¯s the temple.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and thought of how right Gareth had been when he told her that he had earned his madness.

 Chapter 77 - Book 2 Chapter 33

    The inside of the building was even stranger than the outside. The stillness was unbroken there as well, and as they walked through the columns to the entryway, Orenda saw that this place, too, was covered in what she thought must be ash. But something was different. Something had happened here. In Gareth¡¯s story there had been a battle inside the temple, but Orenda saw no signs of it. There were no corpses lining the prayer hall as they walked through it, and when she followed him through a backdoor into the room she recognized from his story she began, despite herself, to question it.


    That place did not match the rest of the surreal world she had stepped into. That place had decayed.


    The pillars were cracked and broken; there may have been a table, once, but what she was looking at no longer resembled a table in any way. It could have once been made of metal, but certainly no longer. There were no carpets or tapestries, not even coated in ash. But above all, the place looked as if it had seen two centuries of nothing in a way that nothing else she had seen so far had.


    The magic in the place was not stifled. It was alive, and intense, and moving through and around her in a way that she had not felt since she summoned a demon.


    ¡°This is where the council met,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Once upon a time. On that platform there was, once, a table, and my mother sat in the middle of it. Ronnie was supposed to sit there one day.¡±


    ¡°Why is this place so different?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he shrugged, ¡°I feel it too. This is place where I saw the Emerald Knight, the first time. Isn¡¯t it strange¡­ or... maybe not. Maybe it wasn¡¯t strange. Maybe it was predictable. But both times he said the same thing. Both times he told me to run. I was never supposed to come back here. That chapter of my life should have been closed.¡±


    He shrugged and began walking in long strides towards the back of the room, ¡°Don¡¯t dawdle. Off to the back over there are more corredores, leading underground and out at the living quarters near the spring. But there¡¯s nothing there now. Ronnie and I went looking for our old life and couldn¡¯t find it. We¡¯re going this way.¡±


    Orenda had to jog to keep up with him. It was not lost on her that he didn¡¯t want to be here, or that he was suppressing some emotions that he would probably be better off setting free, releasing, and dealing with. But that was not her burden to bear, and as she followed him through a tall archway into a long hall that went deeper into the mountain, she kept her thoughts to herself.


    At the end of this hall was another tall archway, and Orenda saw the first moving thing she had seen since they arrived.


    The open archway was filled with fire, and it seemed to be the source of the magic she felt in the place. It was bright, hot, and had no fuel that she could make out. It shouldn¡¯t be there, and it certainly shouldn¡¯t be burning. It made her uncomfortable in its impossibility, but it didn¡¯t phase Gareth in the slightest; it was the source of his determination, and he marched toward it like a man walking his last mile.


    ¡°This is the trial by fire,¡± Gareth explained, and Orenda saw runes in the ancient language of the high elves, the language spoken before Morgani caused the fall, carved into the stone over the archway.


    Leave all xrenian imperfections at this door. Beyond lies the will of a god. Burn away all things that are not one with the sacred flame. Only the holy may enter here.


    ¡°This is a good time to change your mind,¡± Gareth said as he followed her eyeline. ¡°If you believe in that sort of thing neither of us have any right to go in there. Or¡­ I don¡¯t. I¡¯m not sure about you.¡±


    ¡°We have to press forward, Gareth,¡± Orenda said, and he deflated.


    He wrapped an arm around Orenda¡¯s shoulders and together they stepped into the fire.


    Orenda felt the magic wash over her, more powerful than she had ever felt, more than she could contain. She felt herself, as she had the night she had summoned the demon, becoming detached from her physical body, flowing out with the magic. She knew, in that moment, that the physical world was so small, such a tiny fraction of the real world, and the real world was an expanse that was so large she could never hope to understand it. It was a vast plane with some life, but mostly void. It was all heat and energy from the top down. It was the beginning and the end. It was a strong burst of hot energy that kept moving, forever, to the edges of an eternity without edges. It was the middle of a newborn star, it was the breath of life, it was the middle not just of this planet, but of every planet, it was not just the nucleus of xren¡¯s sun, but of every star stretching out beyond her comprehension. It flowed through this everything from this nothing and there was just so much of it-The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    And then she slammed, hard into her body as Gareth led her out the other side, and she did not understand how Gareth could deny the existence of a god.


    ¡°It¡¯s an illusion,¡± he said as if he read her mind. ¡°If it were real, I wouldn¡¯t be able to go though. Ronnie and I share the same magical signature, not the same faith.¡± He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a high though, isn¡¯t it? We always go through in pairs because one person could not be blamed for just standing there until they starved. To become a priest, one must walk through it alone.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said. The magic was still intense in the room, even without the sacred flame, and it energized her almost too much. She felt herself vibrating.


    ¡°You have to be able to push past it,¡± Gareth told her, ¡°To¡­ to ¡®win¡¯ I suppose. The trial by fire. And that¡¯s if you¡¯re the kind of person who can stand in a flame that hot. Most people who aren¡¯t fire elves just burst into flames, which usually causes a bad case of the death.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said again, because she wasn¡¯t paying particular attention. She was too enamored by the sight before her.


    They had stepped into a large circular room and were standing in an alcove that hugged the walls. The ceiling over their head was held up by pillars running along an edge only a few steps in front of them. Most of the room had no floor, and a much higher ceiling. In the center of the circle of nothing was another pillar of flame, and there were four walkways set along it at right angles. They had no railing, and if one looked down they would see a rolling lake of lava.


    The room had no other adornment except for a mural or carving on the opposite side. There were runes running up and down it as well, but the thing was so far away and on the other side of the pillar of flame that it was impossible to read. It was a large circular carving, taller than Orenda, and she inferred that it probably had the instructions needed for the Chosen One.


    But Orenda didn¡¯t need instructions. She knew what to do. She had done it before, in a dream.


    Master, the pillar of flame called to her, Master I have waited here so long. I have longed for you. Please, please help me.


    Gareth apparently could not hear this voice, because he spoke over it as he unraveled his carpet.


    ¡°The walkways are rather narrow and there¡¯s no guard rails or anything for some reason, so if you fall, I¡¯ll have to catch you. When it burns you, pull back immediately. You¡¯ve never been burned, so you can¡¯t understand how much it hurts.¡±


    Orenda thought of Ali, and of how all people were flammable.


    Then she took one step onto the walkway, then another.


    She as not accustomed to being hot, to feeling the heat so intensely. This was, she realized, what other people spoke of when they complained of it. This was what the earth elves and humans warned their children about. This is what Susan had been afraid of when she had warned, ¡°Don¡¯t touch that! It¡¯s hot!¡±


    It was rare for Orenda to sweat, but it poured from her as she took another step and tried not to look over the sides of the walkway.


    Master the staff called, and Orenda yelled over her shoulder to Gareth.


    ¡°Can you hear that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Hear what?¡± he asked, ¡°The rushing of the flame? I know, it¡¯s loud as hell. Can you please prove a point to yourself so we can get out of here?¡±


    He cannot hear my cries, master. Only the Chosen One can hear the words of the sacred staff. I have waited here so long for you. Only you can free me. And together we will achieve greatness.


    Orenda stepped onto the platform and the heat of the fire billowing from the core of the planet, the beating heart of Xren herself, burned in her face. It was unbearably hot, immeasurably hot, and Orenda didn¡¯t understand how she had not burst into flames, how her clothing had not burned to ash, how her hair had not singed. A great wind carried up with the force of the pillar, but it did not blow her away. None of it made any sense. She had to take it on faith.


    She could see, like a mirage, wavy and ehterial, a shape in the pillar of fire. She recognized this, too, and without hesitation, she took her leap of faith.


    She plunged her hand into the sacred fire-


    And it did not burn. Her body outside of the flame was hot, was drenched in sweat, was sizzling, but inside? Inside she only felt the rush of the magic, the calm comfort of the vast nothingness, and the cool metal of the staff.


    Orenda Nochdifache pulled the Sacred Staff from the very living heart of the planet, from the Sacred Flame fueled by the core of a living world.


    And the fire went out.


    It had been cut off from below, from the source, and the last plume of flame soared over her, hit the ceiling above, and dissipated. Orenda held the staff in both hands and studied it.


    Something was wrong.


    She didn¡¯t like this.


    No magic flowed from the staff.

 Chapter 78 - Book 2 Chapter 34

    The staff was taller than she was, a glistening silver metal with only a hint of color that changed hue in the light from a light yellow to a bright red, inset with crystals just as her training staff had been. It was in the style of a fire staff, with the archway for the flame to ignite inside of with the crystals set along the brim and the arch itself. There were crystals set into the bottom as well- but they weren¡¯t all fire crystals. She spun the staff and saw crystals off all different types.


    She gripped it by the long handle and saw etchings inscribed there of beautiful flames.


    But she felt no magic.


    Something was terribly wrong.


    She turned and called, ¡°Gareth?¡±


    He was staring at her in open-mouthed awe, as if he could not process what he had just seen. He had one hand over his open mouth and the other outstretched toward her, and he seemed as if he was trying to say something, but his body would not allow him to speak or move. He was in a state of reverence that she did not understand. He was in the presence of the avatar of a god.


    ¡°Gareth?¡± She called again, and began to walk back toward him, ¡°Gareth, something¡¯s wrong. It doesn¡¯t work. It doesn¡¯t channel magic.¡±


    He took a step back from her, swallowed, and stepped forward again. Orenda thought for a moment that he may be afraid of her, because she didn¡¯t understand what this meant for him. There had been so much buildup, but it had been so easy to take, and it did nothing! The artifact that was supposed to slay the Emerald Knight couldn¡¯t light a candle!


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡­¡± He grabbed the carpet and came rushing to meet her, rolling it as he went. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work?¡± He asked, mirroring her panic, but it was more to him in a way that Orenda didn¡¯t understand. The staff wasn¡¯t just a tool to him, it had been a fixture in his life; it held meaning for his people. To Orenda this was a setback, but to Gareth it was a crushing blow.


    ¡°Let me see it,¡± he said, ¡°Maybe I can figure something out.¡±


    Orenda tried to hand it to him, but when he touched it his hand let off a sound like cooking meat, and he pulled it back as his glove burst into flame. Gareth screamed and jerked off the glove, sending it careening into the lava below.


    ¡°It burned!¡± He said, in shock, ¡°I¡­ I think. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been burned. Is that what that feels like?¡± He stared at the mark on his hand and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been burning people to death. I mean, I knew it hurt but¡­ that really hurts. It keeps hurting once it¡¯s over. That¡¯s my good hand¡­¡± He flexed his fingers to make sure they still worked and seemed satisfied with it. ¡°I suppose that means it works.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what that was. I didn¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    Gareth took her hands by the wrists and guided them to stare at the staff.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to say something that will make no sense,¡± he said, pursed his lips together, and continued, ¡°I think¡­ I think this is made of sterilite.¡±


    ¡°Sterilite¡­ doesn¡¯t conduct magic,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I told you it wouldn¡¯t make sense,¡± Gareth said, ¡°But that¡¯s what it looks like. It glistens like Xac¡¯s hair. Except his is a white silver, not¡­ it changes like a flame.¡±


    ¡°Gareth it doesn¡¯t work!¡± Orenda said as if she thought he wasn¡¯t taking it seriously, though she knew he was. But she was frustrated and angry that the entire trip had been wasted, that it was all for nothing, and he was the only one there, and neither of them could fix it, so he was the only direction she had to send those emotions. It would have been different, before. It was different when she was a nameless Knight in the Order- but now? Now she was Orenda Firefist the second, the Chosen Child of Thesis who had pulled the sacred staff from the sacred flame, and everyone in Henoluhur, everyone in Huriyat AlIinsan had identified her as someone important. She was the chosen one! She couldn¡¯t tell them that the staff that was supposed to overthrow the empire couldn¡¯t send a scry!Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Some intelligent fucking design, mom,¡± Gareth took a step back and threw his hands up, ¡°Your dumbass god made a mage staff from sterilite! But that makes sense, the same god who creates horrible flesh eating viruses and those bugs that burrow into your eyes.¡± He was talking animatedly, trying to burn off the same energy that Orenda felt in her anger, wiggling his fingers to indicate bugs. He stopped and stood with one hand on his hip to stare at the staff in contemplation. ¡°I wonder who really made it¡­ I wonder how they put it here and why? It¡¯s obviously just a ceremonial little¡­ pretty thing to look at. Sterilite is rare so they made something fancy out of it, then they put it in the magic flame knowing it wouldn¡¯t burn. It was a trick. It¡¯s always been a trick. I hate being right all the time.¡±


    ¡°But it burned you,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°And no one could cast a spell like that, that would burn for eons!¡±


    ¡°No one I know can cast a spell like that,¡± Gareth said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t be done. At the very least, we can now put this all behind us, and we have an item that is¡­ probably one of a kind. That thing is priceless. We can chalk this up as treasure hunt.¡±


    ¡°This is an artifact made by Thesis for the Chosen One!¡± Orenda argued, ¡°No one else has ever been able to take it!¡±


    Master, the staff said, I am limited. I am weak. I must be reunited.


    ¡°Reunited?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°The staff. It speaks to me.¡± Orenda explained, staring at it.


    ¡°Well,¡± Gareth said, ¡°It really must be hereditary. Madness isn¡¯t all bad, Orenda, you find yourself zoning out to worlds much better than this one. Can we go now?¡±


    I must be reunited with the artifact. The staff explained. It is no longer here. It was stolen more than two centuries ago by a man in green with a soul that did not belong to him. It was taken from the temple deep inside the mountain. It is yours. You must have it.


    ¡°There was another artifact?¡± Orenda asked. ¡°If I find it, you¡¯ll become the weapon of a god?¡±


    Yes, master. Together we can accomplish anything. It will grant you power beyond your wildest dreams.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t another artifact, Orenda,¡± Gareth said, ¡°This was it. This was our chance. I came along on this ridiculous quest, but you can spend the rest of your life chasing dreams and it would still be foolish to go up against the Emerald Knight.¡±


    Orenda ignored him and instead asked the staff, ¡°Do you know where it is?¡±


    I am searching, master. Trapped as I am I can do so little. Please, help me. Take me into the open air and I will feel the connection. We will find it together.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯m ready to go,¡± Orenda said, but when she finally looked at Gareth, she saw him staring over her shoulder at something that quite obviously had his attention, so she turned and followed his gaze.


    The sculpture she had seen when she entered the room, the one on the other side of the sacred flame that had been mostly blocked from view- was moving.


    She had assumed it was decorative, had assumed it was there to help those who had come to take the test- but now she saw that the outer edge was lined with crystals, and they were lighting up. The light flowed across the runes and spelled out words that she did not understand, then spilled out onto the stone surface, into the cracks that lined it, until the whole thing began to glow as if it were melting into magma. But it was not magma, not the bright reds or oranges of fire, but a strange, dark light.


    Orenda felt the same thing she had felt in the sacred flame, but she was not inside it, only peripheral to it. But she identified it. She knew what it was, because she had felt it so strongly before. But she did not understand why the sculpture had sprung to life with the sacred flame-


    Until she identified it correctly.


    It was not a sculpture.


    It had never been a sculpture.


    It was a doorway.


    And someone was stepping out of it.


    He was the tallest person she had ever seen, made taller by the boots he wore, which stretched past his knees. He wore long gloves and tight pants, all in black, but no shirt. Instead, strips of the black leather crossed his flesh, which was as pale and grey as a corpse. Some of his dark hair was pulled into a bun at the top of his head, and his eyes looked like the void between the stars, like eternity stretching into infinity that held all the secrets of the universe. When his cape cleared the doorway, the dark mockery of the sacred flame disappeared completely, and Morgani Magnus, the fallen, the demon who walked the face of Xren, stared at them as if he had not expected to see them.


    The sculpture was once again only a sculpture.


    Morgani was the one who broke the silence when he asked, ¡°Ronnie? What happened to your face?¡±

 Chapter 79 - Book 2 Chapter 35 - The End

    Gareth stepped protectively in front of Orenda and eyed the strange creature up and down. He knew him- of course he knew him. Orenda knew that Gareth was a mage too, he had to see the evil magic flowing around him, and she felt horrible that she was a healthy young mage now standing behind a broken old man. It should be the other way round and she knew it.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Gareth asked.


    The demon tilted his head studying Gareth, and took long strides toward them, crossing the platform between them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me?¡± He asked. ¡°What happened, Ronnie?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± The demon stopped on the other side of the hole that once held the sacred flame and stared at them both. ¡°That makes sense. When they told me they were going after the Emerald Knight I knew neither of them would survive. He spoke of a brother. That must be you. Gareth Firefist. I suppose¡­ you¡¯re the last of the fire priests, aren¡¯t you? The last of the believers chasing your false god?¡±


    ¡°What did you do to my brother?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°He was different when he came back. I didn¡¯t believe his stories. I thought he had gone mad.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to him,¡± Morgani said as he walked around the platform. Gareth stepped back, but Orenda would not move, even as he tugged on her shoulder.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± He said, ¡°We have to go. We have to go. Ronnie come on!¡±


    She shrugged him off and turned to face the demon.


    ¡°You knew my parents,¡± She said.


    ¡°Where did you get that staff?¡± Morgani asked.


    ¡°I pulled it from the sacred flame,¡± Orenda answered, standing her ground, ¡°I am the Chosen One, the Avatar of Thesis on Xren. Do not come any closer.¡±


    ¡°Chosen One?¡± Morgani asked as if the concept angered him, ¡°Where are you people getting that? There is no Chosen One! Thesis didn¡¯t make that staff, I did! And I put it where it was for a reason!¡±


    You must slay the demon Magnus, master! The staff said in a panic. He will try to get inside your head!


    ¡°Shut up you useless hunk of sterilite!¡± Morgan snapped, ¡°I¡¯m not letting another one of you out!¡±


    ¡°Another one?¡± Orenda asked, and the pieces clicked into place instantly, ¡°The sword. The sacred sword in the capital.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Morgani said, ¡°Orenda, listen to me! Do not seek that sword! Do not fight the Emerald Knight! You can¡¯t defeat him! Klin is the only one who can defeat the Emerald Knight! I don¡¯t have time for this. I have to get back, I have to prevent a fool from destroying the world. Put the staff back. The wards will spring back into place. I don¡¯t know how you got it out. I should be the only one able to touch it.¡±


    He took a step towards her and Orenda raised her useless staff.


    ¡°Oh please,¡± Morgan huffed, ¡°You can¡¯t even use it. Don¡¯t take up arms against me child, I have outlived more brazen little mages than you can imagine. I am the Fallen, the first true Elven Warrior, the child born of no mortal woman, but of the beating heart of Xren herself! I am the demon who stalks Xren, Morgani Magnus! Give me the staff!¡±


    Orenda heard a loud bang right beside her head and grabbed her ear on that side. She flinched, but when she looked up she saw the hole in Magnus¡¯s head. His blood was black and viscous, and Orenda had thought that it had done nothing, because she didn¡¯t realize that in her fear her brain had slowed down her perception. The truth was that the bullet Gareth had fired had the same velocity it always had, and like every time before it, it knocked the victim backwards. Orenda watched the demon in slow motion as it carried him off his feet, as he threw out both hands in an attempt to catch himself on thin air, but it was no use. He went flying over the side of the narrow platform.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± she said.


    ¡°I panicked,¡± Gareth admitted. ¡°I panicked. I panicked. We should leave. There¡¯s a devil in the church. We should go. Now. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed, and they set off at a sprint down the walkway.


    ¡°Firefist!¡±


    The voice boomed behind them, and Orenda looked over her shoulder to see the demon rise from where he had fallen. His cape and hair fluttered out behind him, his eyes glowed with the strange dark light, and the wound on his head was gone.


    ¡°Shit!¡± She surmised, and cursed the exercises she had never taken. Gareth, however, had spent his life in survival mode, and outpaced her quickly. When he reached the entryway he skidded to a halt and realized that Orenda would never be able to outrun the demon.


    Magnus hit the ground hard, reached into the either, and pulled out a whip in a puff of smoke. Orenda glanced back over her shoulder and felt her fear turn to rage. The staff did nothing. Her parents were dead, and this demon had had something to do with it. Gareth had spent his entire life running, and what had it gotten him? Depression and madness. Orenda was not going to spend her life running. When she stopped it seemed to confuse the demon, but she had already heard the crack of his whip, and it wrapped around the staff in her hands.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Slay the demon, master! The staff begged.


    ¡°How!?¡± Orenda asked.


    The staff was silent, and Orenda suspected that it didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Listen to me, Orenda,¡± Morgani pulled from his end and Orenda from hers like some sort of life-or-death mockery of a children¡¯s game of tug-of-war, ¡°That thing will lie to you. You can¡¯t trust it. It will tell you whatever you want to hear. In fact, I can guess what it¡¯s told you. It said that you were special, that you were meant for greatness, that it will give you whatever you want if you only do what it says. It¡¯s using you. Give it to me! I don¡¯t have time for this! The Emerald Knight is approaching the air temple as we speak!¡±


    ¡°Are you really a demon?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I am Morgani Magnus,¡± Morgani said, ¡°The Fallen. I have been labeled a demon by the followers of your false god. But I am trying to help you!¡±


    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Orenda asked. He was stronger than her, and he was going to take the staff. She knew that she couldn¡¯t hold on much longer as she felt her feet sliding across the platform, slowly closing the distance between them.


    ¡°I have been nothing but kind to you!¡± Morgani said, pulling the whip, ¡°And you shot me in my face! How did you even do that? What even is that?¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡± Orenda demanded.


    ¡°You let go!¡± Morgan countered, ¡°That thing will bring you nothing but pain! I sealed it away for a reason!¡±


    Master, please. The staff begged. The demon Magnus wants you to fail. He stands against everything Thesis stands for. He caused the fall of the elves. He tried to kill me and all of my kind.


    ¡°You deserved it!¡± Morgani snapped, ¡°I¡¯ll do it, one day! I¡¯ll destroy all of you! And Thesis! After what you did to us! Maybe I should just throw you in the lava. No one would ever find you then!¡±


    He gave you paradise. Your father loved you. You disobeyed him.


    ¡°It was never about me!¡± Morgan pleaded, looking not at the staff but at Orenda, ¡°It was never about me. You have to believe me. We don¡¯t belong here. Not me, not you, not Gareth. It isn¡¯t about us!¡±


    Master. The staff begged Slay the demon Magnus!


    Orenda hugged the staff to her chest, but Morgan was stronger, and he was pulling her closer, wrapping the whip around his arm, and she was losing ground.


    ¡°Orenda, give him the fucking staff!¡± Gareth called, ¡°It doesn¡¯t even work!¡±


    ¡°But it will!¡± Orenda called, ¡°It has to! It¡¯ll work! I¡¯m the chosen one!¡±


    She tried to pull back, but her feet slid, and she knew she was running out of time.


    For the second time in her life, she began to pray the kind of prayer born of feverish devotion in times of crisis. There had to be something she could do, some source she could pull from. She was not going to die here, on this ledge, not after she had come so far and done so much.


    In the bathhouse, as a child, Orenda had heated so quickly it had caused an explosion. She thought that she would never feel that kind of raw, unexplainable emotion again. That day, she had looked death in the eyes, and she had survived. And now, she gazed into those dark pools in Morgani¡¯s face, and she saw her death staring back at her.


    Magnus had pulled her close enough to reach out for the staff, but he didn¡¯t get to touch it.


    The magma below them billowed and boiled as Orenda gave up and gave in to the magic surrounding her. She felt the sacred flame in the doorway, the fire in Gareth¡¯s heart, the soul of the demon, but more than all that, she felt the heat of the very living planet below her. Morgani stood almost exactly in the center of the platform, and Orenda made a decision on the advice of a force that she did not understand. She acted on instinct when she threw all of her weight into him, and sent them both into the hole where the sacred flame had been until she had removed the staff.


    It started again instantly, and Orenda did not know what to expect. It came up all at once with great fervor, and she could not hear Gareth calling out her name over the sound of the flames. She did, however, feel Magnus clawing at her, and heard his shrieking as the flames overtook him. They were both inside of it now, but Orenda was still clutching the staff, and she was not burning. It floated where it had before she had taken it, and she clung to it for dear life as the sacred flames carried the screams of the demon away. She did not hear him hit the ceiling, but she knew he had.


    Inside the flame everything was as it had been when she walked through the door. She saw into eternity and lost herself in it. She thought that she would have been content to stay there, forever, one with everything and nothing, but she made the mistake of opening her eyes. Gareth was on his knees beside the flame, crying and staring at her, moving his mouth, trying to shout over the flames, and Orenda remembered that she was a mortal person with a purpose, a goal. She reached out with her free hand, and he grasped it eagerly in both of his. She felt his fresh wound and the grinding gears turning under his glove, and she allowed him to pull her from the flames.


    When they extinguished this time, Gareth jerked Orenda to his side, to safety.


    The corpse of the demon, burned black, hit the platform with a crunch.


    They both stared at it, in each other¡¯s arms, and Orenda realized that this kind of embrace was exactly what she had always thought it would be like to hug a father. It was protective without being overbearing, and it radiated a kind of love that was innocent and familial. She realized, in that moment, that Gareth was not, and never had been, the evil man she had taken him for. She knew that she could never forgive him, not fully, for the life he had caused her- but she also knew that none of it was his fault, not really. He had done the best he could, and she could not fault him for that.


    Parents are not perfect, and are not meant to be perfect. They are flawed, frightened people who, even when they want the best for their children, cannot always provide it. Gareth had always wanted the best for her, he just hadn¡¯t had it to give.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I¡­ I slayed a demon,¡± She said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ like looking at it. Can we leave? I would like to leave. I¡¯ve been wanting to leave since we got here.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, staring at the corpse. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±


    He pulled away and began to tug her in the direction of the exit.


    ¡°Uncle Gareth?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, ¡°For bringing me here, for¡­ everything. I know you¡­ tried.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it wasn¡¯t¡­¡± He said, but he trailed off. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re all I have left, Orenda. I¡­ I tried.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said again.


    He paused at the archway and motioned to it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can go through without me,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re the Chosen One.¡±


    Orenda took his hand and they walked through the sacred flame together.

 Chapter 80 - Book 2 Epilogue OR Book 3 Chapter 1?

    Orenda walked into the hall to face the dwarven elders, followed closely by Gareth who was, once again, wearing his mask. Getting back into the city had been an ordeal that required checkpoints, and the contingent of guards that led them to this place may have been the same people who led them the first time.


    Krothith stood from where she sat at the table and made her way slowly down the steps as Orenda stood, holding the staff in both hands. It took her longer to get to Orenda than it did for Bella, Falsie, and Anilla to come in from outside and shove their way through the soldiers showing none of the fear they had once possessed.


    ¡°My god,¡± Falsie said, ¡°It¡¯s sterilite.¡± It took a second for the information to hit him, for the properties of the metal to outweigh the rarity in his mind, and he amended, more incredulously, ¡°My god, it¡¯s sterilite! Why? Why would you make a mage staff from sterilite?¡±


    ¡°I shot a demon in the face,¡± Gareth said, ¡°If that interests anyone. That¡¯s a thing I did. That¡¯s where I¡¯m at in my life right now.¡±


    Krothy reached out to touch Orenda¡¯s hand, and stared up at her as if she was having difficulty seeing her; and given her age, it was quite likely she was, but Orenda knew it was something else. The old woman was not looking at her physical form, she was studying the way magic flowed from her, studying the pattern of her soul.


    ¡°Orenda Firefist,¡± She said, and meant to go on, but Orenda corrected her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been called Nochdifache,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°But it isn¡¯t your name,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I thought¡­ I thought it would help us hide. They were looking for Firefists.¡±


    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± Bella asked as she took Gary¡¯s hand in her own and stared down at the burn, ¡°How did you even do that? You don¡¯t burn.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that staff, darling,¡± Gareth said, ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± He paused a beat and continued, ¡°And I say, once again, that I shot a demon in the face! Someone acknowledge that!¡±


    ¡°Orenda Nochdifache-Firefist,¡± Krothy continued, ignoring Gareth¡¯s plea, ¡°You have been chosen by the great god Thesis. You are the avatar of a god among mortals.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Orenda asked, annoyed by the title, ¡°Because I¡¯ll tell you, Ms. Krothith, it doesn¡¯t feel like anything. The staff doesn¡¯t work. I can¡¯t channel through it, at all. No magic flows from this staff.¡±


    Master, I am incomplete. The staff argued. The man in green stole the artifact from the temple in the heart of the fire that fuels Xren. It is rightfully yours. You must reclaim it.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And it speaks to me. I¡¯m announcing that now because it can be mistaken for madness. If ever you find me talking to myself, I assure you I am not. I¡¯m speaking to the staff.¡±


    ¡°It speaks to you?¡± Krothy asked, ¡°You hear the voice of a god?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gareth waved both his hands out from his body in indignation, ¡°It¡¯s not the voice of a god or a spirit or anything like that. I hear voices too and no one gives me any titles for it- so did Ronnie. It¡¯s a hereditary bought of madness gifted to her by her fool of a father.¡±


    ¡°Do not speak ill of the dead, Gary,¡± Krothy warned.


    ¡°I. Shot. A. Demon. In. The. Face!¡± Gareth announced.


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Orenda jerked to look at him, ¡°I don¡¯t want to steal your attention, but I daresay you¡¯re leaving something out of that story!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Gary?¡± Anilla asked helpfully, the only one who seemed to be willing to engage him.


    Gareth spread his arms and widened his stance before he began to speak.


    ¡°There we were in the temple, in the room of sacred flame. Orenda had just retrieved the staff when the wall on the far side of the room split open, and out stepped the most powerful demon known to Xren- Morgani Magnus!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Falsie interrupted.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Or at least, that¡¯s who he says he was.¡±


    ¡°Why did you shoot him?¡± Bella asked, ¡°Morgani Magnus is the guardian of the shifters, Gary.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ genuinely forgot about that,¡± Gareth proclaimed in the same announcer¡¯s voice, ¡°It completely slipped my mind! In my defense, he was coming for Orenda. There was evil in his eyes, and I would not let him take her! So I shot him in the face. Darling, don¡¯t look at me like that, he got better.¡±


    ¡°Until I killed him,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Yes, until Orenda killed him,¡± Gareth agreed.


    ¡°You killed Morgani Magnus?¡± Bella asked as if she did not believe her.


    ¡°I burned him to a charred corpse using the sacred flame,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Oh he¡¯s not just dead,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Do you know the saying, ¡®his goose is cooked¡¯? Well, that goose isn¡¯t worth eating. It¡¯s not cooked, it¡¯s too overdone. It¡¯s burned.¡±


    ¡°You rid Xren of its most powerful demon,¡± Krothy said, patting Orenda on the back, ¡°Your first act as a holy being. You have been chosen for great things.¡±


    ¡°The staff doesn¡¯t work,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It says that it needs another artifact to activate it.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Gareth argued, ¡°No more wild goose chases!¡± He paused and in a more quiet voice added, ¡°I¡¯m full of goose analogies¡­ I may be hungry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Krothy agreed, ¡°We must have a feast, to celebrate your triumphant return, and your first victory!¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Orenda said, trying to clear her thoughts, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I suppose I¡¯m still reeling. Bella, I¡¯m sorry I killed your guardian, I¡­ I was defending myself! He was going to kill me! He said that we had no right to be there.¡±


    ¡°And I still don¡¯t know what he did to Ronnie,¡± Gareth defended, ¡°We don¡¯t know that he was ever guarding you or caring for you at all. The only source we have are the sacred texts and the Kabbal, and I would think you, more than anyone, would know that that whole organization is nothing but a pack of lies. Magnus probably isn¡¯t really a demon, because a demon necessitates a god. He was a mortal man- I mean he died. Immortals don¡¯t do that, and I saw him die. I watched it happen.¡±


    ¡°There have been legends about Morgani since before recorded history,¡± Bella argued, ¡°He is immortal. And he did enter into a covenant with the shifters. I don¡¯t think you killed him.¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t be more dead!¡± Gareth argued, ¡°There¡¯s ¡®oh, if only we had gotten here sooner we could have saved him!¡¯ dead, and then there¡¯s ¡®Oh I think that may have been a person once but now it can¡¯t be identified as anything that ever was once alive¡¯ dead. Magnus was the latter.¡±


    Bella looked heartbroken, and Orenda felt an overpowering urge to defend herself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that demon did to my parents,¡± Orenda said, ¡°When I was still at school he appeared to me and nearly killed me then! The headmaster had to step in and banish him! He has always hated me, and I have no doubt that had I not killed him he would have killed me! Aunty Bella, I¡­ I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not a bad person. I don¡¯t end lives without just cause. I swear this to you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s dead,¡± Bella said. ¡°And I won¡¯t participate in any ¡®celebration¡¯ that pretends it.¡±


    She turned on her heel and left the temple.


    ¡°Bell!¡± Gareth called in frustration. He huffed and ran to follow her while Orenda thought of the staff, and of the legends.


    Long ago, millions of years in the past, when the world was young, there were no elemental elves. All elves lived in harmony with themselves and all of nature in a paradise called ¡°The Crystal City¡± created by Thesis. The wonderland was housed in a beautiful forest filled with all the plants and animals that existed on the world at that time that were good for elvenkind. There was no death, disease, suffering, poison, or heartache.


    In those days Thesis walked among his creation and gifted them with many things. Elves he had made in his image, and he instructed them to guide Xren, and to care for it. He gave them technologies that had since been lost, and the magical ability to bend the planet to their whims. Everyone lived there, peacefully and happily.


    Morgani Magnus had actually been the first elf Thesis created- some scholars said it was to test the idea. In those days all elves were immortal, having been made in the image of a god. Death and pain were unknown to them. He lived for some time as contented as the other elves- until he didn¡¯t.


    As far as Orenda knew, it had never been recorded what the catalyst was, what made Morgani turn against the god who created him. But he did. He brought to the world the concepts of violence, aggression, hate, and combat. He tried to fight something he could not hope to defeat, and he predictably failed, but the damage had been done.


    Many of the other elves followed Magnus down his path of madness and spread out from the Crystal City to cover the face of Xren. They were not, as Thesis had instructed, cultivating and caring for the land, because they had been tainted by Magnus¡¯s arrogance, and were destroying it. Thesis was forced to wipe the slate clean, to protect his creation.


    So one of the moons fell.


    There had, at one time, been three moons orbiting Xren, but now there were only two.


    The impact knocked the planet off its perfect alignment and caused it to tilt, creating seasons where there had once been a temperate climate. It also threw up so much dust and debris into the air that the entire planet was shrouded in darkness. It became a cold, desolate wasteland, and nearly everything that had once existed now did not. Scientists recorded in Orenda¡¯s biology classes told her that only about 1% of what had once lived on Xren lived still.


    Yet still, Magnus did not repent. Still, he did not return to Thesis and ask for forgiveness. Still, he carried on with this arrogant idea that he could, somehow, defeat and slay a god. He would see the entire planet broken and destroyed before he would humble himself before god. Which was a shame, because the scholars who studied the sacred texts, the holy people, had vast records of Thesis¡¯s forgiving nature. None of the pain or destruction ever needed to happen, if only Magnus had not tricked his followers into believing that they could slay a god.


    Magnus¡¯s influence was not limited to the elves- he also built a following among animals. Most notable of these was the humans. When Magnus realized he could not win, he went into hiding, as if one could hide from an all-knowing god. He was taken in by a tribe of humans, an animal that had, at that time, not been domesticated, that still ran free, hunting and gathering in the wild world that had not yet been tamed. They took him in, and tried to hide him, but they were found out as easily as one would expect.


    Still, these humans lied, to the face of a god. They told him that they were not hiding Magnus.


    Humans had the intelligence to know what a lie was, to know not to do that, and they chose to defy Thesis anyway. So they were cursed. The group of humans who tried to hide Magnus became shifters- if they would pretend not to have intelligence, then that intelligence would be stripped from them, not all the time, only often enough to remind them of their sin. Scholars believed that if a shifter were to dedicate their life to the church, they would be able to overcome the curse.


    Yet Bella somehow saw Magnus as a savior to the shifters. Orenda didn¡¯t understand this and thought that she should ask her when she had calmed down a little. It was interesting, and a little confusing, but it raised a good question.


    Could Orenda really kill someone who had eluded a god?


    Master the staff said, breaking her out of her thoughts. I have located the artifact. I know where it lies.


    ¡°Where?¡± Orenda asked.


    The man in green with a soul that is not his own took it far from its resting place. It lies leagues across the sea in a land as lush and green as the man who took it, in a mighty building made of stone and covered in vines.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t particularly helpful,¡± Orenda said to the staff while the crowd stared at her, ¡°Give me an actual location. Tell me something I can use.¡±


    It lies at the heart of this building guarded by a powerful magic barrier. The staff continued, Cast by a powerful mage. She is¡­


    The staff trailed off, and Orenda wondered how it knew this.


    The place is full of life, master, but the mage who cast these wards should not have done it. Her soul is corrupted. Her spells are corrupted. She believes herself to be chosen by Thesis, but she is wrong. She thinks she has captured the power of a god, but it longs to escape. She cannot contain it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t need cryptic bullshit! If you want me to get it, tell me where it is!¡±


    I cannot tell what I do not know, master.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± Krothy asked, and to the council, she added, ¡°Someone write this down!¡±


    ¡°It says that the other artifact, the one I need to make the staff work, was taken from its resting place in the fire that fuels the planet by a man in green with a soul that was not his own, and taken to a place as green as he is, across the sea, where it is now guarded by a corrupt mage.¡± Orenda told them.


    ¡°The Emerald Knight,¡± Krothy said, ¡°The Emerald Knight is the man in green. I knew he took something from the Sacred Mountains. When he took the artifact, it must have caused the eruption. He¡¯s likely taken it back to his master, the empress, in Uril. Xandra is the most powerful mage on Xren, and I would certainly call her corrupt.¡±


    Orenda took in this information slowly, and when she spoke again it was with more conviction than she felt.


    ¡°If that is true,¡± She said simply, ¡°Then that is where I must go.¡±

 Chapter 81 - Book 3 Chapter 1

    Orenda did not want to be the focus of any celebration.  She had never really been the center of attention before, and she felt she probably would have enjoyed it, if Bella had not been so upset.  As it was, she hadn¡¯t seen her or Gareth since Bella ran from the temple to process the emotions she had, emotions that Orenda did not understand, over the death of Morgani Magnus, the most powerful demon in all of Xren.


    Orenda was having difficulty processing things herself.


    None of it seemed like it mattered, but it obviously mattered a great deal.  Krothy was planning a celebration, because Orenda had been chosen by Thesis as his avatar on Xren.  She had taken the trial by fire and been found worthy when she not only walked through the sacred flame without succumbing to it, but retrieved the sacred staff after being fully immersed in it.  As far as she knew, no one had ever been inside the flame with the staff in the entire history of mortal existence.


    But at the time it had just seemed like a good idea, not something that was monumentally important.  She was being attacked by a demon, and it was the only way she could think to destroy it. The staff hadn¡¯t even worked.  She couldn¡¯t channel magic through it. Part of her felt as if the entire quest had been a waste of time. She did not feel as if she had been chosen by any god for any purpose.


    She had followed Krothy with little comment to a living area deeper in the temple, and found herself disengaging from the conversation.  She hadn¡¯t been listening at all, had been thinking too deeply on too many things, when she heard her name.


    ¡°Orenda?¡± Krothy asked again.  ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I suppose.  I¡¯m just¡­ it¡¯s strange how it isn¡¯t strange in the slightest.  I don¡¯t feel any different. And it never¡­ seems as if anything means anything.  Perhaps I¡¯m tired. I was so ill for so long when I traveled upon the sea. I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯m up for a party.  I never thought I would become a symbol¡­ I suppose that¡¯s what Gareth was trying to warn me about. I never really thought about it, but that¡¯s what he is, isn¡¯t it?  He¡¯s a symbol. He grew up a symbol and then accidentally became one.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a symbol, Orenda,¡± Krothy hobbled over to the table where she sat and took one of her hands, ¡°No one will force you to become a martyr.  No one can. If you want to fight the Emerald Knight or the empress, it will be because you chose that path yourself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange,¡± Orenda repeated, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­  it¡¯s something that someone has to do. I didn¡¯t really stop to consider what a big deal it was, to be that person.  Only that it was a job that needed doing. I¡¯ve never been afraid of a little hard work. But I didn¡¯t think of¡­ of how many people would depend on me.  I didn¡¯t think it would matter if I failed.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± Falsie walked into the room dressed more smartly than Orenda had ever seen him, looking like the nobleman he apparently was, ¡°It won¡¯t matter if you fail, Rendy.  No pressure. Someone else will pick up the mantel. We need to talk, when you get a minute. Before the party.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that, Lil Harry,¡± Krothy said as if she were reprimanding a child.  Then she turned back to Orenda and continued, ¡°Orenda, you have been chosen by Thesis to save us all from this terrible empire.  He would not give you more than you can handle.¡±


    ¡°He must think quite highly of me,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°The fact that you exist at all is a miracle,¡± Krothy agreed.  ¡°I knew your mother, briefly, but I was impressed by what I saw.  Sokomaur made a snap decision that night, and her siblings followed her without question.  Their family bond was strong, and it was born of love. Not all families are made of blood.  She understood that as well. She protected those boys, brought them to me. If not for her bravery, her resistance, they likely would not have survived.  Gareth would not be alive today.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure then?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°That Sokomaur Sambress is my mother?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Yes,¡± She said, ¡°I met her again, much later.  She was a brave, courageous woman with the heart of a fighter that could not be quelled.  She did not know defeat. She would press on until her dying breath. She knew no fear.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Falsie shrugged, ¡°To be fair, she¡¯d already pissed off the Emerald Knight.  It¡¯s hard to be scared of anything else with that thing after you. I always liked Soko.  Her brother was the annoying one.¡±


    ¡°My mother was a warrior,¡± Orenda said more to herself than to them, ¡°And my father a fallen priest¡­  you know¡­ when I was young, I used to believe they were royalty. I used to tell myself I was a princess- that my parents were long-lost royalty who would return to claim me.  Of course, I thought they were both fire elves¡­ I had never heard of¡­¡±


    ¡°It is a miracle,¡± Krothy said, ¡°You are a miracle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a statistical anomaly,¡± Gareth said, striding into the room, ¡°there¡¯s no such thing as a miracle.  And I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to attend the ball or feast or whatever it is that you¡¯re having.¡±


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Krothy asked, ¡°Why are you so determined to be contrary?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he said, ¡°I simply won¡¯t have time.  I have to go back to the temple. Falsie, darling, did you actually make any of that armor?  I know how you like to ignore me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did, what the hell did you think I¡¯ve been doing?  We were going to catch up to you but you came back so fast. I only got one suit finished-¡±


    ¡°Bella¡¯s?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Falsie smiled up at him, ¡°She told you?¡±


    ¡°I have to go show her the corpse,¡± Gareth snarled, ¡°Or she won¡¯t believe it.  As if people just magically come back from the dead!¡±


    ¡°You personally know a zombie!¡± Orenda accused.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I hope no necromancers came out of that¡­  we really should have looked more closely at that¡­ I suppose it was a doorway.  It¡¯s odd that I didn¡¯t know that. I was always told it was something left behind by Thesis, which presumes the existence of Thesis and is therefore probably wrong.¡±


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Orenda asked, ¡°What if it¡¯s¡­  a portal? What if it allows the user to teleport?¡±


    She could not read his face under the mask, but he looked away from her.


    ¡°He said he had to get back to the frozen north,¡± Orenda reminded him, ¡°Because he had to stop the Emerald Knight from destroying the world.¡±


    ¡°He did?¡± Gareth said, ¡°Is that a true fact, that thing you just said, or are you fucking with me?  Because it frankly amazes me that you heard and understood him when he spoke. I was thinking, ¡®Oh shit a demon¡¯ over and over in my head.  Which is¡­ admittedly probably why I panicked.¡± More quietly, more to himself he added, ¡°Was he really? Did the demon really fight the Emerald Knight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the armor for you, Captain,¡± Falsie said, ¡°Where¡¯s the first mate?¡±


    ¡°Preparing to leave,¡± Gareth said as they walked out together.


    ¡°The demon told you that the Emerald Knight was going to destroy the world?¡± Krothy asked, ¡°In the frozen north?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But he also told me to give him the staff, and that I could never defeat the Emerald Knight.  He said that there was no such thing as a ¡®chosen one¡¯ and the only person who could defeat the Emerald Knight was¡­  someone else. Someone named Klin?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an old name,¡± Krothy said, ¡°Something people from the earth continent used to name their children.  It hasn¡¯t been in fashion in centuries.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I should listen to a demon,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°No,¡± She said, ¡°But it may be worth thinking about.  If he¡¯s lying this should not be someone that you seek out, but someone you are concerned with.¡±


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Anilla came running into the room, stretched out her arms and spun in place.  She was wearing the dress of a dwarven noblewoman instead of her traveling clothes, and her long, dark hair had been curled into an impressive up-do.  ¡°Look! Those nice ladies did this to me! Isn¡¯t it a lovely dress? My hair has never had body before! Touch it! Feel how light and fluffy it is!¡±


    Orenda did as she was bid and smiled.


    ¡°You look lovely,¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always liked parties,¡± Anilla said, ¡°And I know you dance, I saw you on the ship.  Oh how I wish we could invite the crew of the Recovery! They would be so proud of you!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said and stared down at her staff wondering why she was not as proud of herself.


    ¡°My child,¡± Krothy took Orenda¡¯s face in both her hands and forced her to look into her eyes.  ¡°You are the Chosen One. Everything will work out. Have faith.¡±

 Chapter 82 - Book 3 Chapter 2

    Orenda stared out at the crowd that had gathered in the temple.  She didn¡¯t know what to say to them. She didn¡¯t know how to react to the situation.  But she stood when Krothy beckoned to her, and as she rose the room filled with the sound of their cheers.


    It was real now.  This was her reality.  The sea of faces stared up at her with an emotion that she knew they had all but forgotten, the emotion that had carried her through her childhood, had propelled her to the exact place where she now stood.


    She saw the hope in their eyes, and she raised her staff.


    The sound of the second cheer nearly knocked her off her feet, but she stood firm, and let that hope wash over her, absorbed it- and realized that she had chosen this.  Orenda was not a symbol, not just a beacon of hope- she was a person who had made the decision to walk this path, who had decided on heroism over hiding, who would not run or stick to shadows because she could not, because she was not a princess or a pirate or a pauper or even simply a mage.  She also was not a special chosen one gifted this power by a god. Orenda had traveled the streets when she was a child, had broken into an academy not only on the orders of the Order, but in the pursuit of knowledge, had turned away marriage into the nobility and the safety of such a position in favor of tracking down a temple and artifact that had been lost to time.  Orenda could not hide because she was now, and perhaps had always been- a fire that burned brightly in the darkness.


    ¡°Everyone!¡± Orenda spoke to the crowd, ¡°My name is Orenda Nochdifache-Firefist!  I stand before you with the Sacred Staff, which I pulled from the Sacred Flame! I have bested demons and Urillians!  I will no longer allow this empress to frighten us with stories of boogiemen and lies! I am not here to pretend that I am special!  I am not here to give you false hope! I am here to beg for your help! The empress is losing this colony! The army of Huriyat AlIinsan is marching from one end, and the humans have already rebelled and taken the capital on the other!  We fight together! Join us! Follow me, and we shall defeat the empress together! I stand before you with a promise! This land calls to us, it flows through our blood, the magic here enriches us though it kills them! We will not be crushed!¡±


    She paused, and allowed the cheers to rush over her once again.  She had never been before a crowd before, but she felt their energy, felt it moving through and around her like magic, and she realized that she had spent so much of her life among the enemy, being weighed down by the crowds around her that she did not realize how easily they could lift one up.  Even when she had first arrived here, she had been an outsider- but no longer. There were more humans in the crowd than she had expected, and all of them were cheering for her.


    ¡°One spark can burn down a forest!¡± Orenda continued, ¡°And the Urillians have become overgrown!  Already they are in fear of us! Already they are falling! And you are strong! You have outlasted their barricades- they tried to starve you but you would not fall!  They tried to break you but you would not shatter! Because we, all of us standing here today, are survivors, are fighters! We will not respond to threats! I ask those of you here today, those who have skills I can not hope to comprehend, like my dear friend Mr Hillheart, to help us!  Equip us with your amazing technology, your armor, your weaponry- things that the Urillians have never seen and can not hope to fight! We will defeat the chaos that threatens us from all sides with the order of your genius! We walk the path of order!¡±


    Another cheer came from the crowd, and Orenda began to think that this feeling was addictive.  She did not know that both her parents had felt the same way- that Sokomaur had given many similar speeches, that Garon had the ability to raise the devout to sounds of worship that shook walls.  She only knew that the energy was amazing, almost a high, and that she reveled in it, that it made her feel invincible.


    ¡°With your support we can do anything!¡± She said, though it was possible that without the crowd and their energy she would not believe this, ¡°You have moved mountains!  I have reached into the energy of the planet¡¯s heart, and it has shown me that we are all connected! We are Xren! And I swear to you, today, that I will end the reign of the empress Xandra, not only here, but where she sits at the capital!¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    She did not expect that the crowd would begin to chant, because this was all new territory to her.  She didn¡¯t know what a mob mentality was. She only knew how good it felt, how amazing it was, after a lifetime of being ignored or judged or shunned to hear them, almost as if they were all cells of one large organism, speaking in a single voice, impossibly loud and incomprehensibly supportive:


    ¡°Or-en-da!  The Reign Ender!¡±


    They said this, over and over, as Orenda held the staff in the air and shook it.  Normally, she knew she would grow tired, but here, in this moment, she had the energy of hundreds of people, she watched the magic flowing through them like a wave, and she felt invincible.


    Orenda¡¯s invincibility lasted exactly as long as her time in front of the crowd.  As she took her seat at the table between Falsie and Krothy the full force of what she had said hit her and she wondered why it was so easy for her to do that sort of thing.  She remembered standing in front of all the gathered teachers, soldiers, and Quiroris as a child, proclaiming with full authority that she was a princess, that she was the child of a high priestess, that she could destroy them.  She had just done that again, but with a force much more frightening than a school headmaster. She had just told an entire crowd that she was going to kill the Emerald Knight and dethrone the empress.


    She looked out over them, at their celebration, and it was very clear that they believed her, whether it was true or not.  But it had to be true this time. She could not keep lying to people. She had set herself up, and now it had to be done.


    There was a very real possibility that she could die.


    The Emerald Knight had killed her father.


    He had killed her grandparents.


    He had killed three gods, and nearly wiped two civilizations and their people off the face of Xren.


    She had a staff that couldn¡¯t cast.  She had the promise of an object she had been twice warned not to listen to.


    ¡°They love you, Rendy!¡± Anilla leaned forward over the table to tell her this, so she could see her over Falsie.  ¡°You made them so happy! Look! When we first came here, they looked as if they had given up, as if they had lost all hope.  But now¡­ now they look like they have something worth fighting for. Even if we don¡¯t win against the Emerald Knight, they know you got the staff!  They know Thesis is on our side! That means everything is going to be ok!¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Falsie smiled at her, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±  his voice dropped and he leaned in conspiratorially, ¡°That¡¯s the secret.  That¡¯s what I wanted to tell you. It isn¡¯t you, it¡¯s the idea of you. That¡¯s what Gary doesn¡¯t understand, but it matters so much.  It doesn¡¯t matter what happens now. We don¡¯t have to go after the Knight. If they don¡¯t hear from you again, they¡¯ll assume you died.  You¡¯ll become a martyr. From this point forward, little lady, you¡¯re a legend. Gary never meant to become ¡®The dread pirate Nochdifache¡¯, but that mask, that iconography, is hard to ignore.  All the Order really needed was a hand holding that staff. It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. But it had to be one of us, a dwarf, a fire elf, a human- it couldn¡¯t be a earth elf, but anyone else. It isn¡¯t that you have to be the chosen one.  There just has to be a chosen one. Your work is done here. And it¡¯s done more than you can ever know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said, because it was exactly what she needed to hear.  ¡°Lord Hillheart,¡± She enunciated as if a teacher were watching, ¡°Would you do me the honor of escorting me to the floor for a dance?¡±


    ¡°Do you know any traditional dances of any of the fire folk?¡± Falsie asked as he took her hand and led her toward the dance floor.  ¡°It¡¯s not the spinning in circles those Urillians do.¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯m a fast learner,¡± Orenda smiled.


    ¡°Good,¡± Falsie told her, ¡°Follow my lead.  You gotta shake it!¡±

 Chapter 83 - Book 3 Chapter 3

    Orenda awoke with a splitting headache staring at a ceiling that she did not recognize. The bed she found herself in was huge, and she had apparently not changed into her night clothes. Anilla and Falsie were both curled up in different places on the same bed- Anilla looked as if she had just jumped face-first into it on top of the covers and had not moved since, and for the briefest moment Orenda was worried that she was dead. She stared at her, even reached out a hand to touch her and check for a pulse, but she saw the magic still flowing from her heart, weakly, sickly, but there, and pulled back. It was likely that Anilla was ill and would not want to be awakened.


    Orenda¡¯s heart pounded in her ears as she swung her feet from the bed and rose on unsteady legs. The bedroom was small but immaculate and the sparse furnishings were beautiful and well cared for. She made her way to the dressing mirror and looked into it.


    She looked awful. Her eyes were bloodshot and much too wide in her face, as if they were trying to escape. Her hair had obviously not been treated in any way before she went to bed and it showed as it stuck up at all angles with no uniformity. Her body slumped and she could not force it upright.


    She had never been hungover before, but she recognized it instantly.


    Her staff- the magical, sacred, irreplaceable, priceless staff- had been thrown to the side as if someone had slung it there when they opened the door, so she walked over, hating the sound of her footfalls- by god had she slept in her boots- and picked it up. It was still useless in the sense that no magic flowed through it, but it was useful in keeping her on her feet despite her weariness as she leaned heavily on it.


    She opened the door, hoping she could somehow get her bearings, and was greeted by an amazing smell that made her stomach grumble. She was starving in a way that made no sense, given that the last thing she remembered was a feast, so she wondered if the drinking she didn¡¯t remember doing had caused her to throw up everything she had eaten.


    She followed the smell down a long hall until it opened into the same small sitting room she had come in with Krothy to prepare for the celebration yesterday, and she was startled to see Bella sitting at the table, shoveling parathas into her mouth. They had been laid out on a large tray, and there were plates, sauces and butter, but Bella had elected to ignore fancy things like flatware. Gareth was slumped forward over the table with his mask off and his head in one hand, staring at the plate he had made without actually eating it. His eyes flicked up to Orenda when she entered the room.


    ¡°You look like shit,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said, sat at the table, and began to make a plate. ¡°That means a lot, coming from you.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to borrow my mask?¡± He asked, full of snark, ¡°I mean I know I look bad, but honestly.¡± He giggled despite himself, then seemed to remember that he was brooding and fell back into it.


    ¡°How was the party?¡± Bella asked, in a considerably better mood than Gareth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t recall,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°That means it was a good party,¡± Bella laughed.


    ¡°Terrible news, Orenda,¡± Gareth said. ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush. There was no corpse.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°In the temple?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth said. ¡°Because we pushed it into the lava, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Orenda said, racking her brain. That would have been the sensible thing to do, but she honestly didn¡¯t remember either of them doing it.


    ¡°You see, darling,¡± Gareth said to Bella, ¡°That¡¯s what I told you.¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Bella said, ¡°Did you push it into the lava or not?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t remember doing that,¡± Orenda admitted, ¡°We were in such a panic. It all happened so fast. I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why we wouldn¡¯t,¡± Gareth argued. ¡°He¡¯s dead, darling, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Of course he isn¡¯t,¡± Bella said.


    ¡°I saw it,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°No one could convict on it,¡± Bella said, ¡°No body, no murder. That¡¯s how that works.¡±


    ¡°My head is pounding,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a hair of the dog,¡± Gareth said as he stood.


    ¡°Aunty Bella,¡± Orenda asked, ¡°There really was no body?¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°No,¡± Bella said, ¡°There was a trace, ash and scorch marks where it would have fallen, all smudged around, but no corpse. The marks did not look as if they went toward the edge of the platform, but as if something was dragging whatever had been burned back toward the portal. We both studied that doorway for a long time, but neither of us could figure out how it worked. It¡¯s obvious that it does something. I¡¯d like to know where Magnus came from, and where he returned to.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ am not as thrilled by this prospect as you are,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°He tried to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Morgani Magnus is the guardian of the shifters, Rendy,¡± Bella said as Gareth came back with a glass, and Orenda watched his eyes dart between them.


    ¡°You said that before,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I was hoping I could get you to tell me about it. You say that the sacred texts have been tainted by the Urillians.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bella began, but Gareth cut her off.


    ¡°Darling,¡± he said, ¡°I implore you, again, to consider how much you may have been influenced by that awful cult.¡±


    ¡°Cult?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth explained, ¡°She was in a cult, for years. Indoctrinated. Those people found her as a vulnerable child and groomed her. I don¡¯t like to question you, darling, but you did ask me to, if you ever began to sound like them.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Bella admitted as Orenda sipped from the glass Gareth had brought her and felt the heat slide down her throat. It really did help with the headache. ¡°But Xac met Morgan, he can attest to that- to his love of shifters. We protected him so now he protects us.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, the drunken junkie,¡± Gareth said, unconvinced, ¡°What a good source of information.¡±


    ¡°He did much better,¡± Bella argued, ¡°After what he went through I don¡¯t think anyone could begrudge him his vices. We all like to escape every now and then. Glass houses and all that. Besides, if anyone had a reason to prove the Kabaal wrong about anything it would be Xaxac.¡±


    Orenda felt as if she was missing too much information to be of any use in this conversation, and began to eat.


    ¡°The thing is, Orenda,¡± Bella said, ¡°Thesis has¡­ well those Urillians, and others as well, I suspect, have been¡­ doing public relations for him, for a long time. That doesn¡¯t mean he was right.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I mean,¡± Bella explained, ¡°That this entire planet was caught up in a family feud- a fight between a prideful father and his son. Morgani was not the one who tried to destroy Xren, even in the sacred texts that survive- Thesis is the one who caused the ice age, who hit the planet with the moon.¡±


    ¡°To protect us,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He had to wipe out all the evil Morgani had caused so we could start over.¡±


    ¡°You do realize,¡± Gareth asked, ¡°That you two are fighting over whose imaginary friend is better?¡±


    ¡°Gareth, you saw Morgani!¡± Bella insisted.


    ¡°I saw someone who claimed to be Morgani,¡± Gareth argued, ¡°People can say whatever they like- it doesn¡¯t make it true. I can call myself Gary-six-pack and it won¡¯t give me muscles.¡±


    ¡°It was Morgani Magnus!¡± Orenda insisted.


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Gareth snarked, ¡°You would know. You¡¯re the Chosen One. I can¡¯t wait to be back on my boat away from all this nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Gareth!¡± Bella warned.


    ¡°What?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°I¡¯m old. I¡¯m allowed to be tired.¡±


    Bella made a sound of exasperation and turned her attention back to Orenda.


    ¡°Morgani had every right to leave the Crystal City,¡± Bella told her, ¡°No one would want to be a prisoner.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s insulted by that?¡± Gareth asked playfully, ¡°I always wondered that, when we were learning about the high elves and Morgani, if he would be insulted to be called ¡®he¡¯. He isn¡¯t a man. High elves don¡¯t have genders, the language doesn¡¯t even allow for it. They were perfect and immortal, with no need to reproduce.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Bella said as if she didn¡¯t take it for a joke, as if that line of thought was worth considering.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in any of the sacred texts about him having a dick, is all I¡¯m saying,¡± Gareth went on.


    ¡°Would that be worth noting?¡± Orenda asked, amazed at how little crude language shocked her anymore.


    ¡°I would think,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Because he would be the first elf to have one. Can you imagine, after the ¡®curse¡¯, being the first elf born with a dick? Actually¡­ how would one even be born? Without a pussy? Did the survivors just grow genitals? Did it happen all at once? Did everyone look down like, ¡®What the hell is that!?¡¯ And what did they have before? You¡¯d have to have something, right? They apparently ate and drank in that magical garden, so one could intuit that they¡¯d have to piss eventually.¡± He paused, in thought, and continued, ¡°If I had been in my right mind I would have asked him. I wish I hadn¡¯t panicked. The whole story falls apart the closer you look at it.¡±


    ¡°Rendy?¡± Anilla staggered into the room, looking worse than Orenda had ever seen her. Her normally chipper voice was pathetic as she continued, ¡°I think¡­ I think I¡¯ve fallen ill. I need a healer¡­ I¡­ my face feels so hot¡­ everything feels so¡­ help¡­ help me¡­¡±


    She braced herself on the wall and heaved. The three people sitting at the table watched as an amount of vomit poured out of her small frame that was, frankly, impressive in it¡¯s sheer volume.


    ¡°Anilla!¡± Orenda sprang forward and caught her before she fell into the puddle she had created. There were tears streaming down her small face as she clung to Orenda as if her life depended on it.


    ¡°You poor thing,¡± Orenda said in her most soothing voice, ¡°Here, come rinse your mouth out. You need to eat something.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Anilla begged, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sick. I drank too much. I haven¡¯t done this in so long. Even at festivals and stuff I can usually control myself. I don¡¯t know what happened last night¡­ I got carried away.¡±


    ¡°Here, darling,¡± Gareth stood and pulled out a chair, ¡°here, sit. You¡¯re too small to drink like that. Let me get you some water to rinse out your mouth. And a glass of rum to take the edge off. Drink it slowly.¡±


    He darted back to the cabinets and Orenda rubbed Anilla¡¯s back.


    Master, the staff said from where Orenda had left it sitting against her chair, Master, slay the halfling. Slay the halfling now while she is weak.


    Orenda¡¯s eyes widened. She ignored the command, and elected not to relay it to the rest of the group.

 Chapter 84 - Book 3 Chapter 4

    Orenda clutched the staff, staring down at it, trying to make out anything she could from the way it was put together. The etchings were beautiful, but they were stylized flames, not any kind of text that would give her any information. It was odd that it seemed not to have any specific element. Yes, the fire crystals were more prominent, and yes, it had the arch of a fire staff, but there were crystals inset into it of every element she had ever known to exist.


    And why on Xren would anyone made a mage staff out of sterilite? That is, undoubtedly, what it was- but why? That made it completely useless.


    Perhaps Gareth was right, perhaps it was meant to be a show of wealth, of excess, and nothing else. Orenda knew that ceremonial weapons were a thing; pretty little useless things meant only to show that the wielder could afford to throw money away on frivolity.


    The carriage rocked everyone inside of it as they passed through the woods of the outlands and Gareth began to speak.


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you about mixing elements?¡± He probably directed this question toward Orenda, but he was lying down with his mask on and it was impossible to tell.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°This forest did not used to be here,¡± Gareth said, ¡°When I was a child this was all part of the city stretching from the coast. I daresay if we explored we would find old abandoned buildings and the like, taken over. But the ash from the eruption settled here, and it made the soil fertile- plants love it. And so they grew and overtook civilization, pushed it back. It¡¯s odd to me that those Urillians call this a wasteland. There¡¯s nothing wasted here. There¡¯s nothing wasted anywhere. Nature abhors a vacuum, and will fill it with life.¡±


    ¡°Life rises from the ashes,¡± Bella agreed, ¡°Always.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide,¡± Falsie said and Orenda peeked her head out of the burlap to see the town they were approaching as he continued, ¡°The battle¡¯s over. Folks are on clean-up.¡± He looked down at Orenda and continued, ¡°Come up here, Rendy, bring the staff.¡±


    Orenda climbed into the seat beside him and held the staff as regally as she could manage while Falsie guided them into town. There were no soldiers on guard at the gate here- only friendly things would come down off the mountain.


    The city was alive again, but the make-up of the populace had certainly changed. Humans were walking around, apparently on clean-up. Some of the buildings had been terribly burned, but this architecture, like everything the fire people had built, was made to withstand flames, so the human settlers were cleaning them, making them livable again. Orenda saw people boarding up broken windows, tearing down Urillian paraphernalia, righting whatever had been overturned. Most of these people were as human as she would have expected- but she caught a flash of red in a building that had once been a grocers, and she focused on it- her eyes widened in disbelief.


    A fire elf woman was inside the building, fixing it.


    ¡°Gareth!¡± Orenda reached behind her, grabbed him by the shoulder, and jerked him forward, ¡°Look! Who is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Rendy,¡± he said, pretending insult, but she heard the glee in his voice, ¡°Not all fire elves know each other. Look!¡±


    He pointed to a rooftop, where a man with long red hair corralled into protective braids was working with a group of humans. He had a hammer in his hand and several nails in his mouth, as if he had every right to be there. There was no indication that he was a mage.


    Orenda began to see them everywhere. They were sparse, less than ten in the entire town, but they were there. They existed. She sprang to her feet.


    ¡°Everyone!¡± She called, and the crowd did give her their full attention. ¡°I am Orenda Nochdifache-Firefist! I have pulled the sacred staff from the sacred flame! I am the Chosen Child of Thesis upon Xren! And we are going to win this war!¡±


    Gareth huffed, threw himself back inside the cart, and pulled the burlap taunt as the people began to crowd them. Orenda held the staff as high as she could, for the people in the back, and gazed out over them. They were not all as adoring as they had been in Henoluhur; many of them were, but there were faces in the crowd that displayed skepticism. The energy was not as high here, and for a moment Orenda felt disappointment seeping into her mood- then she saw something she had never seen before. A group of people that she now considered children, young teenagers, people she felt were far too young to be here, were gathered together in military uniforms, and they were, without exception, staring up at her with awe.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    One of them was a fire elf. He couldn¡¯t have been older than Ali had been when Orenda had met him, couldn¡¯t be more than half a decade younger than she was now- but he was a child, Ali had been a child then, too, Orenda knew now, and he was staring at her as if she inspired him.


    Where had they all been? Elven children were more rare than human children, and fire elves were rare now, but they were here, they were alive, and Orenda smiled as she raised her staff.


    ¡°Nochdifache,¡± the crowd parted to allow General AlHadeen and her entourage to make their way to the cart, ¡°I had hoped I would see your return before I set out. We were planning on leaving today, now that this city has been taken, but I suppose a celebration is in order.¡±


    ¡°No more celebrations, by Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes!¡± Gareth stuck his head out of the cart, ¡°I want to get back to my ship! Besides, you just said yourself you don¡¯t have time for that. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, Zena, but there¡¯s a war on. And, I believe, my niece is keen to follow the white rabbit. In a literal sense, not in your codes or metaphors or whatever. My point is, we all have places to be. We can hold a parade after the war. Right now, we haven¡¯t time for it.¡±


    ¡°You used to be much more open to fun, Nochdifache,¡± She said with a wry smile.


    ¡°Well, I recently shot a demon in the face, so you¡¯ll forgive me if I¡¯m a little terse with you,¡± he snarled, ¡°And I¡¯ve been on land far too long. We¡¯ve stayed in one place for far too long. It makes me jumpy. The sea is calling out to me!¡±


    ¡°I hate the sea!¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I would love to stay for your party, General AlHadeen. I¡­ Fire elves of the Allinsanian forces I¡­ I have never¡­ never seen so many faces¡­ I would like to meet all of you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°There¡¯s nothing-¡± But he was cut off by something that made so little sense it knocked silence into the entire crowd.


    The sea, far away on the other side of town, came flowing, like a river through the streets- not exactly a flood, but more as if it had a life of its own, a will to move and flow against all logic. The water was only a few inches deep, but it should not have been there at all, and the unnaturalness of it created a surreal quality that permeated everything and everyone in the vicinity. The water moved still, swirling and flowing in no container, until it took on the form of a man. Orenda recognized his face.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± The djinn demanded, ¡°What the hell are you doing? Why are you still here? I told you to warn Xaxac! His life is in danger! You should be in Uril by now!¡± He pointed at her, his eyes widened, and when he spoke again, it was in a rage. ¡°Where the hell did you get that staff!?¡±


    ¡°I withstood the trial by fire!¡± Orenda told the apparition, ¡°I pulled it from the sacred flame! I am going to defeat the Emerald Knight! I am the Chosen Child of Thesis!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± The apparition clutched his head and gritted his teeth, ¡°Why would you¡­ now what do I¡­ I can¡¯t see there¡¯s¡­ you¡­ No! You need to put it back but we don¡¯t have time we¡­ you have to get to Xac¡­ You can¡¯t¡­ we¡¯re already late¡­ we¡¯re running out of time!¡±


    Lapus? The staff asked. Lapus, is that you? Are you-


    ¡°No!¡± Lapus cut it off, spoke over it as he proclaimed, ¡°Orenda do not listen to that thing! Put it back as soon as you can, but for now, please, I¡¯m begging you, warn Xaxac! I¡¯m trapped! I¡¯m trapped by that chalice! Please! I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose him! Please!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s after Xac?¡± Bella shot from the back of the cart and leapt onto the ground, ¡°What does he need to be warned of?¡±


    ¡°Lapus,¡± Lapus said, ¡°He¡¯s going to do something. He found his grandmother¡¯s diary.¡±


    ¡°From the Kabaal?¡± Bella asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lapus said, ¡°I¡¯d ask you to come and get me, to free me, but we don¡¯t have time! You¡¯ve already wasted so much time! Bella, that boy is going crazy, he¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Bella said, ¡°We¡¯ll leave right away. We¡¯ll get there. Xac saved my life.¡±


    ¡°And put that staff back where it came from!¡± Lapus said, ¡°Do not try to fight the Emerald Knight! You¡¯ll never kill him! Death would be good fortune- I see things that¡­ I see a fate worse than death.¡±


    Bella paused from where she was climbing back into the cart.


    ¡°Lapus,¡± she said, ¡°One more thing! Is Morgani alive?¡±


    The apparition stared off into space for some time, as if trying to figure something out. Then he tilted his head and began to speak.


    ¡°Is¡­ but the draken¡­ Morgan¡­¡± He rubbed both temples and furrowed his brow in thought before he gave a final answer.


    ¡°Yes. If you can call that life.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± a smile split Bella¡¯s face.


    ¡°Now go!¡± Lapus demanded, ¡°Dawdle here no longer!¡±


    The water lost its form, and the laws of physical world dragged it back to the street with a splash.

 Chapter 85 - Book 5 Chapter 5

    ¡°The white rabbit is in danger,¡± General AlHadeen spoke quickly and with authority, ¡°He can¡¯t be scried.  Who¡¯s the closest agent in the capital?¡±


    Bella stuck her head through the tarp to invite herself to the conversation.


    ¡°As far as I know, the Brigaddons are our link to the capitol,¡± She said, ¡°They¡¯re the most well trained.  They know what they¡¯re doing. We can¡¯t exactly scry anyone undercover in the castle. You know Xandra¡¯s too smart for that.¡±


    ¡°We have to protect the white rabbit,¡± the general took long strides and Orenda stared down at the staff.  ¡°Perhaps Ali should give you the chalice. You can sail to the other coast faster than you could walk it.¡±


    ¡°He said we didn¡¯t have time,¡± Bella argued.


    ¡°How fast can the Burned Roc move?¡± General AlHadeen asked, ¡°Your speed is legendary.¡±


    ¡°We could probably make it to the earth continent in a week if we went full speed,¡± Bella said, and General AlHadeen looked up at her in disbelief, but she said nothing.  Instead, she waved her hand and the stone in her ring began to glow as a flame burst from it.


    ¡°Mom?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°The Chosen One has returned with the Sacred Staff,¡± General AlHadeen told him curtly, ¡°How are things on your end?  The djinn appeared to us. We need that djinn, Ali, I have word that even now Xandra is aware of the rebellion. We can expect her navy to sail in from your side.¡±


    ¡°Wait- Rendy got the staff?¡± Ali asked, ¡°Is she with you?  Bubby! Everyone! RENDY GOT THE STAFF! SHE¡¯S THE CHOSEN ONE!¡±


    ¡°Focus, Ali!¡± General AlHadeen demanded, ¡°I¡¯ve just told you the empress knows what we¡¯ve done and you¡¯re going to be her target.  I can¡¯t fight my way across this continent to protect you as quickly as her military can sail! If you can¡¯t control that djinn, if you aren¡¯t safe-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly safe!¡± he argued, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t have the djinn!  I would rather die here than let those Urillians step foot on our land again!  They won¡¯t make it to shore.¡±


    ¡°Can he hear me?¡± Orenda asked, and General AlHadeen fell into step beside where Orenda rode on the kart rather than walking before her.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Ali looked happier than she had ever seen him, ¡°Hold on a second!  Bubby, come here, I¡¯ll extend the scry!¡±


    The image in the flame widened, and Orenda saw Ali from the waist up.  Bubbider ran into frame, and Orenda noticed that she looked ill as well.  She remembered that Ali had told her their stronghold was being protected by a whirlwind of water.  Why would the djinn do that? He had to know it would weaken them. But when Bubbider saw Orenda she smiled and waved, then pointed at the staff, as if she thought Ali hadn¡¯t seen it.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± She screamed, ¡°That¡¯s the staff!  You¡¯ve done it, Rendy! You¡¯ve been chosen to wield the weapon of a god!  You can take down the Emerald Knight! We¡¯ve won now! It¡¯s only a matter of time!¡±


    Orenda looked out over the hopeful faces of the crowd, to the hopeful face of Ali¡¯s mother, and down at the staff that did not channel magic.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± She lied, ¡°With the strength of the staff I can take down the Emerald Knight.  I¡¯m the Chosen One!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep everything together here,¡± Bubbider promised, leaned in close and said, ¡°I¡¯ll scry you tonight, Rendy.¡±


    ¡°Alright.  I¡¯ll probably be on the sea,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I may fall ill again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than that, Rendy,¡± Ali told her, ¡°You may not even notice it now, with the staff to power you.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Ali,¡± General AlHadeen said, ¡°What has the djinn said about the white rabbit?¡±


    ¡°A bunch of nonsense,¡± Ali said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s speaking so cryptically if he expects anyone to do anything about it.  If he would tell us what he needs done, we could do it. He wants to go to the earth continent himself, but we¡­ that would not be a sound military strategy.  This is the coast the Urillians sail in on. We really need this place in particular to be protected.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the white rabbit need fear attack from anyone,¡± General AlHadeen said, ¡°He¡¯s a legend.  They say he¡¯s made of sterilite.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that drunken idiot has reached legendary status,¡± Gareth mumbled from inside the cart and Bella glared at him.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be in better spirits once we¡¯re back on the Roc,¡± she told Orenda.  ¡°But I can¡¯t imagine Xac would expect an attack from Lapus. He has such a good relationship with all his kids.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Orenda said, connecting the dots, ¡°Lapus is Xac¡¯s son!  Named for his friend. Why doesn¡¯t anyone ever just say what they mean?¡±


    ¡°I wish we could get a message out to Xac,¡± Bella said, ¡°We¡¯ll send Draco to scout the Burrow when we get close.  He¡¯ll be so excited to meet you, Orenda. He always considered you his child. He wanted you to come and live with them, but he tends not to think things through.  You would have been impossible to hide on the earth continent, especially so soon after that battle.¡±


    ¡°Xac should have known about that battle,¡± Gareth said, ¡°That whole thing was a clusterfuck.  If we had planned better¡­¡± he lowered his voice and said something that Orenda, judging by Bella¡¯s reaction, thought he probably said a lot, ¡°It was a suicide mission.  Soko knew she was going to die. It was her last big hurrah.¡±


    ¡°Gary,¡± Bella hissed, ¡°Not in front of Orenda.¡±


    Gareth fell silent.


    They were upon the place now where the docks had once been, but whatever smoldering remains had once been there had since been pushed into the sea.  Orenda was shocked at how dangerous the scraggly rocks were underneath. It was obvious that they would destroy the bottom of any ship that came near.


    ¡°Why would they build the docks in such a horrible place?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t this horrible before,¡± General AlHadeen said, ¡°Some of our earth mages decided to make it a bit more difficult for anyone coming in from this side.  Let me say goodbye to my son and I¡¯ll see you off.¡±


    She stepped away from them as Gareth hopped out of the cart and unrolled his carpet.


    ¡°You¡¯re Captain Nochdifache!¡± A human woman pushed her way from the crowd, ¡°Please!  Please tell me- does the werewolf exist? Is your first mate really a shifter?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bella stepped forward and took both of the woman¡¯s hands in her own.


    ¡°And you¡­¡± the woman seemed nervous, as if she were meeting a celebrity, ¡°You know¡­  the white rabbit?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bella told her, ¡°I¡¯m the big bad wolf on the high seas, and I know the white rabbit.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­  we¡¯re not,¡± The woman said, but she began to cry and could not finish.


    ¡°We¡¯re not monsters,¡± Bella took her face in both hands, ¡°That¡¯s what you were going to say, isn¡¯t it?  What are you? When you shift, what are you?¡±


    ¡°They¡­  they tell me I¡¯m a panther,¡± the woman tried to dry her eyes, ¡°My mamma too, back home on the earth continent, but they¡­  our master found out and I¡­ I had to run and¡­ The Knights of Order helped me but¡­ I¡¯m so happy to meet you!¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be alright,¡± Bella told her, ¡°You aren¡¯t a child anymore- and in those wilds that they call a wasteland are huge expanses of woods.  The mountainside beyond them is deserted. Everything is going to be different here.¡±


    The woman nodded.


    General AlHadeen returned and held out a hand to help Orenda off the cart.  Orenda took it, hopped down, and stood next to her. Even being this close to the sea she could feel it again, the sickness creeping into her.


    ¡°I hate the sea,¡± she lamented.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to bother the captain,¡± General AlHadeen remarked.  ¡°Orenda, would you mind if I took a look at that staff? I know you¡¯re in a hurry but I¡­  I would like to commit it to memory. It is rare that one ever gets to set eyes upon the weapon of a god.¡±


    ¡°The last time anyone other than me tried to touch it,¡± Orenda warned her, ¡°It burned him.  So¡­ at your own risk.¡±


    General AlHadeen reached out, wrapped her hand around the staff to take it, then jerked back as if she had touched a hot stove.  Orenda had expected her to take it and nearly dropped the staff into the sea, prompting a shocked gasp from the crowd.


    ¡°I¡­  take your meaning,¡± General AlHadeen said, staring at the injury on her hand.  ¡°I suppose it isn¡¯t that only the Chosen One may draw it from the sacred flames.  It seems that only the chosen one may touch it at all. You¡¯re a holy person, Orenda.¡±  She put her uninjured hand on Orenda¡¯s shoulder, ¡°The Order is lucky to have you. Help the white rabbit quickly, and I pray you return before the Emerald Knight reaches our shores.¡±


    ¡°You want me to bring Xaxac with me,¡± Orenda read the meaning in her eyes.


    ¡°Xaxac OfAgalon was the greatest cage fighter Xren ever knew.  Until his mysterious disappearance during a ¡®terrorist attack¡¯ he was the world champion three years running.¡± She smiled and laughed, ¡°They plastered his posters up everywhere he traveled.  He was not difficult to look at.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying he¡¯s not hot,¡± Gareth said as if he was involved in the conversation though he very clearly was not, ¡°I¡¯m sure he is, even now, as vain as he¡¯s always been.  I¡¯m saying he¡¯s annoying. But still, we can¡¯t let the little furball die or whathave you. Come on, Orenda. Get on the carpet.¡±


    ¡°Brigaddon,¡± Bella corrected.  ¡°Agalon was the man who thought he owned him.  Brigaddon is Xaxac¡¯s name.¡±

 Chapter 86 - Book 3 Chapter 6

    Orenda felt her stomach lurch as she stepped from the carpet onto the deck of the Burned Roc. How she hated the sea- and how frequently she found herself upon it! She clutched the staff and leaned heavily on it, trying to keep herself upright, and reminded herself that it was better on the ship than it had been on the carpet. She needed to ask Gareth what he did to the ship to lesson the sickness.


    Draco flew to her immediately and tried to alight on the staff- but he let out a pained shriek and flew back to Impy, who was hobbling over as well, but age forced him to move at a much slower pace.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that,¡± Bilge said, pointing to the staff. ¡°Don¡¯t like that at all.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that, dear?¡± Impy asked her.


    ¡°She got the staff!¡± Anilla said helpfully as Gareth slid off his mask and turned his gaze to the stars.


    ¡°She¡¯s the Chosen One,¡± Falsie said as if that settled it, and went jingling away below deck. Orenda remembered that he had jingled since he came out of his mother¡¯s storage room, and wondered what all he had taken and what he planned to do with it.


    Then she remembered Felearn, remembered the armor Falsie was going to make for the crew from his mother¡¯s notes, the armor that had absolutely worked for Felearn. She remembered what she had learned of magic in school, and she called out to him.


    ¡°Falsie, wait!¡± She begged, ¡°Please, can you¡­ I¡¯m so ill I was wondering-¡±


    ¡°You want some armor to keep you safe on the sea?¡± Falsie winked, ¡°That¡¯s where I was going.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still ill?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°Still? But I¡¯ve got a protective spell on the ship. There¡¯s a fire shield flowing between us and the ocean. You shouldn¡¯t still be this ill.¡±


    ¡°We both know that doesn¡¯t push it back completely,¡± Bella said softly, rubbing Orenda¡¯s back. When she spoke again it was in a whisper to Orenda, ¡°It did, at one time. When there were two people with the same magic signature keeping it up. So much of his magic is¡­ half-cast¡­ waiting for someone else. It¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said, and pulled back just a little because Impy was forced to get uncomfortably close to her to examine the staff.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± He asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a staff like this. It has crystals of all elements.¡±


    ¡°Set in sterilite,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡­ work.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s trying,¡± Impy said, and it frightened Orenda how close his face was to the staff. It had burned Gareth, and Impy was even more old, more frail. She didn¡¯t want him to set his face on fire. She wasn¡¯t sure he could heal as well as Toli had. He was leaning in particularly close to one of the fire crystals set into the staff, staring at it, watching the magic pulsate within it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go below deck,¡± Orenda said, ¡°To my room. I¡­ need to lie down.¡±


    ¡°A good rest wouldn¡¯t kill any of us,¡± Gareth agreed. ¡°But I¡¯d rather not hear Zena¡¯s mouth so let¡¯s get out of her line of sight first. Let¡¯s make it look as if we¡¯re in a hurry. Rendy, light a lamp in your room. It may help with the illness. Everyone else, let¡¯s unfurl these sails and go anywhere but here. We¡¯ve been in one place for too long.¡±


    Orenda nodded and made her way down the stairs and past the kitchen leaning heavily on the wall, trying her best not to succumb to the nausea. She kept telling herself that it was not as bad as it could be, as it had been on the Recovery. She could, at least, see, and she wasn¡¯t as disoriented as she could be. The sickness and weakness were there, but she had to be thankful for small things, and she knew how much worse it could be. At least now she could walk.


    She sat heavily upon the bed and fumbled with the kerosine lamp for some time before she was able to light it. She closed the glass and stared into the flame, then pressed her hands to either side of the hot enclosure and thought of Bubbider. The flame was small, and the scry weak, so that Orenda could, at first, barely make out her face. She glanced to the sacred staff sitting beside her on the bed and sighed at its uselessness, then shoved as hard as she could, outward from her heart, with her magic, pushing past the wall of the water in the air, and the flame danced higher through her sheer will.


    Bubbider looked horrible, but Orenda thought that she probably looked worse.


    ¡°Living in a mansion surrounded by water does not suit you,¡± Orenda laughed weakly.


    ¡°I imagine you must be back on the sea,¡± Bubbider smiled back. ¡°Orenda I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°I have something to tell you, too,¡± Orenda frowned. ¡°Let me go first or I¡¯ll never get it out. The staff doesn¡¯t work, Bubby. The crystals are set in sterilite. No magic can flow from them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Bubbider asked, ¡°Sterilite¡­ I¡¯ve read of it, but I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know enough about metallurgy to identify it.¡±


    ¡°I know plenty about metal,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I worked with it for much of my childhood. And this is nothing that I have ever seen.¡±


    ¡°What does sterilite look like?¡± Bubbider asked.


    ¡°I think untreated it is a white,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Like a white silver, but incredibly reflective. It¡¯s white on Xaxac¡¯s hair, but this staff reflects color strangely¡­¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t very helpful,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°And I don¡¯t understand why a god would give you a weapon you can¡¯t use.¡±


    ¡°Gareth says that there is no god,¡± Orenda frowned.


    ¡°Gareth?¡± Bubbider¡¯s face lit up, ¡°Your father? You found him?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s a rather long story but¡­ no, let me try. I can probably tell it pretty fast. Captain Nochdifache is Gareth Firefist. He changed his name to hide from the Emerald Knight. He isn¡¯t my father. He¡¯s my uncle. My father¡¯s name was Garon Firefist, Gareth¡¯s brother. And¡­ apparently my mother was Sokomaur Sambress, a Urillian warrior. Both my parents are dead. I¡¯ll never find them. They were a dishonored warrior and a fallen priest. I was never a princess.¡±


    ¡°Well you can¡¯t have everything,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°Would you really rather be royalty than one chosen by a god?¡±


    ¡°The staff doesn¡¯t work, Bubby!¡± Orenda moaned, ¡°Aren¡¯t you listening to me?¡±


    ¡°You are related to Captain Nochdifache, then,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°We had long suspected. I hope he¡¯s alright. He needs to know that we are all still a little cross at the way he behaved all those years ago. He was the reason security got so tight around here.¡±


    ¡°Everything has changed so quickly,¡± Orenda looked down at the staff. ¡°Bubby¡­ when Ali heard the djinn speak to him¡­ what did it sound like? Did it ever¡­ tell him to do things?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°The djinn won¡¯t speak to us,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°Ali didn¡¯t want to tell his mother, but he has retreated into the chalice and won¡¯t come out or respond to us. I know he¡¯s angry. He wants to go to the earth continent. He¡¯s bound to grant our wishes but he won¡¯t interact with us in any other way, and I fear that he may try to twist them. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to use the djinn. He¡¯s in love. I understand¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that what you wanted to tell me earlier?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°That you actually don¡¯t have a djinn to defend you when Xandra¡¯s army gets to you? Because if the djinn doesn¡¯t work and the staff doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯re back at square one!¡± Orenda did not like to feel the kind of fear that came over her. She had allowed herself to get swept up by the crowd, to feel things that she normally would not allow herself to entertain, and everything mattered now, mattered in a real way- her life mattered. Toli was right, they were no longer playing pretend, now they were in the real world, and the things that happened to them mattered. She had to stop breathing- she was taking in too much air, was drowning in it, and she was already ill, and if she didn¡¯t stop, she was going to pass out. So she concentrated very hard on the muscles in her chest, surrounding her lungs, and she compressed them, held her breath, and counted slowly.


    ¡°Ok,¡± She said when she had her mind back under her own control, instead of spiraling out with thoughts and hypotheticals in every direction, ¡°We have to be solution oriented. Apparently the staff is missing a part. It says that if I can get the other artifact, it will become the weapon from the prophecy. I¡¯m going to Xaxac right now- you can tell the djinn that I am on my way. I will warn him, and I will also get him to make me a suit of sterilite- that¡¯s this whole other thing, but it exists, it¡¯s why the rabbit is white, the djinn knows that as well- then I will find the other artifact, and I will challenge Xandra for the throne. I have a claim by divine right. If she cannot produce her sword she will have to abdicate the throne to me.¡±


    ¡°What? Rendy, you can¡¯t challenge the empress on your own!¡± Bubbider said, ¡°You can¡¯t go straight to her like that- we need you here. We can¡¯t save the whole world in one night, we have to free the colony. Once we¡¯re free we can ally with the water continent. We have to fight together. General AlHadeen is making progress- that is how wars are won. We use sound military strategy. We don¡¯t just rush in with one warrior and pretend as if that will do anything. If you take out Xandra, you will be assasinated by one of her relatives.¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°You say that, but is that not exactly what the Emerald Knight did to my people? Did he not come in as one warrior and take out an entire culture?¡±


    ¡°No, as you know damn well!¡± Bubbider snapped, ¡°The Urillians brought an army, Rendy! You know that! You know it as well as I do! I can¡¯t believe you, of all people, are spouting this nonsense! You¡¯ve lost your mind! You know better! We didn¡¯t scrape by hiding and learning in shadows to educate you so that you could throw away everything you had learned on impulse and nonsense!¡±


    Do not listen to her, master. You are the Chosen One. You are destined for great things, to wield great power. Find the artifact and you will be granted power to do everything you desire. You can smite your enemies, be they legend or empress. You need not hold the fear these mortals have. You are not one of them.


    Orenda stared down at the staff.


    Nothing comes from placating, master. You already know the answer in your soul. You create opportunities. You are not a coward who hides behind an army. You are destined for greatness, and I will lead you to power beyond your wildest dreams. You will be safe, you are the chosen one- but your warriors may not be. You would not put good people in danger to save yourself. Not again.


    Orenda remembered the last time people tried to protect her. She remembered Charles, lying in the pool of blood, Ellie as her muscles gave out and her body collapsed, and Susan only half-believed in accounts recounted second-hand. She remembered the sound of a gunshot when Gareth shot a demon, the fear in his eyes as he ran, and the awe there when he found he was not dead. He had planned to die for her, too, that night.


    The staff was right. She could not keep hiding behind others. She could not keep sacrificing others. She had been baptized in blood the day she was born- had traded two lives for one. She had been baptized in fire the day the library burned, traded three lives for one. It was no wonder the sacred flame had let her pass - she had already shown what she was willing to trade.


    But no more. It would not happen again. No one else was going to die for her.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t actually what I wanted to tell you,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°But I don¡¯t know if I should tell you now. Now that I know you¡¯re determined to be stupid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°Not at all. Please, tell me. What is it?¡±


    ¡°I have¡­ lain with a man,¡± Bubbider announced, and it broke the tension between them, and Orenda giggled with her.


    ¡°Oh my god you said that with such solemnity,¡± Orenda cackled, ¡°I¡­ we haven¡¯t really sat down and talked, as friends, in so long! I have things to tell you, as well- you¡¯ll never believe this, but so have I!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Bubbider said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it at all!¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡± Orenda settled back on the bed, scooted to prop herself up on the pillows.


    ¡°No, you tell me first,¡± Bubbider demanded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Bubby, you¡¯ll make fun of me for the rest of our lives!¡± Orenda threw one hand over her face and snickered, ¡°You¡¯ll never let me live it down.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Bubbider had to hold her stomach she was laughing so hard, ¡°Oh my god I know! I can guess! That pathetic little noble who had a crush on you!¡±


    ¡°Stop laughing at me!¡± Orenda demanded and pulled one of the pillows over her face to hide her blush, ¡°I know! I¡­ I wish I could throw something at you! But you didn¡¯t see him, Bubby, he was so sad and alone and both his parents were dead and I just¡­ Bubby, Bubby he¡­ he took notes. He took notes from a romance novel. He¡¯s so stupid I¡­ But he tried so hard and¡­ I left him alone on the ocean.¡±


    ¡°He took notes,¡± Bubbider had fallen onto the floor, onto a pile of pillows that were apparently laid out there, ¡°I absolutely will make fun of you. I¡¯ll make fun of you forever. You know better! Have you just gotten dumber and dumber the longer you stay out of school?¡±


    ¡°I make bad choices,¡± Orenda lamented and threw the pillow off of her face, ¡°I can¡¯t help it! I think it may be hereditary. Madness apparently runs in my family.¡±


    ¡°Well you¡¯ll never get rid of him now,¡± Bubbider laughed, ¡°Once men have a taste they become obsessed. That¡¯s what the older women say. Once you give in to them they will want you forever. They tell stories of women who have lived in fear, of men who have chased them their whole lives.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get all serious on me,¡± Orenda huffed, ¡°I can¡¯t ever imagine being afraid of Tolith. He isn¡¯t going to stalk me. We parted amicably. Besides, even if he did I think I could take him out fairly easily. Oh¡­ I burned his face. During. Now he has scars that he is¡­ strangely proud of.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Bubbider asked, ¡°My god, why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda lamented, ¡°I couldn¡¯t control it. It just flared up!¡±


    ¡°Lady Orenda Glenlen,¡± Bubbider teased.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Rendy begged.


    ¡°No, I shan¡¯t, not ever!¡± Bubbider laughed.


    ¡°You told me you would tell me who you had lain with,¡± Orenda pushed herself into a sitting position.


    ¡°Mine is less¡­ well not less sad. Less sad for me,¡± Bubbider said. ¡°You know that¡­ I mean, I¡¯m sure you know that Ali has been¡­ through some things.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said solemnly.


    ¡°He has a lot to¡­ think about. To work through,¡± Bubbider¡¯s entire attitude had changed, and Orenda listened attentively, ¡°He can¡¯t stand for anyone to touch him. I don¡¯t even mean romantically- he freaks out if you lay a hand on his shoulder. He hides it well, in public- most people don¡¯t know how badly it hurts him. But I saw it, I saw how he would tense up, how his eyes would narrow- there is a lot of negativity in him, a lot of¡­ hate. And it is earned. His madness is earned. His mission was a success, but at such a high cost.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, because she did not know what else to say.


    ¡°He asked me to help him,¡± Bubbider told Orenda. ¡°It was¡­ it was a strange conversation. We were his only contacts, all that time, Rendy. I didn¡¯t know that. He would, occasionally reach out to someone else, but not to talk, just to convey information. He trusted us, you and I, but you were only a child-¡±


    ¡°We were all children,¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Bubbider said, and unfortunately, Orenda did.


    ¡°Oh,¡± She said again.


    ¡°He wants¡­ he only wants to be himself again,¡± Bubbider explained, ¡°He¡­ well what he really wants is to move back, to erase it, to make it as if none of it had ever happened. But he can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Bubby, are you¡­ safe?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Both of you, I mean? Is this really¡­ a good time¡­ to¡­ do that? Right now? In the middle of a war?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t fight like this, Rendy,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand how broken he is. He thought he would feel better, after she was dead. He thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to control him from beyond the grave. But her claws are in him still. They¡¯re in his mind. He got too deep.¡±


    ¡°We both told him to pull out,¡± Orenda reminded her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°But he didn¡¯t, and we can¡¯t change the past.¡±

 Chapter 87 - Book 3 Chapter 7

    Orenda was amazed at how little she felt the speed of the ship. There was a great lurch when it began, but below deck, contained within it, she did not feel the speed, the massive speed, that she knew they had to be traveling. Everyone else was occupied in keeping the ship moving, so she wandered from her room to the office she remembered Gareth taking her to her first night aboard the Burned Roc.


    The door was unlocked, and the inside was exactly as she remembered. The cabinets were all closed, the mirror and art were still hanging there, and out the porthole the sea flew by at amazing speed. Orenda walked through the door into what she believed was Gareth¡¯s bedroom.


    Most of the room was taken up by a large canopy bed covered in sheer curtains, but it also held another writing desk, a basin, a vanity, and two wardrobes that seemed to be built into the wall. Orenda opened one of them and found an assortment of women¡¯s clothes- some much more fine than she would have anticipated. A ball gown hung there with coats, tights, and traveling clothes- and Orenda wondered when Bella had ever gone to a ball.


    This was, Orenda noted, not only Gareth¡¯s room. Everything inside spoke of both of them. It was almost a perfect split. Orenda knelt to dig through the bottom of the wardrobe and came away with a box. She opened it and saw that it was full of jewels- necklaces, rings, bracelets and the like. They didn¡¯t seem to have any sort of theme, and she didn¡¯t know what to make of them.


    She didn¡¯t know what she had expected to find.


    It was so unheard of, for a couple like them to form, to exist. Elves did not date humans at all, and they certainly didn¡¯t build lives together- but both the Firefist brothers had done it, and Gareth at least didn¡¯t seem to think this was any kind of revolutionary act. He had called her his beloved in public, and from the way they interacted, Orenda knew that he meant it. She had not known enough people in love to see them in the way she had seen Gareth and Bella. Most of the lovers she had known in her life had been arranged, had been like Toli and Shelly. She supposed Steve and Adam were in love, but she had not known them as intimately as Bella and Gareth. She had never seen them fight, never seen one storm out on the other, never seen one gloat over the other. She supposed they did, that they would have to, but she had never seen those things in action before. She had never seen someone get as angry as Bella had let that rage fuel her to do anything other than destroy. She had never seen two people disagree about something so important and work through that disagreement by going to the source for closure.


    She didn¡¯t know how to process it. It seemed¡­ it seemed better. Their strange relationship seemed better than anything the Urillian nobility had ever produced. This small room was not a sprawling estate, and no one was marrying into power because no one had any power to give. Gareth lived in a constant state of paranoid fear that kept him moving too far and too quickly for something like that, and Bella¡­ perhaps understood that? Orenda remembered the story she had told of her past, where she was pursued not for who she was but for what she was.


    Orenda wondered about her parents. She wanted to know what their relationship had been like. She knew she could finally get those answers from Xaxac.


    She was beginning to understand something about stories.


    Captain Nochdifache was a monster who traveled with ghouls, human wizards, clockwork geniuses and werewolves. But those were not things to fear. Those were things people said in hushed tones because they did not understand them, and because on the surface, when you laid it all out like that, anyone, any normal person, would sound terrifying.


    Orenda was the chosen avatar of a god, who had been born on the night of her parents¡¯ deaths, born in the midst of a great battle. She had been lost at a young age, had joined a rebellion and killed an entire contingent of guards before she had any magical training whatsoever. She had destroyed a building as a child. She was a murderer, a monster, a destroyer- Orenda could spin any story to make anyone sound intimidating.


    Gareth was a little boy running for his life through the chaos the Urillians brought to his home. Bella was a little girl running for her life through the snow, trying to find anywhere to hide, to save herself from people who were afraid of a puppy. Falsie was a little boy running for his life from the very soldiers his mother helped, because his father tried to hide rebels. Draco was watching his body decay before him, because the man who loved him would not see him die.


    None of these people were monsters. None of them were worth fearing.


    Yet the Urillians had spoken of them in hushed whispers as if they weren¡¯t even real. As if they weren¡¯t real people with real lives who had to be those things they whispered about.


    Orenda carefully put the box back into the wardrobe and closed it. She glanced at the bedside table on her way out and realized that she must be looking at Gareth¡¯s side, so she turned and walked back to it, and picked up a vial there labeled ¡®hemp seed oil¡¯. She reached up and tugged a strand of her hair out to its full length. It was getting too long again. It needed to be burned. She put the bottle back and thought of the other fire elves she had seen in the coast before they had left.


    They were weakened but not destroyed.


    Gareth had been as happy to see them as she had, he was just determined to dissuade her from her destiny or goals or whatever she chose to call it. Perhaps they should have stayed behind, but they needed to protect the white rabbit who could not be scried because he was made of star-stuff.


    Xaxac was a legend, too. Orenda wondered what he was really like. Both of her parents had loved him. He could have been her father, if genetics worked a little differently. Bella certainly seemed to respect him.


    The ship lurched again and Orenda fell forward with the force of it. The furniture had been tied down and didn¡¯t move with her, so she went sliding into the wall that would have led to the bedroom. She picked herself up and walked into the hall so she wouldn¡¯t be caught snooping if anyone came down, but the ship was still deserted.Stolen novel; please report.


    She walked forward with the intention to go above deck, but when she came into the kitchen Anilla was there with Falsie and Mr Bilge. The three of them were setting up prep, as if they were a crew in a restaurant or household kitchen, and Orenda was happy to have the comfort of the fire they had lit in the stove.


    She thought that perhaps Anilla had been right all along, and sea-sickness did eventually¡­ well, it would probably never go away completely, but it was becoming more manageable.


    She decided to brave it. She took the stairs up to the deck, and stepped out into the ocean air. The stars were different in the night sky, and she had no idea where they were, but the sickness did not knock her off of her feet. It was manageable, here, on the Burned Roc, or perhaps inside of her. It was there, but she didn¡¯t feel like she was dying.


    Bella came down the stairs from the area above the kitchen and paused on the bottom step.


    ¡°He¡¯s having an episode,¡± She said, ¡°We just have to let it pass.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You just can¡¯t expect much from him,¡± Bella said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Rendy. I¡¯ll keep checking on him. I have to run to my room for a minute.¡±


    Orenda nodded, watched her leave, and made her way up the stairs. Gareth was lying, spread-eagled on the deck without his hat, mask, or coat. His hair spread out behind him, and Orenda noticed that his roots were not locked into dreads. She didn¡¯t know how to fix it, didn¡¯t know enough about her own hair type to even begin to tell him that he needed to fix it. Orenda didn¡¯t know how to wear her sari- but she bet Gareth did.


    She wondered if it was worse to never have something, or to have had something and then lose it.


    Gareth didn¡¯t seem to see her at all. He slowly reached up with his flesh hand and ran a gloved finger from one tip of his scar, where it hit just below the hairline, to the place where it ended at his chin. He raised both of his hands toward the night sky and stared at them, wriggling his fingers.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t worked right since I pulled your girl from that fire,¡± he said to the stars, ¡°But she got it, Ronnie. She got it and it wasn¡¯t real. It wasn¡¯t anything. You were wrong. Again. God, don¡¯t you ever get tired of being wrong all the time? Doesn¡¯t it bother you? It put us in so much danger¡­¡±


    He lowered his hands and spread his arms again.


    ¡°I miss you so much¡­ You¡¯re so stupid. I think your woman wanted to die. I don¡¯t know what that demon did to you, but it was too much for you. You were too into the god to deal with a demon. Ronnie, she¡­ she wants to¡­ to fight the Emerald Knight and¡­ how did you do it? How did you get her believing stupid legends about people chosen by non-existent gods? How did you do it from beyond the grave? Do you miss her? Is that it? Do you want here there with you? Are you trying to kill her, too? You¡­ you left me here. You stupid selfish¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gareth?¡± Orenda asked.


    His eyes moved, though nothing else did.


    ¡°Aunty Bella says that you¡¯re having a fit of madness. May I join you?¡±


    He nodded, and Orenda laid on the deck next to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Or¡­ I was. But I¡¯m coming down. Sometimes I have fits of emotion and I can¡¯t breathe very well. My chest seizes up. It gets worse if I stay on land for too long. I can put them off sometimes, but I¡­ I¡¯ve felt one building since we set foot on land. I have to remember how to breath. I forget.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, staring at the stars.


    ¡°My muscles work against me,¡± he continued, ¡°they contract on me. It¡¯s just been something I¡¯ve done since Ronnie died. I think that¡¯s when I went truly mad. So I lie down to let them work themselves out. If I try to move I¡­ well in the past I¡¯ve injured myself. I didn¡¯t mean to frighten you. I mean, I probably didn¡¯t. Not much seems to frighten you. But I frighten a great many people, so I feel the need to say things like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been frightened of you,¡± Orenda said, because it was true.


    ¡°Ronnie was wrong, Rendy,¡± Gareth said, still staring at the sky, ¡°Look at it. Just¡­ look up. Astronomers tell us that we are sitting on a ball spinning around a star, and that every star out there could have other balls spinning around them. They say that we¡¯re looking back in time. Did you know it takes light time to travel? It doesn¡¯t look like it, but it does. And the universe as it is is so big that we aren¡¯t seeing those stars as they are, we¡¯re seeing them as they were.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I only mean¡­ Ronnie, my parents, they were all wrong. If some great creator made the universe for us, for elves- why would it trap us in a terrarium? We can¡¯t get out. We can¡¯t see those other balls, not in the sense that we can see Xren. No one ever hung the sky- we know that now. People didn¡¯t always think as we do now. There was a time when people thought the world was flat, and above it was hung a crystalline firmament, and I could probably throw a rock and hit one of those stars.¡±


    ¡°Did they really believe that?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth said, ¡°We used to believe that we were the center of the universe, that the sun, the moons, the stars all revolved around Xren¡­ this was before even I was born, but we learned about it. But it wasn¡¯t true. Almost nothing we believe is true. That¡¯s important to me, that you know that.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Because if you start to believe things without proof you can make yourself believe a great many things that aren¡¯t true,¡± Gareth said, ¡°And that¡¯s dangerous. It is dangerous to be a fool- more dangerous to be a willing fool. If you allow yourself to believe that chosen ones exist to wield broken weapons¡­ you may as well believe the planet is flat and the sun revolves around it. In order to know what will happen, to make predictions, we cannot allow ourselves to believe that which is not true. And the truth is what the facts are. The facts are that someone, we don¡¯t know who, possibly the man who claimed to be Magnus, put that staff in the flame to fool people. He wanted to give us false hope, I think. A pretty, useless thing-¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t useless,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It burned you. And it speaks to me.¡±


    Gareth made a noise of non-committal confirmation that Orenda only interpreted meant that he had heard her say something.


    ¡°The djinn spoke to Ali,¡± Orenda said, ¡°From an object.¡±


    ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t call Lapus ¡®the djinn¡¯. I¡¯ve known him for years and I only found he was a djinn so recently that it may have been last week for all I know. Time runs together when you get to be my age with my level of,¡± he moved the index finger of his clockwork hand in circles beside his right temple.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a djinn trapped in the staff?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Like the chalice Ali found.¡±


    ¡°If there is,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Leave it exactly where it is. Lapus said not to listen to it, to put it back, and it¡¯s always made me a little uneasy. We probably should put it back where we found it. We can¡¯t actually use it. It isn¡¯t doing us any good. It¡¯s a liability.¡±

 Chapter 88 - Book 3 Chapter 8

    ¡°Alright, so,¡± Gareth said to Orenda kneeling in front of the trunk he had brought out for this purpose, ¡°The first thing to do is dismantle any magical wards. You can see the protection spell I cast, and we¡¯re both the same element. I assume that fool Felaern taught you that much?¡±


    ¡°Cast the exact opposite signature to neutralize it,¡± Orenda said, ¡°When they¡¯re the same element. I¡¯ve actually never done this before. I never had another fire mage to practice with.¡±


    ¡°Do it gently,¡± Gareth said, ¡°If you overpower it too harshly it can cast a flame. You are attacking the ward after all, and the wood of the chest is flammable. The contents may be as well.¡±


    ¡°I just kick it,¡± Bella said. She was sitting at the table in their study with a glass of rum, watching the lesson. ¡°Just kick the shit out of it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, darling, but you have great physical strength,¡± Gareth giggled, ¡°I¡¯m a frail old man and Orenda is¡­ well I suppose the polite term is a ¡®scholar¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I used to be strong,¡± Orenda argued as the protection spell dissipated under her command, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten out of shape. I¡¯ve grown fat and lazy. I couldn¡¯t outrun the demon.¡±


    ¡°It suits you,¡± Gareth told her, ¡°You look like my mother.¡±


    ¡°The down side,¡± Bella said, ¡°Is that you¡¯ll have to beat the boys away with a stick. They¡¯re rather fond of the way you carry your weight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that,¡± Gareth narrowed his eyes at her, ¡°Orenda is a naive delicate flower. I¡¯m sure she hasn¡¯t had any experience with boys. Certainly not that spindly little¡­ nobleman.¡±


    ¡°No one is ever going to let me live that down,¡± Orenda huffed, ¡°You weren¡¯t there. You didn¡¯t see how sad he was.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ you can¡¯t comprehend how badly I don¡¯t want to have this conversation,¡± Gareth covered his face with one hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I brought it up,¡± Bella said, then she continued, addressing Orenda, ¡°Have you tried to contact him, since we left him?¡±


    ¡°I have no means by which to do that,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Impy could scry Adam,¡± Bella suggested.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to talk to that colonizing little twig,¡± Gareth knelt beside Orenda and began to unroll a strip of fabric, ¡°She can do better.¡±


    ¡°I liked him,¡± Bella argued.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the lesson, please? Rendy, here- now what you¡¯re trying to do is replicate the key. Inside the lock mechanism is all clockwork- little metal prongs that would line up with the teeth of a key to create a straight line. You have to figure out how to get them into those positions and then turn it, as a key would. It¡¯s quite simple once your hands figure out what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°How is your hand?¡± Bella asked.


    ¡°I think I melted something on it,¡± Gareth sighed, ¡°It sticks at the knuckles. I need Falsie to fix it but I don¡¯t want to hear his mouth.¡±


    ¡°Would you like me to ask him?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I suppose¡­ I mean, it really needs to be fixed before we set foot on shore. I can¡¯t be walking around the capital like this, trying to sneak into the burrow.¡±


    Orenda was having great difficulty, so Gareth took the tools from her.


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to learn if you look at the key,¡± he said and dug through his pockets to produce a ring of them. He isolated one of them and set it on the floor beside him.


    ¡°Take it off if you want me to ask him,¡± Bella said.


    ¡°I will in just a second,¡± Gareth promised, ¡°Let me show her how to do this and then I will. Now look at the key and imagine it as a negative space. That¡¯s what we¡¯re trying to replicate here. You¡¯ll feel the first rung click into place- hold it there and move on to the second.¡±


    Orenda took the tools from him, and Gareth stood and walked to the table to take off his prosthetic. Bella picked it up and left the room, and Gareth poured glasses of rum for himself and Orenda.


    ¡°This is annoyingly meticulous,¡± Orenda said, but she felt the second rung click into place and she felt a jolt of pride.


    ¡°I wish¡­ that is,¡± Gareth set the glass on the floor next to her, returned for his own glass, and sat cross-legged next to her, ¡°I had always intended to teach you¡­ a great many things. Ronnie and I, before he left with your mother, we used to return to the¡­ well the Urillians call it the fire continent, but we didn¡¯t. We used to return there and steal back the things they had looted from us. Most of them were kept by their nobility, and we got quite good at breaking into their homes. We usually took some extra things for our trouble. We didn¡¯t get everything back.¡±


    ¡°You have artifacts from the kingdom of the fire elves?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Gareth, that¡¯s amazing. After the war we should open a museum, where people can come to learn. You could write out what each of them was used for, what it did, what it meant.¡±


    ¡°A museum,¡± Gareth said to his glass, as if the idea insulted him, ¡°You sound like Ellie. No. These things aren¡¯t meant to be displayed for tourists. They were stolen from us. They belong to us. They¡¯re meant to be used.¡±


    ¡°I would like people to know about the fire elves,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°I would like to know about the fire elves.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°What would you like to know?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°Everything,¡± Orenda said and felt another prong click into place.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start,¡± Gareth said, absentmindedly twisting his hair. He caught himself and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but it¡¯s been bothering me- when are you going to do something with your head?¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I never saw the point in wasting time on vanity. I just burn it off when it gets too long.¡±


    ¡°Ronnie did that when he left with Soko,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I always thought it was symbolic. It felt as if it represented a new start for him.¡±


    ¡°Did he wear his hair long, before that?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth said, ¡°He kept it locked. It was exactly as long as mine. We styled it together. We did everything together; it was important, you see, that we looked alike. When we used to break into those noble estates that I told you about, we tricked them into thinking that there was only one of us. One of us would run a distraction and we could switch out if we needed to. They thought we could teleport,¡± he laughed and continued, ¡°Confused the hell out of them. They couldn¡¯t catch us. But it was all smoke and mirrors, not real magic, stage magic. The trick is done with twins.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I think I got the last one. Now I turn it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth said.


    Orenda moved them all to the side and pulled up.


    The lid of the chest popped open.


    ¡°Oh,¡± She said with alarm, because it was filled to the brim with money in gold and silver coins.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how that¡¯s done,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Tomorrow after we finish our travels I suppose I¡¯ll teach you how to pickpocket.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a wonderful influence, Uncle Gareth,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°We have to get by, Orenda,¡± Gareth said, ¡°And most of that is simply costumary. That will probably be easier for you¡­ I can see Soko in you, you know. You can pass for an earth elf easier than I can.¡±


    ¡°Can you?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°I can¡¯t see it at all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a little short,¡± Gareth said, ¡°And your eyebrows sit on your face exactly as hers did. You have her small mouth and more pointed chin. It¡¯s subtle, but¡­ if one knows where to look they can see her in your bones.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been mistaken for an earth elf,¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you would be,¡± Gareth said, ¡°But that¡¯s because those Urillians are focused on looking for differences. But you do look quite like my mother. Soko¡¯s influence runs deeper. You have her¡­ her soul in you. You¡¯re just like her in so many ways. Watching you rile up that crowd before we left¡­ you have her confidence, her will to endure, her ability to inspire and to intimidate. It should have been funny, watching her fight with Garon- he was a head and shoulders taller than her, and she would say to him, ¡®Come down here and say that to my face, motherfucker¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Was she part of the nobility?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Good god no,¡± Gareth laughed, ¡°nothing of the sort. The Sambrees were a poor family- there are poor earth elves, as difficult as that is to imagine. They used to live in an area known for poverty, for migrant families who worked the fields in the growing season and then traveled to a wooded area to wait out the snow- they couldn¡¯t survive it out in the fields, I suppose. Winters are apparently fairly harsh in the earth continent. I¡¯m trying to remember everything they told me. Maury certainly bitched about his past enough, poor bugger.¡±


    ¡°Do I have grandparents?¡± Orenda asked. She had wanted to ask this for some time, but part of he thought that Gareth would have no answer for her.


    ¡°Not as far as I know, not living,¡± he said, ¡°The Sambrees were orphaned at a young age. They were taken in by the military- that¡¯s what was done with orphans in those days- I mean, with the pretty little blond ones. Not with people like Ronnie and me. That¡¯s what was done with earth elf orphans. We would have probably been sent straight to the workhouses.¡± He took a long drink, paused, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive myself for that. It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t change the past,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder if¡­ if I should have taken you out of that school¡­ or taken you with me the first time, when Ellie found you¡­ but you have to understand, Orenda¡­ you have to see¡­ there¡¯s a shadow looming over me. No one is safe around me. I couldn¡¯t¡­ not to a child. Not with him after me¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t change the past,¡± Orenda said again, because she did not want to have this conversation. She didn¡¯t know what to say. She couldn¡¯t tell Gareth that it was alright, because it wasn¡¯t- it certainly would never be alright that he had abandoned her. But she also couldn¡¯t blame him, in his madness, for thinking it was the safest thing to do. He really did think that the Emerald Knight was after him, really did see a sword looming over his head that could fall at any moment. Those things were very real for Gareth, and she understood why he wouldn¡¯t feel safe taking care of a child.


    ¡°If Felearn isn¡¯t dead I¡¯ll kill him myself,¡± Gareth said over the top of his glass, ¡°I¡¯m calling dibs.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°He actually protected me against the others, against Lady Glenlen.¡±


    Gareth stared at her as if he wanted to say something but could not bring himself to utter it.


    ¡°Gary, I told you to be careful with the damn thing!¡± Falsie came storming in and Gareth sat up straight to pretend that he hadn¡¯t been drinking again. ¡°The gears and fingertips were melted out of shape. Melted! What the hell did you do to them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Gareth said and seemed to mean it, ¡°I just noticed it wasn¡¯t working very well, hadn¡¯t been working well since we returned from the temple. I was in a bit of a panic, so I hope you¡¯ll excuse my delay. That and I knew you would yell at me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t appreciate what I do for you,¡± Falsie accused.


    ¡°Of course I do, old friend,¡± Gareth pouted, ¡°You¡¯re a lifesaver. It¡¯s only that I can¡¯t control the environment. I don¡¯t know what happened. I truly don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk again,¡± Falsie sighed.


    ¡°Not particularly,¡± Gareth shrugged.


    ¡°If I knew how to create a protective outer layer,¡± Falsie said more to himself than to Gareth, ¡°Maybe I wouldn¡¯t have to fix it every other day.¡±


    He knelt and helped Gareth strap the hand back in place.


    ¡°You don¡¯t take care of yourself, Gary.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that inconveniences you,¡± Gareth said with such sincerity that it made Orenda feel real sorrow for him. It was the sort of thing she was never expect to hear without sarcasm.


    ¡°Your drunk, Gary,¡± Falsie said, ¡°Go to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What do you do with a drunken sailor?


    What do you do with a drunken sailor?


    What do you do with a drunken sailor?¡± Gareth climbed to his feet, took Falsie by the hand and began to sing. ¡°Put him in the bed with the Captain¡¯s daughter.


    Put him in the bed with the Captain¡¯s daughter.


    Put him in the bed with the Captain¡¯s daughter.


    Early in the morning!¡±


    Falsie laughed and sang along with him, and Orenda watched them and thought how fluidly they were moving despite their crippling size difference.

 Chapter 89 - Book 3 Chapter 9

    ¡°Alright, everyone, gather round- especially you Rendy, this is mostly for your benefit,¡± Gareth said as he stood in the study looking down at a map he had pinned to the table. They had only recently breakfasted and Orenda still had her mug of coffee, which she had refilled and feared she may be overindulging in. But she still couldn¡¯t hold her liquor and it seemed to do a little something for the hangover.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± Gareth said to her, ¡°None of us, except for Draco, have actually been to the Burrow. I didn¡¯t want to just show up there with the Emerald Knight after me, and Xac set up his land long after he just¡­ disappeared on that battlefield, apparently- which makes so much more sense now that I know Lapus can do that¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that you know teleportation is possible?¡± Orenda asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that that¡¯s what happened,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Xac was never very clear on what happened. He¡¯s never very clear on anything. He¡¯s not exactly known for clarity.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t actually know where he lives?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Why the hell would I ever step foot on Urillian soil again?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°Especially so close to the capital? No, I have no idea where he lives. That¡¯s why I called this meeting. We need to have a plan in place, because we¡¯re going to need to hide once we reach the shore- and we certainly can¡¯t sail up in the Burned Roc, they¡¯ll spot us in a second. We¡¯re moving deep into enemy territory. I don¡¯t think you understand how dangerous this is. We normally take people on in the dead of night far offshore in rowboats. It¡¯s been a good twenty years since I set foot on Urillian soil¡­ No, I know nothing. Draco, darling, would you be so kind as to tell us what the hell we¡¯ll be doing?¡±


    ¡°I suggest, Captain,¡± Draco flew from Impy¡¯s shoulder and alighted on Gareth¡¯s outstretched arm, ¡°that I do a reconnaissance mission first. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been to the Burrow myself. But if something were to happen to me¡­ I need another map. I need a map of the earth continent in more detail.¡±


    ¡°Darling could you?¡± Gareth asked, but Bella was already hunting through a cabinet. She rolled out the new map and pinned it on top of the old one.


    ¡°Right,¡± Draco said, ¡°hold me lower, Captain, I don¡¯t want to hop around on the table with my claws. I may tear it. Now, unfortunately, the Burrow is actually¡­ quite close to Capital Town. It¡¯s less than a week¡¯s journey on foot. Less than a day by air. If Xandra knows about the rebellion in the fire colony, it¡¯s likely that the guards will be out hot and heavy. I honestly¡­ don¡¯t know how you¡¯re going to sneak two fire elves, an unmarked human, and a dwarf to the Burrow. We¡¯ll have to row out- you can¡¯t take the carpet back and forth like that, we won¡¯t be able to get close enough to shore. Give me something to write with, captain, or a pin or¡­ anything.¡±


    Gareth handed him a pin, and he leaned forward with it in his mouth to stick it into the map.


    ¡°There, on the edge of the agricultural district between those small rolling hills you¡¯ll see an orchard. There are all sorts of things there, pears, apples¡­ star fruit. There¡¯s a stately farmhouse and a few other buildings that look like slave quarters, for appearances. As far as anyone knows, that place is owned by Lapus Lazuli. Everything important is well hidden. It looks like a normal farm on the surface, not unlike the others that surround it. Xac¡¯s been strategically buying up land for years, though, under Lapus¡¯s name, so it¡¯s quite secluded.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they recognize that name?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°As the djinn?¡±


    ¡°I imagine ¡®the djinn¡¯- seriously, can we please stop saying that?- was a secret until a few days ago. Even now I don¡¯t think we¡¯re advertising his name,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Lapus Lazuli is a fairly common water elf name. It¡¯s similar to precious stone, pronounced almost exactly the same. Poor bastard has probably never had a birthday cake spelled right in his life.¡±


    ¡°My point is,¡± Draco said loudly, ¡°That the burrow is huge and if we can get there we should be safe. It¡¯s the getting there that will be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Gareth said. ¡°We¡¯ll certainly be conspicuous. Perhaps¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we could wear make-up?¡± Orenda suggested, ¡°Lighten our skin, wear hoods, and pretend that Bella is our slave?¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t do,¡± Gareth shook his head and seemed insulted that she had suggested it. ¡°They would still recognize my mask, for one thing, and for another I hate every single thing about that plan.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Well you wouldn¡¯t wear your mask, in that plan,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°It¡¯s so far inland,¡± Bella said, studying the map.


    ¡°And so close to the castle,¡± Gareth said, looking around the coast, ¡°The closest port really is¡­ it¡¯s the one capital town uses¡­ the same¡­ that¡¯s where¡­¡±


    ¡°Where I was born?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth said softly.


    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t use that one, obviously,¡± She said, ¡°We should go¡­ here. To-Seaweed Beach? Really? That¡¯s the name of a town? That¡¯s terrible¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bella said, ¡°It would add weeks to our journey on land and we simply don¡¯t have it. Xac is in danger. We take the most direct route.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s literally right outside the walls of the castle!¡± Orenda argued.


    ¡°That¡¯s the wall to Capital Town,¡± Bella corrected, ¡°The castle is actually a sort of fortress. They can seal up the gate and keep out intruders and hold a good number of people inside.¡±


    ¡°Well whatever,¡± Orenda said, ¡°My point is, security is too tight.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of security,¡± Bella asked her, ¡°Where is that sacred, priceless staff?¡±


    ¡°I put it in my wardrobe,¡± Orenda made a face, ¡°It was annoying me. The thing never shuts up. It¡¯s taken to talking incessantly and I find many of its suggestions disagreeable. I think I really will put it back once I¡¯ve finished with it. It vexes me to no end.¡±


    This was true, but not the complete truth. The full truth was that any time the staff saw Anilla it acted as if it was frightened. It told Orenda that it had seen things, that Anilla was dangerous, was a betrayer, and that she should be struck down, should be killed, before she had a chance to do something horrible.


    Anilla had never been anything but kind to her- but Orenda had to wonder.


    Since the first day she had met the halfling she had gotten a bad feeling about her. She was far too chipper, far too optimistic to be healthy or realistic, as if it was an act that someone was putting on, someone who wanted too much to be trusted. She had been so forthcoming with information about her private life that it spoke of a kind of naivete that someone as old as Anilla claimed to be should not have.


    Orenda knew that she had seen her magic signature before, she just couldn¡¯t place it.


    But she had no reason to be so apprehensive- and she had to remind herself that she often distrusted people who had done nothing to deserve it. She was slow to open up to others, but that was not necessarily a sign a maturity. And even if it was, it was possible that Anilla really had been isolated most of her life, had only recently left her tribe and began to travel. It made sense that she knew so little of the world.


    She could not let that staff get into her head. She didn¡¯t like the things it told her- because it told her things that she wanted. It promised her power and answers, things it should not know that she wanted. Sometimes Orenda would think something, not speak it aloud but simply think it, and the staff would respond as if it had heard her.


    Orenda wanted to get rid of the thing as soon as possible.


    ¡°I can be sneaky!¡± Anilla said, ¡°I¡¯m so small I often go unnoticed. But if we really need an earth elf, why don¡¯t we call Captain Glenlen? Or Steve?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Bella said, ¡°With his new scars I doubt he¡¯d be widely recognizable. Has he even been to Uril proper before? Would anyone recognize him at all?¡±


    ¡°Steve has,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He deserted from their army. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anyone left who would remember him¡­ he¡¯s so old.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gareth said, ¡°That¡¯s a terrible plan. We just send Draco ahead with the warning, and then the rest of will sneak in the good, old-fashioned way going the long way round. That¡¯s the most sensible thing to do. We wear traveling cloaks and keep under cover of darkness. We camp during the day- Uril is almost all woods- and we travel at night. We just stay alert and stay safe.¡±


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Bella warned.


    ¡°What? That¡¯s the best plan. We just have to be sneaky. It isn¡¯t like we have no Knights along the way- there are safe houses all over Uril.¡±


    ¡°There were safe houses all over Uril. It¡¯s been a while and security has probably gotten tighter.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find out when we dock,¡± Gareth said, ¡°As soon as we get close enough, we row out to Seaweed Beach which, by the by Orenda, darling, is named for the color, not the plant, and see if our dear old friend Feno is still running the Glamorous Seagull. If he is, he can point us to our next location.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s really all we can do,¡± Bella frowned.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be going from safehouse to safehouse?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Like the humans did to escape?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but backwards,¡± Gareth said, ¡°And if we get caught¡­ if any of us get caught we cannot be taken into custody. It is said¡­¡±


    ¡°It is said that Xandra can look into a person¡¯s mind,¡± Bella finished his thought, ¡°And we all know too much about the Order. We do not let them take us alive.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think they can. Not unless they have the Emerald Knight with them, and he¡¯s supposed to be in the frozen north.¡±


    ¡°If you can trust the demon,¡± Gareth said without looking at Bella.

 Chapter 90 - Book 3 Chapter 10

    There were blank pages in the back of the book.  Orenda had carried the book, the book that she suspected Ellie had been writing, on the subject of fire elves, for over a decade.  It had been a little damaged by the steam, a little worn with time, but it was still perfectly good, good enough to have been copied at least once.


    Orenda spread it out, open to the first blank page and stared at the inkwell she had unstopped.  Outside her porthole the ocean flew by as a blur too quickly for her eyes to detect, and she was nervous about writing anything.  She had made a point to sit down immediately after the first lurch, immediately after she adjusted to the speed, when she knew she would have several hours uninterrupted before the second lurch when they stopped moving.  She wouldn¡¯t have ink blots. She wouldn¡¯t ruin the book.


    She spread out the notes she had been keeping, took a deep breath, dipped the quill in the ink, and began to copy her draft.


    The selection of children to train as priests - The Trial by Fire.


    At a young age, fire elves who have been called to the priesthood undertake a trial to determine whether or not they have truly been selected by Thesis.  There exists, in the Sacred Mountain temple, a doorway of flame, fittingly referred to as ¡°The Sacred Flame¡±. Any hopeful initiates must walk through this doorway, and come out unscathed on the other side.  It would be easy for an outsider to misunderstand the difficulty of this test, as fire elves do not generally burn.


    But that is not the point of the test.  The author has walked through the sacred flame, and can speak with some insight into the experience.  The difficulty of the flame is not that it burns, though it certainly does. The real test is being able to look into the face of existence, to know the will of a god, to know the comfort of the oneness of the universe, to be presented with all of creation from the heart of one individual stretching through the entirety, the unknowable vastness of the cosmos- to contain all of that in a mortal mind without succumbing to madness, and to be able to step out of it again.  The strength this requires is, undoubtedly, a suitable test for any position. The difficulty is, one could argue, actually set too high rather than too low.


    This was all she could fit on one page, and she would have to wait for the ink to dry before she could continue.


    Master.


    Orenda ignored the staff, where it was still shut up within her wardrobe, and stood.  She stretched out her muscles and thought, briefly, that she really should be doing some sort of exercises to prepare herself.  She would not repeat the mistakes of her parents, would not go into battle unprepared, but Gareth had been right when he had called her a scholar rather than a fighter.  Sailing made her ill, and moving was a chore, which did nothing for her already poor physique. She had allowed herself to grow fat and lazy at the academy, and she remembered that she had been unable to outrun the demon.


    She wandered into the hall and wondered what people did to train for battle.  The only physically strong person she knew was Bella, and she was busy propelling the ship.  The last thing she needed was excess food, but as she hadn¡¯t been mindful, the galley was the place she found herself when she became aware of her surroundings.


    Mr Bilge was wearing a button-up shirt secured tightly, gloves, and had a bandanna wrapped around his face- all these precautions seemed to be for cleanliness, as he was wiping down the surfaces where people ate, and Orenda saw the dishes stacked neatly on a drying wrack and secured by having a second wire cage that snapped on top of them, she assumed to prevent them all from just hitting the wall and breaking when the ship stopped.


    ¡°Careful,¡± he said, ¡°Just mopped in here.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°Not alright.  Never alright. Gotta clean. Must clean.  So dirty. Dirty all the time. All of them.  All of them are so dirty, make it dirty. Needs to be shiny.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel a compulsion to clean?¡± Orenda asked.  He was always cleaning and organizing, and the sight often bothered her.  She wondered if it was part of Impy¡¯s spell, if he, as a¡­ flesh golem? Was basically being used as a slave.


    ¡°Everyone should,¡± he said, ¡°The humans.  The elves. The dwarf. So dirty. Dragons don¡¯t dirty.  Dragons clean. Dragons make it shiny.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­  I¡¯m sorry about your situation,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± he said, ¡°Sorry.  Don¡¯t like it. He didn¡¯t mean it.  He panicked.¡±


    He stopped wiping down the chair he was working on and looked at Orenda.  She tried a smile, but feared it was patronizing.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I miss¡­¡± he said, sighed with lungs that she knew were decaying inside his torso, dunked his rag in the soapy water, wrang it out, and went back to wiping, ¡°I would fly.  Had a den. Collected shinys. Always clean. Always shiny. So long. So long ago. No more. Now I¡¯m here. This is my den now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Orenda said again.


    ¡°Sorry is no good,¡± Mr Bilge shook his head.  ¡°Sorry does not¡­ make it go back. Can¡¯t go back.  Maybe¡­ maybe when Impy dies I go back? We don¡¯t know.  He¡¯s not bad. He panicked. It¡¯s bad, though.¡±


    ¡°Anilla is looking for a dragon,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Not it,¡± Mr Bilge said and moved on to another chair.


    ¡°Why did he panic?¡± Orenda asked.  She had often wondered this, wondered what had happened, but felt it was not her place to ask.


    ¡°Bad day,¡± Mr Bilge said, ¡°Bad day, back home.  Bad people came in bad ships, so many bad people.  They made the water rise- destroyed the beach, destroyed dens.  We had to fly away, had to go high. Some went to boats- I went to boat.  People were fighting, some good, some bad? I do¡­ I do everything around here.¡±  He had reached a particularly dirty spot on the chair and it angered him. He seemed to lose his train of thought.


    ¡°What happened then?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Draco lived here,¡± Mr Bilge said, ¡°Draconis.  Draconis was his name. Lived here. In me. In this body.  The bad people hurt him. They hurt their building. Impy¡­ Imperious¡­  He¡¯s not bad. He panicked. He does weird magic- he¡¯s not supposed to. He panicked.  He looked different. Much different. Had black hair¡­ smooth face¡­ not white hair, not crumpled, stood taller, heard when people spoke.  He got old since then. When he dies, maybe I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    ¡°Imperious¡­  does necromancy,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I was taught that mages should not meddle with the dead.  It isn¡¯t an elemental magic. It¡¯s demonic. Nothing good comes of it.¡±


    ¡°Not good,¡± Mr Bilge agreed, ¡°But¡­  But he¡¯s not bad. Sometimes people do bad things, but they¡¯re not bad.  He wanted to save Draco. The bad people hurt Draco. The bad people made him panic.  Still though¡­ maybe¡­¡± He trailed off again.


    ¡°Maybe what?¡± Orenda prodded.


    ¡°Maybe people are bad,¡± Mr Bilge said, ¡°When they do bad things.  But¡­ I live here now. Can¡¯t leave. Can¡¯t leave magic boat. Spell might not work.  Would never go back. If I stay, maybe I go back when Impy dies. So¡­ can¡¯t stay mad.  If I stay mad¡­ I would stay mad. All the time. Go crazy. Already I am a little crazy.  Little bit. So long¡­ been here so long.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a good dragon, Mr Bilge,¡± Orenda said sadly.  ¡°Such a good person. Most people could not find that kind of forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°I was always a good boy,¡± he agreed, ¡°Always.  Wish people would¡­ wouldn¡¯t be so dirty.¡±


    ¡°Do you have another rag?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°I can help you.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± He said, ¡°No one helps me!  Can¡¯t do it right! I have a system!¡±


    He was so angry in a way that Orenda didn¡¯t expect that she threw up her hands in a gesture of submission.


    ¡°Alright,¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  Thank you, though. Thank you for keeping it clean.  I like it shiney, too. I like things to be neat and clean.¡±


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Orenda turned to see Falsie come in from the hall, ¡°I need to measure you so I can cut this fabric.  I¡¯ve got the spell cast.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said- she had forgotten that he was making her armor to cure the illness.  It seemed so trivial now. She had more or less gotten used to the constant sea-sickness, and on the Burned Roc it was not as bad as it could have been.  Still she was grateful to him, not just for the armor, but for a way out of her current conversation.


    ¡°Well,¡± She said to Mr Bilge, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually make many clothes,¡± Falsie said, ¡°I¡¯m no Brigaddon.¡±


    Orenda stared at the fabric laid out in front of her- it had been bright red, once, but had since faded so badly it was nearly pink.  It was threadbare, and likely wouldn¡¯t hold together very long. She saw green crystals sewn into it, which she had not been expecting, but when she thought about it, that made sense.


    In class, the elements had been presented as a circle.  Elves came in three varieties- earth, water, and fire. Magic came in more elements, Orenda knew now, but in class there had never been presented the idea of an air mage- after all, there were no ¡°air¡± elves, and elves were the species that had been chosen by Thesis to wield magic- but now that Orenda knew there did exist air mages, she questioned the whole system.  She had long suspected people like Bella and Anilla existed before she had met them. A lack of elves in a region did not indicate to her that it would lack mages in the way it did to the Urillians.


    Perhaps that was why Xandra had never ventured into the frozen north.  Perhaps she thought that there were no people there to conquer. But¡­ Orenda had heard from multiple sources that Morgani Magnus lived there.  Tolith had speculated that the fabled Crystal City was located in the frozen north- an opinion her parents seemed to have shared, if they went there looking for Morgani Magnus.  Didn¡¯t Xaxac claim to have been there? In his letter?


    Was that why the Emerald Knight was traveling there now?  Was he looking for that lost paradise? Even if he found it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get in.  Elves had fallen from grace. It was off-limits to them now.


    ¡°I appreciate it, Falsie,¡± Orenda said to him, ¡°But you really shouldn¡¯t cast outside your element.  You¡¯ll go mad.¡±


    ¡°Well, that and I¡¯m not very good at it,¡± Falsie said, ¡°It might not work.  My ma was¡­ looking over her notes, the woman was a genius, Rendy. Xren will never see another like her.  She just made a mistake. Krothy didn¡¯t blame her, but¡­ she couldn¡¯t save her from herself. Almost no one can save a person from themselves.  So¡­ I try. I try to replicate what she did¡­ and I try to¡­¡± He shrugged, ¡°We all just do what we can.¡±


    ¡°I can sew a little,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I can help out with this.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Falsie said as he stepped onto a stool and stretched out a tape measure, ¡°Because you might have to.¡±

 Chapter 91 - Book 3 Chapter 11

    The armor did absolutely nothing.  Orenda didn¡¯t want to tell Falsie that it didn¡¯t work at all, after all the time and energy he had put into it, after he had cast outside his element in an attempt to protect her- so she had lied to him.  She had worked with him, cutting and sewing, and she had said that she could feel it already, eating away at the sickness. She had put it on, and she had told him that she was perfectly fine, that it was like being on land again.


    Part of her regretted this, because she knew that she would not be able to keep up the charade, and because it was, despite their best efforts, rather ugly.  She retreated upon the instance that she had work to do, with the book, chronicling the history of the fire elves, and if one were to stretch that as far as they could, it would not necessarily be a lie.


    What she was actually doing was sitting in Gareth¡¯s study with more paper and charcoal, sketching out the facsimile of his face.  She was trying to work out what he would look like without the scar, because if she did that, if she could imagine his face as it had been, before it had been altered by the Emerald Knight, she would have a clear image of her father.  It would be nice to have a clear visual image to match the mental image, the image she had gathered of his personality.


    She couldn¡¯t be sure of anything; her parents were still nebulous concepts that she could only hear second-hand, that she would have to piece together.  If Sokomaur was her mother, she wasn¡¯t sure she believed Gareth when he said that he was her only living relative. All he could really tell her was that her aunty and uncle had gone into the frozen north and never returned.  That didn¡¯t mean they were dead. It turned out that people were much more difficult to kill than Orenda had imagined as a child, and Tolith had proven how easy it was to make people believe you were dead when you were not.


    She amended her sketch on the belief that Gareth¡¯s nose would have looked differently when it was whole, that it had probably been broken in the attack and had not healed properly.  Orenda had always liked to draw because it forced her to see the world as it really was- that¡¯s what art actually was. She had often thought she knew what something looked like until she tried to draw it.  She thought that she would like to have some paint, that maybe after the war was over and she could retire to the countryside of the fire continent, perhaps in the rebuilt city that housed the temple- she would have a room dedicated to painting.  She would, perhaps sell them, if she needed the money, but part of her thought that her status as ¡°The Chosen One¡± should bring wealth to her, somehow, once she dethroned the empress. She could probably just loot the castle while she was there and come away with enough to live on for the rest of her life.


    She was alone in this fantasy, and when she came out of it she felt a pang of guilt about that fact.  Part of her wished that she wanted Tolith there. The last thing he had said to her, the last time he had seen her was ¡°I love you¡±.  Honestly, though, she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to put up with him for a lifetime. If she had to choose a companion, she thought it would likely be someone like Anilla, who would come and go with the pressure of her quest, or Bubbider, who would have more pressing matters to attend to, or even Ali who seemed as if he had closed himself off even more than he had in his youth.  Orenda liked people who were not constant, who did not depend on her. If she was being honest, that sort of dependence, the kind one finds in a lover who wants their partner to validate them, to live an entire life with them- frightened her. She was uninterested in it, and if she ever fell into it she thought she wouldn¡¯t much like it.


    She pulled a soft chunk from the bread she had brought for that purpose and kneaded it, working it to a flat edge, and began to clean up the guide lines on her sketch.  When she was satisfied she looked down at the face that may have belonged to her father- Nochdifache¡¯s broad cheekbones weren¡¯t as visible with full cheeks, without flesh pulled taunt around a wound, and the extra bulk gave him a strong jawline.  His nose, now a prominent feature, reminded her of her own. His eyes weren¡¯t as sunken into his face, and stared out at her- she kneaded the bread again to a point in order to put highlights in them, to make them sparkle. She got her full lips from her father, she thought, because Nochdifache still had them, the kind of lips that the Urillians tried to imitate by overdrawing with pigment- but she doubted he enjoyed any of his facial features.  He was right, the scar was obvious, it did mar him, and if her drawing was correct, he had been beautiful once. That alone would be enough to drive one to wear the mask, but Orenda knew that wasn¡¯t his reason- he may have been vain, she didn¡¯t know, but he wanted to look into a mirror and pretend he was talking to his brother.


    Orenda felt the darkness falling over her and tucked her charcoal back into her bag so it wouldn¡¯t scatter with the lurch that came a few minutes later.  She braced herself on the table this time, as she was getting more used to it, and did not go flying across the room. She fought back the illness and waited until she was reasonably sure she could pretend she didn¡¯t feel it at all, picked up her drawing, and went walking toward the deck.


    She heard what could, conceivably, pass for bickering as she entered the kitchen.


    ¡°But I love to cook,¡± Anilla was saying, ¡°and you work so hard, all the time!  You need to rest.¡±


    ¡°I have a system!¡± Mr Bilge screamed as if Anilla had done something horrible, ¡°Don¡¯t touch- no!  Not for cooking! Eating sticks! Long sticks for cooking! Get out of my kitchen!¡±


    ¡°But you let Impy cook,¡± Anilla said, sounding as if she were hurt.


    ¡°Draco knows my system!¡± Mr Bilge screamed.


    Orenda entered the room to see Mr Bilge holding a pair of chopsticks in the air out of Anilla¡¯s reach, and immediately felt that he had no right to treat her so poorly.  She allowed the initial reaction to pass, and her sorrow for him overpowered his obvious overreaction.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°I could eat,¡± She said instead, because it was true, but more than that, because it was neutral.


    ¡°I eat sometimes,¡± Mr Bilge said as he opened a drawer and put the sticks back inside, ¡°Don¡¯t have to.  Magic keeps going. Sometimes my tongue works.¡± He shrugged, ¡°Sometimes it doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Anilla would be tidy,¡± Orenda tried.


    ¡°I have a system!¡± Mr Bilge shouted.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Bella said as she came marching in, ¡°Who touched his things?  We don¡¯t touch his things. Or well¡­ if you ask first it¡¯s normally not an issue.¡±


    ¡°I was just¡­  I was going to make dinner for everyone,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Bilge, some of us still have to eat,¡± Bella told him.


    My Bilge slammed the drawer shut and began to mutter as he left the room for the deck.


    ¡°Sailing all day.  Probably dirty. Always dirty.  I do everything around here.¡±


    ¡°Honestly,¡± Bella sighed.  ¡°I do wonder¡­ if there isn¡¯t¡­  it isn¡¯t like Draco would even want that body back now.¡±


    ¡°Mages aren¡¯t supposed to perform necromancy,¡± Orenda said, then she held out her drawing towards Bella, ¡°Could you look at this and tell me if I¡¯ve gotten it right?  I was trying to visualize Gareth, you know, without the scar.¡±


    Bella switched her eyepatch and took the picture.  Her face instantly lit up with a smile.


    ¡°It looks more like Ronnie,¡± She said, ¡°Gary¡¯s always been a little thinner, at least since I¡¯ve known him.  His face was never this full. But it¡¯s good enough for government work. I mean, most people couldn¡¯t tell the difference anyway, unless you really got to know them.  I never understood it. I felt as if they sort of looked like those before and after images you see on the sort of traveling carts that snake oil is sold out of. You¡¯re a good artist, Rendy.  Could you draw me next?¡±


    ¡°This is what my father looked like?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Well, he had short hair the entire time I knew him, but I¡¯m told he wore it long and dreaded it before I met him, before he began to travel with Soko.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been bothering me¡­¡±  Orenda admitted, ¡°Did he travel with her¡­  when he was a child? Gareth said they met when she was an adult and he was a child.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, nothing like that,¡± Bella said, ¡°They met back up nearly a century later.  I¡¯m not exactly sure how, but I think Ronnie went looking for her. He heard about the resistance she was leading, after the water continent fell?  I didn¡¯t know them then, so I couldn¡¯t really tell you. I¡¯m sure the others would know more.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Are you going to give this to Gary?¡± Bella asked.  ¡°It would mean the world to him, Rendy. You can¡¯t imagine how much it would mean to him.¡±


    ¡°I could, I suppose,¡± Orenda said and took the drawing back from her, ¡°I can always make another.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re making good time,¡± Gareth said as he walked into the room, ¡°We all need to get ready because this sneak¡­  stealth? This mission is happening soon.¡±


    ¡°Here, Uncle Gareth,¡± Orenda held out the drawing, ¡°I¡¯ve drawn a picture for you.  I tried to¡­ well, it¡¯s meant to be you, you see.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gareth said.  He took the sketch, and his eyes widened in alarm.  His face went nearly rigid and his hands began to tremble.  ¡°Oh,¡± he said again, and after a long pause, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Orenda asked, more than a little afraid she had hurt his feelings, done something to his already fragile psyche.


    ¡°Of course I like it,¡± He said as if the thought offended him, ¡°I just¡­  I don¡¯t really¡­ have any paintings or anything and¡­ it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen¡­  it doesn¡¯t particularly look like me, anymore, does it? That isn¡¯t a criticism, only¡­ it¡­  it threw me off¡­ it looks a bit more like Ronnie.¡±


    ¡°You needn¡¯t keep it if you don¡¯t like it,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I do like it.  I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m not expressing that, I just¡­  I haven¡¯t¡­ I haven¡¯t seen his face in so long.  I¡¯m left handed, you know.¡± He said this as if it was part of the same thought, but it took Orenda a moment to piece together what he meant.  She kept forgetting that his clockwork hand was an imperfect replica of a flesh hand, and for the first time she realized something when she went over the events of that terrible night in her mind.


    If you¡¯re going to be holding something for a long time, like a baby that you¡¯ll have to carry, you cradle it with your non-dominant hand.  The hand Gareth had lost that day was the one he would have used, to write, to draw, as his primary casting hand¡­ He had had twenty years to practice, so it was likely that he didn¡¯t notice anymore, that he got by using his prosthetic or taught himself how to use his right hand, but she wondered if¡­  if perhaps he used to draw.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it odd how one of our hands is just incapable of doing anything and we all just accept that?¡± He asked, ¡°That¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right-handed,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you aren¡¯t the evil twin,¡± Gareth told her, ¡°The evil twin is left-handed.  When we were in school they wanted me to use my right hand, like Ronnie, so I got reasonably good with it.  It isn¡¯t a big deal. This is for me? You¡¯re giving this to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda felt strange and awkward and she didn¡¯t know why.  Part of her wanted to reach out and touch him, to comfort him, because he looked like he needed comfort.  But there was no reason to feel that, and she may have been projecting something onto him, so she did nothing.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯d like to display it in my study.  Can you draw one of Bella?¡±

 Chapter 92 - Book 3 Chapter 12

    Orenda stood in the study with the others wearing her traveling cloak, which she had sewn up in an attempt to close the hole in the back from where Shelly¡¯s spell had stabbed her, staring down at the map pinned to the table.  The cabinets were littered with her sketches now, but no one was looking at them. They were all focused on the task at hand.


    ¡°As the dragon flies,¡± Draco told them, ¡°I¡¯ll make it to the Burrow a good two days ahead of you, if everything goes as planned.  But I won¡¯t know where you are to double back for you, so we¡¯ll be unable to communicate. If you take days longer than you should, though, I¡¯ll come looking for you.¡±


    ¡°If we can get the rides,¡± Gareth told the group, ¡°We should be able to make it to the burrow in about a week.  If we have to go on foot it¡¯ll take considerably longer. I don¡¯t know what security is like on the earth continent- probably not terribly bad until we near the capital, but we all need to be on guard.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t let them take us alive,¡± Bella said with great solemnity, ¡°We never let them take us alive.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t come to that,¡± Gareth said, ¡°And what we mean by that, Rendy,¡± he said because he felt that it needed to be clarified, ¡°Is that if there is to be a fight, we take out as many of them as we can before they take us down.  They¡¯ll fight for their lives like cornered animals if they have to. It isn¡¯t a suicide mission. Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°I knew what you meant,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Hopefully the Glamorous Seagull is still there,¡± Gareth said.  ¡°I hope Xac appreciates this. I don¡¯t like Uril. I¡¯m not particularly happy to be here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid,¡± Anilla said, ¡°I came here before, after I first left my home.  Everyone seemed nice enough, but I didn¡¯t go very far inland.¡±


    ¡°The Emerald Knight isn¡¯t here, Gary,¡± Bella put a hand on his shoulder, ¡°He¡¯s in the frozen north.  He wouldn¡¯t have had time to get back.¡±


    Gareth made a noise of confirmation, but Orenda knew that he didn¡¯t agree with Bella and she wasn¡¯t sure she did either.  Orenda didn¡¯t know enough about sea travel to know how long it would take, she didn¡¯t know if the Emerald Knight had water or air mages in his employ, or if he could teleport like a djinn.  She didn¡¯t know what he could do, and she suspected that Bella didn¡¯t either.


    ¡°Get your staff, Rendy,¡± Falsie told her.


    ¡°Wrap it,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Wrap it as if it¡¯s a gift or somesuch, something that we¡¯re traveling with.  Wrap it in cloth. That thing¡¯s so gaudy that having it is asking to get jumped.¡±


    ¡°Will you be wearing your mask?¡± Orenda asked him.


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I need that, Rendy¡­  I need it.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda huffed.


    ¡°Get the staff and meet us on deck,¡± Gareth told her, ¡°If we¡¯re going, we¡¯re going tonight.¡±


    Orenda could barely see the outline of the shore in the darkness, and thought of how she had never really thought of herself as a traveler.  The danger that pressed in on all sides had caused her to forget that she was going to a new place, that things were likely to be different here than they were back home, that under different circumstances this could be an amazing adventure, a chance to experience a new culture, to meet new people.


    Gareth held out his arm and Draco, returning from the scouting he had done, alighted on it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one patrolling the shore here,¡± Draco said, ¡°I mean, there are a few soldiers who seem as if they should have a job to do, but none of them are actually doing it.  Half of them look drunk.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they have the highest caliber of their military along the coastline?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Oh to be young and naive and still believe that Xandra cares about her own people,¡± Gareth sighed, ¡°The castle is fortified, Rendy.  The nobility finances their own army unless war is declared. These pesant fisher-folk mean nothing to Xandra beyond the money they pay in.  We probably won¡¯t run into real trouble until we get close to the queen. This is somewhere we frequently pick up the runaways. We know what we¡¯re doing.  Just stick close to us.¡±


    Orenda didn¡¯t trust this information at all.  Gareth had told her, himself, that he hadn¡¯t stepped foot on Urillian soil in a good twenty years.  Had he only meant that he hadn¡¯t been to the Burrow? She doubted it. Nothing about him was very consistent and that inconsistency grated on her nerves and made her distrustful.


    ¡°This may have been easier,¡± She told them, ¡°Had I taken more after my mother.¡±


    Bella rubbed the back of her neck and pulled up the hood of her cloak, and stared up at the sky.


    ¡°A week?¡± She asked Gareth, and he followed her eyes toward the sky.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be at the burrow before it happens,¡± he assured her.  ¡°If we aren¡¯t¡­ there are acres and acres of woods. Everything will be fine, darling.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to wait,¡± She said with great determination, ¡°We have to warn Xac.¡±


    ¡°And we shall!¡±  Draco flew from Gareth¡¯s arm to alight on Impy¡¯s shoulder.  He snuggled into his face, and Impy reached into his pocket and pulled out a collar.  Orenda thought this might be a terrible mistake, as it would mark Draco as a ¡°pet¡± rather than a ¡°wild animal¡± but she understood when she saw the water crystal that stood out against the leather, and when she heard Draco speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll scry you, darling, when I get there.¡±


    ¡°Be swift,¡± Impy held out his arm and Draco hopped to it so Impy could kiss his scaley head, ¡°And be safe.¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± Draco snuggled into him again, spread his wings, and took off in the direction of the shore.


    ¡°Keep it ship shape, old friend,¡± Gareth squeezed Impy¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s that captain?¡± Impy asked, ¡°Not to worry!  Everything will be fine!¡±


    As Orenda climbed onto the rowboat, she looked over the deck, and finally spotted Mr Bilge, mopping away furiously.


    ¡°Mr Bilge!¡± She called, and he looked over to her, ¡°Goodbye!  I¡¯ll see you upon my return!¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± He said, and went back to furiously mopping.


    Orenda took her seat beside Anilla and pulled her bag into her lap.  She held the staff, now hidden in cloth, to her chest and watched as Bella and Falsie tugged a rope on either side of the boat with cries of ¡®heave¡¯ and ¡®ho¡¯.


    Gareth sat across from them, staring off towards the shore.


    ¡°Nothing good happens in Uril,¡± he said.


    As the rowboat hit the waves, Orenda felt her body tense up, felt her muscles threaten to give out, and as her stomach descended into her intestines, she leaned over the side of the boat to vomit into the ocean.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t happen,¡± Falsie said, ¡°You ok there, girl?¡±


    ¡°It must be where we¡¯re so close,¡± Orenda said, wiping her mouth on her sleeve, ¡°Oh god I¡¯m¡­  I may pass out.¡±


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why it hits you this hard.  You would think as a half-breed you would have an immunity.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda said, trying to stay upright, ¡°That I like that term.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gareth seemed to understand what he had said and tried to amend it, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­  that isn¡¯t what I¡­ honestly anything else I say will just dig the hole deeper, won¡¯t it? I wasn¡¯t trying to¡­  I don¡¯t know what the polite¡­ I¡¯m going to stop talking. Here, lie down in the bottom of the boat.¡±


    Orenda tried, but there wasn¡¯t enough room for her to stretch out, so she turned with her back to Gareth and laid back as best she could with her head in his lap.  She felt the motion as Bella and Falsie began to row, and to her surprise, she heard Gareth¡¯s voice, more beautiful than it normally was, as he pulled back her hood and ran his fingers through her hair.


    ¡°My father traveled to the temple,


    He got me some cake


    The cake is in the closet


    And the closet needs a key.


    The key is with a carpenter,


    Who wants some money


    The money is with the ladyIf you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    And the lady wants a baby


    And the baby wants some milk


    And the milk is with the cow


    And the cow wants some grass


    And the grass is on the mountain


    And the mountain wants the rain¡±


    Despite herself, Orenda felt her eyelids drooping, felt the sickness dissipating somewhat.  Gareth sang in that same tune, but in a language she didn¡¯t understand, and the world felt so warm and heavy around her¡­


    ¡°Come on, darling,¡± Gareth said as he shook Oreanda awake.  They had situated the boat under the dock, not beside of it, and would have to climb out to reach the top.  Gareth had his mask pulled down again, and Orenda could not read his face, but Bella helped him pull Orenda to her feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± Orenda said, because she had assumed that when they reached land the chill of the night would be somewhat blocked, as it always had back home.  She didn¡¯t remember it ever getting this cold in the seaside city where she grew up.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bella said, ¡°I suppose it is, for you.  It¡¯s autumn here.¡±


    That was right!  The seasons changed in Uril- it often got cold.  It snowed on the solstice.


    ¡°Which is fortunet,¡± Gareth said, ¡°We¡¯re close enough to the mask festival that I may not be particularly conspicuous.¡±


    He pulled Orenda onto the dock, and she took in the pitiful sight before her.  She was still ill, and still found herself leaning heavily on Gareth, but even through the tears that blurred her vision she could tell that this place was not as nice as the capital of the colony.  That shocked her- she had assumed the Urillians had poured all their money into the upkeep of the earth continent, but here, along this strip by the docks, the buildings were much smaller than she was used to, two stories at most, and made of wood that seemed as if it had been long worn down by the salt air and harsh lives.


    She hadn¡¯t considered that there may be poverty, or any kind of hardship, amongst the earth elves.  The sight made her feel something that she didn¡¯t understand. She remembered that there had been a few earth elves at the workhouse with her, when she was very young, remembered that she had seen them working away in the print shop on heavy, dangerous machines- but somehow, in her mind, they had all become the spoiled children that she had gone to school with.


    But that wasn¡¯t true.  That had never been true.  Even here, in the heart of the empire, people wandered, thin and gaunt, wearing clothing that had been stitched back together, that had been out of fashion for a century or more.  The Glamourous Seagull wasn¡¯t glamorous at all. The front window was broken and the glass panel had been covered with a sign that listed drink prices. Apparently if one bought an ale they would receive a free sandwich.  Orenda didn¡¯t know if that was a good deal or not.


    ¡°Most of these are fishing boats,¡± Bella explained as they entered the tavern, ¡°Not military ships.  No one really attacks Uril proper. Not in centuries. Not with the Emerald Knight here.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda nodded, and allowed Falsie to tug her toward one of the many tables that lined the wall.  She didn¡¯t like to sit there, because everything felt greasy, and the wood of the table was a bit rotted in some places- she didn¡¯t particularly like the earthy smell of rotted wood.  When Gareth sat on the bench a rat skittered out from under it and ran toward the wall, hugging it in an apparent panic, until a tan cat lept from nowhere that Orenda had seen, and the rat went limp.


    Orenda turned her attention to Bella, who was talking quietly with a barmaid, then to take in the other patrons, none of whom seemed to care that she and her companions were there.


    ¡°Everyone looks so¡­  apathetic,¡± She said.


    ¡°Beaten down,¡± Anilla agreed.


    ¡°Well, the drudgery of toiling day to day and giving most of your earnings to some lord or lady and seeing no return on it will do that to you,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°I thought you said there was a festival coming up,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a festival just passed,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Not coming up.  Though it doesn¡¯t seem to have put anyone in cheerful spirits.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, but there did seem to be one person who was determined to lift everyone¡¯s spirits.  Orenda heard the sound of a fiddle being tuned, then a youthful voice rang out.


    ¡°Where wonders, wars, misfortunes


    And troubled times have been


    Where bliss and blind confusion


    Have come and gone again


    Each lord dug in with pleasure


    And grabbed at what lay near


    Twelve platters piled past measure


    Brought wine and foaming beer.


    They sat there, gaping gasping


    At his strange immortal sheen,


    As if a ghost were passing


    Every inch in green.¡±


    The woman stood, and Orenda saw that she was a young earth elf, maybe a little older than her, but not by much, the youngest person at her table.  She was not yet as worn down by life as those around her. Her spirit was catching, though, because as she sawed on the fiddle, her companions began to clap and sing along with her.


    ¡°He looked a lightning flash


    They say he seemed so bright,


    No mortal would dare to clash


    Against the Emerald Knight.¡±


    The table next to them began to clap as well, and Orenda watched the girl throw back an entire pint glass of something a warm yellow color, holding her fiddle and bow in her free hand with one finger extended as if to say, ¡®Just a minute¡¯- then she slammed the glass on the table and climbed onto it, rosened her bow, and began to play again.


    ¡°He blooms with blossoms set


    In lines luxuriant and lush


    While the notes flowing from nests,


    That fill the forest hush.


    He says though no one sees his face


    ¡°Why shrink back from the quest?


    Though fate bring glory or disgrace


    One must meet the test¡±.


    Wherever wars appear,


    Surely the Knight ought


    To reign without a peer


    In fields where battle''s fought.¡±


    She sang, and again others took up the chorus, drunkenly and without much skill, some with more enthusiasm than others.


    ¡°He looked a lightning flash


    They say he seemed so bright,


    No mortal would dare to clash


    Against the Emerald Knight.¡±


    The girl stood with one foot on her chair and the other on the table, and Orenda was amazed by the response, amazed that no one was stopping her.  She had assumed that Uril would be even more stuffy, even more full of rules and regulations than the colony had been. But this girl was really cutting loose on the fiddle, filling the place with music, bringing it to life.


    Orenda could have done without the song in praise to the Emerald Knight, though.  How she wished she would sing literally anything else. She assumed it was some sort of Urillian propaganda.


    ¡°The meaning of his deadly way


    Will show what words are worth-


    And teach how hard is it to play


    The game of Lover''s Mirth.


    Her chin and cheeks are sweet


    Blending rose and white


    Her voice a pleasant treat


    Her small lips are delight.


    The beating drums to measure


    Tunes that pipes proclaim,


    As each man takes his pleasure


    And these two do the same.¡±


    The girl winked, and Orenda realized that she meant everything she was saying sarcastically.  She didn¡¯t believe the Emerald Knight was a war hero, she didn¡¯t believe that Xandra was beautiful.  She was making fun of them.


    And the entire bar agreed.


    ¡°He looked a lightning flash


    They say he seemed so bright,


    No mortal would dare to clash


    Against the Emerald Knight.¡±


    The girl giggled and continued:


    ¡°She''d such a cheerful air


    Who seemed so sweet of face


    And he with spotless care


    Answered every case,


    ¡°My person''s yours, of course,


    To see you take your pleasure;


    I am obliged perforce,


    To serve you at your leisure.¡±


    The blow he must wrest


    To ease her troubled mind


    She asked if he could quest,


    And he was so inclined.¡±


    That kind of innuendo would never be tolerated in any of her writing classes.  Orenda was beginning to see a divide among the Urillians- they weren¡¯t all like Toli¡¯s family.  Some of them were hard-working people, struggling in poverty, who hated the nobility as much as the Knights did.  Even among the Knights she had never seen the kind of spirit she saw now, and she wondered if this girl was one of them.


    She sang along with the others this time, as her entire table did:


    ¡°He looked a lightning flash


    They say he seemed so bright


    No mortal would dare to clash


    Against the Emerald Knight.¡±


    The girl drug the bow across the strings and slowed her tempo.  When she sang again, the playful tone in her voice was gone; it was full of real sorrow.


    ¡°Our land, not steeped in darkness


    Instead this blinding sheen


    The light that pierces, heartless,


    The Knight in blazing green.


    The whole world lies asunder


    At the mind of our great queen


    We''ve angered our own savior:


    The Holy One we need.


    The world falls all around us


    Please listen to our plight,


    The people who sit helpless


    Below the Emerald Knight.¡±


    The crowd gave a more or less appreciative clap and the girl bowed as if she lived and breathed for attention, grinned, and hopped from where she stood to stride to the bar.


    ¡°Is that worth a meal?¡± She asked, ¡°Can I sing for my supper?¡±


    ¡°You can quit riling the customers up,¡± The barmaid told her, ¡°They get antsy when they get riled up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s life, mama,¡± she giggled, ¡°Want me to do a balled?  I¡¯ll bust out Barbra Allen or somethin¡¯,¡± She slid his bow across the strings again and began to sing a different song, a more mournful tune.


    Bella set a tray of drinks on the table and slid in beside Gareth.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the back,¡± she said, ¡°He¡¯ll see us.  He¡¯s still here.¡±

 Chapter 93 - Book 3 Chapter 13

    Orenda followed Bella into the back room of the bar, behind the counter, and was intrigued by what she saw there. The place was nice and homey enough- most of it was taken up by a large kitchen, but part of it had been dedicated to a sitting room. A fire blazed pleasantly in the large hearth of the kitchen, and a human man who had to rival Impy for his age was boiling water there in a large kettle, with his bare feet by the flames, sitting in a kitchen chair he seemed to have pulled up for that purpose. It wasn¡¯t monumentally different from what she had seen on the fire continent.


    ¡°I¡¯m told,¡± He said at length, ¡°That you¡¯re looking for the white rabbit.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Bella said, ¡°I know him well. You know that.¡±


    ¡°Lotsa people come through here, lookin for rabbits,¡± the man said. ¡°Don¡¯t know that I know much about them.¡±


    ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Greath huffed and crossed his arms.


    ¡°Specially folk who don¡¯t show their faces,¡± The man said, and pulled a pipe from his shirt pocket.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t got time for this, Feno,¡± Bella begged, ¡°I know you remember me. It¡¯s me, Bella. This is Orenda- you remember her mother, Sokomaur.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look nothin like Soko,¡± the old man said, puffing away on his pipe.


    ¡°I¡¯m told I take after my father,¡± Orenda said. ¡°Garon Firefist. I¡¯m told that Xaaxc Brigaddon could have just as easily been my father, and we have word that he may be in danger. I¡¯ve come to warn him.¡±


    ¡°Have you now?¡± The old man asked, staring intently at Orenda as if he was trying to make up his mind about something.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said after he seemed to have made it, ¡°Sit down. Have a cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°Why are you pulling this?¡± Bella leaned in closely to whisper to him, ¡°We pick up your runaways all the time. Why are you acting this way?¡±


    ¡°People are gettin nervous,¡± The man said quietly, with a completely different tone, much more serious, much less playful, ¡°Word is Xandra¡¯s sent the Emerald Knight off to the Frozen North. It¡¯s the last place on Xren she ain¡¯t touched. Somethin¡¯s goin down at the capital and don¡¯t nobody know what. We can¡¯t get no intel. We can¡¯t get that close.¡±


    ¡°Not after Harry Hillheart,¡± Falsie said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Feno said, ¡°Was right after we got the message about Harry that folks started droppin like flies. She can see into people¡¯s minds. Don¡¯t know how, but she can. We can¡¯t get no spies in that castle. It¡¯s too risky. Last one we had in there, Annie May, you remember that girl? Worked as a laundry maid? Was gonna work her way up to that library? She was one that dropped, and after that everybody who knew her was in rough shape. Somethin about Xandra¡¯s off. That girl ain¡¯t right.¡±


    ¡°You think Xandra knows about the Frozen North?¡± Bella asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t figure that one out,¡± Feno scratched his beard and tapped his pipe against the side of his chair in thought, ¡°Ifin she knew what the white rabbit says about the Frozen North, ifin she knew we could get that armor¡­ she¡¯d¡¯a raided the Burrow. There ain¡¯t no call to go all the way up there to get what she could get down the road. We both know she¡¯d have him and all the younguns locked up at the castle, spinning hair into gold.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a rumor,¡± Gareth said, and Orenda knew he did not believe it.


    ¡°Either way, I can get you as far as Basilglen,¡± he said, ¡°But you¡¯ll have to leave¡­ right near after you finish your tea.¡±


    ¡°Is the safehouse still there?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°The textile merchant?¡±


    ¡°Sakala¡¯s still shilling fabric as far as I know,¡± he said, and stood when the kettle began to whistle. ¡°Last I heard was a few days ago. I reckon everything¡¯s alright. Agalon¡¯s still commander of that province, so we got friends, such as they are, in high places.¡±


    ¡°Agalon¡¯s not exactly a Knight of Order,¡± Gareth argued.


    ¡°That ain¡¯t my business,¡± Feno shrugged. ¡°I mind my business. Folks round these parts know as little as possible and don¡¯t write nothin down. So don¡¯t tell me what you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m the Chosen Child of Thesis- I¡¯ve pulled the Sacred Staff from the Sacred Flame, and I¡¯ve come to liberate us all from the Emerald Knight!¡±


    She unwrapped the cloth from the top of the staff to reveal it in all its sterilite brilliance, but the man seem unaffected. He glanced up at it, then went back to pouring their tea.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Are ya now?¡± He asked. ¡°Little lady, I don¡¯t know nothin about no mage staves. Never had much skill for magic or much in ways of practice or acumen. The Chosen One would have the sword, and the only place we ever see that thing is on them posters of the Emerald Knight.¡±


    ¡°If the Chosen Child of Thesis can wield the sword,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Then I shall claim it when I defeat the Emerald Knight.¡±


    ¡°I feel like we lost enough brave, dumb kids to that monster,¡± he said, ¡°But, again, that ain¡¯t my business. You can try. I hope you don¡¯t know much about the Order, and I¡¯d leave that pretty staff with your next of kin- probably the other redheaded feller? That looks expensive. Hate for the whole family to lose it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± The fiddle player from the bar came striding into the room with a smile on her face, looking as if she had every right to be there.


    ¡°Sarya, this here is Bella and Captain Nochdifache, Falsebeard, the little¡¯in who¡¯s name I didn¡¯t catch because she¡¯s so quiet I reckon she¡¯s about to rob us, and the Chosen One, out here lookin to get to the Burrow. Assorted pirates, this is Sarya, my daughter.¡±


    Sarya noticed the confusion on their faces and explained, ¡°During the last famine Autumn and Feno took me in. I don¡¯t know what would have happened to me without them.¡±


    ¡°Famine?¡± Anilla asked.


    ¡°The legend is that every time the empress grows angry, the crops refuse to grow,¡± Feno said, ¡°Lots of legends round here. Nobody actually knows nothin. We get by.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the Chosen One?¡± Sarya asked, with her eyes as wide as saucers.


    ¡°I am,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I have taken the sacred staff from the sacred flame in the sacred temple on the sacred mountain on the fire continent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of sacred stuff,¡± The girl agreed, ¡°Whole lot of sacred stuff. That sounds important. I can get you at least as far as Basilglen- there¡¯s a safehouse down there. We probably oughta leave tonight while it¡¯s dark. Them guards on the night shift don¡¯t care as much as the ones up durin the day. Course nobody cares much around these parts. Ain¡¯t nobody ever attacks us. Not from the sea anyhow, and anybody comin the other way is wearin a Urilian symbol.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Gareth said. ¡°We don¡¯t have unlimited time, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°I loved your song!¡± Anilla told her, ¡°You make such beautiful music.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda agreed, ¡°It was lovely.¡±


    ¡°Thank you kindly,¡± Sarya said, ¡°If y¡¯all wanna let me run and get my traveling companion, I¡¯ll meet you at the stables.¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t had their tea,¡± Feno said.


    ¡°Well there¡¯s probably time for that,¡± Sarya said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go set a wagon up, though. I reckon I can say I¡¯m doin a supply run.¡±


    ¡°You may actually need to do a supply run,¡± Feno said, ¡°Ask your mother.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty, daddy,¡± She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, and went out the way she had come in.


    ¡°This here is my lady friend, Barbra Allen,¡± Sarya said to the group.


    They were all standing in the stables attached to the back of the bar, which was not nearly as full as Orenda had assumed it would be. She inferred that most of the patrons must live nearby, within walking distance. Bella had said something about this being a fishing town, so perhaps most of them had no need of horses?


    Sarya was directing their attention to a human woman who looked around Orenda¡¯s age. She was wearing traveling clothes similar to the ones Sarya was wearing, and to Orenda¡¯s shock she had her hair cut short, exposing her neck for the world to see. She spoke before she could stop herself.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll get caught?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Put on a scarf or something! They¡¯ll be able to see it just by looking at you!¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°Sarya bought me fair and square She does that sorta thing all the time, saves up money and buys folk, then puts them on a ship to head off for greener pastures. We travel around a lot just a pickin and singin and makin our way- we make good money some nights.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And you help to¡­ to transport people? I¡¯m guessing.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Barbra Allen smiled, ¡°Just me and Sary and Mr and Ms Clops.¡±


    ¡°Horses are so cute!¡± Anilla said, ¡°We don¡¯t really have draft animals back home, but we do go riding occasionally. We use dogs, though. There¡¯s a big race once a year, on sleds.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t time for sleds yet,¡± Sarya said. ¡°Be at little while before the first snow. You¡¯ll be there way before then.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Gareth said, ¡°No use sitting around. We should get moving.¡±


    ¡°Hey stranger,¡± Sarya asked, ¡°Why you wearin a mask?¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°I like it alright,¡± she said, ¡°I just thought maybe you got your time mixed up.¡±


    She seemed as if she sincerely believed this, and Orenda found herself doubting Sarya¡¯s intelligence, at least when it came to social situations. But she also reminded herself that she was in a new place, and it was possible that things were different here in Uril.


    ¡°We got all these empty boxes,¡± Barbra Allen said as she led the party to the back of the wagon, ¡°So if we run into trouble y¡¯all can probably hide in here. I mean, usually we can fit folks in here. But I guess¡­ it looks like we got a pretty big crew this time. Might have to prioritize who we hide. Definitely gonna wanna cover up them fire elves and the human. What¡¯s y¡¯alls names?¡±


    After they exchanged introductions, Barbra Allen seemed fascinated by Bella¡¯s name.


    ¡°I know a lotta Bells,¡± She said, ¡°Pretty common name. Ain¡¯t none of um look like you, though. You ain¡¯t from around here.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bella said, ¡°I¡¯m from the Frozen North.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°Well¡­ I hope your folks are ok.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ particularly worried about it,¡± Bella admitted.


    ¡°Are we all settled?¡± Sarya asked.


    ¡°Reckon we¡¯re as settled as we¡¯re gonna get,¡± Barbra Allen said.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re all hitched up,¡± Sarya said as she climbed behind the dashboard, ¡°So we might as well head out.¡±

 Chapter 94 - Book 3 Chapter 14

    The town gave way fairly quickly to woods that were easily as dense as those in the outlands back on the fire continent, but here the actual plants were all different.  Orenda had read about the sort of trees she was seeing, had seen them depicted in images, but she had never actually seen them in person. They were beautiful. She understood the reason nature did things the way it did, knew that she was looking at the beauty of shedding, of culling certain parts of yourself, parts you didn¡¯t need, to preserve the whole, to prevent death.


    These trees were preparing for a long, cold winter- the kind Orenda could not imagine- and their pain was beautiful, in hues of red and oranges.  She wondered if Urillians had some sort of saying for it, some kind of cultural connotation for this pruning to preserve life.


    ¡°The autumn is beautiful here,¡± Anilla said as she looked out the back of the wagon, ¡°In the frozen north, the trees don¡¯t really do this.  They¡¯re green all year round. And they have needles rather than the flat leaves.¡±


    ¡°We got them too,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°We just got other kinds.  I reckon there ain¡¯t nowhere else with the variety of plants we got around here.  I don¡¯t really like the cold much myself. I like the spring and fall best. The time of the year where you don¡¯t gotta worry about sweatin or freezin.¡±


    ¡°Do you know Xaxac?¡± Orenda asked.  She didn¡¯t feel the need to give everything away all at once, to tell this woman her complicated relationship with Xac, all the things she hoped he could tell her.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°Don¡¯t know him- just heard the stories.  There¡¯s all kinds of stories. I hear he¡¯s a shifter, hear he used to be a cage fighter, hear there¡¯s something special about him that keeps him out of trouble.  The folks who have seen him say he¡¯s worth seeing. They say he¡¯s gorgeous but if we¡¯re talking outta turn, just between you, me and Thesis, I ain¡¯t never really seen a man worth lookin at.¡±


    ¡°How nice,¡± Gareth huffed.


    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong,¡± Falsie argued, ¡°Most men aren¡¯t worth looking at.  Present company included.¡±


    ¡°You look nice, Falsie,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Eh,¡± he said dismissively.


    ¡°It does seem strange,¡± Anilla said, ¡°That everyone is frightened of a rabbit.  They aren¡¯t exactly known for intimidation. There were bunnies back home- people would hunt them for their fur and meat.¡±


    ¡°We might have different kinds here,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°Here they¡¯re right pests.  Them little fuckers¡¯ll eat anything. They get in your garden- chew right through the fence, don¡¯t care what it¡¯s made of, there ain¡¯t a kind of wood them little shit¡¯s won¡¯t chew through.  They¡¯re fast, too- anybody that can shoot a rabbit is somebody who earned the right to brag. They¡¯ll dig up your whole field if you ain¡¯t careful. You don¡¯t wanna corner um- they pack a whallop with them teeth and that sound they make is godawful.  Plus they ain¡¯t really worth eatin- they ain¡¯t no fat on um. It¡¯s all muscle, all gamey dark meet.¡±


    ¡°This is where Xac would crack a joke that doubled as an innuendo,¡± Gareth said, ¡°About how he had a rabbit you could eat- but I don¡¯t have his wit.  I wasn¡¯t raised in an environment where my survival hinged on my ability to present a cute, sexy facade so I never had to cultivate it. So those of us who know him can just imagine that I said something equally charming.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some rabbit meat you might like,¡± Bella said, and despite himself, Gareth laughed behind his mask.


    ¡°The trees are so dense here,¡± Orenda said, because she had been staring out at the forest and only half paying attention, ¡°And those fallen leaves look so dry¡­  one spark could probably take out the whole forest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we been pretty dry this year,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°That¡¯s usually a bad sign.  Means it¡¯s gonna be a hard winter. We have to keep supplies topped up and plan for snow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen snow,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Oh, Rendy, you¡¯d love it!¡± Anilla said, ¡°You can do so many things!  You can go sledding and build sculptures and have snowball fights and make snow fairies!  I would love to show you snow!¡±


    ¡°I find it disagreeable,¡± Gareth said, ¡°Rendy probably would too.  It¡¯s frozen water- the worst of both worlds. Our people weren¡¯t really bred for long-term cold, and I don¡¯t think she¡¯s overly fond of water.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda reluctantly agreed, ¡°But it would be interesting, if nothing else, for the novelty of it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like snow,¡± Gareth said, as if he had more to say, but didn¡¯t say it, and Orenda thought of what Felearn had said about the eruption, about how he could not figure out, in that chaos and darkness, why there had been snow.  She imagined snow had to look like falling ash.


    Bella looked up at the sky, at the moons drifting through the void, both almost round.


    ¡°I should tell you,¡± She said, and parted the burlap at the front to get Sarya¡¯s attention, ¡°Both of you¡­  I need to be at the Burrow by the time the moons are full. I need to be in BasilGlen by tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°The moons?¡± Sarya asked, ¡°Wait, are you kin to Xaxac?  Are you a rabbit too?¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a lapin,¡± Bella sighed, ¡°But I am a shifter.  And I can¡¯t control it like Xac does¡­ he¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s special.  I don¡¯t trust myself when it happens. I need to be somewhere safe.¡±


    ¡°If you ain¡¯t a rabbit, what are you?¡± Sarya asked, as if she believed Bella instantly and needed no further convincing.


    ¡°I¡­  I¡¯m a¡­¡±  Bella seemed to come to the conclusion that the best way to tell something was to tell it.  ¡°I¡¯m a wolf, a lycan.¡±


    ¡°Well now I do just love dogs,¡± Sarya said, ¡°I used to have one, had him thirteen years.  He could howl right along with the music. Name ¡®a ¡®Lucky¡¯ that feller. Never really met a dog I didn¡¯t like.¡±


    Bella was obviously insulted at this comparison, and Orenda understood why, but she said nothing, and Orenda understood that as well.  Now was not the time, and it was impossible to call out every insensitive thing one said or you would be doing it constantly. It was beneficial to learn to pick your battles.


    ¡°Are you the sort of person,¡± Gareth asked, ¡°Who goes up to a mountain lion and says, ¡®Here kitty kitty kitty!  Who¡¯s a good kitty? Kitty kitty!¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I take your meaning,¡± Sarya said, ¡°But I tell ya, mam, ya just don¡¯t look like the kind of person we¡¯d have to worry about.  Sorry if I said somethin worth takin offense to.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Bella said.  ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t afraid of no wolves,¡± Sarya said, ¡°Or bunnies.  Takes a lot to put the fear of god in me. Two ladies out travelin alone learn to get by without fear.¡±


    ¡°A certain amount of fear is healthy,¡± Gareth said, then to Falsie as if he was insulted, ¡°Are you asleep?¡±


    Falsie was lying on the floor with his head on Gareth¡¯s thigh, and Gareth shook him.


    ¡°What now?¡± Falsie asked.


    ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Gareth asked again.


    ¡°Yeah, Gary, look at the moons,¡± Falsie said grumpily, ¡°It¡¯s two past midnight if it¡¯s anything.  We all need to sleep. If we¡¯re masquerading as a supply run we¡¯ll be traveling mostly during the day, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a fair point,¡± Gareth conceded, ¡°But there isn¡¯t enough room for us all to lie down.¡±


    ¡°Well now, that¡¯ll only be an issue for tonight,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°We¡¯ll camp tomorrow and by the next day we ought be in Basilglen.¡±


    ¡°We could sleep in shifts,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m actually quite awake, for my part.  I feel better than I have in a while. That ocean really takes a toll on me. I don¡¯t know how you do it, Gareth.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be amazed at what you can do when you have death staring you in the face,¡± Gareth said quietly, climbing down to sit in the floor next to Falsie so he could lean his back against the box.  He pulled one knee up to his chest and spread the other leg out in the small space between where Bella was sitting and the burlap of the cart¡¯s covering leading to the driver¡¯s seat.


    Orenda stared up at the stars and wondered how her friends were doing.  She thought of Tolith upon the sea, and of Bubbider and Ali back at the mansion of the late Lady Glenlen.  She thought of Krothy and the other dwarves, who were convinced she was some sort of messiah. She thought of the fire elves in the AlIinsanian army, and how she desperately wanted to return and talk to each and every one of them.  Their stories needed to be chronicled, to be recorded for the future. She needed some sort of proof, something to announce, ¡°We are still here. We live. You could not wipe us out.¡±


    ¡°It really is one big forest,¡± Orenda said when she awoke.  She did not remember falling asleep, but she must have, because now the sun shone down on them through the cracks and the thin fabric, and through the slit in the back she saw nothing but the endless sea of browns, yellows, oranges and reds.  The entire continent had to be one neverending forest.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Gareth said, ¡°be quiet.  It¡¯s¡­ what time is it?¡±


    ¡°Noon thirty,¡± Anilla said, parting the curtains a little to check the sky.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth said, ¡°It¡¯s noon thirty.  Some of us are trying to sleep.¡±


    Master, we draw closer to the artifact, I can sense it.  The man with the soul that is not his own is not here, not protecting it, but the woman with the wrong magic has sealed it well.  But you are strong. I do not doubt you. It lies along this road, in the heart of a castle. We must retrieve it.


    ¡°When I speak to you,¡± Orenda told the staff, ¡°I sound crazy.¡±


    ¡°You talkin to your package?¡± Barbra Allen asked, ¡°Lots of folks do crazy things, hon.  You can get away with it. You¡¯re an elf.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, I know it¡¯s off putting,¡± Orenda said, because that was not the reaction she was expecting.


    ¡°She¡¯s the Chosen Child of Thesis,¡± Falsie explained, stretching his arms to get the sleep from them in such a way that Gareth had to contort to avoid them.  ¡°That¡¯s the sacred weapon of a god. She hears the voice of a god.¡±


    ¡°She hears something,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°I really wish we could go all the way with y¡¯all,¡± Barbra said, ¡°I¡¯d love to meet the White Rabbit!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t missing as much as the legends would have you believe,¡± Gareth said, ¡°He¡¯s a good man, I¡¯m not denying that- but he isn¡¯t legendary.  He¡¯s actually quite annoying. He has an issue with addiction and a chronic inability to keep his dick in his pants. How many children does he have now?¡±


    ¡°I think Sharon was pregnant in the last letter he sent,¡± Bella said, ¡°And she always has at least twins, so god knows by this point.  It was up to¡­ not counting the ones who didn¡¯t make it¡­ 16 I think?¡± She seemed to be counting in her head, mouthing off names, and Orenda realized the extent of their friendship, that she should have been trying to peel information from Bella rather than Gareth, ¡°17.  17 not counting the babies that should be here by now.¡±


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes,¡± Gareth said, ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.  You know that¡¯s ridiculous! He can¡¯t even impregnate everyone he sleeps with!  I know old habits die hard but how does he have the stamina?¡±


    ¡°Some of them were from before,¡± Bella said, ¡°When he didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    That shut Gareth up.  He had no response to that and seemed to realize how badly he had messed up by speaking so freely.  He pulled both his legs to his chest and scooted up to open the box behind him. He pulled out something wrapped in a cloth and tried to change the subject, as if he had not been a monumental miscreant.


    ¡°Pemmican?¡± he offered the group

 Chapter 95 - Book 3 Chapter 15

    ¡°When I was single I had biscuit an'' pie


    Now that I am married an'' it''s root hog or die


    Lord, I wish I was a single girl again


    Lord, I wish I was a single girl again¡± Barbra Allen sang as Sarya played and Orenda wondered how safe it was to make that kind of noise.


    The horses, Mr & Mrs Clops had been staked in the clearing where they now all sat, surrounded again by trees, basking in the glow of the fire they had lit.  Barbra Allen had poured some sort of orange powder into a bowl, and was mashing it up with her hands as she sang, and Orenda preyed that whatever it was it turned out to be better than the pemmican, which she would not have classified as food even by the most generous definition.  Anilla was enraptured by the music, listening attentively, and she kept bringing up her hands as if to clap, but as the tempo was rather slow, meant to relax and not engage, she found that she could not, or that it wouldn¡¯t be warranted, and decided against it each time.


    Bella held herself tightly and stared up at the night sky.  She was obsessed with the sky, watching the moons pass overhead, and Orenda¡¯s heart broke for her.


    ¡°When I was single, the work I can choose


    Now, I am married an'' my toes are stickin'' thru


    Lord, I wish I was a single girl again


    Lord, I wish I was a single girl again¡± Barbra Allen sang as she patted out little cakes and laid them upon a small tin dish.


    Orenda thought this was a strange song for them to play together, as she was nearly certain that neither of them were single, from the way they interacted.  But she thought of Toli and how he spoke of marriage as a confining, terrible thing, and wondered if that was the case for all Urillians. Orenda had never given much thought to marriage, but now she wondered if Bella and Gareth were married.  She remembered that Gareth had introduced Draco as ¡®Impy¡¯s husband¡¯ and she thought that was, perhaps, the only married couple she knew. No one who had spoken of her parents had ever spoken of a marriage.


    That would have reflected poorly on her, had that been known back at the academy.  Proper people didn¡¯t have children without being married. It was difficult to bear children, and part of the point of a marriage was to create an environment where you would have ample time to try.  Orenda wondered what it would have been like, had Tolith married Shelly. They would have wanted an heir. Would it have been as distant and stuck up as Shelly? Would it have been as adventurous and optimistic as Toli?  Orenda wasn¡¯t sure if children took personality traits from their parents. If Sokomaur was her mother, all Orenda really knew about her was that she liked to play pranks on people, and that she was unable to hurt a child.  The latter should be a basic aspect of sentience, but apparently was not, and Orenda had never been much of a jokester. She wondered if she took after her mother at all. Her father seemed to have been stubborn and foolish, and she did not consider herself to be either of those things- but she was marching toward the unknown to stare death in the face with a scholar¡¯s body and a broken staff.  So she couldn¡¯t, in good conscious, deny those traits outright.


    ¡°When I was single, it was silk an'' satin


    Now, I am married an'' it''s calico and cotton


    Lord, I wish I was a single girl again


    Lord, I wish I was a single girl again ¡° Barbry sang, and sat the little tin with the patty-cakes stuck to it up towards the fire to cook.


    ¡°What a depressing song,¡± Gareth said as he and Falsie emerged from the woods and plopped down by the fire.


    ¡°Coast is clear as far as we can see,¡± Falsie added.


    ¡°It¡¯s only depressin¡¯ ifin you find yerself in that situation,¡± Sarya said.  ¡°I reckon plenty of folks find that married life suites them.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Anilla asked, ¡°We don¡¯t really have marriage where I¡¯m from, not like you guys do.  We don¡¯t really pair bond for life. Are you married?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Barbry Allen said, ¡°That ain¡¯t¡­  nobody can¡¯t get married like that. Humans can¡¯t get married, not to other humans but sure not to elves.  Human marriages ain¡¯t recognized.¡±


    ¡°In the eyes of the law,¡± Sarya said, ¡°In the eyes of Thesis it¡¯s a different story.  If ya love is strong enough ya don¡¯t need no lord or lady or queen or empress or even priest to agree with ya.  Ya know what yer about.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get married even if it were legal,¡± Gareth said, ¡°No one would have me.¡±


    Bella laughed and finally looked away from the sky to sit next to him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Not as it was presented to me.  Being chained to another person for all eternity.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone is meant for it,¡± Falsie agreed, ¡°People say that stuff, stuff like, ¡®Well you just haven¡¯t met the right person¡¯ or ¡®It¡¯ll happen eventually¡¯.  But it doesn¡¯t have to. There¡¯s too much pressure, all the time, too much of people just not minding their damn business. Not everyone wants to find their other half, because not everyone is half of something.  Some people are whole on their own.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s never dated,¡± Gareth said, ¡°He¡¯s stubborn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should have to,¡± Falsie said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why people think that¡¯s something you have to do.  It should be an opt-in situation, not an opt-out situation.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying you have to, I was telling Orenda that you didn¡¯t.  Perhaps that¡¯s true. Perhaps some people just aren¡¯t romantic, and others are excessively so. Together you and Xac would make one average person.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s dangerous, too,¡± Anilla said, ¡°Or like¡­  the entire concept is just kind of weird to me? I had never heard about it before, and when I learned what the whole thing was it does sound kind of strange?  But I suppose all rituals sound strange if you have to explain them to someone. But as I understand it, you gather everyone you know and throw a big party, with a huge cake, a feast, and a beautiful dress- then you proclaim to god and everyone you know, even the children, that you¡¯re going to stay in love with this person forever?  No one can know that. And if you break that vow the other person gets half of everything you own? And everyone in the room knows that you¡¯re going to have sex that night, and I feel like that¡¯s a little uncomfortable, given how taboo that topic is for Urillians.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about right,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°Yeah, got it in one,¡± Barbra Allen said and began to pry the patty cakes from the tin to pass around the group.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Gareth made a face, ¡°First pemmican and now Johnny Cakes.  Oh Urillian mainland how I have not missed your cuisine in the slightest.¡±


    He pulled his mask up enough to take a bite, and Sarya must have caught a glimpse of the scar where it split his cheek, because she asked softly and with genuine concern, ¡°What happened to your face?¡±


    Gareth lowered the mask and chewed slowly as a hush fell over the group.


    He finally swallowed and spoke.


    ¡°I once had a very bad day,¡± he said as if he were choosing each word carefully, ¡°a very bad day.  It would be the worst day of my life, if not for the one good thing that came out of it. Young lady, I want you to imagine that you had a bad day, a day that was inconceivably horrible- and whatever you are imagining, it will not be as bad as the day I had.  Now imagine that day left you physically scarred so badly that every time you saw yourself, you had to think about that terrible day. And imagine every single time you met any new person, the first thing they did, the very first thing they did, almost as if it were some sort of instinctual urge- was to ask you to tell them all about the terrible day.  Every. Single. Person. ¡®What happened to your face?¡¯ ¡®What happened to your face?¡¯ Day in and day out. There would come a time when it drove you mad. There comes a point when you decide that you don¡¯t owe anyone a story, when you decide that they don¡¯t get to know what happened to your face.¡±


    He pulled up the mask enough to get to his mouth, took another bite, slid it down and continued.


    ¡°There comes a point where you would rather hear the question, ¡®Why won¡¯t you show your face?¡¯  Because at least that¡¯s different from, ¡®What happened to your face?¡¯ And do you know what the real kicker is?  You know why people do it. You know what it feels like to feel entitled to that story. You know what it feels like to hear yourself ask, ¡®What happened to your face?¡¯  even though you know how badly it hurts- because in that moment at least it¡¯s someone else¡¯s pain, and if they saw you, they would know that there was something about you, about both of you that¡­¡±


    He pulled up the mask a little, stuck the last piece of the cake into his mouth and lowered it.


    ¡°Nothing happened to my face,¡± he said, ¡°This is what it looks like.  This is what I look like. I have no face.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, ¡°I thought you got in a fight or somethin- or maybe you was hidin from the law.¡±


    ¡°I am hiding from the law,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°Seems like that¡¯d be a quicker explanation then,¡± She said.  ¡°Here, I¡¯ll sing you a song. What do you want to hear?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s wise,¡± Gareth argued.  ¡°Someone could hear it. We have to be aware of that, of what our presence means.  We have to be silent and invisible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sing you a lullaby then,¡± She said, ¡°And you can drift off to your grumpy old sleep.¡±  She pulled the bow across the strings and began to sing a song that had to be meant for children.


    ¡°Little baby bunting,


    Daddy¡¯s gone a hunting,


    Gone to get a rabbit skin,


    To wrap a baby bunting in.¡±

 Chapter 96 - Book 3 Chapter 16

    Basilglen seemed to be the intermediary town between the rolling farmland Orenda had learned about on the boat, and the forested coast she had just ridden through. It was nothing but shops as far as she could tell, not the tall stone buildings she was used to back home but small wooden structures that could not have more than two or three rooms, spread out farther than she would have expected. This was the sort of small town where everyone knew everyone- the worst possible place for newcomers to attempt to blend in, especially those who were not earth elves, as the town seemed to be entirely populated by them. Orenda found this to be particularly strange, because she knew that here, in the heart of the empire, it should be mostly humans. Everyone knew that humans outpopulated the elves by a pretty wide margin, but there were none on the streets at all.


    They were driving toward a shop that had a sign on front proclaiming that it specialized in textiles- which it claimed it could produce in-house, but Orenda doubted that claim. There had been textile mills in the industrial district back home, workhouses that operated similarly to the ore extraction place she had worked- several children and lots of loud machines, clacking away spinning thread and weaving it into fabric. It couldn¡¯t be produced in a shop that small, not in quantities worth buying.


    Sarya pulled the fabric of the wagon¡¯s cover closed, and Orenda felt it stop. She looked around at her traveling companions, and saw Barbra Allen put a finger to her lips to indicate that she should stay silent. Orenda nodded and clutched the staff tightly, as if she was half afraid she would drop it and make a clattering sound, though if she did drop it it would have fallen onto Anilla and False who still sat on the floor beside the empty boxes the others were using as chairs.


    Sarya came back almost instantly, and Orenda knew it was too fast. She knew something had gone wrong. She saw this in Barbra Allen¡¯s eyes as well, but it was daylight and they were not supposed to be there, and she could not make a sound to ask what had happened, what was wrong.


    The wagon parked again, and Sarya spoke.


    ¡°Barbry, come on out here and watch the horses while I go in and run over our supply list.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mam,¡± Barbra Allen said, and stepped out the back of the wagon, pulling the covering closed tightly.


    Bella sat across from Orenda, and she didn¡¯t look nearly as concerned as Orenda did. Her eye was trained on the exit, the way Barbra Allen had gone out, and Orenda opened her mouth to get her attention.


    ¡°Bella,¡± She spoke as softly as she could, and Bella¡¯s eye darted to her. She shook her head and put a finger to her lips.


    They were gone much, much longer this time. As the seconds turned to minutes and became a quarter of an hour, Orenda could not stand how still everyone was being, how silent, how patient, as if nothing at all was wrong when something very obviously was.


    ¡°Gareth,¡± She whispered, and he laid his hand on her knee from his position beside her.


    ¡°Shss,¡± he said softly, ¡°They¡¯ll hear you.¡±


    Orenda nodded, and they sat in silence as more time stretched on there, under that tarp, giving no clue to the world outside it.


    Finally, the back of the burlap parted, and Barbra Allen climbed in carrying a crate that there was absolutely not room for. Falsie stood, and with some finangling they managed to wedge it between the empty boxes and the front of the wagon, and he climbed onto it and sat down. Barbra Allen tied the back closed and took her seat as the wagon began to move again.


    She leaned in and whispered, ¡°Well, now, there¡¯s¡­ we¡¯ve had to change our plans.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Bella asked instantly, almost before she had the sentence out.


    ¡°Sakala ain¡¯t here no more,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°The feller in there said she met somebody and moved out to the Sage Lake province. I don¡¯t like that. I reckon she sensed danger and had to pull out. The Brigaddons contact her directly all the time because they come in to sell their wares there.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°What¡¯s the new plan?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°We ain¡¯t got another contact in Basilglen,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to take you ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Through the agricultural district?¡± Gareth hissed, ¡°With no cover?¡±


    ¡°We can say we¡¯re a group of traveling musicians,¡± She said.


    ¡°No you can¡¯t!¡± He spat, ¡°They know you here! We don¡¯t have a cover and you know it!¡±


    ¡°Well now, it¡¯s this or walk,¡± She said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the farmlands spread out?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°They¡¯re personal estates, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth said, ¡°But they¡¯re estates of-¡±


    ¡°We call them plantations,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°Not all estates specialize in farming.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the vocabulary lesson,¡± Gareth said in a tone that implied he didn¡¯t mean it at all, ¡°They¡¯re the estates of wealthy slave-owners who are exactly the sort of people we don¡¯t want to meet. They are the antithesis of the order. We¡¯re heading into the lion¡¯s den armed with a songsmith who has no cover story! The only place on the other side of that region is Capital Town. There¡¯s no reason for us to be traveling there if we get stopped- and we will have to stop along the way. The horses can¡¯t do it in one go! Normally a traveler would ask the estate owner for hospitality but we can¡¯t do that so what the hell are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get by,¡± Barbra Allen said.


    ¡°Get by?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°Get by!? We¡¯re traveling toward the castle of the empress! We¡¯re traveling towards- oh god, god why are we doing this?? We¡¯re traveling towards the Emerald Knight!¡±


    ¡°Gary,¡± Falsie snapped his fingers, ¡°Gary look at me. This is a bad time for this. You can¡¯t do this right now. Keep your shit together. Breath.¡±


    ¡°If we get caught, we head backwards, not forwards,¡± Gareth said, ¡°We slaughter the soldiers and go back for the ship. We don¡¯t lead them to Xac.¡±


    ¡°We know, honey,¡± Bella said and leaned forward to take both his hands in hers, ¡°We know better.¡±


    ¡°They may not!¡± Gareth argued.


    ¡°Well now they do. Sarya can hear you through the tarp. Try to keep your voice down.¡± Bella said gently, and Orenda knew that she was trying to comfort him, but his hands were shaking, and Orenda had a feeling that he already thought he had been on land for too long.


    Eventually, the sounds of the town faded and Orenda began to hear singing. She hadn¡¯t expected it at all, and it grew in volume from all sides as they moved forward. It was a beautiful acapella hymn that she had heard before around the mask festival, a song of thanks to Thesis for the harvest- but the way it was sung was new to her. It was almost like the shanties the crew sang on the ship, not well organized and conducted in a choir, but as if each member only sang what they knew, but together they made a whole song.


    ¡°We thank Thee, God, for this fair earth,


    The glittering sky, the silver sea;


    For all their beauty, all their worth,


    Their light and glory, come from Thee.¡±


    ¡°Is there a temple service?¡± Orenda whispered.


    ¡°No,¡± Bella said, as if she was not enjoying the song, did not see the beauty in it that Orenda did, ¡°No, that¡¯s the people clearing the fields. The harvest is over by the time the mask festival rolls around, but there¡¯s still a lot to be done. They sing while they work.¡±


    Orenda remembered being in a wagon like this with Ali, remember him telling her that the boys in the harem where he was going were thankful, were happy to have their position, because they could have been in the fields.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look outside,¡± Barbra Allen said when Orenda moved to do so, ¡°People get right close to the fences, right close to the road when they¡¯re workin. And they get real curious. They might see you. They know what earth elves look like, and they know you ain¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°They would turn us in,¡± Orenda said. It wasn¡¯t a question. She knew that not all humans were Knights of Order, knew that some people were just trying to get by and would do everything they could to secure a better position for themselves in the current system instead of trying to overthrow it. And she couldn¡¯t blame them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look outside anyway,¡± Gareth said. ¡°If you look outside you¡¯ll burn it to the ground. They¡¯ve been out here since sunrise. Some of them are children.¡±


    ¡°Xac worked the fields,¡± Bella said, ¡°When he was very, very young. That¡¯s how he learned¡­ he¡­ well. I suppose it¡¯s a need to know thing. No offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± Barbra said, ¡°We don¡¯t need to know nothin we don¡¯t need to know. It makes us targets.¡±


    Bella nodded, and watched the color change around them as the sun began to set outside. It startled Orenda when she began to sing, so quietly that Orenda barely heard her.


    ¡°So while we gaze with thoughtful eye


    On all the gifts Thy love has given,


    Help us in Thee to live and die,


    By Thee to rise to Heaven.¡±

 Chapter 97 - Book 3 Chapter 17

    ¡°Alright now, here¡¯s what I¡¯m gonna do,¡± Sarya said.  ¡°The fields are pretty empty, and these critters need to eat and rest.  So¡­ I¡¯m gonna find a place with a hedge fence, and pull of by the side of the road, and if anybody needs to use the bathroom now¡¯s the time to do it, but we oughta sleep in the wagon and keep moving at sunrise.¡±


    ¡°I hate this,¡± Gareth pulled his traveling cloak tighter around him, ¡°God, how I hate this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shaking,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°And I need you to stop.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not all nerves,¡± he said, ¡°Part of it is the cold.  This place is always dreadfully cold, but the autumn and winter nights are the worst.¡±


    Barbra Allen pulled open the back, and Orenda climbed out after Anilla.


    The fields before her were huge.


    They dwarfed the farmland she had passed back on the colony- there would have been no walking it.  She could barely see where it ended, far in the distance, with a huge mansion that looked like the sort of place she had seen in storybooks.  It was beautiful here. Stretching out in the direction she had come from was a tall stone fence that didn¡¯t seem to have any sort of mortar, though she knew it had to- but it was beautifully and expertly arranged, a work of art with all different sorts and sizes of stone.  Immediately in front of her was a hedge about the same size- and Orenda realized, as she Sarya came around from the front of the wagon, that earth elves probably weren¡¯t able to see over those fences.


    There was a fair bit of grass around, but still Sarya climbed into the back of the wagon and opened the new crate.  Orenda watched her fill the feedbags with what had to be oats or some other grain.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°Don¡¯t touch that staff.  It burns people.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Sarya said, ¡°Thank ya.  Good lookin out.¡±


    Orenda¡¯s back was sore and she stretched both arms over her head to hear the pop.


    ¡°What about water?¡± Gareth asked.  ¡°The horses need it and we need to refill our skeins.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Sarya said, ¡°They say Thesis will provide.¡±


    ¡°Give me the buckets,¡± Gareth said, ¡°There has to be a pump or a well or something somewhere.¡±  He turned and held out his hand, ¡°Everyone give me your water skeins.¡±


    Orenda handed him hers and asked, ¡°Should we come with you?¡±


    ¡°No, darling, I don¡¯t mean to be rude but you don¡¯t know nearly as much about breaking and entering as you should.  It¡¯s another way that I¡¯ve failed you.¡±


    ¡°Then you should teach me,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°I will, when I¡¯m more agreeable.¡± He promised.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Bella said, and Gareth handed her one of the horse¡¯s buckets.


    Orenda watched in amazement as they scaled the stone wall as if it was nothing.  Gareth grabbed the top, pulled himself up, and rolled over the top; Bella paused in a crouch on the top, surveying the land, then hopped down herself.


    Then they were gone.


    Gareth was right, it was painfully cold.  She pulled her cloak tighter and climbed back into the wagon.  She lifted the box that Sarya and Barbra Allen were using as temporary storage for their traveling pack, pulled out another package of the pemmican and thought of how she had to be losing weight because everything she had eaten since she arrived in Uril had been close to inedible.


    ¡°The moon will be full tomorrow,¡± She said to Anilla as she climbed inside.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Anilla said.  ¡°But we¡¯ll be at the Burrow by then, and Bella will be safe.¡±


    ¡°This place isn¡¯t what I thought it would be,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°Not at all. I thought the earth continent, the heart of the empire, would be majestic, would be¡­  like a fairy tale. I don¡¯t know that I would hold a ball here.¡±


    ¡°Those houses are pretty big,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Yes, but the shops in town and on the docks were pathetic,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­  strange,¡± Anilla agreed.


    Falsie pulled himself into the wagon and said, ¡°Thank god we finally stopped.  I had to piss like a horse.¡±


    Orenda laughed and asked, ¡°Are horses known for¡­  ability to relieve themselves?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know many horses,¡± he admitted, ¡°Just an expression I¡¯d heard.  Wanted to try it out. I guess they do. They¡¯re big animals. Give me some of that stone nonsense these people think passes for food.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s just meant to keep you alive,¡± Anilla said, ¡°Like blubber.  It can¡¯t be what they eat all the time. No one could live on it.¡±


    ¡°You can live on anything if you have to,¡± Falsie argued.  ¡°I guess this isn¡¯t very cold to you, is it, little lady?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Anilla said, ¡°I know everyone keeps saying that, but it doesn¡¯t really feel cold to me.  I suppose I¡¯m used to it.¡± She paused, looking out the back of the wagon, and didn¡¯t look back until Orenda handed her a piece of the pemmican.  When she did, she caught her eye and asked, ¡°Dragons don¡¯t seem to come near people in other places, do they?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Most animals are a bit afraid of people, I think.  People hunt dragons, you know, their body parts are useful in a variety of medicines and many breeds are difficult to domesticate.  It¡¯s no wonder that they avoid us.¡±


    ¡°People hunt dragons?¡± Anilla asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Oh¡­  oh, darling, you didn¡¯t know that?  I¡¯m so sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have told you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Anilla said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­  It¡¯s the way of the world.¡±


    The halfling will betray you, master; I have forseen it!  Strike her down now, while you have the chance! The halfling will give you up to the one you fear!


    Orenda was getting better at ignoring the staff.  When it said something she disliked, she treated it the same way she did the thoughts she had that she disliked- by achnowlegeing in her mind that she did hear it, and then paying it no further attention.  From where she stood, she trusted Anilla much more than the staff, because at the very least Anilla could actually cast a spell.


    The presence of the staff dimmed in her mind as if it had been hurt by that line of thought, and Orenda felt that it was being mopey.  She was becoming accustomed to having an enchanted weapon, and as it couldn¡¯t really do much of anything, being, as it was, an inanimate object, she wasn¡¯t particularly worried about its opinions.


    ¡°We found a well,¡± Gareth said and began to throw the full skeins at people, ¡°And a great many other things but we didn¡¯t have much ability to carry them.  Here.¡± He pulled two pears from each pocket and tossed three of them to his fellow travelers, then moved as Bella shoved her way inside and offered everyone a second pear.


    ¡°At least it tastes of something,¡± Gareth said as he bit into it.


    ¡°How long do horses need to rest?¡± Bella asked.


    ¡°Darling, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get there in plenty of time,¡± Gareth assured her.  ¡°It¡¯s a whole fluffle of shifters. You¡¯ll be perfectly safe.¡±


    But she wasn¡¯t.


    The next day was as dull as the one before it, and Orenda thought they were making decently good time.  During the day, the songs drifted over from the fields, and she was sure that the wagon looked very much like a traveling songstress and her personal slave going toward the capital, in an attempt to make their way in the world.  Sometimes Sarya¡¯s voice rose to join the people in the fields. Of course she knew all the tunes.


    Orenda was concerned.  It seemed that neither of her new companions had any combat experience at all- neither of them seemed to have the slightest idea how to work any kind of magic, and neither of them wore even a single earth crystal.  They had to be inconspicuous, because they were a liability. She imagined that was why they weren¡¯t meant to take them the whole way. They would have met someone else, someone with actual knowledge of combat in Basilglen, someone to take them to the Burrow.  But it was what it was, and there was no use in dwelling on possibilities that could not come to fruition.


    But as the sky changed slowly from blue to orange, they were not yet at the Burrow, and Orenda didn¡¯t even know what it looked like, what they were looking for.  Bella watched the sky with panic in her eye, then ripped off the patch in frustration and shoved it into her bag.


    ¡°Can you see it?¡± She asked Sarya.


    ¡°Yeah, honey, we¡¯re just about there,¡± Sarya told her, ¡°We¡¯ll get there tonight, I reckon.  I don¡¯t rightly know which of these plantations it is. This is a big ol area.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Langil Textile Plantation and Orchard,¡± Bella told her, ¡°They specialize in textile crops like cotton, wool, and angora!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll just be a couple more hours,¡± Sarya said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a couple more hours!¡± Bella barked, ¡°The sun is setting!¡±


    She stood as best she could and unclipped her cloak, then began to strip out of her clothes.


    ¡°Oh lord she¡¯s done gone stir crazy!¡± Barbra Allen stood as well and put her hands on both of Bella¡¯s shoulders to try to force her back down, ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to hold her till it passes.¡±


    ¡°Darlin¡¯, she ain¡¯t got no cramped sickness, she¡¯s afeared of the moons,¡± Sarya reminded her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t no moonlight get in here, honey,¡± Barbra Allen assured her, ¡°We¡¯ll seal it up real tight.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t how it works!¡± Bella barked.  ¡°Get out of my way! I have to get out of here!¡±  She knocked Barbra Allen¡¯s hands away and tugged her shirt off, then pulled off her boots.


    ¡°In front of the men folk, god and everybody,¡± Barbra Allen said with as much disapproval as someone could feel about a thing, ¡°You ain¡¯t gettin buck-ass naked in my wagon.  Put your clothes back on! You are a lady!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a goddamn monster and if I leave them on I¡¯ll destroy them!¡± Bella snapped as she tugged her pants down, shoved them into her bag, rolled up her boots and stuck them in as well, then zigged past Barbra Allen and lept, naked as they day she was born and full of madness from the back of the wagon and into plain sight.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Gareth stood, ran, and jumped after her.


    ¡°What the hell!?¡± Orenda grabbed Bella¡¯s cloak and ran to look out the opening they had gone through.


    ¡°Go without us!¡± Gareth yelled as the moons crested the horizon and Bella fell to her knees.  ¡°We¡¯ll meet you there! Keep that cloak safe! It was a gift from her mother!¡±


    Orenda nodded, rolled the cloak up, and stuck it into her bag.


    Gareth picked up the bag that Bella had tossed on the road and threw it over his shoulder as the woman clawed at the ground, and Orenda watched Barbra Allen watching in horror as the moons rose over the fields, and the woman became the creature.


    ¡°Darling please,¡± Gareth grabbed at her fur and pleaded, ¡°Please be quiet!  Please, they¡¯ll hear us!¡±


    But Bella threw back her head and let out a long, mournful howl that was full of a kind of pain and anguish that Orenda didn¡¯t understand.  Then she lifted Gareth as easily as she had before, set him on her back where he clung for dear life, and in one bound cleared the stone fence on the side of the road and headed into the plantation on the other side while Gareth begged with every breath for his situation to be different, for the thing that was happening not to happen.


    But it was what it was, and there was no use in dwelling on possibilities that could not come to fruition.

 Chapter 98 - Book 3 Chapter 18

    The horses were not very keen on the werewolf or her howl, and took off at a breakneck bolt that sent the wagon jostling with the speed of it.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Barbra Allen asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how she could have made it more clear!¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°Keep moving forward,¡± Falsie said, ¡°Bella¡¯s a big girl.  She can take care of herself. And if the Emerald Knight can¡¯t take Gary out a couple of farmhands can¡¯t do a damn thing to him.  Once we get to the Burrow we¡¯ll send Draco out to scout for them. Everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never seen nothin like that,¡± Sarya said, ¡°Never in all my days.  That¡¯s a werewolf? That ain¡¯t what I thought.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you think?¡± Anilla asked.


    ¡°I mean I reckoned it¡¯d be a wolf,¡± Sarya said, trying to control her horses.  ¡°That didn¡¯t look like no wolf. Didn¡¯t look like no kind of dog. That was¡­ that was somethin else!  Ought he be riding around on that thing like that?¡±


    ¡°Bella isn¡¯t a thing!¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°She just¡­  she has a condition!¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯all need to calm down,¡± Sarya said to her horses, ¡°Reckon I oughta play for them?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes!¡±  Orenda snapped, ¡°Let¡¯s draw all the attention to ourselves that we can!  That¡¯s perfect!¡±


    The night fell quickly in the late autumn, and the already the stars twinkled overhead.  It was a bright night, at least, with the twin moons full and bright in the sky, and Orenda had to look for silver linings.  They were almost there, almost to the man who had known both of her parents more intimately than anyone else; she had learned all she could about Garon from Gareth, but she was finally going to hear about the woman her mother once was.  She was finally going to find out all she could- she had already began to believe it, that her mother had been an earth elf, but it didn¡¯t feel real. She didn¡¯t feel like an earth elf; she never had. She had always been an outcast among them.


    But so had Sokomaur, if the tales were to be believed.  She had been one of the founders of the Knights of Order; Orenda liked to believe that she was a leader who had united the pockets of rebellion that already had to exist, that she had perhaps given them a name.  Xaxac had known her, had loved her, and Bella had said that he would consider Orenda his daughter because if genetics worked differently she very well could have been.


    And Falsie was right, Bella and Gareth were strong.  Everything was going to be fine.


    There was a sound of alarm from Sarya, and the crash of splintering wood, and in less time than it takes to tell it the wagon was on its side, skidding with friction, ripping the tarp and Orenda¡¯s cloak as the world fell and the roadburn tore at her with every tumble as she rolled.  It had happened so quickly that she hadn¡¯t had time to think, and when she came to a stop she had a terrible pain in her back, but she couldn¡¯t focus on it, because the awful thing that just happened had to have a cause.


    Falsie was already on his feet, Anilla was pushing herself up, Sarya had gone farther than any of them and was a good ways up the road, the horses were gone along with the mechanism that had once locked them to the wagon- and the wagon itself was in pieces, scattered up and down the road.  But the most pressing thing was the monster lifting the box off of Barbra Allen, who laid in most of the wreckage.


    Orenda pieced together what it was almost instantly.


    The face and form were mostly feline, a sandy blond like a mountain lion, but instead of front paws the creature almost had hands, and Orenda knew it could stand upright, knew that on most days the thing was human.  But right now those claws and teeth were sharp, and the muscles that moved under that fur were tightly coiled and strong.


    Sarya took off at a sprint despite the obvious injuries she had.


    ¡°You get the hell away from her!¡± She screamed, but she shocked Orenda, because she didn¡¯t go for Barbra Allen, she went for the broken driver¡¯s seat, flipped it open, and pulled out her fiddle case.


    Orenda felt that they didn¡¯t have time for that, so the fire crystals she wore began to glow as she summoned a flame and hurled it at the creature.  It hit it right in the chest, and as it pulled back in shock and pain it sounded like a woman screaming.


    Then it turned its attention to Orenda, lowered itself to all fours, and sprinted toward her moving faster than Orenda had ever seen a living thing move.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wampus cat!¡± Barbra Allen screamed, but Orenda didn¡¯t know what that was, and if she had known it would have done her no good, because the creature had already swiped its claws across her torso, which Orenda took great offense to because that was where she kept most of her vital organs, and the pain was so great it made her think that she wouldn¡¯t be keeping them there for long.


    A loud bang rang out in the night, and the creature stumbled backwards- Orenda jerked her head to see that Falsie had drawn a gun similar to the one he had made for Gareth, and he had hit the creature right between the eyes.


    ¡°More than one way to skin a cat,¡± he said.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The crystals on Orenda¡¯s medallion lit up as she cartarized the wounds on her torso, as the bleeding stopped she felt the warmth flowing through her, and remembered what Gareth had said when he had used fire magic to heal before.  If one does not get a healer, it will scar. Orenda opened her mouth to ask Anilla to heal her, but she was cut off by a mighty roar.


    He had shot it right between the eyes and it wasn¡¯t dead.


    ¡°Run?¡± Anilla suggested.


    ¡°Never run from a wildcat,¡± Sarya said, ¡°It¡¯ll chase you.¡±


    She drew her bow across her strings and said, ¡°Cover your ears!  I might not have went to no fancy magic school, but I know me some songs that¡¯ll bring down the house!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orenda asked, but she watched the fiddle light up from the inside as an earth crystal began to glow, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t know any magic!¡±


    Sarya ignored her and began to sing, ¡°Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,


    Hang down your head and cry,


    Hang down your head, Tom Dooley-


    Cause my boy, you ¡®bout to DIE!¡±


    The ground below the creature began to shake, and it was obvious to Orenda that Sarya had no idea what she was doing.  It was a surface level shake, not a continental earthquake or even a deep spell as would be cast by a competent mage- and a competent mage would know how to localize it!  As it was they all shook so fiercely that the force of it knocked Orenda off her feet and she hit the unstable ground hard.


    ¡°The fuck are you doing, you knife-eared cunt?¡± A voice rang out, and Orenda watched a teenage boy come over the wall on the side of the road, hit the ground lightly as if he did it all the time, and move almost too fast to track as he ran across the wobbly ground as if there was nothing at all wrong with it.  His hair was far too silver for his young age, but he was difficult to make out because of his speed, and before Sarya had time to react he climbed onto the rubble she was standing on, jerked the fiddle out of her hands, reared back with it, and hit her so hard in the head that the wood broke, the fiddle snapped in half with an ear splitting twang, and Sarya staggered, then fell from the rubble.


    ¡°That¡¯s how we fuckin do it,¡± the boy snarled, ¡°Goddamn elves!¡±


    ¡°Sarya!¡± Anilla ran toward them.


    The boy was human, Orenda could see now that he was standing still, and dressed in a silver sweater and work pants that seemed several sizes too big.  He was ready for the cold with silver gloves and a scarf that had been wrapped around his head at one time, but had come undone since, and he was staring at Orenda with his strange eyes the color of the moons overhead.  From a distance it made him seem as if there was no color in his eyes at all, only the pupil and the whites, and the sight unnerved her. He may have been the most gorgeous man she had ever seen.


    The white rabbit?


    But he couldn¡¯t be.  He was too young, and the moons were full, yet he stood, fully human before her.


    ¡°The fuck are you supposed to be?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°Xaxac?¡± Orenda asked.


    Master do not trust this boy.  The staff warned.


    ¡°Yeah, no shit!¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°We gotta go!¡± The boy said to the werecat, which was pacing, slowly, in a circle around the group.  It snarled up at him.


    ¡°Goddamn fucking moons,¡± he said, ¡°Goddamn stupid ass fucking timing!  You can¡¯t do this! I need you! Come on. Here, kitty kitty kitty.¡±


    The werecat let out a high-pitched growl, and Orenda realized that he couldn¡¯t control it any more than Gareth could control Bella.


    ¡°It was your idea to do this tonight!¡± The boy screamed.


    Orenda spotted the staff; the wrapping had come undone a little in the crash, and the sterilite was sparking in the moonlight.


    ¡°Get down!¡± Orenda took a step toward him, ¡°Get away from that!¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re probably not used to this, you knife-eared bitch,¡± The boy spat, ¡°But I don¡¯t take no orders from elves!¡±  He traced her eyeline and saw the sterilite where it sparkled, ¡°Oh. Oh-ho-ho. Look at this¡­ there¡¯s no way¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    He fell to his knees and dug through the rubble as if it was nothing, then picked up the staff as if he had every right to do so, as if it didn¡¯t hurt him, couldn¡¯t hurt him at all.


    Master!  The staff called, Help me!


    ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Seems to me that sacred objects belong to whoever pulls them out the ground,¡± The boy clicked his tongue.  ¡°I see now¡­ I see why she led me here.¡±


    ¡°Give me my staff,¡± Orenda warned, ¡°Or I will set you ablaze!¡±


    ¡°You can try it,¡± The boy laughed, and it annoyed Orenda that he had a gap in his front teeth, that they were perhaps each a little too wide, because it was the only imperfection on his perfect form.  Orenda was sick of good-looking men causing her trouble, and thought his arrogance may be linked to vanity. So she summoned another flame, and he made no effort to get out of the way as it hit him, as the rubble caught.


    Orenda walked toward the bonfire to pull the staff, once again, from the flames.


    Then the boy stood.


    She was reminded of Gareth as the boy walked from what should have been a funeral pyre, holding the staff.


    Then, he began to sing.


    ¡°Little bunny Foo Foo,


    Hopping through the forest.¡±  He adjusted his grip on the staff so that he was holding it like a bludgeoning weapon rather than a magical one.


    ¡°Scooping up the field mice,¡±


    He swung, and the world seemed to slow down as Orenda watched the staff move- she knew he was going to conk her in the head with it, and she knew he could hit hard enough to shatter wood

 Chapter 99 - Book 3 Chapter 19

    Orenda braced herself, but the blow never came.


    Instead, a giant wolf-like creature lept from the flames and snatched the boy up in her massive jaws.  As her teeth broke through his flesh, he let out a godawful shriek, of panic, of fear, of desperation, and the werecat stopped its pacing and pounced.


    Orenda took her breath in deep gulps as she watched Bella go toppling to the side with the force of the attack.  She spit the boy out and left him in a bloody pulp to contort her body, to turn and shake her head from side to side.  The werecat had buried its teeth in her neck, probably in an attempt to break her spine, but the thick mane of fur prevented the attack from having its intended effect.  She reached back and jerked with a twist, grabbed the werecat, and threw it hard on the ground, but it landed on its feet, coiled its muscles and lept again.


    Orenda lost no time.  She ran to the boy, who was, somehow, shoving himself up to make it to his feet.  He had one hand over the wounds, but kept the other firmly around the staff.


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes,¡± He said as he saw her, ¡°Persistent little-¡±


    Orenda grabbed the staff and tried to jerk it from him, but he was strong and would not give it up.


    ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡± She shrieked, ¡°I¡¯m the Chosen One!¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± He snarled, ¡°I¡¯m the Chosen One!  I¡¯m descended from Quizzlivan Brigaddon!¡±


    ¡°Having important parents means nothing,¡± Orenda pulled with all her might, but was shocked when the boy reached up with his blood stained glove to tug with both hands.  Under his torn sweater, she saw that the wounds were healed.


    ¡°Think real carefully about what you¡¯re doing, boy.¡±


    A dagger appeared at the boy¡¯s throat, and Gareth appeared as if he had slunk out of the night, as if he had been one with the shadows.


    ¡°What would your father think if he saw you attacking a Knight of Order?  We follow the path of order. We¡¯re here for the white rabbit.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go down that rabbit hole,¡± The boy said.  ¡°There¡¯s nothing there for you.¡±


    ¡°Give her the staff,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°No,¡± The boy said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll slit your fucking throat,¡± Gareth said calmly, and pressed the dagger into his flesh so hard Orenda saw the trinkle of blood.


    The boy let go of the staff.


    ¡°Which one are you?¡± Gareth asked, ¡°What are you doing out here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hunting rabbits,¡± The boy said, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Gareth moved the dagger and cut the strap of the boy¡¯s bag.  The boy shrieked and tackled him.


    ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡± he screamed, and Orenda had never seen someone so frantic, so obsessed.


    ¡°I bet it is,¡± Gareth kicked the boy hard in the gut and rolled with him, pressing his mechanical hand to his throat.  He held him there, against the ground with his thumb on one vain and his fingers on another so that if his hand had been made of flesh he could feel the pulse.  ¡°Bet it¡¯s full of starfruit. Addiction runs in your family, little boy; you shouldn¡¯t have this. He shouldn¡¯t be giving it to his kids. What are you doing out here?¡±


    The boy¡¯s silver eyes darted back and forth, and Orenda clutched her staff as she watched him.  She heard another shot ring out, heard her companions fighting the werecat, but it couldn¡¯t tell them anything in its condition- this boy could.


    The boy¡¯s eyes focused on something in the distance, widened in real fear for the first time, and Orenda watched something she had never seen before.


    Orenda did not know enough about rabbits to know how they fought.  She did know that being on one¡¯s back was a sign of trust for most animals, that they were exposing their softest, most vulnerable spot.  But as she watched the boy transform into a monster, watched the fur grow, the ears extend, the claws rip through the traveling shoes and tear them to shreds, and the muscles coil, impossibly strong in those back legs, claws meant to burrow, to break up stone and dirt- she learned that this was not the case for rabbits.


    The boy that was now a beast kicked up hard with his back legs, grabbed at Gareth¡¯s face, and bit with teeth that were long, the kind of teeth that those who kept rabbits cursed, because they could chew through nearly anything, could break through any enclosure or fence- and Orenda watched the mask contort, the metal bend, and when the boy finally threw Gareth his face was exposed and there were long, pink tubes spilling from the place that had once been his abdomen.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The boy hopped to his feet, scooped up his bag, and his silver fur stood on edge as he gave one more parting glance to Orenda and her crew.  Then he took off moving faster than Orenda had anticipated, because she was not overly accustomed to rabbits, and did not connect his speed to the fact that prey animals had evolved to outrun predators.


    The werecat paused mid-swipe and followed after him, and Bella turned her torn, bloody face to Gareth where he lay in the dust.  Orenda saw a change come over her eyes that she didn¡¯t like, and Bella let out the loudest howl she had ever heard, then turned, snarling, foaming, with that madness in her eyes, and took off after them.


    ¡°Uncle Gary!¡± Orenda cried, and ran to his side.


    ¡°Not¡­¡±  he said, taking shallow breaths and trying desperately to move, ¡°Not¡­  ideal¡­ God, how I¡­ how I hate¡­ this place¡­ I want to return to¡­ Ronnie¡­  Ronnie, listen to me.¡±


    Orenda took his good hand and nodded.


    ¡°Bury me¡­  at sea¡­¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°You¡­  we¡­ we gotta put his guts back in,¡± Anilla said helpfully, and Orenda nodded, though she felt it wouldn¡¯t matter, in the long run.  It just seemed the sensible thing to do.


    She jerked rather unceremoniously at the sounds behind her, and saw an amazing site.


    What seemed to be an entire warren of wererabbits, all silver in the moonlight, and all wearing robes that had not ripped during their transformations now stood in the middle of the road.  Some were staring at them,some were watching the fire, and some were sniffing the air. One stepped forward, and Orenda witnessed something else she thought would never see.


    It spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m going after Lappy.  Mary, Junior, you¡¯re welcome to come with me.  You younguns go home.¡± Then she took off at a sprint, moving as quickly as the boy had in the direction he had gone.


    ¡°Help us!¡± Falsie called, ¡°My friends are injured!  Sarya has a head wound and Gary¡¯s¡­¡±


    One of the wererabbits stepped forward, and Orenda watched in amazement as her form shrank.  The fur fell away to reveal a beautiful woman with a perfect face, large silver eyes, and the softest, most bouncy, most silver hair Orenda had ever seen.  She looked only a few years older than Orenda, and she took in the scene before her as if she really didn¡¯t need it in her life.


    ¡°They ain¡¯t dead yet,¡± She said at length in a thick Urillian accent.  She knocked the fur from her form, then bent to gather it up and shove it into a bag at her side.  ¡°What path do you walk?¡±


    ¡°The path of Order!¡± Orenda pleaded, ¡°We follow the white rabbit!  We- this is Gareth Firefist! He¡¯s Garon¡¯s brother! Xaxac is expecting him!  I¡¯m Orenda Firefist- I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m the Chosen One!¡±


    ¡°Garon¡¯s brother,¡± the girl said, ¡°I¡¯m Mary Sue Brigaddon.  These are my siblings. We¡­ it¡¯s been¡­¡± she turned around and commanded, ¡°Y¡¯all we gotta get him to the house quick!  He¡¯s lost a lot of blood. We ain¡¯t losin two Knights tonight!¡±


    Orenda stepped back as one by one the rabbits became people, all with silver hair, all with silver eyes, all hauntingly beautiful, too beautiful, too unreal.  They all mimicked the first one, gathering the fur they had shed.


    ¡°Oh god,¡± one of the girls said as she looked at Gareth, ¡°He ain¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Yes he is,¡± one of the boys said, ¡°He¡¯s breathing.  Let¡¯s get him to the lab.¡±


    ¡°What happened to his face?¡± another girl asked, ¡°It looks like an old scar.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°Move!  Move fast! All of you!¡±


    She had heard it before Orenda, but the sound of hoofbeats was undeniable as someone rode closer and closer toward them.


    ¡°Go!¡± Mary Sue told Orenda, ¡°Follow them.  I¡¯ll be right behind you!¡±


    Orenda ran with the others through an opening in the hedge that one of the Brigaddon boys held open for her.  She was the last one through, but she noticed that he stayed there after he closed it, as if expecting something, so she stayed with him and watched through the spaces between the leaves.


    An earth elven man rode up looking as if he had been dragged away from something, as if he didn¡¯t want to be there, followed by six other earth elves with less readable expressions.  They all wore the armor of Urillian soldiers, and none of them liked what they were seeing. Mary Sue stood there, among the wreckage, crying- and she began to shout for them as they approached her.  Her accent had gotten even thicker in what had to be mock alarm.


    ¡°Commander Agalon!¡± she shouted, jumping up and down and waving her arms.


    ¡°What is it, Ms OfLangil?¡± the man on horseback asked, and he was much younger than Orenda had thought.  He looked a bit like Toli, and though he had a good twenty years on them, he wasn¡¯t nearly as old as most of the nobility.


    ¡°Somebody done come in the night!¡± Mary Sue told him, ¡°We heard the dogs just a barkin and carryin on and we come out here to check, you know Mr Langil ain¡¯t been around much, but we have to keep the place goin and we come out here to check and it was the awfulest thing you ever did see!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Commander Agalon asked her.


    ¡°I reckon I don¡¯t know, sir,¡± she said in a panic, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they was blood, and folks was hurt, and it¡¯s right on our property, and-¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your daddy?¡± Commander Agalon asked.


    ¡°They got daddy!¡± Mary Sue said and big, wet, real tears began to roll down her cheeks, ¡°They done went and attacked my daddy!  We gotta get him patched up! We gotta- I gotta get back to the house!¡±


    ¡°They attacked Xac?¡± Agalon asked, and Orenda was surprised by the rage that came over his face.  She remembered hearing his name before. She remembered Agalon was not a Knight of Order. Why would he care so much?


    ¡°What did they look like?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Which way did they go?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t rightly know what they looked like, sir, really I don¡¯t, it all happened so quick like,¡± She cried, ¡°But I reckon they run off in that direction!¡±


    ¡°Trying to get to the docks,¡± Agalon said matter-of-factly, and without trying to hide his anger ¡°Past Basilglen.  Probably trying to steal him¡­ probably would have taken off with the lot of you. Don¡¯t worry, Mary. Go home. Attend to your father.  Tell him I¡¯ll call upon him as soon as I catch the assailant.¡±


    ¡°Thank ya, Commander Agalon,¡± Mary Sue cried, ¡°Thank you kindly, thank you so much!  I don¡¯t know what we¡¯d do without you, sir, really I don¡¯t! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for thieves,¡± Agalon told his men, ¡°And we¡¯ll find them!¡±


    He turned his horse around and went galloping, full speed in the opposite direction, the direction Bella had ran all alone to fight for Gareth.  But she understood what Mary Sue was doing, why she had to get them away from her home.


    But Bella was out there all alone.  And while the moons were full she was a strong rampaging monster, but when the sun rose she would be an unmarked human alone in the heart of the Urillian empire, exhausted and starving from the transformation.

 Chapter 100 - Book 3 Chapter 20

    Orenda followed Mary Sue to an estate house very similar to the others she had passed.  The land around it was beautiful, and the home itself lovely, well furnished, and gaudy, but Orenda ignored it all.


    ¡°I have to go after Bella!¡± She said, but one of the boys grabbed her with so much strength that she would have had to fight him to pull free.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna sit your ass right down and tell us who the hell you are,¡± He said.


    A man came running into the foyer from a side entrance, saw Gareth and cursed.  He may have been Mary Sue¡¯s age, but it was difficult to tell because he had a bandana wrapped around the lower part of his face, covering his nose and mouth, so he was all silver hair and eyes.


    ¡°Bring him on!¡± He said, ¡°Honey¡¯s ready for him!¡±


    Draco came flying down the large stairway that the foyer opened into, and began to fly in circles around the room in an apparent panic.  Finally, he came to rest on Falsie¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He demanded.


    ¡°A boy who¡­  a wererabbit ripped him to shreds!¡± Orenda explained and jerked her arm from the boy¡¯s grip.  ¡°I demand to see Xaxac Brigaddon!¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Mary Sue stepped away from the crowd carrying Gareth off down the hall, ¡°We ain¡¯t buried him yet.¡±


    Orenda stared at her in shock for a few seconds before she asked, ¡°Xaxac¡¯s dead?¡±


    ¡°I warned him!¡± Draco said, ¡°I told him to beware of Lapus!  They told me that Lapus had run away! That they were looking for him!¡±


    ¡°Sharon, my stepmother, has been out every night looking for him,¡± Mary Sue explained, staring deeply at Orenda with her strange, light eyes.  ¡°Orenda Firefist¡­ Sokomaur¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°I¡­  I believe so, yes,¡± Orenda said.


    Mary threw her arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug.


    ¡°Mind the staff!¡± Orenda warned.


    ¡°Daddy always said that if you was to ever show up,¡± Mary said, ¡°We should treat you like a sister.¡±


    ¡°And then she shows up the night daddy dies,¡± the boy who had grabbed Orenda glared at her.


    ¡°We knew they was coming,¡± Mary Sue told him, ¡°They had nothing to do with this.  I¡¯m sorry, Orenda, this is my brother Garon. We call him Ronnie.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m very pleased to meet you, Ronnie.  That was my father¡¯s name, as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Garon¡¯s daughter?¡± Ronnie asked skeptically.


    ¡°Mary Sue!¡± A little girl came running in, perhaps twelve years old if Orenda had to guess, holding a baby, ¡°When¡¯s mama coming back?  The babies are hungry!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mary Sue frowned, ¡°We¡¯ll have to give them sheep¡¯s milk, I guess.  They¡¯re too little for pap. She shouldn¡¯t be out there running around.¡±


    ¡°How old is it?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°About three months,¡± Mary Sue said, then, to the girl, ¡°Where are the others?  Oh, Orenda, this is my sister, Abigale. Some of the younger ones are¡­ well, Sharon tends to have a bunch of younguns at once.  My daddy has¡­ we¡¯re a big family.¡±


    ¡°Your accent isn¡¯t as strong as it was when you spoke to that soldier,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°It isn¡¯t even as strong as when you first spoke to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Mary Sue told her, and to Abigale she said, ¡°Tell the others to bring the babies to the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± The little girl said, and went dashing off into the house.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Mary Sue told her, ¡°I¡¯m¡­  I¡¯m sure Gareth will be fine, Orenda. My sisters, Honey and Bunni both studied medicine as extensively as they could.  They¡¯ve treated a lot of the people who come through here. You can imagine that most runaways ain¡¯t in the best shape when we get them.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Orenda said before she could stop herself, ¡°What names.¡±


    ¡°Their owner thought it would suit pleasure slaves, I imagine,¡± Mary Sue told her as she led her through the spacious house and into a kitchen where a warm fire blazed, ¡°That¡¯s what they were supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, and frowned at the way Mary Sue did everything one-handed as she took down a kettle and turned to walk into what had to be a cold storage pantry.  ¡°Would like me to hold the baby?¡±


    ¡°If you like,¡± Mary Sue handed the infant to her, ¡°Support his head.  His name is Wynnter, but he call him Wyn. He¡¯ll stop that infernal screaming once he gets some food.  Pray he keeps it down this time. They would rather have breast milk, but all of us must learn to appreciate what we have instead of what we would rather have.¡±


    Orenda leaned the staff against the corner where two counters met and set the mask next to them, then held out her arms to accept the infant.  He was much lighter than she expected, and much more fragile. It seemed as if any sudden movement could completely destroy him, as if his life was a fleeting, porcelain thing, and that weakness and innocence set something off inside her, made her want to protect him.


    ¡°Hello, Wyn,¡± Orenda said to him, ¡°My name is Orenda.  I suppose I could have been your sister, though you don¡¯t seem to be wanting for sisters, do you?¡±  She bounced softly, looked around the empty room and continued, ¡°I have so many questions¡­ I had hoped that your father would answer them¡­  but I suppose he can¡¯t now, can he? I¡¯ve so many questions and- oh¡±


    She parted the blanket to look down at him, and the sight shocked her, though she knew it shouldn¡¯t have.  A little brown rabbit stared back up at her, with the darkest, most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. Nothing on him was silver, and his tiny face held a semblance of humanity, but he was a shifter, and the sight made her once again think of Bella.


    Three children came into the room, all with the same face, and all carrying babies that Orenda suspected were rabbits.  They all eyed her wearily, timidly, and Orenda smiled at them as nonthreateningly as she could.


    ¡°Hello,¡± She said gently, ¡°My name is Orenda.  I¡¯m told this is Wynnter. I¡¯ve been following a white rabbit, and it led me here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Abe,¡± One of the boys spoke, ¡°And this is my sister, Bell, and my brother Gary.¡±


    ¡°Is Gary short for Gareth?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± The other boy answered, ¡°I was named after a guy named Gareth.  He¡¯s a pirate, and he has all kinds of adventures. He¡¯s really brave and he¡¯s gonna visit me one day.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my uncle,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°He is brave. He¡¯s very brave.  I once saw him fight a demon.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The boy asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And Bell?  Are you also named after a pirate?¡±


    The girl nodded, but did not speak.


    ¡°There¡¯s quite a few babies here,¡± Orenda said, ¡°You seem to have a surplus.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always lots of babies,¡± Abe said.


    Orenda hummed in agreement, and began to sing as she rocked Wynnter.


    ¡°Little bunny Foo Foo,


    Hopping through the forest,


    Scooping up the field mice,


    And bopping them on the heads.¡±


    ¡°My daddy always sings that,¡± Bell said, ¡°He sings all the time.  My mommy sings too, but not in a while, because she always gets real mad when she¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that everyone gets angry when they¡¯re pregnant,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It¡¯s the hormones.¡±


    Mary Sue came back up from the pantry carrying a bucket of milk, and began to hum to the tune of the nursery rhyme as she poured it into the kettle.  Orenda watched her and thought of everything that she wanted so desperately to ask her, of how she would not ask it in front of the children. Then, she thought of what it was like to be a child, to want to know things, to want to be included, and to know nothing, to have life exist as one mystery after another, and of the pain that brought.


    ¡°Mary?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Mary Sue asked.


    ¡°How much do they know?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Oh¡­  actually,¡± Mary Sue set the kettle over the fire to heat and said, ¡°There are enough adults here now.  Y¡¯all really oughta head to bed. Just because your mama¡¯s gone doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be chores to do in the morning.  Let me just round them up.¡±


    She walked out of the room, and Orenda turned to the children.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± She asked.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°We¡¯re twelve,¡± Abe said.


    ¡°All of you?¡± Orenda asked in alarm, ¡°At the same time?  Are you triplets?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gary shook his lead, ¡°There are four of us.  Our sister Abby is twelve too.¡±


    ¡°When I was your age,¡± Orenda said slowly as she thought back on it, ¡°I met some of the best friends I would ever have.  People who are still quite dear to me.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of extra friends,¡± Abe said, ¡°Because there¡¯s so many of us.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how it feels to be born with friends,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I may be a bit jealous of you, if we¡¯re being honest.¡±


    ¡°How come you look like that?¡± The girl finally spoke.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda looked down at her torn dress, at the wound she had closed on her stomach, at the blood that still stained her flesh and clothes because she had not had a chance to wash.  She realized she probably looked terrifying to children. ¡°Oh, darling, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t think¡­ I can¡¯t really help it. I was injured on my journey here.¡±


    ¡°You have a crown,¡± The girl pointed at the tiara Orenda still wore, the wedding gift from her grandfather to her grandmother, ¡°Are you a princess?¡±


    Orenda found the way she asked that question to be strange.  There was no wonder in her voice- it was an accusation, as if a princess was a terrible thing to be, as if the girl was deciding whether or not she could be trusted.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°No gods, no queens,¡± The girl said, ¡°Only mortals.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite right,¡± Orenda said to her, ¡°The circumstances of one¡¯s birth are no basis for a system of government.  I wish I was as smart as you, Bell, at your age. It would have saved me a lot of trouble.¡±


    Bell nodded at her.


    ¡°What would you like to be when you grow up?¡± Orenda asked her.  She had meant to say more, to explain the foolish notion she had had as a child, to explain why she had had it so that the children could learn from her experience, but Bell spoke as soon as Orenda paused to draw breath.


    ¡°Free,¡± Bell said simply.


    ¡°You will be,¡± Orenda promised, and nodded to the staff leaning against the counter, ¡°I pulled that staff from the Sacred Flame in the Sacred Mountain Temple, back on the fire continent.  I¡¯m from the fire continent. It was quite a trip to get here.¡±


    ¡°Oooh!¡± Gary and his brother began to push and shove each other in an attempt to get to the staff, but Orenda called to them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that,¡± She warned, ¡°It¡¯s hot.  It burns anyone it doesn¡¯t like, and it doesn¡¯t seem to like most people.  It¡¯s very disagreeable and after I¡¯ve killed the Emerald Knight with it I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯ll do with it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to fight the Emerald Knight?¡± Abe asked skeptically.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I traveled here,¡± Orenda told them, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill the Emerald Knight, dethrone the empress, and free everyone.  I¡¯m tired of living under Urillian rule.¡±


    ¡°Nobody can kill the Emerald Knight,¡± Gary told her.


    ¡°Nobody could kill daddy either,¡± Bell said quietly, and both boys fell silent.


    ¡°The Emerald Knight is alive,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Anything that lives¡­¡±  She could not bring herself to finish the thought in front of children, not on the night their father had died.  It would be in poor taste.


    ¡°My father is dead, as well,¡± She said instead, ¡°I never got to meet him.¡±


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Abe asked.


    ¡°He died in battle,¡± Orenda said, ¡°that¡¯s what I was told.  I was there, but I was too young to remember it at all. I don¡¯t even remember what he looked like..¡±


    ¡°Somebody cut our daddy¡¯s head off,¡± Bell said softly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­  that¡¯s actually how my father died, as well.  That¡¯s¡­ what are the odds?¡±


    Orenda was trying very hard not to let her nerves get the best of her.  She was almost positive that the young man, Lapus, had killed his father.  He was probably imitating Xac¡¯s famous finishing move from his days as a cage fighter.  It had nothing to do with the Emerald Knight. Why would he do that? What could bring him to kill his father?  All the other Brigaddons seemed so happy.


    Lapus had taken the last person who would have known her mother away from her.  He had destroyed her ability to learn about her past. He may have taken Gareth- that is, Gareth the elder- from her as well.  If he had, she didn¡¯t know what she would do. Part of her felt like revenge was worthless- but the other part of her looked at the situation and saw a boy who had a perfectly good, perfectly loving family, who swooped in out of nowhere in the middle of night and took the only person who Orenda could claim a blood relationship with living anywhere on Xren.  He had no right to do that. He had no reason to do that.


    Mary Sue came back into the room followed by an entourage.  Falsie came behind her with Draco on his shoulder, and Anilla behind him, followed by Sarya leaning heavily on Barbra Allen.  Sarya¡¯s head had been wrapped, but her eyes were glazed over and she was unsteady on her feet. Orenda had not heard the crunch of bone over the sound of the fiddle shattering, and hadn¡¯t understood how bad the damage had been.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fall asleep, baby,¡± Barbra Allen told her as she sat her down at the table.


    ¡°Mighty tired,¡± Sarya said softly, ¡°I feel like¡­  Feel like I got run over by a carriage. That feller packs a wallop.  I damn near thought he killed me.¡±


    ¡°Here, gimme one of them,¡± Falsie held out his arms, and all three children stared at him.  It was possible that they had never seen a dwarf before. ¡°What? You don¡¯t trust your old uncle Harry?  Here, I¡¯ll show you how to hold a baby. The secret is a nice, full beard, somethin for them to really snuggle into.¡±


    ¡°Harry?¡± Abe asked.


    ¡°Xac mighta called me ¡®Falsie¡¯ or-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Falsebeard the pirate!¡± Gary exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re the clockwork man who can make all kinds of stuff!¡±


    ¡°That I am,¡± Harry said.


    ¡°My big siblings are inventors,¡± Gary said as he stepped forward and handed Falsie the crying baby, which he held expertly and bounced gently, ¡°I want to be an inventor, too, but not in a stuffy lab!  I want to do what you do- travel the sea and put stuff to the test! We have to hide here all the time¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s old enough to be workin on a ship,¡± Falsie told Mary Sue.


    ¡°Ask his mother when she gets back,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°Sailing is a fine profession, and they are getting old enough to be sold out to apprenticeships.  We could even do that legally, or¡­ legally enough. I know Gareth has a record, but I think dwarves can own slaves. I¡¯ll have to check. I¡¯ve got a pretty good legal library, it¡¯s just that that sort of thing doesn¡¯t come up often.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Gary asked, ¡°I could go?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Mary Sue said.


    Another woman came into the room holding a bag, looked around at all the new faces, and held it out towards Draco.


    ¡°I got the change of clothes you wanted, Draco,¡± She said, ¡°I hope they fit.¡±


    ¡°Anything would have to be better than nothing,¡± Draco said, ¡°Open the door for me.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I gotta go find Bella,¡± he said as if if was obvious, and as soon as the woman opened the door, he spread his wings and took to the air.


    The woman turned and her eyes fixed on Orenda.  She walked up to her and took one of her hands in both of her own, which gave Orenda a moment of panic, as she was afraid she would drop the baby.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to meet you, Orenda,¡± the woman said, ¡°My name is Sokomaur Brigaddon.  I just knew you existed; I always knew you were out there in the world somewhere looking for us.  Daddy always said we had another sibling, but he called you ¡®Bruanna¡¯ or ¡®Gareth¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I was going to be ¡®Gareth¡¯ if I was a boy?¡± Orenda laughed.


    ¡°The elder Gareth wrote, of course,¡± Soko went on, ¡°So we knew you were a girl.  And we knew you were really named Orenda. Yet still, daddy always called you ¡®Bruanna¡¯.  He wanted to find you.¡±


    ¡°Gareth is a good name,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°But there are already so many,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to be lil Gary,¡± Falsie told him, ¡°I was always lil Harry.  Makes things easier.¡±


    ¡°But I won¡¯t always be little,¡± Gary protested.


    ¡°You¡¯ll always be littler than big Gary,¡± Falsie explained, ¡°They made um big on the fire continent.¡±  He looked down at the baby and said, ¡°Oh, hey, mine¡¯s a kitten.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re called ¡®kits¡¯,¡± Barbra Allen said, ¡°A baby rabbit is a kit.¡±


    ¡°And this is a kitten,¡± Falsie turned to show her, and sure enough, the baby in the blanket was not a rabbit, but a tiny orange and black kitten.


    ¡°Apparently my father¡¯s biological father was a weretiger,¡± Mary Sue explained as she poured the milk into strange little contraptions that looks very much like teapots except for the size, the position of the spout, and the cloth covering the spout.  ¡°Autumn is the only one that inherited it, out of all of us. I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re going to feed her. The rest of us are allergic to meat, but I suppose she¡¯ll be overly fond of it. We¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    ¡°Autumn,¡± Falsie said as he pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table, ¡°I¡¯m sure you make as pretty a girl as you do a kitten.  Hush that hollerin and carryin on.¡± He held out a hand and Mary Sue handed him one of the kettles. He seemed to be an expert at it; Orenda wondered where he had learned it, and he answered as if he had read her thoughts.  ¡°Last time I did this,¡± he said, ¡°Was for another little girl, named Orenda.¡±


    ¡°Can one of you take this?¡± Mary Sue asked as she took another of the babies from her little sister.  ¡°This is Spring,¡± she told Anilla as she handed him over. She took the final baby, parted the blanket to look down at her, and said, ¡°And this is summer.¡±


    ¡°That makes how many now?¡± Falsie asked.


    ¡°Twenty one of us living,¡± Mary Sue told him, ¡°Twenty four altogether if the records are right.  Daddy studded twice before, you know, before he joined the Knights. Not all of us made it. But the little ones have fared much better.  You young¡¯uns head to bed. We¡¯ll have a big day tomorrow.¡±


    Orenda stared down at the little boy in her arms as he sucked on the contraption, silent now and leaning into her as if he trusted her, explicitly, with his life.  His father was dead, and he would never know him. She suspected he was too young to have yet been branded- and she wanted to create a world where it would never happen.  She didn¡¯t understand how anyone could look into those beautiful dark eyes and do anything that would ever cause this tiny, delicate creature an ounce of pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna make some soup beans and cornbread,¡± Soko said as she tied on an apron, ¡°You folks must be starving.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Sarya said.  She had been mostly silent, and had spent a great deal of time staring off into space.


    Barbra Allen rubbed her back and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t reckon y¡¯all¡¯ve got any tea or coffee or nothin?  Anything a body could use to stay awake?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put some coffee on, too,¡± Soko promised.


    ¡°I can make healing potions,¡± Anilla said, ¡°If that helps.¡±


    ¡°Sure couldn¡¯t hurt nothin,¡± Soko said, ¡°We got a bunch of herbs and whatnot, if you need them.¡±


    ¡°The other fire elf,¡± The man Orenda had seen in the foyer walked into the room and pulled down a bandana that had been covering his nose and mouth.  ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°What kind of blood do you have?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°This is my brother, Sonny,¡± Soko said.


    ¡°Yes, hello, pleasure to meet you,¡± the man said quickly and dismissively, ¡°What kind of blood do you have?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean?¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°Your mamma was an earth elf, your daddy was a fire elf.  Magic flows through the blood- I need to know what kind of blood you have.  My sister sent me down here- listen.¡± He put one hand over his mouth, in thought, and Orenda thought he was so young, and the silver beard was so striking against his dark skin, and it was annoying her how distractingly beautiful every person in this house was.


    ¡°Ms Firefist, we¡¯ve gotten him cleaned and patched up, but the truth of the matter is that he just doesn¡¯t have enough- he bled out so much out there.  Elves can¡¯t- I don¡¯t know how to explain this to someone who doesn¡¯t know what a¡­ there are types of healing that have nothing to do with magic, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, but all healing needs a knowledge of magic.  We can take blood from one person or animal and put it into another, but in elves- well, in other things, too, but in elves, they have to match. I need to know what kind of blood you have. Fire or earth?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡­  I want to say fire? But I once received an earth scry and it did nothing to me.  How exactly are you planning to get my blood out and put it in someone else?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t have both,¡± he argued, ¡°That isn¡¯t how elves work.  What magic do you cast?¡±


    ¡°Fire,¡± Orenda said decisively.  ¡°But what happens if you give him the wrong kind?¡±


    ¡°His body treats it as a poison, rejects it, and he dies,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Come with me.  Soko, get Wyn.¡±

 Chapter 101 - Book 3 Chapter 21

    The man, Sonny, led Orenda in what she assumed was the wrong direction. She would assume that any kind of healing would have been done upstairs, in one of the large, stately rooms the mansion had to have, but he led her into a servant¡¯s area, then down into a basement that seemed to be used for storage. Barrels of apples, pears, and other fruits were stored as if they had just been harvested, along with various farm equipment and all the sorts of things one would expect to see stacked on high shelves for a large agricultural business.


    ¡°My father spoke of you often, Orenda,¡± he said as they descended the staircase, ¡°none of us knew whether you were alive or dead. I must admit that I didn¡¯t know if you were even real. My father¡­ he was a good man, but he lived a hard life, and he had his vices. He drank too much, for example, and when he did he would ramble on to us about unbelievable things.¡±


    Orenda didn¡¯t know why they were down here. It was obvious that Gareth wasn¡¯t, and she didn¡¯t much like being in an underground room, with only one exit, with a man who, if his little brother had been any indication, could tear out her organs if the mood struck him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your father, Sonny,¡± She said, ¡°I had wanted to meet him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too,¡± Sonny said as he grabbed onto one of the shelves built into the walls of the room and yanked. ¡°He was a good man. A loving man. A lot of people grow up without fathers. Mine saved me. I was lucky. I¡¯ll make sure the little ones know who he was.¡±


    The shelf came away from the wall with a click and no scraping sound, as if it didn¡¯t rest on the floor at all, as if it was mounted on hinges.


    It opened into a short corridor, lined with earth on all sides and completely unlit. Sonny stepped into it and motioned for her to come through as well.


    ¡°Come on,¡± He said, ¡°Down the rabbit hole.¡±


    Orenda took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway, then Sonny grabbed for the handles on the back of the shelf and pulled it closed. They were plunged into darkness, and Orenda remembered that most humans couldn¡¯t see in the dark.


    ¡°He saved you?¡± She asked as she began to walk down the corridor.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sonny said, and the hallway filled with a crisp white light. Orenda turned to follow it to its source, and saw that several spiraling tubes protruded from the wall at different intervals, connected by some sort of metal wire- but none of them pulsated with magic. They gave off heat, but it was no sort of fire magic she had ever seen.


    ¡°It gets dark down here,¡± Sonny followed her eyeline, ¡°And we can¡¯t very well keep a fire going with ventilation as it is. None of us can use any sort of magic- we¡¯re,¡± he stared at her and she stared back and thought that perhaps he wasn¡¯t so young after all, now that she really looked at him. He was older than she was- not by much but humans aged differently, and he could have been Ali¡¯s age. All the Brigaddons had those big eyes and cute faces- they all probably looked younger than they actually were. He was looking into her eyes, and she knew what he was looking for.


    ¡°You¡¯re made of sterilite, starboy,¡± She said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said and his eyes darted away, ¡°You must be fairly high ranking in the Order to know that. It¡¯s a well kept secret. No one knows that¡­ you really are Soko and Ronnie¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°My sister,¡± He said as they began to move again.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Orenda said again.


    ¡°Well, then you know that none of us can cast magic,¡± Sonny explained and tapped one of the tubes, causing it to flicker, ¡°So we caught lightning in a bottle.¡±


    ¡°Lightning?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what it is,¡± Sonny explained, ¡°Or¡­ that¡¯s what powers it. It¡¯s a long story. But you can cut the current and it¡¯ll go off and we need to do that in the main hall and the first few rooms until we know for sure that no one is going to come to the house looking for trouble.¡±


    He led her out of the hall and into a much larger room, laid out like a living area. There were toys scattered about, mostly knitted or hand-sewn patchwork rag dolls, along with the sort of storybooks that children learn to read on. No fire blazed in the room, but it didn¡¯t need it. Orenda didn¡¯t know what kept out the chill of the outside, but she knew that it did not reach her. There were several paintings and posters hung along the walls- but one in particular drew Orenda¡¯s attention.


    A poster over a desk, situated between two bookshelves, was familiar to her- Gareth¡¯s mask stood out with a cutlass and his pistol crossed below it. The painting said: No Gods. No Monarchy. Only Mortals. Another poster had an outline of a rabbit and three belts with symbols that Orenda didn¡¯t understand, along with more text than posters normally had: This Weekend at the Satra Mainhouse Arena - Eishtar Festival - World Cage Fighting Championships! See humans from around the globe compete in this world-class bloodbath! Show begins at sundown! Tickets available at- Here someone had stuck a sticker over the text that read ¡°sold out¡± - for only 200 gold. See the legendary Bunny Foo Foo, Our own Eishtar Bunny, the shifter Xaxac OfAgalon defend his title for the fourth year running! Someone had written on it at an angle a large X, but it looked as if someone had come in, at a later date, and finished with a different ink the letters ¡°axac BRIGADDON¡±. The text was all arranged in a pleasing way, and Orenda was sure it was a poster that had been made to commemorate the event.


    ¡°My dad,¡± Sonny said, ¡°was the best cage fighter in the world. Funny thing about rabbits¡­ they¡¯re notoriously difficult to cage. That¡¯s our family motto,¡± he pointed to a homey piece of needlework that had been hung over the doorway through which they had entered. In careful, beautifully crafted stitches it read: Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°When you¡¯re on your feet keep your head held high


    But when you¡¯re on your knees you smile and lie


    You tell them ¡°of course¡±, you tell them ¡°okay¡±


    And when they leave don¡¯t do a single thing they say.¡±


    ¡°Did your mother make that?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember my mother,¡± Sonny said, ¡°We weren¡¯t allowed to ask about her. Our master was much more interested in our ability to be nice, cute, quiet and not ask questions. And dad didn¡¯t really remember much of her- he hadn¡¯t even remembered her name; he had to go through the records to find it. They only knew each other for a few hours, so you can¡¯t really blame him for that. If I had to guess, and I do have to guess because I don¡¯t really have the resources to do much else, I would say she¡¯s dead. Most humans, especially humans who weren¡¯t shifters and I know she wasn¡¯t, don¡¯t survive that kind of multiple birth.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I never knew her,¡± he shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s the way of the world. Come on, if you want to save your uncle we can¡¯t stand around bullshitting.¡±


    ¡°I never knew my mother, either,¡± Orenda said as she followed him down another long corridor.


    ¡°Dad talked about her all the time,¡± He said, ¡°He said she was funny, and smart, and she never really¡­ wanted anything from him. That kind of thing is important to him. I don¡¯t think anyone ever showed him basic compassion before. And once you understand that, it¡¯s hard to go back to being¡­ I think he would have died before he let someone else enslave him.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Langil?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Commander Agalon called Mary Sue ¡®Miss OfLangil¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Lapus,¡± Sonny said, ¡°But god¡­ he¡¯s not been here in years.¡±


    ¡°Lapus Lazuli couldn¡¯t have been here within your lifetime,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He¡¯s been trapped in a cup for two centuries.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯re thinking of two different people,¡± Sonny told her, ¡°The Uncle Lapus I know is a water elf.¡±


    He opened another door and held it for her, ¡°In here.¡±


    Inside were two women with bandanas around their neck as if they had had them over their faces and had just pulled them down, drinking from cups and talking amongst themselves over a table where Gareth was splayed out and seemed to be asleep. His flesh was pale and sunken, and it would have been so easy to think he was dead if his chest wasn¡¯t moving, ever so slightly, with his shallow breaths. He had been cleaned, but his abdomen was so stitched together that he looked like one of the patchwork dolls Orenda had seen in the living room.


    ¡°This is Orenda,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Orenda, these are my sisters, Honey and Bunni.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so pleased to meet you,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I can never thank you enough.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank us yet,¡± Honey said, ¡°He was rough. We get a lot of rough cases through here, but¡­ this man¡¯s been through a lot.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell got into Lappy,¡± Bunni said, ¡°That boy ain¡¯t right. He lost his goddamn mind.¡±


    ¡°What got into him,¡± Honey said, ¡°Is that he¡¯s spoilt. He never had to¡­ he don¡¯t appreciate how good he has it here.¡± She turned to Orenda and asked, ¡°You a fire elf?¡±


    ¡°More or less,¡± Orenda answered, ¡°I¡¯m the only chance he has, at any rate. You can take blood from one person and put it into another?¡±


    ¡°I hypothesize,¡± Bunni said, ¡°That we can take whole-ass organs out of one thing and put them into another if we can figure out how. We get¡­ we get more corpses than we¡¯d like through here. But we have been able to¡­ study them. Silver linings, I guess.¡± She shrugged.


    ¡°Study?¡± Orenda asked and allowed the sisters to lead her to a table.


    ¡°They cut them up to see what¡¯s inside them,¡± Sonny explained, ¡°And then draw it.¡±


    Orenda opened her mouth in an ¡®O¡¯ and looked up to see Honey standing beside her. She had expected to see a small vile, the sort of thing they use to test for magical acumen in the blood, but Honey was holding a long tube attached to the needle. On the other end was a glass jar easily large enough to hold a pint of liquid.


    ¡°How much blood do you need?¡± Orenda asked in alarm.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re gonna need them soup beans,¡± Sonny said, then to his sister, ¡°Soko¡¯s making beans and cornbread.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Bunni said, ¡°I¡¯m starving. And tired. I¡¯m dead on my feet.¡±


    She flipped Gareth¡¯s arm so that it rested palm up and prodded at it, ¡°God all his veins are flat. He barely has a pulse. We need to get enough blood into him to wake him up so he can drink some fluids.¡±


    ¡°Anilla is making healing potions,¡± Orenda told them.


    ¡°Oh thank god,¡± Bunni said, ¡°A mage. Maybe he won¡¯t look like one big mass of scar tissue. What happened to his face?¡±


    ¡°The Emerald Knight tried to cut through him,¡± Orenda said, and she refused to give them time to respond because she knew it would be a huge, time consuming subject, so she asked quickly, ¡°Where¡¯s his hand?¡±


    ¡°My brother Junior took it,¡± Honey told her, ¡°You¡¯re going to feel a pinch. Make a fist for me.¡±


    Orenda obeyed her and flinched when the needle entered her arm. She watched the dark blood flow through the tube and begin collecting in the jar. They were taking so much of it.


    ¡°Why did your brother take it?¡± She asked, trying not to panic, trying not to be as upset as she was.


    ¡°He makes all kinds of things,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Not just clockwork, but all sorts of things. He made the electric lights you saw.¡±


    ¡°He took the hand and the gun,¡± Honey said.


    ¡°He needs his hand,¡± Orenda protested.


    ¡°Stay calm,¡± Honey told her, ¡°your blood pressure can¡¯t shoot up on me. He won¡¯t break it, I swear. He just wants to see what makes it tick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired,¡± Orenda admitted, ¡°Oh, and I left a weapon upstairs that your brother nearly killed Gareth to get. It burns anyone who touches it. I need to go get it¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have left it up there. I¡¯m so bad at this¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    She would not cry in front of them. She would not break down and cry in front of them.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Hey, look at me. I¡¯ll go get it. I¡¯m not afraid of being burned. I¡¯ll wrap it in a blanket or something.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°If it hurts you, put it down! Oh- but I did leave a mask up there get that as well- actually¡­ perhaps I shouldn¡¯t move it. I think Falsie will watch it. But¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have left it-¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± Sonny said, ¡°It¡¯s been a really long night. A lot has happened. It would make you feel better to have it in front of you. I¡¯m going to go get it, alright? Your friend Falsie may follow me down here. And I¡¯m going to get a new pitcher of water. I really want you to stay nice and relaxed so your blood flows right. Then we¡¯ll get some food in you, and you can rest. I know it doesn¡¯t seem like it right now, but everything is going to be ok.¡±


    He said this as if he said it, or something similar, pretty frequently, and Orenda thought of all the people the Brigaddons had helped. They had dedicated their lives to ferrying people out of this awful place, to making the world a little better, one person at a time.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said.


    He took her free hand and squeezed it.


    ¡°Try to rest,¡± he said.

 Chapter 102 - Book 3 Chapter 22

    Orenda was so weak she found moving difficult.  Honey removed the tube and tied a white cloth around her arm to stop the bleeding, and Orenda held it as best she could, but she was amazed how much blood they had taken from her.


    While Honey had been working with her, Bunni had been rubbing some sort of tincture all over the stitched up flesh of Gareth¡¯s abdomen- it had to hurt; Orenda knew that touching the flesh there had to cause an intense pain, but Gareth hadn¡¯t moved in the slightest, hadn¡¯t woken up, hadn¡¯t registered it.


    He was all she had left.  He was the only family she had ever known, and she had known so little of him.  She should have shown more interest in him- she should have asked how he met Bella, about his life at sea, about how he went from the safe space at his godmother¡¯s house to being on the run, how he had met the Knights of Order the second time- she should have taken an interest in his life, because now it was likely that she would never get that chance.  It was possible that he was a good man, more or less, that all the terrible things he had done, the fires he had set, the murders he had caused, the destruction he had wrought, had all been for noble causes. The Urillians were right about him being a criminal, but Orenda herself was a criminal, and she wished she had asked him so many things about his life, not because she particularly cared, but because it would have meant so much to him that she took an interest.


    Bunny rolled out long strips of white cloth and stuck them over the goo she had rubbed on, pressing down so they would stick, and again Gareth did not awaken, did not even stir.  Orenda watched the hazy world through blurred vision, and contemplated how weak she was with how little blood she was missing compared to Gareth. She wasn¡¯t sure she would be able to stand up on her own.


    Honey turned the glass vile upside down and slotted it into a strange contraption beside the table where Gareth lay on the right side.  She tapped his arm and frowned. Orenda heard her mumble something, but could only make out the word ¡®flat¡¯ because she wasn¡¯t exactly feeling amazing herself.  The world was fuzzy and Orenda desperately wanted to drift to sleep.


    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Honey said, and Orenda inferred from the way she tied off the tube that the needle was firmly inside his arm.  She watched how slowly the liquid began to drain from the jar, but she couldn¡¯t focus on it for very long, and her world faded to darkness.


    ¡°Hey, Rendy,¡± Orenda focused on the soft voice speaking to her and tried to will her eyes to open.  As she blinked the world into existence she looked up into those soft, silver eyes and recognized Sonny¡¯s face.  ¡°I want you to try to eat something for us, ok?¡±


    Someone had thrown a knitted blanket over her, and as she pulled herself upright it slid into her lap.  She took the bowl from him and had to admit that it smelled delicious- it was the first time since stepping foot on the earth continent that she had looked forward to eating something.


    ¡°Crumble the bread up in it,¡± he said with a smile, ¡°I brought your staff down here, and the mask, and everything is more or less alright.¡±


    ¡°What time is it?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nearly daybreak,¡± Sonny told her, and Orenda frowned.


    ¡°Has anyone heard anything from Bella?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Sonny admitted, ¡°Not from Bella, or Lappy, or Sharon¡­  god I hope¡­ my stepmom¡¯s been so good to me¡­¡±


    He slid a tray onto her lap and Orenda sat the bowl on it and began to break the bread into chunks as she had been instructed.  Sonny turned his back to her, and she could see that he had brought significantly more food with him than he had served her. He poured something foaming from a bottle into a glass and brought it to her.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said, ¡°I thought you could use a drink.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said, but her heart wasn¡¯t in it.  Her focus was on Gareth.


    He still lay on the table; his head was propped up by a pillow and he was covered by a quilt, but he still looked painfully pale.  The blood and the contraption it was in were gone.


    ¡°He¡¯s not in great shape,¡± Sonny admitted.  He pulled another chair from the table where he had set up the food and drink closer to Orenda and sat down with his legs spread, leaning forward with his elbows resting on this thighs, watching Gareth.  ¡°Your little friend, Anilla, has been up and down the stairs pumping potions into him, and he¡¯s not dead yet. If he¡¯s not out yet, he¡¯s probably fine. How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Weak,¡± Orenda said because she didn¡¯t see the point in lying.  She looked beside her chair at the staff twinkling in the dim light and asked, ¡°How did you bring it down here?¡±


    ¡°I picked it up and carried it,¡± he shrugged, ¡°I think that whatever you were afraid would burn me must be magic.  I don¡¯t have to fear magic. Did you know that thing is made of sterilite? Why the hell would you make a mage staff out of sterilite?¡±


    He reached into his pocket and produced the strangest fruit Orenda had ever seen.  It looked a bit like an apple, but the flesh and stem were both a strange, metallic silver.  He bit into it with a tangy crunch, and she saw that the inside, while it didn¡¯t look as manufactured, still shimmered like the colors that flowed through her staff.  He didn¡¯t seem ashamed to eat it in front of her, didn¡¯t seem to think it was a strange thing to do.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Oh-¡± Sonny¡¯s eyes darted to the apple, then back to her, ¡°I thought you¡­  this is the starfruit.¡±


    ¡°How¡­  where did you get that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You can¡¯t have any,¡± he said seriously.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking to eat it,¡± Orenda remembered how frantic Lapus had been, how Gareth had held the bag out of his reach and told him that he was addicted, that Xaxac should have never given it to his kids.  ¡°I was asking where it came from.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± He said, and she felt his face heat, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­  we only have so much and it has to last us. And it¡¯s super poisonous.  Like¡­ really, really poisonous. Shifters heal faster than most people or we wouldn¡¯t be able to eat it.¡±  He paused, took another bite, and stared down at the fruit, ¡°Honestly¡­ part of me wonders if that wasn¡¯t part of what was wrong with dad.  We don¡¯t really know what this stuff does¡­ I mean, we know it gives us magical immunity, but we don¡¯t know what kind of¡­ side effects it has.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get it?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°We grow it,¡± he said, ¡°Here, in the orchard, mixed among all the other things so it isn¡¯t glaringly obvious.  But¡­ we¡¯ve never had a proper inspection because my dad was blowing the commander. Which¡­ I guess somebody else is going to have to do now.¡±  He made a disgusted face, ¡°Somebody¡¯s gonna have to take that one for the team and pray it¡¯s good enough. Agalon¡¯s not a Knight of Order he just¡­  really liked my dad. He¡¯s not converting for us; he genuinely doesn¡¯t know about the starfruit. He knows something¡­ He¡¯s not stupid. This is gonna blow up and I¡¯m not looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°If that sort of thing was growing wild here,¡± Orenda said as she stirred her beans and cornbread, ¡°The empress would know.¡±  She took a bite and was pleasantly surprised- the first actual flavor she had had on the continent danced across her tongue, salty and sweet, with complex oniony hints and perhaps honey in the cornbread.  Finally this continent had produced something worth eating.


    ¡°They don¡¯t grow wild,¡± Sonny said as if the idea was ridiculous, ¡°Dad brought the seeds back with him from the Crystal City.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest,¡± Sonny said with another crunch, ¡°I expected a bigger reaction.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I¡¯ve become a bit jaded to whimsey, I¡¯m afraid.  So much has happened with the shifters and zombies and pirates and whatnot that it¡¯s¡­  I¡¯m just so tired, Sonny. I would have given you a bigger reaction but I¡¯m a bit¡­ worn down and concerned.¡±


    ¡°I get that,¡± he said, and Orenda appreciated how thoroughly he ate the piece of fruit.  She had always been annoyed by the dainty way that earth elves ate, but Sonny took big, full bites with his- she giggled.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked with a grin.


    ¡°All of you have the same teeth,¡± She said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he put a hand over his mouth, ¡°Yeah, I know.  We do. I¡¯m well past twenty and it¡¯s¡­ it gets old being told how cute you are.  Lots of guys my age have a shitton of kids by now, living in some shack on a plantation with their not-wife and 13 kids or someshit.  But I look fourteen with my big eyes and buckteeth and baby face. Does the beard help at all? I¡¯m trying to just project adulthood and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s working.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°But I¡¯m not human.  Are beards an indication of age? Elven mean don¡¯t grow them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sonny said, ¡°You can¡¯t grow a beard until after you¡¯re damn near grown.¡±


    ¡°Learn something new every day,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re all so cute.¡±


    ¡°At least we¡¯re not somewhere it can hurt us anymore,¡± Sonny shrugged, ¡°You don¡¯t want to be a good-looking human, Rendy.  Only pain comes from it.¡±


    He sat the core of the starfruit onto the table and reached into his other pocket to pull out a pouch of tobacco and began to roll out a cigarette.  Orenda watched, impressed by how skilled his hands were as he licked the paper closed. He held it between two fingers, leaned forward and asked, ¡°Can I get a light?¡±


    Orenda lit it for him and he leaned back in the chair to inhale slowly, then exhale a long, smooth cloud.


    ¡°Your father,¡± Orenda said carefully, ¡°Had¡­  an uncommon arrangement with my parents.¡±


    ¡°He was an unrepentant whore,¡± Sonny said, ¡°That¡¯s not going to insult me.  He wasn¡¯t particularly shy about it. He couldn¡¯t really afford to be, I don¡¯t think.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­  it¡¯s different than I thought it would be,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to clean the nursery,¡± Sonny ashed into a tray on the table and leaned forward again, ¡°We¡¯ve got to.  We can¡¯t leave a corpse in there- the kids need somewhere to sleep.¡±


    ¡°He was beheaded in a nursery?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes, Sonny that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°In front of the babies,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Yeah.  As bad as you think it was, just keep piling on.  One of us is gonna have to kill Lappy. I knew there was something wrong with him, but like¡­  it¡¯s my baby brother, you know? And when it¡¯s your baby brother you just keep telling yourself that he¡¯s not that bad, that he¡¯s going to get better, that it¡¯s stress and it¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°I never had any siblings,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Well,¡± Sonny shrugged, ¡°You never knew you had any siblings.  We¡¯re serious, Rendy. Dad loved your parents. He always told us that if you ever came around these parts we were supposed to treat you like a sister.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ll ever understand what they had¡­¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Love is¡­  weird,¡± Sonny took another long drag, exhaled, and stared at the smoke, ¡°For some people, like my dad, and like your parents, I guess, they just had a lot of it.  Dad was¡­ wasn¡¯t allowed to have emotions, didn¡¯t know what actual love was for so long, I think... I think he just¡­ wasn¡¯t able to contain it. And if you were going to be with him you just had to accept that, had to seperate it in your mind.  You couldn¡¯t be jealous. It just¡­ couldn¡¯t be something you allowed to exist.¡±


    The door opened, and Anilla poked her head in.


    ¡°How¡¯s he doing?¡± She asked

 Chapter 103 - Book 3 Chapter 23

    ¡°Better,¡± Sonny said in response to Anilla¡¯s question, ¡°but still not great.  I wish we could get him to wake up and eat, because it¡¯d help him make more blood, but my sisters told me not to move him or sit him up until he tried to do it himself because¡­  his intestines were all jumbled up and there was barely enough left of him to stitch back together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought him another potion,¡± Anilla said with a frown, ¡°He should have woken up by now.  His flesh should be knitting back together.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Sonny told her, ¡°It has to be.  But it was¡­ bad. I was just telling Orenda that if he¡¯s not dead yet I don¡¯t think he will be.  I think it would have killed him by now if it was going to.¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling, Rendy?¡± Anilla asked.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t ideal,¡± Orenda admitted stirring the beans, ¡°But I¡¯m alive, and knowing that I couldn¡¯t be makes me grateful that I am.¡±


    ¡°All these bunny people are delightful!¡± Anilla said, and Sonny almost lost his hit as he tried to hold back laughter.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said as he ashed and repeated, ¡°Bunny people¡­¡±


    Anilla pushed a chair up to the side of Gareth¡¯s bed and shook him gently.


    ¡°Captain,¡± she said, ¡°Captain, wake up.¡±


    ¡°All those bunny people are delightful!¡± Sonny whispered to Orenda, forcing his voice up an octave to mimic Anilla¡¯s more feminine sound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of her,¡± Orenda said seriously and took a bite.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make fun of her, but I can be a bunny person?¡± Sonny grinned, ¡°I see how it is, knife-ear.¡±


    Orenda chewed slowly and considered what he had said.


    ¡°How is it?¡± She asked after she had swallowed, ¡°That you were able to shift at will?  For others it seems to be an uncontrollable affliction.¡±


    Sonny held out his cigarette and stared at the way the smoke drifted from the cherry, as if he was considering very carefully how to answer her.


    ¡°My dad,¡± he said, paused, and gathered his thoughts, ¡°Was a complicated man.  The only way that I know of to control it is¡­ you can overcome nature, you can fight natural impulses¡­  like you know how you can hold your breath if you want to, but your body doesn¡¯t want you to do it? Will fight you?  Will remind you that you have to breath or die? You know how normally it will do it automatically, unless you¡¯re in a situation like¡­  say you¡¯re underwater, and your lungs are screaming for air, but you know, deep in your very soul, that if you try to draw breath you¡¯ll die?¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we can do it,¡± Sonny explained and took the last drag the cigarette could afford him, ¡°If you get pushed to the brink of death¡­  if it¡¯s shift or die¡­ you¡¯ll be amazed at what you can live through.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Tough love,¡± Sonny said as he snuffed out the cigarette in the ashtray.  He stared at nothing for a beat and then went on. ¡°I don¡¯t think the babies, the new ones, or the little ones, will ever learn to control it.  Dad wouldn¡¯t do it until we were big enough and¡­ I don¡¯t think any of us who are left are¡­ strong enough to do that shit to someone we love.¡±


    ¡°What did he do?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Sonny said before she had even finished the question.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Orenda said and dropped the subject to take another bite of her beans.


    Anilla had tilted Gareth¡¯s head to pour the potion down his throat, but when she sat it back against the pillow there didn¡¯t seem to be any noticeable effect.


    ¡°Would you rather have a real bed?¡± Sonny asked.


    Honey walked through the doorway and made her way to Gareth, pulled back the blankets and stood there for some time touching him in different places as if she was testing for something.  The entire time she said nothing, and her silence unnerved Orenda. Finally, she turned to Sonny and spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what makes you think you¡¯re going to sit here on your ass all day,¡± She said, ¡°The sun¡¯s risen and we¡¯ve got work to do.¡±


    ¡°Someone needs to watch the patient,¡± Sonny said defensively.


    ¡°He has friends enough to watch him,¡± She motioned to Orenda and Anilla, ¡°We have to get the nursery clean and the crops harvested if we want to eat this winter.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Right,¡± Sonny pulled himself up with an exasperated grunt.


    ¡°Do you mind?¡± Orenda asked as she picked up the tray and stood to set it on the table on wobbly legs, ¡°If I see this nursery?  I might¡­ there may be something I can do to help.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no help for it,¡± Honey said, ¡°The dead don¡¯t seem to want or need help from the living.  The living and the dead are no longer on speaking terms.¡±


    ¡°I think she meant in the clean-up,¡± Sonny said.  ¡°And yes, Rendy, of course. I¡¯ll show you, but¡­ I don¡¯t know that there¡¯s much you can do.¡±


    Orenda nodded and picked up her staff to lean on as she followed him from the room.  It seemed that the Brigaddons mostly lived in their underground hideaway, which, the more she thought about it, made the most sense- if they lived above ground to keep their cover they would have to live in the slave quarters.  She didn¡¯t know why she thought they would be allowed to live in the house proper as if they owned it when very clearly it had to look as if this Langil person did and they were merely his slaves.


    ¡°The nursery is connected to my parents¡¯ room,¡± Sonny explained, ¡°you have to walk through it to get to their bedroom, so they can hear the kids in the night and whatnot.¡±


    He led her into the living room, and she was shocked to see four young children there, no older than five or six, sitting cross-legged and listening to Mary Sue as she spoke.


    ¡°take in the starfruit,¡± she was saying, ¡°before anyone else.  You let the big kids get the other things, and you tell someone like Abby or Gary when you¡¯ve finished a full barrel so they can store it properly.  I want to get most of that done today, and I don¡¯t want to see you back in this house until I call you for lunch. If I see any one of you in this house before then I swear to the good god above that I¡¯ll tan your hide.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± A little girl asked, pointing at Orenda.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Mary Sue turned to look at her, ¡°Rendy, you¡¯re up.  Everyone, this is Orenda Firefist, your new big sister. She¡¯s the one daddy was always going on about.  She showed up last night while you were locked up.¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± One of the girls asked, and the children all jumped to their feet to surround her.  Sonny took a step away from her with a chuckle and watched them swarm.


    ¡°These are my younger siblings,¡± Sonny explained, ¡°Harvey, Angel, Frank and Alice.  We keep them locked up when the moons are full so they don¡¯t destroy things. Some people still like to chew through walls, though.  Which is¡­ annoying.¡±


    All the children resembled their older siblings with their big silver eyes and soft silver hair, and they all began to speak at once.


    ¡°How come your hair is that red?¡± One asked, ¡°Do you dye it with blood?  I¡¯ve never seen anyone with hair that red.¡±


    ¡°Why are you wearing a crown?¡± Another asked, ¡°She¡¯s an elf too- maybe she¡¯s evil!¡±


    ¡°Did you hurt your belly?¡± Another child asked, rubbing at the scar on Orenda¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°What¡¯s this shiny thing?¡± Another asked, grabbing for the staff, and seeming to be unaffected by it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to,¡± Orenda looked to Sonny for help, ¡°I don¡¯t know how-¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Mary Sue barked, ¡°What did I just say? Y¡¯all got work to do!  I want to see you in that field, and I don¡¯t want you back in this house until it¡¯s done!¡±  She walked up and grabbed two children by the neck of their shirts and tossed them behind her, then did the same to the two who were left, ¡°Go!  Get up there! Now!¡±


    The four children took off down the hidden hallway, giggling and whispering to each other.  Mary leaned back and watched them until she was sure they had closed the shelf back over the opening, then turned her attention back to Orenda.


    ¡°How is Gareth?¡± She asked.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t woken up yet,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I¡¯m concerned.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you,¡± Sonny said, ¡°If he ain¡¯t dead yet, he¡¯ll probably make it.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t give her false hope,¡± Mary Sure chided him, and to Orenda continued, ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you, Rendy, he¡¯s the worst case we¡¯ve ever seen.  I¡¯m so, so sorry about last night. Lappy is¡­ not stable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your father,¡± Orenda told her.


    ¡°It was about the only thing that could take daddy out,¡± Mary Sue looked to the poster that listed her father¡¯s achievements as fighter, ¡°that man outran the Emerald Knight.¡±


    She pulled herself from her thoughts and continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rendy, we have to get that nursery cleaned while the kids are out of the house.  There¡¯s blood everywhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to help, if I can,¡± Orenda told her.


    ¡°You can try,¡± Mary Sue shrugged, and began to walk down a different hallway.


    It was not lost on Orenda that the place was laid out like a rabbit warren, but she had the good manners not to remark upon it.  Eventually, Mary Sue opened another door, and Orenda¡¯s blood froze in her veins.


    It was a pleasant room, cozy and meant for sleeping, with two rocking chairs and a large crib.  A bag of yarn with two knitting needles stuck in it was positioned by one of the chairs, a shelf of children¡¯s books had been pushed up against a wall, a table looked like it had been laid out to change the babies, with a laundry hamper beside it was that was half-full of diapers and sprinkled with some sort of plant that Orenda didn¡¯t recognize.


    In the middle of the room laid the headless corpse of a human man that Orenda, based on the head that laid a few feet away by the changing table, thought to be no older than forty.  He had been dressed in nightthings, as if he had awoken to be murdered, made of cheap fabric but with meticulous, beautiful embroidery around the bottom depicting rabbits hopping along the hemlines- the clothes were destroyed by the blood that had pooled around the corpse and shot across the room, likely at the same trajectory as the head.


    On the wall above the crib, someone had used the blood to write, in tall crimson letters.


    FEAR THE WHITE RABBIT.


    Orenda didn¡¯t know what to make of that simple message, but she feared they would never get it out of the wall.


    ¡°Ideally,¡± Mary Sue said as Sonny walked to the changing table to roll another cigarette, ¡°I¡¯d like to arrange it at the funeral so that it looks as if he still has a head on his shoulders.¡±


    Orenda nodded, because she could see the logic in that statement, staring at Xaxac¡¯s silver eyes, wide open and staring at something though he could no longer see anything.  She thought it was strange that he didn¡¯t look afraid; he looked confused, shocked perhaps, but not afraid.

 Chapter 104 - Book 3 Chapter 24

    ¡°Thesis¡¯s fucking eyes,¡± A man said from the doorway, and Orenda looked over to see a man with silver hair and a goatee the same color wearing a set of glasses similar to the one she had once seen on Falsebeard, with a series of lenses that could be flipped down over his eyes.  At present, they were all locked above the goggles, and he threw one hand over his mouth, then doubled over in pain. ¡°Oh god¡­ oh god I can¡¯t¡­ dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t throw up in here,¡± Sonny warned as if the concept made him angry.


    ¡°I,¡± the man said, glanced at the room, and grabbed the wall for support, ¡°Oh god, Son- Sonny, help¡­  help me¡­¡±


    ¡°By Thesis you fucking-¡± Sonny said, stuck the cigarette in his mouth, sighed, and set it on the changing table to attend to this new man, ¡°come on, you can pass out on the couch in the living room.¡±


    ¡°We told you not to come in here,¡± Mary Sue told him, and the man nodded as if he agreed that he should have heeded her warning.  Once he was heavily leaning on Sonny, grasping at him with one hand and keeping the other over his mouth, she turned her attention back to Orenda, and Orenda thought that under the beard, she and the man could have had the same face- not in the way that all the Brigaddons looked similar, but in the sense that they could have had exactly the same face.


    ¡°Junior has a¡­  really sensitive constitution,¡± Mary Sue explained, ¡°he¡­  has trouble with stuff like this.¡±


    ¡°I can understand why,¡± Orenda said, looking at the scene before them.


    ¡°We have the same mother,¡± Mary Sue told her as if it meant something special to her, ¡°We¡¯re twins.¡±


    ¡°My uncle Gareth and my father were twins,¡± Orenda said, because she didn¡¯t know what else to say.  Both women froze when they heard Sonny exclaim from the direction of the living room.


    ¡°God damn it, Junior!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the other man seemed to be crying, ¡°I¡¯ll clean it up.  I¡¯m sorry. Let me pump some water-¡±


    ¡°Sit your ass down and don¡¯t move!¡± Sonny demanded, and apparently Junior did, though they heard him drawing his breath in great sobs.


    ¡°I think the first thing to do,¡± Mary said sensibly, ¡°Is get a sheet laid out in the bedroom and move dad in there.  We¡­ we need to get the corpse out of the nursery.¡±


    ¡°That seems sensible,¡± Orenda agreed, and followed Mary Sue through a doorway into a modest bedroom.  There¡¯s wasn¡¯t a lot in there, and it was tiny, but it was homey. A hand-made quilt was spread out over a wooden double bed, a writing desk was littered with papers, as was the bookshelf beside it where things had been strewn about haphazardly, and two wardrobes sat closed against the other wall.  All the furniture looked well-worn and heavily used, but the room seemed to radiate a type of familiarity that Orenda could not place, because she had never really had a home to herself that was all hers, and could not identify what that nebulous concept looked like when pressed onto a space. Mary Sue opened one of the wardrobes and Orenda saw that above where the clothes hung some linens were folded.  She took down a white sheet and walked back into the nursery. Because she moved so quickly, Orenda didn¡¯t know whether or not she was supposed to have followed her, and felt as if she was, perhaps, intruding onto the space.


    She didn¡¯t know what else to do, so she followed her yet again, back to the nursery, and watched as Mary Sue unrolled the sheet.  Orenda moved quickly to pick up the other end, leaning her staff against the crib to do so.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to get blood on it,¡± Orenda said, and Mary Sue looked at her as if she had gone mad.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it could be helped,¡± She said, looking at the stain, ¡°Besides, much of it is already dried.¡±


    Orenda nodded, because she could see the logic in that statement.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be hell to get out of the hardwood,¡± Mary Sue said in disgust as they fluffed out the sheet, then knelt to smooth it out beside the body.  ¡°And the wall.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we could paper over it,¡± Orenda suggested, ¡°The fumes would probably kill you if you tried to paint down here, but I think the paste for paper wouldn¡¯t be too bad.¡±


    ¡°I suppose we could put paper on the next supply list,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I¡¯ve got passes for everyone with Langil¡¯s signature on them.  We could do that. Can you get his legs?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Mary Sue, perhaps we should¡­  Falsie and I could do this, all of this. You don¡¯t have to touch your father¡¯s corpse.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Falsie volunteered to watch the babies,¡± Mary Sue shook her head, ¡°Sharon hasn¡¯t made it back yet.¡±


    She offered no further information, and Orenda could not begin to imagine what was going on inside her head, so Orenda simply nodded, and lifted the corpse by the legs while Mary Sue lifted him by the shoulders.  Together they positioned him on the sheet, and Orenda sat on her knees to watch Mary Sue pick up her father¡¯s severed head. She made an attempt, upon her return to the sheet, to situate it properly on his neck, to give him the appearance of a complete human man, but with nothing there to support it as soon as she released her grip gravity carried it to the side, where it lolled at an unnatural and surreal position.  Orenda didn¡¯t like to look at him, but she knew that Mary Sue had actually known him, that he had raised her, that she had loved him.


    This corpse was supposed to tell Orenda so many things.  He was supposed to tell her all about her parents, about her mother especially.  He had loved them in a way that she didn¡¯t understand completely, but had desperately wanted to.  This man had spent his life as a Knight of Order, ferrying people to freedom and out of tyranny.


    He had also pushed his children to the brink of death to force them to control their shifting ability, and had gotten them addicted to the starfruit, something she knew so little about, only that it was dangerous.  Yet still his children universally- well, almost universally- loved him.


    Orenda didn¡¯t know how to feel about the corpse on the sheet as she helped Mary Sue tuck in the edges and roll it up until it was out of sight, until it was just a mound of fabric.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°Let¡¯s get him to the bedroom.¡±


    Orenda helped her carry the corpse into the space where he had once lived.


    ¡°Thesis fuck,¡± Sonny said and returned to the bucket beside Orenda, where she knelt with her sleeves rolled up scrubbing at the hardwood, ¡°Draw on the goddamn walls in blood, like we get it Lappy, you¡¯re fucking crazy.  There was literally no reason to do this! You can just kill a guy and leave! You don¡¯t have to make a whole big thing about it!¡±


    He swished his brush around in the soapy water until it came away clean, then went back to scrubbing vigorously at the wall.  It was made of wooden planks that had been whitewashed at some point in the past, and he had taken a great deal of the white off of them without actually removing the blood.  Orenda wasn¡¯t particularly sure how that worked, but she was having the same dilemma with the floorboards.


    ¡°Is that helping, Sonny?¡± Mary Sue asked as she carried in fresh bedding for the cradle and began to set it up, ¡°Who does your bitching help?¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± he said simply, ¡°We should have done something about Lappy.  We all noticed him going crazy! We should have done something, restrained him or something.¡±


    ¡°Lots of shoulda woulda coulda,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°But we can¡¯t change the past.¡±


    ¡°You took that up to the laundry, right?¡± Sonny asked, ¡°Any news from above ground?  Did Sharon get back?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Mary Sue snapped.


    Orenda wasn¡¯t shocked that everyone¡¯s nerves were so frayed, but that didn¡¯t mean that she had to enjoy it.


    Softly, she asked, ¡°So there was no word of Bella either?  Draco never came back?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mary Sue said with much more gentleness than she had addressed her brother, ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid not.¡±  She smoothed out a knitted baby blanket and said, ¡°It¡¯s nearly noon, and Soko has been making stew. Nothing to keep the chill away on a crisp autumn day like a hearty stew.  We¡¯ve had a good harvest of root vegetables, and the spice pantry isn¡¯t empty yet, but we are going to have to go into town at some point for a supply run. It would probably be better to go to Basilglen, rather than the capital.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to go?¡± Sonny asked, ¡°Sharon¡¯s not back.¡±


    ¡°The textile merchant in Basilglen is no longer there,¡± Orenda told them, ¡°The Knight of Order who was supposed to meet us?  She got married and moved out to the country.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mary Sue said with an attitude of ¡®that may as well happen, look at everything else¡¯.


    ¡°We have passes,¡± Sonny said, ¡°We can travel to town.  We¡¯re allowed. Just remember that you can¡¯t read and don¡¯t throw a fit if they cheat us.¡±  He paused and walked slowly back to Orenda to clean his brush again, ¡°The two of us should probably go.  You¡¯re the oldest and I can handle myself better than Junior, and the girls need to stay here and watch after the patients.¡±


    ¡°Sarya is an earth elf,¡± Orenda suggested, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have to pretend not to be able to read and all that.  Couldn¡¯t you go with her, using her as cover? Would that be easier?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mary Sue shook her head, ¡°They know us there.  Basilglen is a tiny little town, Rendy. I wish you were an earth elf¡­  we probably could use you as cover, as someone unknown who was related to Mr Langil.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already getting pretty suspicious that Mr Langil hasn¡¯t made an appearance in years,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Dad¡¯s not here to keep Agalon happy.  We need a plan. We need to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Agalon will return any minute,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Sonny said as if her words held great meaning, ¡°You¡¯ll talk to him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.  I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    Sonny didn¡¯t meet her eye.  Instead he bent at the waist and picked up the bucket of soapy water.


    ¡°This is pure red.  I¡¯ll dump it out and pump some more.¡±


    Orenda nodded and watched him leave the room.

 Chapter 105 - Book 3 Chapter 25

    Orenda sat at the table in the room where Gareth had been laid out watching Sonny ladle soup into bowls set out for himself, Mary, Orenda, Anilla, Junior, and Falsie.  There was a sixth bowl as well, but it seemed to be more of a gesture than an expectation.


    ¡°Still no word from Draco,¡± Falsie said, ¡°That means that either he hasn¡¯t found her, or he¡¯s decided to stick with her.¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°That poor Sarya girl went out looking too,¡± He went on, ¡°Didja know that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, more than a little alarmed, ¡°Why would she do that?¡±


    ¡°Because she can claim to have lost a slave,¡± Mary Sue said matter-of-factly, ¡°If someone has found Bella and is holding her hostage, Sarya can claim ownership of her.  We¡¯re so close to the capital she can say she¡¯s a traveling minstrel. I like that girl. I think we can trust her.¡±


    ¡°I like her too,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I wish she hadn¡¯t lost her wagon and¡­  everything.¡±


    ¡°I worry that the head injury may have done something to her brain,¡± Mary Sue said.  ¡°She¡¯s loud and jittery all the time.¡±


    ¡°No, I think she¡¯s just like that,¡± Anilla said, ¡°After the aid and potions I think she¡¯s actually fine.  She seemed like she recovered pretty fast!¡±


    ¡°The other girl, Barbra Allen,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Seems like a good person to have around.  She¡¯s hearty enough to help with the harvest and the clean-up. She¡­ did not care for me, though.¡±


    ¡°Did you hit on her?¡± Junior asked.  He had his glasses flipped down and was tinkering with something in his lap.


    ¡°No,¡± Sonny said more defensively than absolutely necessary.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Junior said, ¡°You¡¯re fucking blind, you dumbass.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sonny asked.


    ¡°I mean,¡± Junior said, still without looking up, ¡°That she obviously prefers the company of women, you absolute dumbass.¡±


    ¡°How can you possibly know that?¡± Sonny asked.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not an idiot,¡± Junior shrugged, ¡°And I don¡¯t try to bed everyone who comes through here.  You have no tact.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna dump this on you,¡± Sonny said with no emotion, and lifted the bowl of stew he had just poured over Junior¡¯s head.


    ¡°You better not!¡± Junior hissed, ¡°I swear to god, Sonny!  I swear to god!¡± He raised the screwdriver in his hand as if it was a weapon, and Orenda wondered if this was normal sibling interaction.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Mary Sue demanded, stood, and grabbed the bowl from Sonny to slam it on the table, ¡°Act like you have some sense!  We have guests!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re family,¡± Sonny said dismissively, and went back to distributing the food.


    ¡°Anilla,¡± Orenda said quietly, ¡°Wed, Bed, Behead- the Brigaddon boys.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Anilla said, and thought for a few seconds, ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­  most of them are so young. I think perhaps¡­ wed Junior, he seems as if he¡¯s quite intelligent and he has a lot of neat things in his workshop that I think he would let me use.  Bed Sonny, because he seems as if he needs it to calm his nerves. And behead¡­ the one we met who hurt Gareth and killed their father.¡±


    ¡°I think I would switch Sonny and Junior, for mine,¡± Orenda giggled.  She needed something to break the tension, some little anything to take her mind off the corpse, her missing friends, and Gareth¡¯s injuries.


    ¡°Why?¡± Anilla asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I actually feel as if I perhaps shouldn¡¯t have started this game.  They all think of me as their sister.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Sonny sat a bowl of the stew in front of her.  It was a sort of vegetable stew, but she was delighted to see the spices floating in the broth.  She took a bite and felt the warmth flow through her, tasting hints of pepper and cinnamon. She had missed real food on the road.  Thank god at least one of the Brigaddons knew how to cook.


    ¡°You all seem to be in rather good shape,¡± Orenda said, ¡°That is¡­  you¡¯re strong and have a high stamina.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Junior said, ¡°I mean that¡¯s a lie, but thanks.¡±


    ¡°What are you even doing?¡± Mary Sue asked him, ¡°Put that away.  Don¡¯t tinker at the table.¡±


    ¡°Is that my gun?¡± Falsie asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Junior looked up at him, ¡°No, I mean, I don¡¯t imagine it¡¯s yours.  I took it off Big Gary over there. I studied this thing all last night. I think I¡¯ve found a way to make it more efficient, now that I understand what it does.  You can really streamline the loading mechanism if you actually make the¡­ arrows? Little lead things. You could make a cylinder, if I can calculate it properly, that could contain every part so it could be reloaded much faster.  You wouldn¡¯t have to measure out the gunpowder every time if you made them from some kind of premade mold and used just enough to fire the projectile behind the actual projectile part, all housed in some kind of casing. Also, if you made them pointed rather than round, even if it was a rounded tip, you would likely do more damage because it would do piercing damage rather than bludgeoning damage and you wouldn¡¯t need as much power behind it to enter the body.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Falsie said, more than a little impressed, ¡°You got a good head on your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°My daddy always said that my mommy had to have been smart,¡± Junior told him without looking up, ¡°He said that we sure as hell didn¡¯t get it from him.¡±


    ¡°You have gunpowder!?¡± Mary Sue asked, ¡°At the table!?  Junior, put it away! Take it to your lab now!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, fine,¡± Junior stood and walked out of the room.


    ¡°The reason,¡± Orenda said, ¡°That I comment on your strength is because I¡¯ve never been much in the way of exercise or sport.  But it occurs to me¡­ that if I¡¯m going to go after the Emerald Knight, if I¡¯m going to fight him, I probably should try to hone my body in some way.  I probably should try to be strong, flexible, and develop some sort of stamina for myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­  actually a good point,¡± Mary Sue told her.  ¡°Do you know how to fight at all?¡±


    ¡°You mean physically?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°She killed a demon,¡± Falsie told them, and their eyes widened.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I think we don¡¯t actually know for sure.  But no, I mean¡­ that is, I know how to cast, and the crew of the Burned Roc has tried to teach me a little in the way of street skills, things like stealth and picking locks, but I don¡¯t actually know how to physically fight.  And, as I would rather not die instantly upon facing the Emerald Knight, as my father apparently did, I would like to learn.¡±


    ¡°I can teach you to fight,¡± Mary Sue told her, ¡°I don¡¯t like to brag on myself, but I was taught by the three time cage fighting champion of the world.  But the thing is, Rendy, a lot of it is going to be building up your body. You can¡¯t really learn anything until you¡¯re in shape. And most of that is just¡­  living. Once we get the nursery clean, you can help with the harvest.¡±


    ¡°How long does that sort of thing usually take?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Months?¡± Mary Sue said as if she wasn¡¯t sure, ¡°Years?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have years!¡± Orenda said, ¡°The Emerald Knight is going to attack the fire continent!  I have to catch him before he can!¡± She took a deep breath trying to calm herself, ¡°Perhaps¡­ perhaps if he leaves before I get to the castle that would make it easier to get the artifact.¡±


    ¡°Artifact?¡± Mary Sue asked.


    ¡°Yes.  My staff tells me that there is an artifact held in the castle- it says that the reason it doesn¡¯t work is because it needs the artifact.¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± Sonny said, ¡°I reckon the reason it don¡¯t work is because it¡¯s made of sterilite.  Which is just a shitty thing to make a mage staff from. It talks to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Kinda seems like maybe something it ought not do?¡± Sonny questioned, ¡°I don¡¯t know that I trust any inanimate object that starts talking.  Maybe it¡¯s a trap? Trying to get you into the castle?¡±


    Orenda had not considered this possibility.  The staff had never acted as if it outright meant her harm.


    ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t do shit that staves we find laying around in old temples tell us, is all I¡¯m saying,¡± he said as he sat down, ¡°I don¡¯t know how the hell they¡¯d have good advice to give, even if they meant well.  The thing hadn¡¯t seen the light of day in how long? How the hell would it know what it was talking about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Orenda said, because it was true.


    ¡°Thesis fuck!¡± Gareth screamed, and every head shot in his direction.


    He had tried to sit up, holding himself on the one arm he had, trying to clutch at his torso with his stump, ¡°Where the fuck is my hand?  Where¡¯s my goddamn mask? Why does my voice sound like shit? Why do I hurt this goddamn bad? Why hasn¡¯t anyone gotten me a drink yet knowing I hurt this goddamn bad!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Orenda jumped from her position at the table and ran to throw her arms around him.  He leaned heavily into her and she felt how weak he was.


    ¡°I think I tore something,¡± he said in his croaky, ill-used voice.  ¡°Rendy please, please for the love of god, get me my hand and my mask.  Where¡¯s Bella?¡±


    Orenda tensed up.  She didn¡¯t know what to tell him.

 Chapter 106 - Book 3 Chapter 26

    ¡°Bella¡­  hasn¡¯t returned,¡± Orenda admitted to Gareth, trying to help him sit up by bracing the pillows behind him.


    ¡°Should he be sitting up like that?¡± Mary Sue asked, rushing to his side, ¡°His insides are all jumbled.¡±


    ¡°My outsides are all jumbled too, missy,¡± Gareth snapped in his ill-used voice, ¡°Hasn¡¯t returned?  Where the hell did she go? And where¡¯s your father? You tell that little bitch to get his ass in here and explain to me why I¡¯m dying!¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Falsie approached the bed and held a bowl of stew outstretched for him, ¡°Eat something and quit your bitching.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Bella?¡± Gareth demanded again, ¡°Where¡¯s my goddamn hand?  Where¡¯s my mask!?¡±


    Sonny came running back into the room, which startled Orenda because she hadn¡¯t notice him leave.  He held Gareth¡¯s arm in one hand, but didn¡¯t have either of the gloves he normally wore over it.


    ¡°Someone get me a drink!¡± Gareth demanded.


    ¡°Eat your soup,¡± Falsie said as if he was trying to start a fight, but Orenda had become so accustomed to them that she was beginning to feel that it was merely how they interacted, just the way they were.


    ¡°Here, Mr Firefist,¡± Sonny pushed his way past his sister to help Gareth strap his arm in place.


    ¡°Why the hell did you let them take my hand?¡± Gareth demanded of Falsie, ¡°There should be two protective gloves.  Where are they?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, my brother took it to his lab and I didn¡¯t see any gloves.¡±  Sonny said as Gareth flexed his fingers. They did not move as fluidly as they normally did.


    ¡°Well go find them!¡± Gareth snapped, ¡°If I spill something on it, it¡¯ll rust.  And tell your father he needs to come down here and explain to me what the hell is going on.  I assume we¡¯re underground, right? In a goddamn rabbit warren?¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Orenda asked, but she was ignored because Mary Sue spoke over her, and her information made a much greater impression on Gareth.


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s dead, Gary.¡±


    Gareth paled.


    ¡°Xac is dead?¡± He asked, ¡°Xac is dead and Bella is missing?  Was it the Emerald Knight?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mary Sue shook her head and Sonny departed, presumably to look for gloves.  ¡°No, daddy could outrun the Emerald Knight. We¡¯re pretty sure Lappy killed him. We found his body in the nursery- found the head in the nursery too, but not in the same place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be goddamned,¡± Gareth sighed heavily and took the stew from Falsie, holding the bowl carefully in his mechanical hand.  He looked into it and asked, ¡°There¡¯s not any starfruit in this is there?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mary Sue promised.


    ¡°Is Lappy the kid who tried to claw me in half?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mary sue said.


    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Gareth scooped up a bite and chewed.  ¡°Finally¡­ some fucking food.¡± He swallowed and said, ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°About two days,¡± Orenda said, ¡°they gave you my blood.  You would have died.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gareth blinked at her in alarm, ¡°You gave me your blood?  It¡¯s inside of me?¡± he looked into his bowl and said, ¡°We¡¯re blood-brothers¡­¡±


    ¡°That boy did a hell of a job on your mask,¡± Falsie said, ¡°Knocked some of the crystals loose, bent it all to hell.  I can fix it, or make another one, but I¡¯ll need a forge.¡± He looked at Orenda and continued, ¡°Or just a set of tools and a powerful fire mage.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°If Bella was chasing him,¡± Gareth said, ¡°When the moons set she wouldn¡¯t have remembered where she was or what she was doing.  She¡¯ll be all alone out there without even the clothes on her back. I have to get up and go after her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can walk,¡± Falsie told him.


    ¡°I found the gloves,¡± Sonny came back in carrying them, and Junior rushed in hot on his heels.


    ¡°Mr Firefist!¡± he exclaimed, ¡°That hand of yours is the most beautiful piece of clockwork I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Thank my friend here,¡± Gareth nodded towards Falsie, then his eyes flickered between the three Brigaddons, ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes you all look so much like him.  I find it hard to believe a teenager could take out Little Bunny Foo Foo. He must¡­ god, I bet Xac wouldn¡¯t fight his own child. He always loved you all more than life itself.  Lapus is going to be pissed. I wonder if he already knows¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Lapus?¡± Mary Sue asked, ¡°I¡¯ve not seen him in so long.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still a Knight of Order,¡± Gareth explained between bites, ¡°Working on the fire continent to restore order there.  Will one of you please get me a goddamn drink? You wouldn¡¯t believe the amount of pain I¡¯m in. Or some pipeweed or literally anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell my sisters,¡± Sonny said and disappeared again.


    ¡°Did Draco go looking for her?¡± Gareth asked as he handed Falsie his empty bowl.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± Falsie said.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°No word from him either.¡±  Falsie walked away to set the bowl on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m too old for this shit,¡± Gareth slumped against the pillows, ¡°We never should have come here, chasing some jackassery.¡±  He stared at the ceiling and pulled his waterproofing glove on in silence for some long minutes before he began to sing, softly:


    ¡°Little baby Bunting


    Daddy¡¯s gone out hunting


    Gone to get a rabbit skin


    To wrap a baby Bunting in¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Gareth said and turned slightly to face her, ¡°No, not in the slightest, darling.  I feel so weak¡­ and Bella is gone¡­ and I don¡¯t know that I can save her. Perhaps I should die here.  Why did you give me your blood? I got you the staff. You can¡¯t need me for anything else.¡±


    Orenda didn¡¯t answer him, so when the silence between them grew too painful he spoke again.


    ¡°Xac was the most hearty of us, really,¡± Gareth said, turning again to stare at the ceiling, ¡°The man was literally made of stardust.  No spell could hurt him. He killed people, en masse, for the pleasure of those Urillian sons of bitches, for years. He was a shifter, so he healed.  He¡­ he was a damn near perfect survival machine. His children were his one weakness. I always knew he would lay down his life for them. Lapus Brigaddon¡­  is the most ungrateful little shit imaginable. Imagine having a loving family¡­ Imagine having a father who would die for you and..¡±


    Orenda saw something flash across his eyes and knew that he was thinking of her grandfather, of Shiron Firefist.


    ¡°What was my grandfather like?¡± She asked, because she regretted not asking those kinds of questions when she thought she may never have a chance to ask them.


    ¡°He was a good man, really,¡± Gareth said, ¡°He just¡­  expected a lot from us, and I resented it. He pushed us too hard, I felt.  He wanted us both to be priests, to take the test and follow in their footsteps.  He was strict but¡­ he knew how to temper my mother. She was the one who,¡± he chuckled and clutched his torso as the pain shot through him.  ¡°Mom would get so angry at us. She wanted us to¡­ I¡¯m not sure, to be good people I suppose. But you didn¡¯t want to cross her. She could silence any dissent with a look.  She had to be like that, I think; her position was so important and she was used to leading people. But she couldn¡¯t lead me, not in any meaningful way. I was a terrible child, Rendy.  You had to be¡­ overly patient with me to get me to do anything. She wanted me to be better but couldn¡¯t teach me. Dad could. He could¡­ slow down, grab me, get me to focus. He could calm her down when I did something evil, or stupid.¡±


    He had a soft, comfortable smile on his face as he spoke again.


    ¡°Do you remember the clockwork toys we saw in the midway?¡±  He didn¡¯t wait for her to respond before he continued, ¡°I stole a lion, from that merchant.  She never saw me, had no idea it was me. I had wanted it for so long, and it was so expensive, and my father gave me money but I could never seem to save it¡­¡±


    He chuckled and continued, ¡°Mom beat the shit out of me.  She whooped my ass so bad I couldn¡¯t walk- I¡¯m being hyperbolic of course, everything seems more intense to a child- and then we went back and she made me return it.  I was more embarrassed than hurt. That¡¯s a terrible reason to steal you know, just because you want something and don¡¯t have it. It wasn¡¯t even that I was upset that I got caught, I was embarrassed that I had done it.¡±


    ¡°How did she find out?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.  I always suspected Ronnie told on me, but he would never admit to it.¡± Gareth said, and Orenda didn¡¯t understand the look on his face, because this seemed to be a happy memory to him.  ¡°Anyway, my father gave me a lecture, the normal things that you would expect, about how stealing was wrong and all that. He made me do extra lessons, going over the sacred texts on the subject.  I was bored out of my mind. I would have rather had the beatings. Ronnie actually stayed with me, even though he wasn¡¯t in trouble. That fucker just liked to read, genuinely liked the sacred texts.¡±


    ¡°That solstice,¡± Gareth continued, ¡°I came downstairs to the living area, and what do you think I saw there?  It was sitting on the floor, because it was too big to fit in my stocking.¡±


    ¡°The lion?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gareth smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s really sweet, Uncle Gary,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I miss them,¡± Gareth said, not, Orenda suspected, because he wanted to convey that information to her, but because he wanted to say it out loud.  ¡°They would have loved you.¡±


    He turned to look at her and his eyes focused on the tiara she wore.


    ¡°Where did you get that?¡± he asked her, ¡°We looked for it for so long.¡±


    ¡°Toli gave it to me,¡± Orenda took the tiara off and held it out to Gareth.


    ¡°No,¡± he shook his head, ¡°You should have it.  She would have wanted you to have it. My father got it for her, before we were born, as a wedding gift.  They were in love, you know. They thought they were soulmates, and¡­ some people think that¡¯s why they were able to have both of us, Ronnie and I.  Soulmates have nearly identical magical signatures, and they really did. You could see it when you looked at them. And they balanced each other out.  Mom was always so serious¡­ but dad could make her laugh. Even when they were fighting, he could make her laugh. And she kept him on track, made him focus, made him reach his potential.  They were really good for each other. I¡­ I always hoped that if I ever got married I could find someone like that. Ronnie found it twice, which seems excessive when most people don¡¯t even get it once.¡±


    He closed his eyes and said, ¡°She has to be alright.  She¡¯s a survivor. We both are, I think. It seems like nothing can take us out.  If she were dead, I would know it. She¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°You really are,¡± Orenda said, ¡°The doctors said that you were the worse case they¡¯d ever seen.¡±


    ¡°No one in this burrow has ever been to medical school,¡± Gareth said as if the idea was ridiculous.  ¡°I can¡¯t believe Xac¡¯s gone. I¡¯ll kill that boy myself. Xac¡­ he loved my brother. They were good for each other.  And both of them loved Soko¡­ they all had problems, but everyone does. God, I¡¯m so tired. I can¡¯t live like this. I can¡¯t keep doing this.  There¡¯s not going to be any of me left if people keep cutting it away piece by piece.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle Gary,¡± Orenda said, and began to absentmindedly twist some of his hair at the temples to lock it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that looks a mess,¡± Gareth said, and added, ¡°Orenda?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  I know I¡¯ve said it before but I know you don¡¯t believe me.  I¡¯m sorry for everything I put you through. I suppose I should have kept you on the ship with me.¡±  He turned to look at her. ¡°So much of this is my fault. It¡¯s¡­ you never think that one person can have that sort of effect on the world.  It¡¯s so easy to believe that nothing you do will matter, but I¡­ I fucked up so badly. I don¡¯t think it can be unfucked.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry anymore.  We have to keep moving forward.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I told you that.¡±


    Orenda didn¡¯t know what to say to this confession.  She wasn¡¯t really capable of returning the affections of the family she had recently had thrust upon her.  She was sure, somewhere in her heart, that Gareth did love her, did think of her as even perhaps more of a daughter than a niece, and that he knew he had not done right by her.  She wanted to forgive him, wanted to love him back, with the sort of desperation that she had once wanted her parents to be alive. But she didn¡¯t want to lie to him, so instead she said:


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Gary.  That means a lot to me.¡±

 Chapter 107 - Book 3 Chapter 27

    ¡°Rendy, this is my sister, Solomaur,¡± Mary Sue said as she led Orenda to a woman standing in the middle of an orchard so large it seemed to stretch for miles.


    The trees bore all sorts of different fruits, and didn¡¯t seem to be arranged in any meaningful way, but that was because Orenda had no knowledge of agriculture, and had never tried to hide one plant among others.  There was a method to the chaos, Orenda was just not trained to be able to spot it. There were several people, all Brigaddons and all decently young, walking around with long wooden poles hitting branches with them.  The ground around them was littered with barrels, and when they struck a branch, it would cause fruit to drop, though not necessarily into the barrels. The children Orenda had met during the morning ran through the barrage of falling fruit, trying to catch it, but more often just scooping it up from the ground in their aprons until they were full, and then dumping them into a barrel.  All of them sang while they worked, in snatches, the same song, and the overall effect was haunting. No one person made it through an entire verse. They weren¡¯t singing a hymn, as the slaves had done while Orenda had driven past them, but rather a song about a man who had returned from war to find his wife had taken him for dead and remarried.


    Orenda thought that a lot of Urillian songs were depressing.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Solomaur said, and Orenda thought she was probably around the same age as the boy who had attacked Gareth.


    ¡°My name is Solomaur, as well,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°My middle name is.  My first name is Orenda.¡±


    ¡°Neat,¡± Solomaur said, ¡°People call me ¡®Solo¡¯.  But I¡¯m obviously not.¡± She motioned at the buzz of activity around her.  ¡°We¡¯ve actually got most of the orchard cleared already, but what¡¯s left needs to come in fast.  We¡¯ve got to clear it before the first snow falls or it won¡¯t be worth having.¡±


    ¡°How does it all work?¡± Orenda asked her.


    ¡°I mean it¡¯s not exactly surgery,¡± Solo shrugged and waved to Mary Sue as she began to walk back to the house.  ¡°Knock the fruit out of the trees. The kids¡¯ll collect it and put it where it goes. The pretty ones to sell, the ugly ones to eat, and the unsalvageable ones to ferment.  That¡¯s always fun. I hope you¡¯ve got a strong back, that reaching up and swinging takes a lot of out of you. Here.¡±


    They had been walking as they spoke, and Solo had led her to a place where more of the long poles stood lined up against some sort of wooden shed.  She handed one to Orenda and picked one up for herself. Orenda was shocked by how heavy it was.


    ¡°We clear out one area before we move on to the next,¡± Solo told her, ¡°Don¡¯t hit it as hard as you can.  I mean, don¡¯t break the pole or the branch. And don¡¯t get hit. Some of that stuff falls pretty hard. Starfruit, especially, really packs a whallop.¡±


    ¡°But there are children running everywhere,¡± Orenda said as she looked at the tree.


    ¡°They got the good sense not to get hit,¡± Solo said and whacked a branch with her pole.


    Orenda mimicked her, and though she was a little taller than Solo, she still had to reach above her head to make the motion properly.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the pain to set in.  Her arms and her upper back began to ache, first with a slight throbbing that would go away if she rested for a minute, but then her abdominal muscles, injured and unused to hard work, joined in, and her torso began to feel like a vice, tight and difficult to loosen again.  None of the Brigaddons seemed to be bothered as she was- they were all singing and laughing and occasionally yelling at children or each other, sometimes even throwing fruit at one another. The crisp autumn air smelled like the sweet sugar of the fruit, and Orenda worked until she would have to rest or die.  She reminded herself that much of her weakness could probably be attributed to the blood she had recently lost, but she knew it was more than that. Her muscles were so unused, so out of shape, that as she leaned against the tree panting she feared she may throw up. The world around her felt hot though she knew it couldn¡¯t be.  Uril was chillingly cold in the autumn.


    She just needed to catch her breath.  Then she would be fine.


    ¡°Hi, Ms Orenda!¡± the little girl that Orenda recognized as either Angel or Alice said to her.  She had nothing in her apron, but she reached down, scooped up a piece of starfruit, leaned against the tree beside Orenda and began to eat it.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°What¡¯s your name again?  You and your sister look so similar.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I¡¯m Alice!¡± the girl said, ¡°And you look sick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m unaccustomed to such hard work,¡± Orenda admitted.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alice said with her mouth full, ¡°Elves can¡¯t work.  They¡¯re weak. You should sit down.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t because I¡¯m an elf!¡± Orenda corrected, ¡°I used to do quite hard work, when I was younger, with heavy metals dug out of the ground.  I had to clean and separate them for smelting. They were much heavier than this pole. I¡¯m out of shape because I¡¯ve taken no exercise for quite some time.  If you don¡¯t exercise you get out of shape. That¡¯s just the way of the world.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Alice said, which Orenda thought was a lie or she wouldn¡¯t have suggested a racial component.  ¡°My parents said that all the time. My dad especially. Daddy always said you couldn¡¯t let yourself get out of shape because you might have to fight for your life.¡±


    ¡°He was probably right,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He seems as if he would know.  I¡¯ve been told he used to fight.¡±


    ¡°My momma used to fight too,¡± Alice said, ¡°They were both really strong.  She used to be an assassin.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Orenda asked with interest.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Alice said, and seemed not to think this was particularly noteworthy or worth elaborating on.  She looked up to see the interest in Orenda¡¯s eyes and continued, ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to talk about because people are looking for us.¡±


    ¡°People are looking for all of us,¡± Orenda agreed.  ¡°But you seem well hidden.¡±


    ¡°People are looking for you?¡± Alice said, ¡°I thought people were just looking for humans.  Are you a bunny too?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m a criminal.  I suppose¡­ at the end of the day¡­ that I¡¯m a pirate.¡±


    ¡°Neat!¡± The girl said and walked away to throw the core into a barrel.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that garbage?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The girl said as if Orenda was stupid, ¡°You have to save all the starfruit.  You have to keep the seeds. And the core.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Because we need it,¡± Alice said, ¡°It¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Well, I suppose we should get back to work.¡±


    Orenda felt as if she were made of clockwork as night fell.  She handed her pole back to Solomaur and filed toward the house with everyone else, stiff and sore.  Her joints protested every move she made, and she didn¡¯t understand how that wasn¡¯t the case for the Brigaddons.  She knew that she was out of shape, but the work had been hard, and they had worked from the time the sun rose, whereas she had only worked half that time.  Yet they still seemed full of energy, joking and laughing, some even shoving each other or singing half-remembered nursery rhymes.


    They went in through the servant¡¯s entrance into the kitchen, and the smell made Orenda¡¯s mouth water.  There had been set out more cornbread, yellow and soft, alongside several platters of roasted root vegetables coated in some sort of sauce and smelling of tangy, earthy spices.


    At least the others agreed with her on one thing.  They were starving.


    Sokomaur stood on the counter where the food was laid out with a bandanna over her hair, dishing it out.  On the counter behind her, however, Orenda saw that there were several pies and a cake laid out. Deserts were rare for the working class- Orenda couldn¡¯t remember having one before she had gone to the academy, and she was startled to see them.


    ¡°You eat your food first,¡± Solo told her as they moved down the line to get their plates.


    ¡°I made that cake for y¡¯all,¡± Soko told Orenda, ¡°I want you to take a piece down to Uncle Gary.  He¡¯s still in rough shape. Y¡¯all can¡¯t have those pies; they¡¯re full of starfruit.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do anything special for us.  I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all eat whatever¡¯s in front of us. It smells delicious.  And I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making tea, too, you just go sit down,¡± Soko told her.  ¡°You look wore plum out, but you get used to it. We¡¯ll get you a real bed tonight.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Orenda said, and jerked her head to the doorway.  Barbra Allen had just come in, shoving her way past people and through the crowd.


    ¡°Y¡¯all move!¡± She screamed, ¡°Get out the way!¡±


    Orenda watched as Draco squeezed himself through the doorway and began to flitter across the room looking for somewhere to land.  Orenda prayed that he wouldn¡¯t try to alight on her, because she wasn¡¯t sure she was strong enough to support both of them, but of course he did.


    ¡°Good news and bad news,¡± He told Orenda as she clutched the counter for support.


    ¡°Did you find Bella?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± He said, ¡°And she¡¯s being returned to us.  By Commander Agalon.¡±

 Chapter 108 - Book 3 Chapter 28

    ¡°You need to get yourself underground,¡± Sokomaur told Orenda as she pulled a tray from a cabinet and began to load it as full as she could, to the point that Orenda was afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to carry it.  Soko had difficulty arranging everything she wanted, turned to look at Orenda, then pulled down another tray to fill up.


    ¡°Gary!¡± She called, and Little Gareth looked up from where he was sitting at the long table.  He had just shoved his entire piece of cornbread into his mouth and didn¡¯t like being called upon.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked with his mouth full.


    ¡°Take this tray down to Uncle Gary,¡± She told him, ¡°And be quick about it.  Come right back up. Tell Mary Sue she needs to get up here right now!¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m hungry,¡± The boy whined as he did as he was told.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Soko called as he began to walk, ¡°the sugar bowl.  I reckon that¡¯s everything y¡¯all need. Just¡­ Just keep down there and stay real quiet.¡±


    Orenda took the other tray and prayed that she could stay on her feet on the stairs.  She was the sort of bone tired she hadn¡¯t been in a long while. Part of her wanted to stay, to see Bella, to help, but she understood why she needed to hide.  There would be no way to explain a fire elf. Draco flew from her shoulder and ahead of them.


    ¡°They showed up so fast,¡± he said, ¡°They found her almost as soon as I did.  They had ran almost all the way back to Basilglen- and there was nearly nowhere to hide in those big open fields!  I dove into a pile of grass that had been swept up to make hay. It clung to me half the flight back! But I think it¡¯s going to be alright.  They met Sarya on the road, and she managed to convince them that Bella belonged to her- that she had been stolen along with a bunch of other goods the night the ¡®marauders¡¯ attacked.  Thank god that girl can think on her feet because the very first thing he asked was why her slave wasn¡¯t marked.¡±


    ¡°What did she tell him?¡± Orenda asked as little Gary opened the secret doorway.


    ¡°That the branding ¡®wouldn¡¯t take¡¯ and eventually she couldn¡¯t afford to pay to keep trying.¡± Draco said.  ¡°I think she knew that Agalon knew Bella was a shifter. Because he said, ¡®Yes, my father once had great difficulty with that, with one of his slaves¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Xaxac once belonged to his father,¡± Orenda put the pieces together and they went down the rabbit hole, ¡°His name on the poster was ¡®OfAgalon¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Mary Sue!¡± Gary called, ¡°Soko wants you!¡±


    Mary Sue came out of the hall to the bedrooms, followed closely by Sonny.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Why?¡± Mary Sue asked.  She had seen Orenda and knew something was wrong.


    ¡°Bella and the other elf lady are back,¡± Little Gary said.


    ¡°Commander Agalon is bringing them back,¡± Orenda told her.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Mary Sue said, and wiped her hands on her apron, ¡°When it rains it pours.¡±


    She darted out of the room while Sonny took the tray from Little Gary.


    ¡°Get back up there,¡± Sonny said, and Little Gary ran after his sister, but Sonny, as if he had just thought of something important, called after him, ¡°Wait!¡±  And Little Gary paused in the doorway to the tunnel.


    ¡°Can you read?¡± Sonny asked him.


    ¡°No humans can read,¡± Gary said.


    ¡°Are you a shifter?¡± Sonny asked.


    ¡°None of us are shifters,¡± Gary said.


    ¡°Where do you live?¡± Sonny asked.


    ¡°In the slave quarters!¡± Gary said with much annoyance, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid!  I¡¯m not a baby!¡±


    ¡°Do we grow-¡±


    ¡°Starfruit is a myth!¡± Gary yelled as he ran down the hall.


    ¡°I better go lock that up,¡± Sonny sat his tray on the writing desk and ran after his brother, leaving Orenda to stand awkwardly in the living room.


    Sonny returned a moment later, picked up the tray, and carried it off down the hall.


    ¡°We moved him to a bedroom, because he¡¯s doing so much better,¡± Sonny explained as they walked.  He was trying to stay upbeat, trying to project an air of ¡®everything will be alright¡¯, but Orenda knew he was worried.  He held the tray expertly in one hand, as Orenda had seen human servers do back on the fire continent, and opened one of the many doors in the hall.


    It opened into a pleasant bedroom similar to Xaxac¡¯s, except it had twice the furniture- two beds, two wardrobes, two writing desks.  Orenda¡¯s staff leaned up against one of the desks, and it was on this one that Sonny sat his tray on before he walked over to a strange pipe that lined the place where the wall met the ceiling.  It was not the same one that controlled the strange, non-magical lights.


    Gareth had been lying on one of the beds reading what seemed to be a stack of letters, and he pushed himself up with great difficulty when they entered the room.  He took one look at Orenda¡¯s face and opened his mouth to speak, but his face lit up when Draco flew into the room and alighted on his bedpost.


    ¡°Commander Agalon has found Bella,¡± Draco said.


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Gareth grabbed the nightstand and tried to pull himself to his feet.  He made it, but he was unsteady and weak.


    ¡°Sit down, Gary!¡± Draco demanded, ¡°The last time I saw you your guts were on the outside.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re more or less where they should be now,¡± Gareth argued.  ¡°Sonny-boy, where¡¯s my mask?¡±


    ¡°Still broken beyond wearability, I would suspect,¡± Sonny answered, unscrewing a valve.  ¡°Now everyone be quiet! I want to hear this. And sit down, Uncle Gary, you¡¯re old as hell anyway.¡±

 Chapter 109 - Book 3 Chapter 28cont/29

    Orenda sat silently at the writing desk and watched Sonny roll another cigarette while he stared at the opening of the pipe on the wall.


    ¡°I want my mask,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°People in hell want ice water, old man,¡± Sonny said and held out the cigarette towards him, ¡°And I want a light.  We all want something.¡±


    Gareth lit it for him and Sonny took a long drag and stared at the pipe.


    ¡°Everyone quiet,¡± Sonny said again, and this time Orenda figured out why.  She heard the sound of a door opening, and then many sounds at once.


    ¡°Miss OfLangil?¡± Came the voice that Orenda recognized as Commander Agalon.


    ¡°You sure they¡¯ll let us stay here?¡± Sarya asked, ¡°I sure wouldn¡¯t want to impose on nobody.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Commander Agalon assured her, ¡°Mr Langil is almost never home.  This is a vacation spot for him. He lives on the water continent. But is staff is always agreeable.  Miss OfLangil!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Commander Agalon!¡± Came Mary Sue¡¯s rushed voice, ¡°I reckon I usually get here right quick, but you come right at lunch time and we¡¯re still working on the harvest and clearin the hayfield.  We can¡¯t get lazy just because the master ain¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°This is Ms Sarya Graphine, and her servant Bella.  They were attacking in the raid that took place in the area a few days ago.  I need you to harbor them until they recover.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°We gots all kinds of guests rooms, mam, we can set ya up real nice like.  I hope you don¡¯t mind plain cookin. Y¡¯all want a bit to eat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she would,¡± Agalon said.  There was a pause as if he had moved, and when he spoke again it was quieter, softer, as if he didn¡¯t think he would be heard.  Orenda had a difficult time making him out, and Draco looked from side to side as if he hadn¡¯t heard him at all, but Sonny, who was standing by the tube, narrowed his eyes and took another long drag.  He motioned for Orenda to hand him something to ash into, but she didn¡¯t see any trays like the one he had used before. He huffed in exasperation and pointed to a tea cup, which she gave him.


    ¡°Mary Sue, I need to talk to you.  Somewhere private.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°Though I reckon I won¡¯t be much help.¡±


    ¡°I hope to god we¡¯ve got our story straight,¡± Sonny whispered to Orenda.


    The sounds from the pipe went silent for some time, and Sonny puffed away as the seconds ticked by so that a little cloud of smoke began to form around him, and he waved it away with his hand to get it away from the pipe.


    ¡°How¡¯s your father?¡± Agalon asked with genuine concern.


    There was silence for a few long seconds before Mary Sue spoke.


    ¡°Daddy didn¡¯t make it, Commander.  He was gettin up there in age and there just¡­  there wouldn¡¯t no recovering.¡±


    ¡°Xac is dead?¡± Commander Agalon asked as if he was skeptical of her claim, ¡°Xaxac OfAgalon, the best human fighter on the planet, was killed by marauders?¡±


    ¡°He is,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I don¡¯t know that it was the marauders what killed him.  I told you I didn¡¯t see nothing. But somebody sure killed him.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the body?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°We done buried him out in the fields,¡± Mary Sue told him, ¡°Wasn¡¯t much else we coulda done.¡±


    ¡°Xaxac was a great friend of mine, Mary Sue,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I¡­  I wanted to see the body. No body, no murder.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°You wanted to see the body?¡± She asked as if the concept confused her.  ¡°Do ya mind, sir, ifin I ask why? Daddy wouldn¡¯t nothin but a human, like the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°I knew more about your father than you ever will,¡± Commander Agalon said as if she had made him angry, ¡°More than any of you ever will!  Xac wasn¡¯t just a human! He was¡­ he- probably saved me. Probably did more for me than I¡¯ll ever know. I thought he was dead once before.  I won¡¯t believe it unless I see a body!¡±


    ¡°I can take you out to where he¡¯s buried,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I reckon you can dig him up ifin you really want.¡±


    ¡°What would I find?¡± He asked, and the tone of his voice spoke of a man who was used to being seen as intimidating, used to putting the fear of god in people.


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s corpse, I reckon,¡± Mary Sue said as if the question confused her, ¡°Ain¡¯t nothin else in there.  Ain¡¯t like he had no finery to be buried with.¡±


    ¡°Xaxac OfAgalon was not killed by some marauding thieves,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that.  Certainly not on the night the moons were full. I¡¯ve watched that little rabbit tear men clean in half!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help that, sir,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I don¡¯t reckon daddy would up and die on purpose and leave us like that.¡±


    Agalon was quiet for some time, and when he spoke again there was a change in his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said at length, ¡°He would never leave his children.  Xac would never leave his younguns. He wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of us younguns,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°You didn¡¯t happen to find nobody else did ya, sir?  Didn¡¯t see no other humans?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Is someone missing?¡±


    Sonny shook his head, and whispered to Orenda, ¡°She better not.  I told her not to do this. If they find him, they¡¯ll call him a runaway.  They¡¯ll kill him. He won¡¯t come in easily. He¡¯ll fight and they¡¯ll kill him.¡±


    ¡°My little brother Lappy,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°He done gone missing that same night.  I reckon they made off with him or something? We ain¡¯t seen hide nor hare of him since the scuffle.  I sure wish it hadn¡¯t been in the middle of the night. I wish I coulda seen what happened.¡±


    ¡°Is Lappy a shifter?¡± Commander Agalon asked.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t none of us took after daddy,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°Real shame, I reckon.  Folks like that sort of thing, don¡¯t they? I guess it¡¯s real rare.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Agalon said as if he was playing along with something, ¡°So I¡¯m looking for a human boy?  How old? Which one is Lappy?¡±


    ¡°Now I never was too good with numbers,¡± Mary Sue said as if she was thinking as hard as she could, ¡°I reckon that was¡­  well he¡¯s a grown ass man so he was born probably about twenty years ago? He¡¯s the same age as Ronnie is. They¡¯re twins.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I know which one that is,¡± Agalon said, ¡°that would be a great find, if someone was looking for a slave to steal.  If Xac hadn¡¯t¡­ wanted to escape as bad as I did¡­ people would know he was worth money. But no one knows he¡¯s worth money¡­  I¡¯ve kept the lid pretty tight on that drum.¡±


    ¡°We sure do appreciate you, Commander.¡±  Mary Sue said.


    ¡°Xac is dead,¡± Agalon said, as if processing it, as if speaking to himself.  Then he spoke again, louder, ¡°Mary Sue we need to talk. Not right now, but eventually.  I don¡¯t know how much you knew about your daddy, but¡­ I covered for him because we were friends, because we went through a lot together.  And I want to protect his children. I¡¯m going to need to talk to your master. I can¡¯t put it off. He¡¯s got a hell of a lot of explaining to do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get up with nobody, sir,¡± She said, ¡°Maybe you can come poke around in the library see if you can find something what tells where he is?  I don¡¯t know nothing about that kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s an address in his personal effects somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I don¡¯t know nothin about that kinda stuff.  I go in there and dust and clean and whatnot but I don¡¯t never touch nothing.  I ain¡¯t about to mess nothing up in there.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Well, can you show me where it is?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Mary Sue said.


    ¡°Is that a good idea?¡± Orenda whispered, ¡°Is there anything in there?¡±


    ¡°Bunch of old books,¡± Sonny whispered, ¡°hush.  This thing goes both ways.¡±


    ¡°Well, I reckon I¡¯ll leave you to it, Commander,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I¡¯ll be down in the kitchen.  Ifin you wanna join Ms- what¡¯d you say her name was?¡±


    ¡°Sarya,¡± Commander Agalon said.  ¡°Ms Sarya.¡±


    ¡°Ifin you wanna join Ms Sarya for lunch you¡¯re welcome to it.  We just got plain food, but we¡¯ll serve it up real pretty. Make you some tea and cake.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in here,¡± Agalon said in annoyance, then as an afterthought, ¡°Yes, tea would be lovely.  I¡¯ll be down in a minute. That will be all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Mary Sue said.


    ¡°Fucker is never going to leave,¡± Sonny huffed and ground out his cigarette butt in the teacup.

 Chapter 110 - Book 3 Chapter 30

    Sonny closed the valve on the pipe when it became clear that Agalon was gone.  The luncheon had been uneventful, but everyone downstairs had been too preoccupied with listening to touch their own food.  As Sonny screwed the valve closed, Orenda held her hands over their food to warm it, then took the teapot in both hands and held it until it boiled.


    She was just pouring the tea when the door burst open and Bella came charging into the room.  She had apparently been given a set of clothes, because she was wearing the same workdress that most of the Brigaddons wore, and she made a straight line to Gareth and threw her arms around him.  He returned the embrace with a wince, and she pulled back when she noticed.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive, love,¡± he said, cupping her face, ¡°Are you alright?  I would have gone after you! I¡¯ve been bedridden for days because of that goddamn rabbit!  I¡¯ve got brand new scars! It¡¯s destroyed my belly-dancing career; I¡¯ve no way to provide for you now.¡±


    Bella laughed and leaned in to kiss him.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that sweet?¡± Sarya asked from where she leaned against the doorway, ¡°Ifin I still had my fiddle I¡¯d play ya some reunion music.  I done told her what happened while she was puppified. I hope y¡¯all are happy. I had to ride with and eat with that cop!¡±


    ¡°I was so worried,¡± Bella laughed.


    ¡°Must have been an adventure,¡± Gareth plopped down and the bed and held his torso with one hand, ¡°Did you find them?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t remember who I was looking for,¡± Bella explained, ¡°But I was alone when I woke up- in some farmer¡¯s field.  I walked for a day, trying to keep close to those fences, trying to stay in shadow, but there¡¯s nowhere to hide out there.  I found a clothesline and stole a sheet during the night, but I had to run- I think I was spotted. It all worked out in the end- Draco found me, and Sarya showed up soon after with the cops.¡±


    ¡°They found me walkin,¡± Sarya said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t much else I could do- hey!¡±  She fell into a fit of giggles as Barbra Allen appeared behind her and tickled her.


    ¡°Let me through, ladies,¡± Falsie demanded with a smile and came into the room followed by Junior.


    ¡°Food?¡± Junior asked, ¡°Is it lunch time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like half past one, Junior,¡± Sonny rolled his eyes, ¡°Did you lock yourself in that workshop and forget to eat again?¡±


    ¡°I guess I did,¡± he admitted, ¡°We¡¯re working on a new prototype for a better gun- I¡­  let me go wash my hands. I should eat.¡±


    Orenda began to portion out the food and pass it around.  She heard Anilla make a grunting sound and apologise, and hypothesized that Junior had run directly into her in the hallway.  This assumption was confirmed when she came into the room.


    ¡°All of the babies are asleep at once!¡± She proclaimed.


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Sonny said.


    ¡°I promise!¡± Anilla said, ¡°They really like it when you sing to them.  I think that¡¯s the secret. Honey told me to come in here and eat?¡±


    Sonny took the piece of cornbread off the plate Orenda had made for him, said, ¡°I gotta go talk to Mary Sue¡± and left the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alright, Aunty Bella,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Pour me a cup of that tea,¡± Draco said to Orenda, ¡°I¡¯ve got to scry Impy and let him know everything worked out in the end.¡±


    ¡°Mary Sue,¡± Orenda said as she stumbled into the living room after another hard day of work to find her sitting on the couch knitting while the children played on the floor with the toys that were strewn about there.


    ¡°You look exhausted,¡± Mary Sue said.


    ¡°The reaping of the hay is even worse than the fruit harvesting, I believe,¡± Orenda laughed and plopped down heavily next to her, ¡°Do I look any stronger yet?¡±


    ¡°It takes a fair bit longer than that,¡± Mary Sue explained to the tune of her needles clack clack clacking away.


    ¡°Mary Sue,¡± Orenda said again.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She asked.


    ¡°After the harvest,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Are we going to start training properly?  Are you going to teach me how to fight?¡±


    ¡°I told you I would,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I¡¯m a woman of my word.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Sonny said, and Orenda turned her head to see that he had stuck his head out of one of the rooms in the hall that led to the medical chamber, but he was gone in an instant, as if he had only intended to call her out, and then had gone back to his business.  She was beginning to grow accustomed to the way siblings acted. The Brigaddons very often did things like that, insulted each other or made snide comments, and no one ever seemed particularly offended.


    ¡°Do you know anything about sterilite armor?¡± Orenda asked Mary Sue.


    ¡°I know about everything there is to know about it,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°Why?  Do you want some?¡±


    ¡°That would be ideal,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I mean, we¡¯ve got a big batch of sterlite angora from the last time we all shifted,¡± Mary Sue shrugged, ¡°We¡¯d have to card it and spin it.  If you wanted to help it would make it easier. And it takes a long time to knit anything. Do you know how to knit?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, staring at her needles, ¡°But it¡¯s almost mesmerizing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about what you said,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°About fighting the Emerald Knight.  I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a particularly good idea,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It¡¯s simply what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    ¡°The thing is,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°You know about the Burrow, and Commander Agalon ain¡¯t gonna cover for us forever.  Things are changing around here. If you get caught¡­ the queen can see inside people¡¯s heads. She can read minds.  She can find out everything you know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be the last thing she ever sees,¡± Orenda said with the confidence of one who cannot afford doubt.


    ¡°The thing is,¡± Mary Sue said again, ¡°If it ain¡¯t the last thing she ever sees, she¡¯ll know everything.  She¡¯ll know about us. You¡¯ve got one chance, Rendy. If you mess up the first time, it ain¡¯t just you that¡¯ll go down.  It¡¯s all of us. If you want to do this, you have to do it right, the first time. You have to kill them both the first time.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t impossible,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Everything that lives can be killed.¡±


    ¡°You ain¡¯t the first one to try it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the first one with the sacred staff,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Rendy that staff don¡¯t work for shit,¡± Mary Sue said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something that works,¡± Junior said as he came into the room followed by Falsie, cleaning something with a cloth.  ¡°That I made just for this occasion. Rendy, look at this.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He held out something for her, something that Orenda recognized as a gun, like the one Gareth had, but it had definitely been modified.  In the place where the cylinder met the handle was a circular protrusion.


    ¡°It can hold up to six shots,¡± Falsie explained, ¡°And we¡¯ve modified the bullets.  We¡¯re pretty sure they won¡¯t explode- you know, more than they¡¯re supposed to.¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°But it¡¯s loud as hell and it kicks like a mule,¡± Junior explained.  ¡°But I mean¡­ it works. Throw your damn shoulder out, but it works. I¡¯ve got a lot of ideas for different models- some bigger that can shoot bigger ammo- Oh!  I think I can design one where the actual bullet comes apart and hits multiple places at once. I think you could take a deer down with it- those big ass bucks with the horns that can gorge right through a person.  Get in our wheat field now, motherfuckers.¡± He laughed and Mary Sue took the gun from Orenda.


    ¡°Does this have projectiles in it?¡± She asked in a tone of warning.


    ¡°No,¡± Junior sighed, ¡°I knew you¡¯d tear your ass.  But we do have the proportions down so we can turn them out in the forge like we¡¯re making horseshoes.  As long as we can get gunpowder we¡¯re golden. That¡¯s the hard part. As far as I know you can only get that stuff on the fire continent so I¡¯ve only got what the pirates brought with them.  I can make maybe 20 shots if we use it all, but I don¡¯t know that Uncle Gary will give it all up. Count on maybe like¡­ six or ten.¡±


    ¡°And they probably won¡¯t explode,¡± Falsie said proudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Well,¡± Junior said, ¡°Back to the grindstone, I suppose.  We¡¯ve got to make another one for Gareth. Then we¡¯ve got to find a way to get gunpowder so that we can make them for all of us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not supplying an army,¡± Mary Sue told him.


    ¡°Why the hell not?¡± Junior argued, ¡°Look around!  How long has it been since someone came through here?  Security is tightening. People are scared to run! Xandra sent an expedition to the frozen north!  That bitch thinks she can own the world. We¡¯ve got to take it back, piece by piece. Mary Sue, we are an army.  We¡¯re Knights of Order. We¡¯ve already got the fire continent.¡±


    ¡°Did you say you had plans for this?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Do you mean like schematics?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Junior said, ¡°They¡¯re a standard thing so I can make as many as I want.¡±


    ¡°Can I see them?¡± Orenda asked as she stood.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re in my workshop,¡± Junior shrugged.  ¡°It¡¯s kind of junked up in there. Nobody will come in there but me and Abby.¡±


    ¡°I know some people who may be incredibly interested in your device,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Who have access to all the raw materials.  You¡¯re right. This is the sort of thing that could outfit an army.¡±


    Junior¡¯s workshop was, in fact, ¡®junked up¡¯.  Orenda had thought she had seen crowded rooms before, but Toli¡¯s chests had nothing on this place.  There were various gadgets, in various states of assembly and disrepair, not just on every available surface and the shelves that lined the walls, but also hanging from the ceiling.  The room was nearly all tables, counters, and shelves, including a counter with a water pump built into it, and every inch of it appeared to be in use.


    Junior led her to one table in particular, upon which was laid out a sheet of parchment that had been pinned to it.  On it were various drawings of the gun showing every piece of it and how it fit together.


    ¡°That¡¯s the six shooter,¡± Junior explained, and picked up another of the seemingly endless pieces of rolled up parchment that littered the place.  He unrolled it, and Orenda saw the bullets he had described with the projectiles and gunpowder together in one casing. ¡°And that¡¯s the bullets.¡±


    ¡°Brilliant,¡± Orenda said and held out her hand.  A flame erupted from it, and Bubbider appeared within it.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± She exclaimed.  ¡°I¡¯ve not heard from you in so long I was beginning to grow worried!  But you¡¯re alright! You¡¯re safe!¡±


    ¡°How goes the good fight?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Not well,¡± Bubbider frowned, ¡°The Djinn is angry.  He refuses to help us. We¡¯ve had to fight the Urillians head-on, and we¡¯re not able to get any supply runs.  We¡¯re having to ration our food, praying that we last until the Allisanian army reaches us.¡±


    ¡°I have something that may turn the tide,¡± Orenda said.  She closed her eyes, concentrated, and when she opened them she could see the entire room that Bubbider inhabited.  She seemed to be in some sort of library, where she had been pouring over some sort of old book. More than that, now that Orenda could see her, she noticed something unmistakable, and the sight took her breath away.  She was in such a shock that for a moment she was unable to find words.


    Bubbider had two completely separate magic signatures.  Two souls burned within her, and they were not the same.


    Finally she blurted out, ¡°Are you pregnant!?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell?¡± Bubbider asked, ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to hide it!¡±


    ¡°You can see it from space!¡± Orenda told her, ¡°You must be halfway along!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Bubbider told her, ¡°And I don¡¯t think you can see it!  I think you¡¯re lying!¡±


    ¡°I absolutely can!¡± Orenda argued, ¡°You look completely different!  And I¡¯m not wrong!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t see it, Rendy!¡± Bubbider sounded angry, ¡°You can¡¯t possibly!  One doesn¡¯t start showing until the fourth month! You¡¯re lying! You guessed!¡±


    ¡°The hell I did!¡± Orenda laughed, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant!¡±


    ¡°Not enough for you to see it!¡± Bubbider argued, ¡°There¡¯s no way you knew that!¡±


    ¡°I admit that you¡¯re not big and swollen,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But you¡¯ve changed.  The way you stand has changed, the way you look has changed, the way you wear your clothes has changed- and there is a fire burning inside you that does not belong to you!  It¡¯s so strong I can see it through the scry! Why are you trying to hide it?¡± She paused and added, ¡°Also, congratulations.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you can see it through the scry,¡± Bubbider crossed her arms and glared at Orenda, ¡°You¡¯re just¡­  arrogant and proud that you guessed correctly. I should have never told you that I had lain with a man!¡±


    ¡°I absolutely can,¡± Orenda laughed, ¡°and so could anyone you were trying to hide it from!¡±


    ¡°Orenda!¡± Bubbider snapped.  ¡°Stop it! Don¡¯t you understand?  We¡¯re in the middle of a war! This is the worst possible time for this to happen!¡±


    ¡°Well what the hell did you think was going to happen?¡± Orenda asked before she could stop herself, ¡°You knew what comes out of that thing.  It isn¡¯t coffee.¡±


    ¡°Orenda!¡± Bubbider shrieked.


    ¡°So,¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Boy or girl?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve not had access to any healers,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°The elven ones certainly wouldn¡¯t help me, and the human ones are with the army.  But¡­ I think it¡¯s going to be a son. It just¡­ feels like a boy, you know?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.  I never plan on carrying any children.  Do they feel different inside you? I can¡¯t imagine they would.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard others say similar things,¡± Bubbider said, putting one hand over her womb, ¡°That they can tell things about the child, before it¡¯s born.  He feels like a boy, and like he will be a scholar. He¡¯s intelligent, I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°Like his mother,¡± Orenda said.  She laughed and continued, ¡°I think that means it will be a very stupid girl.  She¡¯ll be running off ledges. You¡¯ll have to keep her on a leash.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°But if she was to be everything I feel she won¡¯t, I would still care for her with my dying breath.¡±  She paused, looked away from the flame, then back and said, ¡°Is it really that obvious? I¡¯ve not told my mother or Ali. Do they know?  My mother isn¡¯t a mage¡­ she probably can¡¯t see it¡­ but Ali¡­¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s blind,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just being polite.  He would have to know he fathered it.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bubbider said, looking down at the child she was growing within her.  After a few minutes she asked, ¡°What did you want to show me?¡±


    ¡°This,¡± Orenda said, and concentrated as hard as she could, ¡°Grab something to write with and redraw this.  There are two of them. This is a weapon called a gun- it¡¯s made of interchangeable parts, and if you can get the gunpowder from Henoluhur, you can equip yourselves with a weapon that can put the nonmages on par with the Urillian mages.¡±


    ¡°Rendy, that¡¯s brilliant!¡± Bubbider said as she studied the schematics.


    ¡°It was created by Falsie- that is, by Harold Hilleart, a great dwarven inventor and a genius with clockwork, and by Xaxac Brigaddon the Second, another great inventor and master of many things I have never seen before.  He¡¯s a human, and Thesis knows that will piss the Urillians right off!¡± Orenda laughed.


    ¡°Can she see me?¡± Junior asked.


    ¡°Can you see him?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I only see you, Rendy,¡± Bubbider said.


    ¡°No, she can¡¯t,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°likely because you¡¯re made of sterilite.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Bubbider paused in her writing, ¡°You¡¯re with Xaxac Brigaddon?  The white rabbit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with a Xaxac Brigaddon,¡± Orenda said, ¡°His father is dead.  Tell Lapus that I¡¯m sorry. I traveled as quickly as I could.¡±


    ¡°That explains what¡¯s wrong with the djinn,¡± Bubbider said sadly, ¡°He¡¯s in mourning.  Perhaps we can get him to talk to us, now that we know what¡¯s wrong.¡± She paused for a moment and then said, ¡°The White Rabbit is dead¡­  was it the Emerald Knight?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It was his son, Lapus Brigaddon.  He also attacked us and nearly killed Gar- that is, nearly killed Captain Nochdifache.  So much has happened, Bubby.¡±


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± Bubbider said, so as she copied and drew, Orenda told her all that had passed since they last spoke.

 Chapter 111 - Book 3 Chapter 31

    When Orenda came in for lunch the next day, after a tedious and difficult morning of cutting the tall grass so that the children could lay it out to dry to eventually be made into the hay they would need to help their sheep make it through the winter, she was in for a pleasant surprize.


    Alongside the usual lunch spread Sokomaur had prepared the largest cake Orenda had ever seen, three layers tall and covered in frosting.  She had written on it, in frosting of a contrasting color the words, ¡°Happy Birthday Orenda¡±. However, even if she had not had the foresight to write the information on the cake, Orenda would still have known it, because as she walked into the room everyone gathered there shouted at her:


    ¡°Happy Birthday!¡±


    In addition, someone had set up a barrel, and Sokomaur began to fill glass mugs from it, until they were full of a frothy, golden liquid.  She passed them around, and Orenda stared down at the one in her hand as she tried to process what was happening. She had never had a birthday before, and she wasn¡¯t sure how one was supposed to react.


    ¡°Happy Birthday, Rendy!¡± Anilla ran for her and wrapped her hands around her waist.


    ¡°How did¡­  how did everyone know?¡± Orenda asked as she tried to fight past the shock.


    ¡°I was there,¡± Falsie said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Draco shouted from where he perched on the counter near the sink, ¡°Come and say hello to Impy!  He wants to tell you happy birthday!¡±


    Orenda felt herself more or less shoved in his direction, but when she looked into the sink all she saw was the tiny amount of water that had been gathered there.


    ¡°I¡­  I can¡¯t see him,¡± She told Draco.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he huffed, ¡°Damn tiny dragon body.¡±  He tried to touch his collar with the tips of his wings, perhaps to adjust it in some way, but without real hands the attempt was meaningless.  ¡°Well, he can see you! Say hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Imperius!¡± Orenda shouted to the empty sink.


    ¡°He says ¡®Happy Birthday¡¯!¡± Draco relayed.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Orenda shouted.


    ¡°Yes, darling.¡± Draco said to the sink, ¡°I¡¯ll call you later!  Enjoy your day!¡±


    Orenda didn¡¯t know what to make of this, but luckily she was directed back towards the table where Soko was distributing the cake.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Orenda looked down to see the younger children, whom she could now identify as Harvey, Angel, Frank, and Alice, were surrounding her, holding a patchwork blanket that did not seem to have been crafted particularly well.  It was made from different scraps of cloth with no discernable pattern.


    ¡°We made this for you!¡± Harvey explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s a quilt,¡± Alice told her, ¡°Because Mary Sue says you¡¯re not used to snow!  You¡¯ll get really cold!¡±


    Orenda was afraid it would fall apart when she touched it, yet she took with with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said, ¡°That¡¯s so generous.  I¡¯ve never had a birthday before.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you get so old?¡± Angel asked.


    ¡°I made due without them, I suppose,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know when I was born.  I was too young to remember it.¡±


    ¡°Someone was supposed to tell you!¡± Frank said, as if Orenda had been done a great injustice, ¡°To remind you!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help that,¡± Orenda told them, folding the quilt to put on her lap, ¡°I can¡¯t make others do anything.  I can¡¯t make them remind me of things.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all made gifts for you,¡± Sonny said as he handed Orenda a small package.  ¡°They ain¡¯t much. We don¡¯t have a lot to work with.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do any of this,¡± Orenda told them, ¡°I¡­  I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    She opened the box, and found inside a small charm- a pin, perhaps a broach, though it was a little small for that, made out of some sort of stone that had been worked and polished into the shape of a rabbit.


    She was bombarded with gifts of this sort, small things, many meant to ward off the impending cold, such as a hat, scarf, gloves, socks, and others meant to be more display than practical, often carved into the shape of a rabbit, her favorite of which was a block of soap that she couldn¡¯t imagine ever using and destroying the form of.


    Sarya stood, with one leg on the table and produced something that startled Orenda- a new fiddle case.  She produced from it a fiddle that looked as if it had been freshly oiled and strung, and Orenda wondered where she got it.  She opened her mouth to ask, but Sarya spoke over her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a song!¡± She said, and pulled the bow across the strings as she began to sing.  ¡°For she¡¯s a jolly good fellow,


    For she¡¯s a jolly good fellow,


    For she¡¯s a jolly good fellow-


    Which nobody can deny!¡±


    Everyone else joined in, clapping as they sang, and Orenda began to laugh.  She had never had a party before, not really. She had been the focus of a party, but only as the thing that held the staff, not as a real person, not as herself.  But this was different. This wasn¡¯t a party for a figurehead- it was a party for her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have more dancing tonight, Rendy,¡± Sary promised.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to build a bonfire,¡± Barbra Allen said.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Mary Sue sat next to her with a piece of cake and a glass of beer, ¡°Don¡¯t go back into the fields with the others after lunch.  Meet me in the back garden, where we grow the food for the house.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said as she chewed, ¡°Alright.¡±  She swallowed and asked, ¡°Where are Aunt Bella and Uncle Gareth?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I ain¡¯t seen either of them today.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Gary can get up the stairs,¡± Anilla said, ¡°He¡¯s probably still in his room.  I bet Bella stayed with him so he wouldn¡¯t be lonesome or upset about missing the party.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda sat her fork on her empty plate, ¡°He¡¯s recovering so slowly¡­  I didn¡¯t think about him not being able to walk. I should take a plate down to them.¡±


    Orenda and Sonny each held a plate and a glass of beer as they approached the guest room that Orenda had taken to thinking of as her own.  She shared it with the other pirates, but she had shared many rooms before.


    Sonny held the glass in the crook of his elbow and tried to open the door- only to find it was locked.  He held up one hand and pressed his ear to the door, and Orenda followed suite.


    ¡°Please, baby, you have to¡­  Gary, it¡¯s her birthday,¡± Bella said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Gareth sobbed, ¡°But I can¡¯t.  I can¡¯t. It¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t. I have to¡­ I can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Give me the medallion,¡± Bella demanded.


    ¡°No!  My mother gave it to me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too emotional.  You can¡¯t have a focus. Give it to me!  I¡¯ll put it right here on the nightstand.  Everything is going to be alright-¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t alright!  He¡¯s DEAD! He¡¯s dead and we¡¯re but a few day¡¯s journey from the fucking castle!  We¡¯re right here! I could WALK to that shore! There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t feel me, doesn¡¯t know where I am-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re panicking!  Give me the medallion!¡±


    ¡°NO!  MY MOTHER GAVE IT TO ME!  SHE¡¯S DEAD!¡±


    ¡°GARETH!¡±


    Orenda felt the heat and looked around frantically for anything to set the plate on.  When she found nothing, she opted for the floor and tried to turn the knob, but it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to her!¡± Bella said, ¡°It¡¯s her birthday!  You can¡¯t do this to that girl on her birthday! Please, please just this once!  I know it¡­ I know every year it hurts, but please, love, please just¡­ just breath.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Gareth screamed, ¡°I can¡¯t!  I¡¯m trapped! I¡¯m trapped in this place!  We should have never come here! Now we¡¯re stuck- underground, like a goddamn warren of rabbits and all they have to do is send the dogs after us!  I should have never let her come here! She¡¯s too much like him! WE¡¯RE ALL GOING TO DIE HERE!¡±


    ¡°Gareth!  Give me the medallion!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    The sound of a scuffle grew stronger and the heat intensified as Orenda tried again to turn the knob.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Sonny said, ¡°He¡¯s gonna set the furniture on fire¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s trying to get the focus off him,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°You¡¯re a shifter!  Use that strength to break down the door!¡±


    Sonny set his plate in the floor as well and hopped back, but as he did all noise inside the door stopped, and Orenda felt the pressure in the air shift.  Then she heard the sound of choking, the sound of someone trying desperately to breath when they could not. Sonny stood on one leg and in one swift motion kicked the wood between the knob and the doorframe so hard it shattered, and the door, no longer encumbered by the lock that remained, along with the doorknob, stuck to the wall, swung inward.


    Bella stood with her wand pointed at Gareth, who had fallen to his knees with one hand clutching his throat and the other his chest as if willing his lungs to inflate with the air they did not have.  Orenda could feel the magic in the room, and thought of snuffing out a candle.


    ¡°Bella, stop!¡± Orenda demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had to do it before,¡± Bella said with far more compassion than Orenda expected, ¡°He gets¡­  he gets worse around this time of year. We have to get the medallion off of him. And the gun. Rendy, get the gun.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hurting him!¡± Orenda told her.


    ¡°Get.  The. Gun!¡± Bella demanded with such ferocity that it left no room for argument.  Orenda didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but she doubted that Bella would ever intentionally hurt Gareth.  So she knelt quickly and pulled his gun from his belt.


    ¡°And the medallion,¡± Bella said, ¡°And his earrings.¡±


    Orenda moved as quickly as she could while Gareth¡¯s eyelids fluttered, then she stood, clutching the items, and hugged them to her chest.


    Master, the staff said from where it still sat, leaning against the desk, You have the power to protect those you love.


    Orenda elected not to answer it, and Bella lowered her wand.


    Gareth fell forward and caught himself with both hands, taking in huge breaths of air, so much that he choked on it and began to cough, then to cry.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he said, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  I can¡¯t do it anymore. I can¡¯t¡­  be alone anymore¡­ why would he¡­ why would he take the good one and leave me?  I¡¯m supposed to be¡­ Ronnie was¡­ Ronnie was the good one and¡­ RONNIE WAS HER FATHER!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Bella begged, ¡°Please, Gary, please stop it!  I can¡¯t bear to see you like this!¡±


    ¡°I just¡­  I just¡­ we could¡­  we could be together again and¡­  it would be¡­ today would be the perfect-¡±


    ¡°Not on her birthday!¡± Bella shrieked, ¡°You¡¯re not going to do that to that girl on her birthday!  You¡¯re all she has left!¡±


    Gareth sat up on his knees and covered his face in both hands as his body wracked with sobs and great tears rolled down his face.


    ¡°But I¡¯m nothing¡­  I¡¯m just a¡­ just a knock-off, an imitation, a parasite.  I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t do this¡­ please don¡¯t¡­ please don¡¯t make me do this.  Please just let me leave. I can¡¯t bear it anymore. There¡¯s so little left of me¡­  it just keeps chipping away and there¡¯s nothing left. I can¡¯t do it anymore. I can¡¯t even¡­  I can¡¯t even get off the floor I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ why did they¡­ you can¡¯t help¡­ I can¡¯t help asking myself why- why did they all¡­  why did they do this to me, in particular? What did I do? Why did Ronnie¡­ why would anyone¡­¡±


    His voice gave way to incoherent sobs, and Orenda stood stupidly behind him clutching the weapons she had taken him from.  She understood what Bella meant.


    ¡°If you killed yourself on my birthday,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I would never forgive you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gareth cried.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can forgive my father for it, either,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°I never knew him, Uncle Gary, but I know you. And¡­ I brought you some cake, but I suspect you need the drink more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gareth said again and fell forward on one hand, clutching his eyes with the other, ¡°God, Rendy, I¡¯m so sorry.  Mom¡­ Dad¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t listen to you. Ronnie¡­ I¡¯m sorry I did listen to you. I should have stopped you.  Rendy I¡¯m sorry I let you go- I¡¯m sorry I ever let you go. Can¡¯t we¡­ Can¡¯t we please just go home? God,¡± he said as if he had forgotten it, ¡°Xac is dead.  Xac is dead and all he ever wanted was some¡­ some silver medal to let him project fantasies onto and I wouldn¡¯t even¡­ wouldn¡¯t even comfort a friend who¡­ God, he loved him too¡­¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t get any better,¡± Bella told Orenda, ¡°Not today.  Every year he¡­ this is one of the bad days. I don¡¯t think he even knows where he is right now.  Here, put those things in the nightstand. I¡¯ll watch him. He¡¯ll be fine. I won¡¯t let him hurt himself.¡±


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes,¡± Sonny said.  ¡°That guy has been through some shit. I¡¯m gonna get him something a hell of a lot stronger than beer.¡±

 Chapter 112 - Book 3 Chapter 32

    Gareth didn¡¯t seem inclined to come out of his room any time soon, so Orenda left Bella to care for him and went to meet Mary Sue.  She was standing in the back garden, looking out over the orchard. The trees there were nearly bare, and the chill in the air was even worse than it normally was.  She seemed as if she was thinking quite hard about something, and Orenda wondered whether or not she should interrupt her, so she waited nearly a full minute before she spoke.


    ¡°Mary Sue?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mary Sue seemed to snap out of a trance, ¡°Sorry.  My brothers,¡± she pointed and Orenda followed her gesture to see that Garon, Gareth and Abraham Brigaddon were digging a hole in the middle of the orchard, mostly obscured by the trees.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, and struggled for something else to say.


    ¡°He loved these trees,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°And¡­  it¡¯ll be more difficult to get him in after the ground freezes.  It¡¯s supposed to frost tonight but¡­ I don¡¯t want to do it on your birthday.  I don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t know what I should¡­¡±


    Orenda moved closer and put a hand on her shoulder.  She realized that she had never seen Mary Sue cry before, but she watched the tears seeping from her eyes as she wiped them on her sleeve.


    ¡°I wish I could have met him,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Daddy loved you,¡± Mary Sue told her, ¡°He¡­  he knew you were alive. He said if you were to ever show up we were to treat you as a sister.  And¡­ here you are, just as he predicted. He always knew you were alive. I wish¡­ I wish Sharon would come back. They¡¯ve been together for more than a decade, she deserves¡­  she deserves to be here when we bury him¡­ but if the ground freezes it¡¯s so¡­ it¡¯s¡­ we could do it but¡­ we can¡¯t leave him wrapped up down there, can we? Not next to the nursery like that¡­¡±  She shook her head, ¡°We can¡¯t have the babies sleeping next to a corpse I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s good for them¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to bury¡­ not on someone¡¯s birthday.¡±


    ¡°It must be all birthdays, around here,¡± Orenda said, trying to lighten the mood, but overly aware of how poorly the attempt worked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  shouldn¡¯t,¡± Mary Sue took a deep breath to collect herself, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t cry in front of you.  I¡¯m the oldest now and I have to arrange things like this. There¡¯s no use crying over things that have to be done.  Because they must be done.  We can¡¯t just leave him down there.  We have to bury him. I wish we had a priest.¡±


    ¡°Sarya said that we were going to have more celebration tonight,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And a bonfire.  I¡¯ve already had a birthday party; I don¡¯t need two in one day. Let¡¯s bury Xaxac and celebrate his life.  I¡¯ll never know him, but I¡¯m sure you all have stories. He seems so well loved. I¡¯d love to hear all about him.  He deserves a good farewell. A nice send-off. And¡­ after all this is over and Xandra is dethroned, we¡¯ll have a proper marker, a statue perhaps.  He deserves it. He helped so many people. He was a hero.¡±


    ¡°He really was,¡± Mary Sue said.  ¡°And¡­ on the marker¡­ People only get one name on their grave, and I want it to be right.  His name was Brigaddon- not OfLangil, not OfAgalon, Brigaddon. Xaxac Brigaddon, descendant of Quizlivan Brigaddon.¡±


    ¡°Who is Quizlivan Brigaddon?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Lapus said that to me, when he attacked me- that he was a descendant of Quizlivan Brigaddon.¡±


    ¡°Quizlivan was one of the humans in the Kabaal,¡± Mary Sue explained, and when she saw the blank look on Orenda¡¯s face she continued, apparently happy to have something to talk about.  ¡°You¡¯re not familiar with the Kabaal?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I know that Bella escaped from them.  I read it in-¡± she stopped and considered that she had broken a pact of privacy to get that information.  Xaxac had written it in a private letter to Gareth. She thought that perhaps she shouldn¡¯t reveal where it came from, but as she looked at Mary Sue, she realized that there was no reason to lie to her, not to someone who had been so unconditionally kind to her.  ¡°I read it in a private letter, the day I met Gareth. I was snooping through his cabin and I found a letter Xaxac had written him. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have read it, but I didn¡¯t know, at the time, if I could trust Gareth or not.¡±


    ¡°Daddy wouldn¡¯t have cared,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°He would have trusted you.¡±


    They stared out at the boys digging in the afternoon sun, bundled up against the cold.


    ¡°Quizlivan Brigaddon was a member of the Kabaal, the original Kabaal,¡± Mary Sue said.  ¡°Millions of years ago, when Xren was young and the world was frozen, after Morgani tried to rebel he went into hiding.  He was trying to escape from Thesis until he could find a way to kill him for what he had done.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°What had he done?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Many things,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°He had trapped Morgani and the other elves against their will in the Crystal City, because they were¡­  unfinished. I¡¯m not exactly sure. But Morgani escaped to freedom, and found out that there was a whole world beyond their prison. He learned that he was being held captive, and he would not be a pet to serve the whims of a liar.  We don¡¯t know much about what happened after that- but the Kabaal does. I think that¡¯s where Lappy is going.¡±


    ¡°What we do know is that after the war, when Morgani was in hiding and the world was covered in snow and ice, he came upon a tribe of humans and begged them for help.  He was cold and lost and looking for someone; he was in mourning and frightened; he was weakened from battle and emotionally unstable. So they kept him, and they helped him.  He kept talking nonsense about a weapon that he had designed that could not kill, but could contain a god. He thought he could trap him until he could figure out how to kill him.  My grandmother talks of it in her diary- the one Lappy stole.¡±


    ¡°He stole a diary?¡± Orenda asked, thinking of the bag Gareth had taken, and of how desperately Lapus had wanted it back.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I know he¡¯s going off with it, to find the Kabaal¡­  that girl¡­ we should have never taken her in. I know, now that she was with them.  The human girl with the sandy blond hair-¡±


    ¡°The werecat?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°The mountain lion?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°She said her name was Sandy,¡± she scoffed, ¡°Can you believe how stupid we were to believe her?  But daddy was¡­ he wanted to help everyone. She said she was a runaway and she had a brand to prove it, from a breeding center in Satra.  We helped her. We trusted her. And she¡­ started to spend more and more time alone with him. We thought that¡­ he¡¯s always acted out, always been a bit of¡­  trouble. We thought that perhaps he had made a friend, maybe even a lover. Our parents were happy for him¡­ he seemed to improve.¡±


    Orenda thought that this conversation was veering, but it didn¡¯t matter because Lapus was the more pressing issue.


    ¡°Back on the fire continent,¡± Orenda said, ¡°The djinn, Lapus, told us that your brother Lapus had found his grandmother¡¯s diary, he told me to hurry here.  He knew it was going to happen. I tried to get here as fast as I could.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know no djinn,¡± Mary Sue said.


    ¡°He seemed to know Xaxac,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°And his name was Lapus?¡± Mary Sue¡¯s eyebrows knitted and her face contorted in thought, ¡°That¡¯s¡­  interesting.¡± Orenda thought she was going to say something more, but she didn¡¯t. She went on not saying anything until Orenda was sure that she knew something she was never going to tell.


    ¡°So your ancestor, Quizlivan,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Was one of the original humans who helped Morgani Magnus?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°And in the battle, when Thesis came looking for Morgani, he was already weakened, and Morgan had finished the device he spoke of to trap a god.  But we¡­ we think he used it. We think he won. We aren¡¯t¡­ sure. The Kabaal hadn¡¯t talked to him, according to my grandmother¡¯s diaries, in some time. Daddy met him, but he didn¡¯t know enough to ask him anything important.  They did become friends, though. It was at the Crystal City that daddy found the starfruit. He said that they had wandered through those frozen wastes for so long, that there had been nothing to eat, that he had to eat or die.  He said he was hallucinating from it, dying from it, and when they walked into the Crystal Forest he pulled the first fruit he found, even though it looked strange. He didn¡¯t know how it would affect him. He had to eat or die. Then Morgani took it from him and told him that it was a great poison, not of this world, that it didn¡¯t come from Xren, it came from the heavens.  He told him he couldn¡¯t have it, so daddy pulled down another one and ate it in his face.¡± She laughed and wiped away a tear, ¡°I believe him. That¡¯s exactly what he would do. If you had known him, Rendy you would understand that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s just how he is. Was.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re eating the fruit of the gods,¡± Orenda said, in awe, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re immune to magic.¡±


    ¡°It really isn¡¯t meant for mortals,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°It really is killing us.  It¡­ changes us. It comes out in our hair, in our nails,¡± She extended her hand and Orenda followed her eyeline.  She had always noticed that the Brigaddons all had nails that shimmered in the light, but she assumed they did something to them as a form of vanity, as many elves did.  But now, looking at them, she saw that they, too, were made of sterilite. She didn¡¯t¡­ know how to feel about that. They probably shouldn¡¯t be eating it. But they were shifters, and shifters healed quickly.  But it seemed to be in their very blood.


    Wait.


    Lapus Brigaddon¡¯s nails were made of sterilite.  His claws, that he had gouged Gareth open with were made of sterilite.  Did that have something to do with why he wasn¡¯t healing? Did a wound caused by sterlite prevent magic from healing it?  Did that even make sense? It wasn¡¯t like the sterilite was still in the wound. Unless it was. It wasn¡¯t a weapon, not in the traditional sense; it was a set of claws.  Did animals lose bits of their claws when they attacked someone in the same way that hair fell out? Were there tiny specks of sterilite inside Gareth? She didn¡¯t know, and didn¡¯t really know how to find out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rendy,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I told you I would train you, and I will.¡±


    She turned around to face her and said, ¡°From now on, I think the best thing for it is to have you working in the mornings, and then we¡¯ll meet for your training in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I suppose I do still need to work- not only because I need to build strength, but because, as you said, some things simply must be done.¡±


    ¡°There are really two things that are important to know for fighting,¡± Mary Sue said as she drew herself to her full height, ¡°Yourself, and your environment.¡±

 Chapter 113 - Book 3 Chapter 33

    The Brigaddons had piled more than wood onto the heap in the field out back of the garden between the house and the orchard, and Orenda could not identify all of it, but she suspected that much of it was garbage from the looks of it, things like the shells of nuts, dried out coffee grounds, and other unedible parts of plants.  Perhaps this was a way to get rid of things?


    Sarya sat on one of the blankets that had been set out for that purpose and whispered to Barbra Allen, ¡°Feels kinda weird singin it, you know?  I hear they sang it back when he was a cage fighter but¡­ it¡¯s a song for younguns. It don¡¯t seem¡­ solemn enough¡­ for a funeral.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what they want Sara,¡± Barbra Allen whispered back, ¡°Just¡­  try and sing it all solemn like.¡±


    Orenda lit the bonfire and turned to the house.  She was shocked. She had expected to see the pallbearers, carrying out the corpse for burial.  As far as she knew, no one had prepared a coffin, not a proper one. They had constructed a sort of box, but she knew that he deserved better.  He may have been complex, may have had his problems, but he had dedicated his life to the Order, and he deserved to be recognized. He deserved a proper coffin, a proper memorial.  He was going to be so much to her, the answer to so many things, the link to her past, but that, like so many other things, had been taken from her.


    That was not what came out of the house.  It was, instead, Gareth. He still didn¡¯t have his mask, and Orenda never thought he would come out among a crowd- and with everyone, the pirates, the guides, and the Brigaddons, it certainly qualified as a crowd- without it.  But here he was, leaning heavily on a wooden walking stick, slowly making his way toward her. Bella walked patiently beside him, and Orenda looked around to make sure she was the only one staring.


    ¡°I want to say something!¡± Gareth announced when he was close enough to the group, and suddenly Orenda was not the only one staring.  ¡°Do I have your attention? Everyone? Yes? Good.¡±


    He took a deep breath and continued, ¡°I was not there, that fateful day, in Satra, during the Eishtar festival all those years ago.  But I wish I had been. Garon, my brother, asked me to go. But I didn¡¯t. I stayed on my ship, our ship. I told him that I was good, right there on the ship- that I wasn¡¯t going to risk my life for some half-baked plan about rescuing a shifter so he could lead us to the Kabaal, on the off chance they would tell us where Morgani Magnus was.  I didn¡¯t think Morgani Magnus could defeat the Emerald Knight. I didn¡¯t think we should attack the festival. I argued against the event that freed your father. I should have been there.¡±


    He looked as if he expected some sort of reaction to this, and when he got none he went on, ¡°I have come to publicly apologize.  To all of you. I should have done more. I should¡­ he wrote me, several times, Xac did. He asked me to be there for him. And I wasn¡¯t.  I never¡­ I never came to see him, no matter how often he asked, for twenty years. I never came. And now it¡¯s too late. I regret that. I¡­  want that to be a lesson. To all of you. Treasure your friends. Dear friends are difficult to find. Xac was boisterous, and annoying, and prone to a great many vices- and he deserved each and every one of them.  He earned his indulgences, he earned his madness. But he did not earn the ire of a child that he tried to provide for. He lived a hard life, and I should have been there for it. I¡¯m sorry. You did not have to be this kind to me, after the way that I¡¯ve treated you.  After the way I treated him. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Garon, my brother,¡± Gareth said, and Orenda saw the way his chest moved, and knew he was trying not to cry, ¡°Loved Xac.  Before he died he¡­ never stopped loving him. We were looking for him. I know Ronnie regrets¡­ I know he died regretting that we didn¡¯t find you, all of you, sooner.  He would have loved you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He looked around at the people sitting on blankets and began to make his way towards the one where Falsie and Anilla were sitting with the babies.  ¡°I¡¯m old. I¡¯m going to sit down now.¡±


    The door opened again, and six of the Brigaddons, Junior, Sonny, Honney, Bunni, Garon and Sokomaur came out carrying a long wooden box.  It was obvious that they had been waiting on him to finish, and when Sarya saw them, she stood, picked up her fiddle and began to play.


    ¡°Little bunny Foo Foo,¡± She sang with great solemnity,


    ¡°Hopping through the forest,


    Scooping up the field mice,


    And bopping them on the head.¡±


    She looked extremely uncomfortable to be singing it, but the Brigaddons, and the pirates, treated it as if it was exactly what they had been expecting, as if it were somehow respectful, and Orenda supposed, given the context, it must have been.  She went to sit on the blanket that had been lain out next to the pirates, where Mary Sue was sitting, and sat as quietly as she could.


    ¡°Down came the fairy,


    And the fairy said,


    ¡®Little Bunny Foo Foo


    I don¡¯t want to see you,


    Scooping up the field mice,


    And bopping them on the head.


    Little bunny Foo Foo,


    Know that if you do


    I will turn you into


    A goon.¡¯


    Little bunny Foo Foo


    Waited until Midnight and got right out of bed


    Little bunny Foo Foo


    Thought she couldn¡¯t see him


    Scooping up the field mice and bopping them on the head.


    Down came the fairy


    And the fairy saidFind this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Little bunny Foo Foo


    ¡®I already warned you


    About scooping up the field mice,


    And bopping them on the head.¡¯


    Then she turned him into


    A goon.


    Little gooney Foo Foo


    Swimming through the back pond


    Scooping up the tadpoles


    And bopping them on the head.


    And the moral of that story is:


    Hare today, Goon tomorrow.¡±


    As she sang, the pallbearers set the makeshift coffin behind the bonfire, and after they had done this, Mary Sue stood and walked to the front of it.  Sonny fiddled with it for a few seconds, and then slowly peeled back the lid. Xaxac looked much nicer now that he wasn¡¯t covered in blood, that he was dressed in an outfit that had been knitted from sterilite, and his hair had been brushed out, his facial hair had been styled, and he seemed to be wearing some sort of makeup to make it seem as if he hadn¡¯t been dead for days.  It did a passable job, though Orenda wished she could have seen him alive to compare it. His hands were crossed over his chest, and his hair, like his clothes, glistened in the moonlight.


    ¡°When you¡¯re on your feet,¡± She said, and the rest of the Brigaddons, even the children, began to chant with her, ¡°Keep your head held high.  But when you¡¯re on your knees, you smile and lie. You tell them, ¡®of course¡¯; you tell them ¡®okay¡¯.¡±


    Here the chant diverged.  The four youngest children continued in the manner that had been stitched onto the needlework, back in the burrow beneath the house.  But everyone else said something a little different.


    ¡°When they leave don¡¯t do a goddamn thing they say.¡±


    ¡°My father,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°Our father, was a good man.  Uncle Gary is right, he did not deserve this. But¡­ as daddy himself always said, ¡®Everybody dies.  I intend to deserve it.¡¯ Daddy didn¡¯t believe in Thesis- I don¡¯t think most of us do. We know that life here, this short- well, short for most of us- existence is all we have.  We have to treasure it. We have to make it count. We have, all of us, the ability to look at anyone and justify the space we take up, the air we breath, the food we eat. No person, regardless of who they are, or where they were born, or how important they think their parents are, or the shape of their ears, or the length of their life, can take that away from us.  The worst they can do is kill us. And those who have lived good lives can¡¯t fear death. Daddy taught us that. The dead can¡¯t care that they¡¯re dead. He wouldn¡¯t want us to grieve ourselves into a fit because he¡¯s gone. He would¡­ knowing daddy he¡¯d want us to have a party. He¡¯d want us to remember him for who he was.¡±


    ¡°And he was a man who believed with everything in him that we were going to beat this thing.  For him, it wasn¡¯t about getting out, getting somewhere safe. It was about making it safe here.  Most of you were born right here in Uril, right here in the Burrow. This is our land. This is our home.  Daddy was from the agricultural district, grew up on the Agalon plantation down the road. This place is ours.  And he knew that. He knew that one day it would be safe for all of us. He spent his life working to make every person who came through here realize that they were safe, that they were valuable, that they were alive and had worth more than what somebody was willing to pay for them.  He brought us strength and starlight. We have survived. We have endured. And we are gonna keep fighting his war until we win, because he died for a reason. We are gonna overthrow Xandra, and then we are gonna go after the Kabaal, and we will not stop until every person on this planet understands that they matter, and they should treasure their life for it¡¯s innate value.¡±


    She turned and knelt to touch the coffin, then to touch her father¡¯s face as gently as she could, frightened that if she moved it too much it would roll, would reveal that he was not in one piece.


    ¡°We love you, daddy.  And we¡¯re gonna keep fighting for you.  You¡¯re gone, but you will never be forgotten.  A hundred years from now, when we¡¯re all gone, people are gonna know your name.  They¡¯re gonna know that you were a Knight of Order, they¡¯re gonna know how hard you fought.  They¡¯re gonna read about you in history books because they¡¯re gonna be able to read in public.  What you did here was important. You were important.¡±


    ¡°If a man who was raised as low as daddy was could climb so high,¡± She said, ¡°that should show us all that you don¡¯t have to be special to do great things.  No one in the Knights of Order were born with greatness. None of us are royalty. None of are special. Because that sort of thing does not now, and never has mattered!  All that matters is what you do with your life. And we will make the nobles understand that. A small group of dedicated, normal people will grow, and will outshine anything a tiny group with imaginary power may think they have.  All of us have that power within us, just like he did.¡±


    She nodded to Sarya, and she picked up her bow to begin to play, but Bella jumped to her feet.


    ¡°Can I say something?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mary Sue said.


    ¡°When I as a child,¡± Bella said, ¡°I had¡­  a very bad day. I can go into it later if you like.  I was a vulnerable child, and I was running for my life when I ran into the Kabbal.  I thought¡­ I thought they had saved me. They took me in- they told me everything about their organization, about how¡­  how I was special, how I was better than other people, how I had been blessed because my ancestors had stood against a god and survived.  How shifters were the only humans who weren¡¯t weak, how we were the ¡°true¡± humans, the ¡°master¡± race that had stood, and survived, with magic in our blood and power in our souls.  I believed them. I believed the nonsense that you just spoke against. I was so small, and I watched them do horrible things, I heard them say horrible things, I was taught¡­ that most humans deserved what they got under the empire, and that we were being tested to weed out those who were weak.  I¡­ I would have believed that my whole life.¡±


    ¡°Until I met Xaxac.  I had never met a shifter who¡­  who had lived the life he had, and when someone fed him that line, Shabeel said to him, ¡®You¡¯re special.  You don¡¯t deserve the terrible things that happened to you, because the blood of important people runs through your veins¡¯...  I had never seen someone react the way Xaxac did. Xaxac said, ¡®Alright¡¯ and ¡®Okay¡¯, and when Shabeel left, Xac robbed him blind, took his mother¡¯s book with the directions for how to find Magnus, and left that horrible place.  He didn¡¯t believe him! He saw through the lie instantly! And he fought his way out! I¡­ I saw that strength and¡­ I knew I had been a fool. He opened my eyes. He helped me escape them. Xac spent his entire life helping people escape horrible situations.  I¡­ I don¡¯t know what kind of person I would be without him. Xac saved me. I¡¯ll be forever grateful for that. He taught me that people can be kind for no reason, and expect nothing in return. I¡­ I have thanked him, but I want to do it again. Thank you, Xac.  You were a wonderful person. You introduced me to Gareth. You named your child after me. And Gary¡¯s right¡­ we should have been there for you. I should have been there for you. You would have been there for me. I should have been more open, I shouldn¡¯t have been so¡­  jealous and weird. I read¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go into it in public,¡± Gareth said to the hand he was using to massage his temples.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Bella said, and Orenda thought that she had gotten carried away, because there were tears in her eyes and she looked as if she was about to break down.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she repeated, ¡°I just¡­  I¡¯m sorry, Xac. I should have been there for you like you were there for me.  We were friends, and I owed you more than I gave.¡±


    She sat down heavily, and Mary Sue nodded at Sarya, who picked up her violin and began to play.  The song was instrumental and the tempo was slow, and at the cue signaled by the music, people began to move.  The pallbearers closed the lid and locked it, then lifted the coffin heavily onto their shoulders, and the procession began to move toward the orchard.  Three lengths of rope had been spread over the open grave, and they sat the coffin on it gently, while Mary Sue nudged Orenda. Orenda wasn¡¯t quite sure what she was supposed to do, but she moved to stand beside her and picked up a length of rope, and watched as Solomaur, Falsie, Little Gary, Abraham, and Abby did the same.  The pallbearers slowly lowered the coffin onto the ropes, and Orenda quickly figured out what she was supposed to do as she worked with the others to slowly lower it into the grave.


    The music from Sarya¡¯s fiddle filled the crisp air of the night as the wind carried it through the bare branches of the trees, and Orenda thought of what she had the first day she had arrived in Uril.  The leaves crunched under her feet as she stepped back to allow the Brigaddons to bury their father, and she thought of how the trees in Uril shed parts of themselves, killed parts of themselves, and regrew them in the spring.  Orenda thought of life, death, and rebirth. She thought of how it was her birthday for a few more hours, and she was attending a funeral. She wondered if Xaxac had known that he had a birthday, let alone when it was, and thought that he probably didn¡¯t.  It could be today as easily as it could be any other day.


    The Brigaddons were excellent at shoveling, and Orenda supposed that they were good at digging in general, given how they had dug out an entire secret house large enough to accommodate even more than their large family.  Yet still, she was amazed at how quickly they worked, as she watched each shovelful of dirt cover the coffin until she could no longer see it.

 Chapter 114 - Book 3 Chapter 34

    After her work on the fields the next day, Orenda came to the area between the garden and the orchard to meet Mary Sue, to take her up on her offer, and learn how to fight.  In her mind, she saw the poster that was proudly displayed downstairs, and wondered how much more effective it would have been to learn from Xac himself, but she knew from what she had seen when Lapus attacked Gareth that the people he had trained were more than capable of holding their own, and Mary Sue had had much longer to train than Lapus had.


    Mary Sue was standing, staring in the direction of her father¡¯s grave, and Orenda wondered how long she was going to do that.  Days? Weeks? For the rest of her life?


    Gareth and Bella sat on the back porch in rocking chairs, watching them and breaking apart beans, discarding the unedible tips and strings into one bucket and tossing the edible, broken pieces into a barrel to be stored.


    ¡°Mary Sue?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± She turned to face her, ¡°I¡­  I¡¯m sorry, Rendy. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m not particularly sure what I¡¯m meant to be doing,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯ve been in a few physical confrontations before, but I don¡¯t think I learned very much.  I feel that my goal, in those times, had been to stay alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°That is the end goal.  It¡¯s part of what makes us so adept at fighting- rabbits are prey animals, and are born with an ability to stay alive.  There¡¯s an old saying round these parts, ¡®The cat is fighting for her lunch, but the mouse is fighting for his life.¡¯ You¡¯re a mouse going up against cats, Rendy.  The Emerald Knight is a predator if I ever seen one. He goes into a situation thinking he¡¯s the strongest one in the room. Never a good mindset to have. Anything that lives can die- and death can come at you outta nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°So do I need to get my staff?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mary Sue shook her head, ¡°Daddy¡¯s style don¡¯t use weapons.  They didn¡¯t give you nothing in the cage- you have to improvise. That¡¯s rule 1: Know your environment.  Well, actually that¡¯s the second rule, the first one is the thing about never thinking you¡¯re the strongest one in the room.  But rule 2 is to know your environment. Look around and get a good idea of where you are. There might be something around you you can use, or that you have to look out for.¡±


    ¡°Rule 3 is to know your strengths and weaknesses.  You¡¯re pretty big, especially for an elf. You¡¯re taller than me- now you might think that¡¯s a strength but it¡¯s not.  It¡¯s hard to guard all that. I can keep low and know when you¡¯re coming at me, but you can¡¯t. You gotta get real good at knowing your body and where every bit of it is at any time.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Orenda asked, and then doubled over sideways in pain.  Mary Sue had moved quickly, too quickly to track, and hit her hard in the side, knocking her off balance and into the cold, autumn ground.


    ¡°What the hell!?¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready!  You gave no indication that we were about to begin! You just blindsided me!¡±


    ¡°Nobody oughta be able to blindside you,¡± Mary Sue told her.


    ¡°That hurt!¡± Orenda protested as she climbed to her feet.


    ¡°Emerald Knight¡¯ll hit you harder,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°Don¡¯t stay in one place too long!  Move! Stand up straight, keep your core tight. Know where you¡¯re at!¡±


    Orenda stood, observed Mary Sue¡¯s stance, and copied it.  She tried to bounce on her feet, as Mary Sue was doing, and found that the mobility wore her out, that despite her work in the field, she didn¡¯t have the stamina for it.


    ¡°This is exhausting,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Do it till it ain¡¯t,¡± Mary Sue told her, and moved to hit her again.


    Orenda saw her this time, and stepped to the side, but found she wasn¡¯t fast enough to avoid it.  When the punch connected with her shoulder she went spiraling into the fence.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay down,¡± Mary Sue told her, ¡°bounce back, push off, use the momentum.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Orenda asked her, even as her body obeyed the command.


    ¡°You know what I think your problem is?¡± Mary Sue asked her, ¡°You¡¯re head¡¯s not in it.  You don¡¯t wanna fight me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t want to fight you,¡± Orenda told her.


    ¡°You wanna fight the Emerald Knight?¡± Mary Sue asked her, ¡°You wanna take down a legend when you can¡¯t fight a field bunny?¡±


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s no need to insult me,¡± Orenda said as Mary Sue advanced on her again, and hit her so hard in the stomach she felt, for a moment, as if she may throw up.  She doubled back against the garden fence, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Orenda called, ¡°Time out!¡±


    ¡°Oh she is just¡­  beating her ass,¡± Gareth grabbed the arm of the chair to haul himself to his feet, ¡°RENDY!  FIGHT LIKE A FIREFIST!¡±


    Orenda didn¡¯t know what he meant by that- she was battered, she knew the places she had been hit were going to bruise, and she was afraid that if Mary Sue didn¡¯t come to her senses she was going to kill her.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± She called, ¡°Time out!  Stop!¡±


    Mary Sue hit her in her face so hard she saw stars, and something within her snapped.  This was supposed to be a lesson, not a beating. This was unfair. She had asked for help, not assault.  Mary Sue went to attack her again, and Orenda reached out and grabbed her arm before it could connect. Her mouth hurt on the side Mary Sue had hit her down to the very bone.  Her teeth felt loose.


    There was madness in her eyes when she demanded again, ¡°Stop it!  Stop!¡±


    The medallion below her dress began to glow, and she shoved off the fence as the fire sprang from her and surrounded her.


    ¡°Let me catch my breath!¡± Orenda demanded, and jerked Mary Sue forward and over the fence, where she rolled head over heels, but then jumped to her feet.


    ¡°Just like that,¡± Mary Sue laughed as she hopped up, ¡°Know your environment, know yourself.   Bet if I hadn¡¯t been made of sterilite that would have burned me to a crisp. We don¡¯t know if that magic¡¯s gonna work on the Emerald Knight.  You look madder than hell.¡±


    ¡°You hit me in my face!¡± Orenda snapped.  ¡°You did something to my teeth!¡±


    ¡°That little halfling¡¯ll make you a potion, fix you right up,¡± Mary Sue laughed, ¡°Come on, I got a feel for you now, I¡¯ll show you some poses that¡¯ll work for you.  Honestly, Rendy, you¡¯re just outta shape, but under that fat and happy nobility there¡¯s a powerhouse. So we¡¯re gonna do mostly exercises. You need to get to where you can move, instantly, you need to learn how to stretch and get your muscles workin.  You¡¯re bottom heavy. I bet with some training you can kick like a mule.¡±


    Orenda felt her breathing slowly returning to normal as Mary Sue approached her, hopped the fence, and laid a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°I want you to remember something right now,¡± Mary Sue said to her, ¡°I want you to remember that you think you¡¯re in pain right now.  Because here in a little bit, maybe a couple weeks or a month, I want you to look back on this moment right now, because you¡¯re going to think, ¡®I can¡¯t believe I thought that hurt¡¯.¡±


    Orenda rubbed the side of her face where the bruise was already forming and tried to figure out what she meant.  Then she followed Mary Sue and allowed her to guide her body into a number of positions, to adjust her until she had each one perfect, and together they worked through repetitive series of movements until long after the sun had set.


    They were moving back toward the house when Junior came running out of another structure on the property, one that a great deal of smoke seemed to come from, and hopped the fence.  Orenda saw something in his hand glistening in the moonlight- Gareth¡¯s mask.


    ¡°Uncle Gary!¡± He called, and Gareth turned to look at him.


    Orenda saw Falsie walking the same path Junior had, at a much more leisurely pace.


    ¡°We fixed it,¡± Junior hopped up onto the porch and held out the mask, ¡°We finally got it bent back into shape.¡±


    ¡°Thank god,¡± Gareth said as he took it.


    ¡°Uh, thank me,¡± Junior corrected, ¡°And Uncle Falsie.  We¡¯re the ones who fixed it.¡± Gareth grinned, so Junior went on, ¡°How ya holding up, old man?¡±


    ¡°Much better,¡± Gareth said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll make a full recovery.  Your sisters tell me that Lapus left trace amounts of sterilite in my system and it has to purge it.  It¡¯s as if I ate some bad food. Recovery is a bitch, but I¡¯ve had worse. Did I ever tell you how I got this scar?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Junior said, ¡°And it¡¯s been killing me.  I¡¯ve been dying to know.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gareth said with alarm, as if someone taking an interest was an uncommon occurrence for him, ¡°Well, my boy, sit down- actually, no, go get the children.  Have everyone gather round. Old Uncle Gary is going to tell you a story.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Junior said enthusiastically and disappeared into the house.

 Chapter 115 - Book 3 Chapter 35

    The days were even colder now than they had been.  When they awoke and moved upstairs every window that was not in the kitchen was covered in a thin sheet of ice.  The frost had won on the outside, and most of the chores now revolved around preservation, animal care, and winter survival.  Orenda was not prepared for cold, and it bit into her, made her appendages ache. At the end of the day she sometimes couldn¡¯t feel her fingers, though she wore the mittens she had been gifted.


    Thankfully some of the chores could be done indoors, like the canning they were doing to keep food for the winter.  But most of it required labor in the chill, because the Briggadons were actually running a business, and did need to make the goods they were supposed to sell.  The sign proclaimed that they dealt in textiles, and sheep were sheared in the spring, but they required upkeep in the winter, and in the late autumn the work to be done was in converting all the wool they had harvested into usable fabric.  There was so much of it, and Orenda suspected that they worked at it from the spring onward. They had barrels upon barrels of yarn to sell, but now that the contact was gone, they had no one to sell it to.


    They also had certain things that they either needed or wanted but were unable to make themselves, despite how self sufficient they were.  Many of them loved coffee, like Orenda did, but it was nearly impossible to grow outside the fire continent and had to be bought. Orenda was confused when she saw that they were buying large quantities of coconut oil- it was expensive and they all had such soft skin and hair that seemed to produce enough moisture all its own.  Solomaur told her that it produced a wonderful soap, once you distilled the lye from the ashes, and, of course, it was good to cook with.


    Now that Sarya had a valid reason for staying at the Burrow, she was able to drive to Basilglen with Barbra Allen and Mary Sue in tow, and Orenda believed this would be the end of her fighting lessons until they returned.


    She was wrong.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Sonny slapped her on the shoulder after lunch and led her out to their usual spot behind the garden.


    ¡°Are you going to teach me?¡± Orenda asked.  He didn¡¯t really seem the type. Sonny was normally much more carefree than his sister, took life much less seriously.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean,¡± he shrugged, ¡°I was bred to be a cage fighter, you know.  Did you know that? I was already in training when dad found me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­  did not,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Yeah, they were gonna send the girls to the breeding center, and, me too, you know, but like¡­  guys who can do other things don¡¯t stay there. You just go to stud. You don¡¯t really take clients if they can put you in the cage.  Plus I think it was pretty obvious even then that I would have been an awful pleasure slave. I was a biter.¡± He laughed as if this information was funny, but Orenda stared at him in horror.


    ¡°How old were you when your father found you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he shrugged, ¡°Five or six?  At least I was ok doing training. Junior hated it from the start.  He can¡¯t take a punch. Gets real defensive and jittery. I think there might actually be something wrong with him.  I mean, we weren¡¯t at the same facility, but¡­ I heard stories. He¡¯s pretty much always been how he is, you know. Some people¡­  just aren¡¯t made for fighting. I would say that the whole litter was sickly but like¡­ look at Mary Sue.¡±


    ¡°Why would you say the whole litter was sickly?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Well one of them died pretty early on,¡± Sonny said, ¡°And Junior¡¯s¡­  Junior. He just won¡¯t do anything, never gets any sun, so he¡¯s all skinny and just¡­  I don¡¯t know, we kinda worry about him. Look, let¡¯s do your poses, ok? Then we¡¯ll spar for a little bit.¡±


    As he adjusted her and Orenda began to work through the exercises she said, ¡°We¡¯ve been here nearly a month.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sonny agreed as if he didn¡¯t understand why she was telling him that.


    ¡°The moons will be full again, soon,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Yeah, and Sharon¡¯s still not come back with Lappy,¡± he agreed.  After a beat he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re ever coming back. Don¡¯t tell anyone I said that but I think¡­  they¡¯re probably never coming back. One or both of them is probably dead. If they were alive they would have come back to get more star fruit.  It¡¯s¡­ hard to go without.¡±


    ¡°I hope that isn¡¯t the case,¡± Orenda said, and realized she was not out of breath anymore.  At this point, early on, she would have already been nearly too tired to move. ¡°But I was more thinking about¡­  you¡¯re all shifters, and I know you can control it, but Bella can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Sonny said, ¡°A wolf in bunny¡¯s clothing.  We¡¯ll have to tie her down or something, I guess. I¡¯d say we¡¯d lock her in with the kids but she might eat them.  That might be a thing. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a thing that happens or not. I mean, I only know of it ever happening once, and I think that was on purpose.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°You know of someone eating someone else?¡±


    ¡°I know of a shifter eating other shifters like a wild animal,¡± Sonny confirmed, ¡°Come on, go through it faster, Rendy, you¡¯re not pushing yourself.  Tighten your core and really feel the stretch.¡±


    ¡°When did that happen?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Sonny said, contorting himself much better than Orenda, even though she had improved and was trying to follow his lead, ¡°Yeah, you wouldn¡¯t know about that.  My¡­ I don¡¯t want to call him my gramps¡­ my dad¡¯s dad, like birth dad- he ate people.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orenda asked and nearly fell out of her stance.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Sonny said as he repositioned her, ¡°Yeah he straight up ate people.  That¡¯s a thing that happened, according to dad. See when he was little, he was apparently like¡­  the runt of the litter. Tiny and weak and didn¡¯t really fit in with the whole ¡®shifters are a master race¡¯ thing, so his mom abandoned him.  That¡¯s how he wound up at the plantation. I guess she just kinda left him somewhere. Turns out that his dad went crazy, and during the full moons he just fucking¡­  ate people. Mauled my granny to death and then ate my aunts and uncles right from the crib. That¡¯s a thing that happened, I guess. Uncle Lappy says he saw the whole thing.  He¡¯s dead now. Daddy killed him. Shabeel, not Lapus. I don¡¯t think¡­ Haven¡¯t seen him in a while.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Sonny said all of this as if it wasn¡¯t heartbreaking and terrifying, as if this sort of thing was self-explanatory and common.


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡± Orenda said, because she didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean,¡± Sonny shrugged, ¡°Horrible stuff happens.  Your form is getting better. Come on, let¡¯s go for a run and then we¡¯ll spar.  We really gotta push you until you¡¯re about to pass out. You¡¯re getting stronger but it¡¯s taking way too long.  Let¡¯s race, from here, around the orchard, and back to the fence. First one to touch it wins.¡±


    He took off at a sprint, and Orenda took a second to process what he had said before she ran after him.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what I want to happen,¡± Bella said to Orenda, Falsie, Draco and Anilla, where they were sitting in the living room.  ¡°Make absolutely sure you¡¯ve got everything out of the room that you need, because once I go in there and lock the door, I don¡¯t want it opened for any reason.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be fine, darling,¡± Gareth assured her.


    ¡°I¡¯m just,¡± Bella twitched and threw her arms around herself, ¡°I¡¯m just saying that this is what is going to happen. Listen to me.  No matter what you see or hear, do not open that door.¡±


    ¡°Like you¡¯re the first shifter we¡¯ve ever had to lock up,¡± Sonny huffed as he entered through the secret hallway, ¡°The kids are already in bed.  Just go to your room. Fuck¡¯s sake. We¡¯ll have a big breakfast in the morning. It¡¯s not a big deal. Save the fur. Wait, no, I guess you don¡¯t have to do that.  Maybe? I mean we can try it. We might can spin dog hair into gold. I¡¯m not sure. Save it either way.¡±


    ¡°It is a big deal!¡± Bella hissed at him, ¡°I¡¯m a shifter!  I transform into-¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Like¡­  it¡¯s me, Sonny. Brigaddon. That you are talking to.  I am also a shifter. I¡¯m not scared of you, puppers. What, are you gonna tear the bed up?  Gonna scratch at the floor? If a wererabbit can¡¯t chew through those doors then believe me, you ain¡¯t gettin out.  Go on in there. The moons are gonna rise any minute now.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Bella told him, ¡°You can control it.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t always,¡± He said, ¡°And¡­  I don¡¯t think anyone wants to do what you have to do to learn that.  Trust me, you¡¯re fine. You worry too much. The worst case scenario is that you howl all night and keep everyone up.  Just go to bed. Try to sleep through it. That¡¯s the best thing to do. Try to get some rest. Not that you¡¯ll remember I told you that.¡±


    ¡°Come on, darling,¡± Gareth put a hand on her shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed.  They¡¯re all fine out here.¡±


    ¡°We are, absolutely,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°We¡¯re fine.  We¡¯ll make do. It¡¯s a big house.¡±


    She had the quilt the children had made for her spread out on the couch, and was as comfortable as she looked.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Bella said, rubbing her upper arms, ¡°Goodnight, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± they all called in unison, with varying degrees of energy.  Orenda, for her part, was as worn out as she usually was, and was more than ready to sleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few days,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Since they left for the supply run, I mean.  They¡¯ve had time to be back by now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re being delayed by the weather.  I imagine it¡¯s difficult to travel in cold weather. Maybe they¡¯re stopping more frequently, to sleep.  The cold makes me sleepy.¡±


    ¡°It still really doesn¡¯t feel that cold to me,¡± Anilla said more to herself than to Orenda.


    ¡°I can go scout for them, in the morning, if you¡¯d like,¡± Draco said, ¡°But I feel like you¡¯re worrying for nothing.  It¡¯s only been a day or so longer than it should have. Maybe something was out of stock and they had to wait. Maybe they had a wagon wheel break.  Maybe the horses were being particularly ornery.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sonny said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s just that Mary Sue is normally so efficient¡­  and without dad and Sharon here it¡¯s¡­ weird not to have her. I can¡¯t wait for her to get back.  I guess¡­ I mean it probably is nothing. I think I¡¯m gonna head to bed, too. I¡¯ll see you guys in the morning, ok?¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Sonny,¡± Orenda said as he walked off down the hall.


    Falsie hit the contraption that controlled the lights, and they were plunged into darkness.


    Do not trust the halfling, master  The staff said, as it often did, and Orenda ignored it, as she often did, but it continued.  Why have we stalled so long in this place?  We are so close to the artifact. We must reunite.  You do not need training. If I guide you to the artifact, you will gain powers beyond your wildest dreams.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± Orenda said aloud, and she was met with a chorus of whispers and murmurs.  She pulled the quilt up to her chin, and let the exhaustion carry her away.


    Orenda awoke a few hours later to the sound of Anilla¡¯s voice.  She sounded as if she was speaking to someone and had moved off the couch and into the hallway to do so.  Orenda also heard sounds of skittering, of a dog whimpering, and Gareth¡¯s soothing voice making shushing sounds, but other than that, the house was asleep, so Orenda did not move, only listened to the side of the conversation she could hear.


    ¡°And then she got it!  It¡¯s called the ¡®sacred staff¡¯, but it turns out it doesn¡¯t really do anything,¡± Anilla said to whoever she was talking to.  ¡°They say she¡¯s ¡®The Chosen One¡¯.¡±


    There was a pause as if she was listening for a reply and then she said, ¡°Can there be more than one Chosen One though?  I feel like that isn¡¯t how it works or they would call it ¡®The Chosen Pair¡¯ or something.¡±


    Another long pause as if someone else was speaking, and then Anilla asked, ¡°But is the temple alright?¡±  After a pause she asked, ¡°And the great wind spirit?¡± After a beat she said, ¡°So how long ago did they leave, then?¡±  When whoever she was speaking to had finished she said, ¡°All the people of the world say that once the Urillians come, they never leave.  That¡¯s so strange. But that has to be who it was¡­ all the other grand temples were destroyed.¡± A pause, and when she spoke again it sounded as if she was answering a question.  ¡°An earthquake, a volcanic eruption, and a flood.¡±


    Orenda wondered who she was speaking to, and what she was telling them.  Then she thought of how little she knew of Anilla, and how little her story made sense.  Elves didn¡¯t venture to the Frozen North, so Orenda had no idea how their society functioned, but it seemed unlikely that it was the paradise Anilla spoke of.  It seemed just as unlikely that one would soul-bond with a pet. Orenda wondered how much of what Anilla had been telling her was true- and wondered how easy it would be to scry using air magic.  She imagined it would be incredibly easy, given how plentiful the medium was. Which is why it was so strange that Anilla had never done it before, and never in plain sight if she was merely calling home to have a conversation with family or friends.  It was strange that she would do it only in the middle of the night, when the only other air mage was unable to tell that air magic was being cast.


    It was strange that she was conveying information not about dragons, but about the secret weapon of the Knights of Order- the Chosen Child of Thesis that had pulled the sacred staff from the sacred flame- to the very place where the Emerald Knight was rumored to have traveled.


    Do not trust the halfling, master.  The staff had said, consistently, since Orenda had gotten it.  She will betray you.

 Chapter 116 - Book 3 Chapter 36

    Orenda said nothing about what she had seen the night before as she watched Bella scarf down flapjacks as quickly as Sokomaur could cook them.  The smallest children, the ones who could not be more than five or six, were eating just as ravenously, and though Orenda normally had a healthy appetite, she stared at her plate and wondered why it didn¡¯t look appetizing.


    Sonny was right- something had to have gone wrong on the road.  Mary Sue, Barbra Allen, and Sarya had had more than enough time to return.  Orenda wished Draco would go scout for them. When she had been traveling from Basilglen to the burrow they had not known exactly where it was they were going, and they had arrived faster.


    Orenda thought of Commander Agalon, and how he knew more than he should, despite not being a Knight of Order.  She thought of Xaxac, alone and underground in the orchard he apparently loved so much, and wondered where her parents were buried, or if they were buried.  She had read that Urillians piled those they had slain into mass graves, so it was possible that someone, somewhere, knew where they were buried. Orenda was almost positive that fire elves cremated their dead, and wondered if her father would have even wanted to be buried.


    Gareth wasn¡¯t wearing his mask at breakfast, despite the crowded kitchen, and Orenda stared at him until he eventually met her eyes.


    ¡°Yes?¡± He asked.


    ¡°How did my father want to be buried?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gareth said and became very interested in cutting his breakfast into smaller and smaller pieces.  ¡°Yes, with Xac and everything I suppose¡­ I suppose you would think about that. We always said that if one outlived the other we would bury him at sea.  But we planned on immortality, and if we could ever arrange it we were supposed to die together.¡± He chucked, a laugh with no mirth and said, ¡°Of course we also said that we were going to live together, traveling the world.  Plans often have a way of undoing themselves.¡±


    ¡°What about my mother?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Urillians are traditionally buried,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t a traditional Urillian.¡±


    ¡°People in our position, Rendy,¡± Gareth said stabbing a fork into one of the pieces he had cut, ¡°Do not usually speak of death.  It¡¯s an all too familiar concept. I imagine Sokomaur would have wanted to be buried near her homeland. The Sambrees were a poor family, from somewhere called ¡®The Sacred Woods¡¯.  That place doesn¡¯t exist anymore. It was in the Sage Lake province. We could probably find it if we tried, but I don¡¯t think you would have any family left there.¡±


    Orenda nodded.


    ¡°Uncle Gary?¡± She asked after a few moments of silence, ¡°What are the Urillians looking for in the Frozen North?¡±


    ¡°The Crystal City,¡± Bella said as she pulled more hotcakes from the stack Soko sat on the table, ¡°They¡¯re surely looking for the Crystal City.¡±


    ¡°Xaxac went to the Crystal City,¡± Orenda said, ¡°We have proof it exists.¡±


    ¡°We have proof Xac found a new way to get high in the snow,¡± Gareth rolled his eyes.


    ¡°We have eyewitnesses,¡± Bella argued, ¡°Soko and Ronnie saw it too.  They¡¯ve been there.¡±


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Sonny laid a hand on her shoulder, ¡°Come on.  You¡¯re with me today. I¡¯m going to teach you how to make soap.  Fun times.¡±


    Orenda stood and followed him outside.


    Orenda had just finished her training for the day under a star speckled sky when she finally saw something that she had long read about.  As they were walking back towards the house it blew in on the wind, cold and harsh and biting, and tiny specks of white ice began to dance down from the clouds.  They weren¡¯t as fast or fat as raindrops, and it took her a moment to identify them.


    She held out her hand and watched them collect, quietly, on her mitten before they melted with the warmth of her body.


    ¡°Snow,¡± she said.


    ¡°Ah shit,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Well, at least we got everything in.  Once that shit starts it just keeps going.¡± He caught her face and realized what she was thinking, ¡°Oh!  Right! It doesn¡¯t snow on the fire continent. Well, here¡¯s a run-down. It¡¯s cold as hell. The roads get icy.  It builds up sometimes to where you can¡¯t get the door open and you have to tie a line between the barn and the house to take care of the sheep.¡±


    He smiled, tilted his head, and said, ¡°But if there¡¯s enough in the morning after we finish out chores we¡¯ll fuck off and have a snowball fight because the kids will do that whether we tell them to or not.¡±  He laughed and said, ¡°Thank god we live underground. It stays pretty much the same temperature all year round down there.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    He stared out past the house toward the road and added, ¡°Sure wish Mary Sue would get back, though.¡±


    When Orenda awoke, the world was white.  The snow still fell in soft, quiet flakes, but the Burrow was covered in a thin sheet of the stuff.  If one bent down and dug through it, they could reach frozen ground, but Orenda was overcome with a terrible realization.


    Snow was made of water.


    It had been a long time since she had been fully immersed in it, but the sea seemed to have toughened her up somewhat.  Still, though, her eyes watered and her stomach did flips, and as she stepped outside she was forced to grab the doorway for support- not because she was weak, but because she had forgotten she would be weak.


    ¡°Rendy?¡± Sonny asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Orenda lied, ¡°There¡¯s just¡­  there¡¯s so much water.¡±


    ¡°Is that bad?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Fire elves don¡¯t do well in water,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Just¡­  just let me sit for a moment and collect myself. I¡¯ll be fine.  I¡¯m much stronger than I once was. There¡¯s just so much of it.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t that much snow,¡± Sonny told her as he guided her back inside and sat her at the table in the kitchen, ¡°I told you, sometimes it gets taller than we are.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sonny said, and hovered awkwardly.  He turned to Sokomaur and said, ¡°Did you know that snow makes fire elves sick?¡±


    ¡°Snow making somebody sick?¡± Sokomaur said as if the concept was ridiculous, ¡°I never heard such a thing.  It¡¯s just snow. I mean a body can get sick from the cold. You want me to make you some tea, Rendy?¡±


    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But I¡¯m not ill indoors, and I swear to you that if you would let me out there and give me a moment to adjust, I would be fine.  I need to build my strength up.¡±


    She watched the soft powder falling through the kitchen windows and asked, ¡°You say once it begins it doesn¡¯t stop?¡±


    ¡°Not for at least two months,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Winters get pretty rough around here.  You get ice on the sea and shit.¡±


    ¡°Then I can¡¯t let it get to me,¡± Orenda pushed herself up, ¡°I have to be able to fight in it.  I can¡¯t wait another two months. I need to be ready to go. I¡¯ve spent too much time here already.¡±


    ¡°Look, just¡­  you look real pale,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Don¡¯t do your chores this morning and I¡¯ll still train with you this afternoon.  Just stay here and drink tea and knit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to knit,¡± Orenda protested.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to knit?¡± Soko and Sonny asked in unison, then looked at each other as if they had shocked themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± Sokomaur promised as she set the tea on the stove, ¡°You have to learn how to knit.  A Brigaddon that can¡¯t knit is¡­ unheard of.¡±


    ¡°Start her off on big needles and smooth yarn,¡± Sonny said, ¡°Wool¡¯ll tear her hands all to hell.¡±


    Then he was out the door, apparently gone to make soap, and Sokomaur disappeared downstairs.  She came up a few minutes later as Orenda was taking the whistling kettle off the stove, and brought with her a basket full of glistening silver yarn.


    Orenda poured tea for both of them and returned to the table.


    ¡°Right or left handed?¡± Sokomaur asked.


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda said as she sat down and took the two sticks Sokomaur handed her.  Soko sat one on the table and picked up two more that had been stabbed into a ball of yarn.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with a scarf,¡± She said, ¡°They¡¯re the easiest.  You have to do math for everything else.¡±


    ¡°I was always rather good at math,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°So was I,¡± Soko said, ¡°You know what they say about rabbits.  If there¡¯s one thing they know how to do, it¡¯s multiply.¡±


    Orenda laughed, and watched the movements of Soko¡¯s expert hands, slowed down for her benefit.  She copied her and managed to get the stitches onto the needles, and after a few rounds with help, Orenda, ever the fast learner, found that her muscles remembered these motions just as they had remembered the motions of the fighting poses Mary Sue had shown her.  Her body had a way of remembering things, even if her mind did not. She found, as she finished the first few rows of what Soko called ¡°Garter Stitch¡± that she was able to more or less turn off her brain and let her hands do the work.


    The wooden needles made a soothing ¡®click click click¡¯ sound that was almost meditative, and combined with the repetitive motions Orenda felt herself going into a sort of trance as a scarf slowly appeared as if by magic- the string transformed into a real, tangible object.  Her only complaint was that the process was so slow. She had only managed to create a few inches when Sokomaur stood, in the middle of a story about how Sonny had once hidden a pet frog from from their parents for an entire winter, to begin the lunchtime preparations.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Let me help you with that.¡±


    Sokomaur shrugged and said, ¡°Many hands make light work.¡±


    ¡°We can train indoors,¡± Sonny said as he watched Orenda shiver and lose her form.  He was under the impression that she was trembling from the cold, but he was wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Orenda told him as another wave of nausea flowed over her and her abdominal muscles, meant to hold her tall and strong, heaved with the force of it, ¡°Just feeling a little ill.  A little under the weather.¡±


    Sonny frowned and looked up at the snow that was still falling.


    ¡°I¡¯m meant to be sparring,¡± Orenda told him.


    ¡°You can barely stay on your feet,¡± Sonny said with a frown.  ¡°Come inside.¡±


    ¡°I need to train, Sonny.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­  come inside. I¡­  I¡¯ve been working on something.  We all have. Picking it up to do a few rows whenever we can.  Come inside and we¡¯ll¡­ we¡¯ll see if it helps.¡±


    He turned and began walking towards the house, and Orenda saw that he was going to go, with or without her.

 Chapter 117 - Book 3 Chapter 37

    ¡°I had wanted to wait until Mary Sue got back,¡± Sonny said as he led Orenda down the hidden passage that led to the living area, ¡°So I¡¯m going to ask everyone.¡±


    ¡°Ask them what?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°What are we doing?¡±


    Sonny elected not to answer, and instead began to hum to the tune of Little Bunny Foo Foo.  When he entered the living area the children were gathered around Gareth and Falsie, both of whom were holding a baby and seemed to be in the middle of some sort of fantastical tale.


    ¡°Twenty feet long if it was an inch,¡± Gareth said, ¡°And coming straight for shore!  And that was one of the small ones-¡±


    Sonny tapped his sister, Honey, on the shoulder, and leaned in to whisper in her ear.  She had been leaning over the back of the couch, listening to the story, but when he spoke to her she frowned.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± She said, ¡°Wait till Mary Sue gets back.¡±


    ¡°The snow is making her sick, and I think it¡¯s some magic bullshit.  We don¡¯t have time to wait on Mary Sue. And¡­¡± He leaned in to whisper something else to her- but Orenda was fairly certain she knew what it was.  Sonny, perhaps more than his siblings, was a realist. He knew that after another few days with no word, and the weather turning against them, it was possible that Mary Sue wasn¡¯t coming back.  Without the Knight of Order in Basilglen, it was possible that she had been captured and taken to the queen. Sonny thought of that sort of unpleasantness when no one else would.


    Honey frowned again at what he had said, and Orenda was almost certain she had guessed correctly, because she said, ¡°Don¡¯t say shit like that, Son.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Sonny said.  ¡°Is it finished?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Honey said, ¡°Mary Sue took the balaclava with her to finish on the trip.¡±


    ¡°But the rest of it is finished,¡± Sonny said, ¡°And she can wear mine.¡±


    Honey eyed Orenda, sighed, and stood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the others,¡± She said, and disappeared down the hall leading to the sleeping rooms.


    Orenda stood, patiently, listening to Gareth tell a story that was almost certainly false, until Honey returned, followed by every adult Brigaddon except Mary Sue and Lapus.  She held a box in her hands and cleared her throat loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gareth narrowed his eyes, ¡°Did the middle of my sentence interrupt the beginning of yours?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to give Orenda something,¡± Sonny said.


    ¡°Rendy, we¡¯ve all taken turns working on this,¡± Honey said.


    ¡°We got the measurements from Falsie, and he swears they were right, but I think you¡¯ve lost weight around the waist since then from your training.¡± Bunni said.  ¡°You may have to tie it tighter.¡±


    ¡°Well there goes your belly dancing career,¡± Gareth said.


    Orenda knew what was inside the box that Honey handed her.  She knew before she opened it. But she was surprised to see it come in so many pieces.  As she opened it, the shimmer of the sterilite glistened in the artificial lights, and she rushed to the writing desk to take out each item individually.  A pair of gloves was folded neatly on the top of the pile, and under them a long pair of stockings. Next she pulled out a long knitted undershirt, the kind that was in fashion in Uril and meant to be worn under a corset.  I was long-sleeved, winter wear, and the yarn it was made of was so fine that it was very lightweight, like the stockings. Now that she knew how slowly knitwear came together she could not imagine how they had made it so quickly.  One of them must have been constantly working on it. Finally, the box held a pair of long winter underpants, made in the same fashion. If she wore them all together, it would leave only her face exposed. Orenda slid one of the gloves onto her hand, and was amazed at how soft and well fitted it was- but these were expert craftspeople, and it was made of angora.


    A set like that, even if it hadn¡¯t been made of sterilite, if it had been made of normal angora, would have been prohibitively expensive.  But it had cost the Brigaddon¡¯s nothing but their time. They really could spin hair into gold. And every stitch was made by someone who considered her a sister.  It was made of their own hair, of pieces of them.


    ¡°Some of it was daddy¡¯s,¡± Sonny said, ¡°The fiber, I mean.  We¡¯ve got lots of it left over. We want to save it, for the kids.  Once they finish growing we want to make sure they all get an outfit that has a piece of him.  He always considered you one of his kids, Rendy.¡±


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Orenda said as she turned to face all of them, ¡°I¡­  I came here to get this. This is what I came here for. But¡­ when I began I only wanted it because¡­  it was to be a tool, a set of armor against the Emerald Knight. But it means so much more to me now. Now I hate to wear it into battle¡­  because I wouldn¡¯t want to dirty or break it.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Go put it all on,¡± Sonny urged her, ¡°And I¡¯ll let you borrow my balacavada.  We¡¯ll see what the snow has to say when no magic can get to you.¡±


    Orenda ducked behind a tree and readied another snowball.


    It wasn¡¯t only Sonny that followed her upstairs and into the land behind the house- nearly every Brigaddon had wanted to see if the armor worked.


    And it had.  It had worked magnificently.


    Orenda could not feel the weight of the magic in the air; the snow could not bother her.  But she also found that it was no longer melting in her hands. Under the sterilite gloves the magic could not escape outward, any more than it could inward.  She was trapped with her magic, and if she wore the full outfit, she wouldn¡¯t be able to use it against the Emerald Knight. She thought that she would go without the gloves, but wondered if that would leave her vulnerable.


    Sonny poked his head out from the other side of the row, and Orenda readied the ball to throw- when she realized she was outnumbered.  Three smaller heads popped out one by one, and Orenda saw Harvey, Angel and Frank had arrived, apparently as his reinforcements. Still, she thought she could at least hit him, right in his smug face, and she was right.  She may have never been very athletic, but she had always had quite good aim.


    He staggered into the middle of the row of trees, did a dramatic spin on his heel, and fell onto his back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hit!¡± He exclaimed as if he was in an amphitheater, ¡°Avenge me, my family!  Do not let my death be in vain!¡±


    ¡°Taking you a real long time to die,¡± Angel said.


    ¡°Listen to me, come, my brother, come here, and listen well to my dying wish.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Angel said.


    ¡°AVENGE ME!¡± Sonny yelled, reaching for the heavens.


    Orenda threw another snowball at him and hit him in the side of his head.


    ¡°AVENGE ME!¡± He cried, and the children began to pelt him with snowballs as Orenda laughed.


    Something cold and wet slammed into her head, and she looked up.


    Alice was sitting in the tree, compacting another snowball in her small hands.


    ¡°Know your environment,¡± She said, and threw it as hard as she could at Orenda¡¯s head.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Sonny said, but the children ignored him, so he held out a hand, climbed to his feet, and said in a much more commanding and serious voice, ¡°Stop it!  Everyone be quiet! Do y¡¯all hear that?¡±


    All sound stopped instantly, and Orenda heard the sheepdogs the family kept begin to bark.  Sonny tilted his head and spoke softly.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s here,¡± He said, ¡°Can any of you read?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the children said.


    ¡°Are any of you shifters?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No,¡± The children answered.


    ¡°Who owns this place?¡± Sonny asked.


    ¡°Mr Langil,¡± the children answered.


    ¡°Where do we live?¡±


    ¡°The slave quarters.¡±


    ¡°And what do we do?¡± Sonny asked.


    ¡°When you¡¯re on your feet, keep your head held high


    But when you¡¯re on your knees, smile and lie


    Tell them ¡°alright¡±, Tell them ¡°Ok¡±


    But when they leave don¡¯t do anything they say.¡± The children all chanted softly.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sonny said, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this.  Rendy, get underground, in case it¡¯s Agalon.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda agreed, and took off at a sprint towards the house.  She did not think of how much faster she could move now than she could even when she was running for her life from a demon.  She did not think, as she cleared the stairs two or three at a time, that she was no longer out of breath or panting as she sprinted.  She did not think how much stronger her arms were as she pulled open the shelf that led into the secret passage, how much easier it was to pull or push things with her core strength, how easily her stance widened and her legs held the extra weight.  As she pulled the shelf closed behind her she did not think of how strong she had been as a child, and how strong she was again now.


    It had all happened so gradually, when she had lost and gained her physical strength, that she did not realize it had happened.  But the truth is that things like strength, flexibility, durability and speed were not gained or lost in a day. Xaxac had known that, and he had imparted that knowledge onto his children.  Brigaddons were fighters not because they were born or bred into it, as Sonny¡¯s old master had once believed. They were fighters because they had been trained by their cage fighter of a father and assassin of mother.  They were strong, but they were also sneaky, and well hidden.


    But Orenda was concerned.  The Brigaddons were supposed to be helping people, yet no runaway humans had come through the house the entire time Orenda had been there.  And the group that had gone to look for supplies was missing.


    So Orenda went to her bedroom, where Gareth and Bella were sitting on their bed, resting against the headboard, with Anilla and Falsie on the other bed and all four babies split between them.  Bella had been reading from a storybook, but when Orenda came in she fell silent at the look of her.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s here,¡± Orenda said, and unscrewed the valve that ran along the wall to listen in to what was happening upstairs.

 Chapter 118 - Book 3 Chapter 38

    ¡°Oh thank god,¡± was the first thing Orenda heard from the pipe, and had been said, eagerly, by Sonny.


    ¡°Thank Sarya,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°And gather everyone.  We have much to tell.¡±


    ¡°Where the hell have they been?¡± Gareth asked as he leaned heavily on his walking stick to pull himself to his feet.  He scooped up the baby, Autumn, easily in his free hand, his mechanical hand, as if he had been made to hold a child, as if he had gotten used to doing everything with a baby in tow.


    Orenda went sprinting down the hall and pulled open the shelf- and realized for the first time that she was waiting on people- that she had moved faster than them without meaning to.  She stood, contemplating this, as everyone assembled behind her, and pushed the shelf open without the effort it had once taken. She walked slowly, mostly waiting on Gareth, and took Autumn from him when she saw how heavy his steps were as he tried to move up the stairs.  The child was asleep, and she had been stirring in his arms.


    The kitchen was full of Brigaddons, and Solomaur was putting on a kettle to boil and setting up a press to make coffee, while her siblings came in carrying crates and barrels from the back door, presumably from the wagon which had to be outside.


    ¡°Colder than a witch¡¯s tit out there,¡± Sarya said.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sonny said as he sat at the table and began to roll out a cigarette.


    ¡°The textile merchant was gone, so we had to do our trading at the general store,¡± Mary Sue explained, ¡°We got far less than we normally could, but we¡¯ll make due.  We¡¯ll get by. Then the storm blew in. It¡¯s far worse in Basilglen than it is here. Winter is going to hit hard, it has to be right behind us.¡±


    ¡°Snow¡¯s already falling,¡± Barbra Allen said as she opened a cabinet and began to take down cups.


    ¡°Any news?¡± Sonny asked.


    ¡°We took up at the tavern and I asked around all I could,¡± Sarya said, ¡°But ain¡¯t nobody seen hide nor hair of your mommy or your brother.  Ain¡¯t nobody even found a runaway. Woulda been all over small town gossip if they was found, so at least we know the Queen ain¡¯t got um.¡±


    ¡°Small consolation,¡± Solomaur said, ¡°Ifin they¡¯d found mommy, at least we¡¯d know where she was at.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes no news is good news,¡± Sonny argued, and went to the stove to light his cigarette on the flame.


    ¡°Make me one of those,¡± Mary Sue demanded, and he handed her the lit cigarette, then went back to the table to roll another for himself.


    She took a long drag, and then said, ¡°But that isn¡¯t all we learned.  The Urillian navy is returning. They¡¯ll be back at the capital¡­ probably by now.  If they haven¡¯t returned it will be any day now. The Emerald Knight is with them.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Gareth said, ¡°It¡¯s truly been lovely visiting with all of you, but I¡¯m afraid we really need to return.  The sea is calling out to me!¡±


    ¡°Gareth!¡± Bella snapped.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be here!¡± Gareth told her, his eyes wide and frantic, ¡°We can¡¯t be here with the Emerald Knight here!  Not with Orenda and how foolish she¡¯s been! We need to go home!¡±


    ¡°Nobody can leave once that storm blows in,¡± Sarya said, ¡°Ain¡¯t no travelin back to the coast in that.  I reckon a body could leave on the docks in the capital, maybe? Ifin they had a damn good ship.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to the capital!¡± Gareth snapped, and the baby Orenda held began to cry.


    ¡°Give her to me,¡± Solomaur said, and began to gently rock as she walked back down into the cellar to get some milk.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re sure as hell not goin back to Seaweed,¡± Sarya told him, ¡°not through the wind and snow.  You won¡¯t make it and I won¡¯t take you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk!¡± Gareth proclaimed.  He was taking in too much air, and it was making him frantic.  Orenda recognized the madness in his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay right here,¡± Orenda told him, surprised by her own calm, ¡°Underground and safe.  You¡¯ll wait out the storm.¡± She turned to Sarya and asked, ¡°Do you think we can stay ahead of the storm?  If we were to drive away from it, right now?¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t goin nowhere,¡± Sarya told her, ¡°I just got back and it ain''t my wagon.¡±


    ¡°Sarya, please,¡± Orenda stepped forward and grabbed her arm, ¡°I need a ride.  I need to get to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Have you lost your mind!?¡± Gareth snarled, ¡°Why the hell would you go- that¡¯s where the Emerald Knight is!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle Gary,¡± Orenda said, amazed that she felt no fear, or apprehension, or any strong emotion.  She felt strangely serene. ¡°I came here to get the artifact and dethrone the queen. Right now the Emerald Knight has just returned from the Frozen North, from a long journey.  He won¡¯t be in any shape to fight. I have to find the artifact the staff spoke of. I need to do it now. There¡¯s no point in sitting around waiting.¡±


    ¡°You¡­  you weren¡¯t¡­  actually going to do that!¡± Gareth said as if he truly believed it, ¡°It was just something we said.  We came here to find Xaxac, to¡­ so you could meet him and bond with him, because he loved you, because Ronnie loved him!  We were never going to take on the Emerald Knight!¡±


    ¡°You think a great many things that aren¡¯t true,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Because you would prefer to live in a world you made up over the one that exists.  I won¡¯t do that anymore. This is the world. There is no other. I will break into the castle, find the artifact, and dethrone the Empress. I will do this whether anyone will help me or not.  I¡¯ll find a way there. The snow doesn¡¯t bother me anymore.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Fuck it,¡± Sonny shrugged tossed the butt of his cigarette to the ground and snuffed it out with his heel, ¡°I¡¯ll drive you.¡±


    ¡°That makes no sense, Sonny!¡± Mary Sue snapped at him, ¡°What could your cover story possibly be?  A human and a fire elf traveling to Capital City together?¡±


    ¡°Cover story?¡± Sonny laughed, ¡°The navy is back!  That place will be crawling with security! We¡¯re breaking into a castle.  I don¡¯t think this is a cover story situation. This is a ¡®fuck it we¡¯re doing this¡¯ situation!  Get me a pass to get me in the gate, say I¡¯m trading goods for Uncle Lappy or some bullshit, and that¡¯s the extent of planning we can do!  We don¡¯t know what¡¯s beyond the gate. Nobody here has ever been to the castle! The Knights can¡¯t get anybody inside, and the damn psychic queen is going to know we¡¯re there the second we step foot on the grounds.  This is a suicide mission. I¡¯m volunteering.¡±


    ¡°You absolutely are not!¡± Mary Sue shouted, and all four babies awoke and began to shout with her.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± Junior had to shout over the sound of his siblings, ¡°Come to my workshop.  You can¡¯t leave without your gun.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t happening!¡± Gareth fumed, and the room around him began to heat.


    ¡°Gareth,¡± Bella warned, but he ignored her, marched up to Orenda and shook her by both shoulders with a grip so tight she knew it would bruise.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do this, Ronnie!¡± he said, staring so deeply into her eyes that she saw the fire burning in his soul, ¡°I mean- I- we- We can¡¯t do this, Rendy!  I watched my brother die on that shore! Doing this same goddamn thing! You¡¯re not going to do this! I swore I would keep you safe! I¡¯ll burn this place to the ground and drag you kicking and screaming back to the boat!  I won¡¯t watch it happen again! I won¡¯t! You¡¯re all I have left! You can¡¯t do this! I won¡¯t let you!¡±


    ¡°Ronnie didn¡¯t have the sacred staff,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He wasn¡¯t the Chosen One.¡±


    ¡°That staff doesn¡¯t work!¡± Gareth argued.


    ¡°It will!¡± Orenda argued back, ¡°It will work!  Once I find the artifact. I pulled that staff from the Sacred Flame where you couldn¡¯t- where Garon couldn¡¯t.  I¡¯m the Chosen Child of Thesis, and I will dethrone the Empress.¡±


    ¡°This is madness!¡± Gareth argued.  ¡°Rendy you¡¯re going to die! If you do this, you¡¯ll die!¡±  He began to cry, and his body wracked and convulsed with the force of it, ¡°I won¡¯t let you do this!  I¡¯m not going to lose you, too!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting hot,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°You¡¯re going to set something on fire.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Gareth shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll fight every Urillian in this place to keep you safe!  We have to get you back to the ship!¡±


    ¡°Captain,¡± Falsie said, but Gareth ignored him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll burn this place to the fucking ground!  I¡¯ll do it right now if you won¡¯t come with me!  I¡¯m not going to let you run off on some fool errand!  You¡¯re not Ronnie! You¡¯re not that stupid! Please, for the love of god and all that is holy, learn from his mistakes!¡±


    ¡°You need a time out,¡± Sonny grabbed Gareth from behind and pulled him off Orenda, and in the same motion barreled out the door so hard he bypassed the porch and stairs completely landed on his back in the snow in the garden with Gareth on top of him.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Gareth shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t get between us!  I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll fucking kill you if you hurt her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt her, you crazy old fuck!¡± Sonny shouted into the wind, and Orenda could see that the storm was blowing in, that the wind was moving quickly and the snow falling more heavily.


    ¡°I promised Ronnie I would keep her safe!¡± Gareth flipped so that he was on all fours, but Sonny did not let go and rolled with him.


    ¡°I promised my daddy I would help my family!¡± Sonny argued, ¡°And Rendy is my sister!¡±


    ¡°Your father was a useless, drunken whore!¡± Gareth snapped, ¡°I¡¯m tired of pretending we aren¡¯t all useless idiots scrambling in an unforgiving world for meaning!  I¡¯m tired of pretending that we¡¯re special! Xac was nothing! I¡¯m nothing!¡±


    Orenda saw a change come over Sonny.  She couldn¡¯t remember ever actually seeing him angry- but she saw it now.  His silver eyes narrowed and he heaved all his weight onto Gareth, pinning him into the snow.


    ¡°My father was a good man,¡± Sonny said coldly, ¡°He saved my life.  He helped hundreds of people. He believed in hope. What the hell did you ever do?  You fucking coward. You¡¯ve been running for years. There really is no amount of gratitude that would ever make you risk your neck is there?  All you care about is yourself! DON¡¯T try to get up.¡± Gareth had moved, and Sonny had seen him. The Brigaddons moved so fast that he slammed his hand over Gareth¡¯s before he could reach his gun.  ¡°Were you going to kill me old man? Did you really try to pull that thing on me?¡±


    Gareth was panting, but the energy had drained from him, and he seemed to be coming to his senses.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your goddamn mind,¡± Sonny drew Gareth¡¯s gun from its holster, ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s wrong with you.  Don¡¯t you ever run your mouth about my daddy again. I don¡¯t want to hear it. There¡¯s only so far ¡®respect your elders¡¯ can carry you.  At least your dumb ass knew I wouldn¡¯t burn.¡±


    He stood, and Gareth rolled over to look up at him.  He took a deep breath, then fell backwards onto the snow and stared up at the sky.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m dying, boy,¡± Gareth said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Sonny said.


    They remained like that, in silence, for some time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like snow,¡± Gareth finally said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Sonny said, ¡°It makes you sick.  Makes magic hard. That¡¯s why I brought you out here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not why I don¡¯t like it,¡± Gareth said, ¡°It reminds me of ash.  It covers everything in a white expanse of nothing. I don¡¯t do well with nothing.  But that¡¯s all I am.¡±


    ¡°Is he alright?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Bella said, ¡°He¡­ he had an episode.  He gets like that. He¡¯s fine now. He¡¯ll¡­ get very¡­  blank. For a while. Very tired. I knew Sonny wouldn¡¯t hurt him.¡±


    ¡°Rendy, get your stuff together,¡± Sonny said, ¡°I can get you there by morning.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°It¡¯s at least a week¡¯s journey.¡±


    ¡°Not as the rabbit runs,¡± Sonny said.


    ¡°Orenda,¡± Gareth sat up and she saw the snow melting as it landed in his hair, ¡°Are you¡­  are you really-¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said.  She didn¡¯t know whether he was asking if she was really the chosen one, or if she was really going to the capital, but the answer was the same either way.


    ¡°Come help me up,¡± Gareth pleaded, and Orenda pulled her gloves out of her pocket to fight against the magic of the snow.  She still felt it in her head and stinging her face, without her balaclava, but it was more manageable. And when she reached down to pull him up, she did not feel the magic flowing from him.


    He wrapped his arms around her, this time without the anger, looking much less like a fearsome pirate and much more like the broken old man he was.  He sobbed into her shoulder and spoke, begging, pleading with her.


    ¡°Please, Rendy,¡± he begged, ¡°Please.  Please don¡¯t do this to me. Think of all the people who love you.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gary,¡± Orenda said softly, ¡°I swear to you.  I will be fine. This is what I came here to do. Please, just stay here.  Heal.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have a plan,¡± Gareth begged.


    ¡°I have faith,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Thesis will provide.¡±


    Gareth clutched her tighter, and sobbed into her shoulder, and Orenda knew, even though she had never met him, that she sounded like her father.

 Chapter 119 - Book 3 Chapter 39

    Orenda had the gun, loaded with all six bullets, tucked away in her bag.  She had her staff, wrapped in fabric to keep it from being seen, strapped to her back.  She had the medallion around her neck, the rings in her ears, the sterilite armor on her body, and the traveling clothes on her back.  She had a full waterskin, three days worth of dried rations, the lockpicking kit she had been gifted from the pirates, and nothing else.  She wouldn¡¯t risk anything else. The precious book she had traveled so far with was tucked away, back in her room, along with her sari and everything else she had always kept with her.  She was traveling light, because if she got caught, she wanted to leave the Urillians no clues to follow.


    She waited, in the back garden, for Sonny, thinking about the people she was leaving behind.  There had been a round of hugs and tears from everyone- but only Gareth truly seemed to believe she wasn¡¯t coming back.  But he knew he couldn¡¯t restrain her without help, and there was no help for him. Orenda wondered how long he would wait.  She wondered if he was right.


    There is nothing for you to fear, master.  The staff said.  The artifact lies in the heart of the castle.  It belongs to you. It was stolen from you. It calls out to you.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m betting everything I have on this.  This is my one chance.¡±


    I can feel it, master.


    ¡°Please show me that I can trust you,¡± Orenda said, more to herself than to the staff.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Sonny said.


    When Orenda snapped out of her thoughts, she realized that she had been staring off in the direction of Xaxac¡¯s grave.


    All her parents were dead.


    Perhaps she would meet them in the afterlife.


    She turned to face him- but he wasn¡¯t alone.  Anilla and Mary Sue were standing beside him, all clutching bags and wearing traveling cloaks as if they were going with her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re going with you,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to see the inside of the castle.  And I think¡­ I don¡¯t think the queen can see us. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll know we¡¯re inside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m small and good at hiding,¡± Anilla said with a smile, ¡°And I¡¯m an air mage.  I¡¯m from the Frozen North, and with the storm blowing in, you may need me.¡±


    The halfling will betray you, master.


    ¡°It¡­  it would be hypocritical of me to tell you that you couldn¡¯t come,¡± Orenda said to them.  ¡°But this will be very dangerous. I may have to go up against the Emerald Knight. I¡¯m going to challenge the Empress Xandra.  There is a very real possibility that we may not come out of this alive.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Mary Jane said, ¡°You were right, Orenda.  We can¡¯t keep hiding forever. We want to see this.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Sonny told her, ¡°Dad outran the Emerald Knight and I¡¯m fast as hell.  I¡¯m not going to die tonight. If they come after us, we run. Those Urillians can¡¯t tell humans apart, I don¡¯t think.  I want us all to make a pact that we don¡¯t let them capture us. And if we can¡¯t run¡­ We don¡¯t let them take us alive. You¡¯ve got six shots, Rendy.  There are four of us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think a gunshot will kill you,¡± Orenda said with great practicality.  ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about such things. Let¡¯s be solution oriented. If we are caught, we do not go down easily.  You¡¯re Brigaddons. You¡¯re made of starstuff. You tear through those Urillians, through the queen herself if you have to.  We don¡¯t let them take us alive- because we don¡¯t let them take us.¡±


    ¡°I like your attitude,¡± Mary Sue said.  ¡°Orenda, I want to give you this. I finished it while we were away.  It¡¯s the last piece of your armor.¡±


    There was no box this time, no gathering of people to watch her open it.  There was only Mary Sue, taking the mask from her bag and handing it to Orenda, as if it wasn¡¯t tremendously important, as if it didn¡¯t mean everything in the world.


    ¡°Thank you, Mary,¡± Orenda said, because it was important, and it did mean everything.  Then she leaned in, wrapped her arms around her, and pulled her into a hug.


    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to take the wagon,¡± Orenda said as she stepped back and watched Sonny stick out his tongue so that snowflakes landed on it.  She didn¡¯t understand what he was doing.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°the horses are wore out.  And it would take too long.¡±


    Orenda watched as Mary Sue and Sonny did the impossible in an instant.  The Brigaddons always wore loose-fitting workclothes, and both of them began unlacing and untying the fittings.  They took off their boots and socks, and when they were barefoot in the snow, in the middle of motions, as they were putting them in their bags, they were no longer human.  It didn¡¯t seem to phase them in the slightest, as if they were used to it, as if the fact that the moons overhead were not full, not close to full, meant nothing to them.


    Sonny smiled at her, and his buck-teeth were even worse now, his large eyes were situated a little more to the side and too far apart on his head.  Long ears protruded from his head and folded over his back- his new posture forced him to crouch on his strong back legs, the tight muscles coiled there were impossibly huge- Orenda remembered the force of them from the time his brother ripped Gareth¡¯s torso open and she watched his intestines spill out.


    Sonny¡¯s sleek silver fur glistened in the snow, and his whiskers twitched.


    ¡°Get on my back,¡± He said, and Orenda was still amazed that he could speak at all.  She had seen other shifters, had seen how difficult the transformation was- and as she climbed onto his back she remembered asking Sonny, the first night they had come to the Burrow, how the Brigaddons could do it.  He had told her that she didn¡¯t want to know, and he didn¡¯t want to tell it. Orenda knew that his father had tortured it out of him- the same father he had grown angry at Gareth for insulting.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°We¡¯re nearly invisible in the snow,¡± Mary Sue said- and Orenda thought that Anilla was nearly invisible in the fabric of her traveling cloak.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Sonny said, and Orenda obeyed him as she watched Mary Sue take off in a leap- not exactly running- it could hardly be called a run if her feet barely touched the ground.


    Sonny bent until his hands were buried in the snow, and took a leap that nearly knocked Orenda off his back.  He covered so much ground in that one hop that they were in front of the house now, and he turned to the side to move into the fields.  The hood flew off her head and she was thankful for the balaclava, because even with it the snow stung her eyes and blurred her vision.


    She could barely see Mary Sue in front of her- they were moving so fast, and the snow was so strong- but she felt as if she was barely moving, as if Xren were moving around her.  Sonny stayed in the air almost exclusively, and moved so smoothly that it gave her the impression that she was floating again, as she had on Gareth¡¯s carpet. He made no sound in the snow, and because he took such long leaps, she doubted anyone could call the impressions he made ¡°tracks¡±, let alone follow them.


    He sank into the snow a little deeper than he had before, paused for a fraction of a second longer, and leapt over the stone fence separating his family¡¯s property from the plantation next to it.  They moved through these fields in the same manner, swiftly, silently, and under cover of darkness. If Mary Sue was any indication, they really were nearly invisible in the snow.


    Orenda was thankful for the sterilite armor, and in awe of how well it worked.  She was thankful for Xaxac¡¯s ingenuity and loyalty- if this armor had fallen into the hands of the Urillians, if they knew what the Brigaddons were capable of, they would have them all captured, force-feeding them starfruit so they could harvest their hair.  They may even eat the starfruit themselves, despite how poisonous it was, despite how addictive it was.


    The entire Urillian army could have been made of sterilite- impervious to magical attacks.


    Even traveling this way it took a long time.  It was a journey that should have taken days, and as they traveled through the endless of expanse of white, the sky began to turn from black to purple to orange, and the fields became smaller and smaller, dotted not with huge plantations, but more stately homes, places that looked more suited to tourism than agriculture- shops and inns for the overflow guests who could not get inside the gate.


    And to the south, Orenda saw a steep incline that led to an icy sea.  The docks were absolutely full to bursting with naval ships, and the sailors were awake and moving.  For an instant, Orenda was afraid they would see her, but then they were gone. Dawn had barely broken, but still Orenda saw a crowd near the front gate as they drew closer, and braced herself as Sonny darted behind the next building they came to, a stable by the looks of it, and stopped as suddenly as he had started.


    Mary Sue was standing there, pulling fur out of her sleeves as Orenda climbed from his back.  Sonny shifted to his human form as easily as he had become a wererabbit, and he, too, began to gather the fur that fell from his flesh.


    ¡°Guess who¡¯s super tired?¡± Sonny asked.


    ¡°I know,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°It was a long run.  Perhaps we should try to find somewhere to rest?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with that fur?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Keep it if we can, but there¡¯s so much of it,¡± Mary Sue said, ¡°Perhaps we should bury it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starving,¡± Sonny pulled a piece of starfruit out of his bag and bit into it.  ¡°But we¡¯re here. Rendy, those are the walls of Capital Town. The castle lies inside.¡±


    Mary Sue had also produced a piece of starfruit and was eating it as she leaned against the stable wall to catch her breath.  Orenda helped Sonny collect the rest of his fur, and watched him pressing it tighter and tighter. There was quite a lot of it, and she wasn¡¯t sure that shoving it into his bag on top of his supplies was the best idea.  It bulged when he finally managed to clasp it together.


    ¡°What do you think is inside the castle?¡± Mary Sue asked.


    ¡°Stolen treasure from all over the world,¡± Sonny said.  ¡°Not just Rendy¡¯s artifact.¡±


    ¡°This is too dangerous,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°You¡¯ve run all night, and you¡¯ve done all that can be expected of you.  You couldn¡¯t help me on the inside anyway. I need to get to that artifact.  There¡¯s no reason to put anyone else in danger. Anilla and I can sneak into the crowd.  With our cold weather gear it will be easier for us.¡±


    ¡°Easier for you, fire elf?¡± Mary Sue asked, ¡°In what reality?  We may be human, but humans are plentiful in the capital city. You¡¯re the only fire elf I¡¯ve ever seen on this continent.  Your mere presence is going to attract attention.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a halfling here, either,¡± Sonny said, looking at Anilla.  ¡°We need another way in. There has to be a way in.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But¡­  no one is going to like it.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sonny asked, pulling up the hood of his traveling cloak.


    ¡°In my history books,¡± Orenda said, ¡°It said that the original point of the castle was as a fortress, a stronghold.  If there was some sort of attack, some sort of massive attack, those in the surrounding area would run into the walls of the city for protection.  If¡­ several of these buildings were to go up at once, there would be a panic. Everyone would run for the city. The guards would stop checking IDs and just try to stem the flow.¡±


    ¡°While they looked for the arsonist,¡± Mary Sue said.


    ¡°While they tried to put the fires out,¡± Orenda argued, ¡°That would be the top priority, the safety of the citizens.¡±


    ¡°It would draw so much attention¡­¡± Sonny said, ¡°And¡­  people could get hurt.¡±


    ¡°When I was in school on the fire continent,¡± Orenda said, ¡°My history books said that fire mages attacked this exact area about three hundred years ago.¡±


    ¡°This plan is so violent,¡± Anilla said, ¡°Can¡¯t we just try to sneak in?¡±


    Orenda was mulling the issue over in her head, but she never had to make the decision.


    Because an impossibly loud boom broke the silence, the sort of sound that had never been heard in these parts, but a sound that Orenda identified instantly.


    People rushed from the structures dotting the walled safety of the capital to watch one of the naval ships shatter.  Orenda heard the screams, the voices raised in confusion, but none of them could match the force of the second explosion, which drowned each and every one of them out.


    Orenda had not been looking at the sea, and had not seen the ship crest the horizon- but she recognized the flag it flew, and she recognized the make, the silhouette, and the ship itself.


    The Recovery!


    The Recovery was flying the same flag as the Burned Roc, and Orenda recognized the sound of the canonfire as it swept by in a line, as the naval vessels shattered.


    In her sterilite armor, she could not accept a scry from its captain even if he sent one.  She could not know that Draco had scried Impy, who had scried Adam. She did not know that the Recovery was here for her benefit, that they were creating the very distraction she had meant to create herself.  She only knew that she had been right, that as a crowd of frightened people ran from the docks, from the buildings outside, as ship after ship was bombarded with canonfire- the guards became much more lax in their duties.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Rendy tugged Sonny by the wrist, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Mary Sue asked.


    ¡°And why is it so coincivenient?¡± Sonny asked.

 Chapter 120 - Book 3 Chapter 40

    As Orenda ran into the crowd she saw that she was not the only one wearing protection from the weather- but many people were not so fully dressed.  People were fleeing their unknown assailant in whatever they had been wearing when the first attack rang out- and the Brigaddons were not the only people running barefoot in the snow.


    The throng pushed heavily, being funneled into the gates- and she could now see that someone had put a sort of wooden barricade down the center, cutting it off vertically, because there were people coming out as well as in.  A contingent of soldiers raced past her in the opposite direction; they hadn¡¯t even looked in her direction, hadn¡¯t noticed her at all in the sea of people. They were running towards the docks, and Orenda felt the rings in her ears heat as she thought of Toli.


    She would never believe rumors of his death again.


    She was shocked at how easily they made it through the gates, but when she raised her head to look around, she found that she was alone.  She frantically whipped her head around, looking through the crowd for a glimmer of silver, but there were so many people, and the gates opened into a hall only wide enough for a carriage, and she had to push forward or be trampled.


    She came out into what seemed to be a merchant section of a large city.  She tried to get some kind of bearings, but this place was so new to her.  The biggest building in the immediate area was a large temple, and it was there that most people were fleeing.  She recognized it, but she couldn¡¯t feel the intense earth magic radiating from it that she felt she should from such a sacred place.  The Sacred Stone rested within the Sacred Earth Temple at the capital, from which the Chosen One had apparently drawn the Sacred Sword.  People came from all over the world to touch that stone, which had once housed the sword and had been chosen by Thesis, despite the fact that it now sat empty.  Orenda, having always been interested in art and the sacred texts, would have loved to see it. But it was not the time. That wasn¡¯t where she was going. And she had to take advantage of the chaos and get inside the castle.  She only had one chance.


    ¡°Where am I going?¡± Orenda asked the staff as she ran down the street.


    She didn¡¯t think about the shops on either side of her, didn¡¯t look at them or the finery within, though she was curious, and knew that this was probably the most expensive place one could live.  Everything in this city would be fit for a queen. Instead, her eyes were trained on the sky, and as she ran, she saw it.


    The castle looked exactly like a drawing out of a storybook.  The tall spires reached above the buildings Orenda was running past, made out of some sort of light grey stone.  In the places where there were roofs, green tiles had been laid out, shining in the few places they were not covered by snow.  Tall, stained glass windows adorned the bits she could see- the most prominent of which was above the entryway, and depicted a large, open rose, a symbol often associated with Xandra.


    But as Orenda neared the beautiful castle with its tall towers where storybooks told her beautiful princesses waited for white knights, she realized that real castles were military strongholds meant to protect royalty- and this one was encompassed by another wall, easily as tall and thick as the one that had surrounded the city.


    A moat surrounded this inner wall, and Orenda could smell it before she got to it.  She did not know, had no reason to know, that castles dumped their waste and sewage into the moat.  She had always thought of them as sparkling streams of water.


    There was a drawbridge that would permit entry, but it was guarded by four Urillians in uniform holding swords and shields.


    Orenda came to a stop by one of the last buildings, apparently some sort of restaurant judging by the tables outside and the lovely smells wafting from it, and watched as the soldiers stepped inside the castle walls, and listened to the clanking of chains as the drawbridge slowly rose, cutting off the place from the city outside.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Orenda said, and thought this location was a terrible place for a restaurant, because the smell of the moat was enough to turn her stomach, and wondered how they could possibly do any business.  Orenda had never been as obsessed with nobility as many Urillians, and didn¡¯t understand how many of them would be willing to smell sewage if it meant they could eat near the empress.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± Orenda asked the staff, and was beginning to get angry that it wasn¡¯t answering her.


    Then she realized that she was the one who was being an idiot.  She jerked off the baklava and stuffed it into her bag, and the second her ears were free of the sterilite she heard the voice of the staff.  It had apparently been in the middle of a sentence.


    Artifact lies in the heart of the castle.  I see it. We¡¯re so close, master! Head to the eastern side of the castle wall- in the courtyard there is an entrance that that is not well guarded.


    ¡°An entrance into the castle?  Or into the courtyard?¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The castle, master, from the courtyard.


    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t help me get over the giant bloody wall, does it?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°And the moat is wider than I am tall!  Am I meant to wade through shit?¡±


    When you have the artifact, master, you will have power beyond your wildest dreams.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question!¡± Orenda snarled.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Anilla came sprinting up to her, ¡°There you are!  I lost everyone in the crowd! The castle is so beautiful!¡±


    Slay the halfling, master!  She will betray you!


    ¡°Where are Mary Sue and Sonny?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Anilla said.  ¡°I got lost in the crowd.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­  we need to get into the castle from the eastern side,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Ok!¡± Anilla said, and took off in that direction at a sprint without waiting for further instruction.


    Orenda cursed and followed her.  The buildings around them thinned until there was nothing left, and the inner wall nearly met the outer wall.  Only the moat ran between them.


    Orenda studied it for some time, and looked up as the snow fell softly around them.


    ¡°Anilla,¡± she asked, ¡°I once saw Bella float a barrel of rum across an open sea.  If I jump- can you carry me across this moat?¡±


    ¡°I think so?¡± Anilla said, ¡°But you¡¯re so heavy!  And you¡¯ll hit the wall!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about the wall,¡± Orenda said as she peeled away her gloves and stuffed them into her bag, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to fall into that foul smelling mess.  That¡¯s actually how I¡¯ve lived my life in regards to everything about the nobility. I should have taken Gareth¡¯s carpet.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t fly us,¡± Anilla said, ¡°But if I¡­  maybe ride on your back or something I can probably keep us in the air, give us enough momentum to cross.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But mind the staff.  I don¡¯t know if it being wrapped up will be enough to keep it from burning you.  It really doesn¡¯t care for you.¡±


    ¡°The staff doesn¡¯t like me?¡± Anilla asked, as if the prospect hurt her feelings, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s altogether disagreeable, in general,¡± Orenda said as she knelt, and Anilla frowned as she dug her wand out of her bag, then climbed onto Orenda¡¯s back.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Anilla said chipperly, clinging fiercely to Orenda¡¯s shoulder with one arm, and her waist with her legs.  The staff didn¡¯t seem to be hurting her. Orenda backed up as far as she could, took a long run, and when she ran out of ground, she leaped for all she was worth.


    It felt as if she just kept going, as if she really was so strong that she was able to clear it herself.  Nothing about the speed or momentum changed, and that meant it was over far more quickly than she had anticipated.  Orenda was thankful she had been training, but it wasn¡¯t enough. She hit the side of the wall with a sickening crack, face first, and felt something in her jaw snap.


    ¡°Rendy?¡± Anilla asked with panic in her voice as they began to fall backwards, and Orenda worked through the daze in her brain, scrambling at the wall with her hands.


    The stone melted, and they did not fall.


    Anilla reached around her, took her face in one hand, and Orenda felt the cool, fresh air that took away of the stench below them, and felt the thing that had been knocked loose in her jaw tighten back up.  She moved the inside of her mouth back and forth and felt a terrible pain, but she suspected she had broken her jaw, and was thankful that it worked at all.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, and felt the strain in the shoulder of the arm she was using to cling to the wall.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Anilla said cheerfully.


    Orenda swung herself back and around and dug into the wall with her other hand, and began to climb.  She heaved herself up as far as she could, and it was much easier when she was able to get her feet into the handholds she had created.  She and Anilla were much heavier now than she had been, alone, as a child, but the wall was not much taller than a single story. She estimated it was, perhaps a story and a half, a little shorter than the outer wall.  It would be easy for anyone to see what she was doing, and she didn¡¯t even try to close the stone behind her.


    She hated the snow and the cold that bit into her, but she was stronger.  She was in the heart of the Urillian empire, the heart of the earth elves.  She was a fire, burning brightly in the middle of the forest. And she told herself, as she heaved her body onto the terrace at the top of this thick wall and rose on unsteady legs, that she was the most dangerous person in this place.  It only took a spark to burn down a forest, and she was a raging fire.


    She panted, and took in the cold air, then turned to look out over the other side of the wall.  It was beautiful now, but she suspected it was breathtaking in the spring. The front garden was vast, sloping a little, and Orenda was sure that when there was life here, when all the bushes and trees were in bloom, it would have been one of the most beautiful places in the world.


    She could see that there were vast tracts of land off to the side and back of the place as well.  It stretched so far and held so much, all under cover of snow. There was practically another city inside the inner walls, with buildings, people, and animals.


    There were so many soldiers.


    But Orenda saw the place that the staff had been talking about.  An area to the side of the castle had what she thought may be a row of greenhouses, and beside them was an entrance, presumably for the servants to use.  There were no guards stationed at the door, but they did walk in paths around the grounds. They seemed to move like clockwork on preset paths, and Orenda thought that if she studied them long enough, she could figure them out and exploit them.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± A voice rang out from her side, ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing and keep your hands where I can see them!¡±


    Orenda turned to see a group of three Urillian soldiers with bows drawn and arrows notched, pointing right at her.

 Chapter 121- Book 3 Chapter 41

    Slay them, master!  The staff suggested.  They are in your way.  The artifact is stolen!  It belongs to you, and it rests in the heart of the castle.


    ¡°Get down, Rendy!¡± Anilla said with much more force than Orenda had ever heard her speak.  It was so forceful, and so unexpected, that she dropped out of instinct.


    The snow around them became less like little soft fluttering things, and more like crystals of ice as the winds changed.  The storm above them raged like an angry god, and a gale so fierce it shook the wall where Orenda lay, but she was flat on her stomach, and though her traveling cloak traveled with the winds, she did not.


    The guards had not been so fortunate.  They had not expected it, could not expect it, and Orenda watched the gale knock them off balance, into the stonework, and one by one off the side of the wall and tumbling down into the moat below.  In a moment, it was over, and Anilla was panting above her.


    ¡°The winds of change are blowing!¡± Anilla giggled, and grabbed Orenda by the hand in an attempt to tug her to her feet, ¡°But we have to go!  I know that as soon as they can, they¡¯ll scream!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orenda agreed.  The soldiers had apparently come out of a very thin tower on the top of the fence- there were many situated around the top, much more visible from her current vantage than they had been below.


    Orenda shoved herself to her feet, and Anilla followed her as she ran into it.  There was nothing in there but a staircase and a few drinks sitting on the banister, so Orenda took the winding, spiraling wooden staircase, praying that the Brigaddons were alive and had the good sense to stay out of the castle.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Anilla asked as she followed behind.


    ¡°The artifact is in the heart of the castle,¡± Orenda explained to Anilla, ¡°Once I have it, I¡¯ll have nothing to fear.  I¡¯ll have all the power of the Chosen One, the avatar of a god.¡±


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Anilla said seriously, ¡°I think my dragon may be in the castle.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Orenda whispered as she paused.  The staircase terminated in another thin room with nothing in it but a door.


    ¡°It¡¯s a timeless tale,¡± Anilla said, ¡°the beautiful dragon held captive by the evil princess.¡±


    ¡°One can only hope,¡± Orenda said, hoping the sarcasm she felt did not come out in her voice.  ¡°Prepare yourself, darling. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen when I open this door.¡±


    ¡°I am prepared!¡± Anilla promised.  ¡°When I decided to travel, I promised myself I would always be prepared for anything!¡±


    ¡°Is that how you stay so optimistic?¡± Orenda asked with a chuckle.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Anilla said, ¡°When you¡¯re prepared for anything, you can have confidence!  And when you have confidence you don¡¯t panic. And when you don¡¯t panic, you can survive anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­  actually quite sound advice, darling,¡± Orenda said- but she could not stop thinking about the scry Anilla had sent, when she thought no one had been listening.  Orenda considered asking her about it now.


    The halfling will betray you, master.


    But overall, Anilla had been nothing but helpful.  She had healed her, moments ago, and disposed of the soldiers.  It was entirely possible that she was just a private person, who didn¡¯t scry her family in front of others.  There was a huge difference, one that Orenda knew well, between something that was a secret, and something that was simply none of your business.


    So she took a deep breath, and opened the door.


    Whatever Anilla had done to make the storm rage more fiercely had not ended as Orenda had thought it had.  She didn¡¯t remember fighting through the howling winds and blinding snow when they were running across the top of the wall, but down here she couldn¡¯t see an inch in front of her face.  The world was a sheet of white, and the wind blew so fiercely it jerked the door from her hand, and it snapped with a loud CRACK on its hinges.


    ¡°Stick to the wall,¡± Orenda said, ¡°And maybe they won¡¯t see us.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Anilla shook her head, ¡°They¡¯ll huddle against the walls for warmth and shelter.  We have to just make a run for it.¡±


    Do not trust the halfling, master!


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Orenda snapped at the staff.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Not you, darling, the staff is annoying me.  As if now is the time for trivial nonsense. Staff, love, I need you to get me to that door.  I can¡¯t see anything in this snow and it gives me a terrible headache. Without the mask I¡¯m not sure I can see.  It¡¯s like being on a ship or in a bathhouse.¡±


    I will guide you, master.  The staff promised.


    ¡°Hold my hand!¡± Anilla suggested, so Orenda took it.


    She retreated for only a moment to the relative safety of the small room, steeled her courage, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Then she ran, tugging Anilla with her, into the blinding storm.


    Her head began to ache, and her vision swam- but it wasn¡¯t particularly important, because all she would have seen, had she been able to see, would have been the storm, the pure white sheet of nothingness, the blinding light of it all.  Orenda tried not to think of the home she had never known, of the pure white death upon the Sacred Mountain. That was ash, not snow. It was not the biting cold she saw now, not the living storm that she fought through.


    She tried not to think of the many, many soldiers she had seen from the top of the wall, and hoped that they were as blinded as she was.  Elves could see in the dark, but they could do nothing in the blinding light, the white expanse that reflected too much from the diffused rays of the sun behind the clouds.  They could not see her, she told herself, they could not see anything.


    She tried not to think of the legends, of the blinding light that radiated from the Emerald Knight.  She tried not to think of her father on the battlefield, of how that light was the last thing he ever saw.  She tried not to think of anything but moving forward, following the directions of the staff. She didn¡¯t know if Anilla was speaking or not; the winds howled as loudly as Bella.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    She tried not to think of Bella, of how she may never return to her, never see her again.


    And then Orenda saw a wooden door, standing out against the blank white canvas, and she jerked it open.  She knew to expect the wind this time, and she fought it as Anilla rushed past her and into the castle. Orenda stepped over the threshold and fought the storm, tugging the door closed.


    They were inside.


    Orenda was inside a castle.


    It was painfully ordinary.


    They had emerged into something that was obviously meant for servants, a type of storage room with no door, and beyond was a long hall with a staircase.  The walls were stone and damp, but they protected from the wind and snow, and Orenda felt her headache dissipate as her vision began to clear. She waited for this process to complete, for her to come to herself, while Anilla hunted around on the shelves in the storeroom.


    ¡°It¡¯s all arrows and plates,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t plates,¡± Orenda said, ¡°They¡¯re targets.  One throws them into the air and tries to shoot them down.  It helps with,¡± Orenda saw her mother breaking rank and firing on her commanding officer so quickly none of the other archers had expected it, ¡°Bird hunting, I believe.  It helps with speed.¡±


    Master, the artifact lies in the heart of the castle.  Take this hall until you see a stone staircase leading upward.


    ¡°I see it now,¡± Orenda said.


    Not that one, master.  Move forward.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Orenda said, and pulled up the hood that had blown off her head in the storm.  Then to the staff she said, ¡°How close are we?¡±


    Nearly close enough to touch, master.  I feel it so strongly. Soon, we will be whole.


    As Orenda moved down the hall one of the stone walls abruptly ended, replaced by green curtains, and she turned to Anilla and put a finger to her lips.


    ¡°Alright, who¡¯s running drinks?¡± a voice said on the other side.


    ¡°No one¡¯s skimming off the top,¡± Came another voice, ¡°Those nobles drink like it¡¯s Eishtar.  My shoulder¡¯s fucking killing me.¡±


    ¡°You can tell the prince is back.  Somebody run down to the wine cellar and just- just take a dishpan and pretend you¡¯re clearing a table.  Fill it as full as you can. That¡¯s all I know to do. They¡¯ll never leave now. Not with that storm blowing in.¡±


    Orenda picked up the pace, forgoing stealth for speed, and rounded a corner, then peeked around it to watch a human man part the curtains and step into the hall carrying an empty dishpan the size of his torso.  He was singing as he walked, and the tune surprised Orenda.


    ¡°He looked a lightning flash,


    They say he seemed so bright,


    No mortal would dare to clash,


    Against the Emerald Knight.¡±


    When he made to turn, Orenda realized he was coming her way, and jerked back to the wall.


    Keep going, master.  The staff said, You have no need to fear these mortals.  You are better than this. The artifact lies at the heart of the castle.  You are the Chosen One. It waits for you.


    Orenda began to walk, as quickly and silently as she could, trying to keep ahead of the man.  The castle was huge, and she understood the purpose of the catacomb-like halls she was traveling through.  They were meant to keep the slaves out of sight. The queen would never have to see the people who kept up her lifestyle, if she didn¡¯t want to.  Orenda wondered how many of the rumors about Xandra were true. She wondered if she really could see into people¡¯s minds- if she really already knew they were inside the castle.


    That is the staircase, master.


    Orenda saw what the staff was talking about, though all the halls and staircases looked the same to her.  She was happy to be on a different level, one that may be much more secluded, but those hopes were dashed instantly.  There were so many people, so close to her, that she felt the magic burning in them without even opening herself up to look for it.  She couldn¡¯t see through the thick curtains, and for a long time they were so silent that she thought perhaps something was wrong with her ability to detect magic.


    Then she heard the sound of heavy footfalls, and an authoritarian voice that reminded her of Quorius when he thought he was being intimidating.


    ¡°Listen up!¡± The voice said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard rumors about the attacks on the docks outside.  The ship is flying the flag of the Burned Roc, so we have to assume it¡¯s Captain Nochdifache. I never thought he would get this bold, but it¡¯s possible that those terrorists will make an attempt on the queen¡¯s life.  Most of the visiting nobility have gathered in the great hall- they¡¯re nervous. But we¡¯re going forward with the feast to celebrate the return of our men and women in uniform, and the final artifact. No one except members of the royal family will be allowed in this wing.  Turn them away. I don¡¯t care how drunk they are.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± a chorus of voices answered.


    ¡°Who was on duty up here?¡± The first voice asked, and Orenda heard no response, so assumed people had raised their hands, because the voice continued, ¡°Alright good.  Let¡¯s have Holone and Ayla join you.¡±


    ¡°Sir, this is ridiculous,¡± A female voice said, ¡°No one is going to come up here!  They can¡¯t even get into the castle in this storm.¡±


    ¡°So it should be an easy shift,¡± the original male voice said.


    ¡°But I want to go to the ball!¡± the female voice argued.


    ¡°People in hell want ice water,¡± The original voice said in such a manner that Orenda could feel the indifferent shrug in it.


    Do you feel that, master?  The staff asked, that powerful earth magic?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said in a whisper so low not even Anilla heard her, ¡°But these are mages who protect the empress.  I would expect them to be strong.¡±


    It isn¡¯t the mages, master, The staff said, It is the protection magic.  Those magical wards protect the artifact.


    ¡°We¡¯re that close?¡± Orenda asked in alarm.


    ¡°Sir,¡± a different female voice said, ¡°Do you feel that?¡±


    The many voices beyond the curtain went silent.


    Orenda looked down and thought that the sterilite should block her magic signature.  It was covering her heart, and anything leaking from her hands or face should be far too weak to pick up, especially with the magical wards glowing like a beacon.


    She thought of the storm raging outside.


    And she looked down at Anilla.


    Shit.


    The curtain flew open in front of her face, and Orenda stared into the dark eyes of an earth elven man in full military regalia.  Beyond him she saw a long, exquisitely decorated hall, finer than even the inside of the manion the Order had taken from Tolith¡¯s father.  The walls were lined with exquisite tapestries and beautiful paintings, but Orenda was not interested in the opulence and beauty.


    She was interested in the hardened soldier staring directly into her eyes.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°A fire elf!¡± He said, and Orenda recognized his voice as that of their leader.  He seemed momentarily taken aback, shocked by her very existence.


    ¡°An earth elf!¡± Orenda mimicked him exactly, in tone and cadence.

 Chapter 122 - Book 3 Chapter 42

    Orenda had always been good at math, and with a quick scan she counted 24 soldiers.  She didn¡¯t particularly like those odds, one to twelve, given that they were probably the strongest, most highly trained Urillians she would ever meet.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± The man asked, and after a beat he further asked, ¡°Nochdifache?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, so thrown by the situation that she couldn¡¯t process how he had guessed her name.  A beat of silence passed between them, as they stared into each other¡¯s eyes, neither breaking contact.  Orenda saw the other soldiers move into formation and draw weapons in her peripheral vision, and wished her brain would do anything other than present a blank slate.


    ¡°You¡¯re a woman?¡± The man asked as if the fact shocked him as much as her race.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said, and finally began to grow insulted.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be here,¡± the man said as if it was obvious, because it was, ¡°You¡¯re under arrest!¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Orenda said, because it was the only thing that popped into her mind.  She didn¡¯t really understand why they were having a conversation rather than fighting, and the man didn¡¯t seem to understand either.  They had each shocked the other into a stalemate, and the reality of the situation had not yet really sunk in for Orenda, so she continued, ¡°I¡¯d like you to get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re under arrest!¡± The man said again, and moved as if he was going to put a hand on her arm.


    Slay them, master.


    ¡°All of them?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of them.¡±


    ¡°And what the hell is that thing?¡± The man asked, looking down at Anilla.  He did touch Orenda¡¯s arm, far more forcefully than she was comfortable with, and Orenda scowled down at him.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I need you to let go of me.  I don¡¯t want you touching me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re under arrest,¡± The man said again, and Orenda looked around at all the weapons drawn on her.


    Reality finally hit her, and she realized that even one of those arrows could go into her brain and end her life.  That one of those swords could pierce some vital organ- that sterilite protected from magic, but not every soldier was a mage.


    ¡°Why?¡± She said, because it was the only thing she could think to say.


    ¡°Treason, murder, trespassing, conspiracy,¡± the man said, and he sounded as if he meant to go on, but Orenda cut him off.


    ¡°You know,¡± she said, ¡°That¡¯s fair enough, I suppose.  It really is. I haven¡¯t been thinking about it that way.¡±


    Orenda thought that she sounded very much like her Uncle Gareth, and she suddenly understood why he spoke the way he did.  The Urillians were so far removed from reality that it was almost hilarious, in a ¡®laugh so you don¡¯t cry¡¯ sort of way. They really were going to kill her, and the prospect was so ridiculous that she began to laugh so hard she had to throw her free hand over her face.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Bring her before the empress!¡± The man said.


    ¡°Oh, certainly,¡± Orenda laughed, ¡°That¡¯s where I was going anyway.  The bitch is probably in my chair!¡±


    ¡°Would anyone like a drink?¡± A man asked, and as ridiculous as it already was, the situation somehow got even worse, because Orenda looked up to see Sonny Brigaddon wearing a servant¡¯s uniform and carrying a tray on his shoulder that was loaded with glasses of some sort of clear, fragrant alcohol.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be up here!¡± One of the soldiers said.


    ¡°Well now, I¡¯m terrible sorry,¡± Sonny said, ¡°I was told to bring refreshments.  Am I in the wrong place?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± another soldier snapped.


    ¡°Is that a fire elf?¡± Sonny asked in mock alarm, staring at Orenda.


    ¡°Will someone scry the queen and tell them we¡¯ve caught Captain Nochdifache?¡± Their leader asked, and Orenda saw one of the soldier¡¯s staves begin to light.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that, sir,¡± Sonny said, and when no one paid him any mind he threw the tray, drinks and all, so hard that when it hit the soldier Orenda heard a sickening crack.  The force of it knocked the soldier into the wall behind him, and when he fell, he left a trail of blood. Whatever was in those glasses went flying, splashing all over everyone in the vicinity; the smell of it alone nearly knocked Orenda off her feet.


    The soldiers could not believe what they had just seen, and in the second it took them to process what had happened, Sonny took a bow. He went down a human, but he came up a monster.  The uniform he wore ripped to shreds with his new bulk, then the soldiers sprang into action.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Orenda demanded, but the man holding her elected, instead, to draw his sword.  Orenda¡¯s eyes widened as he drew back his hand to stab her, so she leaned into him, on the arm he was holding, and used that hand to cast.


    The man screamed as the medallion and her earrings glowed, and Orenda felt his blood boil in his veins.  The hand attached to the arm he was holding buried into his abdomen, where he kept his vital organs, and they sizzled as they cooked.  For a moment he seemed not to understand, not to know what was happening, and Orenda reached up with her other hand to grab the wrist of the hand holding the sword- and then the man was a cooked piece of meat.


    The smell of it filled the hall, and Orenda stared at this thing that had once been a living, feeling, thinking person, but was now an inanimate object.


    Then she looked up to see Sonny jump and kick out with his strong back legs.  The soldier¡¯s head spun as he kicked it, and when he went down, he did not get back up.  But there were so many of them.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Orenda screamed over the chaos.


    ¡°Information gathering!¡± Sonny yelled back, then to the soldiers he said, ¡°catch me if you can, motherfuckers!¡±  And went sprinting off down the hallway.


    He had obviously meant this as a distraction, a diversion, to get the soldiers away from Orenda and Anilla, and Orenda suspected it was a well calculated move.


    But apparently not all rabbits were good at math.


    Some of the soldiers did follow Sonny, but there were so many of them that a good ten of them turned to face Orenda.  The way they stood spoke of knowledge and practice- each covered the weaknesses of the others, and Orenda had to admire them for their sheer skill.  Part of her was not sure that she could win this fight.


    Slay them, master.


    But the other part of her was a pirate, a Knight of Order, and the chosen avatar of a god.


    ¡°I advise you,¡± Orenda said, ¡°To think very carefully about the decision you are making.¡±  She reached behind her and unwrapped the staff, then held it in front of her as if it were not a useless, pretty thing, but an actual weapon, ¡°I am the chosen child of Thesis.  I have pulled this Sacred Staff from the Sacred Flames of the Sacred Mountain Temple and I am giving you this one chance to walk away with your lives. None of you have to die today.  You can leave now.¡±


    She took a step forward.


    ¡°Or you can sizzle when you die like your dear captain.¡±

 Chapter 123 - Book 3 Chapter 43

    Orenda was confused that the staff did not seem to impress them.


    It occurred to her that Urillians on the earth continent, all the way in the capital, may not know about the Sacred Staff.


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache,¡± One of the soldiers stepped forward, ¡°You are under arrest, for treason-¡±


    ¡°My god,¡± Orenda said, ¡°You people really do always list that first.  Don¡¯t you understand that I don¡¯t want to hurt you? You¡¯re forcing my hand!  You stole something from me and I would like it back. Look at that guy!¡± She pointed to the charred corpse spread out on the floor, ¡°Who even is that?  I¡¯m sure he had a name, perhaps a family, perhaps he liked to play cards with his friends every Tuesday night, perhaps he liked to go to the temple and pray to Thesis.  This was a person! And now he¡¯s not! And I have to live with that! Don¡¯t you understand that? Why are you doing this to me? Why don¡¯t you just leave and let me get what I came here for?  I don¡¯t want you to die! Can¡¯t you understand that?¡±


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache,¡± the soldier began again, ¡°You are under arrest for-¡±


    ¡°I am not Captain Nochdifache!¡± Orenda yelled, ¡°I¡­  I can¡¯t believe¡­ I can¡¯t understand what is happening right now.  There¡¯s no reason for you to die. I can¡¯t¡­ you could walk away. I told you you could walk away.¡±


    Slay them, master.


    ¡°I would rather not!¡± Orenda lamented, ¡°That¡¯s¡­  that¡¯s what they do to us, isn¡¯t it? But they aren¡¯t¡­  they aren¡¯t toys or the like. These are real people.¡±


    They will kill you, master.  They want you dead. They are trying to kill Sonny.


    ¡°But they¡¯re people!¡± Orenda argued, and she knew that to the Urillian soldiers, she looked mad.


    ¡°Captain Nochdifache,¡± the soldier said, ¡°If you come with us, if you don¡¯t resist any further, we will bring you, peacefully, to the queen.¡±  His eyes were so kind as he went on, ¡°It can all end, today. You don¡¯t have to do this anymore. No one else needs to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°You took the artifact from the Sacred Mountain Temple, you destroyed my people, and I need it back.  You have to return it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then get out of my way,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°Just get out of my way, and I won¡¯t have to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, mam,¡± the soldier said, ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything.  But I have to protect the queen. And you killed Theodmer while we watched.  There¡¯s a monster loose in the castle. You have to come with us. There¡¯s no other choice.  I don¡¯t want to fight you, either.¡±


    ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t want to fight me,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I killed a group of Urillian soldiers when I was a child.  I burned them to death. Sometimes, I still hear the screaming. I suppose¡­ what is your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Corym,¡± the soldier said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been a monster, Cory,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  Now, move or die.¡±


    ¡°If you won¡¯t come peacefully, I¡¯ll have to use force,¡± Corym drew his sword, and Orenda raised her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she warned, but he swung from the bottom up, and Orenda cast as she jerked backwards.  He was faster than her, and as his sword cut into her cheek so deeply there was now no difference between the inside of her mouth and the outside, she let out a shriek, of pain, of disbelief, of unbridled rage at the sheer lack of necessity.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Anilla shrieked with her, because the wound had split her face completely open on that side, and Orenda cast out of instinct.  She had never seen a flame so large and out of control as it filled the hall, and Anilla did not like the look of madness in Orenda¡¯s eyes.


    Orenda didn¡¯t understand why the flame grew so out of control so quickly.  She was in pain, blood was leaking from her destroyed face and her flesh had fallen so that she could feel the air on the inside of her mouth.  She didn¡¯t understand that Sonny had primed the area to burn because she was unfamiliar with Urillian drinks and did not know that the corn whiskey was such a powerful flame accelerant that Junior thought he could harness the potential energy to fuel machines.  She did not think of those things, did not think of anything but the pain in her face, the scar she would have if it ever healed at all, and the sheer unnecessity of all of it.


    But the fire was out of control as she cast it, licking up not only the soldiers but the rugs, the tapestries, everything it touched until the environment burned to ash down to the stone under the walls.  The smell of the unseasoned meat baking in the armor overpowered the alcohol, but Orenda¡¯s mind would not process it. It would not allow her to take in the screams, the pops of crackling fat, the sizzle of cooking muscle, the feeling of magic signatures flaring up in so many hearts so greatly, crying out in so much pain and desperation that it was brighter than even the fire she was still casting.


    Slay them, master.


    ¡°I am,¡± Orenda thought.


    She pulled her gaping flesh closed as tightly as she could and tried to melt it back together.  The wound was deep, and the flesh singed, melted, and cooked. The pain was unbearable, but Orenda found that she felt almost none of it.  There was something wrong with her, and she didn¡¯t know what it was.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Rendy,¡± Anilla dug around in her bag and pulled out one of the potions she sometimes brewed.  Orenda took it, and looked at it- she had forgotten for a moment what it was, forgotten for a moment where she was, but she downed it, and thought about the scar she was certainly going to have on her face.


    She thought the soldiers were dead.


    But they were not, not all of them.


    They were burned; their flesh had melted, and pooled into lumps.  They were unrecognizable as things that had once been elves- they were storybook monsters, ugly and pained and difficult to look upon- but still some of them stood, braced on walls or slumped on the floor, and one of the mages was glowing, trying desperately to heal himself, or perhaps one of the others.


    Orenda realized that these people had not seen a fire mage in two hundred years.


    She realized Gareth was a legend.


    She had killed about half the guards that had remained in the blast that had worn her thin, and she was weak.  She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to cast a spell like that again. She wondered if they knew that.


    None of them were moving to attack her anymore.


    But the mage could scry for reinforcements.


    So Orenda reached into her bag, pulled out the gun Junior had made, and like she had seen Gareth do so many times, she clicked back the hammer, aimed for his head- he was so close in the hallway- and squeezed the trigger.


    His head exploded like Toli¡¯s ear.  It went slamming into the wall, and what had been his brain now stained the ash of the tapestry that had once hung there.


    The gun kicked hard, and Orenda had forgotten it would.  Her arm flew up of its own accord hard enough that she heard a loud pop, and knew that something had happened to her shoulder.  At the workhouse she had seen enough people snap their joints out of socket that she recognized what it was instantly, and her first instinct was to fix it, so she slammed herself, hard, into the stone wall.


    There was no going back, now.


    ¡°Anyone who does not want to die, run to a healer immediately,¡± Orenda said.  ¡°I am the chosen child of Thesis, and a Pirate Princess. Tell your queen that I have come to knock her off of her throne.  Tell her that I am death, that I have always been death.¡± She paused and said, ¡°Well, she¡¯s psychic, she can probably hear me herself.  Xandra!¡± Orenda screamed to no one in particular, ¡°I am the true Chosen Child of Thesis! Come to knock you off of your throne! Can you hear me?  Do you believe me?¡±


    Gareth was right about madness.  It was easy to fall into, once you had earned it.  Orenda was not exactly sure where she was. She was not exactly sure what she was doing.  Everything felt hazy and far away; nothing felt real. She felt as if she were underwater again, or behind a wall, or underground.  There was something between herself and reality, and she knew it was there, and she knew that if she could break through it she could feel normal again.


    She steadied herself the next time, as she had seen Gareth do, with her legs apart supporting her core, and expected the recoil.  She suspected that the weapon Junior had made was easier to use than the one Falsie had made for Gareth, because it was much more accurate than she had expected.  But then again, Orenda, like her mother before her, had always had impeccable aiming abilities.


    As she raised the gun again and again against these dripping, melted corpses, these monsters, she knew, where she was, far away from herself, that they were people.  She knew that what she was doing was an abomanal act, that no child of any god, let alone his chosen avatar, would ever commit. She had told them they had hope of survival, and she didn¡¯t know why.  Not even demons dwelt in false hope. She knew that it should be difficult, that she should feel pain, both physical and mental, because the scar on her face was not the only one she received. The soldiers did not go down easily, but Orenda was not there, and did not remember the bloodshed.  She was confused that her wrist was leaking blood, and as she cauterize the wound she thought that perhaps someone had tried to cut it off as she was killing them.


    She knew that nothing moved in the hall anymore.  No heart beat aside from the one in her chest and-


    Slay the halfling, master.  She will betray you.


    Anilla was crying.


    Anilla was looking up at her with fear in her eyes.


    Orenda slammed, hard into her body, so hard that it nearly knocked her off her feet.


    Everything hurt.  Every single piece of her hurt, and the hall smelled of cooked flesh and boiled blood.


    She doubled over at the sight of it, and was afraid she would throw up.


    ¡°They were going to kill us, Ani,¡± She said, ¡°God help me they were- Ani help me!  Help me, I¡¯m dying!¡±


    The artifact is in the room before you, master.  You are in the heart of the castle. It was stolen from you.  You must retrieve it.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ok, Rendy,¡± Anilla laid a hand on her face, ¡°It¡¯s¡­  I mean, it¡¯s not ok. But it¡¯s ok. It will be. I think¡­ I think today is the end.  I think after today it will all be over. And we¡¯ll never have to do anything like this ever again.  Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s get what we came here for, ok? And then when it¡¯s over we can think about it, and we can figure it out.  I¡­ I know you¡¯re scared. I¡¯m scared too. I don¡¯t¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel real, does it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, and wiped away her tears, ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel at real at all.¡±


    ¡°I only have two more potions,¡± Anilla said, ¡°I wish¡­  I think, Rendy¡­ maybe we should have tried to talk to her.  Maybe we should have tried that first.¡±


    Orenda laughed through her tears.


    ¡°The woman is a genocidal warmonger,¡± Orenda said, ¡°This isn¡¯t a tea party.  I came here to dethrone the queen and defeat the Emerald Knight. I¡­ I knew what I had to do.¡±


    Orenda thought of Ali.  Of how he had thought he had known what he would have to do.  It¡¯s one thing to think of it, and another to do it.


    ¡°If this is what we¡¯re doing,¡± Anilla said, ¡°We should do it faster.  There will be more of them and they will not like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Orenda said, ¡°We have to be solution oriented.  Do you think you could¡­ no, I couldn¡¯t make you touch them. I¡¯m certain the door will be locked.  I wonder if one of them has the key.¡±


    The two women stared out over the sea of corpses, and Orenda felt her stomach trying to turn again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­  I¡¯ll just pick the lock,¡± Orenda said.

 Chapter 124 - Book 3 Chapter 44

    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, Rendy,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about me, too,¡± Orenda said as she followed the advice of her staff and stopped at a door that had been almost directly in front of them. She would have to do this here- in the hall of corpses.


    ¡°You look really bad,¡± Anilla said, ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡±


    ¡°I want to save the potions for the queen,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°I may have to fight her.¡±


    The wards here were so powerful that Orenda could feel them without even putting her hand against the door. This was the thing that she had mistaken for a group of powerful mages. It radiated so strongly that she knew, had she been in her right mind, she would have been intimidated. As it was, she was still having great difficulty feeling anything at all.


    So she knelt, and she rolled out the kit that Gareth had taught her to use, and slowly, one by one, she made minute, small adjustments to clockwork pieces until she felt them slide into place. It was difficult to do without knowing what the key was supposed to look like, and Orenda wondered how long it would be until backup arrived for the soldiers she had slain. She tried not to think about them. She knew she would likely have to kill again, before the day was out, and she tried not to think about that, either.


    ¡°Watch my back,¡± Orenda told Anilla, ¡°Keep an eye out for me. I don¡¯t know how many more are coming.¡±


    ¡°Do you think,¡± Anilla asked, after a few long minutes of silence, ¡°That sometimes good people do horrible things, for good reasons? Or do you think that all bad things are bad?¡±


    ¡°I think there are no good people, Ani,¡± Orenda said, ¡°We¡¯re¡­ Xac was right. We¡¯re all going to die, and I suppose I¡¯m going to deserve it. It must have really¡­ really fucked him up. To be made to¡­ forced to¡­ those Urillians saw it as a sport.¡±


    The first of god knew how many tiny, tiny metal pieces slid into place, and Orenda held it there as she moved on to the next.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Anilla agreed. ¡°I hope Sonny and Mary Sue are alright.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re made of sterilite,¡± Orenda said as another piece slid into place. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry, Ani but I can¡¯t talk right now. I can¡¯t think. If I think, I¡¯ll break down. I can¡¯t do it. I have to get in here. I¡¯m so close to the artifact. And if this one doesn¡¯t work I¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do. This is my last hope. If this one doesn¡¯t work, I will die today, and I will deserve it. But the Order won¡¯t. If they capture me and they take me to Xandra and she can see inside my head¡­ I know too much. So I can¡¯t let that happen. I can¡¯t let them take me alive. Either this artifact works, or I die today.¡±


    Another piece clicked into place.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rendy,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°I could have married Felaern,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I could have forgotten about the Order and taught magic to children, until the revolution came. I could have married Toli, and spent the rest of my life sailing the sea. I could have stayed with Gareth, after I finally found him. I could have gotten here faster and warned Xaxac, or gone to Bubby and Ali and traveled with a djinn. I could have done so many things, Ani, and I think I made¡­ I think life is a series of choices, and I make consistently bad ones.¡±


    Another piece clicked into place as Orenda thought of Bubbider¡¯s child, and the world she wanted to give it. Was a world created by someone like her really worth having?


    ¡°This is the world though,¡± Anilla said. ¡°There is no world where you did things differently. This is what¡¯s happening now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Orenda said as the final piece slid into place and she turned the lock, ¡°This is the world. There is no other.¡±


    She tugged on her balaclava, then slid on her gloves and stood. She pushed open the door, and saw the ward, so thick that it was visible with her physical eyes, visible to non-mages. It pulsated blue, and flowed like water. Orenda thought that was odd. Xandra was an earth elf. There would be no reason for her to cast out of her element. The ward made no sense. It didn¡¯t even move like a normal water spell, it grew from the ground up like an earth spell. It was, without a doubt, a water spell that had been cast by an earth mage.


    Orenda thought that Xandra had lost her mind.


    Then she took a moment to appreciate the feeling of sterilite against her skin.


    And stepped through the ward.


    It felt like nothing, nothing at all, and she wondered if this was how the Brigaddons lived. As soon as she was across the threshold she ripped off the mask and took in the room.


    It was filled with wonders.


    The sorts of things that were neatly arranged on those shelves were the sort of things that should be in museums, or given to scholars. There was an entire shelf of books that looked old and worn, and Orenda wanted more than anything to go through them. There were outfits hung up on walls that gave off intense magical energies, in many colors, but all on one shockingly small size. There was armor of every kind and style, from the smallest pieces to full sets. There were weapons of every imaginable type, some hung on walls, some on shelves. There were all types of jewelry, all of which radiated with magical energy, and all sorts of boxes of all sizes and shapes.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The artifact lies in that chest, master. The staff said when Orenda¡¯s eyes fell upon a medium-sized chest, one of many and not particularly distinct or magical. Orenda walked up and tried to open it, but, of course, it was locked.


    She sighed and fell to her knees, peeled off her gloves, and once again unrolled the lock-picking kit. There were magical wards as well, again she felt the spells, flowing like water but growing like earth- but they dissipated as soon as she touched it.


    She didn¡¯t know what to make of that.


    The injuries she had sustained were beginning to throb, and Orenda realized that her adrenalyn, or whatever had pulled her through the fight, was wearing off. She felt weary, but she had to keep moving forward. The task was slow, repetitive, and required every ounce of her concentration- but the situation was strange, and she didn¡¯t understand why the wards had dissipated without her having to do anything.


    The artifact calls out to you, master. The staff said, It longs to be whole.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Oh what fresh hell is this?¡± The voice was youthful, but strangely jaded. It sounded like a teenage Urillian boy. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I just¡­ can¡¯t¡­ I need¡­ I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Anilla said, and Orenda cursed and tried to move quickly.


    ¡°A halfling?¡± The boy had the thickest Urillian accent Orenda had ever heard. She barely understood him over the twang; he was worse than Sarya.


    ¡°You have really pretty eyes,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Did you¡­ I mean I just¡­ I notice¡­ there are more corpses than usual,¡± The boy said, and Orenda disliked his voice. Everything he had said had been stupid and obvious, but that could be forgiven, because often when things are shocking one says the stupid and obvious, to make sure that they are correctly identifying that which is strange. What she disliked was the way he spoke quietly and mumbled, the way he spoke like one who did not think he was allowed to speak.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I mean¡­ that¡¯s¡­ not¡­ it¡¯s not great,¡± the boy said. ¡°I just¡­ I really don¡¯t need this right now. Why are you here? Did you stow away?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Did you¡­ make¡­ these folks¡­ dead?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Ok,¡± the boy said. ¡°I need to um¡­ I need to get in there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to let anybody in,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°I mean¡­ these folks¡­ they weren¡¯t supposed to let anybody in¡­ but now I¡¯m lookin at um¡­ and I¡¯m thinking¡­ maybe there¡¯s somebody already in there? And that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not ideal.¡±


    ¡°Your soul is so pretty!¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ what?¡± The boy asked.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Anilla said.


    The halfling will betray you, master.


    ¡°It¡¯s different colors, but it looks just like my friend Orenda¡¯s,¡± Anilla said, ¡°You¡¯re soulmates!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± The boy mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m married.¡±


    ¡°But it does!¡± Anilla said, ¡°I¡¯m looking right at it!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± The boy said with great sorrow, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ no. That¡¯s a myth.¡±


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Anilla said, ¡°Come and look at this guy¡¯s soul!¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± The boy said, and Orenda jerked her head to look behind her. A teenage Urillian boy was staring at her from the other side of the magic barrier. He was tinted blue by the barrier, but she could see that he couldn¡¯t have been older than sixteen or seventeen. He may have been younger than that, but Urillians were small in general. He was even shorter than Tolith had been at his age, but in much better shape. He actually looked like he could have been one of the soldiers, one of the fighters, but Orenda wondered if there were some sort of height requirement.


    He was wearing a Urillian military uniform, and his long, presumably blond hair was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He had a sword and shield crossed on his back, and Orenda wondered why the hell Anilla wasn¡¯t doing anything.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he said again, then asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± then demanded, ¡°Don¡¯t do that! Don¡¯t get in there! You can¡¯t be in there!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s kinda cute, Rendy,¡± Anilla said, but Orenda couldn¡¯t see what she was talking about. She couldn¡¯t see his magic signature over the powerful ward, so she went back to picking the lock.


    ¡°Seriously!¡± the boy warned, ¡°Don¡¯t do that! Please!¡± He began to cry as he begged, and Orenda had to sympathize. From his end this would look even worse than it actually was. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that! I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t do that!¡±


    When she paid him no attention, the boy asked Anilla, ¡°Her name is Orenda?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± Anilla said, and Orenda felt her rage building. This was the exact opposite of what she had asked Anilla to do. There was being optimistic, and then there was being stupid. There was absolutely no reason for this boy to still be standing!


    ¡°Orenda, please, I¡¯m begging you! Please, listen to me! You can¡¯t do that! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Anilla, will you please do something with that boy?¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°Before he brings a whole slew of them?¡±


    ¡°Orenda, listen to me!¡± The boy pleaded, ¡°You don¡¯t want what¡¯s in that chest, I swear! I promise! It¡¯s the worst thing you could possibly- look I¡­ please just¡­ just¡­ I can¡¯t let you take it. I can¡¯t. I won¡¯t let it hurt you! You¡¯re so young! Look at you- holy shit.¡±


    It seemed as if he stopped breathing.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get that staff?¡± The boy asked, ¡°Did you pull it out of a pillar of fire above a boiling lake of lava?¡± When Orenda didn¡¯t respond, he went on, ¡°Does it¡­ talk to you? Does it tell you that it loves you? That you¡¯re special? That you¡¯re powerful? Does it tell you that the artifact belongs to you, because you¡¯re the chosen one? That it sits at the heart of the temple and it belongs to you and you need it because then you¡¯ll become more powerful than you ever imagined?¡±


    Orenda felt the last piece slide into place, but she paused and turned to look at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Orenda asked the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m Klin,¡± the boy said, ¡°I¡¯m the Chosen One.¡±

 Chapter 125 - Book 3 Chapter 45

    ¡°You¡¯re not the Chosen One,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I¡¯m the Chosen One!¡±


    She threw back the lid of the chest and didn¡¯t understand what she saw there. It was mostly empty. Something about the size of her fist had been wrapped in cloth, and she leaned in to pick it up.


    But the boy, who before this had mumbled all his words, had spoken so quietly that she could barely hear him, screamed.


    ¡°No!¡± He shrieked.


    Orenda turned at the spectacle of it and watched him leap over Anilla and through the barrier. As he crossed it, Orenda saw it flair up- and she knew the spell was checking for something. Orenda gathered that only certain people were allowed in this room- and this boy was either one of them, or, depending on the ward, Xandra now knew they were here.


    ¡°Anilla!¡± Orenda snarled, ¡°What the fuck part of ¡®guard the door¡¯ don¡¯t you understand!?¡±


    Now that she could see the boy, Orenda was sure he was just another fighter, just another soldier. He wore their uniform and carried their weapons. Her medallion began to heat as she readied another spell to get rid of him. One more. She¡­ she just had to make it through this one day, and then they could mourn them. Now was not the time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Klin warned, with pain in his voice. It had changed, had become a sob in the middle of the word, and tears leaked from his giant, blue eyes.


    Orenda paused.


    His eyes were the color of a deep crystal lake.


    They were not the eyes of an earth elf.


    ¡°You¡­ have strange eyes for an earth elf,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I take after my mom,¡± Klin said and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, ¡°Sorry I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t be¡­ it¡¯s been a really long¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± He tried to dry his eyes, and stood staring at Orenda, ¡°You¡¯re kind of short for a fire elf. I bet you take after your mom, too, don¡¯t you? Or your dad? I bet one of your parents wasn¡¯t¡­ they always made fun of me¡­ for my weird eyes.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a Urillian,¡± Orenda said, ¡°You¡¯re after the artifact too, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Klin shook his head, ¡°No we¡­ I am¡­ a Urillian. I¡¯m a knight in the service of the crown.¡±


    ¡°A knight?¡± Orenda scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re not a knight. You¡¯re twelve.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a little kid!¡± Klin said defensively, as if he said it a lot, ¡°Orenda, listen to me, please! Just¡­ just listen to me, and everything will be ok¡­ I just¡­ you don¡¯t want to touch the thing in that chest. I don¡¯t know what you think it is, but- wait, I just realized something¡­ Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes, I¡¯m so stupid! Why am I this stupid? I wish¡­ if I could have one thing¡­ it would be that I had¡­ that I had ever been smart¡­ I wish¡­ it¡¯s so hard to be this stupid.¡± He began to cry again, with fat tears running down his cheeks, ¡°Because it¡¯s like¡­ she¡¯s not¡­ I don¡¯t think¡­ so much of it is¡­ that they aren¡¯t right! You know? They¡¯re not right, they¡¯re just smart! And you¡¯re¡­ I mean, I¡­ I¡¯m stupid and it¡¯s not fair because¡­ because I can¡¯t tell the difference! I don¡¯t know¡­ I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop crying!¡± Orenda demanded, and turned to take whatever had been wrapped inside that cloth.


    The artifact is yours, master. It was stolen by-


    It isn¡¯t stolen. My master took it fairly. He claimed it in a valid battle. It is his right by combat.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Klin screamed and grabbed his ears, ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡± Orenda asked, and from the way Klin had doubled over, had collapsed in on himself she could truly see the hilt of the sword on his back.


    It was the same sword in her history books.


    It was the same sword the crazy man drew on his fliers.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt her!¡± Klin was hyperventilating now, and Orenda watched the magic of his soul swirl and grow within his heart. Anilla was right. It was almost like looking at her own. But it was a bright green, so bright it almost hurt to look at him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt her!¡± Klin said again, ¡°She¡¯s so young! She¡¯s so pretty and strong and she has her whole life ahead of her! She¡¯s still a child! She¡¯s still a child and I won¡¯t let you hurt her!¡±


    ¡°Klin!¡± Orenda said with more authority than she felt, ¡°Where did you get that sword?¡±


    He stared up at her with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°I got it the same way you got that staff, I reckon,¡± he said, ¡°I picked it up, and it¡­ it was so easy to do I didn¡¯t even¡­ I didn¡¯t think¡­ and Xandra said they were gonna kill us! And they were! They killed my parents! The house was on fire- and when I got out the wheat was on fire and we were gonna lose everything! We were gonna starve! And they were everywhere, and they shot arrows at us- the arrows were on fire too, so I ran, I ran into the castle behind the walls because it was supposed to be safe, but I couldn¡¯t find my parents, and the voice in my head told me where to go, so I listened to it and¡­ and¡­ He was gonna kill her!¡± Klin stared up at Orenda, begging with his eyes before he began to beg with his voice, ¡°He was gonna kill her! He was alone, in her room, with a little girl, and I was¡­ I was just a little kid¡­ I didn¡¯t.. I didn¡¯t know, and I was scared- You have to believe me! I didn¡¯t mean for¡­ I just¡­ I had to save the princess!¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Orenda asked.


    ¡°I killed him and he didn¡¯t¡­ he didn¡¯t really fight back, I was¡­ I was so little and I don¡¯t think he thought¡­ I don¡¯t think he knew I¡­ could or¡­ wanted to fight a little kid¡­ I was¡­ I think I was like¡­ nine or ten¡­ and I¡­ He looks¡­ I have dreams and¡­ he looks¡­ like the face on the coin¡­ the painting that used to hang in the grand hall¡­ he looks¡­ I think it was her daddy.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Klin fell to his knees and held his face with his left hand, and his left wrist with his right. Orenda saw a wedding ring peeking out from under his fingerless leather gloves, and thought she recognized the stone there, cut into the shape of an open rose.


    ¡°You¡¯re the prince?¡± She asked.


    Klin was chanting something, under his breath, and clawing at his face; his accent was so thick that Orenda could barely understand him, but it sounded like, ¡°Stay down, stay down, stay down.¡±


    ¡°Answer me!¡± Orenda demanded.


    ¡°We went¡­ she wanted¡­ to leave¡­ it wasn¡¯t safe¡­ we went¡­ to the temple¡­¡± Klin said instead of answering, ¡°And I¡­ I don¡¯t know how they¡­ the bad people, with the fire¡­ they were going¡­ they burned the crops they¡­ they were going to kill her! But they were dressed in green and¡­ in my dreams I think I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened I¡­ she told me to get the sword¡­ and they told me to stop¡­ not to touch the princess¡­ and I wasn¡¯t¡­ I wasn¡¯t supposed to touch the princess¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I was a peasant I¡­ we weren¡¯t even¡­ we were migrants and¡­ we didn¡¯t even own¡­ I¡¯m nothing I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ the thing that holds the sword, you know? And that¡­ that position was filled¡­ for centuries¡­ by a fucking rock!¡±


    His left hand twitched and he grabbed it more fiercely with his right.


    ¡°I can¡¯t I¡­ I just¡­ Morgan said¡­ we can¡¯t¡­ I¡­¡± He closed his eyes and began repeating his mantra again, ¡°Stay down stay down stay down.¡±


    ¡°Well this is all very interesting,¡± Orenda said, ¡°But I don¡¯t have time for it.¡±


    She bent at the waist and scooped the cloth from the bottom of the chest.


    ¡°No!¡± Klin shrieked, ¡°No! Please! Listen! Listen! Put that back! Don¡¯t touch it! If you touch it, it¡¯ll be inside of you! You have to listen to me! I know I¡¯m not making sense, but it¡¯s so much and it¡¯s so much worse than you can possibly imagine! It¡¯ll¡­ It takes you into the nothing and you become nothing and then it¡­ it changes you it becomes you and you can¡¯t do anything! It¡­ It¡­ I¡¯m a fucking monster! You¡¯ll be¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t let you! Put it back! Please, let me save you! And you¡­ you can¡¯t get it out! You can¡¯t even carve it out because it¡¯s not your body anymore, and they won¡¯t let you and ¡®I will allow no harm to come to my vessel¡¯ and you can¡¯t even get a tattoo or¡­ it¡¯s not your body anymore! And you¡­ they get into your head and there¡¯s so many voices with the stone and the sword and Xandra that you don¡¯t know who you are because you never were anything and I wish to god, wish so badly, that I had ever, once in my life, been smart! They chose me because I was stupid! Because I was easy to manipulate!¡±


    That isn¡¯t true master. We chose you because you were strong, because you were special, because you were powerful.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Klin shrieked. ¡°Shut up! Stay down. Stay down. Stay down.¡±


    The boy before her did not look strong or powerful. Orenda thought of the staff, of how it had told her to kill Anilla, of how it had told her to slay the soldiers who were only trying to do their jobs, of how it had brought her here, to this castle, with the Emerald Knight and the Empress. The thing she was holding in her hands could not be a part of the staff, it wasn¡¯t the right size to attach to it anywhere. The staff didn¡¯t even look broken.


    Klin pulled himself to his feet, and Orenda saw that his eyes were green.


    ¡°Put that back,¡± he said with far more authority than he had said anything so far. ¡°Put that back. Now. I won¡¯t let them hurt you. You would rather die than touch the fire stone. I carved that stone from the heart of the great fire spirit in the Sacred Mountain Temple in- No!¡± Klin stumbled backwards and grabbed his head, ¡°no I¡­ I can¡¯t! I won¡¯t let¡­ Please, please put it back! Please I don¡¯t want to hurt you! I don¡¯t want to do it again!¡±


    Master, the artifact is in your very hands. The staff said.


    Orenda began to unwrap the thing in her hands.


    ¡°No!¡± Klin shrieked, ¡°No! Orenda! I¡¯m telling the truth! Look!¡± He stared at her with his giant blue eyes as he jerked down his tunic and the chainmail underneath it, and Orenda saw something that intrigued her.


    His flesh was unbroken, but it contorted, as if there was something very wrong with his sternum. It looked as if he had somehow gotten a smooth river rock directly under his flesh, but¡­ not as if it had been implanted, as if it had always been there, as if it belonged there.


    ¡°Morgan told me not to touch it,¡± Klin said, ¡°And¡­ I¡­ I should have listened to him. Please, listen to me. Please, I¡¯m begging you! You don¡¯t want this! I¡­ I¡¯m a monster. I¡¯m a fucking monster! They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re all afraid of me because I¡­ I carved out¡­ I killed¡­ I think¡­ I think there was an earthquake¡­ I was only seventeen, Orenda and¡­ it was¡­ they were going to hurt Xandra and¡­ and the sword kept telling me that the¡­ the artifact was in the heart of the temple and¡­ and the dragon locked me in there and¡­ I was a knight! I had to¡­ had to slay the dragon but¡­ the forest spirit it¡­ when it died I¡­ they all¡­ the priests tried to tell me that you couldn¡¯t¡­ you couldn¡¯t take the artifact out of the temple¡­ but Xandra needed it¡­ she needed the armor because they were gonna hurt her¡­ but when I left I¡­ I think¡­ I broke something¡­ some kind of ancient magic and¡­ there was an earthquake¡­¡±


    Orenda stared at this sobbing teenager and came to a heartbreaking realization.


    ¡°How many times did you do that, Klin?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, and his body shook with his sobs, ¡°But it¡­ it won¡¯t happen to you.¡±


    He let go of his left hand, and it sprang, almost of its own accord, to the hilt of the sword on his back. As he drew it, Orenda saw, first hand, the sterilite blade that matched, so closely, the legends associated with it.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just an earthquake!¡± Orenda yelled, ¡°Was it? It wasn¡¯t just here in Uril! You killed the Great Fire Spirit and carved out it¡¯s heart! That¡¯s what I¡¯m holding!? You¡¯re not seventeen, you¡¯re immortal! You destroyed my people! You caused an eruption!¡±


    Klin¡¯s eyes were green and his voice was steady when he said, ¡°Put that back where it came from, mortal.¡±


    ¡°You killed my father!¡± Orenda shrieked, ¡°And my grandfather! And my grandmother!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The boy¡¯s stance faltered, and he blinked the blue into his eyes, ¡°Your¡­ who was your¡­ who?¡±


    ¡°Garon, Orenda, and Shiron Firefist!¡± Orenda shrieked, trying to process what she was seeing, trying to understand how this sniveling, broken boy could possibly be the stuff of legends.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re¡­¡± His eyes grew wide, ¡°You¡¯re the baby! You¡¯re the baby that pirate guy had- the night they tried to attack Xandra! They were going to hurt Xandra! They tried to kill my wife!¡±


    ¡°It was never about Xandra, you monster!¡± Orenda shrieked, ¡°It was about you! Xandra didn¡¯t destroy our home! You did!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Klin began to cry again, ¡°They¡­ they wouldn¡¯t give me the artifact, and the sword said,¡± his stance straightened and he stood to his full height again, holding the sword as if he meant to attack with it, ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m never¡­ gonna be able to talk you out of it¡­ no one would listen to me¡­ no one ever listens to monsters and demons¡­ it¡¯s why I didn¡¯t listen to Morgan. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Orenda. I gave you the chance to run-¡±


    ¡°I will never run from you!¡± Orenda snarled, and unwrapped the thing in her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to save you!¡± Klin shrieked, and Orenda watched as the stone in his chest began to glow. The magic light that radiated from it was blinding- his clothes were no impediment to the light, or to the forest that sprang from it. The vines and branches wrapped themselves around the boy, not armor in the sense that one normally thought of it, but a living, breathing thing that solidified into a second skin, a shell made of stone and plants, so thick and bulky he towered over her.


    She looked at the thing in her hands- a smooth, fist sized red stone. No magic seemed to radiate from it.


    And as the Emerald Knight brought his sword down in an arch that would sever her head from her shoulders, Orenda dropped the cloth and clutched the stone that he claimed to have taken from the heart of a god.

 Chapter 126 - Book 3 Chapter 46

    Orenda floated in a realm of light.  She was back inside the sacred flame.  She saw everything in the vast nothing, saw into an eternity in the blinding light, and knew that she was only one small part of the great expanse of everything, that the universe was vast and unknowable, that it was mostly void, mostly nothing, with small specks of life.


    Orenda had been here before, when she had floated, with the staff, in the sacred flame.  Time meant nothing here, because time, like everything else, was nothing, was an illusion.  She was nothing, floating in the nothing that contained everything.


    You have done well.  A voice said in the nothing.


    Thank you, master.  The staff said.


    The girl is strong.  The voice said.


    Yes, master.  The staff said, I have waited for eons, to find one strong enough to contain the power of a god.  This girl is strong enough to house that power, to be the vessel for a god among mortals.


    Orenda.  The voice said, and though Orenda had never heard it before, she recognized it instantly.


    ¡°Thesis,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Does time stall here?¡±


    No, my child.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Orenda asked.


    You are within the soul of a god.  You are part of something greater than yourself, but then¡­  you already knew that.


    ¡°I have to go back,¡± Orenda said, ¡°This is all very interesting, and I fully intend to deal with it later, but I don¡¯t have time for this.  I have to go back. I have to defeat the Emerald Knight. People are counting on me.¡±


    You¡¯re so practical.  The god said.  My servant has chosen well.  Will you take this gift, then?  Will you become the vessel through which the will of a god may flow?


    ¡°I already made this decision,¡± Orenda said, because she had.  Orenda did not have the luxury of time. She understood that Klin was not strong, that he was weak, that he was easily manipulated, that the things he had said were likely true.  But Orenda was no sniveling child held captive by social convention. Orenda was not a princess, nor a student, nor a street urchin. Orenda was a Knight of Order, and she knew that sometimes, good people had to do horrible things, to build a world that was worthy of the good people in it.  She knew that her parents, that Xaxac and even the Urillians, would not have died in vain if she could dethrone the empress. Orenda did not want this power for herself, or for revenge. Orenda was not fighting for the dead that she did not know. Orenda was fighting for Gareth, for Bella, for Falsie, Draco, Impy, Bubbider, Ali, their unborn child, the Brigaddons, and every human in bondage, for Toli, Steve, Adam, Sarya and her new parents, Barbra Allen, and every person who was living in the hellscape the Urillians had created.


    Orenda was already a vessel.  Orenda was already a light in the darkness, rather than a person.  The road to hell was paved with good intentions, and if that was where she was going, she was going to leave behind a better world on the mortal plane.


    ¡°Give me everything!¡± Orenda demanded of the god, ¡°Give me everything and send me back!¡±


    Orenda did not see that her eyes were red when she opened them.


    She did not see that the wounds she had sustained were gone without even leaving a trace of a scar.  She felt her mortal body, stronger and more powerful than it had ever been, but she no longer lived inside it- she lived in the sacred flame, and saw with the eyes of a god.


    The sword had not connected with her neck.  It hovered in the air less than an inch from her flesh, as if it had hit some kind of barrier.


    Thesis has chosen this vessel, master.  The sword said.  I will allow no harm to come to our vessel.


    ¡°Shit,¡± the Emerald Knight said, and drew back to strike again, a forward strike this time, and Orenda watched with detachment as he buried the sword through her sterilite armor as if it was nothing more than rabbit fur.  Orenda knew without looking that the stone was lodged in the place her heart used to be. She knew he had tried to carve it out, as he had apparently done to the Sacred Guardian of the Sacred mountain temple. The stone didn¡¯t feel as if it were part of the bone- it felt as if it was in the place where her heart once was.


    But once again, the sword stopped before it actually hit her flesh, and once again it spoke.


    I will allow no harm to come to our vessel, master.


    The Emerald Knight let out a shriek of frustration and jerked the sword upward, and Orenda watched it cut through all three layers of her clothes to expose her collarbone.  The sterilite armor began to unravel, the bodice of her workdress was destroyed, and her traveling cloak would have fallen to the floor had she not had her arms through the holes in the sides.


    Then, something happened.


    As soon as the sterilite armor fell away from the stone- flames lept from it.  They flowed over her body and solidified, covering her completely. Orenda could not see the living magma that surrounded her, could not see the sacred armor of the Crimson Mage- but she felt it.  She felt the power of a god that flowed through and over her, protecting her.


    The Emerald Knight drew back to strike again.


    And she couldn¡¯t have the Emerald Knight carving out her heart.


    So she drew back her hand, and fought like a Firefist.


    She punched him right in the glowing stone in his chest, and she had called up the fire so easily that she didn¡¯t even register she had done it.  The Emerald Knight flew back with the force of it, out the doorway, and collided with the far wall of the hallway. The armor he wore had been a forest, and it burned away as Klin knelt, panting, on the floor, clutching his sword.


    ¡°I need to take this armor off before I see the queen,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± her vocal chords vibrated, her tongue moved, along with the muscles in her cheek that no longer showed any sign that they had been severed, and the bones in her jaw that had apparently never been broken.


    The armor burned away, and Orenda picked up her staff.


    Everything looked so different it was disorienting.  She did not feel like herself, and she rather liked it.  She had lost the very concept of fear, and the Emerald Knight sat on his knees staring up at her.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Klin said as Orenda walked toward him, through the magical barrier and into the hallway to tower over him.  He sat up as tall as he could on his knees, and held the sword with both hands, offering it to her. ¡°You might actually be able to¡­  you may be strong enough to¡­ I want you to¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m a monster¡­ I killed¡­ I remember¡­ I remember all of it. Please!¡± He looked up at her with tears in his big, blue eyes and begged, ¡°Please take this!  Take this and carve out my heart!¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Orenda took the sword by the hilt and Klin used both hands to pull down his armor, to expose the stone in his flesh.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve tried and it¡­  the armor springs up and¡­ it stops me.  It won¡¯t let me do it. And¡­ you¡¯re the only one who could¡­  you¡¯re holding that sword. Please! Please just¡­ just kill me!  End it! I¡¯m begging you! I think you can do it!¡±


    Don¡¯t be so dramatic, master.  The sword in Orenda¡¯s hand said.  I could never hurt you.  I love you.


    ¡°Please!¡± Klin begged her, ¡°Please I¡¯m¡­  I tried¡­ I tried to warn you! I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t keep going, Orenda!  It¡¯s been three centuries! I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know if she ever loved me and¡­  they don¡¯t even look¡­ they don¡¯t even look like me anymore! Please! You have to¡­  you have to carve out the stone! That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s how I killed them! Just end it! Please!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so sad,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Stay down, stay down, stay down,¡± Klin chanted, and Orenda realized he was speaking to the stone in his chest.  She had never seen anything more pathetic.


    ¡°Klin!¡±


    Orenda jerked her head to see the oldest living man she had ever laid eyes upon.  He was more elderly and frail than even Impy, and he was sprinting in a way that looked painful and uncomfortable.  His eyes were the dark brown of healthy dirt, but they were clouded over and he wore a pair of silver rimmed spectacles.  His hair was coarse, sparse, and silver, but pulled into a bun at the top of his head as if he still believed he had any place in battle.  He drew a sword as he ran, but Orenda saw the strain it put on him, the strain he was trying to hide.


    ¡°Get the hell away from him!¡± The man demanded, and Orenda thought his uniform was more ceremonial than practical.


    ¡°Ruvean, move!¡± Klin demanded.


    ¡°Get up!¡± The old man told Klin with the voice of a father protecting his child.


    ¡°Move!¡± Klin demanded.


    ¡°Sir Klin,¡± the man said with great practicality, ¡°There are terrorists and giant rabbits roaming the castle!  We failed our mission! If you don¡¯t get up, your wife is going to die today!¡±


    Klin began to cry, and the old man turned his back on the avatar of a god.  He knelt and shook Klin by the shoulders.


    ¡°Klin, my boy, get up!  Get up right now! We are under attack!  The castle is under siege! There are pirates at the coast, there¡¯s an entire continent on fire!  Get up!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore!¡± Klin wrapped his arms around the man and sobbed into his shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Chosen One!¡± the man said, ¡°Get on your feet!  How much have you had to drink today?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Ruvean, I can¡¯t,¡± Klin said.


    ¡°I thought you said your parents were dead,¡± Orenda said, and the old man pulled himself painfully to his feet.


    ¡°My god,¡± he said, ¡°my god, Klin, she has the fire stone!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Klin sobbed into his hands.


    ¡°She has your sword!¡±


    Klin had moved beyond words now, just crying into his hands.


    ¡°Klin, get up!¡± The man begged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him,¡± Klin begged Orenda, ¡°He¡¯s a good man he¡­  it¡¯s all my fault! I¡¯m the monster! I did everything! He didn¡¯t¡­  I¡­¡±


    ¡°Klin,¡± Orenda said with annoyance, ¡°Get up.  Stop hiding behind the elderly.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt this boy,¡± Ruvean pointed his sword at the avatar of a god as if it would do anything, ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone else hurt him.¡±


    ¡°Ruvean move!¡± Klin demanded.


    ¡°I will,¡± Ruvean said, ¡°Once you get up!¡±  He studied Orenda and said, ¡°Where did you get that staff?¡±


    ¡°I pulled it from the sacred flame at the sacred mountain temple,¡± Orenda answered, intrigued by the courage of this old man who would stand against a god.


    ¡°I imagine that must have been quite difficult,¡± Ruvean said, ¡°Klin always had a difficult time with that sword.¡±


    ¡°Move.¡± Orenda demanded simply, ¡°Move now, or I set you ablaze!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll burn quite easily,¡± the man said, ¡°My skin is always so dry in the winter, and the long voyage certainly didn¡¯t do it no favors.¡±


    Orenda raised her hand and put it to the man¡¯s chest.  ¡°Get out of my way!¡±


    ¡°Judging by the state of this hall,¡± Ruvean said, ¡°One more corpse won¡¯t hurt the place at all.¡±


    ¡°Ruvean!¡± Klin jumped to his feet and shoved him out of the way, ¡°Run!¡±


    Ruvean stumbled with the force of Klin¡¯s actions, but steadied himself on the wall.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave you, boy,¡± he said.


    ¡°Rendy, this is just too sad!¡± Anilla tugged at traveling cloak, ¡°Let¡¯s go see the queen!  You got what you came here for!¡±


    The halfling let the Emerald Knight into the chamber, master.  She betrayed you just as I said she would. And she defends him still.  The staff said.


    My god, The sword said Look at her soul.


    Klin threw both hands over his mouth and exclaimed, ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re right.¡±


    I have never lied to you master.


    ¡°Fuck off with that shit, you stopped fucking clock,¡± Klin wiped his eyes on his sleeve.


    ¡°He talks to his sword,¡± Ruvean told the room, as if he thought it needed explaining.


    ¡°You!¡± Orenda rounded on Anilla, ¡°You let the Emerald Knight in to kill me!¡±


    Her eyes were red when she knelt, grabbed Anilla by the collar of her clothes, and lifted her into the air.


    ¡°Who the hell were you scrying, the night Bella shifted?¡±


    ¡°I was calling home!  To check in!¡± Anilla explained frantically, ¡°Rendy, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why did you tell them all our secrets?  Why did you tell them about the Knights of Order!?¡±


    ¡°Because the Urillians were there!  They were afraid!¡± Anilla pleaded, ¡°Everywhere else they went something terrible happened!  We don¡¯t have any way to defend ourselves! If something bad was going to happen people needed to leave!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Orenda snarled.


    The halfling has an evil soul.  The sword said.


    ¡°I should kill you now!¡± Orenda hissed, ¡°Before you can do any more damage!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rendy!¡± Anilla begged, and began to scream as Orenda¡¯s hand began to heat, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did, but I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Klin shouted, ¡°Stop it with the bullshit!  Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!¡± he was screaming so loudly Orenda knew it would bring more guards, so she turned to face him.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it starts!¡± he screamed, ¡°¡®Kill the other boys in your unit, they¡¯ll betray you!¡¯  ¡®Don¡¯t make friends, they¡¯ll betray you!¡¯ ¡®These people are below you master, slay them all!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t let them into your heart, they¡¯re mortals and you¡¯re not!¡¯ ¡®They¡¯ll hurt you but I won¡¯t!  I love you, master!¡¯ ¡®Slay them, master!¡¯ Stop it! Orenda, stop it! Please! Don¡¯t hurt her! I don¡¯t know who she is, but I know you can¡¯t trust anything those things say, and if that¡¯s all you hear for three fucking centuries suddenly bards are singing songs about how horrible you are, and three generations of assassins are trying to kill you and your wife, and parents tell little kids stories about you like you¡¯re the fucking boogieman!  I don¡¯t,¡± he was crying again and Orenda wished he would stop, ¡°I don¡¯t know you but¡­ you can¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t be this. No one is. Not at first. Please, please, for the love of god don¡¯t listen to them and kill me!¡±


    Orenda stared up at Anilla and realized what she was doing.


    Anilla¡¯s story made sense.


    Klin¡¯s story made sense.


    She gently set Anilla on the floor and stared at the sword on her hand.  She felt the weight of the staff on her back, and looked around at the charred corpses lining the destroyed hallway.


    Then she turned and lunged for Klin with all her weight.

 Chapter 127 - Book 3 Chapter 47

    The sword did not pierce his flesh.


    Orenda pulled back and tried again, but her body fought her, and the sword paused before it would slide under the stone.


    I have chosen this vessel for my master.  The sword said. No harm shall come to my vessel.


    ¡°Fight through it!¡± Klin grabbed the blade with his hands, and Orenda watched as protective gauntlets sprang up, to keep him from hurting himself, ¡°It¡¯s not¡­  It¡¯s hard. Just put the pointy end under the stone and pry it out, ok? Then it¡¯ll... it¡¯ll all be over.¡±


    He guided the blade to the exact place Orenda would need it to carve out his heart, and she pushed with all her strength.


    The sword would not move.


    Stop it, master, please!  The sword begged.  Can¡¯t you see how much this hurts me?


    ¡°Klin,¡± Ruvean said seriously, ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°Just push,¡± Klin stared up at Orenda with tears in his eyes, ¡°Please just¡­   just push!¡±


    Orenda stared into the eyes of the boy, full of more pain than she could comprehend, and thought of everything he had done.  She thought of her father, of how she was holding the sword that had ended his life. She thought of her grandfather, and of how his blood had splattered on her children.  She thought of the boy in front of her, staring at blood-stained children, realizing what he had done, and wondered if Gareth had misremembered.


    She wondered if the Emerald Knight had given him an order.  Or if a broken boy had been pleading with him to get away from him, to escape the madness.


    Klin was a monster.  He had done so many horrible things that he did not deserve forgiveness.


    So she threw her entire bodyweight into the sword.


    And it would not move.


    ¡°Goddamn it!¡± Klin threw himself against the wall and the gauntlets fell away, ¡°It¡¯s my body!  It¡¯s my body and I can cut it up if I want to!¡± His eyes began to glow with a soft green light, and his voice was much more stable when it said, ¡°I will not allow harm to come to my vessel!  Stop fighting! I have given you everything! The girl, the crown, the glory, the power, the empire!¡± Klin grabbed his head and buried his face in his hands as he began to cry, and Orenda knew his eyes were blue when he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­  I never¡­ I don¡¯t want¡­ I¡¯m a monster! I just wanted¡­ I just wanted her to love me and¡­ and you didn¡¯t¡­ you never gave me¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t deserve¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ Magnus was right about you.¡±


    Orenda stared down at the sword and drew her staff.


    ¡°Perhaps I can set him on fire,¡± She reasoned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Klin screamed, pulling his hair out by the roots, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Orenda didn¡¯t hear any voices that time, and had no idea who he was talking to.  She wasn¡¯t particularly interested in his madness anyway, because she was more concerned with the fact that the staff still had no magic flowing through it.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t work!¡± She accused.


    You have no need of a focus, master.  The staff said.  You have, within you, the power of a god.


    ¡°You told me you would work if I got the artifact!¡± Orenda accused.


    I never said that, master.  The staff sounded hurt, insulted.  I said that I would grant you power, not that it would come from me.  I told you that I was weak. I have been confined by the demon Magnus.  I am a prisoner. I can do nothing.


    The demon locked us away.  The sword said.  I cannot escape, either.  Klin has been my only comfort these long eons of imprisonment.  I don¡¯t know why he speaks so harshly of me. I have never been anything but kind to him.


    I saw Lapus.  The staff said.  He has been freed.  He walks Xren.


    How!?


    ¡°Is Lapus one of you?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Are you djinn?  Can we get you out?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to them!¡± Klin dried his eyes on his sleeve.


    ¡°That seems to be a problem for future Rendy, at any rate.¡± Orenda replaced the staff on her back, turned from him and began walking down the hall.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Klin pushed himself off the wall and began to follow after her, along with Anilla and Ruvean.


    ¡°I hate to tell you this, as you seem to have a rather high opinion of yourself,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°But you¡¯re an arrow.  I came here to confront the archer.¡±


    ¡°I¡­  what?¡± Klin said.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°I am the Chosen Child of Thesis,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I have a claim to the throne, by Divine Right.  I am the granddaughter of the high priestess of the Sacred Mountain Temple, so I also have a claim by Birthright, according to your people¡¯s stupid laws.  I demand the annexation of the fire continent, or I will take it in Right by Combat!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t try to kill my wife!¡± Klin told her, ¡°Give me my sword back!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Anyone who has tried to touch the staff has been injured by it, so I assume this sword works the same way.  It isn¡¯t yours. It belongs to the Chosen One.¡±


    ¡°I am the Chosen One,¡± Klin said as he caught up to her and began to walk in front of her, backwards.  ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ I won¡¯t let you hurt the princess!¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t a princess, you idiot!¡± Orenda snapped at him, ¡°She¡¯s an Empress.  And she¡¯s a big girl. I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t need some sniveling child who can¡¯t hold a sword to fight her battles for her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child,¡± Klin said, ¡°I¡¯m more than three centuries old.  That stone makes you¡­ not grow¡­ anymore.¡±


    ¡°It must have also stopped your brain from developing,¡± Orenda pushed him to the side and continued down the hallway.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just shove the Emerald Knight out of your way!¡± Ruvean said.


    ¡°He¡¯s welcome to try to stop me!¡± Orenda yelled as she turned a corner and descended a staircase, moving toward what she thought must be the grand hall.


    ¡°Why are you letting me wield you?¡± Orenda asked the sword as she walked, ¡°I know you could hurt me, if you wanted.  I¡¯m sure that¡¯s how it works.¡±


    Don¡¯t flatter yourself.  The sword said.  You aren¡¯t wielding me.  You couldn¡¯t use a sword if your life depended on it.  You have no idea what to do with me. I¡¯m letting you carry me because¡­  they are really bad for each other.


    ¡°Who?¡± Orenda asked.


    Klin and Xandra.  The sword explained.  She has been using him since the night he drew me.  She stole the heart of the guardian at the Sacred Mountain temple, and it rejected her.  It would have burned her to death. I don¡¯t know why it chose not to. Yet still Klin went, again and again, until he found the water stone.  She was allowed to use it, but she was not chosen.


    ¡°Why did you let him quest for those things?¡± Orenda asked.


    We must gather the heart of our master, to awaken the great god Thesis.  The sword said.  Klin was deceived by the demon Magnus.  You may be our only hope. We can unite all of elvenkind.  We can restore you to your former greatness. There will be no need for more wars, there will be peace and plenty, a return to paradise.  Xandra has tainted that dream, tained Klin¡¯s innocence. The Emerald Knight should be a savior. The Crimson Mage will be a savior. You are no warrior.


    ¡°They were trying to unite¡­  they didn¡¯t unite anything,¡± Orenda said as she walked, ¡°That empire is not a sign of unity.¡±


    Peace through tyranny does not work.  The sword agreed.  You are not a tyrant.  You are a scholar. Klin loves this girl.  He will mourn. But he needs to be rid of her.  You will be the one to awaken the demigorge and reunite all elvenkind under the will of Thesis.  You can become perfect, again, all of you. Like the ones you call high elves. You can create a paradise.


    ¡°Is that what you told Klin?¡± Orenda asked.


    Klin did not listen.


    ¡°Give me my sword back!¡± Klin came sprinting down the stairs, ¡°Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Orenda told him, ¡°I- It has been a trying day, Klin!¡± She spat his name at him, ¡°I will not be given orders by- don¡¯t pretend that you, of all people, have any right to tell me what to do!  I want you to understand something, right here, right now! I never knew my parents. And the only person I met from that family abandoned me. I don¡¯t care about the Firefists! I did not come here as a Firefist to fight for the dead who were, from all accounts, foolish, arrogant people who, honestly, probably could not have raised me any better than I raised myself!¡±


    It was the first time Orenda had ever admitted this, even to herself.  She had kept these thoughts locked away in the back of her mind, had kept them away, out of a fear of confronting them, and a desire to respect the dead.  When she was a child, she had told herself that her parents were royalty, and she was allowed to be disappointed that they were not. She was allowed to be disappointed that her father was no king, that he was a child who had lived only to please his parents, a fool who gave into panic, that as an adult he had made unbelievably stupid decisions that had caused the very life she had had to endure.  She was allowed to be angry that her mother had denied her existence in a way that could have killed them both, because no one could be that foolish- Sokomaur would not have gone into battle if she had cared about the child she was carrying. Neither of her parents could have loved her. To them, she was an idea, an excuse, or a terrible thing to deny.


    She had a right to be angry at the hand she had been dealt, at the terrible things they had done to her, when they could have stayed safe, could have hidden her, could have cared about her.  She had to admit that they had done horrible things before she could forgive them, before she could move on with her life.


    Orenda Nochdifache was an orphan.


    She always had been, and she always would be.


    And half remembered stories of foolish people doing brazen things would not change that, and would not give her a family.  The past could not be changed, but that did not make it right. She felt the full fury of the anger she had never allowed herself, that she had denied so that reality would be more palatable, but that she would deny no longer.


    Orenda was tired of lying to herself.


    ¡°I have come here to free the people you have in bondage!  I fight for the living! And honestly, you pathetic little fool, I don¡¯t know what happened to you, and I don¡¯t care.  Rest assured that when this is over I will find a way to kill you for the horrible things you¡¯ve done. But right now, you aren¡¯t my problem.  So do not make yourself my problem. I can¡¯t kill you yet, but I would probably be amazed to learn what you have lived through, the pain you can endure.  Do. Not. Push. Me. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re used to this- but I am not afraid of you. I have never been afraid of you. You aren¡¯t what I expected, but I expected nothing.  I never believed the stories I heard about you, and I have never been afraid of you, you sniveling, whimpering, child!¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re a fool,¡± Klin told her, ¡°I¡¯ve killed four gods.  You should be scared of me.¡±


    ¡°I believe that,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I doubt there is a person on the planet who I could trust more on the subject of foolishness.  You seem to be very learned on the subject.¡±


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes,¡± Klin said.  He was so taken aback he had stopped walking.


    ¡°It¡¯s just been a really bad day,¡± Anilla said to him.


    ¡°What are you even doing here?¡± Klin asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a dragon,¡± Anilla told him as they walked, ¡°In my tribe-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Klin cut her off.  He was staring at her in a strange way that should have been unnerving, knowing who he was.  ¡°Your soulmate thing. Does it¡­ does it have to be a dragon?¡±


    He saw Orenda turn a corner and disappear into a servant¡¯s hall, and he picked up the pace to run after her.

 Chapter 128 - Book 3 Chapter 48

    ¡°Hey!¡± Klin called as he ran to catch up to Orenda.  They had entered into a kitchen, and there were real people now, staring at her and moving out of her way.  But when Klin caught up to her, being in his presence actually seemed to lessen their fear.


    The kitchen staff backed away, but did not retreat, did not go to summon guards.  If the Emerald Knight already knew, Orenda thought, who else could they possibly tell?


    ¡°You can¡¯t go in there, ok?¡± Klin said, ¡°This comes out into the grand hall.  We¡¯re throwing a big-ass ball to celebrate¡­ I don¡¯t know, they run together on me.  Is it the solstice?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re celebrating our return, your grace,¡± Ruvean said.  It had taken him much longer to catch up to her than it had Klin.


    ¡°Really?¡± Klin said, ¡°But we didn¡¯t get the air stone!  I didn¡¯t slay the dragon!¡±


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t, my boy,¡± Ruvean said as if he didn¡¯t believe that in the slightest, ¡°But we still returned safely, and the court has no need to know that we came back empty-handed.¡±


    ¡°I hate this,¡± Klin said, and Orenda thought he may cry again, ¡°Look, you¡¯re an assassin!  You can¡¯t kill Xandra! I¡­ all I¡¯m supposed to do is go up there and stand behind the throne and smile and look pretty and take the stuff people give me and then I can go back to my rooms and drink away all the shit I¡¯m dealing with.  I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t handle much!¡±


    ¡°Honestly,¡± Orenda stared at him in disbelief.  She wouldn¡¯t have believed he was who he was had she not seen it with her own eyes.  Her brain would not process the information, and she could not remember how to feel afraid.


    ¡°Are you afraid of Xandra?¡± She asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Xandra,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s the whole court.  You don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m a peasant¡­ I shouldn¡¯t¡­ they figured out a long time ago that I shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    You are the Prince Regent of the Urillian Empire, master.  The sword said.  This is ridiculous. This has always been ridiculous.  Slay those who vex you and take your rightful place, not by Xandra¡¯s side, but on her throne.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Klin snapped at it, ¡°and come here!¡±  He grabbed the sword in Orenda¡¯s grasp and pulled it.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Orenda grabbed with both hands and pulled back.  ¡°This isn¡¯t a game! Have you gone mad!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mine though,¡± Klin reasoned, ¡°I pulled it out of a rock!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­  that¡¯s a ridiculous statement!¡± Orenda told him, because it finally struck her how ridiculous it was.  The ability to extract a sword from a rock was absolutely no basis for a system of government. It meant nothing to pick up a sword or a staff.  The fact that entire legends and ways of life had sprung up around the concept was laughable.


    ¡°Do you think the sword feels some sort of way about this?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Two gods among mortals, bickering about a piece of metal?¡±


    ¡°I need it!¡± Klin begged, ¡°I can¡¯t go in there without it!  Xandra can¡¯t know that I let somebody else hold it! You don¡¯t understand it!  With it I might only be the thing holding it, but without it I¡¯m nothing!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about you,¡± Orenda said plainly, ¡°My god, man!  Why would I? Why would you think I had the capacity to give a single thought to your feelings?¡±


    ¡°I¡­  I¡¯m sorry,¡± Klin said, and looked as if he was about to cry again, ¡°But I need it!¡±


    He was, Orenda was forced to admit, physically stronger than her, and he jerked it out of her hands.  Yet, still, she did not feel her fear returning. The entire situation was ridiculous! He was ridiculous!  The idea that the entire world lived in fear of him was ridiculous!


    ¡°This is madness,¡± Orenda said, shook her head, and wondered if her new status had changed her, or if she had always been completely incapable of fearing that which she did not know.  Sometimes it would hit her, the reality of the life she was living, quite hard and all at once, but most of the time¡­ Thesis was right, she was a very practical person. And the practical matter was that she no longer believed Klin could hurt her, even if he stabbed her in the back.  She did not consider him a threat. This was, perhaps, not a wise way to live, but¡­ Orenda remembered how she had thought of Gareth, before she had known who he was.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Gareth was dangerous.  That had not changed. She had watched him kill more than once.  But he was a broken old man, more worthy of pity than fear. He was only a person.  And it seemed that, after all this time, after all the build up, the Emerald Knight was also just a broken, beaten person.  Orenda had seen the soul of a god within him, and didn¡¯t understand why she felt this way so strongly. He obviously was more than he seemed.  But she could not force herself to see it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go in there!¡± Klin warned as Orenda parted a curtain-


    And stepped into a fairytale.


    She could not have been more underdressed.


    The large hall was full of nobility- the other ladies in attendance all wore long, flowing gowns with more petticoats on than Orenda had ever owned.  Their bodices were tight over corsets, and covered in expensive embroidery. Their long hair had been corralled into impressive styles, with curls, braids, and buns, and they were all wearing beautiful makeup that made them look like porcelain dolls.  Even in their heels they were not as tall as she was.


    Orenada¡¯s wounds may have healed, but she was still in her torn workclothes and tattered traveling cloak.  She was still filthy with dust, ash, and whatever had been on the side of the wall she had climbed, matted on with the sweat she had expelled during her long travels through the castle.  She desperately needed a bath, and she knew it.


    She pulled her staff off her back and moved past the buffet tables that lined the walls and into the crowd that smelled of rosewater and perfume.


    There was a man at the door, announcing names as if they were important, and voices from the crowd, because she was noticed instantly, but she paid no mind to those that broke apart, gave her a wide berth to walk through.  She was walking with purpose, and it was a good thing, because she was looking for Xandra, but Xandra was busy.


    She was sitting on a throne, on a small platform above the rest of the party, and Orenda suspected that the empty seat next to her must belong to Klin.  Xandra¡¯s posters did not do her justice. They had always depicted a young, willowy woman, who, though Orenda did not consider her beautiful, was considered a beauty by most of the Urillians.  Orenda had always believed she looked too thin, too weak, almost sickly, and had thought that the artist had exaggerated to make her look better than she actually was.


    Even Orenda had not predicted what she saw.


    The Empress was so thin she barely existed, bulked up with clothing- probably a wire cage under the impressive gown she wore.  But there couldn¡¯t be real muscles under her flesh. She looked as if she were a walking skeleton, already half decayed; the first person Orenda could think of to compare her to was Mr Bilge.  The Empress was wearing a wig, made obvious only because Orenda knew a bit more than the average person about haircare, and it was beautifully crafted, but it told Orenda that if she had any of her natural hair left, it was not worth showcasing.  It was probably thin and brittle, like the rest of her. The heavy powder she wore on her face could not disguise how little there was to it, how her eyes had receded into their sockets and her cheeks had sunken in as if she had lost teeth.


    Orenda thought that the Empress looked as if she had been dead for years and someone, probably Klin, had neglected to tell her.


    Orenda paused.


    Around the base of the platform ran what could only be described as a small river.  It had been cut into the floor, and flowed through, bright and crisp on either side, in the floor tiles.  It was probably constructed the same way a bathing pool would be, and Orenda saw that it was not frozen, despite the storm that still plagued the outdoors, and wondered how much fuel it took to heat a place like this.


    It flowed under what she supposed was a bridge, though it really only looked like the rest of the floor, and a red carpet moved over it as it ran from the platform to the impressive doors, easily two stories tall, on the other side that Orenda suspected opened onto the courtyard.  She looked over her shoulder and saw the stained glass window with the rose that she had seen from the outside.


    Xandra was not looking at her.  She was looking down at a group of guards who were holding two struggling humans.


    Mary Sue and Sonny!


    ¡°After we captured the male, we found the female in the library, taking notes,¡± A soldier was saying as Orenda broke into a sprint.


    ¡°Taking notes?¡± Xandra said as if she was interested.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Sonny yelled at her, ¡°I¡¯m fucking starving!  Is there some kind of law against offering your guests some food?¡±


    ¡°Sonny!¡± Mary Sue snapped.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, ¡°There¡¯s like five tables on each side.  I¡¯ve shifted like four times today. I¡¯m fucking starving.¡±


    ¡°Should we take them to the dungeons?¡± The soldier asked.  Sonny was fighting his restraints, but Orenda knew what had happened.  They had traveled through the night, they had fought hard, and they simply had no energy left.  Sonny was pretending a little better than Mary Sue, but he was weak on his knees, and their eyelids were fluttering.  There simply wasn¡¯t enough energy in the world for anyone to go through what they had gone through.


    ¡°No,¡± Xandra said, ¡°No, not shifters who transform without the aid of the moons.  They look so weary. I reckon after they sleep they might cause us more trouble. Bring them to me.¡±


    ¡°Motherfucker I will bite you!¡± Sonny snapped at a guard who had tried to haul him to his feet.  Then he swooned, blinked himself awake, and caught himself before he hit the floor.


    Orenda steamrolled through the crowd, onto the carpet, behind the guards, and raised her staff to the air.


    ¡°Empress Xandra Uril!¡± She yelled as loudly as her lungs would allow, and Xandra moved in her annoyingly delicate way to look at her.  ¡°My name is Orenda Nochdifache-Firefist, and I have much to say to you!¡±

 Chapter 129- Book 3 Chapter 49

    ¡°I¡¯ll be with you in a minute, honey,¡± Xandra said, and it infuriated Orenda. Xandra had a thick Urillian accent, and it flowed like molasses. Orenda didn¡¯t know if it made everything she said sound patronizing, or if she, specifically, was being patronized.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda marched forward, ¡°I promise you that nothing you think you¡¯re doing is more important than what I have to say.¡±


    ¡°Klin, daling,¡± Xandra asked, and Orenda turned to see Klin calmly walking up the carpet toward her, ¡°Who is this young lady?¡±


    Klin clicked his heels together, folded one arm in the small of his back, and fisted his other hand over his heart. He bowed slightly, leaned forward, and said, ¡°Oh, y¡¯all caught them rabbits.¡±


    ¡°Darling,¡± Xandra said again, a little more forcefully, ¡°Who is this young lady?¡±


    Klin looked pale. Orenda thought, as he studied her, that he may pass out. But he regained his composure quickly and said, ¡°This is Lady Orenda Firefist the second, granddaughter of the High Priestess of the Sacred Mountain Temple. She, uh, she,¡± he shook so badly his entire body trembled and he said, ¡°She has pulled the Sacred Staff from the Sacred Flame at the Temple, I uh¡­ I think.¡± A servant approached him holding a tray of drinks, and Klin took a glass of wine. He sipped it politely, but for so long that he drained half the glass.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Xandra asked.


    ¡°I reckon,¡± Klin shrugged.


    ¡°That is right!¡± Orenda shouted, so that her voice could carry to the rest of the nobility, ¡°I am the Chosen Child of Thesis, the avatar of a god among mortals! And the bearer of the Sacred Fire Stone! You stand in the presence of a god! I have come to demand that the empire withdraw its claws from my homeland! If this is not done, we will remove you by force!¡±


    ¡°You want to return to the way that place was when we found it?¡± Xandra asked, ¡°You want us to leave and take everything we brought with us? You want to abandon reason, medicine, and technology so that you can go back to worshiping a volcano and praying for rain?¡± Orenda felt her body vibrating with rage, felt the room heating up with the force of it. ¡°We have brought you, kicking and screaming, into enlightenment, and you want to set the clock back for your people? You want to go back two centuries?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°We can''t go back. It is impossible to go back. We can only rebuild. And I will not stand here and be insulted. I do not believe the lies you tell of my people- we were never as primitive as you say, and we did not need your help! Do you know what I really want, Xandra?¡±


    ¡°Her imperial majesty,¡± one of the guards corrected.


    ¡°Xandra,¡± Orenda continued, ¡°I want your miserable army out of my homeland. All of it. I was raised on the Fire Continent, but I was born right here in the capital. I came into the world, right here. I was born here, and this place calls out to me. So what I really want, Xandra, is to show everyone in this room today that I have to come to take back my home. These two,¡± she motioned to the Brigaddons, who were swaying so badly that Sonny fell forward and hit the ground, then struggled to right himself again, especially with his hands bound, ¡°were born here. This is our home. And I have been chosen by Thesis himself to right your wrongs. I am not here to argue with you. I want you to get out of my chair. I want your crown, your throne, and your pretty little madman- because you''ve been hiding behind him too long. Now, get up. I am claiming my Divine Right to Rule. I have been chosen by a god! So either take this staff from me, step down, or I challenge you to Right by Combat.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Xandra said, staring at Klin, ¡°You want us to believe that you were chosen by Thesis because you show up with some staff that you claim you got out of a volcano on the other side of the world? Klin, why haven''t we arrested this girl yet?¡±


    ¡°I think, um,¡± Klin said, and Orenda could tell he was trying very hard not to break down in front of the court, ¡°I think we tried and um... the whole second floor is-¡±


    ¡°You sent your pathetic mortal soldiers after me,¡± Orenda told Xandra, ¡°And as much at it pains me- and it does pain me- I was forced to smite them.¡±


    ¡°Are you admitting that you are guilty of murder in front of god and everybody?¡± Xandra asked.


    ¡°I''m admitting it in front of god,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I don''t respect the authority of ''everybody''.¡±


    ¡°Klin, darling, arrest this girl!¡± Xandra sounded exasperated, as if she shouldn''t have to say it.


    ¡°The...¡± Klin looked down at his feet, ¡°The thing is... I... I...¡± He steeled himself, and Orenda watched his shoulders square as he pulled himself to his full, unimpressive height. ¡°My queen, when I traveled to that temple, I tried to retrieve that very staff. I couldn''t do it. The Sacred Flame rejected me. She... she has a point.¡±


    ¡°Klin,¡± Xandra''s eyes narrowed, and Orenda thought something was going on that she neither understood, nor cared about.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I know,¡± Klin said. ¡°I''m... I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°We''re so close,¡± Xandra said.


    ¡°No,¡± Klin shook his head, and despite himself began to cry, ¡°No we''re not. You know that. I sent letters. You know I-¡±


    ¡°Klin, pull yourself together!¡± Xandra demanded, ¡°And do something about the girl standing in front of me, making outrageous claims and threatening me!¡±


    ¡°LORD TOLITH GLENLEN,¡± the announcement did not come from the man at the door, but rather from Tolith himself who came sprinting down the carpet, followed by several Urillians in uniform. ¡°GRAND DUKE OF THE COLONIES OF THE FIRE CONTINENT, FIRST OF HIS NAME, COUSIN TO THE EMPRESS, WHO HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE HERE SO GET OUT OF MY WAY AND STOP TRYING TO ARREST ME!¡±


    ¡°Toli?¡± Orenda asked as he skidded to a stop behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.


    ¡°Lord Glenlen?¡± Xandra stood from her throne, finally, staring down at him with both hands over her mouth.


    ¡°God,¡± Klin sounded as if spoke before he could stop himself, drained his wine and motioned for a servant to bring him another glass, which he downed in one long drink, sat back on the tray and picked up another. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± It was obvious that he was getting tipsy and a little less nervous, ¡°That makes as much sense as anything else that''s happened today. Why not?¡±


    ¡°The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,¡± Tolith stepped in front of Orenda.


    ¡°And your mother?¡± Xandra asked as she stepped off the platform to approach Toli.


    ¡°She''s dead,¡± Tolith said, ¡°She was killed in battle, by a djinn. My father was killed by Captain Nochdifache. I come here, seeking asylum.¡±


    ¡°Your face,¡± Xandra said.


    ¡°Xandra, I come here for my people, for my colony,¡± Tolith said, ¡°If we don''t give the rebels what they want- they have a djinn. They''re slaughtering us. My people are dying. We have to make peace. I''ve brought a notice of surrender. That''s what we have to do.¡±


    ¡°That man is a traitor to the crown!¡± The soldiers who had been chasing Toli caught up to him, and three of them tackled him and jerked him, unceremoniously to the ground. ¡°This pirate is the one who sank the ships at the harbor!¡±


    ¡°Bull-shit,¡± Toli said, enunciating each syllable, ¡°You can''t pull that! Xandra has met me! She and my mother were dear friends!¡±


    ¡°Tolith?¡± Xandra asked.


    She cupped his face, tilted it, and stared into his eyes.


    Klin lost all color, as if his blood had stopped flowing, clutched the neckline of his tunic with his left hand, and seemed to be trying to remember how to breath.


    Toli''s eyes began to glaze over, and he seemed to go into a trance.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Orenda demanded.


    ¡°I see,¡± Xandra said. She stood, turned, and walked back to the throne. ¡°I understand. Thank you, Lord Glenlen. Lock him away to await his trial. He''s guilty of so much more than treason. Tolith, your poor mother must be spinning in her grave. She would be so disappointed in you. You... you had so much potential, darling.¡±


    ¡°Lady Glenlen does not have a grave!¡± Orenda told Xandra as the soldiers pulled Tolith to his feet, ¡°There wasn''t enough left to bury.¡±


    Toli was too loopy to walk, and Orenda wondered what that woman had done to him.


    ¡°Klin,¡± Xandra told him, ¡°Do something about this girl.¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Klin looked as if he was going to cry again, ¡°I don''t know what to do, my queen.¡±


    ¡°How much have you had to drink?¡± Xandra whispered.


    ¡°I''m not drunk,¡± Klin said defensively. He hopped onto the platform to stand behind and to the left of where Xandra sat, and leaned in to whisper something to her. Orenda thought he looked completely out of his element, as if he was struggling. Xandra whispered something back, and Klin looked as if she had just stabbed him. He was almost certainly going to cry again, but he was trying to maintain his composure in front of the court. Xandra seemed to have as little patience with him as Orenda did herself.


    ¡°If you don''t believe me about the staff,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Klin, give me the sword!¡±


    Klin looked around the room, even more uncomfortable with all the eyes on him.


    ¡°Klin, arrest this woman!¡± Xandra demanded, as if his reluctance was ridiculous and she was running out of patience, ¡°She''s the leader of the rebellion! She''s a Knight or Order!¡±


    Orenda balked at the suggestion.


    Then she realized that Tolith had lied for her, and that his lie had made perfect sense. She didn''t know how he had clouded his thoughts, but he- what he had told Xandra, in his mind, had made her believe that Orenda was the leader of the Knights. Xandra could believe that taking out Orenda would mean something, and stop looking through his mind for information.


    Tolith, Orenda remembered, was very good at making himself believe things that were not true. Tolith had believed that Orenda really had been a princess, and that he really could be an adventurer. He was so good at believing that which was not real that he could lie to himself.


    ¡°I''m sick of this,¡± Orenda said, and stepped onto the platform with them. The soldiers moved to stop her, but Klin threw up a hand, afraid that she would set them on fire, and they backed up instantly.


    They were afraid of him. Of course they were. Only a fool would stand against the Emerald Knight.


    Orenda reached over his shoulder and pulled his sword from the sheath. She took one step back, stood in front of Xandra, and spoke.


    ¡°I am the Chosen Child of Thesis. I am claiming the throne by divine right. Now either take this sword from me, or get out of my chair.¡±

 Chapter 130 - Book 3 Chapter 50

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Xandra stared up at Orenda in disbelief, and Orenda knew that she was completely unprepared to deal with someone like herself, someone who had no respect for her position, and no fear of what was, apparently, a centuries long threat of, ¡®Do as I say or my boyfriend will beat you up¡¯.


    ¡°I said,¡± Orenda held out the sword, ¡°Take this sword, that your people believe to be a sign of Divine Right, from me, or get out of my chair.¡±


    ¡°Klin,¡± Xandra said, and Klin reached out to take back his sword.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda jerked it back, ¡°I know your lapdog can hold it.  I know he has a claim to Divine Right. I want to see you hold it.  I have come to challenge the throne by divine right, and as a citizen of the Urillian Empire I have every right to do so.  Now take this sword from me, or get up and let me sit down.¡±


    ¡°My family has-¡±


    ¡°Neither I, nor Thesis, cares,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Arrest this madwoman!¡± Xandra demanded of her guards, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to say that!  I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you not to let assassins into the castle to brandish weapons at your queen.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got the fire stone!¡± Klin warned the soldiers that approached Orenda, ¡°She¡¯s been chosen by Thesis!  Stand down!¡±


    ¡°Klin,¡± Xandra narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°No one else needs to die today,¡± Klin said, frantically, ¡°Not¡­  we don¡¯t¡­ it won¡¯t do any good.¡±


    ¡°Klin, everything we¡¯ve built¡­  we¡¯re so close.¡± Xandra pleaded with him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get the air stone,¡± Klin said, ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get it,¡± Xandra swore to him, ¡°You¡¯ll go back.  We¡¯ll send a bigger army. We¡¯ll do whatever you need. Why are you letting this happen?¡±


    ¡°Because!¡± Klin shrieked with such force that it reverberated through the ballroom, ¡°Because we¡¯re going to wake the demigorge!  Because Morgan was right! Because I can¡¯t do this anymore! Because she¡¯s right! Because people hate us! I get back to another rebellion?  Someone is always trying to kill us! It¡¯s every day now! I can¡¯t keep doing this! I haven¡¯t sat down! I got off the boat and come in here with rabbits and pirates running around and how long am I supposed to take this?  How much can I take?¡±


    ¡°You are shouting,¡± She said through clenched teeth, ¡°Screaming and hollering and carrying on in front of the whole court.¡±


    ¡°I hate this court!¡± Klin screamed, and his eyes were green, ¡°You know that!  I¡¯m not one of you, and it isn¡¯t fair!¡±


    The nobles, who had fallen silent began to murmer amongst themselves.


    ¡°You can break down later!¡± Xandra snapped at him, ¡°Now is not the time!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Klin said, ¡°This has been- this has been¡­¡±  He grabbed his face and began to cry, ¡°Don¡¯t do that!  Get out of my head!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re upset,¡± Xandra said, ¡°Get rid of this girl, and we¡¯ll talk about it.  We¡¯ll go upstairs, away from all these people. Darling, my love, look at me; it¡¯s going to be alright.¡±  She cupped his face and looked deeply into his eyes, and Orenda was growing annoyed. None of whatever rich people nonsense they were going on about was any of her business, and couldn¡¯t possibly be important.  She opened her mouth to say as much, but suddenly Xandra¡¯s composure broke, and Orenda did not know how long what she watching had been building.


    ¡°You did defeat the monster at the air temple on top of the world,¡± Xandra hissed, ¡°we need to talk about this, now!  You spoke to the demon Magnus? You left the stone in the Frozen North on the advice of a demon?¡± She stood, turned to Orenda and said, ¡°I want this girl arrested, taken to the dungeon.  I will retire to my chambers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± Orenda told her, then jerked her head as the sound of a body hitting the floor.  Sonny had finally passed out from the exhaustion, and Mary Sue followed soon after. Shifting at all was so tiring, and what they had done had drained their bodies.  Orenda knew that they were at their most vulnerable, and if she didn¡¯t do something now, they would never again awaken. The Urillians would slaughter them now, while they were weak.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Klin cried, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Kill this assasin where she stands,¡± Xandra said, and Orenda watched her frail body tremble, ¡°And we will talk about this.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Klin screamed, ¡°I tried!  And I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Stay strong, master.  Orenda knew the sword was not speaking to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re right,¡± Klin admitted, speaking slowly, as if each word hurt, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­  I don¡¯t think¡­ I¡­ we can¡¯t keep doing this. That stone is making you sick, Xandra! It¡¯s hurting you and I did that, and I have to live with that.¡±  He started to cry, ¡°I love you so much and I¡¯m killing you! It¡¯s driven you mad, to live outside your element. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. But we can¡¯t keep doing this.  I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t break that last seal! It¡¯ll awaken the demigorge!¡±


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t!¡± Xandra told him, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in private.  You¡¯re upset. You¡¯ve always hated crowds. I¡¯m trying to help you.  You¡¯re embarrassing yourself. You¡¯re embarrassing me!¡±


    ¡°Xandra!¡± Orenda snapped, ¡°Take this sword from me now, or I will set you ablaze.  I don¡¯t have time for whatever nonsense this is, and I don¡¯t care. I am giving you a choice here.  I don¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to threaten me, little girl,¡± Xandra glared up at her, ¡°Do you think I stayed alive by being weak?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°I think you stayed alive this long because you hid behind some dumbass child you found,¡± Orenda told her, ¡°that has done everything you asked until he found someone else to manipulate him.  No one in this castle seems to understand the way the real world works. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re just that sheltered or that stupid, but people are dying! People are living in bondage! I am not here to discuss your relationships or to play games!  I am the avatar of a god, and I have come to end the pain you have wrought. You ordered the attack that destroyed my homeland knowing something would happen, so you could build your bloody rock collection. You thought I would never find this again?  Well I have! And if you want it back, you¡¯ll have to pry it from my chest. And I don¡¯t think you can. So take this sword, now. If you don¡¯t, you will sizzle when you die like the last Urillian I killed!¡±


    ¡°Klin!¡± Xandra snapped.


    ¡°But she¡¯s,¡± Klin argued, and to Orenda he snarled, ¡°Don¡¯t threaten her!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get involved,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°You are really bad for each other, and I don¡¯t care.  I don¡¯t know why you keep thinking I care! Get out of my way or burn! You two don¡¯t seem to comprehend what¡¯s happening here!  You are standing between a god and the power to set the world to rights! So if you aren¡¯t part of that future, get out of the way or burn!¡±


    ¡°This should have never been allowed to get this far,¡± Xandra said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe this!¡±


    She glared at Klin, and he shrank back and folded his arms over his chest.


    Xandra turned back to Orenda and raised her hand into a fist, and Orenda watched a bright, blue light emanate from her chest.  Orenda wasn¡¯t sure what she was trying to do, because while she did feel intense water magic settling over her face and hands, whatever Xandra had tried to cast did not penetrate the sterilite armor even in its weakened state.


    Orenda arched an eyebrow at her, and Xandra stared at her with the first fear Orenda imagined the empress had felt in centuries.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t believe me,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I gave you the chance to run.¡±


    She held the sword to her side, raised her hand, and felt the temperature change in the room.  The power of a god flowed through her, and she released it.


    Orenda did not think the emaciated witch could move so quickly.  But the water from the rivers around the throne rose to meet the blast Orenda had cast, and the nobility screamed as it turned to vapor.  The steam shot out so fiercely and so quickly that the soldiers behind Orenda fled as they began to cook in their armor like meat in a canner.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Klin shrieked again, ¡°Stop!¡±


    ¡°Help me!¡± Xandra yelled at him, ¡°And have everyone evacuate!¡±


    ¡°What do we do, sir?¡± Orenda saw the impossibly old man, standing to the side.


    ¡°I have to save the princess,¡± Klin said, and his eyes were green as he jumped from the protective barricade of the water and tackled Orenda around her midsection.  The sterilite armor, she realized, protected him from feeling the heat there, and he moved so fast and with so much strength that he knocked the air from her, and pinned her to the floor before she could react.


    The sword went spinning from her grasp, and came to a rest several feet away.


    ¡°I told you to run!¡± Klin screamed, ¡°I told you not to touch it!  I gave you a chance! And you tried to kill my wife! Now I have to carve out your heart!¡±


    ¡°With your bare hands?¡± Orenda asked, ¡°Get the hell off me!  I don¡¯t know what is wrong with you, but any idiot can see that she¡¯s using you!  You know it yourself! Get off of me and let me solve this problem for you!¡±


    ¡°Somebody throw me my sword!¡± Klin yelled, and then amended, ¡°No, nevermind, I realized how stupid that was right after I said it.  Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes why am I so goddamn stupid?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re stupid, I think you¡¯re sad.  And drunk. I wish I were drunk. Get off of me.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Klin grabbed at her chest, and Orenda felt the pain as he dug his fingers into her flesh.  She wondered why he didn¡¯t call up the armor, didn¡¯t crush her under its weight.


    He wrapped his free hand around her throat, with four fingers over one vein and his thumb over the other, and Orenda felt her world beginning to go fuzzy at the edges.  He was so much physically stronger than her; she realized that if he had wanted to overpower her upstairs, if he had moved faster, if he had not been, as he claimed, genuinely concerned for her wellbeing, if he had not thought that he could have talked her out of taking the fire stone, he could have killed her where she stood.


    She tried to raise her hand, to get a clear shot at him.


    ¡°Stupid slippery-ass knitting,¡± Klin mumbled, and Orenda¡¯s oxygen deprived brain finally reminded her that his hand was touching her flesh.


    He screamed and drew back at the fire shield she cast, but it was too late.  The armor jumped up in an attempt to protect him, but it burned away along with the carpet she was lying on.  Orenda sat straight up and took in a deep breath, feeling the pain of her own foolishness, but it was short-lived.  She saw Klin running for his sword, saw him scoop it from the floor, and then she was off the floor, and floating in a pool of water.


    Xandra stood below her, and the water had flowed from the rivers around her throne and into the air with a wave of her hand.  It condensed there, in a sort of bubble that moved with her. The sterilite must have kept Orenda from feeling most of the sickness, but still her head ached, her vision swam, and she had not had time to fill her lungs properly.


    Orenda turned her head to see the old man had run, once again to Klin, that Klin was kneeling on the ground, clutching his head and crying.  Xandra looked awful. She had been burned as well by the steam, Orenda realized, and it had done away with all of her presentability. Her beautiful dress was soaking wet, her wig had come undone, and her makeup was ruined.  It was more obvious than ever why she wore it, and this spell was another drop in the bucket of terrible, terrible decisions Xandra had made.


    Master?  The staff pleaded.  Master?


    Help me, Orenda prayed.  Help me.  I¡¯m so close.


    The stone in her heart began to glow with the fire of the heart of a planet, and as the sacred flame surrounded and protected Orenda, it did not solidify, but grew hotter and hotter, brighter and brighter, surrounded her, not a forest, not one living thing, but the magic in the hearts of all living things that she had seen in the bright expanse of nothingness, and as the water around her evaporated and dissipated she fell to the floor, and the tiles melted beneath her.


    ¡°I have come to claim the throne by divine right,¡± Orenda said as she pushed herself to her feet, ¡°I am the chosen avatar of Thesis upon Xren.  Xandra, you have been tested by god, and you have been found lacking.¡±


    Xandra screamed- not in fear, but in frustration.


    As Orenda ran towards her, she watched the thing in her chest begin to glow, and watched the water flow out of it until Xandra stood before her, a creature she had never seen, a living ocean, giving off the strongest water magic Orenda had ever known.  She knew that even the heart of a god would not protect her, that had it not been for the Brigaddons, the simple, human Brigaddons with their love of strange food and unmatched knitting ability, she would be so ill she would be unable to stand.


    ¡°She ain¡¯t never done that before,¡± Klin said in concern, ¡°Xandra!  I¡¯m sorry!¡±

 Chapter 131 - Book 3 Chapter 51

    Orenda did not see the armor spring to cover Klin, because she was busy trying to protect herself from the torrent of water rushing toward her.  It froze in the air, and the icy daggers melted with the force of her own fiery blast. She looked to the place where Mary Sue and Sonny had fallen, and realized that they were, for the moment, safe.


    Xanrda must have followed her eyeline, because she sneered, raised a hand, and directed it toward the unconscious siblings.


    She was not happy when nothing happened.


    But Orenda did not have time to take any petty glee from the empress¡¯s emotions, because the Emerald Knight was upon her with his sword raised, and he tried to plunge it into her heart.


    The sword stopped before it could make contact.


    This vessel has been chosen by the Sacred Staff, master.  The sword said.  I will allow no harm to come to our vessel.


    The Emerald Knight drew back and tried again, but again the sword stalled.


    Orenda raised a hand and let out a torrent of flame in his direction, but the Knight was so damn fast!  He didn¡¯t even back away from her- he flipped back and away from the flames, in his full armor, and as Orenda watched his hands hit the floor, watched him spring backwards in a series of backflips, moving faster than she could cast, she had to admit that she was impressed.  Impressed but not frightened.


    She had set nearly everything in the room on fire, the fine tapestries, the carpet, the buffet tables- and the room was filling with smoke.  Fortunately, the ceiling was high, and Orenda was not particularly concerned about the damage.


    Until she watched the curtains burn.


    She saw beyond them the terrified kitchen staff, the humans running for their lives deeper into the castle.


    She thought that the guards probably wouldn¡¯t let them outside- and even if they got outside, where would they go?  Into the storm?


    She was staring at the destruction when the Emerald Knight came for her again.  He was brandishing a different sword this time, a curved sword like the ones Orenda had seen in her book about the fire elves.  He moved so quickly, and tried to plunge this one into her heart as well, but as the blade touched the fire flowing over her it melted away to nothing.


    ¡°What?¡± He cursed, ¡°Why?  The armor¡¯s so much weaker on her than it was the last time!  This should work! Come on! Fuck¡¯s sake!¡±


    ¡°Stop attacking me!¡± Orenda demanded.


    ¡°Stop trying to kill my wife!¡± The Emerald Knight demanded, reached into the bag at his hip, and pulled out a battle hammer that could have never fit inside of it.


    That was interesting.


    ¡°I have to save the princess!¡± The Emerald Knight screamed as he brought the hammer down upon her head, but it, too, melted with the heat of her armor, and Orenda thought that if she was that hot, he shouldn¡¯t be able to stand so close to her.


    She reached out a hand and laid it gently upon his chest.


    He didn¡¯t burn.


    ¡°They won¡¯t let me kill you,¡± She said and thought of how every time she had attacked him she had burned away the armor, but hadn¡¯t actually hurt Klin himself.  ¡°No harm can come to the vessels. We can¡¯t hurt each other.¡±


    ¡°I can kill anything that lives!¡± The Emerald Knight argued, ¡°It¡¯s the only thing I can actually do!¡±


    ¡°Kill the assassin!¡± Xandra shrieked, ¡°Carve out her heart!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Klin mumbled, and to Xandra he shouted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Orenda ignored the Emerald Knight and his ineffective attacks, and closed the distance between herself and Xandra.


    ¡°You¡¯re throwing water on a grease fire!¡± Orenda snarled at her, ¡°You will boil when you die!¡±


    ¡°Ruvean, run!¡± Klin said as he dug around in his bag.  ¡°Where the fuck is my grappling hook?¡±


    It is in ill repair, master.  The sword answered.  You used it to defeat the great ocean spirit, underwater.  You left it in the storeroom.


    The Emerald Knight cursed, and Orenda understood.  He didn¡¯t understand. All he saw was an assassin with the strength of a god marching toward his wife.  He would never understand.


    ¡°Get out of my home!¡± The monster that was once Xandra told Orenda.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a water elf,¡± Orenda said, ¡°You can¡¯t sustain that form.  You haven¡¯t been chosen by a god. I have. You are going to die today.  I am not a person. I am all your sins, come to put an end to you. And you are afraid of me.¡±


    Orenda reached out and grabbed the glowing stone in the middle of the empress¡¯s chest.  The water of her armor was as icy as the sea in the Frozen North, and it sizzled and popped, but could not put out the flames that surrounded Orenda.


    ¡°Orenda!¡± She jerked her head to see the Emerald Knight standing with his sword raised over the prone bodies of the Brigaddons.  ¡°Stop it! Stop it now! Leave her alone!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Orenda screamed.  They were immune to magic, but that sword seemed to function in its capacity as a sword even without any kind of magical attunement.  It was still sharp and heavy; it had marred Gareth¡¯s face, and killed half her family.


    ¡°Leave her alone!¡± The Emerald Knight demanded.


    Orenda released her grip on the stone, and took a step back.


    ¡°Take off the armor!¡± The Emerald Knight ordered.


    Orenda concentrated as hard as she could, and the armor fell away.


    ¡°Now step away from my wife!¡±


    Orenda stepped off the platform slowly, and took calculated, delicate steps toward the monster.  She thought of Gareth again, of how he had faced this monster and lived, of how he had watched it mercilessly kill, of how Felearn had told her the army was so afraid of him they would kill on his command, of all the stories she had heard about the monster.


    ¡°Klin,¡± she said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of being a monster?¡±


    The Emerald Knight was silent, so she took another step forward.


    ¡°When I heard all the legends about you,¡± She said, ¡°They never sounded real.  They never sounded true. It seemed impossible that one man could do so much. You¡¯re broken.  You¡¯re tired. Your home is under attack. But you made a decision, earlier. You decided not to take that final stone from its resting place at the temple on top of the world.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­  I can¡¯t,¡± His voice broke, and Orenda knew who she was speaking to, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  let it happen to anyone else. Look around, Orenda. This place is on fire¡­ people are dying¡­  you¡­ you people are destroying everything! I have to save the princess!¡±


    ¡°There is no princess,¡± Orenda said, ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake.  You¡¯re making one more mistake in a long line of mistakes. And you know that.  Your wife will die with or without me. She¡¯s dying now. Casting outside her element has driven her mad.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Klin!¡± Xandra yelled, ¡°Kill this madwoman!  She¡¯s come to destroy us!¡±


    ¡°I¡­  I don¡¯t know how,¡± Orenda knew he was crying, though she could not see his face under the helmet, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to¡­  you promised¡­ you promised you would kill me!¡±


    ¡°I will kill the Emerald Knight,¡± Orenda vowed, ¡°Such a horrible person does not deserve to live.  But¡­ one can not kill a legend alone. I need help.¡±


    ¡°You¡­  you¡¯re¡­  you¡¯re trying to get inside my head!¡± The Emerald Knight shouted.  ¡°Stop it! Get out of my head!¡±


    ¡°Klin!¡± Xandra called again, ¡°Help me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything!¡± Orenda snapped.


    ¡°Klin!¡± Xandra shouted again, and the repetitiveness of it began to grate on Orenda¡¯s nerves.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Ruvean had appeared again, and following him were more Urillian soldiers than Orenda knew existed.  They stood in rank behind him, and Orenda saw that some of them looked no older than Klin had appeared to be.


    Ruvean came running up to stand beside Klin and asked, ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Kill the assassin!¡± Xandra ordered.


    ¡°Stand back!¡± The Emerald Knight said, and they did not seem to know what to do with the conflicting information.  ¡°Don¡¯t swarm the Crimson Mage! You¡¯ll all burn when you die! She holds the heart of a god!¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Ruvean asked again.


    ¡°I¡­  I don¡¯t¡­¡± The Emerald Knight said, ¡°Evacuate the castle.  Take everyone to safety.¡±


    ¡°Sir, there is no safety.  The entire fleet on the coast has been sank, and we¡¯re getting reports that more terrorists have arrived.  More of those wererabbits have been spotted outside the gates, we¡¯ve received a scry from the battalion sent to the fire continent that they can¡¯t dock anywhere- the sea rages and now that I know there¡¯s a djinn involved I believe anyone who goes near the place will sink.  There is nowhere to evacuate. What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Klin said, ¡°We¡¯re¡­  we¡¯re losing? Glenlen was right?  We¡¯re losing?¡±


    ¡°The day is not lost,¡± Ruvean said.


    ¡°Ok, ok, let me think,¡± Klin said, ¡°Take the princess and evacuate to-¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to run!¡± Xandra¡¯s armor fell away as she marched down from the platform, ¡°Not from one little girl and a warren of rabbits!  You have killed gods! Plunge that sword into her heart! Kill this intruder, then we return to the Frozen North and retrieve the final stone!¡±


    ¡°If I take that stone out of the temple!¡± The Emerald Knight shouted back at her, ¡°I will awaken the Demigorge!¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t real, you idiot!¡± Xandra yelled at him, ¡°You¡¯ve been manipulated by a demon!  How can you be that stupid! You¡¯re better than that! You know better! Why must we go over this?  Why must we go over and over this!?¡±


    Orenda turned to look at the guards and realized that though most of them were shocked, Ruvean looked as if he saw this same thing play out, over and over, every day.


    ¡°You¡¯re shouting again!¡± Xandra shrieked, ¡°How much of that can I be expected to put up with?  How much can a body take? I¡¯ve given you everything! All I¡¯ve ever asked you to do is keep me safe!  Kill this assassin!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all you¡¯ve asked me to do!¡± The Emerald Knight shouted, ¡°That¡¯s just the only thing I¡¯ve ever done right, so now it¡¯s all you think I can do!  I can¡¯t keep anyone safe! They¡¯re all dead, Xandra! All of them! One by one they dropped off while I went all over the world trying to find these artifacts!  All I know is death! I¡¯m a fucking monster!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t have that blasphemy in my house!¡± Xandra shouted, ¡°You¡¯re not a monster, you¡¯re the Chosen One!  You saved us all! You saved me! You¡¯re a hero!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a monster!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t reckon,¡± Ruvean turned to Orenda, ¡°That I could simply ask you to leave?  It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a bit, well, on fire in here. It would give us one safe place.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth asking,¡± Ruvean shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve found that kindness sometimes works better than violence.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep living like this!¡± The Emerald Knight bellowed, ¡°I can¡¯t do it!  I¡¯m going to die from it! I ain¡¯t been right for centuries! That thing is eating away at you!  It¡¯s killing you! And¡­ and¡­ YOU¡¯RE NOT RIGHT!¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t understand,¡± Xandra said.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± The Emerald Knight screamed, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  let you¡­ let me say it! Let me get it out! Before you start twisting it up!  You¡¯re not RIGHT, you¡¯re just SMART! And you think¡­ you think that I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t do anything because I¡¯m stupid!  That I can¡¯t see things!¡±


    ¡°I have never said you were stupid!¡± Xandra said.


    ¡°But you think it!¡± The Emerald Knight screamed, and Orenda stepped away and grabbed each of the Brigaddons by the collars of their sterilite undershirts, and began to drag them in the direction of the now deserted kitchen.  Ruvean stared after her as if he believed that his plan of ¡®politely ask the terrorists to leave¡¯ had worked after all.


    ¡°I have never thought-¡± Xandra said, but she was cut off.


    ¡°It ain¡¯t gonna work!¡± Klin screamed, ¡°It¡¯s never going to work!  We can¡¯t unite all the stones, we can¡¯t unite all of elvenkind because all of elvenkind HATES me!  They tell their kids stories about me like I¡¯m a goddamn boogieman!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hysterical,¡± Xandra told him, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for your nonsense dramatics!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me!  You don¡¯t never listen to me!¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t never say nothing!¡± Xandra shouted, ¡°You stay dead quiet for months and then blow up!  How is anybody supposed to react to that?¡±


    ¡°Not by reading my mind!  Look I¡­ I did talk to Magnus, and he thinks¡­  he said that¡­ that this relationship was toxic for me-¡±


    ¡°A demon told you-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this in front of god and everybody but STOP INTERRUPTING ME!¡±


    ¡°Stop interrupting me!¡± Xandra screamed back, ¡°And stop getting shitfaced drunk at every single social gathering!  I¡¯ve had to hide you away, you¡¯re such an embarrassment! Half the court don¡¯t even know your name! All you ever do is hide away and cry, and moan, and complain about how hard your life is- you were a peasant farmer!  I led you to that sword! I broke centuries of tradition to marry you! I have given you every single thing that you have! So do not come up in here and act like I am somehow the one who is using you!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t never want none of that!¡± Klin shouted, ¡°All I ever wanted was someone, one person, anyone, who understood- who didn¡¯t look at me like I was a ¡®Chosen One¡¯, like I had to be something.  You didn¡¯t give me that! The sword didn¡¯t give me that! I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want this anymore! But we¡¯re so deep in it now! What the hell am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Are you crying?¡± Xandra asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Klin said, though he very clearly was.


    ¡°Klin, I need you to pull yourself together, kill this assassin, and then go out there and save our people from whatever fresh hell the universe has thrown at us!¡±


    ¡°It ain¡¯t random,¡± Klin said, ¡°I¡¯m being punished for my sins.  This is¡­ this is cause and effect¡­ and if you don¡¯t get out you¡¯ll get caught in the crossfire.¡±


    ¡°I CAN¡¯T TAKE THIS!¡± Xandra shrieked, and Orenda actually agreed with her.


    Xandra clutched her head so hard her perfectly manicured nails tore at her flesh, and began to chant, ¡°I can¡¯t take this.  I can¡¯t take this. I can¡¯t take this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­  you¡¯re right,¡± Klin said through the tears Orenda knew he had to have under his helmet, ¡°God, you¡¯re right I¡­  I did it again¡­ in front of¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Xandra, I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    But she wasn¡¯t listening, she had folded into herself and was still chanting.  The Emerald Knight reached out a hand to lay on her shoulder- and she shrieked.


    Orenda watched each and every one of the soldiers around her begin to sputter, cough, convulse- and then to leak.  Blood poured from them, not just from the places would would imagine blood should pour, not just from their mouths, their noses, their eyes, but also from their flesh, seeping into their pristine uniforms, staining the green so dark it appeared black.


    ¡°RUVEAN!¡± the armor of the Emerald Knight fell away, and Klin ran, knelt, and grabbed at the convulsing, spasming husk of the old man.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Klin demanded, ¡°Stop it!  I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Orenda pulled the staff from her back, leaped over the smoldering, overturned table, and began sprinting across the ballroom.


    Klin was doubled over the body in his arms, his face buried in the old man¡¯s chest, when the blood that had seeped from their bodies began to collect.  It moved as the water from the streams had, and collected around Klin¡¯s weeping form as he continued to chant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Then he said nothing, because he was picked up from his position, and floated, suspended, in a column of blood.


    ¡°Breath this, water elf,¡± Xandra said, glaring up him with her outstretched hand.  ¡°I¡¯m tired of it! I gave you everything, and this is how you repay me?! You want this to be my fault?  You want to see crazy? I¡¯ll show you crazy!¡±


    Klin struggled inside the column, and Orenda saw that he was trying to swim to the edges of it, but that his eyes were closed, that he was trying not to take in the scene before him.


    But Orenda was not concerned with the Emerald Knight; he only existed as the distraction she needed as she closed the distance between herself and Xandra, and swung the staff for all it was worth.  The sword, Orenda had realized, may have been sterilite, may have been useless for casting magic, but it was still a sword. And the staff was still a heavy, metal pole, and Orenda had learned to know her environment.


    It hit the side of Xandra¡¯s head with a satisfying, loud, and weighted crack.

 Chapter 132 - Book 3 Chapter 52

    The empress spun from the blow, went reeling, and landed hard on the floor.  Orenda thought that she may have heard her head crack again when she hit.


    The blood splashed to the ground with Klin inside of it, and he groped blindly for anything to wipe his eyes on.  Orenda knew she had to move quickly before he regained his bearings, so she ran to him, then pulled the sword from his back.


    ¡°Xandra?¡± He tried to call, but when he opened his mouth a stream of blood poured from it, and he could not get the word out because he fell into a coughing fit.  Orenda didn¡¯t have time to watch as he pulled himself onto his hands and knees and coughed, trying to get it out of his lungs. She did catch the noises he made, the half-formed phrase, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± over and again.


    Instead, she turned back to Xandra, holding the heavy sword in both hands.


    The blow to her head and the fall seemed to have dazed her, but Orenda saw no injury there, and thought for a moment that she may not have been as strong as she thought she was.


    ¡°Klin?¡± Xandra called.


    But Klin was still coughing up the blood she had forced into his lungs.


    ¡°My name,¡± Orenda said as she ran, ¡°Is Orenda Solomaur Nochdifache-Firefist!  And I have come to-¡±


    Xandra turned just as Orenda came upon her, and stared into her eyes.


    Orenda saw many things at once.  She saw things she could not remember.  She was traveling down a steep incline, looking up at the face of a man she had never seen unmarred.  He held her to his chest, and he told her that everything was going to be alright, that he was going to protect her, that they were going to find her father.


    Orenda saw a light, and it was too bright, and she wanted it extinguished, so she began to cry.  It was right in her face, and she felt a rush of air that she did not know came from the sword that she now held in her hands.


    She heard Klin begging Gareth to take the baby and run.


    She felt the salt of the waves, though she was half asleep, and heard Gareth singing softly, a sea shanty.


    ¡°Charting no doubt where a woman had been,


    Yohoho and a bottle of rum.¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t sing, because his face was falling apart, and he was crying.


    Then someone else picked her up, and she snuggled into a soft, thick beard while Falsie explained that Gareth had to cauterize his face or he was going to die, and that he could probably come up with something to do about his hand.


    Then she stared up at the eyes of a woman she did not know, who explained to her that they could not be found together, that if they were found together, they would know that Orenda was a Knight of Order, and they would hurt her.  The woman told her that she just had to wait, right here, against the wall of the workhouse, and the nice men would be there to take her to her Aunty Krothy¡¯s in the morning. She pinned a note to the blanket Orenda was wrapped in, but that meant nothing to her because she could not read.  She only knew that she desperately did not want to be alone. She wanted to go back to the ship, to all the nice people there. She didn¡¯t like traveling.


    Orenda shoved the extra pair of stockings she had taken from the girl who hadn¡¯t moved quickly enough on the assembly line under the hay pile where she slept and covered them quickly so that they would not be stolen.  The girl¡¯s sleeves had caught, and she had been drug along for some time before they could stop the equipment and get her out. She was dead by then and wouldn¡¯t need clothes. They had all swarmed her, and Orenda had wanted to get her shoes, but she had been beaten to them.


    Orenda pulled the warm tray of cookies from the oven and looked up into Susan¡¯s smiling face.  She helped Johnny and his family out of their hiding spot. She told Charles that she did not believe in Niccoli, no matter how much he wanted her to.  She watched Ellie, absorbed in her studies, and thought that she was glad she had learned how to read.


    Charles grabbed her by the shoulders, looked into her eyes, and said, ¡°I am Charles OfVenris, this is Susan OfVenris.  Remember our names! Remember us!¡±


    Orenda felt the flames in the hearts of the soldiers burst in one final attempt to remain alive until they puffed away to nothing and the flames ate away at the library.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Orenda sat at the table with Ali and Rychelle, then burned a strange symbol onto Ali¡¯s neck from the back of a moving wagon.  Ali looked worse and worse, less like the boy in the wagon, every time he scried her. Bubbider gave her a bed and friendship.  Bubbider was pregnant now, and her child would never be branded.


    Orenda fell into the pool and the steam poured out into the night, and every time Quiroris touched her it made her blood boil.


    Tolith was a terrible dancer, but he was a good kisser, and he took care of her when the sea made her ill.  She was what had happened to his face, and now he was downstairs in a dungeon, because she had not loved him even when he needed it the most, but he had always loved her, and it was not fair, but she was a monster who could not love, because how could a god love a mortal?


    Draco and Impy were in love.  Bella and Gareth were in love.  Sarya and Barbra Allen were in love.  Bella was not the monster she thought she was, though she was a wolf, and that is something like a monster.


    Orenda pulled the Sacred Staff from the Sacred Flame in the dead city that had once been alive until Xandra had sent her monster to kill it, and Gareth had never, and probably would never, forgive them for it.


    He had earned his madness.


    Anilla avoided madness with an ease that Orenda envied.


    Draco, Imply, Adam, and Mr Bilge had survived when Xandra sent her monster to collect the water stone, and they had not forgotten either.


    Orenda saw a demon in a mirror, and then again as she threw them both into the sacred flame.


    The Brigaddons thought that she was their sister, and Orenda had began to believe it too.  Lapus Brigaddon was out in the world somewhere, being pursued by his mother, and Xaxac Brigaddon couldn¡¯t stay alive long enough to tell her anything about her past, so she had had to leave.   She couldn¡¯t wait on Gareth to heal, because Gareth could not be here for this.


    Orenda watched the creatures who had once been elves but were now all melted flesh and burned muscle attempt to call for help, attempt to escape, before she slaughtered them like animals.  Orenda was a monster who had come in from the storm to bring death and destruction unto the castle.


    Klin was a monster, and he knew it.


    Xandra was a monster, and she knew it, as she stared into Orenda¡¯s maddness and did not seem to comprehend what she was seeing.  Orenda knew so, so much about the Knights of Order, but more than that, she knew the reality of the world she lived in. Orenda did not tell herself lies, and she did not fear the probling mind of a broken woman who had stretched herself too thin.  She did not even try to fight. She opened herself to everything, and let Xandra see the person she had built with the world she had made.


    This was not a murder.


    This was cause and effect.


    Xandra watched Orenda touch the stone as the Emerald Knight tried to kill her, watched her become one with a god, this woman who had already proven herself capable of looking eternity in the eye without blinking.


    And she was afraid.


    ¡°Goddamn right,¡± Orenda said as she plunged the blade into the place the stone sat beneath Xandra¡¯s flesh and pushed down with all her might, ¡°You should be scared of me.¡±


    ¡°Help!¡± Xandra shrieked as her armor gushed from the stone and tried to form, but it could not find her body.  The water hung there, in the air around her, growing larger and larger, but unable to become armor as Orenda pushed down as hard as she could until she heard a crack.


    A smooth, blue river rock about the size of her fist broke free, and Orenda had pushed so hard it went flying into the air.


    The water that had appeared fell, splashing the room and diluting the blood.


    Klin wiped his eyes on his sleeve, which was no less saturated than his face, cursed, and nearly fell into the little rivers that still surrounded the platform the thrones sat upon.  He plunged first his hands, then his face into it and scrubbed.


    Orenda realized that Xandra was still, somehow, not dead, but she would be in a few seconds.  The empress stared at the hole in her chest, gasping for air and watching the blood flow from it as if she didn¡¯t believe it.  She opened and closed her mouth as if she was trying to speak, then reached out her hand, grasping for the stone that was not there.


    Orenda realized that she probably really needed to find it.


    She stood, looked down at the woman who had, this morning, believed herself to be the most powerful person in the world.  She watched the magic that flowed around Xandra grow weaker and weaker, but she did not get to see it stop flowing completely.


    Because Klin turned around, finally saw the world for what it was, and screamed.


    There were no words there.  It was the sort of primal, animal scream that reminded Orenda too much of the emotion she had felt in the bathhouse.  She realized, as the ground began to shake, that something terrible was going to happen, so she decided she would find the stone later, and instead ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards the kitchen.


    As she moved, the world around her became unsteady with the force of the earthquake.


    Klin was screaming, and clutching his head with one hand and the place his heart had once been with the other, and Orenda could not begin to understand what he was feeling.  She had to keep moving, though the floor moved like it was an ocean, then like nothing she had ever felt before. She fell to her hands and knees and crawled as she watched the walls crack- then splinter.


    She pulled herself between the Brigaddons, threw up her hands, and cast a fire shield with everything she was worth.  The bubble of energy crackled and popped around her- and the sky began to fall.

 Chapter 133 - Book 3 Chapter 53

    The stones of the castle hit her shield, melted, and could go no further. Orenda watched the magma melt against the outside and slide down, down, down, but it seemed as if there was an endless supply, as if it would never stop, as if she would starve here, trapped in this small bubble while the ground rocked and shook. Mary Sue and Sonny both seemed to be moving in and out of consciousness, as if they knew something terrible was happening and desperately wanted to be part of it.


    Finally, there was nothing left to fall, and Orenda saw snow.


    Then, the shaking stopped, and the entire world was still and silent, except for the rushing of the wind.


    She pushed the shield outward until it dissipated and climbed out of the small piece of order she had created in the chaos.


    Klin sat, clutching Xandra¡¯s hand and sobbing in the wreckage.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said to her, over and over, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­ I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know why you¡­ why you hated me¡­ I was never¡­ going to be¡­ I¡¯m not a prince¡­ Ruvean was¡­ why did you kill him? Why did you¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Klin?¡± Orenda asked, and he jerked his head to look at her. He was completely soaked in blood; the rinse he had done in the stream had done nothing for his appearance.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hurt you,¡± he said, and Orenda looked out into the destroyed courtyard to see that the inner walls that kept the castle from the city were broken and crumbling in places. Everything was destroyed.


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met something I couldn¡¯t kill,¡± Klin said.


    ¡°Neither have I,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I killed your daddy,¡± He said. ¡°Ruvean¡­ Ruvean is dead.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t forgive you, Klin,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°But I also¡­ wish I cared about my father. I really do. But I can¡¯t make myself. He was a fool. And¡­ I think if I¡¯ve learned anything in my life, it¡¯s that sometimes things just happen.¡±


    ¡°I want to die,¡± Klin told her, ¡°I deserve to die. Why can¡¯t I just¡­ Why won¡¯t it end? Do I have to¡­ have to keep going? Forever? With¡­ with everything I¡¯ve¡­ I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°We have to find that stone before someone touches it,¡± Orenda told him, because she had no response to his wish for death, and she needed to be solution oriented.


    ¡°I broke everything,¡± Klin cried, ¡°We¡¯ll never find it! It¡¯s a¡­ a needle in a haystack.¡±


    He sat there, on his knees, staring up at the storm, and Orenda realized that she didn¡¯t feel sick at all.


    ¡°You killed her,¡± Klin said, as he let his eyes drop back to the corpse.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°Right by Combat,¡± Klin said after a beat, ¡°The queen is dead. Long live the queen. I know¡­ you probably don¡¯t want my advice¡­ but my first action would be to execute the Emerald Knight for crimes against elvenkind. Then, I would rebuild. Then I would take that water stone,¡± he put a hand over the place where his heart used to be, ¡°And the earth stone. And I would put them back into the temples where they belong. Where the Emerald Knight got them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your advice,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°And that¡¯s a bad idea. If you got in there, so could someone else. Those things need to be closely guarded. I wouldn¡¯t let them out of my sight.¡±


    Klin nodded.


    After another long pause, he slowly pulled himself to his feet, and still staring down at the corpse he said, ¡°She never loved me, I don¡¯t think.¡±


    When Orenda made no reply he said, ¡°I hate this fucking sword.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Then put it back,¡± Orenda told him, ¡°You got it out of a temple a few blocks from here. Just go down there and put it back.¡±


    ¡°Help!¡±


    Orenda jumped. It had been so unexpected in the stillness. But then she heard it again.


    ¡°Help!¡±


    ¡°Anilla?¡± Orenda asked the stillness.


    And then she heard another voice, unminstakably belonging to Tolith.


    ¡°Hey, honey, if my deaf ass can hear you, you¡¯re too goddamn loud. I can almost¡­ reach¡­ this guy has¡­ a ring¡­ Boom!¡±


    The ground opened up, and people began to crawl out of the opening Tolith had created in the carnage. There weren¡¯t many of them, and nearly all of them were human. She wondered if the castle¡¯s staff had, for some reason, gone seeking safety in the dungeons. Toli reached in a hand and tugged Anilla to her feet.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± he screamed when he saw her, and began to climb over the debris to reach her.


    ¡°Toli!¡± Orenda shouted and opened her arms for him to leap into.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the bloody guy?¡± Toli asked with a smile from his position secure in Orenda¡¯s arms, and Klin stared at him as if he had gone mad.


    ¡°This is Klin,¡± Orenda said, ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± She studied Klin and made a decision she feared she would one day regret, ¡°He¡¯s a Chosen Child of Thesis, like me. He defeated the Emerald Knight.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Tolith held out his hand and Klin stared dumbly at it for a second before he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ dirty,¡± Klin said.


    ¡°Me, too, buddy,¡± Tolith took one of his hands in both of his and shook for all he was worth. ¡°What did the Emerald Knight wind up being? We heard a lot of stories.¡±


    ¡°It was a cursed armor,¡± Orenda explained, ¡°Being controlled by Xandra.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Klin said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve taken it. There are actually a bunch of them, that¡¯s just the earth one. Stand back and look at this. I mean it, back up, it¡¯s hot.¡±


    She called up the armor, and Tolith stared, enraptured.


    ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re a lava monster!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orenda said.


    Tolith knelt by the corpse of his cousin and pulled the crown from her head. He stood and held it out to Orenda.


    ¡°Now take it off before you melt this,¡± He said, ¡°It belongs to you.¡±


    Anilla watched Klin pull a ring off his finger and throw it into a bag he wore on his side, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Orenda took the crown from Tolith and stared down at it.


    ¡°Can we get the drawbridge down?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Me and- sorry dude what¡¯s your name again?¡± Toli asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Klin,¡± Klin said.


    ¡°Yeah, we got it,¡± Toli said, ¡°Me and Klin can get it.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Orenda said, ¡°We need to discuss the change in management with the populace. And if anyone sees a blue stone, the kind you see in the bottom of rivers, anywhere, for the love of god, don¡¯t touch it! It¡¯s cursed!¡±


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Klin said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m stupid¡­ I can actually¡­ actually find it pretty easily.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Orenda asked as Klin, obviously disgusted with himself, retraced her path through the wreckage. He was mumbling to himself again, in his thick accent, but he did eventually knock over some stones with the strength Orenda had to keep reminding herself he had, and came up with his sword.


    ¡°Because the artifact lies in the heart of the temple, and this sonofabitch has always known exactly where,¡± Klin said.


    Don¡¯t be so dramatic, master. The sword said, This hurts now, but I swear to you, it¡¯s for your own good.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the water stone?¡± Klin asked, and Orenda watched him walk around on the advice of his sword while Anilla smiled and Toli tried to slick his hair back, but it wouldn¡¯t stay in place without an ear there to hold it. He was missing enough of it to heavily impact his fashion choices, Orenda thought, and yet still Xandra had recognized him. She had asked about her cousin. She had had a family.


    ¡°The queen is dead,¡± Toli said as Orenda watched Klin, muttering again, begging the armor to stay down as he picked up an unimpressive blue stone and stuck it into the bag on his hip. ¡°It¡¯s over now. The queen is dead. Long live the queen.¡±


    Long live¡­


    Orenda stared at the man who looked like a teenager yet who had seen centuries, and put a hand over the place her heart used to be. She could feel the stone there, and did not know how it worked, how it incorporated into her body. She could not feel her heart beating. She knew her blood flowed, but she could not feel her heart beating in her chest. She put two fingers to her neck, and felt a rushing like a river, constant, unbroken, and even.


    ¡°Lord Glenlen!¡± Klin called.


    ¡°My friends call me Toli,¡± Tolith grinned.


    ¡°Are we¡­ are we opening the drawbridge or¡­ can we like¡­ stop the attacks from the sea and the shifters? Before anyone else has to die?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda said as she lowered Xandra¡¯s crown onto her head. She didn¡¯t like it, didn¡¯t like the way it sat over her grandmother¡¯s wedding gift, and thought that she would take it off as soon as possible.

 Chapter 134 - Book 3 Chapter 54

    ¡°Uncle Gareth!¡± Orenda shouted as she rushed across the drawbridge.


    She had called out to him first, not because of her familial attachment, though she could no longer deny that she had that, but because he was the most obvious issue at hand. He was in the air, on his carpet again, and he seemed much less frail than he had the last time she had seen him, though she knew that he could put on a show and there was no telling how badly he was hurting. The snow alone had to do something to him, and with his injuries she didn¡¯t know how he was standing, let alone casting well enough to fly and fire.


    ¡°Uncle Gareth!¡± She shouted again as she ran, ¡°Stop burning down my kingdom!¡±


    He turned to look at her, and she saw the glint of the sunlight on his mask, more reflective than even the snow. The fireball in his good hand dissipated midcast when he saw her, saw the crown on her head. He changed position instantly, threw his hand up as high as he could, and shot into the sky. The column of fire there burned brightly enough that she was sure it could be seen for miles.


    Then the carpet descended, and he was in front of her, scooping her into his arms, and she hugged him back for all she was worth.


    ¡°I did it,¡± She told him.


    ¡°The monster is dead?¡± He asked, ¡°You killed the Emerald Knight?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I killed Xandra. Klin defeated the Emerald Knight.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is Klin?¡± Gareth asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in a moment- can I please borrow your carpet? I need the high ground. You may not want to stay on it with me. I guarantee someone will try to shoot me.¡±


    ¡°Take your time, love,¡± Gareth said, ¡°The Knights have seen my signal. They¡¯ll make their way here.¡±


    Orenda stepped onto the carpet, took out her staff, and rose over the city.


    She realized that the Knights had somehow breached the walls while she was inside the castle, and the higher she went, the more the wind and snow whipped at her cloak. She looked down at the chaos, at the fires that had been set, at the army she had not known she had. The Brigaddons were obvious because they were all shifted and all sterilite- but she had not known Barbra Allen could work a bow, and had forgotten that music was a weapon until she saw Sarya with her fidddle beside her. She saw Adam with his wand out, and apparently he could control the snow and ice as well as flowing water, and Orenda thought of how when the ice he shattered through Urillian soldiers melted it would leave no trace of a weapon. She saw Bella with her wand high, covered in blood that Orenda could not tell whether or not belonged to her, because as a shifter she recovered so quickly.


    ¡°Aunty Bella!¡± Orenda yelled, and Bella looked up at her, ¡°Can you do something about the storm?¡±


    For a moment, Orenda thought she hadn¡¯t heard her, but Bella had seen her, had caught the new crown on her head, and she understood what it meant. She raised her wand high, and the winds slowed to breezes, and suddenly the snow was a soft, fluffy, drifting thing. The people below her took notice of the difference, and Orenda raised her staff to the sky.


    ¡°My name is Orenda Nochdifache-Firefist!¡± Orenda shouted, ¡°And I have bested the tyrant Xandra! I am the Chosen Avatar of Thesis upon Xren who wields the power of a god, and have staked my claim by Divine Right! I am the granddaughter of the High Priestess of the Sacred Mountain Temple, and stake my claim by Birthright! And I am a citizen of the Urillian Empire who has killed the empress, and now I am claiming my Right by Combat! If anyone wishes to contest that,¡± She closed her eyes, and when she opened them she was surrounded by the armor of a god, ¡°Now would be the time!¡±


    The crowd stared up at her in awe, and slowly the Urillian soldiers began to stand at attention, to click their heels together, to put away their weapons and fold one hand in the small of their backs, with their other hand fisted over their hearts.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Orenda had not expected them to give up so easily. She had expected to be attacked when she made this announcement. She did not understand that when a people have lived in fear for so long, have lived under threat for entire lifetimes, that a change in their master did not create a change in their mindset. She did not understand what it was like to look upon the avatar of a god and know fear. She did not understand what she was, not from the outside.


    Orenda had never been able to believe legends, so she did not even believe it now. She did not believe that she was something legendary.


    ¡°My first order,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Is that we send messengers to alert the troops on the shore and anywhere else they may be- tell them that Xandra is dead, and they are welcome to come see the corpse. Tell them that the Knights of Order have won this war. Whoever is in charge here needs to come meet with me. Someone needs to scry and tell the navy to retreat, because if they hit the coast of the fire continent they¡¯re going to run into a Djinn in mourning who won¡¯t be happy to see them! I won¡¯t keep shouting! I¡¯ll be landing and anyone who wishes to speak to me is welcome to do so.¡±


    ¡°That certainly is a hell of a corpse,¡± Gareth said as Orenda swooped down for a landing. But she didn¡¯t land next to him, where he stood with Tolith and Anilla, looking down at the dead thing that had once been an empress. She landed, instead, near a greenhouse that had been shattered in the destruction, because Klin was inside, standing silently and looking at the destruction he had wrought.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± He asked. He turned, slowly, to look at her, and she hated that he was still covered in blood. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you¡­ why did you¡­ save me? Is that¡­ is that what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orenda said, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie for you. I lied for them. They need to think that the Emerald Knight is dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ that makes sense,¡± Klin said. After a beat he said, ¡°This¡­ this greenhouse¡­ I always¡­ I loved plants. And animals. My friend, Alenia was trying to¡­ build a library of seeds for every plant on Xren. We had stuff here that didn¡¯t exist anywhere else. Then I broke it. It¡¯s all gonna die in the snow. I killed it. I kill everything I love.¡±


    ¡°And many things you don¡¯t,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. He turned to her, stood to his full height, clicked his heels together, fisted one hand in the small of his back and the other over the place his heart used to be. ¡°My queen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me,¡± Orenda sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ mean¡­ to¡­¡± Klin seemed genuinely confused, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a knight, in service to the crown. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do now.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t anyone seem to know you?¡± Orenda asked. She looked around to make sure no one was evesdropping before she continued, ¡°You¡¯re a prince! You were important!¡±


    ¡°I was never really¡­ I don¡¯t think people¡­ look at me.¡± Klin said, ¡°I didn¡¯t go to parties and stuff and I always went out in my armor. I didn¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t like¡­ crowds or¡­ like¡­ I was gonna say that I liked like¡­ maybe two people but¡­ no, I don¡¯t. All my friends are dead. And like¡­ some of them just¡­ Ruvean was¡­ I can¡¯t believe she¡­ he was so good to us and¡­ but it¡¯s like¡­ everyone is¡­ everyone is going to die anyway. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so old and¡­ I¡¯m¡­ stuck. You are too, now. We¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re stuck like this. Forever. They won¡¯t¡­ won¡¯t let you age¡­ won¡¯t let you dye your hair¡­ you can convince them to let you get stuff pierced but if you take it out it grows up¡­ no tattoos¡­ no scarification¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not your body anymore. It¡¯s a vessel. And I think¡­ I think I¡­ we¡­ might be¡­ immortal.¡±


    Orenda noticed that the plants in the greenhouse began to bloom.


    ¡°You were supposed to be a savior,¡± Orenda said as she watched the life spring up around him.


    ¡°I tried,¡± Klin shrugged. ¡°That road of good intentions led¡­ I guess where those roads always lead. I just¡­ I just wanted¡­ to keep her safe. But I did¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°From your perspective,¡± Orenda said, ¡°My father was an assassin sent to kill your wife for revenge.¡±


    ¡°My queen, there were¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I barely remember your father. There were so many of them¡­ it¡¯s been¡­ day after day, night after night, of death and fighting and more death, and you would think¡­ you think that¡­ you would get used to it, but you¡­ you don¡¯t so you just¡­ don¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t remember them all or¡­ you would¡­ well, I mean I¡­ I can¡¯t kill myself. I¡¯d like a drink. Can I have a drink?¡±


    ¡°The Urillian Empire,¡± Orenda said, ¡°Lasted for three centuries. But it fell in a day and night.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t even that long,¡± Klin said, ¡°I¡¯m going to see if anything survived from my wine cellar, if¡­ if that¡¯s ok? May I please be dismissed?¡±


    Orenda didn¡¯t know what to make of the question. Servants had always bothered her, and Klin¡­ it wasn¡¯t only that he acted strange. He was strange. She certainly couldn¡¯t trust him. But neither did she know how to kill him.


    So she said, ¡°Yes. That will be all. And for the love of god, take a bath.¡±


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Gareth called, ¡°Everyone is here! Come! Let¡¯s do something about this corpse!¡±

 Chapter 135 - Book 3 - Epilogue

    Gareth carefully wrapped the silk fabric around Orenda¡¯s still form as she tried to control her breathing. The sari had sat in the box for so long, and been bought so long ago, when Orenda was so much smaller, that she was terrified there wouldn¡¯t be enough to go around her, enough of it to wear in the style that she was supposed to. It had been important to Ellie that Rendy should have it, and Ellie wouldn¡¯t be at her coronation, but she had been right. It was important.


    It would be Toli, as Xandra¡¯s closest living relative, who would put the crown on her head during the coronation at the Sacred Earth temple in the capital of what was once the Urillain empire. As Gareth made intricate loops of the long fabric, Orenda tried not to think about how her heart should be beating faster with her excitement. She tried not to think about how it wasn¡¯t beating at all.


    He was also the one who painted her face in the style of the late high priestess of the Fire Temple on the Sacred Mountains, and told her how she looked almost exactly like her grandmother. Orenda felt the smooth softness of the Sari against her body, and thought of how proud Ellie had been when she had bought it. Ellie had known Gareth then, hadn¡¯t she? That was the only explanation that made sense.


    Orenda stared into the mirror and wondered if she really did look like her grandmother.


    Orenda walked through her new home and watched the construction workers trying their best to put everything in order. Mary Sue walked beside her, looking through the notes she had on the status of the nobility who were, perhaps understandably, not happy about the few decrees Orenda had had time to make.


    Orenda had never cared for titles in the slightest, and many people found that they were now meaningless. That suited Tolith fine, and she remembered that as she had hugged him goodbye he had kissed her cheek and told her that if anyone ever called him ¡°Lord Glenlen¡± again he would likely shoot them where they stood. He seemed to believe that he had dodged a bullet. He couldn¡¯t be a viscount; he would rather die than be Prince Regent of the Urillian Empire. He was married to the sea.


    Orenda was more practical than Xandra had been. She didn¡¯t care about long standing estates or how blue one¡¯s blood was- she needed money to rebuild, and to help integrate the humans who found themselves in a strange position. Most of them had not been in the Knights of Order, and as a result, most were uneducated, and unsure what to do now that their place in society had changed. None of the nobility were keen to let go of their entire staff-


    Orenda was, however, amazed at how easily she ¡®put the fear of god¡¯ in them.


    Change was coming, whether anyone wanted it or not.


    But it was not exactly what she wanted. Life, it seemed, almost never was. She had expected that she would become queen, and then her subjects would obey her instantly. That was not the case in the slightest. She had told herself that she would never have to kill again, after she took the throne, but that hope went right out the window the first night she awoke to try to find out why she was on fire, and found that the armor had sprang up to protect her from the blade of an assassin. She didn¡¯t know how many of those would have to die before they stopped coming altogether.


    But Orenda hadn¡¯t had to worry about protection, because Klin seemed keen to take care of those little problems for her. She had to tell him that they needed information more than they needed corpses, and the idea that she didn¡¯t need him at all never seemed to sink in. Every time she told him this, he told her that he a knight sworn to protect the crown, and that these problems would just keep happening.


    Klin was right. It was a near daily problem. But Orenda was not Xandra. She did not hide behind walls and lapdogs. She got answers, and then she created solutions.


    It was easier, and, she believed, more humane, to end problems at their source, rather than allowing a string of murders. She believed that within a few years time there would be no one left who had once been related or loyal to Xandra, because they would no longer be alive. It was one thing to try to hurt her- but Orenda had friends who were not immortal.


    It was lucky, Orenda eventually decided, that Klin was so dependent upon his position. She knew that she could never really let him out of her sight. He couldn¡¯t be killed, so the best possible thing to do with him was to treat him the way she treated the sacred staff or the water stone. He was a weapon that needed to be guarded, that could be dangerous if she lost sight of it for a second.


    She still grew hungry, grew thirsty, grew tired, but Klin said those things weren¡¯t real. He said he never really had to eat, drink, or sleep, that they had merely gotten into the habit, but Orenda didn¡¯t believe him. No one who woke up screaming, who thrashed and fought in his dreams, would ever sleep if they didn¡¯t need to. If Klin did not need to sleep he would not, she reasoned, because watching him try was terrifying.


    There were many things to be done, to make Uril a place worth living in again, but as Orenda placed a hand over the place her heart once was, listening to Mary Sue as she read over the tax code she had worked out, Orenda realized that she had all the time in the world.


    Orenda stood, staring at her private bath in the palace. It was already full, and her head was clear as she sat on the edge and put in one foot, then another, then slid into the first body of water she had ever immersed herself in. She sank in up to her shoulders, and thought of how powerful the stone that had replaced her heart was.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± One of the lamps dotting the walls called out, and she jerked back to look at it, saw Ali¡¯s face, and extended her hand to call up a giant flame.


    He looked happier than she could ever remember seeing him, and he cast so strongly she could make out most of the room he was in. He was walking around what seemed to be a bedroom, and as he knelt on a bed, Orenda saw Bubbider, who looked as if she had just been through a battle.


    ¡°Rendy!¡± Bubbider said, ¡°I want to introduce you to someone.¡±


    She pulled apart the blanket she had in her arms to reveal a human child so tiny Orenda could barely believe it was a real living, breathing, thinking thing.


    ¡°This is my son,¡± Bubbider said, ¡°His royal highness, Prince Aban Ali AlHadeen.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that to a child?¡± Orenda laughed, ¡°Why would you name him that?¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Because his father is a hero,¡± Bubby said simply, ¡°I think you¡¯re only angry because you¡¯re single.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s beautiful, Bubby,¡± Orenda said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Bubbider looked down at the baby in her arms, then, with shock she asked, ¡°Wait, are you in the bath?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Orenda shrugged, ¡°But in terms of strength I think you¡¯ve still beaten me. I¡¯ve never heard anyone say, ¡®those twelve hours of labor were the most fun I ever had in my life¡¯.¡±


    Klin sipped his wine and stood behind Orenda and a little to the left, as he had taken to doing, while she looked out over the buffet before her, and the people who sat at the table. The Knights of Order filled the grand dining hall, and Orenda raised her glass in time with Mary Sue¡¯s toast.


    ¡°You know, Rendy,¡± Anilla said, ¡°I can¡¯t stay here forever. I¡¯m really happy for you, but I need to go find my dragon.¡±


    ¡°Does it, um¡­ does it have to be a dragon?¡± Klin asked.


    ¡°You asked me that once before,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s just, you said soulmates have the same magic signature,¡± Klin said, ¡°And it¡¯s like¡­ you look just like my buddy Morgan.¡±


    Orenda focused her eyes and saw that Anilla¡¯s soul moved exactly like the demon Morgani Magnus.


    Junior Briggadon stared up at the sign that his brothers had finished building the day before, and walked over to the table where the blueprints for the new building had been laid out. He was particularly interested in the tower- he suspected that there was an invisible field of electricity that existed in the air, and thought that he could potentially harness its energy now that he was finally free to spend the money his family had spent a lifetime amassing.


    This place was not just going to be a place of learning for the students, but a shining beacon of research for all of Xren.


    The sign above the archway read: Briggadon Memorial Academy - Follow the Path of Order. Follow the White Rabbit.


    Orenda stood with Klin, in the area behind the temple, while he stood staring at a stone in the ground and holding his sword in both hands.


    Master, please! The sword begged. Please, you can¡¯t do this! I¡¯ve been nothing but kind to you! I¡¯ve done all you asked of me! Please, please, I¡¯m trapped! You¡¯re the only friend I have known for centuries! You can¡¯t do this!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Klin said, ¡°But we are¡­ we are really bad for each other.¡±


    He took the hilt in both hands and slammed the sword into the stone.


    Orenda had drawn up plans for a statue, heavy and tall, over the sword, incorporating it into the design. The statue would show the Emerald Knight in repose, with his stone hands over the sword, so that no one would ever be able to pull it out again. She was having a plaque inset into the stone itself, a dedication of sorts. She didn¡¯t want the symbol to remain one of fear, a thing to be defeated. The story was too important. It needed to become a legend, something that could not have possibly been true.


    The inscription would read only, ¡°A faithful servant¡±.


    Sarya sat in the courtyard of the castle, thinking of how there had once, on that fateful day, been snow. But now the flowers were in bloom, and she slid her bow across her strings and began to sing.


    ¡°Orenda, the Reign Ender


    She¡¯s a fire, grew from an ember


    If you meet her, you will remember


    The terms of your surrender.¡±


    She stopped and wrote something down on the parchment she had open.


    ¡°You say I look like Morgani Magnus?¡± Anilla asked Klin as he stood in the greenhouse, transplanting seedlings from their eggshell containers into pots.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Klin said, turned to look at her, shrugged, and said again, ¡°I mean¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡°But he isn¡¯t a dragon,¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Klin said, ¡°I know, I¡¯m just saying.¡±


    ¡°Can you introduce me to him?¡± Anilla asked, ¡°You said you were friends.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ really have friends, but he¡¯s¡­ always been kinder to me than I deserve, I think. He tried to give me good advice, but I didn¡¯t follow it. I um¡­ yeah. I know how to summon him. But I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d have to go back to the Frozen North.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯m from anyway!¡± Anilla said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go,¡± Klin said, ¡°I¡¯m sworn to protect the crown. And I have¡­ I have a lot to¡­ to do. A lot to make up for, I think. I just¡­ I have a lot to¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Anilla said.


    Orenda sat in the library she had built, pouring over the old books that had been in Xandra¡¯s private vault.


    She had no idea where Xandra had gotten these- but she would bet money that Klin did.


    The books that had once belonged to the Kabaal held many secrets, handed down from an original group of nine humans who had once defied a god to save a desperate man on the run, who had escaped from a prison. Their names were listed, and it was claimed that each family begat the entire race of shifters. Two held her attention more than the others: Ahnah Amarok, who the books said was the most fiercesome protector of all humanity, the woman who tamed the dire wolves that roamed the world during the ice age, who was more loyal to those who could prove their worth than anyone on the planet. Her strength and rage were matched only by her love and compassion. And Quizlivan Briggadon, rumored to be so fast and agile he could outrun gods. His intelligence seemed to be matched only by his overwhelming love, romantic, familial, and platonic that was recorded, over and over by his many apparent lovers and children, which led Orenda to believe that wererabbits may be more common than she had originally believed.


    According to the Kabaal, they did not only hide Magnus- they helped him destroy a god.


    When the elves broke free of their prison in the Crystal City, they were under constant threat of attack, an attack so dire that it wiped out most of the life on the planet when the first moon fell. To prevent such a catastrophe from ever happening again, the Kabaal helped Magnus build a weapon capable of housing the soul of a god.


    But a god was too powerful to contain.


    So the soul was split into quarters.


    Thesis had not intended to hurt the world- he had intended to destroy it.


    In order to prevent this he was sealed away within the weapon- four stones containing pieces of a soul, which were given to four dragons, who were then sealed away with powerful, ancient magic in four temples at the four corners of the planet: The Air Temple, in the Sacred Sky, far above the air continent in the Frozen North, the Fire Temple, fueled by the heart of the planet in the fire continent, the Water Temple, deep underwater in the deepest part of the Sacred Ocean on the water continent, and the Earth Temple, within the Sacred Woods of the Earth Continent.


    The four places were sealed with an ancient magic that could only be accessed by a high elf, and Magnus and his followers were the only High Elves to escape the curse. Thesis could never be reunited. His attack had been prevented, and Xren had, despite everything, been saved.


    Xandra¡¯s notes told a different story. She spoke of an ancient curse that had sealed away a god who was trying to save Xren, who had left breadcrumbs for his most devout followers. If Thesis could ever be released, if anyone could prove their devotion, the curse that had split the elves would be broken. They would reunite, as they had before the fall, before Magnus¡¯s betrayal, and would be allowed back into the paradise that Thesis had created for them.


    Xandra had been trying to save the world, had been a devoted follower of Thesis- and she had managed to collect three of the four pieces. Even the Kabaal admitted that the paradise of prehistory existed- though they saw it as a gilded cage. The High Elves had had no war, no famine, no disease, no death. They had lived a life of peace and plenty, with technology beyond the comprehension of any being still living on Xren.


    Orenda did not know who to believe.

 Teaser

    Coming Easter 2019


    Follow the path of Order. Follow the White Rabbit.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Little Bunny Foo Foo


    Hopping through the forest


    Scooping up the field mice


    And bopping them on the head!


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/24471/the-white-rabbit/chapter/354821/chapter-1</a>

 Direct Sequel is here!

    Hey guys!  Remember how I said there needed to be a fourth book in this series but I didn''t feel right posting it here because it''s really a brand new story?  That Rendy''s quest was finished?


    I had a fairly negative reaction to Xac''s story, and I feel like that''s because it''s way too heavy for this particular audience.  So I''ve decided to pause working on it and start drafting the direct sequel to Crimson Mage.  If you want to see how Rendy''s handeling her new status as queen, hiding the dreaded Emerald Knight, and dealing with her new powers, head on over to The Dragon and the Demon here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/29509/the-dragon-the-demon</a>This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.