《The Order of Sekhmet》


 Beginnings: I am Rowan

    You could call me many things. Overconfident asshole. Famous god slayer. Unrecognized herbalist. Whatever. But what I will not have you call me is self-centered, uncaring or unloving. Yes, I do stab people to death. But these people pretty much had it coming. See, I have this thing called patience. It¡¯s like a long string of gum. You can pull on it or even twist it. But there will always be that moment when it snaps. And when that happens, you better run.


    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t quite patient when I was younger. If you had met me a few years earlier, or even worse when I was a teenager clouded in perfume d¡¯angst, you¡¯d probably be pierced up by now, and I wouldn¡¯t even care. I¡¯m cursed, after all. See these red eyes? They weren¡¯t always red. I used to have pretty blue eyes. And fewer scars. All right, all right. I¡¯ll start at the very beginning.


    You see, my life was quite dull back then. I had the luxury of growing up in the outskirts of a small town between Gessud, the Capital of our kingdom, and Hossud, a large harbor town to the north. We were right in the dead center of the travel route, so we always had a lot of merchants hanging around at the market place ¡ª a large square lined with slabs of sandstone to keep feet dry and mud-free all year round. Along with the cardinal points of the town, aqueducts at the height of a grown adult had been erected. At the respective ends were small basins built of limestone that caught the falling water and from which people could fetch their supplies by the bucket.


    Our town was dedicated to the deity Nu, so naturally, we had a big temple in her name. It was a large complex to the east, surrounded by massive walls and a well-guarded gate. Because houses were built up high, you could not see the temple very well from the market. The only hint that there was more was a rather wide road lined with flags bearing Nu¡¯s symbol: a water pot. Practitioners in white linen garbs were a common sight to see. What are practitioners? You could say they are devout followers of a deity. Easily distinguishable by the color they wore. White was the color of Nu, so her practitioners all wore white clothes. Mind you that looks like a hassle to clean up, primarily if these practitioners specialized in combat. Blood is a tough stain to clean.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    All around our town were fields upon fields with oat and barley. I vividly recall the golden colors in the setting sun and watch my friends being chased by angry farmers while they trampled on the precious grains. This might surprise you, but I was an indoor kid even though I certainly didn¡¯t look like one. I have naturally brown skin and a sturdy build that I have inherited from my father. And boy was he an outdoor guy. Very muscular, tall, deep tan. What I¡¯d call striking was the ash-blond hair and bright blue eyes that I also have ¡ª I mean had. My father would spend days away from our family, hunting in Sopdu¡¯s Lair, to the East of our town. Whenever he came back, he¡¯d always have a cart full of different game and venison to sell.


    The reason why I preferred being indoors was simple: I was mommy¡¯s little boy. Yes, I¡¯m not ashamed to say that. My mother was an herbalist and used to mix up the weirdest concoctions for her clients. Have a blemish on your face? Take this ointment, apply once daily. Suffering from diarrhea? Brew a tea with these herbs and drink at least three times a day. Buy two love potions for the price of one. Only while supplies last. Yes, I loved learning a lot about herbs. By the time I was able to look over the counter, I had already memorized what herbs and flowers were capable of alleviating whatever ailments. If I could ever choose a career, I¡¯d definitely strive to become a herbalist like my mother. But alas, here I am, wielding blades and killing people ¡ª kind of the opposite to saving. At least I keep herbalists busy.


    Whenever I did venture outside, I¡¯d meet my friends in the back alleys of the tall houses made of sandstone. They were shady places throughout the day and a cool respite during hot summers. While the main road consisted of cobbled stones, all other ways in town consisted of trampled down soil. Yes, it was a lot of fun stomping in muddy puddles whenever heavy rain set in. Oh, and the scolding we¡¯d get from our parents after that! Honestly, I was having a blast. My closest friends were Elm, Valerian, Reed, and Lilly. Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t need to remember them. They will be cannon fodder soon enough. I want to say that I wish it weren¡¯t so, but if it hadn¡¯t been for them, I wouldn¡¯t have met her ¡ª the one who turned my life upside down. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name¡¯s Rowan.

 Beginnings: My Order is my home

    Now, where was I? Oh yes. My cannon fodder, I mean, childhood friends. One person that deserves more description is Lilly. Sweet Lilly. She had flaming auburn hair and a pair of equally fierce green eyes to go with it. She was a little warrior, and everybody, including me, had a crush on her.


    ¡°Are you bullying the smaller kids again, Reed?¡± And before Reed could even deny these accusations, he¡¯d see a fist flying into his face. ¡°Valerian! Aunt Ivy saw you being sneaky!¡± Boom! And then he was sent flying from corner to the other. Oh, me? Well, I guess I took a few hits as well, nothing really spectacular. Valerian was the one that was at the receiving end most of the time.


    It was little wonder Lilly was capable of fighting at such a young age. After all, her parents were both royal guards of King Oleander. Great old man. Long white beard. He didn¡¯t last very long, unfortunately. But we¡¯ll get to that later.


    Lilly was living with her grandparents, but her parents regularly came over and taught her a lot of¡­ fighting techniques. I mean, what parent doesn¡¯t love to go home and show their six-year-old kid a thing or two about the stock exchange, aromatase inhibitors, or pouring concrete. Yeah. It totally makes sense.


    But above all of this, Lilly was an extremely pious girl. Unlike her parents, Lilly wanted to become a practitioner. Yeah, these are devout followers, kind of like monks, only with less celibacy or misogyny. Everybody respects you when you¡¯re a practitioner. You get to wear elegant linen robes that are color-coded depending on which Order you are in. Did you swear to adhere to Nu¡¯s teachings of love and equilibrium? You¡¯ll be dressed in white. Pledge yourself to protect the weak, no matter the cost? Welcome to the Order of Seth, here¡¯s your vegetable-green outfit. You might know this already, but we had a total of seven deities: Next to Nu and Seth, there were Osiris, Horus, Isis, Nephthys, and Geb. Each Order under their command came with certain perks. Let¡¯s look at Nu, for example. If you joined her Order, you not only received the primary combat education but also access to a plethora of books in the fields of mathematics and astronomy. Most of Nu practitioners were scholars and civil servants. If you chose to become a combat practitioner in this Order, however, you¡¯d belong to the few elite soldiers this kingdom has to offer. And if you are the cream of the crops there, it is highly likely that the goddess Nu herself will bless you, enhancing your physical capabilities and endowing you with the gift of magic, if you don¡¯t already possess affinity towards it.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The top position was becoming a Representative of a deity. The god or goddess in charge will bestow upon you even more power, and it is said that some Representatives serve their gods for several hundreds of years. That¡¯s some dedication, I guess.


    Naturally, a lot of children (probably their parents!) aspired to become a practitioner. Fame! Glory! Good pay! Pensions! Whatever the reason, you¡¯d have children lining up each year before temples, trying to get accepted. Obviously, not anybody can become a member of an Order. Each deity has its requirements, which ranged from being proficient in magic, displaying extraordinary strength, or being merely good at negotiating. But once you¡¯re in, you¡¯re set. And career choices are near indefinite. Yeah, Orders do not only offer a religious sanctum, but they are also exterminators, diplomats, handymen, you name it. Wherever there¡¯s trouble, they¡¯ll come and fix the problems for you. No need to bother settling payment issues with that plumber who used cheap spare-parts, but billed you the brand ones. Whatever Order will gladly take care of you! For just a small fee, there will be no plumber to settle payment with anymore!


    You may have guessed it by now, but our gods are very real. They resemble us a lot, albeit they are slightly taller and their skins are very dark. Some have feline traits, such as cat eyes. Or they might have outlandish hair colors. Whenever they make an appearance, you can be sure there¡¯s a commotion.


    Back to sweet Lilly. While Lilly had no aptitude in magic, she had keen combat skills. And she dreamed of becoming a Nu practitioner. Good for us that we had a Nu temple in town. I¡¯m pretty sure she would have quickly passed the recruitment test, which required maneuvering through deadly Parcours and mock battles with high-level practitioners. Unfortunately, Lilly would not live until the recruitment year. To add further insult, she was the reason I got into a mess in the first place.

 Beginnings: Yes, yes, finally some plot!

    Well, now that you know how things are in the kingdom I live in, it¡¯s time for something to happen, right? Fear not, things are about to go south for me!


    It was a particularly gloomy day in autumn. The days were getting shorter, and the weather became more temperamental than a lass during her period. The Nu temple was as busy as a beehive, with all kinds of local and foreign practitioners coming in and out. The streets were decorated with white flags. News spread quickly that the Representative of Nu herself, Aat, was dropping by. Lilly therefore suggested, we stalk the temple entrance to catch a glimpse of this particular celebrity. Most of us weren¡¯t keen on it, though.


    While most of the people were faithful servants to whatever deity the city had dedicated itself to, there were enough who shared their doubts. Obviously, only behind closed doors. After all, you didn¡¯t want to feel a deity¡¯s wrath personally, or? My parents, as well as the parents of the other boys, definitely didn¡¯t think too highly of Orders. ¡°Money-hungry¡± and ¡°Absolute obedience¡± were some of the kinder terms that flew around. And so, our parents had always told us to stay away from the temple.


    But even at a young age, love can be compelling. And we all loved Lilly. And where she went, we would go as well also if it meant breaking a promise or two. We can just apologize later.


    Being so small, the lacquered heavy wooden doors of the temple seemed grand. From behind the doors and the tall stone walls, you could hear the sound of metal upon metal, meditative chanting, and the occasional whirring sound of a spell being cast. Whenever the gates opened, people could catch a short glimpse of several large ground-level buildings and an even more enormous courtyard, where dozens and dozens of practitioners were busy meditating or honing their blade skills. Outside of the gates, a crowd was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Aat.


    And the Representative didn¡¯t disappoint. Like an artwork, she was standing on a bronze chariot pulled by a giant but tame griffin. Its beak was muzzled to prevent it from shrieking. Aat was an ethereal-looking woman. Because she was a direct descendant of Isis, a Celestial, she had dark skin. Thick strands of hair were braided and held together at the top by a bronze headdress. Her eyes were golden, black veins running from the corner of her eyes towards her temples. These types of eyes were unique to all Representatives. They came in all shapes and sizes, but their eyes were always golden. I guess it was a sign that they have received a special blessing from their deity.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    While Aat definitely looked human, she still moved intoxicatingly graceful, her white robes reflecting the muffled sunlight like a rainbow. The practitioners accompanying her paled in comparison to her. I remember gaping in awe at her, only for my spell to be broken by a ¡°Hello! Hello there!¡± coming from my right. Yes, it was Lilly. And yes, even if the entire perimeter fell silent upon seeing the Representative, Lilly was waving like a lunatic, begging for their attention. By the love of Nu! As if we hadn¡¯t told her before not to create a commotion, or else we¡¯d all be in trouble! But there she was, putting those bull¡¯s eye markers right on our heads.


    Hoping that Aat would nod and pass us by as would be expected of her (like, why would she bother with us kids anyway?), the boys and I slightly ducked to escape the practitioners¡¯ field of view. But alas! Instead of ignoring us, the Representative stopped right in her tracks, with her entourage almost stumbling into her. Her cold gaze fell upon all of us. It felt as if daggers were piercing us. Even Lilly stopped waving and abashedly stared to the ground. After a long silence, Aat suddenly spoke, ¡°blessed be the Mother of gods! You, five children, will have the honor to pray for peace this year!¡±


    The voices of deities and some Celestials are genuinely creepy. They may be nice to look at, but their voices can be a nightmare. Depending on your magical aptitude and whatever, you would either hear a simple voice, a choir of different ages, or, in the worst case, a horrible screech to make your ears bleed. This representative seemed to belong to the latter for the most. I saw a lot of people held their ears in pain. Only me and a few others barely understood her. Okay, not cool, lady. Maybe let one of your fellows speak for you instead? You just made half of Capilla deaf.


    However, once the ringing in the ears faded away, people noticed the expectant stare at us and shifted their attention. It took a moment for us to realize that she meant our group.


    Okay, even less cool, lady. I¡¯m so deep in trouble right now.

 Beginnings: Being Chosen

    Silence. Awkward silence. On the one side, the Representative Aat and her followers, on the other hand, a curious crowd. And we in-between. I remember pursing my lips, wanting to say something witty to defuse the situation, but Aat was faster. She whispered into the ear of a close follower, who then spoke in her stead.


    ¡°Now, now, there is nothing to fear. We should all hold a celebration and shower these children with generous gifts!¡± The follower spread his arms as if he was some Jesus guy, only with less halo. The bystanders, still slightly bewildered, hesitantly began cheering. At the same time, Aat slowly walked toward us. No, towards me. Her icy fingers wrapped around my chin as she raised my head to scrutinize every pore of my skin. She had a sweet smile that was cold at the same time. I shivered and wanted to look away, yet she held tightly on to my face. Finally, she let go.


    ¡°Come, my children!¡± She turned around, throwing her hands into the air. I guess that meant we were to follow her. The massive gates of the Order opened, creaking ominously. People started talking again. While most of us were nervous, Lilly was the first to eagerly follow Nu¡¯s Representative, her eyes sparkling brighter than ever. She noticed that we were not even half as enthusiastic as her, so she turned around and angrily motioned for us to follow. One by one, we caved in, silently entering the temple grounds.


    Behind the gates lay an enormous, sandy court that was used as a practice field. To our left, practitioners were engaged in combat practice, their slightly curved blades giving off loud clanging sounds whenever they hit each other. The white robes fluttered with every movement, reminding me of white doves dancing in the sky. To the right, a few practitioners conjured up white-colored balls of energy, shaping it to anything, from blades to shields. Whenever these magic weapons hit each other, there was a sizzling sound as if something was burning. While their movements were slower, the robes of these practitioners were always in motion due to the invisible energy surrounding them. If you walked by close enough, you could sense the magic in the air, sending down shivers down your body.


    Everybody possessed a primary affinity for magic. The difference was, whether you were able to condense enough energy in the palm of your hand to materialize this magical energy, or whether you had a sixth sense. While direct descendants of the deities naturally had a high affinity towards magic, there were quite a few ¡®normal-born¡¯ people who were equally capable. And in a select few, there was the talent for both swordsmanship and magic. If a child displays these qualities, all Orders will be vying for its attention like vultures circling over a corpse. But I digress.


    Several single-story buildings surrounded the courtyard. The foundations consisted of sizeable gray stone slabs, while the rest was erected with adobe-plastered walls. The roofs were slanted and made of reed. They were much longer than the actual building and supported by several intricately carved wooden columns, providing a shady place for respite. Since this was the Order of the Nu, the walls were plastered in a bright white. Young practitioners were in charge of keeping them clean. Even today, I still recall the scrubbing noises they made as they washed the walls of the left building and tossing dirty rugs at each other for fun.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Aat led us to the most significant building, which stood in the middle. All along the way, practitioners would stop whatever they were doing and bow deeply. While the accompanying entourage returned the greeting with a slight bow, the Celestial simply smiled and nodded. At the opening of the large building, an old practitioner came out to greet her. We knew this man. He was the head practitioner of this temple. Bald, but with a long, well-kempt beard. His green-blue eyes remained sharp even for his age; nothing escaped his attention. From all the Nu practitioners in town, he was the most well-respected man. Even my parents thought of him highly. The head practitioner always looked out for us troublemakers and knew Lilly¡¯s enthusiasm well. He also encouraged her to take part in the recruitment process once she reached the eligible age of eight years.


    ¡°My dear Aat, I welcome you back!¡± The head practitioner bowed deeply.


    ¡°You are such a pleasurable host, Hawthorn,¡± the Representative put her hands together and bowed a little in response. She did not bother to check whether anybody else would understand her. And judging from the looks from everybody else, she needn¡¯t have worried either. Everybody could perfectly understand her eery voice. ¡°I saw these children here and thought they would be perfect for the Pilgrimage of Peace.¡± Without turning away from Hawthorn, she waved her hand to point at us.


    Hawthorn hesitated a little, wrinkling his gray eyebrows in the process before speaking quietly, ¡°Indeed, my dear Aat. I know these children well, for they have often sought the wisdom of our great Nu. Are you sure you want to send precisely these children on the Pilgrimage? We usually host a large event with many participants.¡± Thank Nu, the head practitioner is trying to get us out of this shit show! Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears.


    ¡°Dearest brother Hawthorn, I must insist on these children. I feel they are particularly blessed¡±, is what Aat responded, slightly annoyed.


    ¡°Of course, your will is Nu¡¯s will.¡± Hawthorn bowed. ¡°Then these children it shall be. They are certainly excited to become part of the Pilgrimage.¡± He bowed again. By the love of Nu, these practitioners seem to do nothing else but bow all day!


    Now you¡¯re probably wondering what all the fuzz about the ¡®Pilgrimage¡¯ is. I¡¯ll tell you: It¡¯s bullshit. Period. But back in the day, it was a holy festivity and both honor and privilege for families who took part. Children were selected, sent on a trip through the entire kingdom to be praised and celebrated, and eventually disappeared without a trace. To maintain peace throughout the empire and prevent the Goddess of War, Sekhmet, from arising from her slumber.


    All the adults knew what that meant: living sacrifice. So most parents were not very keen on giving their offspring away. Most often, the sacrifices came from poor, child-rich families. They were then heavily compensated and got rid of a child that probably would have starved to death eventually.


    The kids themselves had no clue. No, nobody spoke about this even in a hushed manner. It was an understanding that came to be when you realized that your friend never would come back from that ¡®fun field trip.¡¯ And so, pious Lilly was so super eager to participate in the ¡®Pilgrimage.¡¯ It meant she would be serving Nu directly! No need to wait until being old enough to take part in qualifying tests!


    The rest of us were less than thrilled. While we obviously didn¡¯t know what it meant to take part in this procession, we knew that our parents would be not particularly enthusiastic. And Hawthorn¡¯s grim expression proved our worries right.

 Beginnings: My parents are going to hear about this

    After being re-introduced to the head practitioner, the Representative turned around and headed for another building, followed by her entourage. What was missing was praising chants and somebody tossing flowers everywhere she went. Hawthorn helplessly looked down at us, as if we just asked him the most challenging riddle the world had to offer. Fear not, old man, we¡¯re equally confused! Let us share this moment of confusedness in silent contemplation.


    Well, except for Lilly, of course. She was as excited as a pet dog knowing they were about to get a treat, impatiently walking back and forth, waiting for its master to reward them finally. ¡°So, what happens now?¡± was her equivalent of repeatedly asking, ¡°are we there yet?¡± and poor Hawthorn needed more time to gather himself.


    Meanwhile, the other boys and I kept nervously glancing back at the gates across the practice field. Rain began to fall, but most student practitioners remained on the court. The head practitioner noticed our yearning looks and finally managed to say something. ¡°You¡¯ll return home, I promise. We will need to write down your names first, though.¡±


    ¡°Aaw, why, sir?¡± Valerian dared to ask. ¡°She¡¯s not around anymore, just- ouch!¡± Yup. Lilly fiercely knocked her left elbow into his ribs.


    ¡°Valerian! Nobody cheats on Representatives!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid, she is right, Valerian,¡± Hawthorn added. ¡°Come follow me, kids.¡± And so we did.


    The building itself was erected in a square layout. There were no doors ¨C instead, the side facing the court had a column-like structure. You could, therefore, enter from any point. The middle area, however, had the biggest gap. When we walked in, we stood in darkness. After adjusting our eyes, we glanced at a vast, open space. There were some steps on each side of the walls that led downwards to the center of the building. Two massive stone pillars held the roof in place. Everywhere, scholars and practitioners were sitting on the ground, meticulously studying ancient scripts. The conversation volume was pretty low. If fellow members of the Order needed to talk, they spoke in solemn whispers that were drowned by the drumming of the rain on the reed roof. The center itself was open, with the rain pouring down into a small basin. This hole was the primary light source of this building. Otherwise, no lanterns were hanging on the walls or columns. Some practitioners had small oil lamps or candles in front of them as they read their books and scrolls, but besides that, the room was pretty dark.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    None of the practitioners looked up when Hawthorn brought us inside. They were way too busy pretending to look studious. Blegh. Even now, whenever I enter a temple and come into the main hall, I¡¯ll find all these people sitting there, reading their stuff. Nu forbid if you approached them and wanted to discuss that theoretical crap profoundly. They¡¯ll stare blankly at you and, at most, recite the last few sentences they¡¯ve read. But you need to look important, right?


    Hawthorn gently nudged us to the right. In the corner of the building, a bald, middle-aged man was writing something on a scroll. The wax of the candles was dripping generously on the left side of the paper, firmly attaching it to the ground. As we approached him, the scratching noises of the pen became audible, before they came to a sudden halt.


    ¡°Master, what brings you here?¡± The man¡¯s tone was friendly, yet there was subversive aggression beneath it all. He probably wanted to say, ¡°Son of a harlot, why are you bothering me with a bunch of street kids?¡± but respected Hawthorn too much.


    ¡°Basil, good to see you.¡± Hawthorn slightly bowed in response. ¡°Please note down the name of these children and prepare a sum of 100 coins each as a token of gratitude for their parents. The Representative has decided to send them to the Pilgrimage.¡±


    The man scratched his head and bothered to look at us more closely. ¡°I take it that we will not need to announce we are recruiting children for the Pilgrimage anymore?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. As is customary, a town only sends up to five children on the arduous journey.¡±


    ¡°Great, at least we don¡¯t need to deal with overzealous parents and all that crap!¡± is what the bald practitioner had probably wanted to say, but he managed to condense it down to two words: ¡°Very well.¡± He summoned us over one by one, recording our names, where we lived, and who our parents were. By the time he was done, the sun had begun to set. As the Order didn¡¯t want to send us off alone with a large sum of money, our parents were called to the temple to collect us.


    My parents looked the most worried of them all. While they acted friendly upon receiving the leather bag with 100 silver oval plates in it, their facade dropped the moment we left the vicinity. I still remember how my mother tightly grabbed my wrist and that it hurt, but I didn¡¯t dare complain. I knew I was in trouble when she almost literally dragged me back home. Even my father had a resigned look on his face as he silently followed us through the dark alleys back to our house at the other end of the town.

 Beginnings: A secret only they knew

    How in all gods¡¯ names did you manage this feat?!¡± She was angry. Yup, pretty upset. My mother hadn¡¯t closed to the door to our house since my father chose to be woefully absent and purchase dinner from the small night market along the way. So not only was I getting an earful, the entire neighboorhood was going to be entertained. Just great.


    My home wasn¡¯t anything fancy ¡ª just one among the many wooden houses standing in a ring around the city. We weren¡¯t poor, though. Our house had an excellent stone foundation, and we even had a small front yard were mother grew herbs such as thyme or lemon balm. She also had a small fireplace outside where she used to cook her concoctions. Inside, the lower floor consisted of one large room, with plenty of counters and shelves lining the walls. In one corner, there was a curtain clients could pull across half of the room if they requested more privacy. At the center of the room was a small dining table with three chairs. Mother lighted an oil lamp hanging by the door and put it on the table.


    I don¡¯t know when or how my father did it, but he miraculously managed to enter our house and close the door without making a sound. The scent of fresh bread and fried chicken alerted us on his presence, but my mother didn¡¯t care for now. She kept her loud voice, explaining in full detail when and where she last told that I was to never go near a temple or even mingle with practitioners and, oh, she knew that this Lilly girl was terrible news, yadda, yadda. Meanwhile, my father chose to remain silent and just began setting the table.


    ¡°I know I made a mistake, please, don¡¯t make me feel worse than I already do,¡± was what I wanted to say, but all this tiny me could squeak was, ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    My mother sighed before she collapsed into the chair next to the table. She buried her face in her cupped hands, before sighing once more and dropping her arms on the table with a loud bang, making the oil lamp clatter. This time, I shuddered. I always knew that loitering in front of temples was a bad thing, but I had never guessed it would cause my parents this much aggravation. I was too scared to move.


    ¡°Sweet Love.¡± My father finally said something, handing her a piece of bread. Go you, father! Be the man! Protect me!


    However, my mother could be as fierce as Lilly when she was angry, and she glared at him as if she wanted to chop him into small pieces. My father swallowed and did not speak for a few moments before giving it another try. ¡°Please.¡± Yes, my father was a man of many words.


    But it did affect my mother. She sighed once more before accepting the piece of bread. ¡°Rowan, Rowan¡­¡±, she said, taking a bite before putting the rest back on the table. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Naturally, I did what I was told. Instead of receiving punishment, however, she hugged me dearly, as if she wanted to squeeze the life right out of me. I felt her tears run down my cheeks. Was it that severe? What could I do to make her not cry? Couldn¡¯t we convince Hawthorn just to take back his words?This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Hush now, Sweet Love. I have a few ideas we could talk through. But maybe Rowan is too tired to join us for now. It¡¯s been a long day for him, after all.¡± My father patted me on my head, and I caught a gentle smile on his face.


    ¡°You are right. This is not the time to fret.¡± She looked at me, smiling through the tears, and patted my head as well. ¡°Go catch some sleep, Rowan. As a punishment for not listening to us, you will not have any dinner.¡±


    But the fried chicken! And fresh bread! Don¡¯t tell me you guys will hog that all for yourselves? I pouted, but this time both my parents remained firm. Accepting my fate, I nodded and headed upstairs to where our bedroom was. I undressed, washed my face in the small basin of water, and climbed into my bed. Indeed, I felt sleepy and wanted nothing more than to forget today¡¯s events.


    But obviously, I couldn¡¯t. While I lay in bed, tossing and turning, I could hear my parents discussing matters downstairs. Waves upon waves of emotions kept crashing at each other. By the love of Nu, if you want to send your child to bed and do adult talk, then try to be quiet! Little me sighed, and I crawled out of bed, sneaking up to the staircase.


    ¡°¡­ I told you, I don¡¯t know. We never received the same concoction the sacrifices received. And we lived separately.¡± My father sounded helpless. Mother sighed in response. If there were a sighing championship, she definitely would have won it by now.


    ¡°If we only had any clues. Was it snakeplant? Thornapple?¡±


    ¡°Even if you gave him an antidote, it is likely they will find out. It is best, I secretly follow them and bring him back.¡±


    ¡°No! You know how well guarded the Pilgrimage is! When was the last time you picked up a blade? And against several guards? If you perish as well, I might throw myself off a cliff!!¡± She began sobbing.


    ¡°Hush now, my Love.¡±


    ¡°We just finally found a place to settle! Hawthorn has always been so kind to us! How could he do this?!¡±


    ¡°Even he can¡¯t go against a Representative. Nobody can.¡±


    ¡°Are we being punished? Is this their way of telling us it was a mistake for you to retire?¡±


    ¡°Ssh.¡±


    I heard smacking noises and guessed my father was comforting her with kisses. Disgusted, I sneaked back to bed and lay there, my mind completely messed up. Sacrifice?! Poisonous plants?! What in Nu¡¯s name was going on? I thought we¡¯d just be sent off to a faraway place, pay our respects and come back! Not only was I feeling guilty for the trouble I caused, but I was also now pretty scared of the things to come. My mind was going crazy with what I was going to expect there. Masked men with falchions ready to chop off our heads? Check. Jumping off the edge of a giant volcano? Check. Being sent into a cave with a savage beast hungry to devour me? Check.


    Suddenly, I heard steps coming upstairs. I pretended to be fast asleep, shutting my eyes tightly and pulling the blanket up to my nose. Judging by the steps, it was my mother who had come to check up on me. She gently brushed my hair but didn¡¯t say a word. Her touch was slightly prickly, as if she was statically charged. After staying by my side for a while, she silently headed downstairs again. Her touch was akin to magic. Or, perhaps she really used magic? I felt the restlessness of today¡¯s events slip into distant memory, and I fell into a deep slumber.

 Pilgrimage: Goodbye, the world as I knew it

    One week after we caught the Vice Representative¡¯s attention, we were to embark on our journey. Only I knew that it was going to be one with no return. My mother made sure I remained silent. But to be honest, though, after the incident on that evening, I had pretty much forgotten everything already. Instead, I was enjoying life to the fullest again, playing in the streets with my friends. What can you expect from a 6-year-old boy?


    During the days until then, my mother had stopped accepting clients and locked herself up in the little cabin next to our house, distilling and compounding dozens of tinctures and powders. People were starting to get worried, but they didn''t dare approach my father.


    You¡¯re probably asking why mother forced me to remain silent. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if everybody knew and we would be saved? Well, fuck, you guys are right. Looking back, however, they knew that Hawthorn knew what was going on, but even he was in no position to change the situation. And the Vice Representative, upon seeing me, decided to teach my parents a lesson. Nobody questioned her choices.


    On the day of the Pilgrimage, we were made to wear really showy white robes. The sleeves were so wide, you could fit another person inside. And the robe was so long, we kept stumbling over it. Every child was allowed to bring a bag with them. While my friends all carried their favorite stuffed toy, sweets, and other things a child of their age would want to have, my mother stuffed my bag with small pillows containing medicine upon medicine. In addition, she handed over a stuffed animal that had several small vials of tinctures sewn inside.


    While my mother may be incredibly talented with brewing concoctions, she was a terrible seamstress. Looking at the piece of fluff, I recognized that she intended to create a hen. Its face was created with the help of buttons and awkward long stitches. Looking at me with a suffering gaze, it was begging for me to put it out of its misery. The vials, which have been well-insulated, were the only things that really kept the neck upright and the body somewhat plump. It''s actually sad that I never was able to keep it. I really would have loved to show it to you guys.


    ¡°Listen, Rowan.¡± Mother looked at me sternly after she gave me the sad hen. Her gaze was so tense, she could have turned plants to stone. ¡°Under no circumstances must you reveal that you have these herbs. Do you understand?¡±


    I nodded. Back then I was more scared of being found out by mother and then spanked until my butt was sore. She grasped my left arm so tightly, it felt as if my bones would snap any moment. Even though I still hadn¡¯t fully grasped the graveness of my situation, it felt very grave indeed.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°They will take you to a faraway place. When you get there, do not attract attention, do not kick a fuss.¡±


    Again, I nodded. Mother, let go of me already, I can hear people singing and dancing in the streets! They are waiting for me! I wasn''t in the mood to feel grave at all.


    ¡°The people there will make you eat things that are not good for you. But this is why I put medicine into this little hen.¡± She pointed at the abomination that she had sewn together.


    ¡°Every evening, before going to bed, you need to drink the medicine that''s inside, alright? Two drops are enough. Don¡¯t share with anybody else, neither with Lilly nor the other boys. Do you understand?¡±


    Yes, mother. Now, let me go. But obviously, she wasn¡¯t done yet. Looking out the window, I saw a big mule-drawn carriage arrive, surrounded by a huge flock of cheering people. They were singing and throwing flowers all over.


    ¡°If you have the chance, then use it to escape. Come back to us. We will wait for you.¡± Her eyes watered up as she swallowed down her tears. Having already forgotten where I would be heading, I gave her a puzzled look. She hugged me tightly. ¡°We love you so much, Rowan. We love you.¡± Finally, she let go.


    ¡°Rowan! Rowan!¡± I heard Valerian calling me outside. My friends were waiting for me. Hearing their voices, everything that I had been told a moment ago slipped into the farthest point in my mind. All I wanted to do is have fun with my friends. Taking the bag and pushing my stuffed hen inside, I dashed outside with a bright smile and boarded the carriage. I was the last to join the party.


    Everybody was already there, talking and waving furiously at the chanting crowd accompanying us. I waved as well when I noticed that we were being accompanied not only by the Vice Representative but by four guards. They were wearing black, so I didn¡¯t know what Order they were from. What was most striking, however, was that their skin had the same tan as my father and the same blue eyes.


    This appeared unusual to me. You see, I had always believed that my father was a descendant of a Celestial, but watered down over the generations. Nothing really special, since there were many who had similar light brown skin and were of a similar heritage. But these people seemed uniform as if they were brothers and sisters. Especially the combination with those blue eyes. I gazed at them, wondering what hair color they may have had. After all, they were all bald.


    Every one of them carried two blades with white hilts and blood-red tassels. The steeds on which they rode were as black as their robes. And, by Nu, they were incredibly muscular. They stood in stark contrast to the ee-awing mules that were pulling our carriage.


    The Vice Representative herself rode on a golden chariot pulled by two winged lionesses. Their white wings were wrapped around their bodies. If I hadn''t seen a winged lion before, I would have thought they were wearing white-feathered blankets.


    Ushering them forward, the Vice Representative moved to one of the guards and spoke, ¡°I will travel ahead and make way for the Pilgrimage. Keep the children safe.¡± With these words, the lionesses unfolded their wings and took to the sky, heading south. Shortly thereafter, the practitioner in charge of our carriage led us out of town, following the speck in the sky.

 Pilgrimage: On the road

    We traveled for several days. How many, I cannot recall. It was very, very long, though. We passed through many villages and towns which hosted great festivals for us. It kind of felt as if we were celebrities, and the thought slowly crept into our minds. The boys began behaving arrogantly towards other children, speaking to them in a condescending tone (now, really, mates?). Lilly, being pious as always, was the little darling everybody adored. Not surprisingly, she was often seen with her hands folded in prayer and reciting Nu prayers she had been practicing ever since she could talk. Whenever her white robes fluttered in the wind, they looked as if she was about to take into the sky and become an angel.


    The guards remained vigilant at all times, constantly scouting the area. It was duly needed outside settlements. You see, up in the north, the population wasn¡¯t very sparse. But we were heading south, which ultimately meant fewer villages and more forests. And all kinds of animals lived in forests. Flying lions are not at the top of the food chain, by the way. You¡¯d have other beasts like tortoises or snakes that easily could reach up to the size of our carriage. They were usually very old and accumulated quite a bit of negative energy around them, which is why they become so large and ferocious in the first place. Unwary humans and other animals were their prey. But the presence of well-trained practitioners alone was enough to chase them away.


    So at this point, I had never encountered any dangerous creature, save for maybe a savage, starving wolf or a suicidal roc. All of these beasts were swiftly dealt with by the guards. They didn¡¯t even get off their horses. They simply unsheathed one of their blades, jumped off, sliced right through the enemy with one elegant movement, and safely landed on the back of their stallion in one elegant swoop. You could think they spawned right out of some Eastern movie.


    Remember I told you about a few talented people who were able to wield both a sword and magic? These guys were pretty representative of geniuses like them. I was awestruck. So much so that I began paying more attention to them than my corrupted friends and Saint Lilly. And they actually noticed me. Even though they retained a serious expression on their faces, they would acknowledge my existence through small gestures. Sometimes it would mean that one of them rode closer to the carriage, allowing me to inspect them closely. Other times it meant they tolerated my presence whenever I silently ate my meals with them.


    Both during resting and eating times they stayed quite a bit away from the accompanying practitioners and the children. This was the only time they eased up their solemn demeanor and acted friendly to each other, sometimes sparring with their blades sheathed. I felt so honored seeing this side of them, I rarely spoke. I just sat there feeling comfortable between these strong men and women.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    From what I remember, the leader was a mature burly woman who was the tallest among the guards. Nothing escaped those piercing blue eagle eyes. She was also the one who regularly barked at her fellow guards for subversively doting on me. But I¡¯ll be honest with you - even though she scolded her mates, she was the only one who shared her food with me. So while pretty Lilly was the darling of the crowds, I was darling of the guards. Just a few days before we finally arrived at our destination they even began teaching me how to hold a sword properly. Naturally, the sword was way too heavy, but nevertheless, I would do my best and mimic their actions as best as I could.


    My friends never forgave me for abandoning them during the Pilgrimage. The longer we were on the road, and the longer I spent time with the black guards, the more they detested me. If I didn''t join in on teasing children from the villages, they''d push me to them saying I was nothing special. In the end, they ceased to address me directly. Well if you guys ignore me, I guess I''ll just go play with my adult friends then, eh?


    Lilly, meanwhile, was already on a completely different level from the rest of us. She was so focused on prayers and chanting that her personality had gone through a complete change during our long travel. The once fierce and loud redhead had become a soft-spoken gentle girl, her gaze always distant. Had she reprimanded the boys before for violent or inappropriate behavior, she now ignored them. I guess this was also one of the reasons my friends let out their frustrations on strangers and essentially me. The Lilly we all knew and loved had remained behind in our hometown.


    After the long-winded journey, we finally reached a remote mountain chain to the south of the duchy. Beyond the towering masses of rock lay Ha¡¯s Embrace, a vast steppe with many small tribes that were controlled by the Order of Seth. On our side of the mountains, there was a large temple carved into one of the stone slopes. The main entrance looked like a gaping feral mouth, waiting to devour humans. I recall how the wind howled deeply across the fine masonry work and the memory still sometimes sends shivers down my spine. On a few plateaus on either side of the temple, you could see a few red wooden buildings that were connected by a labyrinth of wooden bridges and ladders which gently swayed in the wind, creaking ominously. As we approached this intimidating structure, we were greeted by more guards similarly to the ones who had protected us.


    ¡°Greetings!¡± An elderly man approached our leader, saluting her by knocking on his chest twice. The leader responded by saluting this same way as well. ¡°Vice Representative Aat has come a few days earlier to announce your arrival.¡±


    ¡°Is she still here?¡± Our leader asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, she has already departed. The second Pilgrimage has arrived just yesterday, so the practitioners have already been instructed.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She turned around to glance at us, focusing me particularly long before addressing the guard before her. ¡°Our work is done. We will be returning to the main temple.¡± She then ushered her horse in the opposite direction. The other guards on horseback followed her. Interestingly, all of them smiled and bowed when they passed me. Now, tell me, my fodder friends, who is special? Beaming at my adult friends, I waved goodbye, wondering if I¡¯d ever see them again.

 Pilgrimage: Unwilling disciple

    We were escorted to a flight of stairs carved into the stone. They ran up all the way to the first plateau. And I tell you, walking them up was not an easy task! At the very end, everybody was panting, some were even crawling up the last few steps. Well, except the black guards, they probably could jog all the way down and up several times without breaking into a sweat.


    As soon as we entered the plateau, a group of four female practitioners greeted us. Each one was wearing a different-colored robe. The woman in the front wore a tightly wrapped robe in gray. Her black hair carried streaks of white and was similarly wrapped around her head. She was old, and young me immediately thought of a walking, talking mummy when she first appeared. Mind you, I still think she looked like a mummy.


    The woman to her left wore the elegant white robes of the Nu Order. She had shaved her head, similarly to the black guards. In my mind, I had decided to call her ¡®Peach¡¯ due to her shiny head and friendly appearance. The practitioner in the center wore a purple tunic that went until her knees. At the height of her waist, she carried a sash made of embroidered silk. She stood out among the practitioners, as she had a particularly arrogant air around her. She judged each one of us silently with a condescending look, unconsciously twirling one of her brown locks. ¡®Royal Pain¡¯ was the name I chose for her. Finally, the woman on the right seemed to be a member of the Order of Horus. She wore a tunic as well, but it was bright turquoise. Unlike the practitioner in the middle, the tunic fit her very loosely, and she needed several brooches to keep the cloth in the right places. Like Lilly, she had red hair and green eyes. During my entire time at this place, she pretty much identified as a scatterbrain, hence I called her ¡®Owleen¡¯.


    ¡°Welcome, children of the Pilgrimage.¡± The practitioner in the front spoke, slightly bowing to us. ¡°Please follow us and we will show you around. While we are at it, we have also prepared tea for you.¡± Woman, stop smiling so sickeningly sweet! You¡¯re setting up red flags that we cannot trust you! Alas, my friends had thrown any sense of caution down the mountain when they arrived, so all I could do was roll my eyes when they cheered and tagged along.


    While the guards actually returned to the bottom of the mountain, we were led to the main building where more practitioners in different colors were waiting for us. Once we entered, each one of us received a cup of sweet tea. I skeptically sniffed it and noticed a weird aroma. Nevertheless, since everybody took a big gulp, I decided to play along and sip it.


    I almost spat it out again. What was this horrible aftertaste? Why did nobody notice? I glanced around, irritated. My friends were all very brave and drank up the entire cup of tea without saying anything. They flinched a little, but it wasn¡¯t as obvious as in my case. The mummy noticed my displeasure and tried to comfort me. ¡°Ah, because the herbs are cultivated here in the mountains, they are more bitter than the ones you are used to. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Lady, don¡¯t talk that nonsense to me, I was raised by an herbalist, you clearly spiked it!Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Wondering what it could have been, I glared up at her, but she didn¡¯t mind me anymore. Instead, she hovered around my friends, praising them for being such precious little children. Left alone, I began guessing what bitter component they might have added to my drink. While the basic composition was chamomile and honey, there was something alien in it. Alas, I was too young to know all medicinal herbs, so all I could do was finally remember my mother¡¯s words of caution.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to meet the other children, see the school and sleeping chambers!¡± The mummy, yes, let me keep calling her mummy, thank you, clapped her hands and her three friends swarmed around us, ¡®gently¡¯ nudging us through the main building that was simply a brightly lit hall. I hugged my bag tightly, thinking of the medicine my mother had hidden inside.


    The walls of the hall were completely made of wood. Somebody had made the effort of inscribing strange prayers in golden paint all over the wood. Since it wasn¡¯t insulated, you could hear the wind crawling through the slits and cracks between the wooden planks, causing faint whistling noises. The floor consisted of the naked stone this building was erected on, showing all its flaws in full glory. Reed, my blond-haired friend, was the one who stumbled the most, by the way.


    Once outside, we saw the labyrinth of ladders and bridges up close as they swayed in the wind. It was pretty high up here; walking around this place was nothing for people with a fear of heights. Even though they were well-maintained, they kept squeaking ominously as we walked on them one by one. In the wooden building directly opposite of the main hall lay the school grounds. It had slightly thicker walls and wooden floors. The center area had an open fireplace which kept the room heated. Five children from another village were already there, learning how to read. The instructor was an elderly man with many deep wrinkles on his face. He squinted as we entered, before bowing deeply towards the mummified practitioner.


    ¡°Greetings, dearest Hazel.¡± By the love of Nu, this woman had such a lovely-sounding name? I think ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ would match her better. But again, these were all thoughts kept to myself.


    ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ - excuse me - Hazel explained to all of us that we would be taking part in basic practitioner training, consisting of meditating, learning how to read different prayers, and memorizing them. Only if our minds were at peace, we would have the strength to withstand the evils of the temple and subdue the evil goddess. Until then it was strictly forbidden to enter the temple. But, hey, I wouldn¡¯t be here if I had adhered to what they ordered us to do, so you can bet your bottom coin that it didn¡¯t take long until I escaped the control of Hazel and her three crazy friends.

 Pilgrimage: The captive

    I honestly don¡¯t know how I managed, but I actually did it. Every night I grabbed my stuffed hen, reached through an open seam and took out a small vial with a concoction my mother had brewed for me. I swallowed a few drops before tucking it back into the hen and going to sleep.


    At first, I didn¡¯t notice anything special, and I began thinking my mother just went a little crazy there. But then I noticed small differences. All the kids began having these vacant stares. As if they were no longer in their own bodies. When they fell and hurt themselves, they would just get up without flinching, without crying. The range of emotions declined over the months. And it scared me. I tried the best I could to pretend to be like them.


    But there were times where it hurt. Like the one time when Lilly stumbled and lost her grip while ascending one of the many wooden ladders. She was already almost at the top when she fell to the depths below. There was a loud thud with a cracking noise. My heart stopped and I didn''t dare to peek. I thought she had cracked her skull and was lying in a pool of her blood. When I mustered the courage to look, she seemed lucky. Her legs were twisted unnaturally, suggesting they were broken. Yet she got up without a sound, smiling at me with those empty eyes. Slowly, she crawled up the ladder, dragging her leg behind her as if it wasn¡¯t needed at all.


    Fuck. That was really scary. Instead of joining her towards the dormitories, I turned the other way, clutching my bag and running as far as I could from the scene. What was going on? Why did my friends become like this? In my heart, the answer was already there: There was some kind of medicine mixed into the food, into the drinks that made them complacent. And because of my stuffed hen, my mind hadn¡¯t turned into mashed peas.


    By the time I realized where I was, it was basically too late. I had just entered the main temple. Yes, the huge howling cavity. Strangely enough, the wind fell silent the moment I entered. Instead, the cave was filled with faint whispers and chanting of children. Intrigued, I walked deeper into the cave. Where there more children here? Or were some of us already praying in front of the alleged Sekhmet statue?


    The temple was very badly lit. I practically stumbled through the maze inside, guided by the voices of the children. The corridors were small and seemed to have been cut out hurriedly. If Reed had been with me, he¡¯d probably have already stumbled himself into unconsciousness.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Suddenly, I could hear water trickling from afar. The voices seemed to have gotten louder as well. Even though I was scared, I decided to continue following the noises. Finally, I reached a large hall. And with large I mean huge. The ceiling was so high it was completely shrouded in darkness. I could only see the opposite walls because of the soft blue light the magical torches were emitting.


    In this dimly lit hall, I finally saw a small stream running through the center. It wasn¡¯t very wide, just a small hop was enough to cross it. On the other side, where most of the torches were hanging, stood an oversized statue of a female deity. It was so tall that her head faded into the darkness. Her arms were wrapped around her body as if she was hugging herself. I guessed that this was the goddess of war. I approached the statue carefully. But in doing so, the voices grew louder and louder, almost unbearable. I covered my ears, looking around confused. Where was everybody? Why did I hear these voices, but nobody was to be seen? As I stood right in front of the stream, I noticed the water was particularly dark and seemed thick. No wonder it kept making weird gurgling sounds. I also saw that left of the statue was another corridor leading away from this room. With nothing to lose, I jumped over the stream and took a closer look at the statue.


    Without any warning, the voices stopped. Irritated, I looked around. Not even the stream could be heard. It was as if the world had gone silent. As I stood before the statue, I boldly touched the stone. Of course, nothing happened. What was I expecting? That she would turn to flesh and eat me? Scoffing at my childish expectations, I decided to check out the corridor behind the statue. It was completely dark. Yet I felt something. It was faint, but it felt as if something was leading me on, telling me where to go, which bend to take. Even though I could not see a thing, the strange sensation felt so reassuring that I began walking confidently through the darkness.


    And, after a long while, I reached another cavern. This was a particularly small cavern, a few magical torches were enough to illuminate it completely. And, to my horror, I saw that I was not alone.


    Chained to the walls was a woman. Her long hair was unkempt and covered most of her face. The clothes she wore were nothing but rags, ravaged by time itself. I couldn¡¯t even make out the color they originally were. The woman was on her knees and didn¡¯t move when I stumbled in. I feared she was dead when suddenly, the chains moved. I shrieked quietly. Slowly, she raised her head. Like curtains, her hair parted, revealing a beautiful but weary face. Finally, she opened her eyes. They were crimson red, burning fiercely.

 Pilgrimage: Taming the lion

    We stared at each other for Nu knows how long. Frankly, I was just terrified. I mean, you have this ghostly adult Sadako chained to the wall, staring at you with vengeful eyes. In addition to that, I felt a wave of emotions rolling over me. It was as if this woman was probing me, trying to find out who I am, and what I was doing here. However, she did not speak a single word. There were no voices in my head. Just a weird sense within me, compelling me to answer her.


    Bit by bit, I responded to the plethora of questions silently arising. Stuttering, I spoke my name. I told her that in seeking solace from my crazy classmates I had stumbled into the temple. That there were voices of children chanting that I followed. And once I crossed a small stream I was led to her.


    The initial fierceness in her eyes slowly declined, replaced by a tired look. When I was finished, she lowered her head, averting her gaze. Finally, the spell keeping me at the spot seemed broken. I no longer felt anything which gave me time to take a closer look at her. Carefully I approached her. She did not move. In the bluish light, I could see between her rags old whip scars, superficial blade wounds, you name it. This woman had been beaten into submission. Judging from the marks on her wrists, she had tried countless times to escape the chains, but it only had led to chafed wounds. I felt pity for her and wondered who she was.


    I felt emotions pouring into me again, albeit less obtrusive and commanding than before. It seemed as if she was mocking me for not knowing who she was.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± Deep down, I had a suspicion who this person was. But I couldn¡¯t believe it at the time. All I wanted to do was help her. I began carefully rubbing the dirt off her face. She hissed and flinched, but obviously, she couldn¡¯t do much to avoid me, being chained and all. I remembered the stream I had crossed earlier. Maybe I could wash her face? I got up and wanted to walk back. However, there was an urge not to go back to where I came from. Instead, I was compelled to go another way through the darkness. It was then that I realized that in the darkness there was a maze and that it was this chained woman who was leading me.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    I decided to let her in, embracing the emotions coming to me instead of rejecting it. The moment I did so, her intentions became very clear. Had I been only vaguely guessing what she had wanted from me before, it now finally felt as if she was actually talking to me, telling me to go left here and right there. After a while, I entered another cavern. Just like everywhere else, it was completely dark. But the stranger safely brought me to the edge of a pond. I kneeled down, groping the air and stone floor in front of me until my fingertips came into contact with ice-cold water.


    After adjusting to the temperature, I boldly dipped my hands in, but I couldn¡¯t feel the bottom of it. I guessed the water level must have been very deep. I took out my handkerchief and soaked it in the pond. I even emptied one of the remedy bottles my mother had given me and filled it with water. Don¡¯t worry, it was just some chamomile. Since I was a bit thirsty as well, I decided to give the water a taste. It was really refreshing. Actually, more than that. My exhaustion was nearly wiped away and if I had a mirror, I would have noticed that my body emitted a faint bluish glow while drinking it. Quickly, I refilled the bottle. Armed with a washcloth and a drink, I headed back, following the wave of emotions.


    Using my handkerchief, I carefully wiped her face clean. This time, she didn¡¯t flinch and stiffly accepted her fate. Kind of like a cat who knew there was no point in resisting whenever her human decided to give her a bath. I remembered the bottle of water, so I uncorked it and held it to her cracked lips. At first, she barely took a drop, but after tasting the rejuvenating properties of it, she hastily gulped down the water. When she looked at me, there was no longer a completely defeated look on her face. Instead, I saw a little spark of determination rekindle. That, in turn, inspired me to help her more. I wanted to comb her hair and even find a new robe for her. And maybe, maybe I could find the keys that would unlock the chains.


    However, I realized I was away for quite a while. The stranger noticed my sudden change in attitude. With something of a smirk, she revealed to me, time is of no essence here. When you return you will have only be gone for just a moment. I believed her. Smiling, I thanked her with a nod.


    ¡°I will definitely return!¡± With these words, I ran out of the temple, and back to my crazy friends. Back then I didn¡¯t realize it, but the Sadako had already engraved the route to her into my heart.

 Pilgrimage: You are too late, mummy!

    It was really as the stranger had told it. When I returned, nobody had noticed my absence. And since Lilly was in the process of being bandaged, I wasn¡¯t gone for too long. This gave me the confidence to secretly return to the stranger within the temple. This was just a poor unfortunate soul, right? I pondered a lot, but even when I asked her, she never responded. The most I could get was a cheeky smile.


    Almost every day I managed to find some free time to sneak back into the temple. Since I somehow knew my way, I no longer stumbled through the corridors. My destination was clear. And to be honest, the silent, yet intriguing Sadako seemed a better companion than my chanting friends. Oh, I knew the prayers, I made sure to not fall behind. I even learned to not flinch when I hurt myself, mimicking the indifferent behavior of my peers. And whenever ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ and her entourage appeared to check on us, I was able to maintain a distant gaze, even if she looked closely into my face. But here, with this prisoner, I could drop the stage-worthy pretense, I could be myself. And, surprisingly, she let me have my way. She listened to my daily rantings of how my friends behaved more and more like the undead. I think I even saw a glint of amusement whenever I spoke of ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ and the practitioners. Sometimes she would weave in an inquiring emotion. It seems she was becoming interested in what the world looked like. Naturally, I told her everything.


    Because I didn¡¯t know her name, I had decided to give her one. Along the stone steps leading to the bottom of the mountain, small purple flowers bloomed. I recall being surprised since these flowers were not common in mountain areas. Yet these ones seemed to be resilient, withstanding the harsher climate. ¡°Let me call you Violet¡±, I one day proclaimed.


    It was the first time I felt a sharp flash of pain in my head. When I recovered, I saw an angry look in the woman¡¯s face. A myriad of conflicted emotions came crashing at me. I believe up to this day that she was cursing. She then fell silent and did not communicate with me anymore for the next few days. I had to find my way to her on my own. Too bad for her, she had already made damn sure that I had memorized the way by then. Eventually, she gave up and responded to whenever I called her name. Little me was, however, polite, and I avoided calling out to her whenever possible.


    I noticed that Violet had begun regaining her strength. She no longer hung from the chains, no, she sat on the floor in an upright position, her eyes closed in deep meditation. Whenever I arrived, she acknowledged my presence by opening her eyes, revealing those sparkling crimson eyes. My routine consisted of walking through the dark maze to the pond, fetching some water, and returning to her. Over time, she began insisting I drink the water as well. I didn¡¯t realize it, but the water actually had magical properties. Since the herbal concoction my mother had created only could do so much, it was this water that essentially saved me from becoming a willing puppet like Lilly and the others. I even carried some water out of the temple, but surprisingly, the moment I hopped over the stream and back into the real world, the water no longer tasted refreshing. It had simply turned to normal water. Dissatisfied, I had told Violet about this, but she did not give me an explanation. Instead, I felt her convey, what is more important is the power it has given you. True words. After nearly two years of regularly drinking the water, I had noticed changes within me. The presence of the practitioners no longer intimidated me. I could feel their power level was no match for the captive inside the temple. And in my childish little mind, I felt I was an extended hand of hers. Nobody could touch me.


    The magical properties of this pond also had a profound effect on Violet. Not only did her wounds heal, but it also seemed as if the chains had gotten longer and longer. After one year, the chains were so long, she could walk all the way to the entrance of the room that confined her. However, they did not grow longer. She also did not try to leave the cavern. Instead, she used her freedom to stretch herself, and become physically active, doing exercise routines. I even joined in, but obviously, I couldn¡¯t keep up with her. This woman was kept for Nu knows how long, but her stamina definitely wasn¡¯t lacking! Nevertheless, she considered me amused and cheered me on. I think she regarded me as a pet, in some way.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Naturally, my secret was bound to be found out eventually. After all, the discrepancies between me and my peers began to grow. Even though I still pretended - I am quite convinced I put up a really good act - to be like them, it was the little things that caused suspicion. Like eating at a faster pace than the rest. Or looking up prayers more often than the rest. ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ and her friends couldn¡¯t quite put their finger on why this was the case. After all, I drank and ate the same food as the other children. So all they could do was remain vigilant and scrutinize every action. This was also the time when it became increasingly difficult for me to visit Violet. Often times, I would not be able to return for several days due to the Argus-eyed gazes of the practitioners.


    In the end, it was Lilly who betrayed me. You see, every night I would still take a few drops of my mother¡¯s medicine. What I didn¡¯t reckon with was that my peers no longer needed that much sleep. Since Lilly was the most advanced zombie of the pack, she was also the one who sat upright in bed, staring at me with her vacant eyes. Only when I was finished I noticed her eerie presence. She was sleeping in the bed to the right of me and noticed me fumbling with my stuffed hen. The full moon shone through the window, perfectly illuminating what I was doing.


    ¡°Rowan?¡± Her formerly cheery voice sounded like a ghost, actually, very much like the mysterious chants in the temple. Cold sweat appeared on my forehead. I pretended to sleep. But she persisted. ¡°Rowan?¡± She called out more loudly, waking up all the others in the dorm. Blankets rustled. Suddenly, I felt the questioning glare of nine children. I hugged my pet ever so tightly, keeping my eyes shut. There¡¯s only so much horror a child can take, okay? Especially if they all chant in unison, ¡°Rowan?¡±


    This, in turn, woke up the practitioners who were sleeping in the neighboring rooms. ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ pushed the door open, carrying a large oil lamp in her hand. Behind her, ¡®Owleen¡¯ and ¡®Royal Pain¡¯ staggered behind, drowsy from sleep. The children turned their heads almost simultaneously towards them.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± She bellowed. Clearly, she was annoyed to have been woken from a sweet dream. The children pointed at me, without saying a word. I heard fast steps coming over to me. Oh please, dear Nu, I promise I¡¯ll be a good boy! My heart beat so fast I thought I would die.


    ¡°His toy.¡± Lilly¡¯s voice broke the silence. I felt ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ wanting to yank the hen out of my embrace, but I resisted. I opened my eyes, looking at her in defiance. She nudged her head, commanding the other two practitioners to hold me down. I screamed as they finally tore my stuffed pet from my little hands. Bits of stuffing fluttered in the air. And one vial dropped to the ground, breaking upon contact. Goodbye, precious medicine!


    The practitioner was really angry. ¡°So this is how you evaded us for so long.¡± She squinted at me, contempt was clearly written on her face. Reaching through the hole at the side of the hen, she retrieved two other vials, one of them was already empty. In the pale light of the lamp, the liquid within the glass seemed clear.


    ¡°What do we do? The ceremony is within a moon.¡± ¡®Peach¡¯ had a worried expression on her face.


    ¡°At this point, it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s compliant or not. Take him away.¡±


    I was lifted off my bed under loud protests while the other children silently watched me being dragged away. The next thing I knew was that I was thrown into a small wooden hut outside the dorms, with no window or insulation. ¡®Owleen¡¯ held me tightly. Being a small boy, I couldn¡¯t do much. However, my resistance was pretty fierce, therefore ¡®Royal Pain¡¯ needed to pin me down as well. She almost needed to kneel on me with her entire weight to subdue me. ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ disappeared for a moment only to return with a cup filled with a strange substance.


    ¡°You are going to regret your defiance, boy.¡± With these words, she grabbed me by my hair, lifting my head off the ground. She then angrily jabbed the cup between my lips and forced me to drink a bitter juice. It was so gross, I wanted to throw up, but she only let go of me when the cup was empty. Finally, I was able to vomit. I was feeling so miserable and weak that the other two practitioners let me go without fearing I¡¯d escape. I heard them lock the door, but I was too busy to give a fuck. When I was finally done with spitting out my entire supper, I rolled into a corner, hugging myself tightly before drifting into sleep.

 Pilgrimage: New moon

    I don¡¯t know how long I was kept there. In complete darkness, you lose any sense of time. It must have been quite a while though. They regularly brought me food and tea, but my body rebelled against the highly dosed poison in it. I think they were at a complete loss on why I wasn¡¯t becoming as drowsy as my peers.


    Sleep was another challenge in this confined space. Besides the smelly area where I regularly threw up my food and defecated, there wasn¡¯t much floor to lie down. All I could do was sleep while sitting, back leaning against the wall. In one of the moments where my consciousness was fading, I suddenly felt a familiar presence reaching out to me.


    ¡°Yes¡±, I whispered in an exhausted voice, as I responded to her inquiry. ¡°They have found mother¡¯s medicine. Now I¡¯m being imprisoned.¡±


    Silence. I felt the connection was growing weak. Was it because her mind had to cross the stream? By now, little me had already figured out that the dark stream in the cave probably was a magical barrier that prevented Violet from leaving. And for some reason, I was able to easily cross it. Perhaps I had inadvertently punctured it when I first encountered her. Nevertheless, I tried to cling onto that fading feeling. She must have felt my fears, for in one final bout of emotion, she meant, Worry not. You are stronger than you think you are. Run to me once you are brought here. Being reassured, I regained some determination. I sure as fuck would not be sacrificed! My parents were waiting for me, after all!


    Several sleep-and-eat cycles later, ¡®Peach¡¯ and ¡®Owleen¡¯ came to fetch me. To keep me subdued, they tied my arms behind my back. The rope was long enough so they could use it as a leash. ¡®Owleen¡¯ pulled me out into the night. Even though it was moonless, it was still brighter than the shabby storeroom I was trapped in. However, I finally breathed some fresh air. I inhaled deeply before I was dragged towards the temple. My peers walked in front of me in an eerie procession. They were all wearing the same white robes we wore when we first got here. In their right hands, they carried a small lantern that flickered in the wind. All the way to the temple they sang the same prayer over and over again: ¡°We are but a small voice. But united we stand against the evils. Begone, demon of the past! Begone, demon of the past!¡±


    The children were flanked by several black guards and practitioners. While the guards did not say anything, the practitioners hummed along in harmony to the children''s¡¯ tune. If you¡¯ve ever seen Hightower¡¯s yama yama yamaah chant in Police Academy 2, then you¡¯re on the right track. Maybe throw in some exorcist prayers from the Bible. Yup. That kind of level of creepy. I looked around me and noticed that both ¡®Owleen¡¯ and ¡®Peach¡¯ had slightly vacant gazes. It wasn¡¯t as strong as with my former friends, yet I guessed that they must have drugged themselves as well. By the love of Nu, these practitioners are way too crazy!If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    We finally reached the entrance of the cave and slowly walked through. The chanting of my peers blended in with the faint chants from within the cave. I saw how both the guards and the practitioners were looking nervous. So it seems they have never set foot here before! My childish heart beat fast with delight upon realizing that the mazes in here were going to work to my advantage. I also felt the bond between me and Violet grow stronger with every step. I felt her eagerly awaiting us, like a spider lurking and watching how an unsuspecting insect flew right into her web.


    When we entered the large hall with the Sekhmet statue, the grandeur of this place was illuminated by the many lanterns that spread out along the stream. Only now did I see many more corridors and tunnels at different heights, leading away from this place. I was also able to catch a glimpse of Sekhmet¡¯s lioness head features. She had an angry look on her face, as if she was ready to tear any intruder apart who dared enter her temple. Yet in those stone eyes, I sensed something else - those eyes resembled that of a wild beast that had been driven into a corner, wounded and scared.


    One by one, the children sank to their knees, praying. ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ nodded at one of the guards. The man stepped up and drew his blade, swiftly slicing the neck of the first child in the row - Valerian. I watched in horror as the blood gushed out and his lifeless body fell to the ground. His blood trickled down across the many indentations of the rocky floor and into the stream. The second child, Reed, shared the same fate. By this time I realized why the stream was dark and thick. It was not water, it was blood! I began to frantically wiggle my way out of the rope. Luckily, the other practitioners were all in a deep trance. Unluckily, one of the other black guards noticed me moving. He easily grabbed me by my collar just as I was able to free myself.


    ¡°What to do with the defiant boy?¡± He asked as he lifted me into the air.


    You dare lay hand on my disciple? The anger sent out to all participants of the ceremony was as clear as the magical water pond. Shocked, the adults peered into the darkness behind the statue. There was a faint jangling sound that drew closer and closer. From the shadows emerged the silhouette of the stranger I had grown fond of. She was still wearing chains, however, they had miraculously grown long enough for her to walk all the way to the barrier. There she stood, clothed in rags, yet the aura around her was so powerful, everybody with a halfway clear mind trembled in fear. The black guards drew their blades, yet they remained hesitant. Who was this stranger? What was she doing there beyond the barrier? Why did she seem so powerful?

 Pilgrimage: I gladly submit

    ¡°What are you afraid of?!¡± ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ screamed back some sense into the adults that were present. ¡°This woman is trapped behind the barrier! Continue with the ceremony!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the guard that had killed Valerian and Reed, continued. Goodbye Elm, I never really knew you. I watched in terror, as the lifeless little body dropped with a loud ¡®thud¡¯ on the ground, his blood merging with the bloody stream. At the same time, I kept on struggling, when I noticed the belt of my tunic had loosened. With one bold move, I slipped out of my top and safely landed on the ground, half-naked.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The guard was so surprised, he hesitated for a moment. I used this opportunity to dash towards the stranger. No, she was not a stranger to me anymore. She was Violet. And she was my savior.


    Violet switched her gaze from the panicked adults to me. She had a smirk on her face, heavily implying, I told you so. I smirked back, feeling very confident.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ seemed to have a hunch who Violet really was. But the entire situation overwhelmed her. Not only had I successfully escaped their ¡®special treatment¡¯, but there was also now this dark-skinned woman with crimson eyes who was standing behind the barrier.


    While she and her seemingly intoxicated practitioner friends still seemed stunned, the black guards finally regained their composure. ¡°Prevent him from touching the barrier!¡± The oldest one of the group exclaimed. All of them drew their blades and charged at me. Like a pack of rabid wolves with piercing blue eyes, they jumped, each one ready to pierce right through my small body.


    Suddenly, everything seemed to progress in slow motion. Any fear that I had felt earlier had suddenly evaporated into thin air. Violet¡¯s sheer presence, even beyond the barrier, had not only calmed me down, I felt I was much faster than before. I easily reached her spot across the stream before the blades plunged into me.


    Continuing in slow motion, Violet stretched out her right hand, stopping right in front of the barrier. It sensed her presence. Tiny sparks flew from the area right before her hand, preventing passage. Will you submit to me? This was the second time I could hear her voice speak clearly to me.


    Deep in my heart, I had always known who she was. Yet I had never considered her a threat or danger. To me, the world here, with the practitioners and the black guards, was the threat, the true danger. Violet had become the oxygen I breathed whenever I felt like suffocating. And so I gladly reached out to her, from across the barrier.


    ¡°Sekhmet.¡±


    I finally whispered her name, acknowledging that she indeed was the famed goddess of war. The one who nearly destroyed our world in fury.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    There was a high-pitched shattering noise. When I looked closely, the chains around her ankles and wrists burst into millions of tiny black crystal shards and dispersed into thin air. At the same time, the invisible barrier created by the stream cracked as if it was made of glass. When it burst into pieces, they turned into dust as well. With no wall preventing her anymore, she hopped over to my side, holding my hand. With her other hand, she gently brushed my hair, like an affectionate mother who was proud of her own son. She bowed down to me and kissed me on the forehead. I felt something tingling there as if a sharp needle found its way through my skull and into my body. What I didn¡¯t realize at the moment was that she had made me her disciple. My once blue eyes faded into bright gold. Black veins ran across the outer edge of my eyes.


    Then, she raised the hand that brushed my hair, without averting her gaze. Time seemed to move forward at a normal pace again, but the blades of the black guards never reached me.


    Instead, they seemed to stab into an invisible shield around both of us. Since the impact was so strong, their blades shattered and they all were pushed away, with some flying all the way to the wall.


    ¡°Im-impossible!¡± ¡®Dried Cedar¡¯ screeched. ¡°We must prevent her from leaving this place!¡± Since the guards were temporarily unavailable, she drew her own blade, urging her fellows to do the same. At this moment I saw Lilly blink. She gave me a puzzled look. Had I stalled the ceremony for so long that the effects of the drug were slowly receding? I noticed the other children blink as well, with confused looks on their faces.


    ¡°Lilly!¡± I happily exclaimed. Praise the gods, she was alright! But my relief did not last very long. In the next moment, Lilly had snatched one of the broken blades that were lying around and held it on to her own throat. I gasped. "What are you doing?!" But the only response I received was her shaking her head in disappointment.


    ¡°Begone, demon of the past,¡± she whispered one last time. And with that, she slit herself, her face displaying a strong sense of righteousness. The blade fell out of her tiny hands with a soft clang. Gently, she fell over, planting her red hair into the bloody stream. However, even with her sacrifice, the barrier remained broken. It was beyond repair. But she didn¡¯t know it.


    All this time, she had willingly accepted her fate. Unlike the others, she had understood that death awaited her. And she gladly embraced it. What greater contribution to the gods could there be than offering their own life? For the ever-pious little girl, this was but a step to heaven.


    But it stirred something in me. I felt hatred boiling within my tiny body. My friends were gone, Lilly had willingly killed herself in an attempt to stop Sekhmet. And all in the name of the gods? What nonsense! And these guards! I watched as they all had managed to get up again. Even without their weapons, they were incredible foes, as my travel experience to this place had shown me. Were they going to kill me as well? Or even kill Violet?


    In my mind, the thought of them laying there in their own puddle of blood suddenly seemed alluring. The longer I thought about it, the more enticing it seemed. Violet sensed this change in me. But instead of stopping me, she grinned and reached out to me. Boy. This was the last time I heard her voice so clearly. When I turned around, I saw her fingers flick my forehead, and my eyes turned into the same crimson color she had.

 Pilgrimage: Silent night, bloody night

    All I felt was burning rage. Rage against every living being. Scanning around the room, I took note of my enemies. I heard their frantic breathing. Dozens of heartbeats beating out of sync. The smell of blood was everywhere. I was excited. It didn''t take too long to discover a screeching ''Dried Cedar''. With an inhumane dash, I closed the distance between us in an instant. In the next instance, I used my bare hand to stab into her fragile body.


    She didn''t even have the time to grasp what has happened. Bones cracked. I felt my fingers gently embrace something pulsating. With a firm grip, I ripped it right out, spraying blood all over me. It was exhilarating. That face that would be forever locked in terror. But I wanted more. So I attacked the person next to her. I didn''t care who it was. I wanted to destroy. This person did put up a fight though. Waves of magic came crashing at me, yet it didn''t matter. Every time they sent me flying to the ground, I simply got up again. There was no pain, no other emotion save the satisfaction of seeing everything painted in red. In the end, more people joined the battle against me, but I persevered.


    I had been aimlessly thrashing around like a wild animal for a while. My entire body was drenched in the blood of my enemies. But a tiny body like mine had its limits. Every blow I took began to hurt. Every step towards the next victim became more arduous. The fury that I was once felt was slowly subsiding.


    As if Violet had anticipated this, she quietly crept up behind me. Placing her hand on my eyes and her other hand on my shoulder, she was able to prevent me from going on. I struggled, but the all too familiar scent of her and the soothing emotions crawling into my mind made me lose any resistance. As I began drifting into unconsciousness, I felt her attention shift to the remaining people who were alive, as if she was telling them what to do ...


    Throbbing pain was what made me come back to the world of the living. I felt it everywhere. Some places hurt so badly, I couldn''t move. I opened my eyes, but I was surrounded by complete darkness. Panic suddenly came over me, when I felt the cold hand of somebody familiar next to me. Another hand held something against my lips, urging me to drink. I took a sip. As I suspected, this was the strange water I had been always drinking together with Violet. The one gulp felt rejuvenating. I eagerly drank the contents of the entire jar. The pain slowly subsided, the wounds closed. But, naturally, it would take some time until they fully healed. At least, for now, I was able to raise my upper body and reach out to her.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Instead of reaching back out to me, I felt her hand move away to pat my head. I think she wanted to praise me. Just as I was wondering what to do now, she carefully swooped me into her arms, carrying me like a princess. I didn''t care, I was just happy she was there. I latched onto her rags, slowly drifting in and out of sleep.


    She walked for a while through the darkness until we reached the scene of the massacre. The stench of blood and guts immediately woke me up. I looked around to see organs lying around, their former owners far away. I saw the bodies of my friends, including Lilly. Confronted by this, I felt sickness come upon me. Violet let me quickly down so I could vomit painfully near the stream.


    "I- I didn''t want this", my pitiful self coughed in between, tears streaming down from my face. Yet, instead of comforting me, Violet silently stood next to me. There were short bouts of emotions coming from her, letting me damn well know that it was me who gave in to rage and that it was me alone who had killed all the adults.


    When I was done vomiting, I continued to cry. It was true that attacking and killing them felt bizarrely good, but right now, all I felt was guilt. They say killing somebody for the first time is a difficult challenge, not many overcome. For me, it wasn¡¯t a problem at all. But the aftermath, the realization of what I had done, these feelings of remorse and guilt buried me under a large pile of rubble. And Violet was not kind enough to absolve me from my crime. No, she made damn well sure that day I understood what it meant to give in to bloodlust. Only after I had cried my heart out did she gently pick me up again and hold me close to her chest. I hugged her tightly, rubbing my bloody body against her. She then picked up two blades left by the dead practitioners and slowly walked out of the cave.


    It was the first time for her to see the outside world after so many centuries. After squinting for a moment to adapt to the light, she carefully looked around. On the horizon, dawn was breaking. I peered down and saw a horse carriage disappearing into the distance. I surmised it was the remaining survivors and the children. From what I saw, only two black guards had fallen victim to my rampage.


    I felt the goddess ask me what I wanted to do. ¡°Burn.¡± Was all I was able to say. She firmly held me in one hand while she wandered about the now empty place. While walking, she grabbed whatever edible thing she could find. In the room of the practitioners, she also found a set of grey robes. Then she took a torch from one of the walls and lit each building up. When she was done, she calmly walked down the stone steps to the bottom of the mountain. We both watched from afar as the wooden structures lit up the pink sky. There was a sense of satisfaction upon seeing this, and this feeling was shared.


    Before Violet could even imply any other question, I had already said, ¡°home¡±.

 Lost: Nice try

    Violet carried me for quite a while through the soft green plane, until we reached a small stream with many old and crooked trees along the banks. Without announcing her thoughts, she grabbed the tired me by the collar and threw me into the cold water. I screamed in shock and wailed in the shallow stream until she joined me, washing of the blood stains I had left on her body. Embarrassed, I calmed down and did the same. My white robes, dyed in deep red, were beyond salvation. Not even the best stain remover could wash out the amount of dried blood on it. Lucky for me, Violet had some extra robes I could wear. They were made for an adult, so she tore off the lower edges.


    Let¡¯s find people, I felt her convey to me somehow. I nodded. Together, we walked along the banks of the stream until we actually did find a small place. They were wary of Celestial beings, given how they closely scrutinized Violet. Oh-ho-ho, little me was pretty jealous that these adults were glancing at her! I remember positioning myself in front of her, hands on hips, and pouting aggressively. ¡°She¡¯s not a toy to look at!¡± I guess, I broke the ice there, for the inhabitants immediately burst out into laughter, and welcomed both of us.


    Violet let me deal with the villagers. If she felt the need to steer my questions in the right direction, she would convey them to me the way she always did. As it would seem, nobody seemed trained enough to perceive the thoughts of a goddess, so they simply thought Violet was a mute Celestial. After all, why would a true full-blooded deity be doing in the middle of nowhere, without fanfare and entourage? Moreover, during our short stay there, she actually helped the people there. And every villager knew that gods would let practitioners do the dirty work for them!


    For example, the roof of an elderly couple needed fixing. Violet would easily carry a stack of wood planks on to the roof by jumping along the walls like a ninja. Not only was I impressed, but the entire village came to see the spectacle. I was already on the roof, and along with my new adult friends, I would drive the nails through the wooden planks with rusty hammers. When the herbalist needed help on restocking herbs, I was there to assist. Since I knew a lot of herbs, I was able to help the old guy with gathering. And these villagers showered us with free meals and a roof over our heads. They were truly thankful since they rarely received any outside visitors. And helpful ones at that!


    While enjoying the company of these people, I tried to find out where I was and what the best way was to reach Capilla. Unfortunately, all I found out was that I was somewhere in the southern border of the duchy. Where Capilla lay, nobody really knew. Somewhere north. This place was so remote not even practitioners dropped by. Anything further than a day¡¯s trip from the village was considered ¡°unknown¡± territory. After all, people who dared to leave the village rarely returned to tell the tale. By the love of Nu, I really don¡¯t want to know how closely related the village inhabitants were.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    On the third day, Violet and I finally decided to leave. We stuck to the vague instructions the villagers had given us, however, we didn¡¯t get very far. At the end of the day, we had passed the same lonely tree stump for the third time. Disappointed, I sat down on it, pouting as I gazed at the seemingly endless green plains. To the south, the tall mountains were merely dark blue shadows set upon the fiery orange sky. Throw in a few happy little clouds and you had the perfect Bob Ross painting.


    My priority had always been to escape the temple, but now that I was out, I had no clue how to get home. Violet scoffed as she threw one of the practitioner¡¯s sheathed blades at me. Because I didn¡¯t pay attention it hit me in the head and I fell backward on to the soft grass. I picked up the blade grudgingly and gave her a glare, which amused her even more.


    Ever since I had brought her out of the barrier, I had felt her emotions more vividly. Because I didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on, I therefore often confused them for my own. Only when our emotions drifted into opposites, such as now, could I properly discern which feelings truly belonged to me.


    Violet took the second sheathed blade and pointed it at me. She then began to slice the air with fluent movements, dancing elegantly in the pale sunlight. The only rhythm I could perceive were the noises the blade made whenever it cut through the air. It was as if she was playing a song for me, so I closed my eyes, paying attention to the timings. After a while, I could make out a pattern and began to imitate the rhythm by swinging the blade up and down.


    When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was the only one dumbly swinging around. Violet had taken my place at the tree stump, watching me. Embarrassed, I immediately stopped. Go on, I felt her convey. Reminded by how she guided me through a pitch-black maze, I closed my eyes once more. I slowly lifted my blade and swung it to the right, turned around, swung it to the left, then up and down, another turn, and so on. My movements were definitely not as smooth and refined as hers, but I¡¯m pretty damn sure they resembled her moves. If I did make an error, I felt a slight sharp pain penetrate my skull. It was actually not really noteworthy, but I felt it nonetheless and it was evident that she used it to point out a mistake.


    She made me practice until the sun had completely disappeared. You can guess pretty much that I was very exhausted. Using just a small piece of dried wood, she conjured up a warm flame for the night. Needless to say, I was a child that yearned for human warmth after such a long abstinence, so I cuddled right next to her. Unfortunately Violet is a goddess. And therefore she did not radiate any body heat at all. On the contrary, it felt as if I was hugging a massive ice block during a Siberian winter. Now the surprising thing was - I slowly felt her body temperature rise, as if she knew that was what I needed. And before long, I fell into a deep slumber.

 Lost: How about some omelette?

    I could hear the merry chatter of three men. A fourth one remained quiet, but his leather boots rubbing across the stone gave him away. Their bonfire crackled, illuminating the hollow mountainside cave they were camping at. I had been tracking these men all day along the steep mountain paths, masking my presence with the help of some magic.


    When they decided to rest, I was lurking right above them on a ledge. With them, they had a brown dray horse and three maidens, neatly tied up and gagged. These men were human traffickers, wanting to strike a good deal in Ha¡¯s Embrace. You see, women were highly sought after in that region, and a man¡¯s success was visible by the number of female slaves that were in his household. Exotic women from beyond the steppes were particularly valuable. If these guys succeeded, they¡¯d be able to live a life in luxury. At least for a few months.


    Contemplating my situation, I knew that I stood no chance against four grown men, even if they weren¡¯t highly trained. These were the types who¡¯d readily sacrifice their wares to survive. Since my mission was to bring back at least one girl alive, I had to come up with a plan to reduce their numbers before actively engaging in a battle. Quietly, I crawled away from the scene and scouted the area for inspiration. Yes, it was dark. But being bonded to a deity does come with its merits. All my senses had become superior. Even on a new moon¡¯s night, I could see into the distance and make out the number of potential attackers.


    I almost gave up, when I noticed a few large plume feathers at my feet. And with large, I mean really large. Like Roc-sized large. This brought a grin to my face. While Rocs rarely bothered to hunt humans since they were too small of a prey, these gigantic birds were known to fiercely protect their nest. And Nu forbid their hatchlings were stolen. Pleased with my idea, I began ascending the steep slopes of the mountain, using the same technique as Violet did when she walked up the house wall when we had first departed on our adventure. Silently, I landed on the edge of a large plateau that was the home of a Roc. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The nest itself was so large that you could fit several homes next to each other. The intricate construction of twigs and young trees was as tall as I was. Carefully, I jumped onto the top of the nest to take a better look. The blue sprinkled eggs were half my size and pretty heavy. The Roc was nowhere to be seen or heard. I decided to steal an egg. Now, if I didn¡¯t know how to use magic, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to even make an egg budge. But here I was, conjuring a small circular array that was bursting with red energy. Every time the lines wavered, they gave off a slight fizzing noise, tickling the palm of my hand. I held this magic circle against one of the eggs, and surely, it was slowly raised from its safe haven. After a while, I finally held a Roc egg in the air. Satisfied, I slowly descended back down again towards the crooks, who were already dozing off. The bonfire had already died down and only a few embers kept the group warm. The horse had walked deeper into the cavern and was used as a resting pillow for the girls.


    Suddenly, I heard an ear-piercing screech cutting through the night. The Roc had already returned! The group immediately woke up, raising their weapons in alarm. I used this moment to roll the egg like a bowling ball into the center, right next to the bonfire. They gasped at me in horror. ¡°You!¡± One of the older ones screamed. He charged at me with his spear. But I easily dodged his drowsy attacked by simply stepping to the side. He would have fallen to his doom hadn¡¯t a giant bird head appeared seemingly out of nowhere, screaming in anger. I had shielded myself from its scream by applying magic to my ears, but these men were far from being gifted. They held their ears, shouting in pain. What a concert! Anyway, my first attacker more or less stumbled into the open mouth of the Roc. The Roc swallowed the poor guy, and, I swear, I felt like it was choking on him for a moment. The bird squeaked and flattered up and down nervously. I used this chance, to close in on the remaining three, drawing my blade.

 Lost: I got this! Or maybe not

    The wind caused by the panic-stricken Roc was strong enough to force the men to shield themselves by raising their arms in front of their faces. This was enough time for me to close the distance between us. Remembering my five-year training, I focused on my breathing to keep myself calm. Then, I let the darkness in.


    I felt my strength immediately increasing, but at the same time, I felt the urge to kill and destroy rising along with it. This was the feeling of bloodlust if I was able to control it. Activating my bloodlust not only heightened my senses and my strength. It also made me more powerful in magic. One skill that I was training for was to enchant my blade, giving it a dark red glow around it. Whenever I injured my enemy the magic would block their energy flow, thus weakening them both in the body and soul... is what I really wanted it to do, but I was just 13 years old and had no idea what I was doing.


    So instead, the blade had a ¡®hellfire¡¯ effect, causing severe burns on opponents. I guess you can damage the soul with it as well. I mean it¡¯s fucking hot. And, by Nu, the whizzing sound of energy pulsating around a blade was intimidating as ¡®hell¡¯. Do you get it? Yes? I guess I need to see myself out now.


    Standing right next to one of them, I took the leisure of inspecting him closely. He wore dark gray garments that were pretty worn out and dirty. Tucked in a belt was a pretty shabby scabbard, full of dents and chipped at the edges. It was once lacquered deep red, but the color had faded to baby pink over time. The guy was still busy shielding himself from the wind gusts, so I nonchalantly stabbed my blade right into his torso. His flesh sizzled as it came into contact with my blade.


    Using the palm of my hand, I plunged it deeper until the tip exited his body on the other side. The man gasped in terror as I cut through his body like toast. Thunk. His upper body fell motionless to the ground, followed by his lower half. Even though the wound area was immediately cauterized, the damage was too much. The air was filled with the scent of grilled meat. My blade was so hot, his flesh and inner organs were still sizzling as his consciousness slowly slipped away. Since he no longer was a threat to me, I shifted my attention to the two remaining men who became visible the moment my first opponent sank to the ground.


    Unfortunately for them, they did not have night vision. The only light sources were the fading embers and the night sky at the entrance of the cavern which was currently partially blocked by a gigantic feathered fiend that was frantically trying to retrieve its egg. Its claws were too large, however, so all it could do was helplessly scrape at the entrance. The human traffickers drew their blades, trembling both visibly and audibly. They knew roughly where I was since the dim light of my glowing blade gave my position away. By clasping the hilt of my blade with both hands and holding it in front of me, I took a guarding stance, eagerly awaiting their attacks. Naturally, they didn¡¯t disappoint me, charging at me - or rather at my blade - with a battle cry.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    What ensued was pretty much an intense battle in partial darkness. The girls who were at the far back with the horse could only hear the dull clanging sounds whenever my hot blade crossed with theirs. But truth be told, no matter how epic it may have looked like with me easily parrying the haphazard blade swings of my opponents, I was struggling. Even though I could clearly see my opponents, they kept me busy with their attacks. I found no chance to strike during an opening or just push them back with the help of magic. In addition, the crazy Roc began to annoy me. Well, that¡¯s what you get if you think you¡¯re the greatest action hero but are actually just a little brat.


    Woosh. I felt a slight breeze enter the cave. When I turned around, Violet stood there, holding the egg in her hand. In one swift bowling movement, she rolled the egg towards the Roc which gladly grabbed onto it and flew away with a pleased screech. In the next moment, she suddenly appeared next to me, her red eyes focusing on the taller man. With an elegant yet slow motion, she moved the palm of her hand up and stopped just a few inches before his chest. Then, she executed a powerful punch that happened so quickly, nobody but me could see it coming. The man was sent flying out of the cavern and fell to his doom with a loud scream. The next villain did not fare much better. Using only the hilt of her blade, she parried the attack of the only man left, grabbing his left arm and throwing him on the ground. I regained my composure and stabbed the man through the chest without using added magic. Since there was no heat to cauterize the wounds, blood aggressively splattered onto my face, making me look as if somebody had just emptied a can of tomato sauce on me (I guess toast, grilled meat, and tomato sauce make a great sandwich? I¡¯m hungry now). The man gurgled one last time before bleeding to death.


    I knew I was in trouble. She really didn¡¯t need to make me flinch in pain, but she did so nevertheless. Violet was angry, questioning whether I wanted to die by overestimating myself. To the terrified girls in the back, it must have looked strange to see a young boy drenched in blood, his figure slightly illuminated by embers, nodding in submission, while a strange, dark-skinned woman was staring blankly at him. After she finished throwing one disorganized emotion at me after another, she glared at the girls in the back, her eyes glowing. Even though they were gagged, they screamed in terror, fearing they would be thrown to their deaths as well.


    However, without wasting another thought, Violet simply marched right out of the cavern, taking the easy way down by jumping off the edge. I knew she would be waiting for me in the valley once I made my way back with these girls. And knowing that she was the resentful type, I had to accept my fate at receiving either a second scolding or an evil glare when we met again.


    I sighed audibly as I wiped my face clean with my sleeve. Or at least I believed I did so. Actually, I kind of massaged it all around my face like some kind of wicked beauty mask, sending even more shivers down the spine of the captives. Alas, they were tied and gagged, so all they could do was keep on screeching with muffled voices. I faced them with a smile as friendly as I could. Unfortunately, the ghastly make-up and creepy boy smile were too much for them to handle. They all passed out right on the spot.

 Lost: Whistle while you work

    Sighing, I woke the horse from its deep slumber. Or, at least, I tried. After clapping my hands right next to its ears, shouting and cursing, I realized this animal had to be deaf. No wonder it didn¡¯t budge with all the commotion in the cavern! I needed to shake and lightly kick it until it snorted with (obvious!) contempt and wearily arose. Finally! Maybe I should have renamed this horse to ¡®Annoying Mule¡¯ the way it reacted. What a personality.


    After untying each girl, I used some magic to lift them onto the horse. Every time a girl landed on its back, it whickered, tilting its head left and right in disapproval. Nevertheless, I decided to ignore its attitude for now. By the time I finished, the sky had begun to brighten up a little. I grabbed the reigns and slowly directed the sulky horse down the mountain.


    The first girl regained her consciousness as we reached the bottom of the mountain. With a high-pitched moan, she opened her eyes to look around her. She had an average face, with a sloping forehead, flat nose, and awkwardly protruding teeth. She kind of reminded me of a small shark. Hence I decided to name her ¡®Baby Shark¡¯. ¡®Baby Shark¡¯ was the daughter of the one who had given us the quest of retrieving his daughter. Therefore I had to treat her with special care. The girl wore bright pink robes with swirly brocade borders. A white sash and a few metal brooches kept the clothes in place.


    ¡°Where... where are we?¡± Ugh, what an unpleasant high-pitched cutesy voice she had.


    ¡°On our way back.¡± I didn¡¯t bother to turn around to face her.


    ¡°How can I trust you not to abduct us instead?¡± Now really, young miss. It seems thinking isn¡¯t your aptitude, eh? If I¡¯d wanted to abduct you, wouldn¡¯t I be tying you up?!


    ¡°Rest assured, neither of you is my type.¡±


    She snorted audibly, offended by my words, waking the girl behind her up. This one had a pretty, but incredibly flat face, with lips constantly pursed and frowning. Her blue eyes pierced right through me, judgingly. Her simple white dress had become muddy from the rough trip. Alright, young miss number two! I shall name thee ¡®Grumpy Kitty¡¯! Who¡¯s left is young miss number three who didn¡¯t wake for a long time. At first glance, she seemed the prettiest of them all, but she had a rather menacing look in her face. Her blue robes were especially torn and muddy. Seems like she had put up the most resistance, compared to the others. This girl remained silent for now. However, she was hugging ¡®Grumpy Kitty¡¯ tightly - a bit too tight to be mere friends. I decided to call her ¡®Overly Attached¡¯.


    ¡°Who are you anyway?¡± Making up for her silent two companions, ¡®Baby Shark¡¯ decided to strike up a conversation.


    ¡°Just a mercenary.¡±


    ¡°How old are you? You seem too young to be hired.¡±


    ¡°Old enough to wield a blade.¡±


    ¡°Where do you come from?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere.¡±


    The ¡°conversation¡± went on and on. ''Baby Shark'' seemed relentless, not wanting to give up. To make matters kind of worse, Violet had joined me a while ago. However, she kept quite a distance from the group and me, remaining unnoticed by the girls. But I felt her emotions. It seems she was highly amused at my lacking enthusiasm.  Haha, very funny. I occasionally stopped to glare in her direction, but apparently, she remained well hidden.


    Violet''s distanced behavior had started only one or two years earlier. Whenever we entered a village or even a town, she would always remain in the shadows and let me handle everything by myself. I had tried to find an explanation for this change but never could filter a proper response. It might be that because we had been slowly walking northward and had encountered a few practitioners. Even I had developed a slight paranoia and tried to avoid standing out too much.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡®Baby Shark¡¯s¡¯ place was only a castle surrounded by a tiny settlement. While I had seen some practitioners there, they were not ever-present. I think they were actually quite reluctant to be there in the first place. After all, her family owned the castle, but they were so broke that they had delegated the mission of retrieving their daughter to some random boy instead of a practitioner - for one-tenth of the sum. It was still enough to make ends meet, mind you.


    As the sun was almost at its highest point, we finally arrived at the castle. Word spread quickly, so by the time I had come to the castle gate, the guards were eagerly ushering us inside, to be welcomed by the rest of ¡®Shark¡¯ family. Okay. Just bear with me, yes?


    The ¡®Shark¡¯ family was truly peculiar. You could instantly see they were related, for they all had the same type of sloping forehead and flat noses. What was bizarre was the choice of fabric they draped around their luxurious bodies. If pink seemed like a bold color, how about bright green paired with pastel purple? That was what ¡®Mommy Shark¡¯ was wearing. ¡®Daddy Shark¡¯, on the other hand, managed to mix so many different shades of blue, you could post him at a cloth store as a walking color sample. When they saw their little baby safely arrive, they were so happy they even hugged me. I have faced many a danger during my short life but never had it felt more suffocating than being buried deep between lumps of flesh and fat tissue. I kid you not.


    After paying me the promised sum (which I obviously counted on the spot), they asked me if I wanted to stay for the celebration. I knew that Violet was waiting outside for me, so I kindly refused, bowing like a pretentious practitioner. Finally free and with a pouch of coins to spend, I turned around and headed to the main gate.


    Suddenly, two practitioners, a man and a woman, stood in my path. They wore deep orange robes, their sleeves long enough to hide their hands. Since they didn¡¯t carry any blade or other apparent weapons, I assumed they were pure magic-wielders. The color suggested they hailed from the Order of Geb. This order was known for possessing a high percentage of magic-focused practitioners. They were also known for their peace-loving attitude. These attributes alone were enough to catapult them to being the second most renowned Order after Nu.


    Since they didn''t seem like they were going to attack me immediately, I remained wary of them. Taking a closer look, I noticed that the two practitioners were siblings, most likely even twins. They shared the same bun hairstyle. Looking at their youthful faces yet knowing gazes, I had guessed they were highly experienced people. If you meditated long enough and had the talent for it, you can almost bring the aging process to a halt.


    ¡°Hello, young man.¡± The man spoke. His brown eyes looked at me softly.


    I nodded silently and wanted to pass, but they didn¡¯t let me.


    ¡°We have come to pick you up.¡±


    With a questioning look on my face, I glared at them.


    ¡°The gods have been watching you and your companion ever since you have appeared in the south of the duchy,¡± the woman continued. ¡°Our benevolent god Geb has decided to question you personally.¡±


    ¡°Why would he?¡± I spoke for the first time, my hand slowly wandering to the hilt of my blade.


    ¡°There is nothing to fear if you do not seek the Path of Apophis.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Both practitioners looked at each other, almost sighing.


    ¡°If Geb sees there is nothing to fear, both you and Sekhmet can roam freely without needing to hide from any Order. Perhaps she will be allowed to form her own Order and settle down. After all, she had been in captivity for a very long time.¡±


    Saying these words, Violet suddenly emerged from the shadows, looking interested. The practitioners immediately noticed her and greeted her by bowing deeply.


    ¡°Greatest Sekhmet. We have seen you, and your Vice Representative have been benevolent to the people here. It shall not go unrewarded.¡±


    Violet threw at them a few condescending emotions, but, to my surprise, they didn¡¯t understand her. They seemed to perceive that she was trying to converse with them. However, they looked at me, expecting me to interpret. I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°She ... isn¡¯t¡±, I quickly glanced at her, ¡°... uninterested.¡± Ouch. My head. Violet was indeed not pleased. Just by looking at her body language, she was very eager to learn more. But the young me didn''t understand her motivation. Therefore, I believed my words were the right choice.


    ¡°Great! Then you will accompany us to Capilla?¡±


    Now they got me. All these years I had been trying to get back home. Was this finally my chance?

 Lost: A little luxury

    We followed the practitioners down a wide dusty path, away from the castle. The moment we ©¤ or beautiful I ©¤ agreed to accompany them, the tension had utterly disappeared. Smiling as they led along the way, the man said, ¡°I am happy we did not have to use force! By the way, my name is Sorrel! And my lovely twin sister is Acacia!¡± He pointed at the woman next to him. She had the same soft brown eyes and gentle smile as her brother.


    These two seemed as if they had never faced any hardships in their life. I began to wonder why an old deity such as Geb would send out these meek creatures to ¡®fetch¡¯ us. Did he foresee we would not resist? I felt as if I had just accepted an unpaid task of escorting two royals on a long journey.


    While they did their best to be friendly towards us, Violet and I remained silent. The fluffy atmosphere these twins gave off was very awkward. I needed to resist the urge to cut them into pieces just because they seemed so unhealthily happy about everything. The only thing that held me back was knowing they knew the way to Capilla. Many years had passed since the Pilgrimage. I wondered whether my parents were still there. Would mother be proud of me that I had survived? Would I stumble into father first, as he checked the traps he laid out in the fields? Was the old man Hawthorne still alive? What if the Vice Representative was there again? Then again, didn¡¯t these two guarantee we¡¯d be free if their God sensed no hostility?


    These questions whirled all through my head as we marched along for the rest of the day. I sensed Violet¡¯s presence in my mind, yet, she chose to remain in the background. The few emotions I felt were warm and supportive. They even transcended into actions, as the goddess of war gently patted my head, wearing a smile as gentle as that of the twins. It was the first time I had seen her smile this way, and it confused me. Not like I was already confused by the thought that she had supposedly nearly wiped out the world, yet here she was helping the people. Had history been always teaching us something wrong?


    By the end of the rather uneventful day, we had reached a little town surrounded by soy fields. It strangely reminded me of my hometown. Even at this time of the day, the streets were bustling with people. Violet nor I was used to this, as we had usually avoided commotion. Interestingly, I could see a glint of fascination in the goddess¡¯ eyes as her gaze wandered from one corner to the next.


    ¡°Oh, the night market has just opened!¡± Sorrel took a closer look at the food stalls that were palely lit by small lanterns. At a vendor selling filled steamed buns, he paused and purchased four pieces. ¡°Here¡±, he handed out one to each of us while taking a bite off his bun. ¡°Mhm! So good! The town of Nussud really has the best buns!¡±


    ¡°Nussud?¡± I asked with my mouth full of that steamed goodness. My diet plan usually consisted out of raw berries and grilled meat ©¤ whatever nature had to offer. Bread and sweets were a luxury we rarely were able to afford.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°This place is the only merchant hub that connects with the largest mountain pass leading to Ha¡¯s Embrace,¡± Acacia diligently explained. ¡°You will find a lot of different types of people here.¡± Her gentle demeanor slightly froze upon the sight of a group of practitioners in dark green robes. Without losing another word, both of them ushered us into a dark alley, away from the night market. After a few turns, we wound up on the main road again, not far from an inn. ¡°Let us stay here for the night,¡± Acacia said, heading straight towards it.


    ¡°Uhm, we don¡¯t have many coins on us right now,¡± I admitted. Looking at the expensive wooden sign, I was convinced that this inn was way out of our league.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Enjoy the benefits of paid travel expenses!¡± With his left arm wrapped around me and his right arm around Violet, Sorrel pushed us towards the entrance. By the time we both realized what he had done, we were already inside, with the innkeeper showing us our room.


    ¡°Oh, gentle followers of Geb, this will be your resting room.¡± The old man with a long beard bowed down deeply as he opened the door. The room had a small table with seating pillows around it. A wooden screen with paintings of dragons and lions hid away the four mattresses that were laid out on the ground. Sensing he could extract more coins from the twins, he added, ¡°since today is night market, our tavern is open all night.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. We will surely take up your offer¡±, Acacia responded with a smile.


    ¡°Well then, if you excuse me.¡± The innkeeper bowed down once more and left the room walking backward as if he was afraid to face his back to them. Ignoring his weird behavior, I strolled around the room, marveling at the excellent craftsmanship that had been put into it.


    ¡°Hoho, your first time sleeping at an inn like this?¡± Sorrel was trying to strike up a conversation again. Out of spite, I kept my childish fascination to myself, shrugging in response.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how great their wine and liquor is.¡± Acacia pointed out the door. Violet seemed to look forward to some drinking, sending out emotions of joy and satisfaction. ¡°Euh, what is she trying to say?¡± Acacia looked at me.


    ¡°She likes to drink. So let¡¯s go.¡± Sighing, I marched ahead of the group. One of the reasons we rarely spent coins on expensive inns or great food was because Violet enjoyed drinking liquor. A lot.


    Once downstairs, I took the time to take a closer look at the tavern and entrance area of the inn. The floor was merely gravel with wooden pillars embedded deep into the ground. The wooden tables were full of people dressed in all kinds of clothes - from humble linen garbs to expensive silk robes. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves. Our group found a little table outside the tavern. This area stood slightly raised by using wooden boards sitting on low stilts. We had a nice view of the streets, though, and the cool breeze was not stuffy like inside.


    ¡°Aah! Moments like these are really great!¡± Sorrel exclaimed, after sipping a cup of liquor. ¡°You need to enjoy them while they last.¡± The liquor was distilled from malted barley and had a golden color. The one Sorrel chose to drink was very viscous, with an earthy aroma. I loved the taste, but since it was too strong for me, Acacia ordered watered-down wine. I guess it was better than nothing.


    We sat there for a while, listening to one story after another. It would have been a pleasant evening among people if a group of practitioners in green robes hadn''t suddenly surrounded us ©¤ the very same ones we had seen at the night market.

 Lost: Still waters run deep

    ¡°Well, well, what do we have here?¡± The oldest of the ''Vegetable Bunch'', an arrogant-looking man with short, curly black hair and a pair of deep green eyes, slammed his hand on the table. Neither the twins nor Violet flinched. All three leisurely continued to drink their liquor. I, on the other hand, shuddered. Goodbye, my precious water-downed wine.


    ¡°Good evening, fellow practitioner.¡± Sorrel¡¯s voice sounded friendly. However, the air around him had changed to a cold breeze. He did not look up to face ¡®Broccoli¡¯. ¡°How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°Well, my dear comrade,¡± ¡®Broccoli¡¯ retorted in an overly sweet way, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but notice you¡¯re not traveling on your own.¡± He sat down right between Violet and Acacia, who both gave him the cold shoulder.


    ¡°Both my sister and I are on a mission on the orders of Geb himself.¡± Sorrel''s gentle demeanor gradually faded away. Instead, his icy gaze pierced right through ''Broccoli''.


    ¡°Mhm, but our lord Seth personally has also sent us on a mission.¡± In the absence of another cup, ¡®Broccoli¡¯ grabbed the jug with liquor and directly took a sip out of it. The atmosphere was so tense that guests on the neighboring tables vacated their places, slowly moving inside. Gazes from the street fell upon us. As it turns out, nobody messed with the Order of Seth here in Nussud. I would later find out that although many Orders had tried to establish a temple here, they had all been driven away by practitioners of Seth.


    Violet¡¯s emotions came through, implying that this was why she disliked being in cities. Oh, and she threw a few insults at the twins as well. Seeing Acacia¡¯s smile at Violet meant that she must have understood this much, at least.


    ¡°You think that after these many years of pursuit the goddess of war and her disciple will turn up on a silver platter?¡± It was Acacia who now spoke. Grabbing the jug out of ¡®Broccoli¡¯s¡¯ hands, she poured herself another cup. ¡°They are under our protection, so kindly remove you and your vegetable bunch from here.¡± I grinned. Acacia suddenly became very sympathetic to me.


    ¡°What did you say? You woma- argh!¡± ¡®Broccoli¡¯ slammed both hands on the table and wanted to grab her by the collar. However, Acacia was quicker. So quick that even I could barely see what she did there. Brushing away his right hand with a decided move of her left arm, the experienced practitioner ducked beneath his arm to move her upper body behind him, twisting her torso. For a moment, it looked as if she wrapped herself around him like a snake. After releasing him, she had left her original position to stand behind him. Charging her right hand with magic energy that pulsated orange, she held it right next to the left side of his neck like a knife. For the remaining practitioners, the movement must have been too quick to notice, since they all gasped in shock when they saw Acacia appear behind their boss as if she had just teleported there.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°You would do well not to underestimate the Order of Geb,¡± she hissed with a gaze as cold as her brother''s. Finally, the others unsheathed their weapons and pointed them at us.


    ¡°Sister, why must you be so reckless,¡± Sorrel sighed. Putting down his cup, he stood up and attacked the practitioners with ease, using only his bare hands. It didn¡¯t matter whether only one, three or all five charged at him, he bent his body in impossible ways to dodge them. Whenever he had the chance, he would strike them in the neck or knee with the flat palm of his hand, rendering them unconscious. All the action around me, made me hold on to my cup with excitement. I had never seen such a battle before in my life. My blood was boiling, and I wanted to take part in it. Violet, who had been sitting the entire time opposite of me, suddenly reached out and patted me on the head. I believe she felt the bloodlust in me rise and had decided to defuse it. No need to interfere. Her emotions were amazingly clear as if she had spoken directly to me. Even the twins had finally understood her.


    ¡°What do you mean, no need? Clearly, we appreciate any form of help¡±, Acacia retorted, slightly hurt. She slammed her hand into the neck of ¡®Broccoli¡¯, sending him to dreamland as well. The twins looked at the feat they had accomplished, garnering acknowledging applause by the onlookers. Only now did I realize that their short, but spectacular fight had garnered the attention of several people. Another remarkable feat of their battle was that not a single furniture was harmed. In hindsight, Sorrel had even purposely taken on attacks for the sake of sparing the tables or preventing bystanders from getting injured. I really was in awe!


    ¡°Dear practitioners, if I had known earlier that you are the ¡®Twin Snakes of the Earth¡¯, I would have provided you with a more luxurious room!¡± The old innkeeper suddenly appeared, bowing deeply. Just keep talking old man, I bet you recognized them earlier. Studying his cheeky gaze, I could not help but wonder if he had alerted the ''Vegetable Bunch'' in the first place for some entertainment. ¡°I am humbled to witness such a wonderful fight.¡± Translates to: "Indeed, my marketing campaign was successful." After all, people will be flocking to his tavern now. Look, they are already climbing over the sleeping bodies of the ¡®Vegetable Bunch¡¯ to order a jug of liquor.


    ¡°I guess it is time to retire,¡± Acacia sighed. The gentle demeanor returned in the twins¡¯ faces. We returned to the room upstairs, with me wondering whether Violet had known right from the start that our company was this special. Were they the reason why Violet never put up a fight in the first place?

 Obligatory Bathing Scene

    ¡°Won¡¯t they come again?¡± I was nervous. The three adults in the room, however, seemed very relaxed. They did not respond to my question. The twins bantered while Violet chose the bed that was the furthest away from the sitting area. She dropped down on it as if she was jumping into clouds, with a satisfied childish smile on her. I mean, we haven¡¯t slept in an inn for half a year now. To have a bed with fluffy sheets was a great luxury.


    ¡°Dearest goddess, perhaps it would be more relaxing to enjoy a bath first? Since today is Night Market, the public bathhouse might be open as well.¡± Acacia pointed to the south.


    ¡°Won¡¯t they come again?¡± Feeling ignored, I repeated my question. Acacia turned to look at me with a gentle smile. Finally!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As vexing as they may be, the vegetable bunch stirs up trouble only once within Nussud. After all, there are more Orders lurking around. Moreover, the inhabitants of this town do not tolerate people who barge into places with no signs of respect. It doesn¡¯t matter whether they are practitioners or not.¡±


    Immediately, I felt Violet convey the colors purple, green, and gray. ¡°Violet says, she has seen three Orders.¡± The twins nodded in unison.


    ¡°The moment we leave town, we¡¯ll most likely encounter trouble. But for now, after that little demonstration, we will have a peaceful stay. So we should make the most of it!¡± Sorrel childishly beat his chest in a triumphant matter. Well, let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right, buddy.


    The bathhouse piqued Violet¡¯s interest, however. She got up from her cloudy heaven, throwing one inquisitive feeling after another at the twins. They, on the other hand, looked at me with a puzzled gaze.


    ¡°She wants to know where the bathhouse is¡±, I slowly replied. What was so good about a bathhouse? Couldn¡¯t you just hop into the next creek or river to get yourself clean? But before I could put my thoughts into voice, Violet gave off an inner ¡®harumph¡¯ in response. She then proceeded to explain to me in her own way, why a real bathhouse could not compare to bathing in a cold stream and how relaxing it was, yada, yada. I guess you could call this a perk of always being mentally connected to each other. She noticed my declining interest and narrowed her crimson-colored eyes. Grabbing my hand and Acacia¡¯s, she pushed the practitioner in front of her, implying she should lead the way.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I think I get it¡±, Acacia chuckled and waved for her brother to join. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s enjoy, tabs are on the Order anyway!¡±


    When we headed downstairs, the tavern was packed. We had to push our way through to get outside. With this much business, we surely should get a free stay for advertising!


    Anyway, Acacia led us down the road, over a canal that ran through the entire town. Beyond the wooden bridge lay a one-story building. Massive stone pillars supported the large roof, which was just as sturdy as the pillars themselves. Just like a temple by any Order, you could enter the building from any point. But to get further in, there was only one large hallway. Large paper lanterns were hanging from the roof, illuminating the area with a warm orange glow. Even though it was already late, there were a lot of customers of all ages, both coming and leaving. Therefore, the reception desk was particularly busy and we had to wait until we each received a small reed basket to deposit our clothes.


    After taking off our clothes, I followed the adults into a large stone room with colorful tiles all along the walls. Bronze spouts in the shape of fish poured warm water from the top of the walls down to the ground. People stood underneath, their bodies covered in soap foam. The water flowed into grooves, disappearing into the ground. This was truly a decadent scene. How wasteful!


    We four chose a spot secluded from the rest. While washing ourselves with the soap provided from the bathhouse, I took the time to scrutinize the practitioners. Surprisingly, like Violet, their bodies were full of scars. But, none of them could compare to Violet¡¯s beauty and grace. By now I had seen her naked numerous times. Yet on that day, I thought she was the most radiant being among all bathhouse guests. Well, she is a goddess after all. Even though her battle experience was etched into her dark skin, her skin seemed flawless, with an almost otherworldly sheen. Her long black hair covered her well-rounded breasts. Lost in my daze, Violet had to poke me a few times, before I realized she had moved. When I finally shifted my gaze, she pointed towards the bath area, to which the twins were already heading.


    My face turned slightly red and I wanted to quickly catch up to them. Unfortunately, I slipped, stumbling backward into two soft pillows. Violet¡¯s strong arms wrapped around me and her beautiful, yet mischievously grinning face came into view. The thoughts she sent to me were of mocking nature, making me blush all the more.


    ¡°Let go¡±, I whispered, trying to free myself from her embrace. Yet the more I tried to wrestle myself free, the stronger her grip became. Finally, after what seemed like an incredibly long while, she let me go, patting me on the head. I was angry. But, as always, I would still end up following her. Nothing in the world could separate me from her.

 Battle in the Forest

    The next morning, Sorrel and Acacia purchased a few provisions, and we then set course to Capilla. Not long after we had left the town, we all noticed that we were being trailed. Putting two and two together, I assumed it was the ¡®Vegetable Bunch¡¯ out for revenge. We were traveling through a forest, so it was not hard for them to keep to the shadows. Looking at my travel companions, we all had noticed that we were not alone. Even though we seemed relaxed and carefree at first glance, each one of us was tense, prepared to defend ourselves immediately. But the situation carried on. And on. And on. The sun had already passed its peak for the day, yet the ¡®Vegetable Bunch¡¯ hadn¡¯t ambushed us. The twins kept a cheery facade, talking to each other about the weather, who sold the best liqueur in Capilla, and why it was important to clean the space between your toes. Violet, the ever-quiet, walked quietly behind us, her presence felt, but not intruding. Her emotions she usually shared with me were empty as if she had changed the frequency. This irked me more, as I nervously glanced from right to left and back again.


    There. The reflection of a blade caught my attention and I pounced right at it, chopping the shrubs before me to pieces. But the only fearsome foe hiding there was a small squirrel that quickly stole away from our sight into the next thicket. Around me, utter silence. The twins had stopped talking, and even Violet seemed to question my state. In the distance, I could hear somebody desperately trying to stop themselves from laughing out loud. Yes. I not only looked like an utter idiot, I felt like one as well.


    Sorrel cleared his throat before stepping up to me and gently petting my head. On normal occasions, I would have boxed him in the gut for treating me like a child, but I realized at that moment that I was, in fact, still a child, and his warm hand felt so soothing. I resisted the urge to turn around and run into his arms. And I¡¯m pretty sure he would have gently hugged me as well, maybe covering up his embarrassment by chuckling. But this was not the place, nor the time for bonding. We still had the ¡®Vegetable Bunch¡¯ watching our every move. And they had managed to get the best of me.


    ¡°They¡¯re doing this on purpose,¡± Sorrel explained in a low voice. ¡°All we can do is carry on until they feel like confronting us.¡±


    Just as I was thinking of something to say, the ¡®Vegetable Bunch¡¯ finally revealed themselves. Out of the treetops and from behind a few bushes, a large group of green-robed practitioners emerged. They all had different ages; however, you could immediately sense they were incredibly strong. Not only were they quite differently aged, but they all also wore their green robes differently, some just draping the cloth around their necks like a shawl and wearing leather armor instead, others wearing only green tunics and running barefoot. Their weaponry was equally unique; some wielded expensively crafted blades, some carried DIY weapons that looked like the artwork of a toddler. A young woman with long, dark unkempt hair and many deep scars running across her face separated from the group and took a step towards us. From her posture to the aura she emitted, she seemed to be the strongest among the green fellows. Her weapon of choice was large metal claws strapped to her hands, making her look like a fierce large cat.


    ¡°I really enjoyed traveling with you guys. However, we need to take a few heads with us.¡± She pointed at both me and Violet. I grabbed the hilt of my blade, but Sorrel stopped me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but in this case, it¡¯s first come, first serve,¡± Sorrel responded in an over-dramatical way, putting himself before me.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°I see.¡± With these words, she slipped back to her group. This woman was clearly not interested in talking and knew full well that the twins wouldn¡¯t hand us over that easily.


    The next moment, we saw the entire group attack us. All at once. I had a hard time deciding which attack to block first, but by dodging the blows coming from above and using my blade to parry those from below, I seemed to have made the right, life-saving choice. I felt my blood boiling. The longer the battle went on, the more dangerous it became for me. Even though we were terribly outnumbered, nobody had the upper hand. I was the only one actively wielding a sharp blade, yet I was not able to strike down any enemy. I wanted to see them bleed. Just as the power was about to overwhelm me, suddenly, I felt completely drained and exhausted, dropping to my knees winded. As I looked up, I saw a man, more akin to a rabid animal, jump at me with a large whip spiked with large canine teeth. Thinking this was it, I closed my eyes when I felt something of an electric current buzz before me. I low-pitched explosion noise rang through my ears and I opened my eyes again. All attackers who had reached a certain range around us had been sent flying in all directions ¡ª even trees and shrubs were pushed out of the way as if they had hit an invisible wall. Violet stood in the center of us all, her hand held up as if she wanted to say, ¡°Stop!¡±. I could feel the deadly aura emitted by her, and it was strongly reminiscent of the day I broke her chains. Slightly intimidated, I took a few steps to the side, inadvertently stumbling back into the arms of Sorrel, who gazed in awe at the shield she had erected around us. Only now I was able to notice it as well; it was not properly visible to the eye. Slight shimmer and a few small lightning sparks were the only tell-tale signs something was amiss.


    Paying no heed to us three, Violet leisurely walked out of the shield, going into a stance with her entire blade, sheath and all. Her presence was so strong that all the weaker ¡®Vegetable Bunch¡¯ attackers were forced to kneel under her pressure. Even we, who were well-protected in her bubble, felt the enormous power she emitted. My vision began to blur, but I recall her being enshrouded in dark red mists. When she turned around to give us a quick glance, we saw her eyes were ablaze. This was the first time I felt terror. Violet wasn¡¯t just ¡®annoyed,¡¯ no, she was livid. The only reason that she hadn¡¯t turned the area into a lake of blood was that she had never unsheathed her sword. There she was, facing the last woman standing, who visibly was shaken just by the sheer power Violet was emitting. The leader of the bunch, ¡®Last Vegetable¡¯ tried to maintain her composure, but even for a seasoned practitioner like her, it was difficult. Yet she bravely charged on to fight Violet. And what a fight it was! I was deeply impressed by the bravery this wild woman put forth. She knew full well that Violet was much stronger than her. But she decided to fight her anyway, thrusting her claws, again and again, only to be easily repelled by Violet¡¯s sheathed blade. Violet, on the other hand, just swatted off every attack easily, as if the foe was nothing more than a pesky fly. The battle continued on, and the last light of the sky slowly faded away, when the ¡®Last Vegetable¡¯ had to admit defeat, spitting blood from all the blunt blows she had received and overexerting herself. None of her allies intervened. They were all too crazy scared of Violet. She hadn¡¯t set the world ablaze yet, but everybody understood by now that she was very capable of doing so.


    As Violet towered before ¡®Last Vegetable¡¯, I suddenly felt a tug, and before I knew it, I was standing next to Violet, my mind going blank. What in Nu¡¯s name was going on? Her eyes were still burning and I still remember feeling a sense of heat within my small body. The power Violet emitted was so strong, I was shaking. She turned me around to make me look at her straight into those burning eyes. At that moment, I felt a sudden surge of power run through my body, all weaknesses that I felt was suddenly gone. But now, I felt the opposite, the power inside me was so overwhelming, I was afraid I would burst into flames.


    ¡°I am tired of this child¡¯s play,¡± I heard myself bellowing into the early evening. ¡°Play with open cards, or I might reconsider being kind!¡±

 Lost: The Inn

    It was my voice. But those words were not my thoughts. After I had shouted them into the seeming nothingness, I tried to free myself from her fiery stare. It took a while before she looked away, breaking the apparent spell I was under. The power surge dissipated and everything felt as usual again.


    ¡°No matter where you go, you will always be watched¡±, the ¡®Last Vegetable¡¯ spoke between panting. ¡°You will never find peace!¡±


    Just at that moment, the ground shuddered. Somewhere in the distance, a faint flash of light permeated between the trees, blinding all of us for a moment. An incredible presence was lurking there, waiting for us. The ¡®Vegetable Bunch¡¯ looked equally alarmed, but decided to retreat into the forest for now. Being sandwiched between two incredible energies, on top of being exhausted, was not a good idea. When the last one left, the barrier Violet had originally built for our protection evaporated into the air.


    The twins joined us but said nothing. They, too, were intimidated by the sheer powers displayed. Violet was the one to lead us out of the forest and onto a plane full of barley fields. The night sky with its plethora of twinkling stars was a beautiful and very welcoming sight to behold. After such an intense day, I was exhausted, falling behind in the tracks of the others. This time, Violet did not come to my aid. No, it felt as if she was purposely avoiding me, not even looking back at me or throwing an insult my way. Acacia and Sorrel were the ones who slowed down their paces, with Acacia eventually carrying me on her back as if I was a small child.


    We walked for quite a while past the fields with the growing crops, when we stopped at a quite large building along the road. It seemed well-kept, but at the same time, it felt deserted. There were no horses or other animals of travelers to be seen. No noises of guests clinking their cups to cheer or drunkards singing tales of their old homes. No lingering scent of ale stew to welcome the hungry wanderer. But on the outside terrace, beneath the dimly lit lanterns, there were clearly guests. Judging from the pale looks of the twins, these seemed to not be any ordinary guests. I climbed down from Acacia¡¯s back to take a better look at what caused the two to take a few steps back. What immediately caught my attention was that they had dark skin, much darker than anything I had ever seen before.


    At one table, an elderly woman, with long dark hair braided into an elaborate bun, sat and petted a well-fed black cat. She wore a rainbow-colored dress that was glistening even when in the pale light. I could almost hear the sparkles crackle like tiny crystals. Sitting across of her was an old man, wearing just a tunic around his waist. His back was scaly and cracked like dry soil. In front of him was a cup filled with red wine that he kept re-filling with a jug, as he drank on and on. At another table, a single man, dressed in white robes was sitting, eyes closed and seemingly at peace with the world. His warm cup of tea was steaming hot, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind it. At yet another table, a man in turquoise garbs was sitting, scrutinizing the tip of his right wing and plucking off stray feathers. The wings were brown and speckled with different hues of turquoise, a pattern highly reminiscent of a falcon. Sitting next to him was a young woman, face not unlike the elderly lady. She wore an elaborate sleeveless dress made of indigo silk. Golden cuffs graced her thin wrists and upper arms. A heavy-looking crown with a large red disc was resting on the table right next to her while she carefully wove in white flowers into her long dark hair. Each flower began to glow weakly once they were tucked nicely in. At the last table, a female warrior wearing golden armor was polishing her sword. Like the one man, she, too, had wings, albeit they were smaller and less colorful. Next to her, a rather pale looking man wearing green robes polished what looked to be the warrior¡¯s shield. He didn¡¯t seem to be pleased to do this task but did it nevertheless.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    And even though, even though these people were moving, actually doing things, it was silent, as if the world had gone mute. A suspicion crawled into my mind as I gazed at these strangers. Especially because Violet looked at them in anticipation. As if she had been expecting them all along. Were the words I spoke on her behalf meant for them, perhaps?


    Finally, after what seemed like ages, the old wine-drinking man took note of me. With a gentle smile not unlike the twins, he beckoned me over. Cautiously I walked over, feeling the stares of the other guests.


    ¡°Why hello there, young boy,¡± he spoke. It was a language I had never heard before, yet I could understand it perfectly. The old man sounded like your average friendly grandfather, warm and caring. I looked back at Violet and the twins, but they didn¡¯t react. ¡°O-ho ho, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to eat you!¡± The old man continued to speak. As he poured himself another cup of wine, the cat had finally enough of being petted. With a loud ¡°Meow!¡± it jumped off the table and waddled to the inside. I was confused. Had I not heard anything before? Why could I now hear the cat? The slurping sound of that one guy drinking tea in deep mediation? Or that squeaking noise the two made while polishing those weapons?


    ¡°We have created somewhat of a bubble here since our presence can easily be... overwhelming.¡± The old man explained.


    ¡°My, he is really still such a young boy!¡± The woman in indigo spoke as she finished weaving the last flower in her hair. ¡°I am surprised he is all she needs to survive.¡±


    For one moment I thought I heard Violet hiss at her, but she stood there, at the border of the terrace, with a poker face expression.


    The woman in the rainbow glitter dress put her hand on my shoulder. She was a powerful presence, but warm and gentle, much like the old man. ¡°Little boy, we are here to question your master. I would be pleased if you could get me a cup so I may share some wine with my beloved before he gets too drunk.¡±


    Normally, I would be offended by the term ¡®little boy¡¯. But she was so intimidating that I decided to just suck it up, nod, and head inside. From the corner of my eye, I saw Violet finally moving forward and taking up a seat at an empty table. I decided to find some liqueur for her as well.

 Lost: The Tribunal

    The moment I went through the doors of the inn, I was greeted by a deafening cacophony of tavern noises. All the tables were taken and in one corner, merry men and women sang to the tunes of a long-necked lute, strummed at a fast pace ¡ª much to fast for drunk people to follow. Through the air wafted the smell of delicious roast and vegetable soup. At the counter, the fat cat from earlier had decided to settle down, keeping watch of the visitors with one eye. When it saw me, it greeted me with a short ¡°Meow!¡± and turned its head towards the bartender. When he took note of me and where I came from, he immediately stopped pouring wine into the cups of the people sitting at the bar. Instead, he fixed his gaze on me as if I was some rare novelty. I steered towards him, without breaking eye contact.


    ¡°What will it be, lad?¡± He asked. He had a young face, but his dark blond hair was full of gray strands. Even his voice sounded old and hoarse.


    ¡°I need a cup for wine and¡±, I looked back at the door I came from. ¡°And maybe some liqueur. Doesn¡¯t matter what.¡±


    Chink, chink, bom. When I turned back to face him, the man had already put the cups and a small bottle before me. ¡°How long will they be staying?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Interesting. So the bartender did know of his otherworldly guests, but not the others in the room. I grabbed the cups and bottle and made my way back to the door, dwelling over what spells they could have cast to create such an illusion.


    ¡°Let me help you.¡± Sorrel¡¯s soothing voice pulled me back into reality. I am pretty darn sure that his vocal charms were part of his practitioner specialty. I smiled at him as he opened the door to the terrace for me. He wanted to grab the bottle as well, but I dodged his move easily.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I will survive.¡±


    ¡°You sure? You are speaking not only to our master but to all masters presently known to be alive.¡± He looked worried. ¡°If they don¡¯t feel like it, they might snap you out of existence.¡±


    I looked up at him. ¡°So how would you be able to prevent that?¡±


    Stumped by this truth, Sorrel let me pass. I used this chance before he could find a witty answer, or, perhaps worse, charm me into staying inside.


    The moment I entered the terrace, the noise from the inn immediately died down. I was again in the surreal bubble these gods, yes, gods, had erected here. I hadn¡¯t been able to identify all of them, but the woman in the rainbow dress was none other than Nu, mother of all gods. Sitting beside her was Sorrel and Acacia¡¯s master, Geb. And the one with falcon¡¯s wings was Horus. The names of the others I hadn¡¯t known back then. It didn¡¯t really matter to me either. All deities were present right this very moment, questioning Violet. More than my own safety, I feared for Violet¡¯s dear life. She was the one who saved me. The one who taught me how to wield a blade.


    ¡°...using a Retainer like some toy!¡± The pale man in green stood up in anger, smashing the shield he had been polishing with a loud thud on the table. The air around him buzzed slightly as if it was electrically charged.


    Violet sat there, not saying anything, not even responding with an emotion. Even when she saw me, she did not react, though I like to believe I have seen a faint sign of a smile hush across her lips. I gave Violet her cup and liqueur before handing over the last cup to Nu, earning myself the questioning gaze of all the deities present except the old pair themselves who did not bother to hide their amusement. Irritated, I wanted to head over to Violet¡¯s side when Geb grabbed my arm to keep me at his side. ¡°Stay with us for now, my young boy¡±, he said, with a tipsy smile. Now it was Violet¡¯s turn to angrily stand up, sending negative emotions to all.


    ¡°Now, now, dearest sister. It would do both you and this boy well if you sit down again.¡± The tea-drinking man spoke in a gentle, yet very condescending demeanor. ¡°And you too, Seth. I am not keen on having my robes stained in blood tonight.¡± He faced the pale deity without opening his eyes. What¡¯s wrong with that guy? Are you oh so mighty you needn¡¯t look others in the eye?!


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Seth sat down again, looking sour and crossing his arms like a child who was told there was no more candy in the house. He mumbled to himself, before going all out again. ¡°I mean look at this degeneracy,¡± he exclaimed, pointing at me. Wait, what?! I felt heavily insulted, almost feeling like drawing my blade, but Geb held on to me tightly.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we start at the very beginning then?¡± Geb said without letting me go. ¡°I feel this little boy deserves a little bit of an update?¡±


    ¡°You mean ¡®artifact¡¯, not boy¡±, Seth said grumpily. Then he suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°The irony of it all! Not only is she using this boy as a channel instead of using an artifact, no! She has not even stooped down from her mighty throne to learn human tongue! Look at us! Who was the one pleading for us all to understand humans?! Their mannerisms! But you! You really have become a true Ashuran! The ones you loathed the most!¡±


    ¡°Seth¡±, ¡®Tea Man¡¯ warned. ¡°Hold your tongue or I will cut it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So what then, is this some sort of family gathering¡±, I found myself boldly saying these words. To the gods. Let me tell you, I sometimes would like to punch young me for doing some very stupid things.


    ¡®Tea Man¡¯ glared at me. His eyes remained closed but I could feel very much he was annoyed by what I had said. Seth grinned. ¡°At least ¡®it¡¯ has guts.¡±


    ¡°Are those really his words?¡± The warrior in golden armor stopped polishing her sword.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The pale god leaned forward.


    ¡°If he is nothing more than an artifact, should he be capable of having his own thoughts and feelings? Wouldn¡¯t he just be mirroring Sekhmet¡¯s sentiment?¡±


    That hurt. Like, what? Why shouldn¡¯t I have my own thoughts? It seemed I had spoken those words aloud. All heads turned to me.


    ¡°It seems your question has been easily answered, Nephthys.¡±


    ¡®Tea Man¡¯ stood up to take a closer look at me. As if I was some prized cattle, he grabbed my chin to scrutinize me closely. For the first time, he opened his eyes. And I was terrified. For what I expected to be a pair of eyes staring down at me, there was darkness. The longer I looked, the more it seemed to be that it wasn¡¯t darkness at all. Spiraling seas of gray became clearer and clearer to me. It felt as if I was slowly losing myself in it. Just when I thought I myself was going to drown in the whorl, ¡®Tea Man¡¯ shut his eyes again.


    ¡°Hmm, it seems he is actually not a real artifact. While Sekhmet has indeed taken up quite a lot of space in this body, the boy¡¯s soul is still fully intact.¡±


    Violet sat there with a triumphant look in her eye. See, you idiots? What are you guys even talking about?


    ¡°Nevertheless, this is one dangerous situation. Nobody has ever used a human being like this before¡±, Nephthys said with a pondering look in her gaze. She seemed to be genuinely interested and held no malice at all.


    ¡°I do believe he can easily hold Sekhmet¡¯s rage because he is a Retainer, am I right?¡± Horus played with his chin beard, lost in thought.


    ¡°While his eyes have turned golden due to sister¡¯s influence, he does present with typical Retainer features. Ash-blonde hair, slightly tanned. Could be a natural bred child.¡±


    ¡°So are we really going to pull this through?¡± Seth spoke. Surprisingly, he sounded hesitant. Did I just imagine something, or did he really shoot a worried glance at Violet? The woman across him clutched her sword tightly. Her back was facing me, so I couldn¡¯t see what she felt like, but it seemed to run along with the pale guy.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much choice,¡ä the old man said. ¡°Only when the boy understands will we be able to break the bond.¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡± I didn¡¯t like where this was going. Deity or not, I was not going to give up without a fight. Violet, too, got up, ready to unsheathe her blade. Apparently, she has understood what shit was about to go down here. ¡°Enough!¡± She had trouble speaking, but she spoke. Like she opened her mouth and used her goddamn voice. It sounded very much like how I imagined it to sound like. Or was it only because she was residing within me, like how these guys described. I was both angry and confused, waving my blade like the child I was around without really threatening anyone. My blood began to boil. How lovely would it be if they all drowned in a sea of blood! I could hear my heartbeat echoing in my ears. No, it was not only my heartbeat I heard. I began hearing their heartbeats as well. Yes. They, too, had hearts I could rip out. If I could only ¡ª


    Geb covered my eyes with his hands and immediately the sensation was gone. ¡°Now that was dangerous, dearest daughter Sekhmet. Do not make him fight your battles, even if he is a Retainer.¡±


    ¡°Retainer this, retainer that! What¡¯s this supposed to mean? You guys keep implying stuff but don¡¯t let the cat out of the bag!¡± I wrestled myself free from Geb¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Well, if you stop resisting, we could show you the answers¡±, the old man said in a friendly voice.


    It felt as if Violet wanted to scream ¡®bullshit!¡¯, but before she could try muttering another word, Horus and ¡®Tea Man¡¯ held her tightly in place, forcing her to sit down again. The lavishly dressed woman got up and cast a spell that made the chair grow vines and wrap itself around Violet. Geb moved towards her, dragging me by the collar. He chuckled slightly. ¡°Actually, being her artifact will make things even easier for me.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?! What¡¯s this supposed to mean?!¡± I was scared. I saw Violet equally struggling to break free. To top it all off, Seth also joined the fray. But unlike the others he just stood next to her, his hands glowing faintly as he touched her shoulder. Almost immediately, Violet stopped resisting.


    ¡°Hehe, you will soon see for yourself! Now my dear daughter, open your eyes wide for me...¡± He placed his hand on her forehead as if he wanted to check her temperature. ¡°This is gonna hurt quite a bit.¡± He chuckled again. With that, he let the magic flow into her forehead. And that magic flowed through her eyes right into mine. They began to feel hot and my vision became blurry. My head started to feel as if it was overflowing with memories. It was so much that it began to hurt. I tried to shake away the feeling, but then the world around me turned black.

 The Old World: Peaceful

    Warm sun rays tickle me awake. Slowly, I open my eyes. The bed space next to me is empty. Again. How many moons have passed? When will he return? I remain in bed for a little while before heaving my naked body up. Sighing, I splash some cold water into my face as I look out the window. Waves upon waves crash against the cliffs below me. I like the sound. The rhythm puts my heart at ease. Whenever I leave this little place, it¡¯s always this scenery I miss first. I turn around to grab my clothes from off the chair, but it seems I misplaced them. Again. Swearing under my breath, I search for them only to find them right at the door leading out of the bedroom. After putting them on, I grab my blade and leave, but a quick glance in the mirror that has been perfectly embedded into the whitewashed stone walls reveals I should at least comb my hair. Luckily, it is quite short and easy to manage.


    Finally, I step out of the bedroom, walk past the kitchen, and eating space, right to the outdoors. I take a deep breath and enjoy the smell of the salty air. As I look inland, I see a couple of buildings similar to the one I live in. I begin my morning round, check if everything is all right. It is a peaceful morning. The people greet me humbly and offer me free food. Mhm. The smell of fresh bread is another thing I miss whenever I travel. But this makes returning home even sweeter. As I finally reach the entrance of the slightly fortified village, I notice one of the sentries focusing on one direction.


    ¡°What do you see there?¡± I ask, looking up at the sentry in the small tower.


    ¡°Visitors. Not many. Riding on horses.¡±


    He seemed so concentrated; he didn¡¯t even bother to speak in full sentences. Shaking my head, I look in the same direction as he does. And surely, on the horizon, just before the forest, a small group is approaching us at a rather slow pace. Seems like they are in no hurry either. Good. I prefer these lazy days to hectic ones. I continue to eat the piece of bread I had been offered. By the time I¡¯m done, the visitors are clearly visible. Oh, but what a sight to see! Finally! I try my best not to run and hastily welcome them. To my joy, he picks up speed as he spots me, jumping off the horse as it walks past me, right into my arms.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Oh, how I missed you!¡± He exclaims in his incredibly soothing voice. ¡°And I know you missed me too, even when you like to pretend you don¡¯t.¡± With a grin, he gives me a little kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± I mutter unimpressed. He blinks, chuckles then proceeds to kiss my lips. The warmth of his body fills me with a sense of joy.


    ¡°Do you know how long I have waited?¡± I don¡¯t avert my gaze. He chuckles again.


    ¡°Yes, and it seems that your hair has magically regressed? What happened to the beautiful long hair?¡± He plays with my hair even though it is shorter than his long deep green locks.


    ¡°When I need to fight, they become quickly annoying. This short is good enough. You can still see it¡¯s purple.¡±


    ¡°Master Ptah.¡± The village elder interrupts our little moment. I sigh quietly. This is the moment where he will focus so much on work and forget me. But I love it in a way. The way he can concentrate on a task at hand. How benevolent he is towards humans, unlike many of our kind. And he does his best to make up for the time lost to us. No, not with expensive gifts, no jewelry to make me resemble a decorated tree. With time. He will quietly steal away from work, whisk me away on his steed, and we¡¯ll spend the entire night together, gazing at the stars. Talking. Embracing. Just as he can focus on his work, he focuses only on me. These moments are so precious, and every one of these nights is kept in my memory like paintings. For now, it is enough to see him. To know he is near.


    Just as I had hoped this day would remain peaceful, a scout on his horse gallops into the village. He is visibly out of breath, his clothes tattered. His right arm is bleeding through a haphazard wound dressing made from his clothes. He must have hastily bandaged himself while riding all the way back. There are usually two scouts. Looking at his troubled face, I fear the worst. He returns my gaze, even though he can barely sit upright in his horse.


    ¡°Mistress...¡± he pants. He is in great pain. ¡°Mistress Sekhmet, they are coming.¡± Again, he pants. Bending over forward, he tries to maintain balance but fails to do so. In one swift move, I am at his side to easily catch this frail human. ¡°They got her...¡± he said, in tears. ¡°The Ashura.¡±

 The Old World: Bastet

    The Ashura. They are our kind but corrupted. They have given in to their urges and use dark magic to attain whatever they are seeking. Strength. Speed. Agility. Even beauty. They have been advocating their lifestyle and have gained a large following. But being an Ashura has its flaws. You will always have the urge that transformed you coming through and determining each and every one of your actions. If you fail to control yourself, you will eventually just become a feral monster. I have seen those failed Ashura. Those that aspired to become stronger but transform into animals, only acting upon instincts. All you can do is put them out of their misery. To avoid this, the Ashura use unique artifacts to channel their urges, easing the burden they carry. Necklaces. Rings, Bracelets. Some even keep toys close to them. I believe it¡¯s too much of a hassle, so I have always driven Ashura away. Even my beloved Ptah does not want to do business with them.


    However, the Ashura believe they are better. And in their crusade against us, they have targeted the weakest roaming this world: humans. They make great slaves. Our kind has actually created them a long time ago for them to be our workers. They do the dirty work for us, like dealing with meat. Only a few of our kind believe they have the right to a better life and have established villages such as these for them to live freely. This village is unusual, though. Here live a special breed of humans. Retainers. Ash blond hair, blue eyes, tanned skin. Not only are they physically and mentally superior to their brethren. When it comes to magic, they are like a sponge. If they dwell long enough with us, they begin to exhibit magical powers. Some are even almost as capable as our kin. The Ashura prefer this breed over other human races. Which leads us to why they are coming here. But they will not get what they came for. Not today. I draw my blade. It is a beautiful blade, carefully crafted by my beloved. He has blessed it with his magic, so whenever I unsheathe it, it glows faintly.


    I see them. They travel by horse at a leisurely speed. Some sense our presence. They draw their weapons. I count four warriors. This might be tough to deal with alone. I hope they decide otherwise. I wait. One of the riders approaches me. I recognize her face. High cheekbones. Feline eyes. Obviously crimson. Long cornrows with white pearls woven in. A very prominent collarbone. Very slim. I guess this day is going to go really bad. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Well, this is a surprise.¡± That deep, raspy female voice. I narrow my eyes.


    ¡°Bastet.¡± So unlikeable.


    Bastet glances back at her companions, shrugging and sighing at the same time. ¡°Sekhmet.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Whatever she wants, I decline.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything!¡± She scoffs.


    ¡°We are not interested.¡±


    ¡°You never have been a woman of many words.¡± Bastet gets off her horse, pointing her glaive at me. It is not as beautiful as mine. She had it made by one of her human slaves. The quality of the steel gives it away. Such a waste of material. The slave must have been forced to hurry and worked sloppily. I am displeased.


    ¡°Leave now.¡± I lightly tap my glowing blade against her cheap weapon. The clanging noise alarms Ptah. I can sense his unrest. But he is not a fighter. I need to protect him, as well.


    Bastet withdraws her weapon for the moment. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us. We all know how skilled you are. And you are a great teacher as well. Every human you have taught makes for a great soldier.¡±


    ¡°I take no interest in being led by desires.¡±


    She sighs again. ¡°I will not elaborate on the perks of being like us.¡± Shifting her gaze to the people behind me, she continues, ¡°well, at least you could be so kind as to provide us with some young Retainers.¡±


    ¡°You know my answer.¡±


    With a final sigh, she attacks me. To my disadvantage, her companions join in on the fight. Four against one, hardly fair. To my honor, they are taking me seriously, showing me the power of being an Ashura. Laughable. Four strong Ashura against me. But I underestimate them. They begin flanking me. Using tactics instead of attacking straight on. I dislike this. I begin to struggle. Take hits. From the corner of my eye, I see Ptah wanting to intervene. He should not. He is no fighter. But I was distracted too long. Bastet pins me to the floor with her glaive. Through my shoulder. It hurts. I spit blood. One of her companions wields a spear. He thrusts it through my other shoulder. It hurts even more. Their faces slowly blur into a mess. I can hear him shouting now. I try to get up. Must protect. But another person steps on my leg. I hear a noise. Is it my bones? It hurts. Voices begin to fade away. I call his name. Then it becomes dark.

 The Old World: Family

    Voices. Noisy. Even though they speak quietly. I sense a sharp pain in my shoulders. My memory returns. The Ashura were here. Worried, I try to get up, but I fail. Halfway up, the pain is too much to bear. I cough and moan. An elderly female human hurries to my side. Her ash blonde hair is chopped short. I like it.


    "Master Sekhmet, please be careful," she says soothingly. "Your injuries are severe."


    "What happened?¡° I gasp. The woman looks away. Obviously, this means nothing good." What happened, human? " I repeat the question, slightly annoyed.


    " They... they took what they came for."


    " What about Ptah. I doubt he would let go of you so easily."


    Again, silence.


    "Woman, speak." I am not known to be patient. She flinches, then finally decides to respond. "She... she forced him to come with her."


    "Oh... WHAT?!" I stare at her in disbelief. The human grows so uncomfortable she gets up and slowly walks backward, trusting in the protection of the wall.


    "Why?!" I am still in disbelief. Only the pain reminds me that I am not dreaming. Finally, I get up. And fall. I forgot my broken leg. The woman tries to help me. I know she is trying her best. I calm down. And let myself be helped. Ptah always told me to rely on others every now and then. Not all problems are mine to solve.


    I¡¯m in bed again. ¡°There is nothing we can do,¡± the woman quietly says. I want to disagree, but feel too exhausted to do so. Humans give up so easily, like sheep being led to slaughter. Well, not like they can change anything about that. But I can. I want to move fast, but my wounds are too grave. I had to stay in bed for several days. Finally, I am able to get on a horse ¡ª with a little help from the human woman. She offered to come with me, but I shake my head. I am heading to the Capital. That is no place for humans. Unless they were dragged in on chains. However, these humans here live freely. Ptah and I were merely protecting them until they could fend for themselves.


    The travel is long. Too long. I needed seven days to get there, with several nights of riding through. The horse was so exhausted in the end; it refused to continue even though the entrance gates are visible. I let it run free. Eventually, it will come back to me; once I left the Capital again.


    There is a long line of visitors at the gate entrance. The gates are massive. They are so tall; you can barely see the watchtowers. Every visitor was heavily scrutinized. No Ashura were allowed in. Humans had to show a document proving their owner was in the Capital. Even our kind was heavily questioned.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Purpose?¡± The guard responsible for me eyed me cautiously. Understandably. I present in torn, blood-stained garbs, looking tired.


    ¡°Palace.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Please provide us with a document of proof.¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    ¡°Then, you may not enter.¡±


    ¡°I need to enter.¡±


    The guard rolls her eyes. She is annoyed. She wipes off the sweat of her freshly shaved head with her bare hand. The spear in her other hand, glistens in the scorching sun. She is about to say something when another guard comes to her aid. Now I roll my eyes. I don¡¯t have time for this.


    "Name."


    "Sekhmet. Daughter of Ra." I repeat myself. Nobody believed me before. She will not either. However, she holds up her hand. I feel a small surge of energy run through me. It¡¯s a tingling sensation, but not uncomfortable.


    ¡°Identity confirmed,¡± she suddenly says, enabling me to pass.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. How?¡± The other guard fails to comprehend.


    "She is the daughter of our beloved Nu. If you don''t believe me, why don''t you scan her energies instead?"


    The guard keeps looking at me, warily. Yes, not all children of Nu look flawlessly every day. I think of my sister Isis and shudder.


    ¡°May your day be blessed,¡± I mumble as I pass both guards and enter the Capital.


    The city behind the massive gates is just as grand as you would expect it to be. Tall buildings of lime- and sandstone almost block out the sun completely. The main street is lined with statues of my siblings. Silly heroic poses. Some have animal attributes. There is even a statue of me. I hate it.


    I make my way through the crowded streets until I reach the Palace. A large pyramid structure slapped right in the middle of the Capital. Erected by Nu and Geb. The guards outside immediately recognize me and let me pass with no issues. By now, I am truly exhausted. But I continue. For his sake.


    Finally, I am in the inner chambers. Some human servants have spotted me and convinced me to look at least presentable to my parents. I oblige to avoid ruckus. By the time I can speak to my family, night has fallen. It is a moonless night. The shadows seem darker than ever.


    ¡°Well, if this isn¡¯t a wonderful surprise,¡± Seth says sarcastically. He wears leathered armor. Always ready to embark on a journey. I know he is jealous. He wants to roam the world freely as I do. But he is confined to the palace walls. Just like them all. Easy targets. Easy prey.


    I simply nod in greeting. ¡°Brother.¡±


    ¡°If you are here, you are bringing trouble with you, isn¡¯t that so?¡± That soft, soothing voice. I hate her. From the shadows, the split image of Mother appears. Only younger. Pearls woven in her hair. She holds up a small orb of light to illuminate the dark hallway. I greet her not, even though she expects me to. A sharp inhale. The corridor is suddenly brightly illuminated.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Horus. More likable than Sister. But only a little. He sees me. And sighs. ¡°Stop sneaking around. We are all in the main hall.¡± He turns around and leads the way. The grand hall is where the throne of Mother and Father resides. It is bright and noisy. Dancers to please both men and women. There is food aplenty. Father and Mother are drinking wine. My other brothers and sisters are sitting at the banquet, enjoying the scenery. As if there is no care in the world. No suffering. No Ashura. So pathetic. But I bear it. For now. For him.

 The Old World: Trapped

    ¡°Daughter,¡± Father says, in an overly sweet tone. I know he is angry. I had left this palace a long time ago. Swore never to return. Here I am again. Surprise, Father. I greet him respectfully. Bear it. For now. For him. This becomes my mantra. I take a seat at the banquet, and everybody carries on as if I had always been there. Small talk. How delicious the food is. How beautiful the stars. I laugh silently. As if they can see the sparkling night sky from here, where there are no windows.


    When the night becomes part of the next morning, the guests and dancers are finally sent away. I sit alone with my family in a large, quiet room. Occasionally, Isis raises her trinket to sip on wine.


    ¡°So pray tell me, dearest,¡± my Father finally speaks. ¡°What made you think you can just return here and pretend nothing happened?¡±


    ¡°They took him,¡± is all I say. I look him in the eye until he starts feeling uncomfortable.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Who is ¡®They¡¯ and who is ¡®Him¡¯?¡± Seth intervened but was immediately shushed by Father.


    ¡°Please elaborate, daughter.¡± What a farce. Everybody knew who I meant with ¡®They.¡¯ But ¡®They¡¯ are taboo here. Nobody speaks of them. As if they never existed. The precautions at the Gate? Merely to soothe the public.


    ¡°Ptah had returned to one of the Human villages when Bastet and her brethren arrived. After defeating me, she took not only humans, but also Ptah with her.¡±


    Murmur. Ptah, my beloved. He is highly respected. Surely it will change things. The murmur becomes a heated debate. Nobody talks to me even when I speak. They only discuss among themselves. I am just a bystander. I am angry. But I bear it.


    ¡°We will send a messenger to inquire about Ptah.¡± Father speaks again. I cannot believe what I hear.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°And until then, you are not to leave the castle grounds.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I am even more at loss of words. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°The Ashura have offered us a peace treaty not too long ago. If we allow them to establish their kingdom beyond the mountains, they will leave us alone. Likewise, we are not to interfere with them.¡±


    ¡°You know that is a lie!¡± I get up. I am angry. I feel the energy rising within me, but I have no blade to channel it. Instead, my powers burst out in a small seismic wave, toppling all the trinkets before me and spilling the wine everywhere. Horus is immediately at my side, his blade held at my throat.


    ¡°Nobody has the right to raise their voice towards Father.¡± Father holds up his hand to signal he can withdraw the blade. He then gets up from his throne and walks on air to reach me. His gaze is angry.


    ¡°Not only have you endangered yourself and Ptah by leaving the castle, but you have also lost him to the enemy. He is one of the greatest magicians and architects our kingdom had. And now you have the gall to crawl back to the castle to ask for help?¡± My body tingles. Then the tingles become electrifying pain. Father¡¯s eyes are glowing. ¡°If this was your only option, then you cannot call yourself a warrior. We will handle things now my way. Sit back and behave like the princess you should be.¡± With these words, the pain intensifies. I lose control over my body and sink to the ground. But I resist the urge to scream. Instead, I keep looking at him in the eye. I will not submit. Even if I faint.


    I wake up in my room. Somebody has laid me on the bed and covered me. The scent of sandalwood lingering in the air tells me it was Seth. To my surprise, he is still in the room. He has fallen asleep on the couch, not far from my bed. I smile. Even though he never wants to admit it, he admires me. Unlike my other brothers and sisters, he is always the first to take a clear stance. Nobody messes with him. I cough loudly to wake him up. It works.


    ¡°I am not sleeping,¡± he mumbles even though I could hear his deep breathing just moments ago. I smile again. And look around. It is not properly visible, but there is a layer of magic surrounding my entire room.


    ¡°He cast a spell on this entire wing,¡± Seth explains as he watches my gaze wander about. ¡°We all can enter and leave as we please, except for you.¡±


    ¡°He is angry.¡±


    ¡°Why, yes. Ptah is basically family, yet he got snatched away by the fucking Ashura.¡±


    I gasp in surprise. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± he adds, grinning. ¡°I just fucking love human language. So foul!¡±


    ¡°Will Father¡¯s method even work?¡± Ashura was never much interested in diplomacy.


    ¡°I doubt it. They¡¯ll probably use him as a pawn.¡± He gets up and walks up to me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If it fails, Father will see that we will have to use force to get him back.¡±


    I remain unconvinced. Brother sighs and is about to leave the room. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you much. Ptah always loved to roam on his own and thus was a liability. You following him back then was a good choice. You kept him safe for years. I know Mother appreciates this even though she rarely speaks.¡± I watch as he finally leaves me alone. The birds are singing outside. The world seems so peaceful. But it¡¯s not.

 The Old World: Decision

    No, our kingdom is not at peace. Those large city walls and massive gates? Most of it finished only very recently. A lot of places are still under construction. The royal family residing in a heavily fortified castle? Established only several years ago. Only the wealthy and those with notable influence live within this compound called Capital. Enjoying their fake peace while the Ashura ravage the rest of the kingdom¡¯s people. If you pledge allegiance and undergo their ritual, they will spear you. Doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯ll survive transition or not. They enjoy watching you tear your loved ones to pieces when you get lost in rage. To think Father would consider negotiating with them. Then again, I am not surprised. That bastard. Seized power by pushing my birth father, Ra, into a frontal battle unprepared. Ra fought bravely but died. He believed his adviser Geb to be a trustworthy man. I had to watch this man take Mother as his wife and crown himself king. Forced to call him ¡®Father¡¯. Watched Mother die a bit every time she bore him another child. The only reason I am alive is that many people dislike him. By being a ¡®Father¡¯ to me and seemingly being kind to me, he wins their trust. A pawn. He was not sad the day I left the Capital.


    There is a knock at the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    A human slave enters. She brings me food.


    ¡°Thank you. You may leave the tray by the window.¡± I point to the large window on the left of my bed. The sun¡¯s heat has returned, but a pleasant wind cools the building. The woman flinches, but nods. I then notice she is not a Retainer, but an average human. Incapable of correctly understanding my words. To some, I speak with many voices. To others, there are only vague emotions. And many more who only hear ear-shattering sounds. I assume she belongs to the latter group. She will not last long here ere she turns deaf. But I don¡¯t care. The moment she leaves, I inspect the food she brought me. The cooks have prepared a lavish meal.


    I enjoy the pompous lifestyle for once. There is nothing else I can do but wait. Days go by. I am finally free to roam the castle premises, but not leave. I practice swordplay with Seth and our youngest sister Nephthys in the green courtyard. She adores us. Wants to be like us. She fights well. But Father often summons her away. He does not like our influence. At night I hear him and Seth often argue over trivial decisions. Ra would have loved brother.


    Days turn into months. My patience slowly wanes. I cannot fathom how my family enjoys such a dull routine. Living in wasteful decadence. The food consumed in one day could keep my village fed for a week. Easily. Unbeknown to them, I have some of the grains in their storages sent to the area I came from. They should know that at least someone thinks of them.


    Finally. A messenger arrives with a letter from Bastet herself. It seems she has been appointed to lead the newly established Ashura kingdom. The throne room nearly bursts with anticipation. Father waves his hand to silence the commotion and lets the messenger read aloud.


    ¡°Your highness Geb. We are utterly surprised by your recent inquiry. It is not surprising that your oldest daughter has presented a rather distressing version of matters.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    I shudder. Bastet knows Father dislikes me. I look at the messenger angrily. He starts stuttering and shaking. People start talking again.


    ¡°Silence!¡± Father gets up and releases enough magical energy to intimidate everyone. A gust of wind blows through the hall and immediately puts a stop to the talking. He then sits down again and waves his hand. ¡°Proceed, messenger.¡±


    ¡°A-after all, y-your e-eldest daughter...¡±


    ¡°Boy, if you are incapable of reading, mayhaps you should consider changing professions?¡± Isis stepped in with her annoyingly soothing voice.


    ¡°I believe we are still in need of boys who only clean up manure?¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. I-I will continue r-reading properly,¡± he muttered. He was not keen on losing his job. ¡°After all, your eldest daughter,¡± he continued. ¡°Has succumbed to injuries, and it is highly probable that she suffered delusions. Her ¡®beloved¡¯ Ptah has decided to follow us and leave behind a life full of conflict. It is with great pleasure that I hereby announce he and I will become husband and wife. I am sure this will forge a peaceful pact between your kingdom and ours to come. I look forward to you supporting our bond. Sincerely, Bastet.¡±


    I cannot believe the words I hear. Neither can the rest. Bastet had always had a weakness for Ptah. But even in the old days, when she was no Ashura, he had ignored all her advances. He never took great interest in pleasures of the flesh. Yet Bastet was the living embodiment of lust. Everybody knew this. For him to suddenly marry her was the most out of character thing to proclaim. Stupefied, I look up to Father. He just rests his head on his hand, deep in contemplation. After a few moments, he finally speaks.


    ¡°Very well. So be it. We shall send the couple some gifts to honor them.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± I was not the only one who said that. Seth and a few of the guests shouted in unison as well. Even Mother, who is not wont to intercept, stood up in protest. She was seething with rage.


    ¡°Why are you selling away a high-ranking official?¡± She asks, trying to hold back her anger in her voice.


    ¡°We have been trying to gain peace for years now. If this is a proper chance, then so be it!¡±


    ¡°Keeping him as a hostage is fine?!¡± I scream. There is no patience left in me.


    ¡°Silence, daughter!¡± He gets up. ¡°Had it not been for your failing, we would not have this situation in the first place!¡±


    Failing. Failing?! He is too afraid to battle a single Ashura one versus one, but I fail for not being able to defeat an entire group? I grab a knife from the banquet table and rush up to him. Horus and Osiris put themselves before Father and parry my attack with proper weapons. I back off.


    ¡°I will not abandon him. I refuse to go down in history as the one who just watched in the sidelines.¡± I spit on the floor. I have nothing but contempt. For all. The jewelry I wore to please them. I tear it from my body, throw it to the ground.


    ¡°You will not leave the castle premises!¡± I hear Father¡¯s intimidating voice. But I do not turn around. I know what he is going to do. A sizzling sound. Blue shimmer. He has trapped me within the throne room. Or so he thinks. Using the expensive knife I still had in my hand, I thrust it against the barrier. I channel all my energy through. If he can build barriers, then I should be able to break them. There. I hear it cracking. It is difficult, but not impossible. With a scream, I pierce the barrier allowing my escape. Everybody is startled by the sheer display of powers. Nobody stops me. I run out. I am free. If they do not help me, then I will have to do it on my own. I am sorry, my beloved. You must be suffering dearly. I will come, I promise you.


    I march down the roads. People stop and stare, recognize my royal outfit. I ignore them all. I pass through the city gates. I leave this compound behind me. And whistle. There it is. It has waited all this time. It has lost its saddle. I don''t care. My trusted horse will take me anywhere. I ride away. To the Ashura kingdom.

 The Old World: Hive

    I head south. To the mountains. I was told they live beyond the mountains. South. Between two lakes, there is an easy pass to the other side. Barren lands. How befitting. The way from the Capital to the mountains consists of boring fields of green. The terrain is so flat that you can see the mountain peaks in the very distance. The few settlements on my way are deserted. In some, I see remains scattered about. Not much is left. Nature has reclaimed the deceased. I carry on. The closer the mountains get, the more desolate the area feels. Settlements look ravaged, burnt. The air is filled with the scent of burnt materials mixed with the foul stench of decay. To top things off, it has begun to rain, making it harder for my horse to traverse the muddy road. I do not give up.


    I finally arrive at the twin lakes. To my great astonishment, the pass has vanished. Instead, two large towers have been magically erected out of mountain stone on each side. A large gate, not unlike the one of the Capital, spans across the gap. There is commotion before the gates. It looks like a caravan seeking entry. This gives me time to find cover among the shrubs. I let go of my tired horse and continue on foot.


    As I approach the Eastern Lake, I notice shimmering scales right beneath the surface. Wasn¡¯t this Sobek¡¯s pet? He has an affinity for all kinds of non-human creatures. The grandest of them is a serpent that could easily wipe out a settlement with one swift tail swipe. Rumors say it is particularly attached to him and could appear in any water body close to him. Had Sobek become an Ashura as well? Or was he held captive, like my beloved? Incapable of coming up with their solutions, they loved kidnapping the talented among us. And use them. When they grow tired, they send their heads back.


    I need to be careful. The creature possesses keen senses. It might alert the guards. I need to approach from the other lake. The rain has not stopped. By the time I traversed the other lake, the expensive clothes I wear have become muddy. I don¡¯t care. I wait between shrubs. And watch. I am close to the gate now and can see who is guarding it. Two Ashura. Judging from their hair, they are Retainers. Not our kind. Good. Ashura from Retainers are weaker than Ashura from our kind. I have no weapon, forgot to take one with me in my haste. I need to sneak in swiftly. I keep observing.


    Eventually, a group of Ashura Retainers arrives. They carry a cart with assorted supplies stowed beneath a big cloth. While the soldiers do some banter, I sneak into the cart. It is easy to hide. Even when one of them slightly flips the fabric to inspect, I can withdraw from their gaze easily by pressing my body between two crates. The cloth is folded back in place. I hear them talk. They make nasty remarks about Father. I smirk.


    The cart is pushed through the gates. For a while, I hear it moving across a stony path. Then it stops. New voices. They sound like a superior. I instinctively grab a rope lying before me, ready to defend myself. Thankfully, the voices fade away. This is my chance. I carefully exit the cart. I am greeted with a depressing view of a quarry from the top. Hundreds of men and women, all in chains. It doesn¡¯t matter whether human, Retainer, or our kind.


    Further, into the mountain, a palace is being built. It resembles the pyramid structure of Father¡¯s castle. But instead of the limestones, it seems it consists of gneiss. It sparkles slightly, even in the rain. I hear footsteps. Behind me is a tent. I retreat inside. The steps draw closer. Somebody enters the tent. It is a male Ashura Retainer, dressed as a soldier. He is oblivious to my presence. Instead, he seems to look through documents strewn on a makeshift writing desk. I sneak up to him. And use the rope to strangle him from behind. He is surprised. Tries to wrestle free. But I use all my strength. Ssh. It won¡¯t take long. Finally, his body grows limp. Life fades from his eyes. I take his clothes and weapon. It is a dull blade, but it is more than I had before. I dump his body behind the tent. Nobody needs to see him immediately. The clothes are slightly too large, but I gauge the flow with the rope I had used before. Quietly, I approach the quarry. My clothes let me blend in with the crowd. Nobody bothers with my presence. Everybody has something to do.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I am at the very bottom when I hear a familiar voice. ¡°Mistress?¡± It is a villager. I turn around. He seems both happy and shocked at the same time. This place has not been kind to him. He is full of bruises and cuts. His face is dirty. He looks around, before grabbing me and pulling me into a corner, out of sight. ¡°Mistress!¡± He repeats himself. Back in the village, this human had always been protective of me. I had never appointed him my bodyguard, yet he swore before my beloved to do all to protect me. He is a strong man, experienced in combat. ¡°You should immediately head back. I beg of you, do not carry on.¡± He looks genuinely worried.


    ¡°I will return to the village to report that you are still alive and somewhat well. Before that, I need to take Ptah back with me.¡± Upon hearing my beloved¡¯s name, he quietly shakes his head.


    ¡°I fear that is not possible.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Is he heavily guarded?¡± Nobody will stop me from retrieving him. But the villager shakes his head again.


    ¡°I understand very well that you are not here for the rest of the villagers or me. But-¡± He suddenly widens his eyes and violently pushes me aside ¡ª the next moment, a spear penetrates his chest. The human coughs of blood before death relieves him from pain. I turn around to parry an attack with the blade I stole earlier. My back is pressing against the rock wall. There is hardly any space to maneuver. Before me are three Ashura Retainers, two blade-wielders, and the spear warrior. I keep them busy when suddenly I hear: ¡°What is this commotion?¡±


    I look between the warriors to catch a glimpse. It is Anhur, one of Bastet¡¯s high-ranking lackeys. He has a well-kept goatee. Dark-red hair. Almost black. On both ears, he carries many golden earrings that clank with every move. Leather armor and a blade in his hand. Next to him must be Mehit. They always appear together. Unlike Anhur, Mehit has not completely survived the transition. Her face is distorted, feral. She wears a muzzle. I hear faint, growling sounds. Her hands are cuffed to a chain that Anhur holds. The warriors instinctively give way. Anhur loosens his grip on her. Mehit immediately pounces on the dead body. With a handshake, the muzzle disintegrates, and she feeds off the villager. Blood splatters everywhere, even on me. The sound of her munching on bones is appalling. Pieces of guts and flesh fly in all directions. I am so disgusted that I do not pay attention. A blade pins me to the wall. Pierces right through my upper arm. It hurts. My injury in the shoulder still hurts.


    ¡°What do we have here? If it is not dear Sekhmet. Pretty bold of you to just come barging through our door.¡± Anhur grins. ¡°Our queen would love to have a word with you.¡± He conjures handcuffs, similar to that of Mehit. They wrap tightly around me. Finally, he lets go of me. Nobody cares about my bleeding wound. Chains form. The Ashura warriors grab one end each and drag me away. In the background, I hear Mehit feasting on the human¡¯s bones. Crack. Crack.

 The Old World: Queen

    I am dragged to the shiny new palace of Bastet. I try to wrestle myself free, but these chains are imbued with magic. The Ashura warriors have no difficulty pushing and pulling me along like a cow. I feel my blood boiling. But I try to remain composed. I will finally be able to see Ptah. And with his help, we will burn this wretched place down.


    The castle interior is still very much unfinished. Rough walls. No lighting. But Ashura do not need light to see. They enjoy the darkness. In the middle of the pyramid, there is an incredibly large hall spanning almost the entire floor of the castle. Pillars allow the dim daylight to permeate the room. I see a few notable Ashura around me. One of them carries Sobek on a leash. Poor man. His transformation failed as well. Now he resembles a broken version of his beloved pet. When he sees me, he tries to snap at me, but the man holding his leash keeps him away. I look to the middle. On a set of stairs resides a large throne. Of course, it is fashioned after the throne seen in Father¡¯s castle. I see Bastet sitting there, dressed in a large flowing gown that matches her crimson eyes. Gold trimmings. Trying hard to imitate the real thing she never got.


    Even though we had seen each other only a few moons ago, she has an entirely different aura. Elaborate braids. Shiny objects woven into her thick black hair. She actually looks like a real queen. The warriors kick me in the knee, forcing me to kneel.


    ¡°Ooh, what is this?¡± I hate her voice. I look away. ¡°This is a beautiful gift, indeed. Sent by his Majesty?¡±


    ¡°No, my Queen. She seems to have snuck into the quarry where she was conspiring with one of the workers.¡±


    She yawns audibly, pretending to be bored. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Always causing trouble. Your father warned me that you might try something funny.¡±


    Father. No, Geb. I refuse to call you ¡®father¡¯ any longer. You never saw me as your daughter anyway. You are probably smiling, knowing she will deal with me instead. Right now, I don¡¯t know who I want to kill first, Bastet or Geb. Both of them need to die. I hear steps and look up at her. Bastet has risen from her throne and walks a few steps down. I notice that she is with child. It doesn¡¯t seem that far yet, but the bulge is unmistakable. She sees my gaze wander.


    ¡°Aah, this?¡± She smiles, over-enthusiastically, pets her inflated abdomen. ¡°It is the greatest gift your beloved Ptah has given me.¡±


    A flash of seismic energy almost sends the warriors flying. With all their might, they hold their ground. ¡°Lies!¡± I scream. Ptah never was keen on making love. A kiss was as far as he would go. I dread finding out what she must have done to him.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Oh? Are you jealous that he bestowed upon me a child, whereas he never bothered much sleeping with you?¡± She continued to calmly walk down the steps until she stood right before me. ¡°Poor Sekhmet. Never got the chance to bear him children.¡± She gestured the warriors to pull me up to face her.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Now would you like to know.¡± She grins. I feel her cold hand brush against my cheek.


    ¡°Stop with this nonsense. Where is he?!¡± I have been scanning the room, looking for signs. If he was held captive, it was not here.


    ¡°I fear you are too late, little princess.¡± She laughs. I am tired of her mocking me. I try to break free, but I fail again. The magic is too strong.


    ¡°Let me fill you up on what happened, then.¡± She grabs my face with both of her hands. And kisses me.


    I see pictures flash before my eyes, so vivid as if I am reliving her memories. There he is. He is kept in chains, together with the other villagers. I see the one who talked to me earlier. In every way possible, he tries to shield Ptah from harm. But they get separated. He gets sent to the quarry while my beloved is dragged to the unfinished palace. I see Anhur. He places magical chains on Ptah. Now my beloved no longer can cast magic. It hurts to see him so vulnerable.


    Pictures continue flashing. I see her. How she undresses him. How she forces herself on him. Over and over again. For days. I can see the suffering in his eyes. She plays with him like a toy. Fondles him, but he cannot withdraw. There are four warriors in the room. Watching them with hungry eyes. Jeering. Mocking him for screaming in agony. If he thrashes too much, they pin him down. Touch him as well. Leave him naked on the floor when she is done. My rage increases. My blood is boiling. How dare she do this to him.


    There she is again. This time Ptah is prepared. He has managed to grab a knife from one of those cursed guards. He threatens Bastet, but she laughs. As always. She commands one of the warriors to deal with it swiftly. But Ptah has enough. He chops off his cock. But the knife is blunt. He needs to cut twice into his body. It is painful to look at. But he doesn¡¯t scream. All the male warriors feel the pain. They hunch. Bastet cannot believe what she sees. My beloved is losing a lot of blood. He throws the knife away and looks directly in her eyes. No. It is as if he is looking straight at me. As if he knew Bastet would share her memory with me. His lips form the words ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ but he does not speak it. He seems to be at peace. And collapses. Bastet is raging. She grabs the blade of one of the warriors and stabs him in the heart with it. Then she kills all the remaining who are present. When she is done, she walks up to Ptah and grabs him by his hair. He does not react. She grabs a blade from one of the dead warriors and chops off his head. Walks with it to a window. Tosses the head out like garbage.


    The images start to blur. I no longer can contain myself. I bite Bastet on her lips, forcing her to retreat. She tumbles back, licks the blood off her lips. Laughs. She taunts me again, but I cannot perceive her words. They have become distant ramblings. I feel my heartbeat in my chest. It¡¯s pounding like a fast drum. In the back of my mind, a dark feeling approaches. It is seductive, compelling. It promises me power. Strength. That I will be able to break free. And get rid of that twisted person in front of me. I like the idea. I want it. I let it in.

 The Old World: Lioness

    It starts with a tingling sensation. Spreading from your chest to your limbs. The longer it lingers, the better it starts to feel. As if you could tear down this wretched place with one hand. Then your body follows that notion. Your muscles grow. Your eyes turn crimson as if they are set ablaze. The color of the world slowly fades to red. I can see Bastet¡¯s bewilderment. But then she grins again. She understands. And opens her arms wide as if to embrace me.


    ¡°Sister.¡±


    It is all I needed to hear. I grab the blade of one of the warriors. And dash right towards her. It happens so fast, they do not know what is happening and just get dragged along. I only realize now that it was easy to move. As if I no longer am bound. The blade pierces right through her womb, all the way up to her throat. No mercy. I look into her eyes. Raging. Even as she dies, she doesn¡¯t stop grinning at me. She also grabs my face. Caresses it.


    ¡°I curse you,¡± she whispers. She goes limp. Just like my beloved Ptah. Nothing will hold me back. Nothing can hold me back. Everything seems as if in slow motion. I see they released Sobek. He attacks me. But in two sift moves, I slice him apart. The holder strikes me as well. No chance. Using the chains, I throw the warriors at the other attackers. They stumble back. Anhur appears. Seems shocked. Sends his love after me. She dies. He goes after me. He dies. Every body lying on the floor, bleeding, makes me feel stronger. More powerful. I wield two blades. Cut down all. I move to the pillars. Not far from here, she tossed his head away. I look down. It is steep. If I jump, I will break my bones. Behind me, more Ashurans arrive. I don¡¯t care. I jump.


    The impact is so strong that the ground is heavily dented. No bones are broken. I hear a commotion. I don¡¯t care. I look for him. Birds could have picked up his head. But I am lucky. They only fed off it. Flutter away as I approach. I recognize his green locks. They are still clinging to his skull. Some skin remains. Dried up leather. I pick him up. Cradle him. Kiss his decayed forehead. I wish him a good night. I promise to join him soon. Watch me, beloved. I put him on a rocky ledge. He will bear witness to what I do. I hear them coming. They are finally here. I slash them. No mercy. They all fall. The rain mixes with the blood. The river it forms looks beautiful as a painting.


    More are coming. I would not have stood a chance. But in the distance I see brother. With his army. He has disobeyed Geb. I grin. Sandwiched between them and me, the Ashura stand no chance. Everywhere is chaos. The slaves break free, even help us. Together we defeat them. All of them.


    But it is not enough for me. I feel the fire. It is burning. This world has to burn. They took him away from me. They will pay. Who is friend? Who is foe? Who is this pale young man shouting at me? He fights well. I shall be his opponent. He keeps shouting. I do not hear any words. I see more familiar faces, but I do not know them. Something tells me I need to retreat. I copy that Ashura trick. I disappear. And reappear somewhere. It looks like a settlement. I can hear them running. Their screams. Hush now. The houses catch on fire. At least they are silent now. I repeat the trick. Again. Again. Blood. Screams. Beautiful. Your life. I want it. My weapon is blunt. I trade. This man does not need it anymore. I continue.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Familiar faces appear again. I fight a few. And disappear. Destination: wherever. Give me more. More! The voice in my head has not enough! Everything! Burn! Who are these who follow me? Why are they not bleeding yet? I see that pale man again. He is crying. For whom? I don¡¯t care. I want his heart. But he fights well. I disappear. I fail. Something prevents me from going. I see a woman. She holds something glowing. I hiss. It¡¯s too bright. I cover my eyes. A winged man pierces my heart with his blade. It still keeps on beating. I laugh. It hurts only a little. The moment he pulls the blade out, the wound closes. I can smell their despair. You won¡¯t kill me. I get up. Want to smash that bright thing. Brother opens his eyes. Brother? What is ¡®brother¡¯? His eyes are black. I feel something pulling at me. I refuse. He closes his eyes. Tumbles back. They are bleeding. Shouts. You cannot hold me down forever. I swing my weapon. Nobody is hit. I am angry. An older man appears. He looks familiar. He is somebody I want to kill. I attack. He stops the blade with his bare hands. Sends me flying. Pins me to the ground with magic. Stupid man. I wrestle my way back up. What is this? I cannot move forward? I look at him again. He holds up both hands. He is sweating. It takes a lot of energy. I see a chance. I try to break free. I manage to take one step. And another. More join in. I feel their powers combined. But I fight. I won¡¯t let them stop me. The chains on my wrists heat up. Hot. Hotter. Burn into my skin. I am angry. Kill. Blood. I roar. Pale man drags my chains. They burn his skin. He shouts in pain. He does not give up. Keeps dragging me. I fight back. But the forces are too strong. No progress.


    Suddenly it is dark. Where is this? A cave. Magic cave. I can sense it everywhere. Even the water trickling from the ceiling is magic. They use it to bind me. Chain me to the wall. They are exhausted. So am I. I want to kill. But I am tired. Sleep. Good.


    I wake up. Pale man is there. Washes my face. I sleep. I wake up. Nobody there. Silence. I sleep. I wake up. There is chanting far away. Magic intensifies. Chains hurt. Brother is here. He looks older. How much time has passed? I drift into sleep. Some noise wakes me up. It is not brother. A boy. He is lost. He seems special. He can sense me. I guide him. What¡¯s this? A Retainer? He could be of use. I let him talk. Yes. He dislikes his world. I can use this. Let him warm up to me. Little by little. I pour my essence into him. He does not notice. Thinks he is becoming more powerful. Poor little boy. Just a tool. Good boy. Soon. Soon I will be free of this wretched chains. Why was I captured anyway? Aah. I remember now. So this is what it means to be Ashura. I am truly cursed. I cannot even join my beloved in the afterlife. But if I use several Retainers. Pour my essence into them. Until I become hollow. Maybe. Just maybe I can truly rest in peace. I shall start with this boy. He calls himself Rowan.

 Home: Im back! Im alive!

    I stumbled back into reality. For a moment, I was confused. Who in Nu¡¯s name was I? Sekhmet? Rowan? But the face of old bastard Geb and his cronies reminded me pretty quickly what was going on. He looked at me expectantly.


    ¡°Well, boy?¡± He smiled. I understood now that it was fake. ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°Violet,¡± I responded. My head still hurt, as if a dozen carts pulled by donkeys were marching through.


    ¡°And?¡± Fucking afterworld, is this a pop quiz? I sure am not going to tell you everything.


    ¡°She is in the cave. Looking for something. To pour her essence in.¡±


    His grin was unbearable. ¡°I see. Our work is done here.¡± He looked towards ¡®Tea Man¡¯. ¡°You did a wonderful job, my son Osiris.¡±


    ¡®Tea Man¡¯ bowed. ¡°Yes, Father.¡± With these words, he literally went poof, transforming into a mist that slowly dissipated. The others followed his example, albeit less misty.


    ¡°Our work is done here. I will take my practitioners with me, as well.¡±


    No! They were supposed to lead us to the Capital! I panic slightly. Violet is finally free from the grasp of her family. She stumbled away from the terrace, ignoring me, ignoring everybody else. Into the darkness. I know she would return eventually. She just had a shit show and needed some time to cool off. I noticed Acacia and Sorrel standing at the edge of the terrace. They bow deeply to Geb. He nods, then vaporizes. It is here when I first noticed that he used a magical item reminiscent of the one I saw in Violet''s memories. Had the other deities been using such a thing to teleport away as well? After all, they had trouble following Violet around with her arbitrary blips. The twins looked at each other, then look at me. They wear a pained expression. But ultimately, they need to heed the words of their master. Taking out an artifact themselves, they crushed it, causing them to dissipate into thin air as well. There was only me left on the terrace. Voices from the inn suddenly penetrated through the door. It seemed they got rid of their barrier when they left. But right now, I did not feel the urge to return to the world I knew. In fact, I did not feel the urge for anything at all. I was exhausted. The pain was slowly subsiding and eventually was replaced by utter confusion. It¡¯s not like I never thought of the possibility that Violet took care of me because she had an altruistic nature. But I¡¯d always push that to the back of my mind. After all, she did watch out for me. Take care of me. Now I had proof that she indeed just needed my body as a vessel to harness her powers.


    ¡°How much did you really see?¡± I heard Seth¡¯s voice from behind me. By Nu, this guy was still here! As I turned around, I noticed he was standing pretty close to me. He was scrutinizing me, unsure whether I had been lying or speaking the truth.


    ¡°I saw you cry,¡± I said cheekily. The only thing missing was me sticking out my tongue and running away. But Seth did not feel like kidding around. He grabbed me by the collar of my robe.


    ¡°Now listen here, Mister Funny Boy. The only reason I haven¡¯t cut you to pieces yet is that you are pivotal in keeping Sister¡¯s powers in check. So you better start treating me with respect.¡±


    ¡°My name is Rowan, not ¡®Funny Boy¡¯.¡± Yes, I held no respect for my own life.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Now spill the beans or I will spill your guts.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Since I was not keen on having my guts decorating the terrace, I began to talk, explaining to him how much I had indeed seen. How Violet suffered. How she always thought kindly of him. How her train of thought evaporated when she transformed. He listened intently, nodding now and then. Eventually, he smiled evilly.


    ¡°She believes in you a lot, boy.¡± He finally let me down. ¡°I had asked her to intercept Brother¡¯s spell by letting you see more of her past. Just enough to show what you are dealing with. She actually went even further and beyond, though it is highly debatable whether she wanted to go that far back.¡±


    ¡°What is this all about anyway? Why did they want to show me that Violet¡±, I see Seth wrinkle his face in displeasure and correct myself, ¡°that Sekhmet only uses me as a tool?¡±


    ¡°Power. It¡¯s all about power. Always has been. If they weaken the bond with you, Sister will eventually become unstable again. And they will have a legitimate reason to trap her again.¡±


    I frowned. Regardless of whether I was just an ¡®artifact¡¯ or not, the cave was no right place to be. And the countless sacrifices made to keep her there was a monstrosity. ¡°But haven¡¯t they been trying to do that already? What about you? You sent your Vegetables after us.¡±


    He gave me a questioning look again, but it seemed he slowly got used to my way of describing things. ¡°To get to you before the others do. But you put up such a good fight, all I could do is play my part as the son of Geb.¡± He paused and sighed. I felt how his hostile gaze slowly dissipated. He had a very gentle demeanor, not unlike Sorrel. Beneath his ever agitated persona, he probably was a very nice and caring deity ¨C something that I had the luxury of getting to know many years later. But alas, Seth preferred to hide behind his frown, making him look as if he would thrust his blade into you if you just dared to say ¡°hi.¡±


    ¡°Sekhmet is smart,¡± he continued. ¡°She only uses her blade when it is indispensable. Make people see she is doing good. Help them. Father has no reason to hunt her down at the moment. And he dislikes this. I am not sure yet what, but something is going on behind the scenes. And when that time comes, I would like to have Sister fully capable at my side.¡± He looked at me, grinning a little. ¡°And maybe you, if you can prove yourself to be worthy.¡±


    Seth tossed a wooden amulet into my hands. It was in the shape of a sha, a canine type of creature. Or how I¡¯d like to call it: a hideous dog. It had a long, leathery tail with a sharp scaley tip. Its canine face was slim, like sighthounds. I scrutinized the amulet. It fit perfectly within the palm of my hand and was crafted out of dark wood. At the back of the sha, there was an eyelet. ¡°The sha will detect unusual amounts of Ashura energy. Make sure to carry it with you at all times. I will know if it reacts. This way, I can hopefully intervene before Father does.¡± Nodding, I took the leather string that I had stowed away as an extra and made a makeshift necklace out of the amulet. Seth watched me finish before saying, ¡°I leave you now. Make sure to maintain your low profile. Maybe come all the way down to my domain.¡± And with that, he disappeared ¨C without an artifact.


    I continued to sit alone on the terrace. I was contemplating on matters with my young brain. I contemplated so hard that I began feeling tired. I checked my pockets, but it seemed Violet had run off with all of our coins. A bed was so close, yet so far! Cursing my fate, I was about to go and search her, when suddenly, right in front of the terrace, Sorrel and Acacia popped up. Surprisingly, they didn¡¯t wear their usual practitioner garbs.


    ¡°We made it!¡± She exclaimed happily. Sorrel had a relieved expression on his face upon seeing me.


    ¡°Why hello there, Rowan!¡±


    You won¡¯t believe how happy I was to see them. I didn¡¯t bother to question how and why they returned. I was just so glad to see them, I began to cry. Sorrel laughed sheepishly and opened his arms wide to hug me. ¡°Now, now,¡± he said. ¡°We were only gone for a few moments, and you already missed us this much?¡± He petted my hair.


    ¡°Whatever happens, this was the right decision,¡± I heard Acacia whisper almost inaudibly to her brother. She then proceeded to hug me as well. We remained entangled, like a family that was lost but had found each other again, for quite a while. Actually, we only stopped hugging when Violet reappeared from the shadows again. She didn¡¯t say anything upon seeing the three of us. No emotion. It felt as if the bond we had was broken in a way. But in truth, she just was incredibly exhausted.


    We managed to snatch a few beds in the sleeping hall of the inn. Little did I know it would be a long while before I ever slept in a bed again.