《Adversary》


 Prologue

    Waking up trapped in darkness is never a good feeling. I mean, some may enjoy it, as one could wake up at their own pace, slowly entering the realm of the conscious. Honestly, it''s one the few things I love doing when I have no obligations that day. After a week of intense study and school for classes, nothing feels better than sleeping in till noon and only getting up when the mood strikes.


    However, those good feelings are nonexistent when you wake up while buried alive.


    The combined weight of the earth wrapped around me pushed down on me from all sides, restricting my body. My eyes barely opened before I flinched from a burning sensation in my corneas. A grunt escaped me as I tried to move my frustratingly stiff body. The dirt enshrining me refused to budge, its suffocating presence almost causing my heart to race. Fear drowned my rational mind as panic began to rise unbidden.


    The earth around me began to shift as I forced my body to move, the bones in my arm creaking and popping as I pushed in a direction that felt like ¡®up.'' There was nothing, anywhere, in any direction. I had no idea where I should go to be free from this earthen prison, so I went with my instincts. Sluggish, they didn''t react immediately. Beyond ¡®get free!'', I didn''t focus on anything specific.


    I pushed more and more, my other arm following suit as it reached upwards. My legs kicked and bucked, further moving my body upwards. Resistance, both from the ever-present earth and my creaky and stiff frame, made it difficult to make any meaningful progress, but I had to do something to get out of this hell!


    My lungs burned as I finally realized that I couldn''t breathe. Fingers tore through the dirt as I continue to climb upwards, swimming through the soil. With shaking limbs, I pushed further and harder than I did moments before, desperation slowly driving me to go faster.


    Who put me here?


    Why put me here?


    What is this place?


    Where am-


    No. No time to waste on these questions. Not until I get free and breathe some fresh air. A strength that I had no clue I had left poured through my stiff limbs, loosening and filling them with a power that surprised me just as much as it drove me. The earth practically parted before me as I swam through it blindly. I know I just started moving, but it felt like I was at this forev-


    When my hand broke through the surface and felt the pleasant breeze of open air, elation surged. I grasped at the air for a few seconds before slapping down onto the ground and digging my fingers into it, pulling my body upwards. My second hand followed suit, doing the same as the first, and I was given the leverage to pull my upper body free of the dirt.


    I opened my mouth and gasped for air as soon as my head broke the through the surface. In my haste, unfortunately, I ended up inhaling an abundance of dirt and began to hack and cough. Still waist deep in the earth, I leaned forward and coughed painfully. Even as I did that, though, I couldn''t help my excitement. I was free! No longer trapped in ground, who-knows-how deep below the surface!


    Before I could do anything to recover fully, a chill raced down my spine. Jerking to the side, I heard a grunt and dull thud as I felt a soft breeze whiff past my face. "Damn undead." An older, masculine voice caused me to stiffen. Hearing another grunt, I could guess he was lifting his tool again.


    Lifting my hands, I croaked out a "Wait!". Then I coughed again, punching myself in the chest to try and clear my airways. "I''m not-" Rubbing my face, I cleared the area around my eyes of dirt and tried to open my eyes.


    Painful brightness seared my vision, causing me to groan and recoil. Covering my face, I held back a curse as the voice grunted in self-assurance. "Now they''re crawling out in the daytime? What has Verum come to?" He let out sound as if he heaved his tool upwards.


    Before I could do, or say, anything in my defense, the man let out a strangled grunt at a meaty impact, followed by a thud right next to me. Planting my hands on the ground, I slowly opened my eyes to let them get accustomed to a new environment. The first thing I saw was dirt, illuminated by the bright light of the beaming sun. Lifting my head, I looked around my new surroundings.


    Gravestones. Stone blocks with names, numbers, and statements that marked the bodies of lost loved ones. I was in a plot of land, covered in beautiful green grass, that seemed to be rectangular, encased within wooden and stone fence. The occasional tree dotted the ground around the graveyard, though directly in front of me, I could see buildings and the distance foot traffic of pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. Behind me, there was a vast stretch of empty land, with a single, well-traveled road that stretched off into the distance, peppered with a line of trees that trailed along the side.


    "Perhaps you should get out of the ground before you study your surroundings." A feminine voice spoke up, her tone dry and amused. My gaze shot to the source of the sound, eyes narrowing in suspicion. She appeared to be willowy, but lithe, clad in a dark red ankle-length dress with a sleeveless, braided bodice and a white long-sleeve undershirt. She looked to be around the age of a young woman, early-to-mid-twenties if a little younger. Her shoulder-length hair was a light brown color, with a series of black highlights amongst her bangs, which framed her round, softly smiling face. Her eyes were the color of a faintly luminous pale amber.


    The young woman rolled her eyes. "Penny said you''d be suspicious, but this is ridiculous." She extended her hand towards me, offering to help. "I''m pretty sure that if we don''t get you out of here, then more people than this old grave-keeper will mistake you for an undead." I glanced to the side to an older man, clad in a pair of worn-out, patchwork, dark brown pants and a faded white tunic, a shovel resting near his outstretched hand. He had a full beard, though it was grey and worn like his weathered features.


    Then she smirked, her lips curling in a playfully attractive manner. "Though, the glowing red eyes aren''t helping any either."


    Surprise jolted through me. "Red?!" I whispered with shock, before narrowing my eyes at her. With wary regard, I reached forward and grasped her hand with mine. There was faint flex of her deceptively lean arm as she pulled my body up and out of the ground. Now standing on my own two feet, I was surprised to no longer feel the stiffness from before. As the woman released my hand, I clenched and unclenched my fists as I looked at my former confines. The dirt was upended and looked like a distended, distorted anthill.


    A knee-height length slab of stone greeted me, beautifully crafted and sketched with a pair of feathered wings framing the outer-edge and a stone-carved sword hilt atop the gravestone.


    ----''Here lies Joseph Blaine.''


    ----¡®April 1997 ¨C October 2015.''


    ----¡®A Loyal Friend and Loving Brother''


    My eyes widened as my breath came out short, my heart squeezing in my chest. "W-what?!" I gasped as I shook my head, memories coming forward.


    "Not here." The young woman said suddenly, her expression gentle, but warning. "It''s still light out, and I can hear passers-by nearing the graveyard." She frowned and glanced behind her. I followed her gaze to see a beautiful, white chapel, decorated with a pair of wings framing the entryway and a downward-facing sword hilt above it. "We need to find somewhere to rest until nightfall. If the Inquisitors catch either of us, especially here and now, then we''ll have to answer some very uncomfortable questions."


    "Like how I''m not supposed to be alive?" I said to her, my voice far more biting and sarcastic than I intended it to be.


    The woman let out a bark of laughter, her lips widening into a beautiful, yet amused grin. "Well, that and why you''re naked in a graveyard."


    I froze and slowly looked down. Ragged remnants of whatever clothes they buried me in were all that was left, hanging from my shoulders and laying on the ground at my feet.


    Yep. As the day as I was born. An embarrassed huff escaped me as I ignored her wandering eyes. "I''m assuming you have someplace we can stay¡­?" I trailed off, indirectly asking for her name. There was no point in covering what she has already seen. Plus, I''d rather not focus on the dirt being in uncomfortable places.


    She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do. But shouldn''t a gentleman offer his name first, before asking a lady''s?" She offered a spirited grin, letting me know that she was partly joking. I simply arched a brow, looking back down at my grave. The woman''s smile widened. "Oh, I like you. Penny was right on the money with how you''d react." She inclined her head, reaching behind her back as she did so. "Please, dear sir, you may call this one Soralynn. I will be your guide for so long as you wish it." Soralynn straightened up and pulled her hand out from behind her back, holding out what appeared to be a dark grey cloak. "But, please, call me Sora. We''ll talk more at the safehouse, where the chance of being overheard is almost nonexistent."


    I regarded her with suspicion for a few moments, internally debating on whether I should trust her. My gut, though, despite her knowing I''d be climbing out of a grave, my grave, told me that I should at least give her the benefit of the doubt.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The cloak was looking nice right now.


    With a decisive nod, I took the cloak with a word of thanks and pulled it over my shoulders, letting it fall to rest over me. Leaving my head exposed, it covered the entirety of my body with room to spare.


    Soralynn nodded with approval, her eyes trailing over me with a studying eye. "Good. People shouldn''t pay us any mind, barring heavy suspicion from an outside source. The safe house is near, so follow me closely." She locked eyes with me and grinned wide and playfully. "Rejoice. Food and clothes await you, Joseph Blaine."


    <hr>


    Blue. Last I remembered, my eyes were blue. Not red. Not a color that reminded me of the freshly-spilled blood. They were crisp and sharp, focusing on my reflection with an intensity that surprised me, despite being my own eyes. The faint slash scars on my lower left cheek, a wound from an early battle. My black hair fell a few inches past my shoulder, curly, wavy and still drying from the brief bath I had taken not a few seconds ago. My bangs reached the corner of my eyes, flowing in front of them, much to my irritation. I frowned as I regarded it, grabbing some of it between two fingers. It must have grown while I was ¡®dead,'' which did not make any sense¡­


    A sigh escaped me as I straightened my posture and studied my current outfit. I wore a pair of black silk pants over a pair of white, knee-length braies and white cotton shirt with the top buttons undone, revealing the top of my chest. Looking around, I took in the ¡®bathroom.'' There was a large open-topped barrel pressed against the wall, sat atop a bed of coals so that it could be heated; there was a bench across from it and a mirror on the wall next to the bench. It was cramped but served its purpose. I was cleaned and clothed, ready to learn from this ¡®Soralynn'' just what the hell has happened since I''ve¡­been dead.


    Turning, I strode towards the door and left the room to see her at a desk, writing out a letter on a piece of parchment. The room we shared was more significant than the bathroom by a large margin. The poorly lit room had a set of candles at each corner and drawn curtains. There were a wooden desk and two stiff back wooden chairs, one of which she had taken. There was a single, large king-sized bed pressed against the far wall and a dresser at its foot, with a single drawer opened. On the far wall, there was a closed window, with a pair of parted curtains.


    As I stepped inside, Soralynn looked up and grinned over to me. "You''re done. That was fast." She lifted her quill and waved it. "Just writing a letter to Penny. She''s going to want to know that you''re awake."


    "Who is ¡®Penny''?" I asked her. "You''ve brought her up three times already." I tried not to demand it of her, but my thinning patience was making it unnecessarily complicated.


    Her eyes widened minutely, with a look of surprise and¡­glee? "I see. It''s like you were born for it¡­" Soralynn''s expression became muted, but happy, and then she shook her head. "Penny is a friend. She was the one who sent me to pick you up and help you reach the rendezvous point safely."


    I narrowed my eyes at her. "What''s to stop me from going back to my friends? I''m sure they''d be happy to know that I''m still alive."


    "Aside from the fact that they saw your dead body?" Soralynn retorted, not unkindly, even as I glared at her. She flinched minutely at my regard, but her smile turned brittle. "How about the fact that it was one of them that tried to get you killed? Thatdidget you killed."


    I froze at her words before a feeling of rage surged through me. "How about you try not lying to me?" My voice came out as a raspy growl, rumbling deep within my chest. Soralynn stiffened at my expression, a look of evident fear in her eyes before she collected herself and met my gaze without hesitation.


    "I would never lie to you." She said with a pained sincerity, her voice gentle and frank.


    My resolve crumbled at her mien. It would be a simple matter to scoff at her words, but a part of me refused to do so. I didn''t want to, I could believe that I did, but I couldn''t help but recognize that she was telling me the unvarnished truth. Closing my eyes, I released a calming breath and strode over to the only other chair and sat down to face her. Clasping my hands in front of my face, I leaned forward and opened my eyes to meet Soralynn''s. "Tell me why I should believe you."


    At that, Soralynn''s smile returned. It wasn''t cocky or mischievous but instead welcoming. "To get the best answer, the answer you need, we''d need to start at the beginning." She turned from the desk, facing me fully. "Would you be willing to tell me just how it is exactly the 13 Heroes appeared on Verum?"


    I frowned at that, leaning back in my seat. A sigh escaped me. "Before I even consider answering that, I have one more question." She nodded to me. "How long has it been since I ¡®died''?"


    "One year."


    My every thought came to a screeching halt. A year? Buried alive in that damn grave for a year?! My breaths hitched, freezing as my heart began to pound. At that moment, my hand shot to my pocket to grab my inhaler. An attack was coming. I wouldn''t be able to breathe, so I had to use it before things got too out of ha-


    I froze, remembering that I was wearing a different pair of pants.


    I froze, remembering that she told me that I''ve been dead for a year.


    I froze, realizing that I could still breathe perfectly fine, despite my sudden surprise.


    ¡­tasted like smoldering magma, hot in both temperature and intensity. Tears fell freely down my face as my sweltering throat unwittingly restricted a scream of pain. Her sorrowful gaze studied me as she lowered her hand, the twisted and bent knife pointing to the ground.


    "I''m sorry for what''s going to happen to you. The pain is something I wouldn''t wish on my worst enemy." Eyes as blue as the open, empty sky above us regarded me with sadness, but not pity. Only acceptance. "To spare you from the pain¡­" She paused, her eyes hardening with resolve. "You''ll have to die."


    With strength I had no idea I had, I scrambled back to my feet and twisted around to run away from her, though the corners of my vision were dimming. I passed by a tree after tree, until my vision decayed and failed, slowly submerging me in darkness. The sound of the roaring winds, the feel of falling leaves, were all that let me know I was still running, my sense of touch gradually getting lost in the all-encompassing burn.


    She didn''t pursue. Nor did the shadows that surrounded her. All I could hear was her weak apology, remorse filling her tone.


    I ran. I ran until it was no more than drunken stumbling, the pain from the steadily burning sensation had encompassed by lungs. Ragged, wheezing, breaths escaped me as I finally collapsed to my knees. I couldn''t breathe, my searing lungs tightened painfully as if refusing to listen anymore. Consciousness was slipping from me, slowly dragging me away¡­


    A pair of hands clasped my arms, keeping me from falling even farther. "Don''t worry." A familiar voice broke through the haze in my thoughts, causing me to look up to see¡­looking down at me. I knew that I could trust this voice¡­


    "You don''t have to fight anymore." A pinching sensation in my chest caused me to cough wetly, the burning becoming just a bit more bearable¡­ Looking down, the last thing I saw before losing consciousness was the point of a stained, chipped sword sticking out my chest, painted scarlet with my blood.


    I jerked out of my recollections, breaths coming under control once more. My stiffened limbs relaxed as I placed a hand on my chest. Whether it checked if a wound was there, or if my lungs were mine, I didn''t know. All I knew¡­was that Soralynn would probably not¡­be twisting the truth.


    Sora didn''t look surprised at my reaction, simply studying me with a masked expression. "Any physical afflictions you had before your ¡®death'' are gone. However, it''s not your body we''re concerned about, but your mind." She leaned forward, her eyes finding mine. Pale amber took on a more noticeable glow as her lips curled in what appeared to be restrained excitement. "Your memory may be afflicted by your body''s death and rebirth. Some things may have been lost, or twisted, in the process of your transition." Seemingly against her will, Sora''s mouth twisted into an excited grin, revealing inhumanly perfect teeth. "And I''m especially capable of ferreting out deception, both intentional and accidental, so we agreed that I would be your ideal guide."


    "Who is this ¡®we,'' you keep bringing up?" I asked her.


    Soralynn didn''t answer immediately, her glowing amber locking with my blood red. "Let''s trade answers. I''ll tell you everything,everything, including things that Penny doesn''t want you to know yet. In exchange, you tell me how you and the other twelve Heroes ended up in Verum."


    "Quid pro quo," I stated. Sora nodded, not looking away from me. Then I sighed, closing my eyes as I tried to gather my chaotic feelings. Almost instantly, I felt a frightening clarity of thought. Everything homed in one specific point in my shaky memory. The one point where it all started¡­


    "Alright. It all started on the day I was nearly late for school¡­"

 Memento Mori - 1

    It wasn''t my alarm that woke that morning, but a consistent slam on my bedroom door. A groan escaped me as I blinked the sleep out of my eyes, blearily looking around my room. The plain off-white walls, with the cluttered desk, chaotically organized bookshelf, drawn curtains, and a plain dark brown dresser. Licking my lips, I grimaced and murmured tiredly to myself. Shrugging, I pulled my comforter back over my head to go back to sleep.


    Another massive smack at my door caused my eyes to shoot open as I threw the blanket off me and threw a wild look at the digital clock on my bedside table. In glowing blue lights, it read 7:57. A hysterical gurgle escaped me as I grimaced at my dry mouth. I had overslept. I scrambled out bed, my foot got caught on my blanket, and I fell to the ground with an echoing thud. A faint groan escaped as I just laid there, the sheets wrapped haphazardly around my left ankle.


    The door opened suddenly. "Joey, are you alright?!" A worried, feminine voice asked me. Lifting a shaky hand, I just let my face rest on the carpeted floor and gave the girl a thumbs up. A tired sigh escaped her. "You''re¡­impossible. You''re going to be late. You know that, right?"


    "Yeah." My voice came out raspy and pained.


    "What did you do, last night?"


    With a faint groan, I extracted my leg from the blanket and pushed myself into a sitting position. The young girl that stood in my doorway wore a pair of light blue shorts and a black T-shirt. Her hair was black and long enough to fall past her shoulders. Eyes the color of a dark cloudy, blue sky regarded me with frustrated amusement. She crossed her arms as she arched a thin eyebrow. Shrugging my shoulders, I got to my feet with a grunt. "I nearly beat my record, Maggie."


    My little sister rolled her eyes and turned around to leave my room. "Such a nerd, Joey. You shouldn''t play video games so late before school."


    I laughed as I stood up shakily. "Luke says the same thing."


    <hr>


    Maggie and I lived alone in this single floor apartment co-op; two bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a kitchen/dining room, and a living room. It''s a nice set-up for a pair of high school students. Our parents are still alive, of course. Absent and unseen for the past decade, but alive.


    We''re not former royalty on the run from a corrupt uncle trying to kill us to ensure his reign remains uncontested. Our parents aren''t magical messiah, destined to uplift humanity. Maggie isn''t suffering from amnesia regarding mystical cleansing powers that could change the entire world, and I''m not some secret ¨¹bermensch trying to live our lives away from the chaos of the supernatural world.


    My sister and I, we''re normal.


    Well¡­for a measure of ¡®normal'' as we''re currently living separately from the rest of our family. Us and everyone else who lives in the same¡­area. As for why? I suppose I''ll get to that later.


    <hr>


    Maggie and I stepped out of our shared apartment as she locked it behind us. I was wearing a pair of brown khaki pants, a white T-shirt with a black and red, plaid, long-sleeve button-up shirt over it. Hanging over my shoulder was red, single strap book bag, which I lifted a bit to adjust its weight. My little sister was wearing a knee-length black skirt and a sleeveless blouse. Her long hair was done up into a ponytail, her bangs swept to the side and framing the left side of her face, held up by a white hair clip.


    We stepped into a wide hallway with blue-white walls, peppered with doors along the walls. There were two corners on either side of us down the halls. On both ends, there were elevators and laundry rooms. Our door read ¡®C-304''. We lived on the third floor, fourth room from the west side of the building.


    I bit into an apple as we walked toward the elevator on our floor. "Have you heard back from Mom, yet?" Maggie asked as we reached our destination, pressing the call button.


    Shaking my head, I chewed and swallowed my bite. "No. I know she got my e-mail, but she hasn''t replied." I paused and frowned as I stared out the window. "The payments have gone through on our expenses, but neither she nor Dad have answered back."


    Maggie hummed with discontent, the only evidence of that being the faint twist of her mouth. Then her shoulders dropped, and she smiled widely. "Hey, at least we''ve still got each other, right?" Her expression was tight, but hopeful.


    I was about to bite into my apple again but paused at her expression. Tightening my grip on the apple, I matched her smile with a grin. "Yep. We''re in this together, Maggie. Us against the world." A twisting sensation filled my heart, exacerbated by a sense of frustration I felt as I tried to loosen my grip on my apple.


    Her smile softened for a moment as the doors slid open. As we walked inside, she said, "I don''t think you''ll be much help if you end up sleeping all day after playing video games all night, Joey." I stumbled in surprise at her words, giving her a playful glare as she pushed the button for the first floor.


    "You''re killing me, here, Maggie." She giggled at my deadpan, and we waited in relative silence in the elevator. It was a largish, silver box that was ten feet in height and eight feet in width ¡ª the different buttons for the eight floors of the apartment building and the emergency buttons. After a few moments of silence, my sister jerked in surprise. "Oh! I just remembered. My class has a production next week. It''s an original play, loosely based on the original Brother''s Grimm fairy tales." She sputtered, nervously, as she tapped the palm of her hand with her fingers sequentially. "We''re all going to be a part of it, but we were allowed to audition for specific roles." Maggie grinned proudly, no longer nervous. "I got the lead part!"


    Swallowing another bite of my apple, I wiped my mouth and leaned to the side and bumped her shoulder with mine. "You did? Awesome! I''m proud of you, Mags. Why didn''t you say anything to me about it?"


    Maggie shrugged a single shoulder, her grin not falling in the least. "I wanted to surprise you. You have your video games and your advanced classes, so I wanted something unique that I could show off to you and my friends."


    I rolled my eyes, unable to hide my smile. "Believe me, Maggie. You''re far more special than you''ve ever considered-" As I spoke, I felt sudden tightness in my chest. A little wheeze escaped me as my breath caught deep in my chest. I coughed wetly and tried to inhale, but I couldn''t breathe properly.


    My sister sucked in a breath and stepped over to me, gently grasping my shoulder and pulling it back. "You know what to do." She whispered to me supportively. Nodding to her, I straightened my posture and inhaled through my nose. My heart pounded as I heard a zip behind me. Attempting to calm my breaths, I closed my eyes and tried to loosen the tension in my body. There was a clicking sound, and a small burst of steam flew into my face, going through my nose as I inhaled. Air flowed freely, and I was able to breathe. Opening my eyes, I saw that Maggie was holding a silver thermos in front of my face. Taking it from her hands, I took a refreshing drink and began to feel my inability to breathe lessen just enough that I was no longer choking on air. "Did you not take your medicine?" The pleasant burn of the hot coffee not only clearing my airways but also giving me the push to fully wake up.


    I grimaced as I took another swig of coffee. "I hate that stuff, Maggie. It makes me too damn sluggish throughout the day. I''d rather carry around an inhaler, then take those pills."


    Maggie frowned severely, stepping back as she crossed her arms. "Do you at least have your inhaler, then?"


    "In my pocket," I said faintly, holding my thermos out to her. When she took it, I used my free hand to reach into a pocket on my leg and pulled out a white inhaler with a black cover over the mouthpiece, giving it a good shake. Popping the lid off, I put the inhaler in my mouth and pressed down on the bottle. A burst of cold air shot through my mouth as I inhaled, allowing it to clear my airways fully. Pulling the inhaler away from my mouth, I held my breath for a few seconds, before exhaling carefully.


    The elevator door opened as I opened my eyes, my sister and I stepped into the lobby. It was a large, comfortable looking area with a large smooth, wooden desk in front of the glass walls and a double-wide front door. There was a collection of leather cushions that lined the walls next to the elevator and an occasional desk with high-back chairs on opposing sides of them. There was a small sitting area off to the side with a large screen television, playing a news station. At the front desk stood a nondescript man in a business casual white shirt reading a magazine.


    Tossing my apple core to the side, I watched as it flew into an open trash can. "When is your production in the day?" I asked my sister, casually shifting the subject back to what it was before my attack.


    Maggie scowled, clearly seeing my deflection for what it was. "It''s in the evening, after school. It''ll be later since Ms. Hall wants to make sure we''re prepared." She answered evenly, her gaze turning sharp as she narrowed her eyes at me.


    "I''ll make sure that I set aside time for it." I smiled at her. "Maybe I can convince Luke to give up a night to see it with me."


    Maggie exhaled through her nose, a small smile growing on her face as we began to walk through the lobby. "I don''t know. Luke does like his nights."


    I snorted, rolling my eyes. "No worries, there. All it''ll take it is a single word from me, and Luke''ll be there." We reached the entrance and waved off the clerk at the front as we exited the building. Sunlight rained down on us as exited the apartment building, causing me to lift a hand to shade my gaze as I looked around the skyline. Tall buildings that reached into the sky as far as the eye could see gave the city an urban, modern feel. A plane flew silently above us, bringing a large shadow over the cityscape ¡ª all around us, other people making their way wherever this early in the morning. The streets were empty, save for the occasional bus, while people filled the sidewalks.


    I hated the skyline. Steel and glass scraped the sky and broke apart the openness of the vast, bare skies. They reminded me of bars, a gilded, platinum cage, lined with velvet, leather, and steel. It was the first thing I remember seeing that last day I saw my mother and the last thing I see before going to bed. I don¡¯t know how my sister felt about it, but¡­


    I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she thought the same.


    Maggie and I made our way through the sea of people, following along with the group. We walked relatively quickly, as did the people around us, going past the occasional ad on a wall, for a new store or an upcoming concert, or some such.


    "Hey, have you heard? They''re finally making progress on the Western Continent!"


    "Really?! That''s incredible. I''ve wanted to hear more about them for a while now."


    "Yeah. They''ve made progress on speeding up the half-life of radiation. No word on how much and how fast, but the return time frame has been moved up."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Why hasn''t there been a declaration, then?"


    As the people around us began to whisper frantically at the recent news, Maggie glanced over to me and whispered. "Do you think that''s what Mom spoke of when she mentioned a ¡®breakthrough'' in her last message?"


    I hummed faintly, grimacing at the tight squeeze on the sidewalk. "I think so. Mom seemed more excited about whatever that was than catching up with us." I murmured to her as I made sure to keep my body between Maggie and other pedestrians, while not crowding her too much.


    "Did she say anything about Dad? I mean, ever since the Emergence, we haven''t heard from him." She paused, nervously wringing her fingers together. "Do you¡­think he was one of the-"


    "We''ve had this conversation before, Maggie. Dad couldn''t have involved himself beyond keeping the peace." I shook my head as we reached our bus stop. It was a steel bench surrounded by an open, metal hut with a plastic poster of the bus schedule on the glass wall on the side.


    "Bu-"


    "Maggie, please." My voice came out a faint wheeze, and I pulled out my inhaler, shaking it. She gave me a concerned expression but looked down at my strained smile. Inhaling suddenly with the inhaler, I held my breath as my heartbeat slowed. The silver bus approached with a quiet rumble. It was a large rectangular vehicle with a rounded top. The windows showed a few people already inside; on the front right of the bus, the door popped forward and slid along the side of the wall. People milled onto the vehicle and my sister, and I entered the bus, swiping our bus cards as we found our seats near the middle of the bus.


    <hr>


    The Emergence. It''s the name of a particular incident that occurred ten years ago.


    Almost as if it was overnight, random people across the world gained Power. I do mean the capital ¡®P.'' It was just as sudden as it was unexplainable. The event wasn''t gradual; no, things would have been far more manageable had things started slow and steadily escalated. All across the globe, in civilized nations, earth-shaking skirmishes began to spark.


    Constant, nonstop conflict throughout an entire week, of people with abilities that looked like they came from movies, comic books, and fantasy novels, clashed across every country and within every continent.


    Lands were ravaged, and countless innocent people died in the crossfire. Mountains were uprooted as if they were trees and oceans were parted like they were small rivers. The sky was torn asunder and rained fire and brimstone, and people were calling it the end of days. Well, if the end of the world were brought upon us by humanity''s selfishness, then it''d be pretty damn poetic, right?


    In the end, the casualties were morally incalculable. Far too many innocents died in the crossfire. Homes, national landmarks, businesses, schools; all of them were destroyed irreparably. Continents razed and countries torn in half. The fallout wracked the world, and it was only thanks to those who used their randomly granted power responsibly that even a fraction of human civilization survived their stupidity.


    Each continent on Earth ended up uninhabitable, whether due to radiation, irrevocably destroyed the land, or if the continent was just sunk.


    The number of people left alive, and unaffected, from the havoc, wrought, were forced to relocate to one of seven human-made islands. Seven islands created by a group to both save the remaining members of humanity and control those with far too much power to contain through indirectly holding their family''s hostage.


    How do I, a random teenager, know this specifically? Well¡­


    I suppose I can get into that later¡­


    <hr>


    Our school is something a community school, where kids of all ages come to attend, from first grade to university. It''s a pretty large school, resembling a very well-funded university. A combination of brick, something resembling steel and windows. Various wings branched off from a unique circular building. Each side encompassed a branch of schooling, elementary, middle, high school, and university. The surrounding area was a beautiful decoration of trees and shrubbery, along with different buildings for different functions.


    As we walked off the bus stop, Maggie turned towards me. "Joey, I need to meet the others at the Theatre on the other side of campus. You''ll be okay without me, yeah?"


    I offered her a small smile. "Of course. I have my inhaler and a few replacements. No need to worry about your elder brother."


    She grinned playfully at me. "You''re my brother; I''ll always worry." She leaned forward and pulled me into a tight hug, then turned and raced off.


    I sighed as I took one more shot from my inhaler to further clear my airways and followed the stone path towards the high school wing to get to my classroom. It didn''t take long for me to reach the rest of my year mates and underclassmen in the high school branch. There was a small stream of people all heading towards the same wing for classes, each dressed in a variety of clothes, in both brand and color, all talking with one another. The gentle breeze of the morning air sent my short bangs flapping in the wind as I stayed on the path, though I couldn''t help but notice others straying onto the grass. Classes hadn''t officially started yet, so people were still milling about. On days like this, where it wasn''t too hot, or too cold, I could see my classmates hanging out near one of the white gazebos on campus; they would also be sitting on one of the benches beneath a large tree for shade.


    The crunch of grass and the sound of a soft laugh caught my attention. "Wow, Joey, you must have been up all night if you''re this spacy." I looked to the source of the voice to see a young man around my age, standing at a good few inches taller than me, at 6''3" to my 5''9", with golden honey blonde hair cut relatively short and dark green eyes narrowed in amusement. He wore a pair of tight, dark blue jeans, a black shirt under a white jacket that hugged his broad shoulders.


    I offered my oldest friend a tired glare. "I was already given the ninth degree by Maggie, Luke. I don''t need it from you."


    "You still do, considering this isn''t the first time you''ve done this." He said with a grin. Before I could respond, he turned and waved for me to follow. "C''mon, Mr. Lethe wanted to meet with all of us before the day officially starts. There are a few more examinations we need to go over." He didn''t walk off immediately, glancing over to me patiently as I fell into step next to him.


    I was confused for a moment before it finally dawned on me. "Oh¡­the Advanced Placement exams¡­" I let out a small, chagrined laugh, scratching the side of my head. "I remember promising myself to go to bed early the night before, but I decided to play one more level¡­"


    Luke snorted, rolling his eyes at that. "It''s always ¡®one more level'' with you." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a sideways hug. His arm tightened around my neck as he grinned. "C''mon, Joey. You''ll never catch a girl''s eye if you always focus on those games of yours."


    "Yeah, says you?" I rolled my eyes, grunting as he squeezed gently. "Tell me, Luke, when''s the last time you ever had a girlfriend?"


    "Smartass." Luke snorted as he released me, shoving me forward with a laugh. I twisted around and returned his gesture with a backhanded smack against his more solid chest. He let out a small smile as we walked down the stone path in companionable silence. We reached the main high school wing in no time, approaching a dark steel door with an inwardly bending handle that was propped open by a built into mechanism at the top of the door. Entering the building proper, our shoes stepped onto the glistening, clean linoleum. On both sides of us as we walked down the hall were lines of black lockers, each of them five feet tall and a foot and a half wide. Resting above the lockers were panes of windows that trailed along the length of the string of lockers, only stopping when it reached the entrance to a classroom.


    Luke and I came to a stop in front of a polished wooden door with the marking ''12 ¨C B'' on the front at eye level. A translucent pane of glass rested on the left side, close to hinges, allowing me to see a few people already milling about inside. I grabbed the silver knob and twisted it, stepping inside.


    The classroom had twelve grey desks and matching chairs, with four rows of three chairs, there already being ten other students in the room, all either at their desks or talking with one another. The walls held an assortment of posters with various academic sayings and notes that one could find in any school. In front of the desks were a smart board and a podium in front of that. In the back corner of the room, across from the doorway Luke and I entered, was a larger desk, with an assortment of books, papers, and a desktop computer.


    "Well, well, well, it seems you managed to find our wayward, lost classmate, Luke." A girl with long dark red hair, tied into a tight plait, with her bangs swept to the side, and green-blue eyes smirked jokingly. She was wearing a pair of shin length jeans and a low-cut pale red shirt. She was a few inches shorter than me but stocky, her cheeks a little rounded compared her apparent age, her complexion a few shades lighter than most. Her expression was almost painfully dry as she regarded me with an arched brow. "Honestly, Joey, I shouldn''t be as surprised as I am."


    Before I could respond, Luke clasped me on the shoulder. "Don''t be so tough on him, Amber. Joey''s one of the hardest working ones here." He nudged me with a grin. "We all have to decompress somehow."


    Amber rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and poor Maggie has to put up with him."


    "Oi," I said to her with a half-hearted glare, only getting a playful smile from my classmate.


    "Ah, Joseph, have you started our final term paper yet?" I glanced to see another girl walking over to me. Her expression was stern but curious, light brown eyes studying me through a pair of thick-framed glasses. Her waist-length and wavy hair had bangs held back by a hairband. She had a naturally tanned skin tone. She stood an inch or two taller than me, dressed in a loose-fitting dark blue blouse and a knee-length skirt, her frame willowy, but still feminine in a way that one couldn''t ignore.


    I nodded. "Yeah, I have Kacee. I''ve got about a page and a half done. I didn''t want to burn out too quickly before it was due, so I decided to take a break."


    Kacee hummed, frowning faintly, but nodded regardless. "I see." Her narrowed behind her glasses as she turned her gaze towards Amber and Luke. "I wish these two had said the same. Considering that Luke and Amber have been putting theirs off, it''s almost frustrating."


    Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh, calm down, Kacee. We''re not savants like Joseph or natural writers like you." Amber snorted in amusement, not bothering to respond as she looked away from Kacee''s searching gaze.


    "Savant?!" I grumbled at him.


    Kacee narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could reply, a clapping sound caught our attention.


    A man standing at the front of the classroom, dressed in black dress pants, a long-sleeve blue, button-up shirt, and a white and blue tie gave us all an amused look in his dark brown eyes. His black hair was close-cropped and cut short on the sides, with the beginning of curls; there was a small, faded scar on his left cheek. "Alright, now that we''re all here, I believe we should start a bit early. There is quite a bit we must get through for today to be as productive as possible." His gaze rolled over to me, his lips curling in a knowing amusement. "Hopefully, we''re all fully awake now."


    I let out a small laugh. "I hope so, too, Mr. Lethe." Our teacher, Patrick Lethe¡¯s smile widened ever so slightly before he turned to his podium. Luke, Amber, Kacee, and I all broke apart and went to our seats. My seat was the second seat in the leftmost row, with Amber sitting behind me. Sitting down, I nodded to my classmate to my immediate right. His dirty blonde, almost more of a light brown, hair was cut short, save for his bangs, which managed to reach just below his brow. He wore a pair of dark green cargo pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. "Rudy." I murmured in greeting.


    Dark grey eyes met mine for a moment, acknowledging my response with an almost imperceptible nod. "Joseph." He said, nearly inaudible, seeming to appear far too tired to care about anything.


    "Alright everyone, we''re nearly at the time for your graduation." Mr. Lethe started us off, clapping his hands to bring all of our attention to him. "Just four months until you''re all high school graduates, ready to move onto university, or into the workforce." He smiled widely at each of us. "After working with you as long as I have, I have no doubts that all of you are going to go far." He tapped a few things on the podium, causing the smart board to power on and brighten.


    I grimaced as a faint light appeared in my periphery, an uncomfortable pull deep in my gut like a chain had hooked onto it.


    "Within these next four months, all of you will have a limited number of opportunities to take advantage of the Advanced Placement classes you''ve taken and potentially remove a few necessary courses you''ll have to take in university." He brought up a few pages on the screen, showing us a tentative schedule of the next few weeks.


    A wave of nausea hit me, causing me to grimace and look away from the front; the light from the projector gave me a headache. "Joey?" Amber''s concerned murmur caused me to silently wave her off as I ignored a pull at my navel.


    ¡­all for you once mo¡­


    Mr. Lethe continued to explain our schedule, underlining a few specific dates and motioning to others with an electronic pen. His words seemed to swim around me, going in one ear and out the other as my nausea refused to abate, merely getting worse.


    "Joseph?" Rudy''s soft, but concerned, voice caused me to glance over to him and shake my head.


    ¡­ttle that only you und¡­


    Bile rose through my throat, and I tried to stand up so I could race to the restroom. As I pushed the chair back, my legs suddenly buckled beneath me. Before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong hands had caught me at both of my arms.


    Voices all around me swam in the air, all asking if I was well, but I couldn''t do anything but shake my now pounding head. "I don''t know." I gave an answer that I hoped answered one of their questions.


    ¡­eg of you, answer this call and come to our aid!


    Just as clarity and relief came flooding back to me, my lungs seized as I sucked in a sudden breath. A sudden bright light blinded me, cries escaping from us. I fell forward, bracing myself for the impact of the hard, unforgiving linoleum.


    ¡­Only to feel the gentle give of soft grass and the light caress of a springtime breeze.

 Memento Mori - 2

    The gentle touch of the light breeze soothed the panic I experienced not even seconds before. The feel of the warm, soft grass beneath me caressed my cheek as I just laid still for a moment. Gathering myself, I exhaled gently and felt the grass beneath my face waver. The blades gently caressed my palms, both from my breath and breeze that lazily danced through the empty air.


    Slowly, but surely, I could feel my lungs expand and contract, allowing oxygen to travel freely through my airways. Grunting faintly, I pushed myself up to my feet and opened my eyes to look around. My breath hitched as I took in the open, cloudless blue sky. I tracked the horizon with wide eyes until I saw something that caused a soft reboot of my brain: three cylindrical towers that topped off a what I swore was a medieval castle. Aside from that, the skyline was empty, no skyscrapers breaking the vast openness.


    Even with that feeling of freedom, why did it feel so bittersweet? Oh, Maggie isn¡¯t here. Shaking my head, I blinked away the tears that threatened to come forward.


    Where¡­where am I? I thought as I turned my attention to my immediate surroundings. It was a large clearing around the size of half a football field. All around me, my eleven other classmates and Mr. Lethe were all lying around, groaning in response to the sudden travel we experienced. At my sides, Mr. Lethe and Rudy were disoriented and lying on the ground, moaning. It seems it was two of them who helped me during my¡­attack of some sort.


    "Ah! Sir Hero, are you well?" I jerked in surprise as a voice pulled my attention from my prone class. It was a young woman who appeared to be a few years older than me. She had long golden blonde hair and glistening, bright silver eyes. She wore a long purple dress, with a black corset around her midsection and a scarf around her shoulders. Her face was soft and heart-shaped, with her bangs framing the sides of her face. A simple golden circlet rested over her forehead


    At her side stood an older man dressed in elaborate white robes that seemed to trail the ground but lacked stains from seemingly dragging along the ground. He had a shaved head and around his neck was a simple, silver chain. His eyes were stern, dark brown.


    Behind the two of them stood a trio of armed knights, each with a sheathed sword at their right hip, a spear in hand, a shield at the back and a silver, shoulder cape hanging over their left arms.


    I opened my mouth to respond, but all I did was exhale softly. I blinked as I looked around, then frowned as I got to my feet.


    "Why¡­?" I paused, reconsidering my next words, as confused as I felt. Then I cleared my throat with a cough. "Why am I here?" Why does this place feel familiar? I had nearly asked, though I did not know why.


    Her eyes widened, then she smiled contritely. "I¡­I suppose that I should explain, then." She paused, her eyes trailing along the rest of my prone classmates and teacher. Then she looked at me. "Would it not be more prudent to wait until the rest have awakened?"


    "Yeah. That would be pretty helpful." I jerked my head to the side in surprise to see Luke getting to his feet shakily, looking around with suspicion and confusion, if my estimation was right.


    The woman inclined her head to us, smiling faintly. "I suppose we shall wait then." She paused, looking to Luke, then to me. "Though, should we not move to a more comfortable place for when they awaken?"


    I paused, looking to my still prone, unconscious class, then to Luke. We locked eyes and considered our options together. After a few seconds, he gave me an apologetic smile, and I nodded. Looking at the woman, I said, "Is there anywhere nearby?" I shrugged a single shoulder, looking from her, to the man next to her, then to the knights. "No offense, but Luke and I don''t know any of you, so we don''t feel comfortable leaving them with you yet."


    The man next to her looked insulted at my words, and the knights shifted, but the woman just nodded with a smile. "Of course. There''s a dwelling nearby that we can use. There''s plenty of room for everyone here to rest comfortably." She paused and smiled widely, bringing heat to my face as she turned it towards me. "But please, if mutual trust is what you''re after, perhaps we could begin with names?"


    I nodded to her, and her smile brightened. "Then, please, call me Emelina DeVere, Heiress Apparent of the Kingdom of Veritas."


    ¡­What?


    <hr>


    Being greeted by a princess seconds after you regain consciousness is more than enough to force a soft reboot, or two, of one''s mental faculties. Still, I was able to collect myself quick enough to follow Emelina''s retinue of knights bring my class to a nearby village and set them up inside of it. We moved too quickly for me to get a feel for where we were, but I was pretty sure I needed a few moments to get my thoughts together.


    Currently, Luke was in the room with our class, keeping an eye on them, while I was down the hall. Outside of the room. Leaning against the wall next to the window, I stared out of it and studied my surroundings. Rows of wooden and stone buildings trailed along a worn traveled path. Horses, horse-drawn carriages, and foot traffic went down the road, the noise of clopping hooves and chatting voices filled the monotonous silence of waiting for my classmates to awaken. I looked past that to the surrounding trees and the tower in the distance. I''m guessing that it was around early fall, considering the varied colors of the leaves that fell to the ground and floated in the wind.


    "What is this place?" I murmured to myself. "It''s like something out of a fantasy novel¡­"


    "A novel? Are you a scholar?" I jumped at the voice''s sudden appearance, my heartbeat accelerating. Emelina gave me a soft smile. "I apologize for surprising you, Sir Hero." She was silent for a moment, before motioning to the other side of the window. "May I join you?"


    "Sure, it''s your country, isn''t it?" I said to her with an arched brow.


    Emelina furrowed her brow in confusion at my words. "Yes¡­ my family has ruled Veritas for several generations¡­" Then her eyes widened, a bright smile appearing on her face as she leaned over to me. "Ah! That must be a euphemism from your world! Being a scholar, your family must have lands as well, yes?"


    I blinked at her question before realization dawned. "Oh¡­no. My family doesn''t own any land. My sister and I are students at the moment."


    Emelina nodded. "What about your parents?"


    A frown escaped from me as I looked out the window. "My parents don''t speak with my sister and me anymore, I''m afraid." I closed my eyes and shook my head. I didn¡¯t need to air my dirty laundry with someone I just met. Turning my attention back to Emelina, I took in her concerned expression, her silver eyes glistening in the sunlight. "Forget that, please. My name is Joseph, Joseph Blaine. Stop with the ¡®Sir Hero'' stuff, please. I''m just another guy."


    Emelina''s expression brightened, her lips curling into a broad smile. "Sir Joseph Blaine¡­" She murmured, her eyes tracing my face and my stature. Then she nodded, her smile widening. "Yes. You''ll do fine, Sir Joseph. I can tell that you''re going to do great."


    I grimaced even as I blushed at her words. "Enough with the ¡®Sir'' thing¡­Your Highness?" I ended off with a question.


    She let out a small laugh, her voice ringing pleasantly in my ears. "I''ll permit you and the others to call me by name, Sir Joseph." Her smile turned playfully mischievous as she crossed her arms and leaned towards me, the circlet twinkling in the sunlight. "And though you have just arrived, there is quite an important reason for me calling you ¡®Sir,'' Sir Joseph. However, I shall explain when the others have awakened, as was decided earlier."


    Giving her a frustrated expression, I couldn''t help but feel defeated. Then I rolled my eyes; unable to keep a smile from my face. "I guess this is your win¡­Emelina." It felt weird saying a princess''s name so informally, but she requested it, so I couldn''t exactly refuse.


    "Students." Her statement caught my attention, my blue meeting her silver. "You called yourself a student. What do you study?"


    I paused, trying to consider what I should tell her. "Study¡­ At the moment, a little of everything, I suppose."


    Her eyes widened. "Everything? How in the world could a person study ¡®everything''?"


    I couldn''t fight the smile that grew on my face. "That''s¡­not entirely true, in a sense. Starting from childhood, we entered school and taught basic information." I paused, studying her enraptured expression with amusement; her silver eyes enraptured my gaze. "After twelve years, schooling becomes optional, but far more¡­intensive."


    "So¡­all of thirteen of you are scholars?" At my nod, joy grew on her face. "Incredible. Anyone can learn physical combat, but intellectual capability? That''s something that only the privileged few in Veritas can experience." Emelina reached forward and clasped my hand with both of hers. "Please, I''d love to speak with you about the different things you''ve studied and experienced in your world. There has to be so much more to it."


    I couldn''t help but feel my face heat up as she held my hand, her smile wide. The softness of her hand and the excited adorableness of her smile sent a warm sensation through my chest. "I wouldn''t be that excited." I murmured, feeling embarrassed despite myself. "I''m pretty sure that your kingdom has an entirely different alphabet, so we''re technically illiterate at the moment."


    "Tis but a temporary measure, I''m sure," Emelina stated with confidence, nodding firmly. "If each of your fellow Heroes is as intelligent as you seem to be, then it won''t be long until you''re just as knowledgeable as one of my family''s royal scholars."


    I turned my face away from her, unable to keep it from heating up. God, what am I in, some anime or light novel? This whole situation is ridiculous.


    Nodding to her, I said, "Thank you, but I''m in the middle ground of the percentile when it comes to intelligence. Maybe we shou-"


    "Hey, Joey! The others are waking up." Luke caught my attention, stepping around the corner just in time to freeze as he saw Emelina and I. His expression shifted into an amused smirk. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?"Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I paused, half-frozen, and slowly looked at our entwined hands, then back to Luke. "Absolutely nothing." Luke opened his mouth, no doubt to retort, but I cut him off. "You don''t see a thing, just a pair of people talking about stuff."


    "Stuff?"


    "Yes. Stuff." I said dryly. Emelina looked between us, confusion and amusement on her face as she studied us.


    Luke snorted and shook his head. "Whatever, Joey. I''m sure I can tell everyone that woke up that you''re busy with talking about stuff with the princess."


    Almost simultaneously, Emelina and I stood, our hands coming apart. "Everyone''s awake?" I asked him, concern, and urgency in my tone. Luke nodded. "Then let''s get going. I want answers." I looked over to the princess, feeling a surge of adrenaline pound through my body.


    "And you shall have them, Sir Joseph, Sir Luke," Emelina stated to the two of us definitively. She motioned us forward. "Let us meet with your comrades." With that, we walked to the room and stepped inside. The room was large enough to hold twelve twin-size beds and still space to roam around, with wooden walls and a risen arched ceiling. There were a set of windows on the back wall that allowed the bright sunlight flow inside, illuminating it. The walls were rather bare, lacking any shelving or frames.


    Mr. Lethe was currently on his feet, standing between an older woman wearing a long, flowing, white robe, and one of my classmates. My classmate was sitting upon her borrowed bed, rubbing her face, as if to wake up. Her long, straight, hair was a professionally dyed, strawberry-blonde and she glanced around with confusion in her light blue eyes. She was wearing a pair of skin-tight white khakis and a sky-blue T-shirt with a white jean jacket over it.


    "Look, Miss, I don''t care if you are a ¡®Royally appointed Healer.'' I don''t know you, so I''m not letting you go anywhere near my students." Mr. Lethe was beginning to look pissed if the furrowing of his brow and his dark scowl meant anything. "Anyway, I''m missing two of my kids. If your ¡®knights'' are holding them, hostage, then so he-" His eyes widened when he finally caught sight of Luke and me. "Luke! Joseph! You''re both alright?" His gaze flicked to Emelina and narrowed faintly.


    I lifted a hand to my teacher. "Mr. Lethe, it''s fine. We''re fine." I said quickly, to reassure him. It didn''t do much, unfortunately. I grimaced at his deadpan glare. "Just¡­" I paused with a sigh. "Let Emelina explain. We''ll have our answers soon enough."


    His gaze flickered to Luke, no doubt for a second opinion. "We''re good here. We were in a large clearing, in the open, but they carried everyone here." He looked to the princess, a careful suspicion in his countenance. "I''m all for the benefit of the doubt, considering it''s the only option we have."


    "Not a good thing, that''s for sure." Mr. Lethe murmured, turning a flat look to the princess. "When everyone''s lucid, then?"


    She nodded, "I gave my word to Sir Joseph to offer answers, and I shall keep it."


    "Well then, do you mind taking your people out for a few minutes, first? I want to speak with my students before anything else." Emelina nodded and motioned for the robed woman to leave; not before the woman glared at our teacher, though. Within moments, the only people left in the common room where the entirety of class 12-B, each person slowly coming to consciousness. "What is happening here, Joseph, Luke?"


    "I don''t know," I stated bluntly, walking forward and dropping onto an empty bed. Motioning to my teacher, I said, "What happened when we came in?"


    "The old woman in the robes tried to do something to Deandria. As the teacher of this class, I disagreed." He retorted, looking down at my classmate with concern. "Are you okay?"


    She nodded with a grimace. "Aside from an upset stomach and a small headache, I''m good, Mr. Lethe.¡± Deandria looked over to Luke and me, or, rather, me in particular. "Joey, what''s going on? I remember that old woman saying something about a ¡®Sir Joseph and Sir Luke waiting for the others to awaken¡¯¡­" Her full lips curled in playful amusement. "And since when were you two ¡®Sirs''?"


    Luke snorted, "I''d say when Joey here was holding the Princess''s hand."


    That caused her eyes to widen and her lips to pull apart into a grin. "Hoping to land a Princess, Joey? Going from virtual royalty to real is a pretty big step, don''t you think?"


    I rolled my eyes at the two of them, but before I could respond, our teacher cut in. "Enough. We can speculate on Joseph''s love life later-"


    "Come on!" I cut in, but everyone ignored me.


    "-But, we need to figure out our current situation." Mr. Lethe looked to each of us, then to the rest of our classmates, who appeared to be in various states of lucidity and listening to us. "Where are we? What happened back in the classroom? Why are we here? Who are these people? When did we get here? And how did we get here? Let''s run through the questions quickly and efficiently on our own before we call in the people who kidnapped us." He met our eyes individually, both to reassure and direct us as a group. "We don''t have long, so let''s get to brainstorming." He clapped his hands. "Go."


    I decided to start us off. "First thing I remember after ending up here was a bright light. When it died out, we were all in a field on the outer edge of the village here." I turned towards Luke and nodded. "Luke and I were on our feet in a few seconds, but the princess and a small retinue of knights were waiting on us." I paused and pursed my lips. "She called me a ¡®Hero.''"


    "Hero?" Luke stated plainly, as he blinked. "That''s what she said? I didn''t hear anything for a few seconds after that light; my head was ringing so much." He murmured as he ruffled his hair. He then snorted and looked over to another of our classmates. "Isn''t this like one of your animes, Tadashi? Being called to another world or something like that?"


    "Luke¡­ Be quiet." Tadashi was a shorter teen our age, with short, dark hair and dark eyes. He was on the taller end, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a long-sleeve shirt with a white jacket over it. He furrowed his brow and placed a hand on his chin. Then he turned to me. "Joseph, you were outside earlier. What did you see?"


    "What little I saw reminded me of your standard middle ages scenario. Wooden and stone buildings; horse-drawn carriages; people mostly wore simple clothing, tunics and the like, but with pure colors." I paused and glanced to the side, frowning in thought. "There''s a castle in the distance, I think. The towers are visible over the horizon, but it looked pretty damn far."


    "I''m going to assume that we''re within a ¡®day''s ride'' if my guess on their lexicon is right." Kacee murmured as she stood up, brushing her skirt to straighten it, a seemingly nervous gesture, though her expression remained blank. "How the ¡®Royal Healer'' spoke further aids your hypothesis, Joseph." Then she frowned, her expression almost mutinous. "Though, if that were true, then we shouldn''t be able to understand one another verbally, considering our language has evolved from an entirely different beast, comparing the ¡®then and now.''"


    "Could it be magic, then, allowing us to communicate?" Luke posited, meeting Kacee''s incredulous stare with an arched brow, as did everyone else. He lifted his hands, palms out. "No, look, hear me out. Trying to find a purely mundane reason for something as fantastical as being pulled into another world seems to be an exercise in futility. It¡¯s best to go with Occam¡¯s Razor." He paused, meeting everyone''s gaze for a second before continuing. "We were in our classroom not even fifteen minutes ago, even less, and here we are now." He paused, not seeing acceptance beyond a few tentative shrugs. "Mr. Lethe, when you spoke with the woman, how easily were you able to converse with her?"


    "Like she was someone I met at home." He answered.


    That caused us to jerk in surprise almost simultaneously. "Mr. Lethe¡­" Another of my classmates, a girl who wore a dark brown hijab with dark brown eyes and light colored skin. She wore a long black skirt and a dark brown long sleeve blouse. "When she spoke, did you hear English or Greek?"


    Our teacher frowned, but as he opened his mouth to reply, he stiffened as well. Then he closed his eyes. "I heard Greek. What of you, Baasima?"


    "Arabic." She said softly, clenching her hands tightly. That caused silence to settle amongst us.


    "So¡­ Magic." Amber stated, her tone dry. "That clears things up, I suppose." Her eyes flickered to me, amusement along with restrained fear warring in her gaze. "Joey, as our resident gamer, I''m sure you''ve played a few games with magic. Any ideas?"


    I shook my head, causing quite a few frowns. "I don''t want to give anyone false hope. There are so many different magic styles that it''d be dangerous to make too many assumptions." I answered with as much authority as I could. "I''d recommend we speak to an expert, or as close to one before I offer any ideas. All of you will be the first to know if I ever figure something out."


    "Good." Mr. Lethe stated with a nod. "Logical and safe, which is what we both need and want, considering our current circumstances. We''ll shelve that for now, until we get an opportunity to discuss it with the appropriate people."


    "Why are we here then?" Rudy murmured loud enough for us all to hear. "They called us here for a reason. Why?"


    "To fight," I stated bluntly, causing everyone to look at me with surprise. I closed my eyes to refrain from rolling them. "They called Luke and me ¡®Sir.'' Plus, before learning my name, Emelina called me ¡®Sir Hero.''" I spoke slowly, looking to my class with a severe expression. "For one reason or another, there will no doubt be some large-scale conflict, with the opposition that they feel is so far beyond them, that they reached out into the ether and called on a bunch of students and their overworked instructor."


    "But we''re just¡­kids." One of my classmates, a dark-skinned girl with shoulder-length, wavy black hair and dark brown eyes, dressed in a pair of fashionably torn jeans and a form-fitting, V-neck, short-sleeve shirt. She looked like she''d eaten something bitter on saying that but continued regardless. "What can we do that they couldn''t?"


    I grimaced, reaching up to rub the back of my head. "The best way to answer that Nailah, would be this¡­" I paused and looked around sheepishly. "It feels dumb to ask it, but does anyone feel any different?"


    "¡®Different'' how?" Rudy asked me, frowning noticeably.


    "Stronger? Better? I don''t know. If you''re all relying on me because of my game knowledge, then it''s important to get this out of the way." I paused and rubbed my face. "In stories like this, when the character is summoned to a different world, they develop abilities that make them stand out from the norm. Whether it be increased strength or superior magical skills, it''s all about making them stand out as someone better, thus making it look like that they were meant to appear when they did."


    Mr. Lethe nodded to that. "Makes sense, in some way, I suppose. But that doesn''t exactly help us as we are right now." He acknowledged me. "Still, thank you, Joseph. We may be relying on you a bit longer." I could only answer with a now, feeling a little overwhelmed by that. He must''ve seen it in my expression because he offered an apologetic smile. "With what we know, we''ve managed to figure a large amount of information, even if it is guesswork. The biggest issue, right now, is who are these people?"


    "They''re important, that''s for sure." Another of my classmates spoke up, a young man with close-cropped black hair and dark, narrowed eyes. He wore a pair of dark grey jeans and an open front shirt with a T-shirt beneath it. "I mean, the woman Mr. Lethe was arguing with was called the ¡®Royal Healer,'' and the one commanding her was the ¡®Princess.''" He looked to me, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "She did seem rather friendly with you, Joseph. Anything you want to come clean with?"


    I rolled my eyes as Luke snorted. "That''s what I asked him, Guang, but the guy just brushed it off." He nudged me on the side with a grin.


    "Hmph, Joseph. You don''t pay girls any attention at school, yet you chase a Princess? Such standards!" A young woman with chin-length platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes smirked salaciously. Her thin, pouty lips curved as she crossed her arms. She wore a form-fitting blouse and a pair of light, skin-colored stockings with a short skirt.


    I glared. "Colette, my ¡®love life'' isn''t up for discussion, so can we get back onto more important topics." My tone was testy, but I held back my frustrations. Everyone was having a tough day so far, and I''m sure this was part of her way to cope.


    Colette just smiled at me, but Mr. Lethe cut in swiftly, amusement in his expression, much to my dismay. "Joseph''s right. It''s time to get to the bottom of this." He paused, his appearance turning pensive. "We''re going to have to call them back in¡­"


    "What if¡­" The last member of our class spoke up, her voice soft, but noticeable. "What if they just want to control us?" She was somewhat on the shorter side, with long black hair that fell to her lower back but was tied off with a white bow. Her eyes were a mix of brown and a dark grey. She was wearing a closed dark blue jacket and a knee-length black skirt. "Sure, we could''ve been called to ¡®save'' them, but will they let us roam free?"


    That sent a chill down my spine, and my hand clenched as a hint of anger fluttered in my chest, but I tried not to pay it any mind as I looked back to Mr. Lethe. He nodded once, but his expression was resolute. "You have a point, Mitsuki, but¡­we aren''t capable of functioning on our own in this world yet." He looked to each of us, in turn, as if measuring us. When his gaze reached mine, I didn''t look away, meeting it with as much resolve as I could. "Joseph¡­call them back inside."


    I nodded and turned around, walking towards the door.

 Memento Mori - 3

    The capital city of Veritas, Veracity, is the home of the DeVere Monarchy. Veritas is the most prosperous nation on Verum, a country primarily containing humans, but also housed a multitude of other species, tentatively called Beastkin.


    The DeVere Monarchy is a long-lived household that has thrived for several generations, bringing forth Kings that lead to the nation to prosperity. King after King guided the people of Veritas through times of great peace, ensuring the order of the country with little difficulty, save for the occasional battle with monsters assaulting the nation''s borders.


    When we had called Emelina back inside the room, she gave us a brief rundown of information that we could chew on while we made our way to the royal family''s castle. Initially, the summoning that she had led was only meant to summon a single person, but since she called all of us, she had ordered her knights to gather an extra two carriages. While they had done that, she had managed to convince Mr. Lethe to at least allow her Healer to check us over, considering the summoning had thrown all of us for a loop.


    While waiting, there was a brief chat between the princess and Kacee about available literature, a conversation that I didn''t pay attention to as the Healer had reached me. A faintly glowing hand hovered over my chest, coupled with a subtle chill, was all the warning I had before noticing her furrowed brow.


    Disbelief and motherly concern appeared on her weathered features as she studied me. "Sir Blaine, are you aware that your body has a major affliction of the lungs?"


    I nodded to her once, not sure what to feel about the mix of sympathy and pity in her gaze. "Yeah. It''s something that some people have at birth. For some, it goes away as they grow older. For others?" I shrugged unconcernedly. "You just learn to live with it."


    She didn''t seem to know how to respond to that, merely inclining her head once before continuing onto Luke, who was standing at my side. As she finished, though, she looked back to me once more, before nodding once and returning to the princess. She murmured with her, and their gazes flickered over to me, much to my slight frustration, before Emelina gave a resolute nod to the healer.


    With that, we were led out of the building and onto a relatively empty street. Each of us was given a bland, brown cloak to conceal our clothing, which stood out rather brightly, considering the colors and difference in physical cultures. Outside, they escorted us to a set of three carriages. Each of them appeared to be large enough to carry at least four of us with ease, maybe more, comfortably. Large wooden wheels and meticulously decorated to be as royally pretentious as possible. Purple, white and blue with white curtains on the held open doors, each lead by a pair of horses.


    As we approached the carriages, I looked around to see a group of knights having already set up a perimeter to keep away the naturally curious peasantry. People peeked unobtrusively around the steel-clad warriors, holding back their equally interested children and significant others. The occasional person pointed rudely at us, smiles and excitement in their expressions. My eyes trailed along the perimeter, looking at the various people who wanted to know who we were.


    A flicker of sudden motion in my periphery suddenly caught my attention, and I jerked to my head to look further on my right. A wooden cottage, formed from wood and stone, was front and center in my sight. I frowned as I studied the area around it, trying to find what I noticed.


    "Hey, Joey!" I looked back over as I heard Luke call out to me. He waved me over to the class as Mr. Lethe had gathered us all together. I walked over to them as he smirked at me. "Admiring the adoring public, huh?" I didn''t answer him verbally, rolling my eyes at his playfulness.


    Mr. Lethe studied me carefully. "Did you see something?"


    "I think so¡­but it was probably just a few leaves," I answered with an audible murmur, my eyes moving back in that direction. I didn''t fully believe that. My instincts told me otherwise.


    "Well, I suppose we should think about that later." My teacher said carefully. Then he nodded to us. "Alright, class. We''re heading the Royal castle. Each carriage is too small to hold all of us, so we''ll have to split into groups." He looked to each of us in turn. "Three groups of four. I''ll ride with one group. The princess will ride with another. The third will be close. I''ll trust you all to divvy yourselves up properly."


    As a pretty small class, already, we were all close in one manner or another. It didn''t take long for us to split up into even groups.


    The first group was Kacee, Rudy, Mitsuki, and me.


    The second was Luke, Deandria, Guang, and Colette.


    The third was Amber, Tadashi, Baasima, and Nailah.


    We each entered a carriage, with Luke''s group getting into the first with the princess, Amber''s group joined the second with Mr. Lethe, while my group climbed into the third. When I stepped inside, I couldn''t help but grimace at the purple cushions and the velvet veil that fell and rested along the right wall. "These people are royalty, after all. All this purple still seems like a waste to me." I murmured as I sat down next to the far wall. Rudy snorted at my words, sitting across from me as he pushed the veil aside to peek out the window.


    "With how the people look, the kingdom must be wealthy," Kacee said softly so that only the four of us could hear her. She sat down next to me, brushing her skirt down to straighten it.


    "We''ve only seen those close to the capital," Mitsuki said as she sat next to Rudy, hunching her shoulders minutely as she looked out the open door, her eyes on the people held back by the perimeter. "Those on the outer edge of the kingdom¡­what are their lives like if they''re as frivolous as this suggests?"


    "It bears thought," I answered her as I watched one of the knights approaching the entrance to our carriage. "We''ll have to do more research on our own when we get the chance."


    Before anyone could answer, the knight stood at our entrance. "You and our Lady''s escort shall reach the castle grounds shortly." His voice reverberated from the helm, inclining his head to us, deferentially. "Please, enjoy the calm ride." He shut the door.


    "Let us go!" An unfamiliar voice called out from outside, and the carriage began to move. It wasn''t a smooth start, with the occasional jerk and light jump from the clip-clopping of the horses


    As we moved forward, Kacee spoke up. "Did it look like Veritas was at war?" I met her gaze, prompting her to explain. "I mean, you had to have seen more of it than me, but there were no tells that Veritas is at war. The people were happy, and not in the ¡®more help is here'' way; the only armed people were the knights, and everything looked clean, for the period." She frowned and crossed her arms, listening to Mitsuki and Rudy, who was also studying her words intently. "Why were we called, specifically? There doesn''t seem to be any major, noticeable conflict, but perhaps¡­" She scowled. "There''s a prophecy or something? That''s the only potential reason I can think of why they took us from our world."


    I felt myself frown at her words. I did not like the idea of being forced into something like that.


    Mitsuki pinched the bridge of her nose. "I hope that we weren''t called here as a just in case scenario¡­"


    Rudy smiled at her remark, shaking his head. "With everything that''s already happened? I''m pretty sure that''s how things will end up." He pushed the veil aside with a hand, peering out the window. "Not that far from the castle, either¡­"


    I reached up and pushed the curtain aside so I could look out the window. The carriage was moving at a comfortable, quick pace, the trees passing by us. The crunch of grass and the muted clopping of the horses greeted me when I tried to listen. Looking forward through the window, I could see the slowly approaching trio of towers from the distant castle.


    "What do you think''s going to happen when we reach the castle?" Mitsuki asked as she looked out the window on the door.


    "We''ll get answers, hopefully." Kacee murmured, leaning back in her seat.


    "They''ll do what they can to arm and prepare us, preferably," I said, crossing my arms. "We''re their ¡®Heroes,'' after all." At their looks, I shrugged. "We were called here to fight for them, and we come from a world where the average person lives a relatively peaceful life." I allowed a playful grin to appear on my face. "I won''t lie. I''ve always wanted to know what it''s like to use magic."


    "Such a child." Kacee demurred in amusement, her lips curling into a small smile.


    Even Mitsuki smiled at my joke, shaking her head as her shoulders shook in silent laughter.


    Rudy rolled his eyes, a playful snort escaping him.


    As I said that, though, there was a faint pinch in my chest and a persistent warming sensation that expanded out from it.


    We reached the castle little under half an hour, by my estimation. Glancing out the window, I scanned the outer castle wall and tried to find the end of it, but it stretched off into the distance. We passed over the lowered draw-bridge and through the opened portcullis; our carriages continued down a stone-traced worn pathway until we reached a large open area. The transport moved for a little while longer, before coming to a gradual stop.


    A woman with dark blonde hair tied off to a long braid and clad in armor made from some form of dark brown leather, bracers on her forearms and legs, with a single curved sword hanging from her left hip and shoulder cape hanging over her right arm. Her bright hazel eyes were bright and kind as she opened the door. "I hoped that your ride here was a gentle one." Her voice was soft, yet firm as she clasped her right hand over her lightly armored chest and bowed at the waist, but not too deeply. Stepping aside, she motioned for us to step out. "I am called Kara, a member of Her Highness''s Elite guard. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."


    "It is an honor to meet you, as well." Kacee returned evenly, inclining her head to the woman as she stepped out of the carriage.


    Mitsuki offered her a silent nod as she exited it as well, looking over to the side.


    Rudy was behind her. "Where are we heading to next?" He asked her as she stepped to the side so I could get out next.


    "Her Highness will be leading us to the dining hall," Kara stated, turning her head to me as I stepped onto the smoothed, dirt road. I looked around to the path flanked on both sides by a pair of beautiful oversized gardens, damn near parks on their right, each framed by intricately carved marble and stone. The ¡®gardens'' were filled with perfectly trimmed hedges and flowers but were hemmed off to allow for foot traffic. People clad in bright white clothing and wide-brimmed hats maintained the garden. In the far distance, I could see the inner walls of the keep surrounding the castle grounds.


    As I stood there, though, I couldn''t help but feel a tingle race through my body.


    Kara continued as I studied my surroundings. "Her Highness thought you and your party would be famished from the summoning, so she has had our finest chefs prepare a feast fit for the royal family." She nodded firmly, motioning for us to follow with an incline of her head.


    We followed her towards the rest of our class.


    As we walked through, Rudy offered a faint frown. "A feast? I had already had breakfast before heading to school¡­" His frown deepened as his eyes narrowed. "Why¡­?"


    "Magically induced travel taxes the body of even the strongest participants," Kara stated sternly. Her eyes traveled between the four of us, her gaze ending on me, unreadable in its examination of me. "More often than not, it will bring about an increase in appetite for the body to replace the energy that has expended itself."


    Before anyone else could speak, we reached the rest of the class just in time to hear Emelina let out a small laugh. In front of her, Colette was offering an amused smirk at a chagrined Luke. "¡­and that, my wayward classmate, is why you don''t try to argue the merits of clothing trends with me."


    "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." He looked away from her, and his gaze met mine. "Oi, Joey, get over here and distract Colette. She''s making me look bad."


    I snorted as I approached him. "You don''t need Colette to do that, Luke." I gave him a playful grin. "You do that well enough on your own."


    Luke grimaced at my words and Colette''s laughter, before giving me a half-hearted glare. "Traitor¡­"


    With that, my group finally rejoined the rest of our class. Kara continued until she stood to the right and two steps behind Emelina. Next to her was another woman in similar armor, but with what looked like a folded staff on her back, and hair the color of the setting sun, cut short enough to fall to her chin, with a stern gaze to her pale green eyes and lightly-tanned complexion. That woman lacked a shoulder cape, but her left arm was significantly more armored than the right.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Emelina looked to each of us, her laughter dying down until it was just a small smile. "Now that we''ve arrived at my home, we can finally retreat to the mess hall. Before calling you, I had the cooks prepare a feast for your arrival." She clapped her hands together. "I hope you''re all hungry because we have plenty." With that, she turned and led us down a side path. Looking past her and her pair of shadows, I caught sight of a one-story, stone building with a couple of open windows and a closed wooden door. Unlit lanterns on either side of the doorway along with the paved pathway towards let me know that this was our destination. I couldn''t help but notice figures in the windows, moving back and forth.


    As we walked, though, Luke jabbed me in the side with an elbow. "Hey, are you famished, or is it just me?"


    I rolled a shoulder in a shrug. "I woke up late, remember? All I had was an apple, so my hunger is something I expected. Why?"


    Luke rolled his eyes with a small smile. "Dude, I cooked my breakfast before school. Eggs, bacon, toast, the whole shebang." He looked forward, his expression falling until it was severe. "I had a big breakfast, so there''s no way in hell I should be this hungry."


    I frowned at his words. "It was most likely the summoning itself, then," I said with a nod. "That''s the only logical thing that comes to mind."


    "It was the summoning." Amber cut in as she fell into step next to me. "Princess''s other knight, the one who helped my group, Valeri, explained to us when I told her I was hungry enough to eat a cow¡­" Her expression turned dry. "Then she said that the cooks would have one ready for me if I wanted one¡­"


    I let out a small laugh at my friend''s words, getting a glare from her. "Sorry, Amber, but you''re trying to use lingo from our world here. It''s not going to work out as well as you think."


    She rolled her eyes. "Well, I know that now." Amber paused and grimaced faintly, pressing a hand to the base of her throat. "Hey¡­" She paused as she looked front first before she turned her gaze to me. "Do you feel¡­faint?"


    As she said that, it was if the feeling in my chest spread to my shoulders. Giving her a concerned look, I said, "Yeah¡­I just thought it was my asthma acting up, though. Are you sure you''re okay?"


    Luke grabbed my shoulder, glaring at me in worried anger. "Hey. I thought you promised Maggie not to hide that anymore."


    I shrugged his hand off my shoulder, rolling it as I matched his gaze with my own. "As long as I''ve had this, I''m sure I can figure out what I can''t handle."


    "It''s not a matter of ¡®handle,'' Joey." He whispered harshly, glaring down at me.


    Amber slipped in between us, pressing her hands against our shoulders to keep us apart. "C''mon guys, calm it down. I was asking a simple question."


    Luke grunted at her words, but before he could reply, a voice interrupted him. "Luke, Joseph, Amber. Is everything alright?" Mr. Lethe called out to us, causing the group to stop not a few feet from the entrance to the dining hall.


    "No. They''re not," Luke stated evenly, meeting my glare with his own. "Joey''s too stubborn to admit that his asthma is acting up." As he said that, though, it was like my lungs began to tighten in response. "Did you even to bring your inhaler? It''s like we can go back and get it, you know."


    "Luke," I growled out, my knuckles cracking as I clenched my hand. "Shut up."


    "Joseph." Mr. Lethe called my attention to him. "Use your inhaler. Catch your breath." He spoke calmly, his gaze gentle.


    "I don''t need it right now." My voice came out in a wheeze, the pinch in my chest escalating to a steady burn. Behind Mr. Lethe, I couldn''t help but notice Emelina''s eyes widening in surprise. I shut my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Look, can we get something to eat. All I had to eat was an apple, and I''m starving." My heart pounded deep in my chest as I felt my lungs beginning to strain.


    It wasn''t an attack, because I knew them by heart at this point. No, this was something else.


    My teacher didn''t reply for a few moments before he nodded once. "I''ll trust you, Joseph." His gaze flickered to Luke. "Keep an eye on him." His words sent a surge of frustration through me. I didn¡¯t need a damn minder!


    "Don''t even need to ask." He narrowed his eyes at me, causing our teacher to nod.


    Mr. Lethe then frowned and looked over to the Princess. "Is there something in the air?"


    Emelina paused, her eyes flickering over to me. "We should sit down first. We shall talk while you eat." That caused him to nod once, but his eyes narrowed. Then she looked over to Amber and me. "Sir Joseph, Madam Amber, for the moment, I would like to ask if you''re both willing to have Valeri personally escort the two of you to the dining hall."


    I looked over to Amber, and we debated nonverbally before we agreed. Amber looked forward and shrugged. "I don''t care." She grimaced as her voice came out as a soft wheeze. As Valeri nodded and walked back over to us, Mr. Lethe narrowed his eyes at us.


    With that, we resumed the short trek towards the dining hall, though I had Luke on my right and Valeri walking behind me. I pushed down the rising frustration as I walked with the group, tired of the people hovering around me as if I were a damn invalid. As we reached the entryway, though, I noticed a shadow pass over me, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye. Furrowing my brow, I was about to look up, but a piercing headache forced me to gag inaudibly.


    ¡­Break free from your chains¡­


    An unfamiliar voice echoed in my mind as I blinked away the pain from an immediate headache. An instant later, I stepped through the entryway into the dining hall, as if nothing had just happened. Shaking my head, I waved off the concerned look from Valeri and Luke and looked around the dining hall proper. Wooden tables and chairs parallel with one another line the stone floor, already filled with covered plates and pans, steam wafting from the slight openings. The far walls were clean but bare, and the air was pleasantly chilled, despite the warm atmosphere that permeated the outside. People dressed in bright white clothing stood in front of the tables, seemingly welcoming us.


    The one in the center was an older looking man, with weathered features and a short, trimmed dark grey beard, wearing a white cap that covered the top of his head. On his either side stood four others, three women and a man, each wearing a white and blue uniform, with white caps that covered their hair.


    The man stepped forward, hands clasped together, and bowed. "Your Highness, her Guard, and Heroes. I welcome you to the Royal Hall, bequeathed as such by His Majesty, the King." He motioned behind him, towards the table filled with food. "At the request of Her Highness, my retinue and I have created a feast worthy of those who were called to aid us in our time of need."


    "Thank you for your hard work, Bertrand," Emelina said with a gentle smile, causing the man and his group to straighten in response to her praise.


    "No, thank you for such an opportunity, Lady Emelina." He said with a proud smile. He then motioned for us all to take a seat. "Please, everyone, enjoy what we''ve made. It''s all for you." With that, the group broke apart to escort us to our seats. Our class, plus our three escorts in the princess and her guards, took up sixteen seats altogether. When I sat down, Luke had taken the spot on my left, while Amber and Valeri took the two places on my right, respectively. The tops were removed, revealing a multitude of foodstuffs.


    An assortment of different types of meat, all different kinds if my observations were correct. When asked by Mr. Lethe, Bertrand had stated that there was a cow, sheep, horse, and boar. That statement had him to smirk playfully at a bashful Amber. There were potatoes, in various forms. A hodge-podge of vegetables and fruits that acted as both decoration as well as foods we were meant to eat. The smells assaulted my senses, causing my stomach to rumble audibly. Grabbing a diverse number of foods, I began to eat.


    As we ate, Mr. Lethe started the conversation with the Princess. "Lady Emelina, you were going to speak of something earlier?"


    She dotted the corner of her mouth after taking a sip of her drink from an elaborate, decorative, white mug. "Yes. It is because of this that I''m sure Sir Joseph and Madam Amber are reacting in such an obvious way." That caused us to stiffen almost simultaneously, eyes homing in on her. She pursed her lips, cocking her head to the side as she considered her words. "On Verum, there is a universal understanding that everyone is born with magic." That caused me to narrow my eyes ever so lightly. "However, the ability to use it is as diverse as there are some people."


    "How so?" I couldn''t help but speak up, catching her attention, as well as her guards.


    Emelina allowed herself a small smile at the intensity of my question. "Affinities." She said softly, looking to each of us. "Each person is born is an Affinity that dictates how they can utilize the magic they inhale from the air and permeate within their bodies." She lifted a hand and opened it. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then¡­a silver flame ignited in her palm. A chill settled within the room, drawing the eye of everyone in the room. Shock and awe from my class and me; pride and joy from those who followed her family. "It is through that, that we are capable of shaping and using creation to follow our whims and desires."


    "But we were not born here." Rudy stated, his gaze leaving the flame and meeting Emelina''s. "We, the thirteen of us, were not born here. Thus, we shouldn''t have ¡®Affinities.'' So, how does that affect us?"


    "Verum does not care for the logic of mankind," Valeri started gently, her eyes gaining an azure glow. "She will bend man''s will to her whims, regardless of his desires and predilection." The corners of her mouth curved ever so lightly into a faint smile.


    Emelina inclined her head to her knight. "Thank you, Valeri." She looked over us again, clenching her hand to quench the sterling ember. "Perhaps, I misspoke earlier. It is not birth on Verum that awakens a person''s Affinity, but the very air they breathe." She motioned to Amber and me. "That is why the two of you are feeling the way you do. The atmosphere of Verum seeping into your very bones, latching onto the source of what makes you an individual and is slowly bringing it to the surface."


    As if on cue, a wheeze escaped me as I grimaced at a pinch deep in my chest. Luke frowned severely. "How long does it take?" He asked of her.


    She frowned and shook her head. "There is a reason that people do not learn of their Affinity until they reached the age of maturity. It is a gradual process that both strengthens and fortifies the individual."


    "What is the age of maturity on Verum?" Mr. Lethe asked her, his concerned gaze falling onto Amber and me.


    "Sixteen."


    That caused Amber to stiffen, her eyes widening. But before she could say anything, I said, "I''ve lived with breathing problems for my whole life. It isn''t a change at all." My tone was sarcastic as I crossed my arms.


    Before anyone in my class could reply, Emelina gave me a strong yet proud smile. "Powerful conviction, Sir Joseph. But what would say if I could offer you a way to accelerate the awakening of your Affinity?"


    That caused everyone here to regard her seriously. "How?" I asked her.


    She looked to Kara, who nodded and lifted a hand. One moment, it was empty, and the next, a small vial the size of a small pill bottle. "Normally, alchemical concoctions, or potions, like this, are prohibitively expensive for the common man. However, for those connected to the DeVere monarchy, it is allowed for one to awaken their Affinity at no extra cost." She paused, glancing over to Emelina, who offered her a nod. Kara looked over to me. "Sir Joseph, in light of your current condition, we would like to offer you the first vial."


    My ¡®current condition''? I was tempted to deny it, out of spite. Ever since we had arrived on Verum, people have looked to me out pity for my asthma, even as I''ve lived with it for my entire life. Back home, I had gotten used to it, or at least I thought I did, since everyone I generally associated with already knew. But now, after meeting these new people? They treated me as if I was made of glass, and it was starting to grate. Granted, I could be exaggerating, considering things have been stressful for us all, but one couldn''t help what they felt.


    Still, before I could answer, Mr. Lethe spoke. "Enough. I don''t know what''s really in that vial, so I can''t just let you offer it to one of my wards." He narrowed his eyes at Kara. "The age of maturity here may be sixteen, but where we''re from, it''s generally considered to be eighteen. None of my students are at that age yet." He turned his heated gaze onto Emelina, causing Kara and Valeri to stiffen. "I will not allow you to give untested ¡®potions'' to my students without my permission."


    Emelina did not frown; she did not react negatively in any way. All she did was a smile. As she was about to respond, though, I cut in. "I''ll take it." That caused everyone to look at my shock.


    "Joseph, you can''t just-"


    "On Earth, eighteen may be the age of emancipation, but we''re not on Earth anymore." I interrupted my teacher, allowing my frustration to fuel my defiance. "We''re on Verum, and the age of maturity is sixteen. I''m seventeen, and concerning this world''s culture, I''m going to exercise my rights as an ¡®adult.''" I looked over to Kara and extended my arm, but Luke grabbed my arm, pulling it back. "Luke¡­"


    "Stop." He demanded of me, his eyes hot with frustration. "You''re acting childish."


    "Childish?" I asked him, as an eerie silence settled within the dining hall. "I''ve lived with my asthma for my entire life. From the moment I could walk, I''ve dealt with the difficulties of knowing that any moment I could have an attack. I''ve had to deal with people coddling me in fear that it''d act up and cripple me." I glared heatedly at him, matching his frustration with a weary fury. "I''m tired of it. I have a chance to do something about it, and you''re holding me back."


    Luke was obstinate as his grip on my arm tightened even as I flexed to pull away. He gritted his teeth for a moment before exhaling a gusty breath. "Fine. But the results are your head." His hand fell freely from my arm, and I could extend it for the potion.


    Emelina offered us a complex expression, her eyes flicking from me to Luke, then to a frustrated looking Mr. Lethe. "I¡­apologize for causing difficulty amongst you."


    Before either of them could respond, I said, "Don''t apologize, it was coming forward regardless. This situation just sped things up." Even as that was said, Kara''s hand closed, and the vial vanished. I furrowed my brow in confusion but stiffened as a weight appeared in the palm of my hand. Pulling my arm back, I took in the warm presence that permeated the cylindrical vial. A flat, faintly purple liquid sat still, not at all jostled as I pulled my hand back. "So¡­this will¡­give me magic?" I asked, not looking away from my hand.


    "It will awaken the Affinity that you have." Emelina corrected me gently. "What magic you can, and can''t, use will be dependent on your Affinity."


    "What is your Affinity?" I asked her as I looked away from the vial, gently closing my hand around it.


    "Purification." She stated without pomp, an enigmatic smile on her face.


    "Fluctuation." Kara purred, her eyes focused on the vial.


    "Intuition." Valeri hummed, though there was amusement in her stoic features.


    I looked back to the vial.


    "Joseph." Mr. Lethe caught my attention once more. "I know you''re frustrated, but please be careful with that.


    "Joey¡­" Luke muttered as he studied me with concern. The rest of my class also regarded me with worry.


    Seeing each of them regard me carefully caused a well of frustration to rise from within my chest. A faint popping sound cropped up as I clenched my free hand. Looking around, I held my breath and glanced back to the vial in my hand.


    Amid my rising frustration, I turned my eyes to my teacher. "I appreciate your concern, Mr. Lethe, I do. With all due respect, though, at this point? Not even my parents have the right to dictate my life now." I uncorked the vial with my thumb, sending it into the air. Emelina and her guard stiffened, eyes widening. "I''ll be caged no longer." Pulling the vial close, I leaned my head back and downed the whole thing.


    Panic dominating her, Emelina stood and held a hand out to me, her mouth moving as she cried out. Sounds dulled even as Kara and Valeri followed suit, the latter getting up and walking behind me. The feel of the temperature in my vial was misleading because it burned going down. It wasn''t hot, but it wasn''t mild either. My entire world swam as my lung tightened almost painfully, but air continued to flow freely despite that. I could hear the pounding of my heart in my ears, as the world around me pulsed in tandem.


    I stumbled backward as I shot to my feet. Like a shot of adrenaline, energy exploded within me. I wanted to move, to sprint like the devil was at my heels. Not out of fear, but a nigh-uncontrollable craving to act. Strength coursed through my tightening muscles as I planted my feet, breaths flowing freely. The world spun and twisted, and the floor suddenly came really, really close-


    I suppose I was due for losing consciousness, considering I didn''t earlier today¡­ Still sucks though¡­


    My entire world went black.

 Memento Mori - 4

    Consciousness returned as I opened my eyes with a breathy sigh. Light seeped through the closed curtains of the room in which I awoke. Blinking slowly, I sat up as I pushed the velvety soft blankets off my body. They were a pale blue and lined with white thread. The bed felt like a cloud as I laid on it.


    Looking around, I took in my current residence. It was a large room, I''m guessing approximately fifteen feet from wall to wall and twelve feet tall. It was also painfully empty, save for the bed. The bed I was sitting on seemed to be Queen-sized with a black canopy attached to the frame, encompassing me in a vaguely grey-white sheet that restricted most of the light reaching me. The blanket had a soft velvety feel that trailed gently along my skin as I pushed the blanket further off me and climbed out of bed. Parting the veil, I stepped onto the cold stone floor, shivering at the contact on my bare feet. Glancing down, I realized that I was no longer wearing my clothes from earlier, but a pair of cloth pants that fell to the middle of my shins with a rope wrapped around my waist. A white linen T-shirt was all that I had as a top.


    Turning my attention to my surroundings, I frowned as I saw that my room was bare, just formed from stone, with no furniture, save for my bed. There was a single window on the left side of the room. Well, it was more like a rectangular hole in the wall, that pointed out into what a vast white expanse into nothingness.


    "The hell¡­" I murmured as I approached the window, ignoring the biting cold that dug into the soles of my feet. When I came within arm''s reach, though, the stone seemed to sizzle and bubble, widening the hole where a window would rest. The sill of the window dipped downwards and downwards until it finally reached the floor, before solidifying and becoming a doorway more than accommodating for me to pass through unhindered. I regarded it with the wariness one would a rabid animal.


    I stopped when the stone ceased its movements, frowning as I considered my next options. "Well¡­no use wasting time." I sucked in a breath and strode through the opening. As I did, white light exploded in front of me, forcing me to close my eyes in surprise. I took a step back as I raised my hand, covering my face. Seconds passed where it felt like the entire world had frozen, then¡­


    A gentle breeze kissed the bare skin of my hand and arm, causing me to open my eyes. An endless empty field of green grass and vast clear skies, as far as the eye could see, greeted me as I stood there. The flowing blades of grass tickled the soles of my feet as I stepped forward. I turned my head and froze as I saw that the building I had exited was gone. Looking around, I took in my change in surroundings filled a sense of trepidation and¡­hope. "Caged¡­no longer."


    "Truly. No such statement better exemplifies the Ruler we''re meant to become." A woman''s refined voice caused me to twist around surprise, my hands clenching in case I had to fight. She was on the shorter side, the top of her head barely reaching my chin, but she held herself with pride. She was svelte with tightly braided-hair as black as the night sky with blue eyes as bright as the blue sky above us. Lightly tanned skin, unmarred by time, contrasted her well-worn, but perfectly maintained armor. Her lips curled in an amused smirk, eyes sparkling with secretive mischief and conceit. She wore a gown of steel, leather, and chainmail, parted on the left side to reveal a slender leg clad in a silver greave. Fingerless, leather-gloved hands rested on her belted hips, argent vambraces glinting in the sunlight. Folded leather hung from the front of her neck, and a lowered hood rested behind her head. Upon her chest was a segmented chest plate, though only her left shoulder was covered, leaving the right just showing chainmail over black leather. She bore no weapons, though a part of me knew that she could bare steel at any moment.


    "No more bars, no more walls, no more chains!" The woman''s smile widened into a grin as she crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. "Ha! I''ll embrace this belief; this single-minded delusion, as if it were my own." Her eyes glinted with unconditional approval. "Yes. I accept with every fiber of my being. My hopes, my dreams, my ambitions. I shall give them to you, my Deigned Proxy."


    I furrowed my brow at her, unable to keep the scowl from appearing on my face. This woman''s¡­arrogance was grating on my nerves, something fierce. "What are you talking about?"


    The woman let out a proud laugh, baring her teeth impatiently. "Freedom. Self-determination. Desire. All the things that you want are finally within reach. The ultimate question is this: what are you willing to do for it?"


    I didn''t answer her. Instead, I just met her gaze with my own, matching my silence with her proud exuberance.


    She wasn''t disappointed by my lack of an answer; her smile widened as her eyes glistened with excitement. The woman moved, slowly walking to the side, gradually encircling me as she never took her eyes off me. "You stand at a precipice of choice, where a single decision can shape the very path you''re meant to take. What will you do? Where will you go? Who will you discard?"


    I scowled at her. "So it''s part of my destiny to push my friends aside?" I practically spat the word, showing my distaste not for the word, but also for the idea it represented.


    The woman''s expression darkened, quite literally so. Bright blue eyes shifted from soft sky blue to frenzied midnight, glaring off to the side; her grin transformed from one of excitement to a veneer of contained fury and disgust. Her final step ended into an earth-shaking stomp, sending vibrations through my body. Still, I did not move. "Destiny is a word for the weak-minded and soft-hearted fools who know nothing more than the chains of expectations." Her eyes turned onto me, a frantic fervent silent demand present in them. She bared her teeth and clenched her hands into a pair of fists, knuckles cracking from the force of her clench. "Stand above that, my Proxy, and show the world you are the champion of your Fate and not some trumped up poem!" She lifted her hands and punched a fist into her open palm, eliciting an echoing crash that reverberated throughout the open field. "No. Your destiny is to tear your freedom from the hands of the cold, dead fools who believe that they can control you."


    I felt a rush of adrenaline as I listened to her words. Not from fear. No from anxiety. Not from dread. But¡­from excitement. Her words struck a chord within my chest, causing my breaths to come out quick, but silent. Such a feeling, such a sensation. "Who are you?"


    Her smile shifted once more, like flowing, molten steel, to a noble mien. "I am the Dominion of all that stands before me. The Commander of all that which upon these hands touch." She lifted her hands, opening them as she grasped mine. "My hands are yours, just as yours are mine." She turned her head to the side, gazing into the distance. The air around us, the gentle breeze, began to pick up, to whip our loose clothing. "It is our ambition to stand above all, to enlighten the ignorant masses of our dominance. It is our inevitable end to sit upon the throne and guide those below us. It is our drive to uphold those who wish to strive for more than what they can hold in their hands." She looked back to me, eyes once again a bright, sky blue. The sky rumbled and shook, thunder echoing from a distance. "There are those who wish to use us. Use us to control those who would leash us." Her grip on my hands tightened. "Disavow them of that notion. Teach them our might. Our Dominion."


    A weight settled upon my shoulders when she said that ¡ª a not unwelcome burden.


    "Your name¡­it is Dominion." I did not ask but stated. The moment I said that the air froze, the sky emptying of sound and noise.


    ¡®Dominion¡¯ smiled in pride, looking up to me with eyes that swam with emotion I could not read. "Our hands are hands that are meant to command that which must be practiced in others. Such commands are those that are limited by the wielder''s strength. Our skill is without match, without loss. Our might is driven by that which we wield. Our Dominion is held aloft by that which our hands rest upon." She looked down at our entwined hands.


    I followed her gaze and froze at what I saw. She no longer wore her armor. She was no longer clad in steel, in leather, in chainmail. She wore an ankle length dress of linen and cloth, a silver corset around her slender chest. Her black hair was flowing freely behind her, falling to her waist. Her smile was proud, firm, and unmoved; a bastion of immovable will and overwhelming determination, telling me that it was her who exuded strength, not the armor she formerly donned.


    In place of my cloth and linen clothing, I wore her armor. Silver and black greaves covered my legs and feet, flexible and powerful joints at the knees and ankles ¡ª a leather belt with an empty sheath and a new, white belt buckle. My arms were clad in segmented steel, held together by chainmail over a pair of leather bracers, shimmering with sterling vambraces, glistening regally in the gleaming sunlight. I wore a formfitting leather vest, with a silver chainmail cowl and a sterling chest-plate.


    The weight was noticeable, but not as overbearing as I''d expect armor like this to be. I looked to ¡®Dominion¡¯ in surprise to see a gentle pride in her soft blue gaze. "How¡­?"


    "Your resolve has captured the attention of my austere and royal self. My power is your power, as your ambitions are my ambitions. Your dreams, your hopes, your desires. I will give you the tools to reach them, but it will up to you to bring them to the light." She pulled her hands from mine and stepped back, her bare feet sliding silently along the flat plain of grass. "You are to be the Master of your Fate. The Captain of your Soul." She clenched her hand tight enough for her knuckles to crack audibly and held it aloft in front of her. "The Driving Force to bring about change to both of your Worlds." ¡®Dominion¡¯ opened her hand, revealing a floating orb of light. It illuminated her face as her eyes lifted to meet mine. "Rise and scoff at those who would shackle you, my Proxy. Show the world that you are greater than their greatest Champion." Her eyes narrowed as her smile widened, baring her teeth to the world. "Never lose yourself to fear, my Proxy. For while this may be the first, last and only time we meet, remember that I will always be standing at your side."


    As she said that, the world around me began to dissolve, to dim, to break apart before my eyes. It was like a string being pulled from fabric, unraveling rapidly, uncontrollably. The vast plains vanished into the white expanse of nothingness until it came to an unnoticeable crawl at a five-foot radius around us. Despite that, ¡®Dominion''s¡¯ tone remained firm and unmoving, an immovable object amid unstoppable progress. "No matter the paths you take, the goals you strive for, the choices you make, I, Dominion, shall always embrace you as my own, my Proxy." Her intense gaze softened as she looked to me.


    "Because, Joseph Blaine, you are the man I chose to carry my will as your own. The man I chose to embody our victory." Her smile turned soft, gentle. Almost motherly. "I eagerly await to hear how your story unfolds." The unraveling finally reached her, starting at her feet and echoed upwards. Like leaves, ¡®Dominion''s¡¯ body began to break apart and fall into nothingness.


    The last thing I heard before everything went white, and I lost consciousness once more was. "I wish you a happy, eventful life, my Beloved Proxy, Joseph Blaine."


    <hr>


    I sat up quickly, gasping almost frantically as I tried to catch my breath. Looking around, I took in my simple room. It was relatively small, with a small bedside table next to my bed''s headboard. There rested a wooden dresser that stood at waist height for me a little desk across from it and a chair in front of it. The bed I sat upon was small, twin-size, with a red blanket and white sheets. Turning to the side, I stepped onto the soft carpet next to my bed. Standing, I realized that I was still in my clothes from before.


    Brushing the honest confusion aside, I walked over to the window next to my bed. Squinting at the light that peeked through the black curtains, I reached forward and pushed them aside. Bright sunlight peered into my room, illuminating it.


    "How long was I out?" I murmured to myself as I grimaced, rubbing my face. I couldn''t fight the feeling that I had a dream but couldn¡¯t recall it. Shaking my head, I stepped away from the window and allowed the curtains to fall back. I walked over to where I saw my shoes and pulled them on and went above to the door. Opening it, I walked into a narrow marble hallway and shut the door behind me. Looking around, I took in the long hall and the various entryways that held them.


    The sound of voices and clanging steel in the distance caught my attention. A part of me wondered if that meant something terrible was happening, but then I remembered that I had fallen unconscious while within the DeVere Castle Keep. With that thought in mind, I began to head in the direction of the sounds. As I walked down the hall, though, a young woman dressed in a long black skirt, a white long sleeve shirt and dark brown vest with a white bonnet atop her head stepped from around the corner, carrying a wooden bucket. Upon seeing me, her green eyes widened in surprise. "Sir Blaine, you''ve finally awakened?" Before I answered, she smiled happily. "That''s great. I assume the potion worked for you then?"Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Yeah¡­" I looked down at my hand, feeling something had changed about it. "I suppose so." I murmured, more to myself than to her. Then, shaking my head, I looked to the woman. "Where is everyone?"


    "They have joined Her Highness''s chosen knights to begin training." She explained, motioning for me to follow. I did, and she continued to explain it to me as we walked towards an exit at the end of the hall. "After your unfortunate collapse, Her Highness located temporary rooms for you and the rest of the Heroes. You''ve been resting for an entire day, and the rest of them have begun training with Knights specially chosen by Her Highness." She paused and studied me. "Are you hungry, Sir Blaine? You''ve slept for such a long time, and they said you did not eat much beforehand."


    I hummed as I considered her words. Then I nodded. "Yeah. I''ll get something to eat first. Would you be willing to show me the way?" I paused, then added, "What is your name, by the way?"


    The woman smiled kindly. "Beatrice. And I would gladly do so, Sir Blaine."


    After having eaten, fruits and a few strips of jerky, since the cooks weren''t preparing anything, and I didn''t want to raise a fuss, I followed Beatrice towards a wide-open field. In the distance, I could see people milling about, some holding weapons, some talking with one another, and others trading arms. As we reached them, Beatrice inclined her head to me. "I believe you can go the rest of the way on your own, Sir Blaine. I still have the rest of my daily duties to fulfill."


    I nodded. "I can. Thank you, Beatrice." She gave me a small smile and turned around. Continuing my way towards my class, I couldn''t help the feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu as I walked through this open field. Even the high walls of the keep in the distance made me feel a little trapped, but I was able to ignore it.


    Upon getting closer, one of the people there caught sight of me. Kacee''s dark brown eyes widened, and I could see the relief flow freely from her. A small smile came from her before her expression darkened. She began to stalk towards me, catching the attention of the others. "Joseph Blaine, you have some damn nerve to come here after what you did yesterday." Her tone was deceptively kind and only slightly murderous.


    I only offered her a shrug, smiling ever so lightly. "You have to admit; you feel somewhat the same, don''t you?"


    That caused her to pause, her expression becoming pensive before she steeled herself. "That still doesn''t excuse what you did." She finally reached me, crossing her arms with a frown. I didn''t answer her immediately, causing her to sigh. "Come on then. Do you have any idea what your Affinity is now?"


    I furrowed my brow at her words. "I don''t¡­" Lifting my hands, I stared at them as they clenched loosely. "Maybe¡­ I should try to test something out."


    Kacee frowned but nodded nonetheless. "Well then, let''s get you introduced to those training us. Perhaps they have an idea." She turned and motioned for me to follow. We approached the group, who had stopped what they were doing to watch us.


    As we did, Luke jogged over to me. He still looked the same, but there was a leather sheath attached to the waist of his pants. He gave me a playfully sarcastic look. "I see you''re still alive, Joey."


    "Sorry to disappoint," I said dryly, smiling despite myself.


    The three of us watched a bear of a man with a short, trimmed beard approach us. He wore primarily loosely worn leather, with a giant sword resting on his back. He wore a pair of gloves, but bandages were sticking out the wrist of the left. He grinned down at me, crossing his thick arms with a laugh. "So, this is the ¡®pigheaded idiot'' that was left behind. How was your Awakening, Sir Hero?"


    I gave Kacee and Luke a look at the words the man said to me, shaking my head at their even stares. "I don''t¡­remember anything. Did it even work?"


    The man snorted, giving me an amused look. "Oh, it worked. There is weight about you, unlike your fellow Heroes. You feel more like a resident of Verum than your fellows do." His mouth widened into a grin. "Even amongst the people of Veritas''s Royal Guard, the amount of power you exude is extraordinary. Whatever your Affinity, it must be powerful." Waving a hand forward, he motioned for me to follow. "Come. I can at least use your new appearance to help with a new lesson for the rest of the Heroes."


    Our group finally reached everyone else, and the rest of my class swiftly crowded me. But before anyone could begin the inevitable onslaught of questions, Mr. Lethe strode forward. His very presence was enough to silence everyone before they could start. He studied me, his expression masked. A breath escaped him as he exhaled. "How do you feel?"


    I paused, opening my mouth to reply but unable to find the words. Then I closed my mouth and closed my eyes.


    ¡­caged, no longer¡­


    "Finally, free," I said with a small smile, even as a hauntingly familiar weight pressed down on my shoulders.


    His gaze turned flinty, but he nodded nonetheless. "Can I trust you not to do something like that again?"


    "Hopefully." I offered him, my gut telling me not to promise him fully.


    Exhaustion settled on his features as he rested a hand on his face. "You were nowhere near this difficult earlier." He murmured to himself. Then he set his shoulders. "I suppose I shouldn''t expect too much, considering how far from home we are." He looked around the rest of the class. "Save the questions for later. Right now, we''re still getting into the swing of practice." He looked back over to me. "Are you up for it?"


    "Yeah." I wasn''t tired, despite just getting up. I felt tensed and ready, wanting to jump right into doing something. "I want to do it."


    "Ha! That''s what I like to hear." The knight slapped me on the back, and I took a step forward to keep on my feet. Something was forced into my hands as everyone began to step back and clear up room for the man and me. "You may call me Geoffrey, and I was asked to get all of you into shape and ready for whatever comes your way." He pointed to the object in my hands. "I''ve given you a sword, now let''s see if we get you up to snuff, boy."


    I narrowed my eyes at him, catching the slight condescension in his tone. My lips pursed as I undid the wrap on the sword. Dropping the cloth to the ground, I studied the weapon. It was a simple looking weapon with a one-handed grip and blade that was around sixteen inches long. The hilt was well-worn, and the guard was short. It was weighty, though it didn''t feel overwhelming. Grabbing the grip with my right hand, I grasped the sheath and pulled them apart. A faint hiss of steel greeted me as I unsheathed the sword.


    When the sword came out entirely, I felt a tingle race up my arm. My eyes widened as I stared at my reflection in the steel. Closing my eyes, I released a calming breath and lowered the sword in my hand. Then I opened my eyes and looked towards the amused looking Geoffrey. "Well, boy, are you just going to stand there? We can''t stay here the whole day-"


    I was right in front of him, the edge of my sword singing towards his side. The man''s eyes widened in surprise as he swiftly countered, pushing my sword away with a grunt. My body moved on its own, retaliating immediately. I pulled the sword back and aimed at his other side. Geoffrey deflected that attack too. He brushed my lunge aside, but I followed up by twisting my body and swinging my sword to matching the motion. He grunted beneath the force of my attack as he blocked it.


    I narrowed my eyes at him, just as his own widened. Leaning forward ever so lightly, I pushed myself to go farther, faster. My sword cried for victory as I began to attack in earnest. A skill I had no clue I held was present as I attacked with my longsword. Strikes moved as fast as my body allowed, aiming at many different openings I found in my opponent''s stance. I spun and lashed out time and time again, steel clashing with steel in a macabre melody. My feet slid and stepped along the flat terrain, practically dancing around the larger man.


    I continued to probe his defenses with my blade; my attention focused on finding an opening as I allowed my body to act on its own. The knowledge I had no clue I held flowed through my conscious thoughts, feeding me the information I needed to perform correctly. My muscles burned as I steadily moved, my thoughts racing as I tried to think my way through the battle. It was a pleasant burn, one that told me that I was making progress, yet still nowhere near my limit.


    Geoffrey''s expression was intense as he continued to hold me back, yet neither of us gave or took ground. We were stationary, slowly maneuvering around one another. He the immovable object and me the unstoppable force assaulting his form nigh unendingly. Our swords sang the song of battle, cutting through the air without remorse. I couldn''t fight the smile that appeared on my face, the exhilarating freedom I felt from this duel sending chills down my spine.


    Continuous motions, swords diverted with every swing, no direct clashes of steel. Nigh perfect footing allowed me to practically dance around the knight''s stable form as I continued to search for an opening in his guard. Seeing a hitch in a step, I caught sight of him taking action back and was about to capitalize, but-


    I leaped back, inhaling and exhaling as I felt a sharp pinch deep in my chest. My lungs constricted as I slid along the ground. Dropping to my knees, I allowed the sword to fall freely from my hand as I reached into the pockets of my pants. Finding what I was looking for, I pulled out my inhaler and shaking it frantically, I put the inhaler between my lips and took a shot of it. Chilled air flew into my airways and opened them as I allowed my body to relax. Tenseness settled into my body as my actions caught up with me. Disbelief ran through me.


    How in the hell was I able to do that?!


    A childish giddiness quickly replaced disbelief as I tried to fight back the excited smile that threatened to grow on my face.


    Breathing deeply, I slid my inhaler back into my pocket and looked around to see my class and Geoffrey staring at me in disbelief. Then he threw his head back and let out a deep belly laugh, lowering his sword arm. I blinked owlishly at him, thrown off by his sudden exuberance.


    At the same time, off to the side, I couldn''t help but notice that the rest of my class were just as shocked as I was, though there were reacting quite differently from the knight across from me.


    A shock was ever-present amongst all of them, though there was an inquisitiveness within it.


    Amongst them, though, there were a few different reactions, beyond the apparent shock and awe.


    Luke was the first to gather himself; his expression becoming masked as a deep regard came over him. Was that jealousy I saw for a moment? At least before he shook his head? His gaze honed in on me with an unusual attentiveness, calculated as he looked to Geoffrey, then back to me.


    Kacee was next. Her eyes were narrowing as she studied me, then the sword at my feet. Then her eyes widened, as if in realization.


    Rudy''s lethargy vanished as he straightened his posture and lasered his focus directly onto me, his fingers twitching as if reaching for something.


    Amber showed shock; her mouth fell open for a second before she shut it and grinned excitedly.


    Mitsuki frowned in concentration, her dark eyes flickering amongst me, the sword and Geoffrey, before a subtle realization settled on her face.


    Before I could see how the others reacted, the sound of clapping caught my attention. Turning the source, I saw that it was the princess and her two guards from before. She was wearing a more casual form of her dress, which fell to a little below her knees, revealing her black raised-heel boots. Emelina''s expression was excited and proud, bearing her perfect white teeth in a triumphant grin. Her knights were still in their armor. They were studying me with an intensity that made me want to pick up the sword at my feet once more.


    "Such skill. Such talent. Never in all years have I seen anyone use a sword with such ability after picking it up for the first time." Emelina gushed, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "This was the first time, yes?"


    I nodded to her, picking up the sword as I stood up straight. "Never held one before in my life." I looked down at it, my hand clasped loosely, but firmly, on the hilt.


    "A martial Affinity, then, Your Highness?" Valeri said, both to Emelina and to me, indirectly.


    "I wouldn''t make that claim, yet, Valeri." Kara demurred, looking over to Geoffrey. "Hey, oaf, enough guffawing and let us know your thoughts." Though her words were coarse, her tone was light and kind.


    The man snorted at the end of his laughter, giving Kara a dry look. "His skill was unparalleled." He stated as if saying that water was wet. His gaze fell to me, brow raising when I didn''t react to his praise. "However, they were light. Far too light than they should have been for someone of that skill level." He frowned, sheathing his sword before crossing his arms and resting his chin on a hand. "Regular drills won''t work for you, Sir Blaine. Oh no¡­" His expression turned playfully anticipatory. "What you need is physical conditioning, Sir Blaine. Stamina, strength, and agility. If you can get those anywhere close to the level of an average knight of Veritas, then you very may well take the rank of the greatest knight from the King''s guard."


    That caused a frustrated hiss to escape Emelina; her look narrowing onto a playfully amused Geoffrey. Even Valeri and Kara stiffened, though they weren''t focused on the knight, on me instead. The princess huffed at him, squinting at the man before she shook her head. "We''re not getting into this here, Earl- Geoffrey." She turned from him with a jerk of her head, before looking to me, her regard softening. "Sir Joseph, how¡­do you feel about this?"


    I took in her question and looked down at the sword I held. It fits in my grasp awkwardly, I just realized. It felt off-center and¡­incomplete. As I shifted my grip, I couldn''t help but frown at the light chafe against my palm. Shaking my head, I looked over to Emelina''s concerned and curious expression and wondered my answer. A part of me wanted to make a quip and play off just how out-of-my-depth I felt, but another part¡­


    "I need to get better," I stated, causing her to nod in understanding. As she was about to answer, though, I spoke again. "But I need to know why." She looked to me in confusion. "Summon us. Why?"


    Emelina and the three knights stilled, their expressions turning blank. I tensed as I noticed, my heartbeat beginning to pick up as I tightened the grip on my sword. I was still reeling from my earlier exertion, the adrenaline that I felt earlier came roaring back, but I would keep fighting if necessary, regardless of my weakness. I kept my eyes on the princess but made sure that Geoffrey was still in my periphery.


    "There is¡­" Emelina began in a subdued voice. "An inevitability that will come to pass." She said, eyes closing with a grimace. "Thankfully, Veritas has been in an era of peace. War has been almost nonexistent, though there has been the occasional skirmish along the borders." As she spoke, Valeri''s masked gaze was locked onto me, as if waiting. In my periphery, I noticed that Geoffrey was the same. Kara¡¯s was staring at me; head cocked to the side and hand resting on her sheathed sword. At that moment, I realized that I had not relaxed from my ready stand. "With my birth, however, there have been rumors that this peace may soon come to an end."


    I forced myself to relax, despite my instincts demanding otherwise for some reason. "How so?" As I did, the two knights did as well, though they never looked away from me.


    "For generations, the DeVere Royal Family has only given birth to male heirs. However, when I came into the world, a shift was felt within the world. It was as if the ambient energy of the world was being siphoned away by some unknown force as if preparing." Her eyes focused on me, and her next words sent a rush of disgust rushing through my chest. "It is prophesized that the next Demon Lord will be reborn in our world. We summoned from your world in the hopes of calling upon the next Hero King to combat him."


    ¡­Are you fucking kidding me?

 Memento Mori - 5

    Prophecy. Roughly a future event that dictates the path a person is to take to reach a preordained destination. An understanding between the individual and Fate that ultimately tells the participant that everything in their life from then on is no longer theirs alone? That nothing they do or strive for means anything in the end? Because the only thing that matters is the prophesized event that will inevitably come to pass.


    I¡¯ve always hated that literary tool. It¡¯s the ultimate crutch that removes any agency from the person involved with the prophecy.


    Those were the thoughts going through my head as I sat with my class in a surprisingly regular looking lecture hall in one of the towers in the castle¡¯s keep. It was a large, half-circle room, with a faintly curved inner wall that held what looked like a black chalkboard. We were all sitting on stiff-backed chairs with the table-desks resting in front of groups of threes. The walls were a smooth, dark grey stone, with a few glass windows along the walls behind us. Both attached to and hanging from; the ceiling was some glowing blue stones that added to the ambient light in the room.


    There were four long tables, with three of us sitting at each.


    Luke, Kacee, and me.


    Mitsuki, Amber, and Rudy.


    Guang, Colette, and Tadashi.


    Deandria, Baasima, and Nailah.


    Mr. Lethe was off to the side, looking a cross between amused and out of his depth, considering he¡¯s our teacher.


    Standing across from us was appeared to be a youngish looking woman with short, frazzled black hair, a pair of curved, cracked half-circle glasses and was dressed in a merger of a flowing dark brown cloak and a black tunic with the sleeves pushed up. Soot and a variety of other odd bits of grime peppered her clothes, though she paid it no mind. Thin lips were curled downwards as she looked from the podium in front of her, to us, then to the side where Emelina was standing, looking apologetic. Bright, almost ethereal, green eyes narrowed as she half glared, half stared at the contrite princess. Valeri, who stood behind her, had managed to remain stoic, despite the amusement I could see in her eyes.


    ¡°Princess Emelina, I thought I told you that I was leaving on for my journey tomorrow? His Majesty gave me a day to get ready.¡± Her voice was rough, as if from overuse.


    ¡°My apologies, Lillian, but you¡¯re the most versed in Verum¡¯s geography, having traveled all over. I thought that you would be the most qualified to educate the Heroes of our world.¡±


    Lillian¡¯s eyes narrowed, green taking on a more bright hue. ¡°Your attempts to butter me up are failing, Princess. My patience is limited.¡±


    ¡°Please, Lilly. For me?¡± Emelina pleaded mutely, eyes falling as she gave her a sad smile.


    The disheveled woman didn¡¯t react in the least, merely staring at Emelina. The two studied each other for a few more seconds before she closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°I could never say no to you or your sister, Emelina. Never asked for much, at that¡­¡± She then turned an exasperated glare to the side. ¡°If only the same could be said for your brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Lilly.¡± The princess¡¯s voice was faintly reproachful, even as a smile grew on her face.


    The woman rolled her eyes, waving a hand at Emelina. ¡°I¡¯ve known your father since he was Rex¡¯s age. I won¡¯t be condemned for speaking the truth.¡± She then waved again, motioning for her to leave. ¡°Now go, my Princess. Just as I have to educate these ignorant Heroes, you still have your studies. Now shoo.¡±


    Emelina smiled widely at Lillian. ¡°I shall; I shall.¡± She inclined her head once more to the woman. ¡°Once again, thank you, Lilly.¡± Then she turned and left the room, Valeri following after her.


    Lillian then turned her gaze towards, having acknowledged that we existed. Her gaze was critical and seemingly uncaring of our status. ¡°I don¡¯t want, nor need, to be here, but Emelina asked it of me, so I¡¯ll teach all of you what you need to know. Can¡¯t have our Heroes being ignorant fools, now can we?¡± She then clapped her hands, and the board behind her flickered and flowed until a picture-perfect rendition of a map appeared upon it. ¡°I am Lillian Laffey, and I am the Court Mage of the Kingdom of Veritas.¡±


    As if conjured from the air, maps miraculously appeared in front of each of us. ¡°Save your questions until the end, because I will not answer if you¡¯ve already been given one.¡± She turned and pointed to the center of the map.


    ¡°In the very center is our nation, Veritas, the largest and most prosperous Human-dominant nation.¡± Lillian waved her hand, causing a line to trace itself along the map, filling out borders. It was primarily flatlands if my reading of the route was correct. Few mountains and mostly valleys, though there were quite a few pockets of forestry. Lakes peppered it, broken apart by rivers and inlets. Veritas was a land-locked nation.


    ¡°To the far east is the Holien Empire, where those who wish to live their lives dedicated to the clergy are set,¡± Lillian explained, moving her hand to the side ¡ª separated from Veritas by a mountain range. It spanned the far east, more mountainous than Veritas, though there were long sweeping valleys that spaced themselves among the fields. Very few forests, though there were a few fjords and waterfalls. It manages to border the ocean on its leftmost edge.


    ¡°To the northwest, above beyond Veritas, are the thick forests of Melia. Woodland creatures, Elves, and other related peoples all live there in harmony.¡± From the image the map gave, it was indeed comprised primarily of forests. It was mostly valleys and plains, though there was a notable number of rivers, lakes and other bodies of water.


    ¡°In the south, amongst the treacherous mountain ranges, is the nation of Kohinoor. The home of the dwarves and other mountain folks.¡± Oh, yeah. Kohinoor looked like it was all mountains. Rivers and lakes were sparse, though I would probably be right to assume that the majority of water would be underground. I also spied desert, a barren wasteland where I doubted that life could adequately thrive.


    ¡°Predominately in the west, where nature has run amok due to long past time, is the vast wilderness of Verum,¡± Lillian spoke softly, though there was a spark of glee in her glowing green eyes. ¡°Though it has been lost to time, it is rumored that the nation led by the Demon Lord himself, Terras, resides.¡± She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Many people have tried to map out that region properly, but they¡¯ve either lost their lives in the attempt or have simply lost the proof of their cartography.¡±


    Indeed, the west-most portion of the map seemed to be¡­well, not blank, but a loosely drawn/written description of what could be there.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ve told you about the lay of the land. Do you have any questions?¡± Lillian asked abruptly, turning her intense gaze to us.


    ¡°It¡¯s all a single landmass,¡± Kacee spoke up, meeting Lillian¡¯s intense gaze with her own. ¡°What¡¯s on the other side of the world?¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s ever returned from the journey,¡± Lillian explained succinctly. She then narrowed her eyes and continued. ¡°Many people have tried to traverse those wildlands between Veritas and Terras, but ever since the Hero King¡¯s journey, it¡¯s always failed.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Nothing gets in or out magically. It¡¯s as if Verum itself has decided to protect the Demon Lord¡¯s domain.¡±


    I took in her words with careful thought. I could imagine various reasons why that was the case, but none were beneficial immediately, or even provable at the moment. With that in mind, I decided to clear the air about something specific. Lifting a hand, I called her attention to me. ¡°Can you give us a brief rundown on how magic works?¡±


    Her eyes narrowed, almost warningly. ¡°A ¡®brief rundown¡¯ on magic, young man?¡± She scoffed. ¡°The mystical art of manipulating the fabric of reality is not something a ¡®brief rundown¡¯ can adequately accurately convey.¡± She smacked the board with the flat of her hand, causing the room to shake almost violently and the board to blank. ¡°Magic is more than the average person can ever fully comprehend. It encompasses life and enshrines death. It creates hope and shatters despair. Magic is a lifestyle that only the most capable can even dream of pursuing.¡± Lillian spoke passionately, yet her voice did not rise above a whisper, her happy expression telling me how much she adored her craft.


    Lillian turned her deep regard onto me, the glow of her eyes flaring minutely, before dying down to a faint glimmer. ¡°You are the Hero who recently awakened his Affinity, yes?¡± I nodded to her, causing the corner of her mouth to quirk upwards. ¡°A martial Affinity limited to the physical representation of skill and ability.¡± Her studying gaze became sharp, green eyes focusing on me intently. ¡°The practical use of the Arcane arts is forever outside of your casual grasp, Young Hero. Though, your physical attributes will be augmented by the unconscious use of your internal magical reserves.¡±


    I found myself nodding to her explanation. It made sense. If there were any form of natural balance in the world, then my instant mastery of the sword would positively be matched by my inability to use necessary magical abilities. Didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t disappointing though.


    ¡°However,¡± She suddenly caught my attention once more, Lillian¡¯s demeanor unexpectedly severe. ¡°Every Affinity has a Name, a Title. Upon awakening your Affinity, you wield but a fraction of its true potential. Should you learn its Name, though, you will gain the full breadth of its Power.¡± Her smile turned sharp, almost predatory, as she looked over everyone else. ¡°Make no mistake, though the rest of you have yet to undertake the Awakening, your Affinities will represent your ability to direct and manipulate the ambient magic in the air and the reserves you carry within you.¡±


    ¡°How do we learn its name?¡± Luke asked her, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his seat. ¡°Our Affinities, that is.¡±


    Lillian simple shrugged, her eyes drooping almost half-closed as if she had lost interest. ¡°Experience. Learning how to use it effectively. Self-discovery. It all depends on both you and the Affinity you carry. There is no end-all, be-all to learning about your abilities.¡± She smiled, almost playfully, as exhaustion seemed to seep into her posture. ¡°Simply grow, Heroes, and progress as those meant to fight for what you believe.¡± She reached into her pocket and pulled out an ornate rectangular box. It was brown and decorated with a series of runes and carved images of various mythological creatures. Lillian toiled with a notch on the front of it, and with a click, it opened fully. Turning it around, she showed a collection of vials filled with a glowing liquid.


    ¡°Her Highness has given me permission to offer these to you, to finally awaken your Affinities.¡± She smiled widely, her slowly dimming gaze falling onto me. ¡°You have proof that it works, now, after all.¡± With a wave of her hand, a vial levitated almost lackadaisically out of its confines. ¡°Now¡­who wishes to go next?¡±


    <hr>


    Each person eventually took a vial for themselves. Passing out after taking one was a standard reaction, so I felt vindicated from my frustration at falling unconscious. The amount of time each person was out, though, varied for each person, but the length they were unconscious was primarily between a night''s sleep, or a whole day.


    Every Affinity was different, maybe with similarity or two, but each was unique in how they utilized them. Some were physical, some outwardly expressed themselves, but the Affinities were all different in the way that they used them.


    As that was going on, though, the appointed knights that Emelina had directed to help us grow worked us into the ground. Aside from that first day I woke up, where Geoffrey worked with all of us, each of us were assigned a single knight that would teach us what they could. Each person showed ways they could leverage their abilities while showing them how to use the weapon of their choice.


    Even with that, though, interspersed between training with the knights, we received rudimentary tutoring in how magic worked, also if the majority of us weren¡¯t able to use it as we hoped.


    The knight that was asked to work with me was Valeri.


    Along the inner wall of the Keep, Valeri ran alongside me with a steady, but fast, pace. As we ran, Valeri spoke in an even tone that dragged along my nerves with how firm it sounded. "Your Affinity opens up various avenues for how we can help you grow as a warrior." Her eyes trailed over to me as I held back a strained gasp, lifting my feet step by step. "You already have the skills to fight. Skills that normally take years to develop, let alone master." The corner of her mouth twitched upwards. "Your ¡®hacked skills'' can''t be fully leveraged against your classmates when you''re exhausted, now can they?"


    I gasped out a groan, turning a tired glare towards her. "I¡­still¡­can''t beat¡­Luke." I sucked in air greedily as she slowly accelerated.


    "At least you''re not fully alone when it comes to your conditioning. Madam Mitsuki''s Affinity lends itself well to unarmed combat." She continued as if I didn¡¯t speak, her tone is dry in its humor.


    I snorted despite my exhausted. "Unarmed? Yeah, right." Can''t exactly call yourself unarmed when your hand can grow claws sharp enough to rend steel. Valeri offered her smile before coming to a slow stop. I did as well, sucking in breath after breath to regain what life I had left.


    "How are you feeling?" She asked me, her serious mien focused on me. At my confused look, she elaborated. "Of all the summoned Heroes, you are the quietest. You reply either with one word or nonverbally¡­" Valeri frowned. "Are you unhappy?"


    "No," I answered her almost immediately. I wasn''t unhappy. Hell, I felt liberated. Free. I had a strength that I lacked before, and it was something I could call upon at a moment¡¯s notice. Though, I did miss Maggie, terribly. Still¡­ "I appreciate what you all are doing for me, for us. I feel honored that Lady Emelina is going so far for us."


    Valeri nodded to that, a small smile growing on her face. "Her Highness has always been abnormally dedicated to whatever she puts her mind to, given the right incentive." Yes, that damn ¡®prophecy.''


    Keeping my distaste off my face, I continued, "But¡­all I''ve seen are the inside of the walls." I said to her, catching my breath as my posture straightened. "Aside from the first day, none of us have seen any of the outlying villages¡­" I frowned as I studied her contemplative regard. "If my class and I are meant to be Heroes, how can we put our all into defending something that we''ve never experienced, let alone seen?"


    Valeri considered me intently, her eyes searching mine. She didn''t blink as she did so, her eyes locking with mine. After a few moments, her face became pensive. "Yes¡­that is a failing I did not notice." Then she nodded. "I shall bring it up with Her Highness the next we meet." She then reached behind her and pulled out her weapon. It appeared to be a three-segmented staff with a retractable blade on either end. "With that out of the way, we shall begin combat routines." Valeri smiled as she flicked her wrist, causing the weapon to snap outwards and fully attach, becoming a staff that was as tall as I was. "Your Affinity may grant you mastery over the blade, but developing proper physical muscle memory for combat will save your life in the future."


    I nodded to her, warily studying the staff as the blade jutted up and out, forming it into a halberd. "Okay¡­then, what''s the plan?"A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Her smile remained kind as she said a single word, "Evade."


    <hr>


    As it turns out, my Affinity doesn''t just give me technical mastery with a sword, but any weapon I hold in my hands. I had my suspicions, considering I knew I had no ability with the sword before my duel with Geoffrey, so I figured that that might be the case.


    I discovered this during a joint training session with Kacee, under the purview of her appointed trainer, considering that Valeri had an assignment of her own that day. Her assigned knight was an older, distinguished gentleman with a meticulously clean-shaven face named Welton. He was tall and bore it with confidence as he held his spear in one hand, the bottom end of it resting on the ground. His armor was primarily chain mail, though his legs were less armored than his upper body, covered in a loose-fitting leather and worn boots. His dull amber eyes were kind as he looked between the two of us.


    "Good, the two of you are properly armed and armored. I''m glad to see that you take your precautions seriously." His voice was soft but commanding, neither heavy nor light, but still caught one''s attention.


    Indeed, each of us received a standard set of protective clothing. Not fully ¡®armor,'' but just enough for us to eventually get used to the weight of armored clothing and the feel of it against our bodies. We were given these formfitting quilted jackets, internally layered with links of metal. They were also enchanted to breathe since we would be working to grow as warriors.


    Honestly, I think they did that because they wanted us to be happy, considering an offhand remark by Colette about ¡®heat and chafing.''


    On my back and poking over my right shoulder was the hilt of my sword. I had considered placing it at my hip but decided to test things out both ways, to see which felt best. Held in Kacee''s hand, like the knight before us, was a polearm with a small domed ball atop it. A standard, but without a flag.


    "Now, my first instinct was to treat this like I would any aspiring squires and have the two of you spar, to gauge your skill levels. However," His amused gaze fell upon me. "One of our esteemed Heroes has a very effusive Affinity, so that wouldn''t be effective for either of you."


    "How about if I use a different weapon?" I asked him.


    Welton narrowed his eyes at me in consideration, before looking to Kacee. "Would you consider that acceptable, Madam Kacee?"


    Kacee furrowed her brow at me, before nodding succinctly. "Yes." Not one for unneeded words, she accepted without a struggle, and we put a few more feet of space between us after I received a spear. As I grasped the shaft of the weapon, a tingle raced up my arms, and I felt my body subtly adjusting itself so that wielding the spear felt more comfortable. I was angling the spear-head downwards, spacing my hands farther apart on the haft, lightly lifting my back elbow, turning my body so that I stood sideways, and bending my knees to lower my center of gravity. Kacee saw my movements, before her eyes widened minutely, then rolled in exasperation, amusement and frustration present in a slight quirk of her lips.


    In my periphery, I noticed Welton''s eyes narrow, before he called out for us to start. I kicked forward, closing the distance between us almost instantaneously. The point of my spear rocketed towards her legs, hoping to end the spar right at that moment.


    Suddenly, a translucent purple, circular barrier the size of a basketball appeared in the path of my strike, stopping my charge cold and sending a jolt through my body. I grimaced at the sensation and watched as the barrier vanished as quickly as it appeared, and the haft of my spear was slapped away mercilessly by Kacee''s standard. Her counter followed a twisting slam, aimed at my left forearm.


    Pulled my spear back just in time to skip back and widen the distance between us, before lunging forward again. I threw a feint at Kacee¡¯s left shoulder and watched as another barrier appeared in the way. With a flick of my wrists, I swerved the direction of my thrust at her other shoulder. Kacee''s eyes widened in surprise, and her barrier vanished, jerkily pushing her standard in the path of my thrust. It hit the haft of my weapon and sent it off course. Planting my feet, I released my rear grip on the spear and slammed the bottom end of the haft on the inside of her leg, hooking it and gave it just the slightest of nudges.


    One moment she was standing and the next she was sprawled out on the ground behind me, face down. After a few seconds of silence, I froze and looked down at my friend. "Kacee! Are you alright?"


    She grunted and rolled over onto her back, before sitting up and gave me the driest glare imaginable. "You set me on my face. The only thing hurt is my pride." I offered her an apologetic smile as I held a hand out to her.


    As she took it and I helped her get to her feet, Welton cleared his throat. "I believe we''ve discovered a new limit of your Affinity, Sir Joseph."


    "Yeah. I guess we have." I muttered with a grimace.


    Welton hummed after my words, a small smile playing at his worn features. "I can now tell how Geoffrey felt after first meeting you¡­" His regard was intense, though curious. "You fight¡­like an old soldier just coming out of forced retirement." He frowned as he studied my body with a trained eye. "Are you certain you''ve never carried a weapon before, Sir Joseph?"


    "Yes, Welton. The day I dueled Geoffrey was the very first. Why?"


    The older knight didn''t reply immediately, his deep regard causing me to fidget. "It''s just¡­there''s an odd grace to your movements. Even your martial Affinity wouldn''t fully explain it, but magically granted skill doesn''t grant a warrior''s grace." His eyes narrowed as he looked into my own. "A grace that you seem to carry well, just like Madam Kacee next to you."


    That caused her eyes to widen as she looked to the knight in surprise. The man nodded to her silent question. "Yes. It''s as if the two of you were born to stand on the battlefield, but in different areas." He motioned to Kacee. "You, Madam Kacee, strike me as a warrior that others would rally upon in battle. There is a quiet intensity to the way you carry yourself, a subtle, but powerful, reassurance that grants strength to those who stand alongside you." His eyes rolled over to me. "You, however, Sir Joseph, have a very different impression about you."


    "What is it?" I asked him, stabbing the blunt edge of the spear into the ground so that I could lean on it.


    Welton scowled faintly at my actions but did not say anything against it. "You are the warrior that will no doubt lead the charge. Your instinctual understand of the weapon you wield and clear capability to follow those instincts will instill s supreme confidence within your person." I gave him a confused look, but he waved it off with an amused smile. "It''s a common correlation between those with exceptional martial capability and subtle physical charisma. Your very presence and physical skill may push those who fight alongside you to fight even harder in the hopes to lessen the burden you carry on the battlefield. Because, no matter what, one man can never win a war."


    He paused, his eyes examining the two of us. ¡°Besides, the two of you are ideal for team combat.¡± At his words, Kacee stiffened, her eyes flickering from me to him, then back to me. Welton smiled widely, pride in his eyes. ¡°You recognize it, do you not?¡± She nodded, and he waved his hand to her. ¡°Explain it. I wish to hear your words for it.¡±


    ¡°Defense and offense,¡± Kacee stated plainly. I felt my eyes widen at that, causing her to smirk. ¡°Your pure physical capability coupled with my preference, and ability, for defense offers an almost perfect counter to any combat scenario.¡± She motioned to me. ¡°With our Affinities working in tandem, we¡¯d be able to fight and defend simultaneously.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Welton said softly. ¡°Working together, the two of you would be ideal went acting in defense of an objective.¡±


    Kacee and I looked to one another at his words, as I digested his words and I was sure she was doing the same for herself.


    "Enough of that, though. Battlefield strategy is not yet something we need to teach all of you. Perhaps only those with a desire to learn it, though." Welton smiled almost knowingly at Kacee, who looked away with a blushing scowl. "Now, I think we''ve wasted enough time talking. There''s still more to do when it comes to your combat abilities. We have much to do before your visit to the chapel tomorrow morning."


    With that, Welton resumed our combat training, only this time he made sure he added himself to the equation.


    <hr>


    Shining radiantly, high in the blue sky, the sun beat down on us as we stepped out of our respective carriages in front of a large white building. It appeared to be immaculately carved alabaster marble with a high, rounded roof, encompassed almost entirely with stained glass. Above the tall double-wide doors was what seemed to be a beautifully engraved hilt and cross-guard of a sword pointed downwards as if sheathed into the earth. Along the outer edge of the church, there was a trail of immaculately trimmed shrubbery and trees. In the distance, I could see the Castle Keep, the three towers standing proudly on the horizon. Behind us, there was a village for the common folk, with an assortment of wooden and stone buildings, primarily being a merchant''s quarters, if the constant foot traffic and bartering civilians at stands were any indications. A few yards to the side was a horse''s stable, where the horses from our carriages were resting after having brought us here.


    "A sword for their deity? Sheathed in the earth and waiting to be drawn by a higher power to smite the unbelievers?" I murmured to myself, half-joking and half-serious, unable to hide the playful smile on my face. A small laugh escaped me.


    "God, you''re morbid." Luke snorted as he heard my sleepy mumblings. He gave me an oblique look as if he thought I was crazy. "Is there anything in the water? Or are you just loopy from exhaustion?"


    "I''d rather lean on the side of caution and assume the both and neither at the same time," I answered him with a broader smile. Luke let out a laugh, his eyes closing as he did so.


    Rudy gave us a sidelong look, his brow raised in question. "You''re both insane; I hope you know that."


    Luke grinned at our subdued classmate. "I prefer the term ¡®fun.''"


    He rolled his eyes. "So that''s what we''re calling it now. I''ll keep that in mind." Rudy very clearly did not walk away from us, still walking along my right side.


    Our class was spread out in front of the chapel, in no real order, while Mr. Lethe was in front and speaking with Emelina and the robed man I remember seeing the day they summoned us. As we stood there, waiting for the tour to begin correctly, I looked over to Rudy. "You never really explained before. What''s your Affinity again?"


    Rudy didn''t explain; his eyes closed as I heard him inhale through his nose. After a few seconds, he spoke, "There''s a garden around the back of the chapel. A young neophyte is currently tending it. She''s not giving enough water to the herbs for them to grow to fruition, but just enough to keep them alive. Likely due to ignorance." He motioned to the side, along with the outer edge of the chapel grounds. "There''s a squirrel foraging for nuts within that tree, but it''s dangerously close to a bird''s nest." He grimaced and waved his hand lightly. "The mother bird has already warned the squirrel, but he doesn''t care. There''s going to be a conflict soon, but I don''t know the specifics."


    Luke and I blinked in hilarious unison as we listened to our soft-spoken classmate speak more in a minute than we''ve heard in a past class session. "Um¡­okay, Dr. Dolittle," I said with a slow grin growing on my face. "Have you considered using your Affinity in a forest, yet?"


    He glared at me. ¡°I can see through Nature, not talk to animals.¡± He rolled his eyes and nodded lethargically, though a smile played at his lips. "Yeah. Though, it''s sometimes too much." He pushed a hand through his dark hair, a small grimace on his face. "It''s like a new sense; I have to adapt to it before I can experiment with it."


    Luke scrunched his nose as he nodded. "Yeah, I know how that feels. Accelerated perception''s a pain when you''re not used to it." He placed a hand on his forehead, shaking his head with a gusty sigh. "Too much at once and it''s a migraine enough to knock you out."


    "Yes. Says the guy who''s the best fighter amongst us right now." Rudy drawled, his expression dry as he turned a gimlet eye to Luke.


    "To be fair," I started, my tone careful. "Luke''s limits are like mine. Where mine is a physical weakness; his weakness is mental." I shrugged at their studying looks. "Once we resolve those, we''ll technically be undefeatable." Honestly, I wasn''t sure I liked how that sounded. I loved a challenge, so the thought of being functionally ¡®undefeatable'' was something I wasn''t overly wanted.


    Before either of them could respond, Mr. Lethe clapped his hands together, catching our attention. "Alright, everyone. Princess Emelina has managed to convince Father Emmerich to allow us to tour the inside of the local chapter of the Church of the First Hero." He offered us a playful grin. "So, let''s try not to cause them too much trouble now." He motioned towards the man in the robes.


    His expression was stern as he looked to each of us with a masked gaze. He held no expectations, from what I could tell from him, but he could be pretty good at masking his mien. "As your instructor has stated, I am Father Emmerich of the Church of the Hero." He turned partially and motioned to the chapel. "We do not worship the first Hero, but we do exalt his deeds, as they shaped the kingdom in which we live, as well as saving mankind as it stands." He looked to each of us, his gaze meeting ours in turn. "The Great God that watches over us sent the Hero to us, granting him the power to change our Home for the better." He closed his eyes and turned his head down as if praying. "The sacrifice he gave for our continued lives is one that we should never forget. I hope that each of you measures up to a third of his strength so that all of your endeavors end in victory." He turned brusquely and walked into the chapel.


    Each of us remained still as we watched him leave and I blinked faintly in minor disbelief.


    "Well, that was¡­odd," Deandria stated as she placed a hand on her hip, arching a brow as she stared after the priest.


    Emelina offered her a shaky smile. "Please, forgive Father Emmerich. He is very dedicated to the parish." She paused and looked over to Kara.


    The knight smiled ever so lightly. "He''s also frustrated that his liaison to the Royal family did not inform him of our arrival."


    Mr. Lethe let out a sigh and shook his head. "Well, I suppose we should go inside the chapel before he gets angry." That brought out an amused smile from Kara as he led us into the chapel proper. It was like walking through a wall of cold air when I stepped through the entrance. The dimmed lights made little difference, even as sunlight bore through the stained-glass dome ceiling. The main building seemed to be a standing room only building, with very few seats, with the side walls decorated with a pair of different murals, each depicting a separate individual, surrounded by a collage of various paintings and colors.


    In front of us was a raised altar with a bright silver cauldron sitting next to it. A place for donations? There was also a closed door off to the side. People clad in robes were milling about, speaking with one another, though they paused in their discussions as we entered, looking to us in surprise and¡­awe?


    "These are the murals dedicated to the two most influential individuals connected to the evolution of Veritas and the history of Verum." Emelina motioned to our right, to the image of a man clad in thin, light armor. "This is the artistic rendition of our vaunted Hero King." At his side, stabbed into the ground, was what appeared to be a European longsword with a simple cross-guard and hilt. Flowing from his left shoulder was a wrist length cloak that concealed his arm. The mural depicted his armor as a gleaming silver and a cowl masking his face, though it showed his eyes as having a golden hue. Around him, stood a group of others, though their faces were shrouded in shadow, each carrying a different weapon ¡ª dagger, spear, bow, ax, staff. Above them, in the sky of the mural, were angelic-like beings, with their wings outstretched and encompassed a bright light shining down upon them.


    Then she motioned to our left. "And though he is feared and hated by those of our home, the Demon Lord is no less important." This image depicted what looked like a demon clad in darkness, a dark cloaked armor that was meant to intimidate. His face was shadowed over, revealing only a pair of menacing red eyes, the color of freshly spilled blood. He had no weapon near him, just an open hand that seemed to beckon you to him. All around him stood creatures from mythology and stories of old. At his left was what looked like a shadow of a black dragon, displaying bright white fangs and dark yellow eyes. Next to them was a crouched bipedal creature with outstretched leathery wings and bared claws. On the man''s right was another figure, clad heavy mail, with a sword as long as they were tall, and had spread wings of what resembled blades, outstretched behind their back. Next to them was what looked like the outline of a woman, with nine extremities behind them, hands outstretched and mysterious energy flaring outward.


    But what drew my eye the most was the creature that stood behind and above all of them. It was a creature of nightmares, an ever-shifting beast that continued to change before my very eyes. Its manner was one of chaos and hatred, with an insane look in its vast, dark gaze. Claws outstretched, fangs dripping and blood pouring¡­


    It seemed to draw me in, my focus honing in on the depiction of the mindless beast. My heart pounded deep in my chest as the sounds of clashing steel and cries of pain echoed in the back of my mind.


    "It''s too much!"


    "We can''t stop it!"


    "Send the people away! We can win this!"


    "Hold!"


    "Bring it down!"


    "I-I-I can''t do this¡­"


    "Stand and fight. For it is all we have in the end. When all seems lost, and death stares you in the face. The only thing one can do is continue to move forward. If only out of spite, for all those who wish to see our pain." Lost as I was in my thoughts, my murmurs remained almost inaudible as Emelina resumed speaking.


    "The important players involved in the confrontation between the Hero King and the Demon Lord, long since coined as Verum''s first and only Cataclysm, all those years ago are depicted here, on these moral." She motioned to the mural on the right. "The Hero and his companions, who arrived and guided those of Veritas to an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity." She motioned the left. "The Demon Lord and his four Generals, followed by the Apocalyptic Beast, Typhon."


    That jarred me from my intense focus, bringing my attention to what she just said.


    "Typhon?" Colette asked her, tapping her chin in confusion. "As in ¡®King of Monsters'' Typhon?"


    Emelina jerked in surprise. "Yes. Has such a beast tormented your world as well?"


    My classmate shook her head airily, though I could see the slight stiffness in her shoulders. "No. But there are stories in our world, mythologies, that tell of such a monster and many others."


    The princess regarded her, then us, for a moment, before she looked to Father Emmerich. The priest hummed faintly. "Perhaps, there were those in your world who could see through the veil between our worlds. They caught sight of our struggles and crafted tales from them."


    "Makes sense, I suppose. People love stories, especially stories about an underdog rising and becoming victorious in the end." Colette mused as she crossed her arms, eyes flickering to Kacee. "Isn''t that right?"


    She frowned as she nodded, her eyes focusing on the mural of the monster. "Yes. Though in our world, it was the Greek gods that fought it, and it was still a struggle. It wasn''t a true victory, either. They were only able to seal it away."


    Emelina smiled a gloomy expression that seemed to dim the already subdued atmosphere. "Yes¡­I supposed that part might have remained the same." Her turned playful. "Though, I wouldn''t call the Hero King and his companions, gods."


    Compared to witnessing the mural, the rest of the tour wasn''t as¡­exciting, I would say is an adequate word. Still, my thoughts continued to race as they always returned the two murals.

 Memento Mori - 6

    "Finally, we''re free to head into the village! I''ve been itching for a chance to have a day in town." Deandria skipped ahead of us, clad in a red and brown dress, a dagger resting in a sheath at her right hip.


    "We had to learn how to defend ourselves." Baasima defended, her expression oddly playful. She wore her hijab, wrapped around her head and only leaving her face uncovered. She was wearing a light blue dress that faintly hugged her torso and fell to her ankles. She bore no weapons, but like Mitsuki, she didn''t need any weapons. Though, it was for a different reason. "Honestly, I feel like they made the right choice."


    Amber hummed as she inclined her head towards them, wearing a pair of slim pants and a long-sleeve shirt with a cloak over it. "Yes, we can''t all be like Luke and Joey." She scoffed and glared over at us, her gaze playful but pointed. "Both of your Affinities are cheating, I tell you."


    "Yes. I just happened to walk into a store and picked up everything on my way out." I said to her. I wore a set of loose-fitting leathers and linen in the form of light-colored leather trousers, a form-fitting long-sleeve shirt and a sleeveless leather vest over top of it. A pair of leather and steel vambraces covered my forearms along with a set of gloves on my hands, and a sheathed sword rested on the left side of my waist.


    "Let''s not get into this again, please." Tadashi groaned, glaring at the pair of us. "It''ll just go into circles until a third party breaks it apart. I''d rather not have our day off in the village ruined by your arguing." He wore what resembled a loose-representation of a haori over a blue vest, with loose-hanging sleeves. His pants fell to his ankles, expanding outwards.


    Luke snorted and crossed his arms, not bothering to speak, since he''d only exacerbate the situation. He wore his quilted jacket, a dark blue and black, with a pair of black pants and a sword resting at his waist.


    It''s been two months since our arrival on Verum, and it''s been nothing but continuous training, pushing our bodies further and harder. While we weren''t the best or the strongest, we had become rising stars amongst the residents of Veracity. We had trained physically and with our Affinities, though there were some odd exchanges amongst them when we interacted.


    As of this moment, though, our respective knight mentors had agreed amongst themselves that with the progress we''ve made, that a day off in the nearby village merchant center could only be beneficial for our mental health.


    Plus, the fact that I felt like I was going stir crazy in the keep only helped me push for it.


    We were dropped off at the nearby stables, observed by the various villagers, and sent on our merry way.


    An arm fell along my shoulders, and a hand pointed to a close by building. "Look, there''s a tavern! Let''s go see what''s going on inside of it." Guang grinned as he leaned on me. He was wearing a set of form-fitting leather armor and cloth clothing with a cloak over top of it, a pair of daggers at his hips.


    "Yeah, yeah, though I doubt it''d be okay for us to get wasted," I answered him with a grin, not caring about the contact. As a group, all of us may have grown closer than we were initially as a class.


    Some more than others, though. Unfortunately.


    "Killjoy." He said while rolling his eyes, his smiling not falling.


    "Yes. Let''s not get drunk." Kacee demurred, a faint smile escaping her. She was clad in cloth and leather as well, that hugged her torso and covered her shoulders. She wore leather pants with a half skirt hanging from her waistband and falling behind her and to just above her knees. On her back was a metal pole, almost deceptively short.


    Rudy hummed as he crossed his arms, clad in a set of leather armor similar to mine, though he was only wearing a single vambrace on his right arm and a glove on the same hand. Slung across his back was a bow and a covered quiver full of arrows with a single dagger attached to his hip. "I don''t know." He said. "I say we should live the clich¨¦. Head to the tavern and ask about side quests." His small smile widened to a grin.


    "¡®Sidequests''? What are you talking about?" Nailah asked of him, a confused frown on her face. She was wearing a long, dark blue, flowing robe with her long hair tied into a high ponytail. Her hands wore black, cloth gloves.


    "It''s a video game thing, Nai," Mitsuki explained to her patiently. The girl wore a sleeveless leather vest that hugged her lithe torso firmly. A skirt fell a few inches above her knees as she wore a pair of knee-length boots. Her passive expression curled into a subtly amused smirk. "Rudy''s just trying to tease Kacee."


    Nailah frowned for a moment but sighed. "Perhaps I should''ve tried to play a game or two back home¡­ At least that way, I wouldn''t be as lost as I am."


    "No worries, Nailah," I said to her, shrugging Guang''s arm off my shoulders. "I''ll give you a few recommendations later. I can think of a few games that''d catch your interest."


    She gave me a searching look, before she sighed gently, smiling thankfully. "I appreciate that, Joseph. Though, I''d prefer it if we kept the special jargon to a minimum for a bit."


    Colette released a heavy sigh. "You nerds should stop teasing poor Nai. We can only take so much." She was wearing a white dress that hugged her slim waist and fell just a bit below her knees. Her hair tied to the side with a piece of twine. A sword and shield were on her back.


    A clapping sound pulled our attention to Luke, who had his hands held against each other. "Alright children. Mr. Lethe isn''t here to hold our hands, so let''s take our time today and have some fun."


    As we said that, I looked forward and caught sight of what had led to the princess scheduling a day out for us. Several stalls trailed along the open streets of the village. Various food stalls full of unique cuisines that we could try out, souvenir and game stands with a variety of simple things to buy and do, and a sea of curious people who were all either taking part in the festivities or studying us with a hint of excited caution. The cloudless sky above us and the bright shining sun told us that we had an entire beautiful day ahead of us. Lights filtered out the open window of the tavern as music, from both instruments and people singing, reverberated outwards in revelry.


    "Alrighty then," I started us off, catching everyone''s attention. "Let''s do this in groups. No smaller than two, but no bigger than five." I grinned at everyone''s deadpan gaze. "Don''t want to scare off the people who want to speak with us, after all. We''re ¡®Heroes,'' so they have to be curious about us."


    "Sure. Whatever Hero." Kacee rolled her eyes at me but looked around at us. "One last thing before we split. The stalls with games of skill? No Affinity use." She looked to each of us with stern gazes. "Our Affinities afford us major advantages that the average person doesn''t have, so we shouldn''t ruin another''s chance to win. Agreed?"


    We all agreed without difficulty, going about our separate ways to join the festivities.


    There was no rhyme or reason to the pairs we broke into, but I ended up walking with Mitsuki as we approached a stall with cards faced down. Various little boys and girls dressed in a cloth and linen tunics and dresses were staring at them with adorably pinched faces. The stall was head by an amused looked older woman in a clean, but a worn dark brown tunic and a long skirt. Dark hair tied into a bun, she leaned against the table on her stand as she watched one the girls reach forward and flip one of the cards, getting a strange symbol. There was a slight tickle down my spine before the logo shifted into a 7. I pinched the bridge of my nose to fight off a small migraine before I heard a soft groan.


    "Not bad, dearie. You nearly got it." She reached forward and ruffled the girl''s dark red hair before she looked around and caught sight of Mitsuki and me. "Well, well, do our resident Heroes want to try a round of the game?" She smiled kindly at us even as the kids twisted around and gaped up at us. "Well?"


    Mitsuki and I looked to each other, then she regarded her and nodded stoically. "Just once. Don''t want to take anything from the kids." She offered them a minute smile, before stepping forward and examining the facedown cards. Her stoic expression regarded them with the utmost seriousness, the kids around her staring up to her as if she held the answers to the universe.


    As she did that, I looked to the kids around us and froze as I noticed a young girl with short black hair and felt a bit of melancholy settle in the bottom of my stomach. Maggie¡­ I blinked away tears as I was unable to look away from the girl as she watched Mitsuki.


    What was she doing right now? Was she worried about me? Is she okay? These thoughts raced through my tumultuous thoughts as I fought back the tears that nearly broke free. Most importantly, though, I couldn''t help but wonder¡­did her production go well? She looked forward to it so much, I could tell from how she spoke of it. That excitement, the nerves, I could remember seeing them so clearly when she first told me of it. I hope¡­I hope my abduction didn''t ruin things for her¡­


    The girl paused and turned to look towards me, curiosity in her baby blue eyes. She looked up to me, a small smudge of dirt on her left cheek. Then she grinned up at me, showing me that she was missing her left canine.


    Seeing that smile dispelled what melancholy I felt, even as I lost myself in memories of my sister. Returning a smile just as wide, I allowed my eyes to close as I let myself hope that Maggie was doing well despite my absence.


    "Too bad, missy, it seems you''ve missed the match too." I turned my attention to the stand, seeing Mitsuki straighten her posture and stare at the two flipped cards with a look of hidden disappointment. The two cards flipped themselves back over, and the woman looked at me. "What of you, Sir Hero? Would you like a chance as well?"


    I was about to refuse but stopped myself. Looking amongst the kids, who were staring up at me in hope, I allowed myself a small laugh. "Alright, but not on my own." That got a confused look from the woman, Mitsuki, and the kids. I smiled faintly. "Whose turn was next before Mitsuki and I walked by?" As if by some quirk of chance, the girl who caught my attention meekly raised her hand. A soft, rounded face with shoulder length black hair and blue eyes. I was reminded of Maggie when she was her age but forced that thought out of my mind. My smile widened despite myself as I crouched down until my height was level with hers. "How about we be a team and pick one together? I''d hate to skip someone who''s waited for so long."


    "Okay." She muttered as we turned towards the stall, the woman regarding us with a gentle expression.


    I grinned playfully at her answer. "Alright. Nice working with you¡­" I paused and furrowed my brow exaggeratedly. Then I scoffed at myself, rolling my eyes widely. "How could I forget something so important? I never introduced myself." I looked over to the giggling girl and bowed my head. "My name is Joseph." I then winked at her. "My best friends call me Joey, though. So call me Joey." I grinned at her. "What''s your name?"


    "Livvi." The newly named Livvi mumbled as she blushed cutely.


    "Alright then, Livvi. Let''s win this." I gently bumped her shoulder with mine. She pouted at me and did the same back. I made my body follow her impact as I rebounded from her, giving her a shocked look, before grinning playfully, causing her blush to return with a passion. "Definitely best friend material." I then looked to the cards and narrowed my eyes at them, placing a hand on my chin in thought. Then I allowed myself a smirk and looked over to Livvi, who was also staring at the card with intensity.


    Leaning over, I whispered something into her ear. Her eyes widened as she gasped cutely. She nodded quickly, her short hair whipping around her head. "Okay." Livvi lifted her hand and pointed at one of the cards that Mitsuki had flipped over. The woman smiled indulgently and flipped it over, revealing a ¡®3''.


    "Now, here''s a trick that''s helped me a few times," I said to her with whimsy. Lifting a hand, I waved over the cards. "I''m not going to touch them, but I want you to stop me over the card you want to pick. Kay?" She nodded firmly to me and watched my hand as it hovered over the facedown cards. I moved slowly, but deliberately and allowed her to take her time.


    "Stop!" She said quickly, and I did as she asked. I pointed at the card she wanted to pick, and she nodded. "That one, please!"This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "Are you sure?" The woman leading the stall smiled playfully at her.


    "We pick that one!" Livvi said with determination.


    "You heard her," I said with pride, pointing to the card as I pulled my hand away.


    The woman arched her brow at me but nodded nonetheless. She reached down and flipped the card.


    ¡®3''


    Livvi let out an excited squeal as she threw her hands into the air and jumped in victory. "We did it! We did it! Yay!"


    The woman did not look surprised, quietly proud as she smiled at us.


    I laughed in success as I held out a hand. The girl paused and looked at my palm in confusion. I merely smiled and looked over to Mitsuki, who was studying me with an intense look, curiosity in her face. I held out a hand, and she paused before a small, exasperated smile grew on her face. She glanced over to Livvi and said, "Watch me." Mitsuki then slapped her hand against mine, eliciting an echoing clap.


    Feeling a clap on my other hand, I gave a sheepish Livvi a proud grin. "Nice work." I stood and brushed my knees off. Looking down at Livvi, I placed my hand on her head and ruffled her hair with a wide grin. "My work here is done. Can I leave the rest to you, Livvi?"


    She pushed my hand away with a pout. Then she paused, turning her head downwards. "Will I see you again¡­Joey?"


    My smile softened as I heard her say my name. Looking to the side so that she wouldn''t see the tears gathering in my eyes, I nodded to her. "Of course. I''ll be here all day." I then paused, looking to her to see that she was still looking to me. "Afterwards¡­" I straightened my shoulders and rested a hand on the sheath of my sword. "Well, haven''t you heard? I''m a Hero. Call my name, and I''ll come running." I allowed my smile to shrink until it was a secretive one. "And Heroes always arrive when they''re needed the most."


    With that, I ruffled her hair one last time, waved to the other kids and nodded to the woman at the stall, then turned and walked away. Mitsuki followed my steps, glancing over her shoulder. "You''re pretty good with kids, Joey."


    "I had to look after Maggie when it was just the two of us," I explained, my voice soft.


    "I see." Mitsuki''s answer was brief and went no farther, though I could hear the understanding in her tone. I looked over to her, to see her kind gaze. When I looked away from her, I blinked away a few tears. "Let''s go see if we find some of the others. I''m sure they''re causing some trouble." Her change in subject was something I appreciated.


    "Yeah. The others probably are." We both ignored the slight crack in my voice and continued. We strode through the crowd, searching for others from our class. As we made our way, though, there was a loud crash. Mitsuki and I looked at each other and nodded. Racing ahead, we managed to slip through the crowd and happen upon the source of the commotion in front of the tavern, with the front door having been broken down. Baasima and Rudy stood in front of a woman who was sprawled out on the ground, Colette at her side and gently treating a bruised cheek.


    In front of them was a group of four scruffy men, one of whom looked like he had drunk a few too many. They wore an assortment of leather and cloth, carrying weapons from swords to daggers.


    As Mitsuki and I raced over, Baasima glared at the lead man, who had his hand hovering over the hilt of his sword. "¡­to hit her like that?!" We reached them just in time to hear the last bit of her snarl; her hands clenched tight enough for her knuckles to crack.


    The man had dull brown hair and ruddy complexion as if he had been drinking, though there was an undeniable red mark on his cheek. His reddish-brown eyes twinkled in amusement as he sneered at her, spitting blood to the ground at his side. "She''s my woman, damn brat. That''s all the reason I need."


    Rudy narrowed his eyes, anger sparking in his stoic expression, though he did throw a glance my way. Baasima didn''t pay either of us any mind; her face was a rictus of rage. "Baasima, calm down." He said sternly.


    "Calm down?!" She snarled at him, her eyes turning towards him in disbelief. "Did you not see what this jerk did?"


    "Yes. I did. But doesn''t mean we should lose our heads." He tone, but the anger was an undercurrent in it.


    "Ha. You should listen to your friend, little girl. I¡¯ll forgive a hit once since you¡¯re young. But not a second."


    Ever since we came here, we''ve all been on edge. We were torn from our families, as small as they were and that chafed. That pushed and prodded our patience. It was only the constant, nonstop physical activity that prevented us from lashing out in anger. Could our Affinities have aggravated it? A shift in our understanding of the world as we know it and who we are as individuals would no doubt push the average person over the edge.


    Dealing with this? It''d piss someone off on a good day, and that''d be back home. Here? Well, I can understand lashing out at someone like this.


    Fury flared in her eyes as Baasima''s glare darkened. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have a choice.¡± There was a slight shift in her posture as she pulled her arm back. A small, almost unnoticeable aura came over her body. Then, with a twist of her shoulders, she threw a punch that could bend steel.


    I threw a hand out and caught her by the wrist. I grunted at the sudden shift in momentum. A faint tingle trailed along my arm, and I narrowed my eyes. "Sima, this filth isn''t worth the effort." I murmured to her soothingly, kindly, but firmly, pushing her arm downwards.


    She turned an angry gaze at me. "Joseph, you don''t know what he did." Her words came out as a hiss.


    "I heard you say it, but doesn''t mean you should waste the breath."


    The man scoffed at me, but he flinched when I turned a blank stare onto him. "You''re all just a bunch of children given special handling by the royal family." He glared back at me, meeting my gaze defiantly. "I''m sure you haven''t fought for anything in your life."


    "Walk away, wife-beater." I declared, causing him to blink in surprise. "I don''t care what you say, or what you believe¡­" I let Baasima''s hand go and turned to face the man directly. "But if you don''t get out of our sight right this very minute, I''ll help Baasima cave in your skull and not lose a second of sleep over it." I clenched my fists and willed a faint aura to encompass them. At my side, Baasima let out a hitched breath.


    The man shuddered as he looked from me to Baasima, then scoffed. "Children." He turned and walked off. "Let''s go. We don''t need to deal with this anymore." His group, appearing almost unsure, followed after him, but not without giving us suspicious glares.


    As they disappeared into the crowd, I allowed my shoulders to fall ever so lightly and closed my eyes. "Sorry about stepping in like that. It''s just¡­" I''d rather any kids nearby not see that. But I was unable to finish.


    "No¡­ I get it." I turned to her to see that she was looking off to the side, where a small crowd had begun watching. No kids among them, thankfully. "I nearly lost my temper."


    "I''m pretty sure you already did." Rudy demurred with a faint smile, walking over to Colette and the woman. She was wearing a cloth dress as well, though hers was a dirtied light blue, speckled with dirt and the blood dripping from her nose and a wound around her eye. He crouched before her, frowning as he took in the already swollen flesh around her eye. "Let''s get you inside, away from the crowd. I''m sure we can find something for that in the tavern."


    "Hm." She nodded with a sigh, grimacing as Colette offered her a shoulder to help her.


    A breath escaped me as I glared at the sky. "Today was supposed to be relaxing¡­" A hand fell onto my back, between my shoulder blades. I looked over my shoulder to see Mitsuki giving me a soft smile in a show of support. "Thanks." With that, we walked with Baasima into the tavern.


    Lowly dimmed lights greeted us as Mitsuki, and I walked inside onto the wooden floor. Several round wooden tables with three chairs each filled the building. The building itself was spacious, enough so that there was plenty of room for people to walk around with lots of wiggle room. People were already milling about, no doubt from having watched the previous scuffle. The bartender was an older man with a pronounced mustache, dressed in a pair of cloth pants, a rope belt, and a sleeveless white vest. As I leaned down and lifted his broken door, he nodded to me in thanks as I set it to the side.


    "I''m going to get something to drink," I said with an exhale as I approached the bar, Mitsuki following after me.


    "Don''t get too much." She said in a gentle monotone, pointed in its delivery.


    I snorted at that as I reached the bar. Off to the side, another bartender, a younger girl with short brown hair and in a pair of cloth pants and a long sleeve tunic was gentle tapping the bruised woman''s eye with a wet rag. "What''ll you have, Hero?" The man asked me, his gaze studying.


    "Something light. Doesn''t matter what." I answered, not bothering to correct his words. Mitsuki sat at my left, peering carefully at the wall of drinks behind the bar. Rows of glasses and mugs covered the back wall.


    "You?" He asked her.


    "Nothing alcoholic." She stated.


    He nodded to us and silently went to work. Not a few moments later, the bartender placed a pair of mugs in front of us. Mitsuki had a dark brown drink that fizzed ever so lightly, while I had a light-yellow liquid with white foam atop it. "First drink''s on the house." At my confused look, he motioned to the open doorway. "He may''ve deserved it, but I don''t like drama. You stopped a fight." With that, he stepped away, picking up an empty glass from in front of a vacant seat, and began to wipe it down with a rag.


    I lifted my drink and took a sip. It was sweet but tickled my throat on the way down.


    Someone dropped into the seat next to me. "Joseph," Baasima said as she called for a drink. "Thank you." She paused. "For both helping me and holding me back."


    "You don''t need to thank me," I said to her, though I did offer her a smile.


    She shook her head. "No, I do. I¡­I would''ve regretted killing him if I went too far. Not because he was a horrible person, but¡­"


    "It''s more important to be the better person," Mitsuki said as she sipped at her drink.


    "Yeah." She whispered as she leaned against the bar. Her eyes closed. "Did¡­you know?" She had changed to subject.


    I knew what to which she was referring. "No. But now that I did, I think I can help you with your Affinity."


    "How so?"


    I paused and furrowed my brow. "When my Affinity grants me instincts over weaponry, it also gives me some knowledge on how to leverage it. With yours, it feels like¡­I can direct my will to strengthen portions of my body as well as how to use it properly." I then smirked over to her. "Thanks to your Affinity, I Know Kung Fu."


    She furrowed her brow at my joke, though I heard Mitsuki snort in surprise behind me. "What? I don''t get it, what does Kung Fu do with my Affinity?"


    I let out a small laugh. "It was¡­just a reference. I guess you didn''t see that movie." I then sighed. "The closest thing I can say your Affinity does is that it doesn''t give you anything. It just allows you to use what''s already there." I lifted my left hand, opening it as I willed it to strengthen. A faint glow overtook it, almost unnoticed in the dim lighting of the tavern. "Ki or chi, interchangeable names really, are concepts originating from Eastern Mysticism. It''s essentially the Life Force that someone has and it grows with training."


    "So¡­my Affinity is¡­a shortcut, then?" She asked me, a frown on her face as she took a sip of her water.


    "Yeah. I''m pretty sure that if you tried to learn martial arts, it''d allow you to do it far easier compared to others." I paused, then shrugged my shoulders. ¡°My Affinity¡¯s a shortcut, too. It normally takes years to learn the skills to wield weapons properly.¡±


    Baasima hummed as she frowned in thought. "Thanks, I suppose." She then turned that frown to me. "I''m still unsure how I feel about you copying my Affinity, though."


    "Neither do I." I deadpanned. Leaning back, I caught sight of Rudy and Colette walking over to us. Looking at Baasima and Mitsuki, I said, "Let''s find a table. Don''t want to crowd the bar." I nodded towards the bartender and pushed myself away from the bar with my drink. We then found a table and sat around it. "What happened that led to the situation earlier?"


    Rudy scowled at that, glaring at the open door. "We minded our business when I heard the man yelling at the woman."


    "I''m pretty sure we all heard him," Colette said with an eye roll, though the disgust was pretty clear in her blue eyes. "The ¡®reason'' he did it wasn''t something I felt important, all things considered."


    Mitsuki nodded at that, but asked, "Where is she?"


    "I flagged down a knight to escort her to the Chapel. Gave him orders that no one was harm or threaten her." She allowed herself a dark smile. "Have I mentioned that I love the fact that Emmie has given us the right to order around the knights."


    Baasima gave her a deadpan look. "I''m not sure whether to be more shocked at your nickname for a princess or your flippancy to that responsibility." She wasn''t displeased with her; if anything, she seemed more flustered and uncomfortable with the idea.


    Colette grinned, showing off her perfect teeth, as she leaned forward in her seat. "No worries, Sima. Emmie knows and loves the nickname." Her mischievous gaze fell onto my drink, which sat in front of me. "Let me see what you ordered, Joey." With a ¡®yoink,'' she took my mug and took a drink.


    "Yes, Colette, you can taste my drink. No, Colette, I don''t leave backwash." I said to her, my tone drier than the Sahara.


    She didn''t reply to my words even as the mood around us rose, just putting my mug down in front of her. Colette smacked her lips and smiled. "Mm, sweet. I like! Be right back." She slid it back to me and hopped out of her seat to skip over to the bar.


    "What she forgot to mention is that Welton nearly had a coronary after hearing that name." Rudy offered the retreating girl an amused smirk.


    "Why am I not surprised?" I said, my tone still dry as I grabbed my mug, looking into the drink with a searching gaze. Shrugging, I took a drink and hummed at the tingle as I drank it. "Any idea what the others are doing?"


    "Last I saw Amber, she was looking over the blacksmith forge," Baasima explained, shaking her head. "When her Affinity awakened, it''s like she saw the light."


    Mitsuki hummed into her drink, placing the mug back onto the table. "Our Affinities affected all of us." She held out a hand, and it was like her skin shifted. Fur, followed by scales, to spines, to feathers, before ending back on her original skin.


    Rudy hummed as he shrugged. "At least you all have combat abilities. I can experience nature." He then rubbed the side of his temple. "Before a migraine sits in."


    "The perfect hunter." Mitsuki shook her head at him, her gaze very pointed. "I''m restricted by what I shift into; your senses are always aware."


    He exhaled through his nose, a small smile escaping him as he shrugged again.


    Mitsuki nodded once, having grabbed her victory.


    "It''s just sooo good!" Colette said as she dropped into her seat, a grin on her face as she placed her mug on the table. "I''m only getting the one, but I know my regular drink now." She had the happiest smile on her face, a faint blush on her cheeks, no doubt from the alcohol.


    I was about to speak up when I noticed a stiffening in Rudy''s posture. Seconds before he said anything, an ear-splitting scream tore through the pleasant silence. It came from outside. The five of us shot to our feet, and I turned around to see the bartender and the other patrons looking to us, hesitation in their gazes. For the longest seconds of my life, no one said anything. Steeling myself, I spoke to the civilians. "Stay calm and stay low. We''re going to see what''s happening. Regardless of what¡¯s next, one of us will return, and I want you to listen to exactly what they tell you. Am I understood?" I received several shaky nods and turned my friends as we walked away from the table. "Rudy."


    He frowned severely, glancing over his shoulder discretely. "A single cloaked woman, with a pair of dead bodies at her feet."


    "Get yourselves ready," I said with resolve, feeling my heart rate pick up as my hand brushed against the hilt of my sword. Excitement bubbled in the pit of my stomach as I fought off the smile that threatened to appear on my face. "Because we''re about to introduce ourselves."


    Finally, I now had a chance to cut loose.

 Memento Mori - 7

    People were screaming and running passed us as we made our way to the source of the chaos. Rudy was leading us, his gaze scanning the surrounding area with a particular intensity. Frantic and terrified looking, the residents of the village and the surrounding area ran with a reckless abandon. Doors from the various buildings were left hanging open, haphazardly, stalls left empty in the ensuing chaos, a cacophony of racing footstep We walked against the tide effortlessly, our weapons not yet drawn, but ready. It didn''t take long, but we finally reached the cause.


    A woman dressed in a pale brown cloak with a raised hood the shrouded the upper half of her face, revealing the sallow pallor of her feminine and gently-sloped chin. Her thin lips curved into a dark and harsh smirk. From the shadow of her hood, a pair of glowing golden eyes with snake-like pupils stared unblinkingly. The sleeves of her cloak fell passed her hands, though her bony fingers seemed to peek out from the end, black claw-like nails extending from them.


    At her feet were a pair of bleeding corpses, still partially alive if the occasional twitch was accurately indicative. Behind her, standing almost unnaturally stiff, were five terrified looking men. I furrowed my brow as I couldn''t help but notice something familiar about them¡­


    The woman seemed to meet Luke''s challenging glare with her mocking smirk, a hand resting almost derisively upon her hip. He stood ready for combat, his sword drawn and held in both hands, stance set with his feet shoulder-width apart. His emerald gaze was intense and angry as he grit his jaw stubbornly.


    On either side of him were Deandria and Kacee, each brandishing their weapons.


    Deandria had her dagger in a reverse grip and held in front of her, with the point angled towards the woman.


    Kacee held her staff in both hands, her body angled so that her side was pointed forward, making herself a smaller target.


    The others were nowhere in sight, but I''m going to assume that they had either started helping people escape or were lying in wait.


    "What''s going on?" I whispered as we approached.


    When we came to a stop, the woman spoke, her tone mysteriously melodic and gravelly concurrently. "You do not need to worry, Young Hero. Your fellows have arrived to support you." Her golden gaze rolled over to us, lazily flowing from person to person, before ending on me. "And such a wondrous arrival it is." Her smirk shifted into a mocking approximation of a sincere smile.


    I grimaced as Luke glanced over to me, his expression turning triumphant. "You''re here. Good. We need to free the hostages." I looked over to the hostages and felt a chill race down my spine as I finally recognized them. They were the men from before that we had nearly fought.


    With a hiss of steel, I drew my sword and strode forward. As I did, my next words flowed freely. "Rudy, get to high ground and act as long-range support and scout. She may have reinforcements nearby." He grunted and raced to the side. "Luke, where are the others?"


    "They can hear you." He growled out, not taking his eyes off the woman, who seemed more amused than anything else.


    That let me know that they were lying in wait. "Okay. Amber, Tadashi, the two of you don''t have your proper weapons, so we need you to focus on evacuating and protecting the civilians. Tadashi, go to the tavern we just left, people are waiting for an answer. Amber, cover the people who have left." I didn''t hear a verbal answer, but I did manage to catch the sound of feet scraping the dirt.


    "Guang, stay hidden and keep watch for anything that''ll try to slip past us. She''ll probably have something for us, and we''ll miss a few details in the ensuing brawl." The woman seemed to find my words amusing if her widening smile was any indication.


    "Deandria, Baasima, Kacee. Your abilities lend more towards restraining and nonlethal unless using an unorthodox manner. Focus on getting the hostages out, preferably unharmed." That caused the men who were standing to whimper audibly, their expressions'' mutual grimaces of dread.


    I glanced over the shoulder to Baasima, who nodded firmly to my request.


    "Colette, head to the chapel and keep everyone as calm as you can. I''ll feel more comfortable with three people there, both for the civilians'' peace of mind and to support Amber and Tadashi in protecting them." Plus, hers and Tadashi''s Affinities had a great synergy when used together in certain ways.


    Colette hummed in assent and raced off; in my periphery, I saw that she had drawn her shield as she turned around. Good.


    "Nailah, Luke, Mitsuki. The four of us are going to focus on our friend here." I lifted my sword and pointed it towards her. The woman seemed amused with my entire battle plan, having not done a single thing interrupt me. Hell, I had spoken aloud purposefully, if only to surprise her on the off chance I had a moment to save one of the still living hostages even as people began to move around us, getting into position.


    In my periphery, I noticed Rudy had taken up a post on the wooden roof of a nearby house, his bow drawn and ready.


    Mitsuki had fallen into a crouch, her arms felling freely at her sides. They had changed as she casually strafed to the side, organic plates having already grown along the length her arms, decorated with sharp, curved claws growing from her fingertips. Faint popping and cracking sound reverberated from her body as her stance shifted ever so lightly. Her eyes changed as well if the faint glow meant anything.


    Luke had begun to strafe along the woman''s opposite side, his sword at the ready. Deandria and Kacee were also stepping away from him, their stances low and waiting.


    I noticed a shift in the shadows of a nearby alleyway between buildings. Baasima lowered her center of gravity with a crouch, a small glow encompassing her legs.


    Holding my sword low, but ready, I casually strode forward.


    Even among all this, the cloaked woman never turned her glowing golden eyes from me. Her expression never shifted from a happy smile.


    "Who are you and why are you here?" I demanded of her, forcefully making my posture appear casual.


    "I wanted to see Veritas'' new and famous Heroes. They¡¯ve kept you hidden away for so long." Her voice caused the earth at our feet to shake from the casual exertion of power. "I sought to test all of you." A shiver went down my spine as her smile widened even more, revealing her inhumanly perfect white teeth. As she lifted her hand and pointed it towards the bleeding men, I felt my terror spike.


    "Stop her! Now!" I cried out as I crouched and rocketed forward, cratering the ground around my feet. I sprinted ahead, watching in horror as a faint, ghostly red aura exuded from her hand and descended onto the freshly bleeding corpses.


    The ground beneath Baasima''s own feet buckled from the force of her charge.


    A twang sounded behind me, and an arrow soared towards her.


    Luke was practically skipping along the ground; he was moving so fast.


    A flash of energy surged from the darkness, temporarily illuminated a terrified Nailah.


    But we were all left in the dust by Mitsuki, whose legs had shifted into something resembling a cheetah''s hind legs. She had reached the woman almost seconds before Rudy''s arrow, her claws descending onto the cloaked woman.


    Almost contemptuously, the woman threw her right hand to the side, slapping away the claws as if they were no more than casual annoyances. With Mitsuki''s arms pushed aside, the woman casually moved her hand and delicately touched my classmate on the collarbone. An explosion of force and an echoing crack preceded Mitsuki being thrown backward, crashing into a single-story wooden home. It crumbled like a house of cards, falling atop her with an explosion of debris.


    Simultaneously, when the red aura reached the two corpses, twin blood-curdling screams deafened me, forcing me to drop to a single knee in agony. Through squinted eyes, I watched as the bodies bloated and expanded, expanding until their very skin sounded audibly strained. Fingers twitched and spasmed, clenching and stretching. Their stomachs distended, swelling and bubbling. Eyes bulged, and blood poured uncontrollably from all open orifices. The bodies shook and vibrated, hitting the ground with enough force to cause echoing impacts. Audible gags and hacks greeted us as we all froze, whether it be in horror, disgust, or even fear. Then, with concussive force, the bodies finally burst.


    Bile rose, and I nearly vomited at the veritable rain of gore as blood and organs practically fell from the sky, painting the earth in viscera. The entire open field, where the festival once took place, in the merchant square of the village, was drenched in blood, far more than what I thought could be in a human body, let alone two. The formerly bright blue sky had dimmed and darkened to a primal pale red. The very air felt heavy and stifling as my body shook and trembled, not from fear, but disgust. A pale red fog settled in the area, but it did nothing to affect my vision, save for a dark pink tinge in the air. Amidst the shower, the woman''s smile fell until her lips were a stern line, a hand aloft and open, palm to the ground. "Now, come to me, my thralls." Once again, it was as if the earth itself shook from the rumbling of her voice.


    The blood-soaked earth rumbled and cracked, debris bouncing and breaking as the very foundation beneath us began to reach a violent crescendo. A cracking sound beneath me, between my feet, pulled my attention. Looking down, I watched a crack begin to form, widening and breaking apart below me. The wind expelled from it, and I grimaced at the horrid stench, like rotten eggs and curdled milk. I pushed aside the bile in my throat.


    My only warning was a quickened cracking of the earth. I leaped back just in time to avoid an emaciated, grey-skinned arm with pronounced nails spearing upwards where my groin once was. A shoulder swiftly followed the limb, then a skull with sunken, sickly-yellow eyes. It wasn''t long until its whole body was free and glaring at me with mindless hate and hunger that sent chills up my spine. It was hunched over with elongated arms that dragged along the ground, long, bent legs and an emaciated torso that showed off its ribcage and sunken stomach. Its jaw seemed to hang open, as if half hinged, revealing row upon row of black needle-like teeth. It had no nose, only a pair of closed slits that seemed to flicker open and closed intermittently. It looked like its skin was too small for its body stretched over its skeletal frame like moldy saranwrap.


    My hand tightened on the hilt of my sword as I pushed aside whatever fear I held and narrowed my eyes. I wondered what it was for a split second, before brushing that thought aside. I could figure it out later; there was no more time for deliberation, only action. I leaned forward and slashed with my sword, aiming for the neck. The thing blurred as it evaded my slash with a frightening fluidity, already countering with a slash of its claws at my chest. My sword pulled back and met its claws, steel biting into its fleshy palm and cleanly severing two of its fingers before it could retreat. Brownish red blood dripped freely out of its burning and sizzling wound. A faint golden aura flickered along the blade of my sword, a sheen of light glistening, before dimming once more.


    It didn''t regenerate. Dark elation surged within me. Whether that meant Tadashi¡¯s Affinity, unofficially named ¡®Cleansing¡¯ harmed it or if it couldn¡¯t heal, I could hurt it. Something that it too realized as its screeched at me, rage and pain filling its cry. Despite that, I couldn''t help but grin. I wasn''t afraid anymore, what little fear that had gripped my heart at its appearance disappeared. It could bleed, as evidenced by the fluid dripping off my blade and from its wound. If it could bleed, it could die.


    And die, it will.


    As it lunged towards me, I met its charge with my own, a challenging grin stretching across my face. Sidestepping an errant claw, I evaded its attack and countered with a slash along its chest. It struck the side of my sword with its other hand and lunged once more, but with an open mouth. It snapped at my throat, sending an instinctual thrill of fear to pulse through me. I leaned back as its jaws snapped closed, but it screeched as the edge of my sword dug into its chest, a hissing sound audible as its flesh burned from the enchantment on my blade.


    Unfortunately, it was nothing more than a shallow cut as it twisted around and ducked beneath my sword. A fierce intelligence sparkled in its eyes as it stepped backward, widening the space between us. We remained still for a few seconds longer before it blurred forward and I met it once more in the middle.


    What happened next was nothing more than a chaotic melee in which we traded blows and wounds. My steel tore into its strained flesh, and its claws bit into my armor and drew blood. Small scratches marred my cheek, blood dripping from several incisions along my arms, while my leathers weathered the worst of it. Wide, sweeping lacerations began to decorate the sides of the creature, as well as piercing, stabs perforated its stomach, causing it to stagger in rage. It screeched in mind-numbing fury as it threw its claws out at me.


    For every little impact upon my armor, burns and sores appeared on its claws, no doubt due to Tadashi¡¯s augmentations. He had done the same to all of our weapons and armor. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure of the lengths of his Affinity, but I had described it as an ¡®Anti-Evil¡¯ enchantment. Thus, every time the creature touched my armor, or my sword, it would be wounding itself.


    Pushing my body harder, I ducked beneath the swipe of its left arm. I stood and grabbed its bony and slimy wrist with my left hand, augmenting my strength. Baasima''s copied ability allowed me to hold on despite it already bucking against me. However, before it could counter, I hefted my sword upwards and swung downwards with everything I had. As if on an executioner''s block, I removed its arm with a triumphant smirk. An unearthly cry of soul-churning agony echoed throughout the bloodied merchant quarter.


    I released the arm and jumped back as it began to whip around, blood spewing out of the wound as if it was a high-pressure hose. With my own open wounds, I made sure to keep my face clear of the arc, watching it with a wary eye. The creature whipped around, glaring at me with putrid hatred that felt like it was drilling into my consciousness. I grinned despite that and said, "Not so big, now are you?" I felt myself stiffen at my breathlessness, holding back a grimace as I realized that I was doing something I shouldn''t have.


    I played with my opponent.


    The slight tightening of my lungs; the shortness of my breath; the faint quiver of my clenched fists. All were tell-tale signs of an impending asthma episode. With that in mind, I pushed all other thoughts of my mind and focused on a singular goal: finish the fight.


    The creature recognized my growing weakness as only a predator could: with great relish. Its expression shifted, eyes becoming cruelly amused. It hefted its only other arm and charged after me once more. I blitzed forward until I was right in its guard, the point of my sword tearing into its chest. Blood erupted from its chest, but I ducked to the side to avoid the arterial spray, though it did drench my right shoulder. The sword pushed further and further back until it was buried all the way up to the hilt and sticking out of its back. It screamed in agony and attacked me with its last remained claw. I ducked beneath it and moved around the creature. Still holding firm, I wrenched my sword to the side and pushed it like a lever. It was stiff and almost impossible to move, but the honed edge of my steel sword began to carve through the side of the creature''s chest cavity. Pivoting my stance, I flipped my grip on the sword''s hilt so that it was reversed and pushed with everything I had.


    With a cry, I cut the damn creature in half at the chest, sending the top of its body, from the chest upwards, falling to the ground with an echoing cry.


    Blood erupted from the still standing lower half, rising into the sky, before raining downwards. As it did, I strode forward and took in my surroundings. Luke was fighting what looked like a minotaur, with a human-like lower body and an upper half with body-builder-like arms and chest. Its head was horned and resembled a bull. The two were mutually wounded, but the minotaur was missing swaths of flesh along its still-muscled arms, revealing chunks of bleeding, pink muscle. It was carrying a sizeable two-bladed ax in one hand. Luke himself looked winded, bruised and bloody, but nowhere near done. Every so often, amongst the constant battle between, Luke would manage to react almost precognitively, parrying and retaliating in sequence. He grimaced but managed to stay capable.


    Baasima was facing a snake-haired woman with a snake-like lower body, covered in rags and torn leather. The woman had a set of steel claw-gloves over her hands and attacked with a violent ferocity just as her hair lashed out as well. Baasima lashed out with what looked like a choreographed assault. She closed the distance with a punch, sidestepped a crazed slash and countered with a grab of its wrist and crashed an elbow into its chin. She was forced to retreat when its snakes tried to snap at her, a corrosive liquid dripping from their many fangs.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    In the distance, I saw that Nailah was fighting off a nine-foot-tall blue-skinned man in a black loincloth. A single horn stuck out the center of his forehead and it carried a wooden club that resembled a tree more than it did a branch. She was sending out various surges of energy from her hands that forced it to stagger back from every blow. Fire, ice, water, lightning, anything, and everything erupted her outstretched hands as she kept a distance from it. Guang had jumped in to support her, peppering its flanks with a volley of slashes and stabs of his twin daggers. When it tried to attack him, he slipped backward and sunk into his shadow, almost instantaneously jumping out of one behind it and slashing at its back.


    In the direction of the fallen house, Mitsuki had climbed out of the wreckage, her left arm hanging limply and blood covering the left side of her face. In front of her was an upright bear with several spikes poking out of its back and arms. It roared at her as it attempted to maul her. Mitsuki was a flow of motion, continually shifting from animal to animal too fast to see with the naked eye. She was able to fight with only her right arm, but she was holding it back with little more than a look of exertion.


    "My, you already defeated my thrall." I looked to the cloaked woman, who had cocked her head to the side. "Such skill with the blade¡­ Was that the reason you were summoned, Hero?" Her tone took on a rumbling purr as she stated my unwanted title.


    "Let them go." I ignored her question, but a deep snarl behind me forced me to shift my attention. I leaped to the side, just in time to see Rudy bounced along the ground passed me, his armor broken and faintly wounded. He rolled along the ground and swiftly drew an arrow, firing it at his opponent. Blood poured freely from a wound on his cheek. In my periphery, I saw a black blur and pure white fangs roar in rage.


    Twisting around, I was about to charge the woman in the cloak, but she pointedly looked at her remaining hostages, and I witnessed the sight of several glowing red cords wrapped around their throats, wrists, ankles, and waist. From as far from them as I was, I could make out a pulsating aura, spikes slowly roiling around them¡­


    Wait? Four cords? She called my opponent a shade¡­ Could they be linked?


    "Kill them, and we''ll free the hostages!" I yelled, my voice hoarse. "They''re linked!" Not waiting for a response, I twisted around and flicked the wrist holding my sword. The brown-red blood on my blade was thrown off and sent towards the beast that had thrown Rudy. The blood hit it on the face, blinding it. It was a wolf, the size of an SUV, with fur as dark as the night sky that drank in the light of the dimmed sun.


    With it blinded, I lunged towards it and drew my sword along its snout. It roared in rage and pain, more brown-red blood joining my blade and painting the dirt at my feet. Yellow eyes glaring hatefully, it lifted a clawed paw and swiped at me, but I stepped back to avoid it by the skin of my teeth. A twang followed by an arrow drilling into its shoulder brought forth another roar of anger.


    "Joseph!" Rudy''s call led me to step back and to drop to a crouch. Turning to the side, I stabbed my sword in the ground and crossed my arms, vambrace over vambrace. Footsteps fast approaching caused me to brace as I saw Rudy racing towards me. He jumped up and planted his feet on my arms. In that instant, I pushed my strength further and pushed him up as hard as I could. Rudy rocketed into the air up and over the beast. He aimed his bow toward it and fired several arrows at it throughout his parabolic arc.


    Arrows impacted it on the back several times over, causing it to twist around to try and stop him from firing more arrows. I swiftly forced it to reconsider its actions by ripping my sword from the earth and tear into its hide with my sword. It snarled once more and lashed out at me with a claw. Before it could focus down on me, another arrow forced it to turn and attack Rudy once more as he had finally landed back on the ground. I interrupted it with a loping slash, forcing it to focus on me again.


    Back and forth, again and again, Rudy and I forced the wolf to change direction continually and to attack the source of its pain before it could maul either one of us. Well, at least until it got fed up with us and let out an echoing howl, causing the air itself to ripple. A sonic boom threw Rudy off his feet and drop his bow; the wolf turned and leaped upon me as I staggered back from going temporarily deaf. I fell onto the ground and stopped it from tearing out my throat with my sword. It stood above me, its teeth biting and gnawing on the blade of my sword, drool and spittle was falling onto my face as I held it back.


    A shadow above us caused my eyes to widen as I saw Rudy clamber onto the wolf''s back and lift his dagger above his head. With the aid of gravity and his entire body weight, he sheathed the knife into the wolf''s skull before it could buck him off. A primitive whimper/snarl came from the beast as it shook and shivered, still fighting to maul me even with a dagger in its brain.


    Narrowing my eyes, I gritted my teeth and reinforced my legs and moved one directly between the wolf and me. Using all the strength I could muster, I let out a roar of exertion and forced the wolf to lift off my sword and higher still I reared back my sword and thrust it forward, sheathing it into its chest. A squelching sound greeted me, followed by another whimper from the beast. It kicked and bucked for a little while longer, before falling limp. Above us, Rudy ripped his dagger free and leaped off the beast''s back, allowing me to move the massive corpse to the side. It slammed onto the ground bodily, an echoing thud upon impact mirroring my racing heart.


    For a few seconds, seconds that felt like hours, I just laid there to catch my breath. My pounding heart and the arrhythmic breathing both allowing my body to rest and keeping me from falling unconscious. The borders of my vision blurred as I stared at the sky, my periphery barely legible as I gasped for breath.


    A hand entered my sight, and I turned my head to the source. Rudy, covered in dirt and scratches with his hair disheveled and armor cut and torn, was giving me a concerned look. "You''re not looking so good." I didn''t answer as I reached up and grasped his hand with mine, pulling myself up as he helped me to my feet. As soon as I planted my feet on solid ground, I closed my eyes to fight off the sensation of vertigo, rampant dizziness causing my whole world to spin. A hand clasped my shoulder, straightening me in support. "You going to be okay?" His tone weary, but there was a worry.


    "I have to be." My voice rasped, much to my frustration. Nodding to him, I opened my eyes and leaned down to retrieve my sword. It came out of the wolf''s corpse with a squelching sound but slid out relatively easily. I turned and looked around to see that my friends were still fighting, though they had gained ground. "Rudy, go support Baasima. After that, if they haven''t finished, then help finish off Nailah and Guang''s enemy."


    Rudy nodded and began to walk towards them, but spoke up, "What about Mitsuki and Luke?"


    I glanced over to Mitsuki just in time to see her smash a tree trunk into the bear''s midsection, sending it stumbling back, her clawed hand dug into the thick wooden end. She then reared again and sung low, taking its legs out from under it. "I think she''s got it handled for now. We¡¯d only get in the way." Rudy snorted, amusement filling us both. "Anyway, I''ll back up Luke." I looked over to him, trying not to gasp as my lungs refused to cooperate. "Keep safe. I''m not sure how much longer I can keep going."


    Rudy frowned but nodded. "Be careful. I''ll probably have Kacee or Deandria come by to back you up." With that, he raced ahead, his steps almost silent, save for the light pats hitting the ground.


    Before I could do anything else, there was an echoing scream, followed by a flash of light. I threw my gaze to the source to see that there were still villagers nearby, though Deandria, Kacee, Tadashi, Amber, and Colette protected them.


    Tadashi was in front of the group having slid his foot along the ground hard enough to leave an indent. He clasped his left fist in his right palm, and a faint light erupted from the line he had drawn. A barrier of light emitted from the ground, encompassing the civilians in a transparent wall. ¡°Stay inside the line. You¡¯ll stay safe.¡± He told them sternly; his expression focused as he stared forward.


    In front of him, a brightly glowing Colette had pushed by an armored and armed walking, dried corpse. It wielded a bent and broken steel shield and a sword that resembled a slab of steel, more than a sword. Its stomach and numerous shallow cuts were hissing and burning. Colette¡¯s Affinity made her a walking undead bane. When she had demonstrated it after it awakened, I had jokingly called it ¡®Holy,¡¯ and she had decided to run with it.


    A crash to the side pulled my attention, and I saw that Deandria was standing above a prone gorilla, her left foot resting almost lazily atop its head. It snarled and roared, but could not move. Faint twitches were all that it managed to give. Deandria isn¡¯t slight or built strong, at least nowhere near enough to smack around something like a gorilla, but when your Affinity lets you negate all kinetic energy from a single target at a touch, it makes it nearly impossible to fight effectively.


    Across from her, Amber and Kacee were working together to fight demented panther/sabretooth tiger hybrid that had spines along its back. It fired needles, but Kacee¡¯s barrier blocked them as Amber leaned down and touched the ground. There was a flicker of energy, before the earth in front of her began to shift and change. Ice grew out from where her fingers touched the ground before it shot forward and beneath the monster¡¯s feet. It snarled in surprise and anger, losing its footing for a moment. The two were on it almost immediately. Kacee twisted around and spun her standard, catching the monster under its chin and off its feet. With its footing almost negligible, the monster flipped backward until it¡¯s back was parallel to the ground. An opportunity in front of her, Amber lifted her hammer and slammed it down on its head, just like hitting an anvil.


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin as I took in my friend¡¯s ability to act despite this danger. Taking a fortifying breath, I looked towards Luke to see him parrying one of the minotaur''s heavy blow, his sword redirecting the large ax off to the side. A few more shallow wounds peppered the beast, but Luke himself also had a few scratches and bruises.


    Seeing that and feeling my aches and pains, I couldn''t help but grimace as I forced my body to move. This fight wasn''t something that could''ve predicted, but I couldn''t help but consider that maybe¡­I wasn¡¯tready for this type of conflict. Sucking in a breath, I cleared my throat and scowled at my straining lungs. Breathing in again, I gathered my strength and tried to speak up, but my breath hitched. Gritting my teeth, I sucked in air one more time and managed to bellow without my voice cracking. "Behind you!"


    Luke threw a look over his shoulder at me, green eyes smoldering with excitement as his faint grin turned into an excited beam. He sidestepped another slash and countered with a slam of his shoulder into the minotaur''s side, forcing it to stagger from the impact. I reached him within moments, and he crouched down. A sliver of anticipation surged through my spine as I pushed myself to go faster. Reaching him, I jumped up and planted a foot on my friend''s shoulder. Luke forced himself to straighten as he pushed his body upright. I springboarded off of him and hefted my sword above my head, both hands grasping the hand-and-a-half hilt. The minotaur sneered at me through yellow eyes filled with bloodlust and lifted its ax. It was either going to attack Luke or me, but I didn''t give it a chance. Using both gravity and my body weight, I brought my sword down with everything I could muster.


    Sparks flew as bloodied steel scraped along the rounded edge of the minotaur''s ax. It staggered back from the blow as I continued to the downward arc of my attack. My sword sparked along the border of the shaft, went off the side and lopped off its left horn. I gently nudged the downward arc of my slash and carved into the outer tendon of the inside of his left arm.


    My feet landed heavily on the ground as I slid a few inches before I spun around and ducked a retaliatory ax swing. The minotaur exhaled a huff of rage out of its nose and shook its head at me. But before it could attack again, Luke aimed a swing at its neck. It ducked to the side, grunting in pain as Luke''s sword carved another swath of skin off its shoulder.


    I slid into step next to my oldest friend, and we began to attack the minotaur in earnest. We lashed out in almost perfect synchronicity, attacking, defending and evading as one. Where Luke was the wall, I was the wind. He stood steadfast, attacking, blocking and parrying with a consistent rhythm, always making sure that he knew where his sword was moving. I maneuvered around the both of them, letting Luke hold aggro while I peppered the minotaur with strikes from the sides and behind it when I could afford the movements. Our swords sang as we cut through the air, slicing both ax and flesh.


    Still, even though we were making progress, it was still slow-going, considering the minotaur''s bulk and seemingly unending endurance. Even with my blade added to the equation, we were still unable to make any meaningful progress with stopping this beast. We would be there the whole day if this kept up. So, with that in mind, in the midst of one of my attacks, I threw Luke a narrowed eye look and grinned playfully, despite my rising fatigue. His gaze turned confused for a moment before they widened and he returned a grin with one of his own.


    With not so much as a by-your-leave, I slid my body between Luke and the minotaur and slammed my sword into the haft of the ax, putting all of my strength into forcing it aside. Surprised by sudden action, the minotaur was unable to use its no doubt superior strength to stop me. I pushed the ax to the side and down far enough that I was able to pivot to the side, out from between them.


    Luke crouched and followed up with a thrust of his sword, drilling into the minotaur''s stomach. The beast roared in enraged agony and wrenched its ax from my sword. It lifted its ax high above its head and prepared to aim at a now trapped Luke. He didn''t look afraid at all, as I kicked forward and jumped off of Luke''s bended knee and stabbed my sword into the minotaur''s throat, putting my entire body weight behind the attack. The sound of squelching flesh echoed in the empty air as my sword tore through his neck and Luke wrenched his sword free.


    Gagging audibly, the minotaur staggered back a few paces and collapsed backward. A thud to my left sounded as its ax hit the earth first and I released my sword, my arms numb and springy as my body refused to ignore its fatigue any longer. I nearly fell to the ground, but Luke caught me by the shoulder. Neither of us said anything as we waited for the beast to quiet, merely listening to its wet gasps and gags. After what felt like an eternity, it finally fell quiet, and I allowed myself to relax, if only minutely.


    "Well, well, it seems I must offer you all my congratulations." The woman spoke up as her gaze rolled over all of us. Trusting Luke to watch her, I looked to the others to see that they too had defeated their enemies, though they did seem a little worse for wear.


    Mitsuki stood in front of the broken and bloody corpse of the bear; her expression masked as she stared at the woman warily. Her arm still hung uselessly, though see the faint flicker of pain in her stoic expression.


    Baasima seemed to be nursing a wound on her arm that bled freely, but she was still capable if the intense glare was any indication. At her side, Rudy was still and focused on the woman.


    Guang was standing firm, though he was bleeding from the side of his head and his right eye was swelled over from a bruise.


    Nailah was looking the best among us, having no visible wounds, but she seemed to be breathing as slowly as I was, and sweat covered her face, no doubt from her exertions.


    Each of them was bloodied and injured, but still strong capable enough to keep moving. If only I could say the same about myself.


    The woman shook her head. "Inexperienced and weak, the Heroes that you are. But¡­" Her intense gaze washed over us, even as we did not respond to her words. "You are learning." She then smiled, but it was not a kind one. "After all, what Hero harms the people he''s meant to protect?" She glanced to the side, where not five men stood, but one. My eyes widened as the man stayed in place, horror and rage dominating his expression. She then snapped her fingers, causing the red haze to vanish from the surrounding area.


    No longer were we alone. The air seemed to clear, and I could finally see what was missing from before¡­ Kacee and Deandria had disabled a pair of armed men and were staring down a third, who was holding someone hostage, a dagger to their throat. Beyond them was a larger crowd of people that were held back by Tadashi and Colette. The villagers stared on in horror at what was going on, and I tried to figure out what was happening.


    "No! Please, not my little girl!" A familiar woman''s voice caught my attention ¡ª the woman from the card game stall.


    The girl¡­soft blue eyes watered, fearful ¡ª shoulder-length black hair, covered in dirt and heavily disheveled. Her round innocent face covered in mud. I couldn''t help the fear and horror that settled deep in my bones. I saw Maggie in the girl''s place. The horror that was quickly subsumed by an all-consuming rage. "You son of a bitch, let her go!" I didn''t care about the breathless snarl that I let out, my hands clenching and unclenching as they sought out a weapon.


    The man''s gaze shot to me and I recognized him as the one from earlier, that Baasima nearly slugged. Crazed red-brown eyes, one bruised and already swelling, honed in on me as he bared his bloody teeth in anger. "I''ll let the brat go just as soon you and yours let me go." He glared at me as if daring me to act.


    I huffed and gasped as I bared my teeth in rage, ready and willing to kick his ass. Luke held a hand in front of me, causing me to turn a heated glare to him. "Breathe, Joey." He said softly, but firmly. Without waiting for my answer, he turned a stern gaze to the man. "You don''t need to hold her hostage. Just let her go."


    "Why?! So you and your freak friends can kill me too? I saw what you did to my comrades!" He squeezed Livvi''s shoulder and pressed his blade closer. The girl whimpered, tears flowing freely.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Look behind you. That woman played a trick on all of us." His glare flickered from us to the cloaked woman behind us.


    In the midst of my anger, I forced myself to calm and look towards the bodies. Horror returned with a force as I found myself looking at the human corpses lying around us.


    The formerly tall man cut in half at the chest, still twitching as red blood pooled around the newly dead body.


    A burly older man with a full beard staring lifelessly to the sky with a sword still lodged in his throat and torn hole in his stomach.


    All around me, I heard the gasps and gags from my friends as they too looked upon their former opponents.


    "How disappointing." The woman pulled my attention and the faint downturn of her lips. "I was expecting more." Her frown deepened as she looked to each of us, golden eyes searching. "They were your opponents, and you defeated them. Their appearance should mean little."


    "They were human. People." Guang said softly, gritting his teeth as he glared at her.


    For the first time during this entire encounter, the woman very clearly reacted with something other than amusement and indifference. Rage entered her eyes, and the very air shifted. A weight settled in the air itself as I felt a primal need to esca-get the fuck away!


    At my side, Luke trembled as he fell to a knee, looking to the woman with a reluctant fear. His sword fell from his hands as he clenched them tight enough for me to hear his knuckles strain.


    Rudy''s legs buckled beneath him as he was unable to look away from her, his mien turning a deathly pale.


    Mitsuki staggered back as she began to breathe audibly, eyes wide and dilated, arms and legs tensing as if she were going to run.


    Guang had collapsed, his body lying haphazardly on the ground and eyes staring in horror.


    Nailah was leaning against the wall of a nearby building, pushing herself to go back farther.


    Baasima was frozen stiff, like a deer in the headlights, unable to move.


    I wanted to turn and run as far as I could, to get the hell away from her. But straining lungs, sore legs and a heart full of fury helped me stand firm. Still, it didn''t feel like it was enough. I wanted to run, to leave everyone here behind as bait so that I could get out of this alive.


    And I hated that feeling, that unrelenting instinct that continued to beat against the walls of my psyche. So¡­I grit my teeth, stared forward and focused on the one thing I knew would give me strength.


    If I ran, my sister would be disappointed.


    It wasn''t a miracle cure. I was still afraid; I wanted to run, to get away from this primal terror. But¡­it allowed me to stare into this abyss¡­


    Her lips curled, revealing her elongated canines and sharpening incisors. "So, only humans are people then?" She let out an angry laugh, her eyes roving over us. "Is this your mettle, Heroes? A little intimidation and you fall beneath to your knees or flee like cowards? Pitiful." Her eyes finally came to a stop on me, turning curious. "Well, at least one of you has grit enough to stand proudly against me." Her smile turned amused, but still hard. Then she disappeared.


    No one moved. No one breathed. My hindbrain, the nascent instinct that every human had since we were cavemen, screamed that the woman was still near, still waiting. I looked around with only my eyes until yellow dominated the entirety of my view. A chillingly warm hand cupped my cheek as her scalding breath caressed my lips. "Could it be¡­that you are the one she is¡­no, that we are waiting for?" The woman''s voice came out in a whisper, sending chills down my spine and tremors through my heart. "Well, I suppose I can what do she asked of me¡­"


    Ah¡­I see.


    The abyss had stared back.


    The woman pressed her lips against mine.


    As my entire world darkened, the last thing I heard was an ear-splitting scream.

 Memento Mori - 8

    The woman held the kiss for a few seconds before she lifted her other arm and wrapped it around my neck, pulling me closer. Our proximity allowed me to feel just how soft and curved her body was, concealed beneath the robes as it was. She deepened the kiss, parting my lips with her tongue. Her golden eyes fell partially closed, dancing with a playful amusement.


    I felt torn as this happened. For all for all the woman¡¯s pale and sallow skin, it was surprisingly soft if her lips were any indication. As cold and cruel as she seemed to hold herself during this meeting, the kiss was remarkably tender and gentle. On the one hand, I wanted to return the kiss, as any red-blooded male would. But there was one big issue. She had tricked my friends and me into killing innocent men and scared the ever-loving hell out of us with nothing more than a glare.


    I tried to push her away, but my body refused to listen. My hands rose, and as I wanted to drive her away, they merely fell onto her hips. Her broad and unexpectedly soft hips¡­


    Damn hormones! Why do you choose now to act up!?


    Just as I was shrugging off the surprise and gather my strength to push her away, I caught a calculating spark in her stare. Almost seconds later, a searing heat took purchase in my mouth. I jerked in surprise and nearly pulled away, but her arm tightened and held me against her. The flame traveled through my mouth and down my throat, burning and scalding. As it did, my airways began to loosen and open properly, my lungs expanding and accepting air as I tried to breathe through my nose.


    Just as my body began to burn, a strength I thought I had lost was swiftly returning to me. I squeezed the woman''s hips and tried to push her away, but all I got was an amused twinkle of her eye. She pulled away from me, our lips parting as she exhaled audibly. A faint purple mist swirled from our open mouths as our breaths were in perfect sync. I could breathe clearly and efficiently, but my thoughts flickered with emotion. Anger. Confusion. Desire.


    But the thing that struck me the hardest was this: I could breathe without trouble.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to focus, black forming in the corners of my vision as the woman continued to hold me in her arms. Golden eyes smoldered as her lips closed, then parted. ¡°Will you be-¡±


    The woman was forced to leap backward as a sword swung at her face. She ghosted along the ground, before the back of her cloak exploded outwards, cloth tearing to shreds as a pair of black wings expanded, and she ascended several feet into the air. The wings were pitch black and segmented with two pairs of white talons on both ends. The membrane was a dark purple and filled with translucent veins that seemed to drink in the light. A gust of wind was spurred from a flap of her wings, causing her hood to fly freely and no longer concealed her face. A lightly narrowed heart-shaped face leered down at us, golden eyes full of cruel amusement. Hair, the color of a pale grey that contrasted beautifully with her wings, fell to her chin, with bangs that reached the top of her eyes. Black horns curved out from under her hair and from the sides of her head, branching out into a pair of tapering points that jutted up and forward.


    Her face, at least from her forehead to the sides of her eyes, was covered in these sleek black scales. They covered her neck and seemed to trail down to her back and reached down to her shoulders.


    ¡°The hell do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Luke growled at her, stepping in front of me. In the midst of my stupor, I was honestly unsure if he was talking to the woman or me.


    She simply smiled. It was both beautiful and dangerous if the maddening twinkle in her eyes was any indication. ¡°Making a call.¡± Her eyes rolled lazily from him to me, before looking to the horizon. Her lips quirked into a smirk. ¡°It seems your precious Royal family has sent their knights.¡± She hummed and laughed to herself. ¡°I¡¯ve overstayed my welcome.¡± She turned, and her wings flapped once more, sending gusts of winds outwards. I broke out of my stupor and felt my anger returning, this time with a vengeance. She peeked over her shoulder, her eyes meeting mine. ¡°Marshall yourselves, Heroes, for time waits for no one.¡± With that, she rocketed through the air.


    The purple mist I had exhaled finally dispersed to nothingness, but that meant nothing I turned to face the man holding Livvi hostage. Luke grabbed my shoulder, but his next words vanished at the sight of what was in front of me.


    Weeping. The woman from the game stall was on her knees, hands outstretched as she stared at what sent my mind a whirl.


    The man stared at his hands in horror, a flowing red staining them and his dagger without restraint. Livvi sat on the ground, leaning back against her captor, gasping and hacking as she choked on her blood and the knife still piercing her throat.


    My entire world froze as dread settled deep in my stomach. My vision flickered in and out, unable to look away from the girl, everything in my periphery becoming a nonentity. I didn¡¯t know the expression I had, but when I locked eyes with Livvi, she offered me a shaky smile.


    Why? Why are you smiling?!


    What is there to be happy about?!


    You had so much life ahead of you!


    Get angry. Fight. Rage against the world!


    You¡¯re dying¡­


    A hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my stupor, and I looked over to Luke. He was giving me a concerned look, his expression notably pallor. ¡°Joey¡­¡±


    The people around us, who had not retreated to the chapel, were staring at me. Their expressions varied, from shock, to pity, to confusion. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care, as lost to my grief and anger as I was.


    Had I spoken out loud?


    ¡°I-I-I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± The man¡¯s frantic voice pulled my attention again, seeing him staring at the girl in horror. ¡°When that¡­that witch did whatever that was, I panicked!¡±


    ¡°You held the blade.¡± The man flinched at the statement, looking to me in fear. He dropped the girl as he scrambled back. She gasped and gagged at the impact, grimacing and crying out in pain.


    Her voice broke the phantom chains holding me in place. Shrugging my shoulder out of Luke¡¯s grasp, I began to walk forward. ¡°You held her hostage.¡± A burning fury settled itself deep in my stomach. The man shook his head at my words but did not respond verbally. ¡°You made that choice.¡± My voice rumbled from deep within my chest, and I stopped as my foot landed oddly on the ground. I glanced downwards, then looked back to the man.


    ¡°No!¡± He replied quickly, fervently, angrily. ¡°The little girl got in the way!¡± He shook his head quickly, hair flapping with every movement. ¡°And that damn witch surprised me! You felt it too, didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°You. Terrified. Her.¡± Bringing my foot back, I kicked forward and hooked it beneath the object that stopped my movements. The weight of the ax was negligible to the strength I had from reinforcing my body. It shot upwards, and I swiped it out of the air with a contemptuous wave of my hand, fingers wrapping around the haft of the weapon. A tingle raced up my spine as I instantaneously learned and mastered the skills necessary to employ this weapon of war. ¡°You. Hurt. Her.¡± I snarled and threw the two-bladed ax with a single hand. It sang as it tore through the air, spinning head over haft.


    It flew faster than the eye could see before it landed with a meaty thunk. The man cried out in agony as it tore into the left shoulder, curved inwards so that it cut into a portion of his chest. I ignored his cries and tears of pain as I strode over to him, my body moving as if on autopilot as I stewed in my fiery wrath. ¡°You. Killed. Her.¡±


    ¡°J-Joey¡­¡±


    I froze mid-step at that shaky voice. That tiny, painfully familiar voice. Like a splash of chilled, icy water, my burning rage vanished as I looked to the source. Livvi was looking up to me through half-lidded wavery eyes. My eyes watering, it took all of my willpower to not stumble over to her as I hurried to her side, ignoring everything around me. Crouching at her side, I hesitated as I reached for her. After failing, after letting this happen, did I¡­


    A tiny, shaky hand grasped mine with all the strength of a flighty butterfly. Tossing aside my hesitation, I grasped her hand tightly with mine and used my other to prop her up. She let out a pained gasp, and I felt my heartbreak. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± My voice broke as I could no longer hold back the tears. Why could I not stop seeing my sister, dammit?


    ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡± She whimpered, blinking rapidly, even as blood continued to poor. It was too late to heal if that was even possible. Too much blood loss, too much time passed.


    ¡°Me too,¡± I said softly, getting a surprised look from her.


    ¡°But¡­a Hero¡­¡±


    I offered a shaky smile. ¡°Even Heroes get scared.¡±


    ¡°I don¡­ant to di¡­¡± Her voice seemed to give out, but she pushed through, her hand squeezing mine despite her weakness.


    ¡°You¡¯ll wake back up,¡± I said to her, my voice strong despite the tears that continued to flow. She looked up to me with a vague, confused contemplation. ¡°Today felt like a dream, didn¡¯t it? All this fun, all these games. You had fun, right?¡± She grunted, her eyes not leaving mine. ¡°Then it won¡¯t end. This joy, this happiness, it won¡¯t end so long as you want it.¡± She grunted again, her tears flowing faster as she smiled up at me, her strength slowly leaving her as her grip loosened.


    I reaffirmed my grip on her hand and squeezed it for all it was worth. ¡°I have a sister, you know.¡± Her eyes gained a hint of light, curiosity in her waning regard. ¡°Younger. So mature. So strong-willed. Had the brightest smile I could remember. Like yours.¡± I closed my eyes as I tried not to see Maggie in front of me. When I opened them, I locked eyes with Livvi. ¡°When you wake up, I promise that you¡¯ll meet her.¡±


    ¡°¡­lly?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said softly, smiling proudly. ¡°Maggie couldn¡¯t hate anyone. She¡¯ll adore you, Livvi. Spoil you so much.¡± I gritted my teeth and leaned forward, holding back the tears as much as I could. ¡°Tell her I love her, alright? Can you do that for me?¡±


    Livvi didn¡¯t answer for the longest time. Her gaze, empty, and hand limp in my grasp. I squeezed my eyes shut and felt the tears begin to fall freely.


    ¡°¡­kay¡­¡±


    My eyes shot open as I looked upon the girl in front of me, a very small, very minute, smile upon her face. Then she was gone. Her tiny face fell slack, mouth dropping open as she stared at the still bright sky. Lifting a hand, I shakily moved it over her eyes and closed them with feather-lite touches. As I put my hand back down, I couldn¡¯t help but muse that without the blood, she appeared to be just sleeping.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Hooking my arms beneath her, I lifted the girl in a princess carry and stood. Blinking away the tears, I turned and scanned the crowd. Subdued, the group was almost painfully quiet as I looked for someone in particular. Then I found her.


    Her visual grief was like a punch to the gut, an uncomfortable churn deep in my stomach. She still cried, but it was resigned. My feet were dead weight, and I was almost incapable of taking that step forward. It felt like an eternity, but I was able to walk forward, my footsteps seemingly echoing as I approached the grieving parent. Her pain was infinitely more significant than mine, and I had no excuse, no reason, to flee from this woman, not after my failure.


    It was an eternity. Nonstop continuity of time that had passed until I had finally reached the mother. I met her regard, words caught in my throat as her eyes fell upon the girl in my arms. What could you say to someone in this situation? An apology felt so inadequate, almost insulting, in the face of what just occurred. An explanation felt like an excuse, something not worth stating, not worth the breath wasted. The silence was a copout; she deserved something after this catastrophic failure. Heroes¡­fucking Heroes¡­said something when things like this inevitably happened.


    ¡°She smiled,¡± I whispered as these words were only for her, no matter how insufficient, to find some comfort. ¡°To the very end, she smiled. No matter how afraid she felt.¡±


    Her eyes widened ever so lightly, even as tears fell. The woman paused, eyes searching mine almost endlessly. Then they softened, still filled with grief. She did not smile, but her countenance was no less kind, accepting. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Like a twist of a knife, her words struck me. But I said nothing, merely holding out my arms. The woman, the mother, extended her arms as well and took her body from me. My arms fell to my sides as I saw her cradle her child¡¯s body. This mother, who carried her child from birth, now cradled her in death. This mother, whose name I did not know, had my respect in a way that I couldn¡¯t fathom, for not immediately breaking down in sorrow as I saw her countenance crumble as she looked upon Livvi.


    I looked away, not wanting to mar that strong visage I had witnessed prior. I could not offer words, for I did not understand the mother''s pain. Who could after all? Who would want to?


    I couldn¡¯t bear to stand there any longer, to hold still and witness this, so I walked away. I strode passed the mother and child, my path taking me to the crowd. I stared forward, not seeing anything as I looked through the gawking pedestrians, fearing that my earlier anger would resurface. They parted as I reached them, my trek constant and relentless. My steps carried me through the opened path, and I gradually passed the crowd, no longer surrounded by people.


    I heard one of my friends call out to me, concern present in their tone, but I paid it no mind. Hell, in my stupor, I didn¡¯t know who it was. I just wanted to get away from everyone. Not much later, a procession of knights surrounding an armored chariot. The horses neighed as they came to a halt. In the bed of the chariot, Emelina was clad in a segmented battle dress, holding a simple wooden staff with a small glass ball atop it, colors swirling in the orb. She was about to climb down, but a hand on her shoulder from a knight wearing a closed helm stopped her.


    I ignored them, just walking along a path my unconscious mind took me.


    It was as if I had blinked and I was now staring at the mural: the Hero King and his companions.


    Why did I come here?


    For support?


    For answers?


    To scream and shout that his job had shitty mental health benefits?


    I didn¡¯t know. All I knew was that staring at this image was causing my anger to simmer. I could not look away. I stared and glared with everything I had. There was nothing I could say; nothing I could do. There was nothing I wanted to say.


    ¡°I never understood¡­¡± I spoke, despite my initial wishes. ¡°Is this what it feels like? When I came here, against my will, I was expected to fight. Expected to fight for people I know nothing about; people I do not care for.¡± I did not look away, clenching fist tight enough for the knuckles to crack. ¡°I had a family. A little sister I loved and looked after. People I could¡¯ve met and gotten to know. And what happened?¡± I pointed at the still image, snarling in anger. ¡°A prophecy that came about because you failed!¡±


    I let out a cry, tears still forming at the corners of my eyes. ¡°Because of your weakness, I was ripped from my home to fulfill a damn ¡®prophecy¡¯! An excuse for weak-minded fools who can¡¯t ignore prettied words!¡± My fists clenched as I fought off the urge to hit something, to vent my still rising fury. ¡°People called you a ¡®Hero,¡¯ the first to stand up and be victorious against the ¡®Demon Lord,¡¯¡± I said the words with disdain, unable to hold back the scorn I felt for them. ¡°But the truth of the matter is that you failed!¡±


    I stomped my foot, unable to care how childish I looked or acted. I had held myself back long enough. ¡°I don¡¯t see a hero in this image, but a failure that thrust his responsibilities on those that came after him.¡± I hissed as I let my head fall, fingers sliding into my hair and digging into my scalp.


    ¡°All this power I¡¯ve gained, all this skill I¡¯ve done nothing to earn, and it feels like nothing has changed. I still can¡¯t see the wider world for what it truly is. I still can¡¯t venture out and make my own decisions based on what I¡¯ve experienced and seen.¡± I growled out as I grit my teeth. ¡°Everyone I¡¯ve met, everyone I¡¯ve known, feels like a chain, a shackle, that keeps me from becoming what I wish to be. Expectations that I don¡¯t want, that I want to toss aside, chafe against who I am.¡±


    I tore my gaze from the mural, my breaths heaving and heart pounding. ¡°If this is what it means to be a Hero on Verum¡­¡± I squared my shoulders and looked back to the mural, meeting the point where his eyes would be. ¡°Then it seems I won¡¯t become the ¡®Hero¡¯ Verum needs. If that makes me selfish, then I¡¯ll embrace that selfishness and live the way I want.¡± I shook my head as I felt my anger slowly bleed away. ¡°Your shackles will not hold me, ¡®Hero King.¡¯ I will stay free until the day I die.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t much, but I felt the weight on my shoulders lightening. A burden I was ignorant of, seemed to have lessened. I felt, not ¡®happier¡¯ per se, but¡­freer. Tired, too, but that¡¯s no doubt because of my earlier fight.


    I gave one last tired look at the mural, committing it to memory, then turned my back to it. I would make my own path, my own way through this world. If I were to be a ¡®Hero,¡¯ then I¡¯d do it in my own manner, not in the name of someone else.


    My gaze fell upon the mural of the Demon King, eyes flickering to the shrouded figure, then to each image of his generals. I felt nothing when I saw it, no draw, no enticement, no fear. Nothing.


    With nothing than a sigh, I turned my back on the second mural and strode towards the entrance of the chapel. The sunlight broke through the crack between the double doors. I reached the door, the leather of my shoes lightly tapping the stone floor. Pushing the door open, I saw that people were waiting for me: my friends, the princess and her entourage of knights, and Mr. Lethe. Concern and worry were ever present on the faces of those I knew. Understanding on the faces of the knights I was familiar with and those who helped train me.


    I was silent for a few moments, then looked off to the side, into the distance and away from the castle. Long rolling hills and vast plains were all in sight, the feeling of the gently blowing wind caressed my cheeks and sunlight beamed down on us. Longing filled me as I stared into the distance. I was tired of being cooped up, held in one place and ignorant of the world I now inhabited.


    An ignorance I wanted to alleviate on my own.


    An ignorance I wanted to eradicate.


    An ignorance I wanted to discard.


    Turning my head, I looked directly into Emelina¡¯s captivating silver eyes and declared. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    She was surprised by my words, as were my friends, but her expression softened for a moment, eyes regarding me with worry. Upon recognizing my tone, she hardened her mien and nodded once, resolute. ¡°Yes. We shall.¡±


    ----


    The rest of the day was hectic as Emelina had marshaled her regiment of knights to lock down the surrounding villages, getting everyone in their homes and setting up a protective perimeter around Veritas. She had several routes entering the capital city closed and ordered her forces to thoroughly search through all vital trade caravans needed for the continued support in the town. It was a testament to how loved and respected she was as a princess by the people that there wasn¡¯t much reluctance on their part.


    Still, the woman who lost her daughter received the space and support she needed for a proper funeral. She had a family, no husband, but siblings that were there for her. I directed a few knights their way for the more general support they would need in the future, but I could tell that wouldn¡¯t be enough. Nowhere near for what happened.


    I didn¡¯t learn about what happened to the man who harmed her, because I didn¡¯t care about him. The repercussions of his attack on Livvi were not my decision to make, but the mother¡¯s herself. When Luke had asked me if I wanted to know, I just shook my head and said nothing more.


    Currently, we were all in a wide-open hall within castle grounds. Walls several feet taller than us with tall windows on the walls, with illustriously colored, parted curtains and decorative banners. Several tables lined with a variety of weapons and tools. I stayed away from the rest of my class, with Valeri standing across from me, arms crossed as she too studied the table of weapons.


    ¡°Your sword was ruined after the battle, Joseph.¡± They had stopped calling me ¡®Sir¡¯ at my behest. My vehement behest. ¡°Whatever it was that woman did to those men, it made their blood corrosive to steel-based weaponry. Sir Guang¡¯s daggers turned to slag after the battle had ended, drenched in blood as they were.¡± She offered me a complex expression, one torn between pride and exasperation. ¡°Leaving your sword sheathed in your opponent¡¯s throat isn¡¯t conducive to properly maintaining your weapon, Joseph.¡±


    I snorted despite myself, finding amusement in her playful tone. ¡°Forgive me for being distracted.¡±


    ¡°Forgiven,¡± She stated softly. ¡°The circumstances surrounding it are ones even more experienced warriors have trouble contending with.¡± She smiled faintly, ¡°Despite how it ended, you carried yourself in a way that would¡¯ve granted you a commendation, were you a knight of Veritas.¡±


    A nod was all I offered. I didn¡¯t need to say that I felt I didn¡¯t deserve such a thing.


    Valeri continued, ¡°Your sword was one pulled from the standard armory, one among many that we give to newly risen squires. As you are outside our command structure but have the favor of the Royal Family, you have the privilege of picking a more professionally crafted weapon.¡± She motioned to the weapons allayed before me. ¡°Your Affinity is already well-known, so we¡¯ve decided to let you see all of our available weapons.¡±


    I looked at her for confirmation, getting a nod in response. I hummed in assent as I took my time and held each weapon for a few moments, to both get a feel for it and to master it intuitively. After a few minutes, I had done so for every weapon here, and though I had found that I had favored swords, of the hand-and-a-half variety, none of them felt¡­right.


    Seeing my discomfort, Valeri simply nodded. ¡°There is no need to fret. You are not the first to find that what we have available does not fit your needs. It is simply a matter of enlisting a blacksmith to forge what fits you best.¡±


    It was more than that. I didn¡¯t want to lean too much on the Royal Family anymore, considering I wanted to go my own way in the near, very near, future. That was what was holding me back. ¡°What if¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± A voice broke into our conversation, and I looked over to see Amber standing at the edge of the table, her stern countenance locked onto me. At my confused look, she snorted, ¡°Your sword, Joey. I want to forge your new sword.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Valeri asked her, concern warring with a challenge in her tone. Amber gave her a heated look, about to retort, but the knight shook her head. ¡°You do not understand, not fully. Saying such a thing, that you¡¯re willing to forge a weapon made specifically for a single person, is a declaration of intent.¡± She paused, glancing down at the table full of weapons. ¡°Forging a weapon fit for a Hero, especially for a Hero, is an undertaking only a master blacksmith can commit. Not just because of pride, but because the process of making it is an intense experience.¡± She shrugged, though her expression was no less serious. ¡°As I am not a smith, I cannot tell you how exactly, but from what ours has explained, it is not for the faint of heart.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Amber immediately retorted, surprising not just me, but Valeri as well. ¡°What just happened, that battle, those deaths, it was terrifying, so hectic, that I could barely comprehend what was going on until afterward.¡± She clenched her fist and glared at the table, though that was not what she was seeing. ¡°Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but how often will we have that chance? The opportunity to look back, when death could be around at any corner?¡± She shook her head, her plait bouncing lightly behind her. ¡°No. I¡¯m going to do everything I can to make sure that all of us will survive this. Even if I have to forge everyone¡¯s weapon myself.¡± She smiled, and it was sharp, pointed as if daring Valeri to challenge her declaration. ¡°Because I¡¯ll be damned if I let my friend go through anything like that again.¡±


    I blinked at Amber¡¯s vehemence but felt myself smiling at the energy in how she held herself.


    ¡°My Affinity is like Joey¡¯s, but with blacksmithing. Not only will I get better naturally, but I can understand everything I use and craft with as easily as breathing.¡± She clasped her hands and clenched them, knuckles white from the exertion. She looked to me, ¡°Come with me to the forge, right now. I¡¯ll gather all the measurements and preferences we need and get to work gathering materials.¡± Amber smiled something fierce, though it was closer to baring her teeth in a challenge as a spark of excitement appeared in her gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s make Excalibur itself weep in jealousy at your new sword.¡±


    In spite of myself, I couldn¡¯t the laugh that escaped me.

 Interlude I - Splintered Family

    <u>Interlude I</u><u></u> - One month after 12-B''s disappearance


    <hr>


    ¡°¡­Over the past two weeks, plates along the New Madrid Seismic Zone have moved seven centimeters. This has been happening for the past decade, and continues to do so in a cyclical manner.¡± An older woman dressed in a rumpled lab coat, a pair of black sweatpants and a yellow and white sweater sat in front of a large screen, depicting a downward viewing image of the sea floor, where air bubbles continued to rise upwards. Her long black hair was tied into a loose ponytail with her bangs hanging freely over her blue-green eyes. Pronounced bags rested under her eyes, and her thin lips were pursed in a cross of frustration and disbelief.


    Above her head, attached to the ceiling, was a single, ovular, black orb. A blinking red light continually made itself known.


    ¡°Were this to continue in the predicted manner, in three months, the fractured continent would have drifted further apart.¡± She stood from her cushioned, straight-backed chair and pushed a point on her screen, causing it dim and the lights in her room to brighten. The place she was staying in was a sterile white and cluttered with papers, various pieces of rock and papers, organized in a manner that only the woman, in particular, could understand.


    ¡°Current recommendation, enlist the aid of the one who caused the damage to reverse their actions. There exists no natural capability to return the North American continent to its former condition. End notation.¡± She paused, closing her eyes as she let herself yawn, her jaw cracking as her mouth opened wide. ¡°Designation, PB-S. Send the latest recording to all recommended officials on Senedd, Linneaus, Wayland and Ilf. This is Penelope Blaine, signing off.¡±


    In front of her was one of the only two clean surfaces in the room, the desk; the surface which was a touch screen and housed a variety of specialized, virtual control tools. To her immediate right were a set of file cabinets. Resting atop the cupboard, though, was the only persona affect not connected to her work. It was a simple black picture frame that housed the still image of a pair of children.


    The taller of the two was a young boy with straight black hair, cut short with his bangs falling to his brows and bright, baby blue eyes. He had a full, happy grin that showed off his missing left canine to the world. He wore a set of jean shorts, a T-shirt with a picture of an old cartoon and a pair of colorful shoes.


    In front of him was a girl younger, and smaller, than him, with waist length black hair that fell freely down her back. She wore a knee-length sundress and a pair of open-toed sandals. She was giving the camera an adorably confused look; her lips curled into a pout.


    The woman felt her bone-deep exhaustion lessen as she gazed longingly at the picture. Her hands shook with an almost desperate hunger as she reached forward to cup it, lips curling as she fought off the tears that always threatened to come forth. When her hand came within bare inches of touching the frame, she flinched and pulled her hand back, shaking her head. ¡°Focus on your work.¡± She clenched her fist and turned around to walk over to the opposite side of her room.


    On the opposite of her messy office, Penelope approached the muddled surface of a wooden desk, with a pair of drawers hanging open. Brushing some papers, she picked up a black binder and flipped through a few images, resembling the sea floor, the earth¡¯s surface on dry land, and various charts and graphs about moving fault-lines and tectonic plates. Tired eyes flickered along the different images, taking them in with a clinical disinterest. She frowned as she read through them her eyes shooting to the top right-hand corner. ¡°These are this month¡¯s diagnostics of plate movements? This is far too unspecific.¡± She scoffed and dropped the binder, shaking her head in a mixture of disgust, exhaustion, and frustration.


    Pushing a hand through her hair, Penelope exhaled through her nose and abruptly turned around. She strode purposefully to the door, and it slid open with a faint hiss as she reached it. Walking through it, she entered a fluorescent white hallway. The walls were plain white, with no decorations and personal accouterments and appeared to be entirely stable. Faint patting sounds reverberated in the wide illuminated corridors; her plain slippers strike the linoleum floor with a purpose. ¡°Damn the consequences. I¡¯m calling my children.¡± She scowled as she strode quickly.


    Exiting the hallway, she reached an open doorway and stepped into the room. This room was far more visually organized than the one she had just left. It had single steel, and a wooden desk with a sleek, silver laptop rested closed on the top of the desk. Next to it rested a black phone face down in its jack. Across from the entrance to her office was an entire wall of reinforced glass that showed a vast open expanse of illuminated faint blue and dimmed black of deep under the sea. Various fish swam by, though made sure to stay far from the brightly shining lights that shone out from the wall.


    Along the left wall was a corkboard, filled with a plethora of pictures that depicted her children, from early childhood to the current time.


    Penelope approached her desk and picked up the phone. Her thumb flew along the illuminated number pad, inputting a number she had memorized so long ago. Finishing that, she lifted the phone to her ear and heard the dial tone. ¡°Please. Please answer. I need to hear your voices at least once.¡± She murmured worriedly, her heart pounding deep in her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut as she leaned forward on her desk, feeling her strength leaving her. Whether that be from her exhaustion rearing its head or her nerves, she did not know.


    After what felt like centuries to her, there was click on the other side of the line. ¡°Hello? Blaine residence. Who is this?¡± Tears sprung to Penelope¡¯s eyes at the sound of her daughter¡¯s voice. Soft and melodic, it reminded of her a gently flowing stream as Margaret¡¯s voice tickled her hearing. It had been years since she heard her daughter¡¯s voice; so much so that the last time she had heard, the girl¡¯s voice still had that young soprano of childhood. Now? It was a gentle half-soprano that caused a well of self-loathing to settle in her gut. ¡°Um, hello? Is anyone there? A wrong number perhaps? I¡¯m pretty busy at the moment, so I have to go.¡±


    Penelope felt her throat constrict at her daughter¡¯s tightened tone as if she was recovering from a cold if she had just exhausted her voice. ¡°Wait!¡± She managed to choke out, her legs quivering, much to her frustration. ¡°I¡­it¡¯s me, Maggie¡­¡± She walked around her desk, heading towards her chair.


    Margaret grunted faintly, verbalizing her apparent confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Then she paused, ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Suspicion filled her voice, anger coloring her tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s your mother, Maggie.¡± Where had her conviction gone? She couldn¡¯t help but wonder as she managed to reach her chair, legs giving out from beneath her. ¡°I¡­ Enough was enough, I suppose.¡± Penelope¡¯s voice broke as she squeezed her eyes shut, tears already breaking free.


    ¡°Enough of what?¡± Margaret¡¯s voice broke, but it was no less hard. ¡°You stop calling years ago and only send e-mails. Then those stop.¡± Her words fell like a deluge, emotion coloring them with a contained fury and a cascading frustration. ¡°You never answered when Joey called. You never gave us a straight answer on what you do. You left us in this apartment and never told us why. Why? Where are you? Do we not matter anymore to you?!¡±


    ¡°Of course, you do,¡± Penelope replied instantly, her voice regaining its former strength. ¡°You and your brother matter more to me than anything else in this world.¡±


    ¡°Nice fucking job expressing it.¡± Margaret retorted caustically, much to her mother¡¯s surprise. It even surprised the girl herself, considering her sudden inhale. ¡°I¡¯m not apologizing for that.¡± She spoke again, her voice shaky but stern.


    It may have been years, but no amount of time away from her daughter would let her miss the fact that her youngest was crying, though she was doing an admirable job concealing. Still, her child¡¯s words cut her deep. They broke through the walls she had put up as if they were never there. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t. I deserved them.¡± Penelope replied with a shaky smile, tear tracks falling down her face.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°The New Madrid Seismic Zone,¡± Penelope answered matter-of-factly.


    ¡°That¡­¡± Margaret paused, her voice cracking. ¡°That tells me nothing, Mom.¡± She sounded like she was holding back a laugh if the way her voice choked up was any indication.


    Well, that, or more tears, but Penelope would instead not think about one of her children crying. The mother allowed her a small smile. Much to her playful disappointment, neither of her children had any interest in her particular field. ¡°I¡¯m in the southern US, submerged several thousand miles under the surface of the sea.¡± Hearing her daughter calling her ¡®Mom,¡¯ though, sent a surge of relief through her.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°That¡¯s more specific, but doesn¡¯t tell much more,¡± Margaret answered in a deadpan, bringing a smile to Penelope¡¯s face. It seems that her youngest had taken in some of her eldest¡¯s sense of humor.


    A laugh escaped the mother, loosening the tension in her shoulders that she had forgotten she had. ¡°I see so many incredible things down here, Maggie. But¡­it would be so much better if I had you and Joseph with me.¡± Margaret sucked in a breath at the end of her statement, catching her mother¡¯s attention in a way that only a parent could notice. ¡°What is it?¡± She received no answer, save for the sound of shaky breathing. ¡°Margaret, what is wrong?¡± No answer, though the breaths were coming quicker, heavier.


    Penelope could still read her child as easily as breathing, despite being away for so long.


    Her daughter was distraught. That lit a fire beneath her, expression hardening and marshaling her resolve in a way only a parent could do. ¡°Margaret, where is your brother?¡± It didn¡¯t strike her until now just how wrong this situation felt. Had everything been fine, Penelope was sure that her son would¡¯ve made his presence known by now, either through more vocal anger or simply announcing himself and letting his sister the conversation.


    ¡°Gone.¡± Maggie gave a concise, curt answer.


    Ice shot through her veins, her stomach feeling like it fell to her feet. Her knuckles cracked as she clenched her hand and squeezed the phone. ¡°Gone?¡± Her voice is faint as she tried not to lose herself to slowly rising frustration. Not at her daughter, never at her, but her ¡®benefactors.¡¯ ¡°What do you mean?¡± She managed to speak through her tightening throat.


    Margaret didn¡¯t answer for a few agonizing moments. ¡°He was abduct-¡± She was suddenly cut off by a droning beep.


    Penelope pulled the phone from her face as she slowly turned to the phone. The ambient light that generally lit up the number pad were all dead. Gritting her teeth, she hung up the phone with a frustrated slam.


    Her son was gone. Missing. Abducted. Her heart pounded deep in her chest, knuckles cracking as she clenched her fists and grit her teeth. It was like her blood was both a searing flame and a frigid chill that refused to die down. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as her bone-deep exhaustion was burned away, replaced by a constant intensity that demanded retribution. She turned her attention to her laptop and forced her hands to open and relax so that she could open it. It booted up to revealing an image of her children, smiling and laughing at something off the screen.


    Opening a window, she began to type quickly and fervently, eyes flickering from side to side. After a few moments of typing, a window forced itself open and appeared on the forefront, closing whatever she had earlier. A red light flickered on at the top of her screen, showing the camera had turned on. The face of clean-shaven older gentlemen with dark green eyes stared dispassionately at her. His expression was blank, but there was a frustration in his gaze. His hair was greying at the bangs and cut short. ¡°You¡¯ve broken protocol quite severely, Doctor Blaine.¡±


    ¡°Where the fuck is my son, you son of a bitch?¡± Penelope¡¯s voice sounded calm, belying the furious wrath that roiled beneath the surface.


    The man frowned at her, showing his displeasure at her. ¡°You are an educated woman, Doctor. There is no need for such juvenile language.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost my child, Director. I believe I¡¯m allowed to express how I feel about such a failure on your part.¡± She kept her voice controlled and even, but the poison in her tone was evident in how the man¡¯s frown deepened.


    ¡°Kafig¡¯s security is second to only Ilf. It should have been impossible.¡±


    ¡°And yet you still failed.¡± Penelope did not care for his excuses. ¡°You promised me that you¡¯d keep my children safe while I did your work for you. I¡¯ve done nothing but give you all the information I could gather, and you failed your end of our bargain.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression darkened at her words, every mention of the word ¡®fail¡¯ causing the corner of his mouth to twitch downward. The fuming mother found pleasure in his discomfort, needling him for all she could. ¡°Doctor Blaine. You seem to forget that we still have your daughter in our custody.¡± His eyes narrowed, fury entering his formerly stoic gaze. ¡°While your work is invaluable, it is not worth putting up with your needless, and unnecessary, insults.¡±


    That only inflamed her anger, Penelope¡¯s lip curling ever so lightly as she finally allowed her emotions to show. ¡°Find my son, Director Cadwall, or you will never see another piece of research from me again.¡±


    Cadwall narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°I can understand your frustrations, Doctor, but you are in no position to offer ultimatums. We may have lost your son, for now, but remember that we still have your daughter.¡± That caused Penelope to openly glare at the man, eyes alight with a ferocity that only a parent could offer. ¡°Should you wish to speak with her again, barring that unauthorized communication earlier, then you would do well to keep to your duties.¡±


    He turned his head to the side, and the sound of tapping keys was all Penelope heard, before a ding caught her attention. ¡°I¡¯ve sent you what I can. Observations of the last known moment we had seen of your son. Take comfort in that he was safe and happy before his abduction.¡± With that, the screen blinked, leaving the screen open to its previous window.


    Penelope closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. Using the touchpad, she moved her mouse over to the blinking icon on her screen. Clicking it, the mother saw that it was a video. She then played the video and saw that it was a direct observation of her children.


    They had grown so well. Penelope''s children had become so much like adults that they seemed like they didn¡¯t need her anymore.


    Still¡­ ¡°Hold on Maggie. Mama¡¯s going to have everything ready. She¡¯ll find Joey.¡±


    Penelope turned her attention back to what she was doing before she was called.


    It¡¯s time for the world to learn about political hostages and prisoners.


    <hr>


    Maggie stared at the phone in her shaking hand, the dimming sunlight from the setting sun peering through the blinds. It had been years, almost half a decade since she had heard her mother¡¯s voice and yet¡­after speaking with her, it felt like it was only yesterday.


    She leaned back in her seat on the couch in her living room and closed her eyes with a sigh.


    The past month had been horrible. First, Maggie¡¯s brother had disappeared, then the school had shut down for investigations, causing every extracurricular activity to be canceled. She had returned to an empty home, and a district-wide curfew had been set.


    But those events weren¡¯t what frustrated her. They were terrible, for everyone and not just her, but the one thing that made her angriest were the nonstop condolences.


    Pity.


    Concern.


    Worry.


    Condolences.


    She had been offered all of those, and while she had appreciated it from her friends, it was when everyone else decided to do so that she had begun to feel like she was balancing on a razor¡¯s edge. She felt like she was seconds away from lashing out at the next person to ¡®apologize for her loss.¡¯


    Joey wasn¡¯t dead. Her brother wasn¡¯t dead.


    Gone.


    Missing.


    Kidnapped.


    But not dead.


    Joey was far too stubborn for that.


    Maggie stood up from the couch, dropping her phone onto the cushion. It was late, and she was tired. Tired from staying up late due to worry. Tired of all the nonstop words from others. Tired of their pitying stares.


    Most of all, she was just tired.


    As she walked towards her bedroom, though, a knock caught her attention. She turned a glare at the door, contemplating ignoring it. Just as she was about to make her decision, another blow forced her to make up her mind.


    With a sigh, Maggie turned towards the door and unlocked it, opening it to reveal a teen around her brother¡¯s age. He stood an inch or two shy of six feet tall with a muscular build and broad shoulders. He wore a pair of torn blue jeans and a dark hoody with the hood pulled up and over his head, though a few strands of white poked out from under it. Poking over his right shoulder was a duffel bag, his right hand holding the strap with white knuckles. His left sleeve hung empty, freely falling at his side. Grey eyes, almost unnaturally so, studied her from under the shadow of his hood.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­Margaret Blaine, right?¡± He asked her, his voice shaken and uncertain. He looked left to right, as if searching for something, before looking back to Maggie. She did not answer, simply staring at him with a frown. ¡°I have information that you¡¯ll probably want.¡±


    ¡°What sort of information?¡± Maggie frowned at him. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    He grimaced at her question. ¡°Ah¡­sorry. I haven¡¯t had a full night¡¯s sleep in a week. Kind of out of it right now.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m Connor. Connor Wolfe.¡± The newly named Connor lifted his hand from the strap of his duffle bag and reached into the pouched pocket of his hoody, pulling out a black rectangle about the size of his thumb. ¡°How would you like to know the real goals of the islands that people live on now?¡±


    Were it any other day, Maggie would give this ¡®Connor¡¯ a disbelieving look and slam the door in his face. But now? After everything that happened, she was feeling spiteful and frustrated. She didn¡¯t know this person, but she was desperate. She was angry. Maggie Blaine was tired of not knowing anything, especially concerning her brother¡¯s whereabouts.


    This may not help him immediately, but it would at least give her something to do.


    She just hoped that she didn¡¯t regret it.


    ¡°How can I trust you?¡±


    Connor paused as if considering his next words. Then he offered a self-deprecating smile. ¡°My life¡¯s been ruined by the administrator of the island I used live on.¡± He paused, before grimacing as he looked around up to the ceiling. His eyes narrowed as he glared at something, his grey eyes seemingly flickering in the faint light before he looked back to Maggie. Hesitating for a moment, he glanced to the ceiling once more, before he reached to his left side and pulled up his hoodie.


    Maggie stiffened as grief filled her at the sight of numerous faded scars and stitches peppered his pale skin, likely from a lack of sunlight. He lifted his hoodie all the way to the shoulder, revealing what looked like a sleek metal socket that would¡¯ve fit in a transhuman science fiction film.


    ¡°I recently woke up from a year-long coma from being a science experiment,¡± Connor spoke almost calmly, his eyes dull, but with a spark of fury flickering in them. ¡°So you can imagine how much I want to drag these bastards to the ground.¡±


    Maggie didn¡¯t respond for the longest time, watching he lowered his hoodie. Then she closed her eyes and exhaled audibly, stepping aside. ¡°I have a guest room you can borrow. Get some rest. We can talk tomorrow.¡±


    With a nod, Connor walked inside, and Maggie shut the door behind him, but not without looking around for anything amiss.

 Memento Mori - 9

    ¡°Tomorrow morning, we¡¯re going to meet the King of Veritas to further elaborate on how our training will continue, and, hopefully, end.¡± Mr. Lethe explained to us as we ate dinner in the dining hall. He was dressed in a set of loose-fitting leather clothes with a set of matching leather and steel gauntlets and greaves, leaving his hands uncovered. His expression torn as he examined us, his gaze rolling over us. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything that can be said to alleviate the stress you¡¯ve gained from yesterday¡¯s¡­incident. So, I won¡¯t say anything.¡± His eyes fell on me, a mix of pity and concern in his dark brown eyes. His gaze then rolled over to the others who had also fought directly against the woman¡¯s disguised thralls.


    Anger and frustration roiled deep in my stomach at his gaze, though I kept my expression flat. I had struggled and fought with everything I had yesterday. Even with everything that happened, I held myself with as much aplomb as I could. I did not want pity. I did not want condolences.  Still, it wasn¡¯t an issue, not yet, so I didn¡¯t make a point of it. Though I didn¡¯t know how the others felt.


    I pointedly did not look at my hands. Or the red that refused to go away.


    ¡°You¡¯ve reached a point where the only experience that can further help you progress as warriors is direct combat,¡± Kara said as she stood at attention at Emelina¡¯s flank. She, the princess and Valeri having joined us.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Baasima spoke up, confused. ¡°It¡¯s only been two months since you¡¯ve started training us. Shouldn¡¯t we have more time?¡± ¡®Especially after yesterday¡¯ went unsaid.


    Kara simply smiled, though it was a bittersweet one. ¡°I know. It¡¯s always been the intention to start you here, for direct training from specially-selected knights, then move you to a nearby village to let you spread your wings, so to speak.¡± Her rolled over us, her smile becoming proud. ¡°Yesterday, as troubling as it may have been, showed us that you are ready. Ready to begin the second stage of your growth as Heroes, those who with the potential to stand against the hordes of the late Demon Lord¡¯s forces.¡±


    Her words, no doubt meant to encourage us, only caused a dark mood to settle upon us. Amongst those who were in the open market during the attack, we shared a silent meeting of the eyes. Luke turned his head and regard Guang, then Nailah as Rudy looked to Baasima, then me. Mitsuki simply stared forward, her lips set into a stern frown.


    It was she who broke the silence first. ¡°Who was she?¡± Her quiet words caused the trio to stiffen, expressions becoming shadowed. It did nothing to discourage Mitsuki, who spoke again, her words gaining a subtle, frustrated, edge. ¡°The woman who made us look like impotent children. Who was she?¡±


    There was a tense silence Kara, and Valeri deferred to Emelina, their twin gazes falling onto the nervous princess. She stared at the table, her finger tapping it incessantly. After what felt like hours, she finally replied. ¡°We have reason to believe that is one of the late Demon Lord¡¯s four Generals, recently awoken from her slumber. The Black Dragon, Jeanne.¡±


    That struck us silent. A subtle horror dawned on us as we realized just what we tried to fight yesterday. A dragon? A dragon in human form. No wonder she seemed so confident. It explained her confidence and skill, as well as her ability to brush Mitsuki away as though she were no more than an afterthought.


    ¡°That answers one question and brings up so much terror,¡± Guang said, summing up my thoughts almost perfectly. ¡°Still, that does bring one question to mind¡­¡± That caused everyone to turn towards him. ¡°Why did she choose to make out with Joey?¡± He spoke with such seriousness that we all seemed to give it considerable thought before it finally dawned on us what he said.


    The rest of our class was torn amongst their reactions, from exasperation to reluctant amusement and frustration at his irreverence.


    Mr. Lethe, Emelina and her knights, however, looked at him like he had sprouted a second head. ¡°What?¡± Our teacher rasped out, appearing as if someone had kicked him in the nuts and pissed in his cheerios at the same time.


    Even as I glared at him, Guang continued regardless, not caring for my silent, annoyed vitriol. ¡°Yeah. After we had defeated our enemies, she used her ¡®super dragon aura¡¯ and froze us all in fear, or something.¡± He waved his hand to the side, but we all ignored the faint quiver in his voice. ¡°One second, she was standing in her spot and the next, she was right in front of Joey. She said something and began to suck his face.¡± His tone was a matter of fact, almost as if stating the weather.


    My face was hot as I glared at him with everything I had, causing him to flinch ever so lightly when he met my eyes. ¡°Is this true, Joseph?¡± Emelina pulled me from my attempts to shoot lasers at my classmate. ¡°Did Jeanne kiss you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I stated as I tried not to roll my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I must have impressed Jeanne by not falling over when she glared death at Guang.¡± I gave him another glare. ¡°¡®People¡¯, huh?¡± I growled at him, knowing full well that was what set her off.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she would do that!¡± Guang snarled at me, apparently not liking my challenging of him.


    ¡°Like that makes it any better.¡±


    ¡°Like you weren¡¯t thinking something similar.¡± He stood as he matched my glare with his own.


    I bared my teeth as I stood to meet him, but a hand on my shoulder held me down. Luke shook his head when I turned to him. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time or place.¡± He looked to Guang, then back to me. ¡°Both of you need to calm down.¡±


    Guang didn¡¯t respond and just stared at me. I matched his gaze. There was more than anger, but I could tell it wasn¡¯t solely at me. He seemed afraid, but his actions said to me that he refused to show it, to acknowledge it. After a few moments, he huffed through his nose and sat back down, crossing his arms. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    I pulled my shoulder free from Luke¡¯s grasp and fell back in my seat, staring forward.


    ¡°Joseph.¡± Emelina pulled my attention once more. ¡°Did Jeanne truly kiss you?¡±


    It took all of my self-control not to lick my lips in remembrance. ¡°Yes,¡± I answered Emelina, doing my utmost to hold back my frustrated exasperation. They¡¯re worried, and I understand that. I was still on edge.


    It seems my attempts worked as no one remarked on it. Emelina gained a troubled look on her face. ¡°Yes. It seems sending you all away soon is the smart choice. Perhaps, allowing you to stay in a more secluded area will prevent her from finding all of you once more.¡± She closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. After a moment to collect herself, she nodded firmly. ¡°We¡¯ll continue this later. As important this is, all of you to need to know how to comport yourselves before my Father.¡± She hesitated and looked to Mr. Lethe.


    Our teacher nodded resolutely. ¡°No worries, I won¡¯t forget this.¡± His gaze honed in on me. The pity in his eyes aggravating the irritation I felt. ¡°We¡¯ll revisit this later.¡±


    I forced my eyes closed as I subtly inhaled and exhaled through my nose. They¡¯re worried.


    It¡¯s not pity.


    It¡¯s worry.


    They want to help me. With what? I don¡¯t know.


    So why do I still feel so angry?


    With those thoughts in mind, I opened my eyes to see that Emelina had once more pulled our attention to her. ¡°Now, there are several things to keep in mind when meeting with the Monarchy¡­¡±


    With that, she delved into a mix of a lecture and examples of courtesy and etiquette with Kara and Valeri as aids so that we wouldn¡¯t feel blindsided during the meeting with the King. This continued for a few more hours until we were allowed to go free. As we broke apart, the only thing I had in mind was a bath, mostly to clear my head, but I think it was past time to wash us.


    Or at least, that was my intention¡­If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Hey, Joey, c¡¯mon. I need you to follow me to the forge.¡± Amber had swept by and grabbed my arm, pulling me after her. I blinked in surprise at her exuberance but followed after her without fighting back. ¡°I¡¯ve obtained some pretty good materials for your sword; I just need to take some measurements and map out your hand.¡±


    ¡°I see. You don¡¯t need to drag me, though. I can follow you easily enough.¡±


    ¡°No time, Joey. It¡¯s getting late, and I¡¯m inspired.¡± She cut me off, walking swiftly with full strides as we strode passed the different help staff, much to their amusement. I gave her a deadpan look, though she did not see it as she practically dragged me.


    Not much time later, we approached a single-story log cabin with a smoking chimney. The front door held open, and a pair of windows on either side of it was ajar open as well. We walked inside, our feet padding along the stone floor. The humidity in the air was stifling, and the temperature already warmed my cheeks. I looked around, taking in the accouterments of the forge. A black anvil with a wooden handled hammer; a basin of still water; a rack of various tools; and a forge with a still burning flame.


    Amber let me go and walked over to a drawer on the far side of the room. Pulling it open, she rifled through it for a bit, before she grabbed a cylindrical object and held it out to me. ¡°Take this and hold onto it with your dominant hand. Don¡¯t squeeze, but hold it as would your sword.¡± It was white and seemed to be both firm and squishy, molding to my hand even as I took it from Amber.


    I ignored the surprise I felt as the mold didn¡¯t stain from the red covering my hands.


    I gripped the object and grimaced at how slimy and cold it felt. It was strange, considering where we''re standing. ¡°This feels weird, you know.¡±


    ¡°Suck it up. It helps you, in the end.¡± Amber said succinctly, walking over to a raised desk. Several dark silver ingots rested on it, one of which she picked up and hefted it with a single hand. She stared at it for a few seconds, then nodded as she put it down. ¡°Brim knows her stuff. Even with my Affinity, I¡¯d have difficulty discerning the various properties of these metals.¡±


    ¡°Experience will always trump skill,¡± I said to her, remembering a serious I had with Welton a week ago. It was¡­enlightening and painful in equal measure.


    Amber nodded at that, a faint flinch in her expression. Then she turned and picked up a charcoal coated notebook, brushing off the cover. It was the size of a standard notebook from Earth, which made sense since Amber had asked Emelina to have it made for her. Opening, she slid a thin rod out of the spine and said, ¡°Tell me your exact preferences. I¡¯ll have to commit them to memory as I forge your weapon.¡±


    So I did. I told Amber what I liked about the sword I received. I said to her what I didn¡¯t want. What felt off, but what I also adapted. I told her what made my hand chafe something fierce and what was too smooth, despite the age of the sword. I told her everything I could about the sword, using all of the knowledge I gained from both skill and experience.


    Initially, I thought that this wouldn¡¯t be a very long meeting, considering my overall lack of experience with combat and the sword. But, with everything that¡¯s happened in this paradoxically-long, short two months, I found that I had more feelings for how a sword felt in my hand than I first thought.


    By the time I had finished, Amber had filled an entire four pages. The sound of flipping pages and the crisp crackling of burning coal were all that was present in the building as Amber studied the notes with a surprising intensity. After a few moments of mumbling, she nodded and closed it carefully. She looked up to me and held out a hand. ¡°I¡¯ve got everything I need to forge your sword. I need the mold so that I can make the grip as comfortable as possible.¡±


    I blinked at her words and looked down, surprised that I forgot I was holding that. I wasn¡¯t crushing it, which I thought would happen, but instead, my grip had shifted ever so lightly, to how I usually hold a sword. Opening it, I offered my hand and watched as gingerly lifted it from my palm, careful not distort its new shape. She let it rest on the desk and stand upright. ¡°It¡¯ll dry out quicker in here, keeping its shape.¡± Amber then faced me and proceeded to shoo me. ¡°Now, go. Take a bath or jump in the river, you stink.¡±


    I furrowed my brow and playfully glared at her. ¡°Well, I never!¡± I retorted, unable to hide a smile as I walked out of the forge. Lifting a hand, I waved to her as I indeed made my way to baths.


    Having picked up a towel and a change of clothes from my assigned room, I reached the washroom as the sun finally disappeared over the horizon. The bathrooms resided in this building, a single-story wooden building with stone pillars along the four corners of the structure and a small stone trough that encircled it, constantly cycling water in and out. A dome topped off the roof with a small glass skylight that would allow light to enter, but not leave. As I walked along the paved, stone pathway, the door opened, and Luke stepped out, rubbing his still wet hair with a towel.


    Surprise entered his eyes as he caught sight of me. ¡°Joey. Did Amber hold you long?¡±


    ¡°More like I did. It turned out I was a bit more selective than I initially thought.¡±


    He smiled at that, a snort escaping him as we met halfway, stopping in front of the doorway. ¡°You¡¯ve always been choosy when it comes to your things, Joey.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Tell me, who was it that wasted an hour and a half getting his loadout ¡®just right¡¯ when I stayed over that one night?¡±


    In spite of myself, I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. ¡°When the developers advertised limitless customization, I¡¯d be a fool not to take full advantage¡­¡±


    ¡°Maggie nearly kicked your ass for wasting $90 on a special edition version of that game. You were a fool, to begin with.¡± He gave me a deadpan glare as I turned away, unable to meet it. ¡°It¡¯s because of you that she learned how to balance a checkbook.¡±


    ¡°I regret nothing.¡± I defended myself fervently, still unable to push the embarrassment away.


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why we never let you live it down.¡± Luke grinned at me, pushing my shoulder. I stumbled a bit, a little taken aback. Not by the action, but by force behind it. At my surprise, he grimaced and gave his hand a masked look. ¡°Sorry¡­guess I don¡¯t know my strength anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us do.¡± I tried not to look at my still covered hands, the red that refused to leave my sight. I clenched my fist as I closed my eyes, feeling my heart begin to pick up. Dammit, I had just calmed down¡­


    ¡°Are you doing alright?¡±


    Luke¡¯s question surprised me as I turned back to him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, you left.¡± He said, his expression masked, though concern was in his eyes. Not. Pity. Luke, my brother in all but blood, would never do that. ¡°I called out to you, but you never answered.¡± He paused. ¡°I won¡¯t try and say it wasn¡¯t horrible, because it was, but¡­¡± Luke shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just worried, is all. Things have been shitty, and we¡¯re all dealing as we can, but we¡¯re all together.¡± He furrowed his brow and turned his eyes to the night sky. The natural ambient light of the lanterns dotting the Keep giving us just enough light to see, but not enough to prevent the stars in the night sky from being seen. ¡°You don¡¯t have to suffer alone.¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply immediately, just studying his expression. After a few moments, I began to walk past him, but not without answering, ¡°Thanks, Luke. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I continued into the bathing hall, feeling his piercing gaze on my back.


    I entered into a vast entry hall with a stone floor, and three separate doors, the one on the left leading into a room designated for guys and the far right was for the girls, with the middle leading into the bathroom itself. There were a few small hooks on the wall right next to the entrance, for cloaks and such, along with a closed cabinet. Walking into the left room, I saw that there were various cubbyholes for items. There was also a bench that lined the leftmost wall. I changed out of my dirty clothes and stuffed them into their places. Wrapping my towel around my waist, I placed my clean clothes on the space in front of my other stuff.


    Holding a clean cloth and a bucket, I walked out of the changing room and into the inner door to go into the bathroom itself. This room took up the majority of the building; it had a large tub that size of an Olympic pool, but no deeper than waist height with a few submerged benches along the inner edges. Before that, though, the floor along the entrance and leading up to the bath had a linoleum type feel, and the faint clapping of my feet was all I heard in the otherwise vacant room. Stepping to the side, I approached the wall where a line of low stools rested in front of a raised trough of water and a mirror.


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the change in my physique. Corded and tight muscle covered my body, beneath a small layer of fat so that I didn¡¯t look unnatural. The majority of the excess weight I had from mostly lounging around playing games and reading was gone, worn down until I had a stream-lined swimmer¡¯s build. Muscle I had no clue I had were tight and pronounced and it brought to mind the comical implausibility of comic book characters. Lightly tanned skin, wind-swept hair and a pair of still pink slash marks on my left cheek, near my jaw. A featherlight touch from a finger brought forth a faint grimace, but I left it alone. A healer had approached me about treating it, but I remember waving them off. They weren¡¯t dangerous to keep and would serve as a reminder.


    Taking off my towel, I sat down in front of the mirror and dipped my bucket into the trough of clean water. Pulling back out, I lifted the bucket and poured it over my head. I closed my eyes as I felt the warm water splash over me and relaxed ever so lightly. However, as I opened my eyes, my heart clenched, and my breath caught as I saw red in my reflection. My expression paled, eyes wide, hair matted down from the water, but it looked like blood was dripping down my face, covering my hands. Unblinking, I felt my breath come out in gasps as my eyes flickered down to my hands, still seeing an ever-present red.


    Panic slowly settled in my bones. I tried to look away, to not react to the pinch deep in my chest. My eyes flicked back and forth, from point to point, trying to get away from the sight of red. Anything, but that color. Anything. I looked away from my reflection in the mirror but twitched as I saw myself in the refection of the water¡¯s surface. Grimacing, I let out a shaky groan and faced the mirror once more.


    Eyes the color of blood, with catlike pupils, stared at me. My entire world froze as my blue met my red. A cry escaped me as I stumbled back and hit the ground. A groan escaped me as I squeezed my eyes shut. I just laid there, catching my breath. After a few moments, I held my breath as I opened my eyes and sat up.


    Nothing. It was just my regular reflection, though my face was still pale.


    A single breathless word escaped me as I went about cleaning myself off before bed, my body shaking from the scare.


    ¡°Fuck.¡±

 Memento Mori - 10

    We all stood in the antechamber before the meeting with the King. Dressed in what passed for this world¡¯s formal attire, we waited. I was currently wearing a thigh length, midnight blue, sleeveless gambeson with white buckles along the four fasteners down my front. Smooth, silver chainmail covered my arms along with a pair of dark brown vambraces. I wore a pair of black greaves. At my hip and attached to a black belt was a sheathed sword, a placeholder until Amber finished my sword.


    The rest of my class wore similar clothing, all meant to both look professional and functional in case of surprise physical activity.


    The chamber we waited was framed by a set of bright, immaculate alabaster walls and the ceiling was held aloft by similarly colored pillars. Banners, of bright and loud colors, hung from the ceiling, detailing various images, ranging from a lion to a phoenix, to a griffin and a collection of multiple mythological and ¡®real¡¯ beasts that gave off a tremendous or powerful aura. The room was brightly lit, by both the sunlight from a skylight and torches of golden light, and had no seats: no benches, no chairs, and no railings for us to lean on as we waited.


    In front of us, with Mr. Lethe leading us, were a pair of ornate, royal blue doors with silver filigree in the shape of a lion with a couple of round handles.


    Dressed in loose-fitting clothes that seems reminiscent of a pirate with chainmail, Mr. Lethe wore a dark-colored tri-horn hat with a long black feather. He looked back to us, looking perfectly comfortable as if today were just another day. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for us to meet the reigning monarch ¡ª no funny business. No jokes. We may be their ¡®Heroes,¡¯ but doesn¡¯t give us leeway to speak, or act, frankly.¡± In his left hand, he held what resembled a merger of a medieval lute and a guitar.


    ¡°Here¡¯s hoping he has a sense of humor,¡± Deandria said, her voice betraying her anxiety with a faint quiver. She wore something resembling a mix of cloth and steel melded together into an elegant armored gown. On her back rested a veritable wall of thin steel, curved inwards, and a single bladed ax was attached to her hip.


    ¡°If only we were so lucky.¡± Kacee murmured with sarcasm dripping from her words as she crossed her arms. She wore a set of formfitting black robes with a set of segmented steel armor over it, leaving her legs free to move with full freedom. Her steel ball topped standard was attached to her, collapsed and folded into a more compact form.


    ¡°Enough chatter. It¡¯s nearly time.¡± Rudy retorted, not harshly, but stern. He wore no steel. Instead, he wore a sleeveless leather jerkin and a pair of loose-fitting leather pants. He bared a set of dark brown vambraces over his arms and his feet, leather boots. A leather cloak fell freely from his shoulders, with his hood down. He had his topped quiver and unstrung bow attached to his back. I knew he had a pair of daggers hidden beneath his cloak.


    Mr. Lethe nodded to his words and the doors in front began to shift, the faint sound of grinding metal reaching my ears. The doors were slowly pulled open, and we were able to see into the throne room. Pristine white floors greeted as we walked inside, the faint clack of footsteps echoing around us. The high ceiling continued, but a single beam of light seemed to break through the one-way skylight, shining down on a single point in the throne room. On the far-right wall, where a procession of fully-armed and armored knights stood facing us, was a massive effigyof a golden lion, roaring to the sky.


    To the left, more knights stood, also facing us, but the wall portrayed an immaculate tapestry that depicted a map. Images of deserts rolled into mountains, that transitioned to broad sloping valleys, before rising once more into mountains, and ending on vast empty plains. The map shifted and changed before my very eyes, showing me countless different types of lands, no doubt representations of the nations that decorated Verum. Seeing that sparked the desire for freedom in my heart as well as bringing forth a sense of wanderlust and curiosity.


    Before us, the throne was a high-backed seat, decorated in silver and blue. The position looked to be faintly cushioned, appearing to be a blue velvety texture framed by a throne of pure silver. Atop the back of the chair was a circular ornament, holding a single diamond aloft in the shape of a teardrop.


    Sitting on the throne itself, was an older man with a perfectly trimmed silver-grey beard, peppered with black that framed a sharp, angular jaw. His hair was cut short atop his head. The man¡¯s expression was rugged, if not aged, with a stern visage, his mouth, and eyes lined with age. His eyes were a faded silver as if worn by age and worry, but still sharp and intense. His shoulders were broad and wide, again appearing strong despite his physical age. His body seemed to be robust and capable, built for direct action and power. He bared silver armor that gleamed in the beam of golden sunlight, a dark blue cloak flowing from the pauldrons and back. Resting near his left hand was an ornate great-sword, that seemed to radiate an aura of power that sent a very slight shiver down my spine.


    This man was the King of Veritas.


    Standing to the King¡¯s right was a man not much younger or older than he, also clad in a set of full armor, but lacking a cloak. Cleanly shaven, the man regarded us with a pair of dark auburn eyes, not as allies, but as potential enemies.


    Sitting to the King¡¯s left on less ostentatious throne of a dark blue and white, was an older woman with long black hair and soft features, wearing an elaborate blue dress and an oaken, wooden staff at her left hand, a teardrop diamond resting atop it, similar to what I saw Emelina carry two days ago. She seemed to appear kinder, if the faint smile, she had on her face as she studied was any indication. She must be the Queen.


    Standing on either side of the Queen¡¯s was Emelina on her right hand, and a younger girl was long black hair, tied into a side plait that rested over her left shoulder. Emelina dressed in a dark blue gown with her right arm clad in a bundle of segmented steel, leaving her hand uncovered. The girl, clad in a set of leathers and armor, a skirt of chainmail falling to knees with a spear attached to her back, stood on the opposite side of the queen. She seemed to be around our age, though a little younger.


    Kara and Valeri were nearby to Emelina, similarly dressed in their armor.


    Near the King and behind the Knight at his right, stood a young man around our age, in a set of light armor. His bright blonde hair was longer, long enough to fall to his shoulders, but was held up in a ponytail. A cocky smile adorned his face as he seemed to study us with a detached contemplation from his silver eyes.


    We approached the monarch of Veritas and fell into a knee, almost in perfect synch, bowing our heads. We said nothing as we waited for the King to speak first, offering us permission to speak in his presence. Silence reigned in the throne room as I felt the King study us, his eyes roaming over my form as if a weight had settled upon my shoulders.


    ¡°Emelina, introduce your Heroes.¡± His rumbling baritone rumbled audibly, bouncing around the massive room.


    ¡®Your Heroes.¡¯


    For some reason, his words, the indirect contempt, sent a wave of irritation through me.


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Her words were soft, softer than they normally were, almost subdued. The sound of her light steps echoed in the room as she strode forward. When she spoke once more, her voice was strong and unyielding, almost demanding respect. ¡°Heroes, rise as I call out your names. Show those in attendance your true value, as both warriors and symbols.¡±


    ¡°Joseph Blaine.¡± I pushed myself back up to my full height, squaring my shoulders looking right up to the King. I looked into his eyes and did not break contact as his locked onto mine. I held our gazes and never turned away, despite his casual demanding presence trying to make me buckle. The faintest twitch of his lips was all I caught of his vague acknowledgment.


    ¡°Luke Wirth.¡± Luke rose just as smoothly as I did, clad in a full set of armor, segmented at the joints. His sword rested at his hip, upon which his hand rested on the hilt. His jaw was set stubbornly, but proudly as he held himself with resolve.


    ¡°Amber Haddock.¡± Amber stood and crossed her arms, lifting her chin. She wore a set of light armor, more leather than steel, with a simple one-handed hammer resting at her hip.


    ¡°Kacee Fitzgerald.¡± Kacee straightened out her posture, squaring her shoulders as she faced forward. Her eyes were sharp; she had no doubt caught the King¡¯s contempt as well.


    ¡°Rudy Jaeger.¡± Rudy got to his feet, his expression stoic and aloof. He stared forward, almost uncaringly, arms hanging freely at his sides.


    ¡°Deandria Penzig.¡± Deandria got to both her feet, eyes facing forward and expression stoic. She set her jaw and relaxed her posture.


    ¡°Tadashi Abe.¡± Tadashi was almost ghostlike as he straightened his posture. Flowing white robes covered his body as his shoulder shifted, a hint of steel revealed from an opening in the underarm of his robes.


    ¡°Baasima Kanaan.¡± Baasima rose as though she was always ready to move. Her fluid movements belied only a month of combat training and a single instance of a life-and-death battle. She wore a set of leather and cloth, flowing at the joints, but stiff and protective at her limbs.


    ¡°Nailah Imari.¡± Nailah held herself with a casual aloofness as she rose to a standing position. She attired in a flowing cloak over a set of leather and steel armor, a short staff attached to her hip.


    ¡°Guang Xu.¡± Guang rose calmly, with a cocky smile on his face. He was dressed similarly to Rudy, but his colors were more muted, a careful swirl of energy encompassing his dark leathers.


    ¡°Colette Leblanc.¡± Colette stood with a soft, playful smile, though her eyes were sharp with a hint of anger. She was clad in a full set of plate armor, though a chainmail skirt fell to her knees, parted on her right side,


    ¡°Mitsuki Minamoto.¡± Mitsuki rose stoically, her expression blank as if from marble. She wore simple cloth clothing, with everyday muted colors and no weapons. Her arms were bare and her legs clad in dark tights. A pair of sandals covering her feet.


    ¡°Patrick Lethe.¡± Our teacher rose last, the ends of his clothing fluttering from the motion. He lifted his hat from his head and placed it against his chest.


    Emelina smiled ever so lightly as studied us, then she steeled herself and turned to face the King. ¡°Father, I announce to you my chosen Heroes, my Champions. It is from their will and strength, both collective and individual that Veritas shall remain safe and prosperous.¡±


    The King did not respond, merely deciding to study us with searching eyes. ¡°I am Frederick DeVere, the twenty-third reigning monarch of Veritas.¡± He turned his head, raking his eyes over us. ¡°You all did well, during the attack on the festival.¡± He nodded at us. ¡°For that, I thank you.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Father, the attack. We know who orchestrated it.¡± Emelina said, her tone careful.


    ¡°Who?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°One of the four generals, Jeanne.¡±


    That caused an awkward weight to settle in the throne room. The knights on either side of the room shifted from foot to foot but stopped at the stern regard from the man at Richard¡¯s hand. The woman sitting next to him looked to Emelina in concern. ¡°The Black Dragon, so close to the castle?¡± She didn¡¯t seem afraid for herself, but more for the princess.


    ¡°From the description given to me by those who confronted her, I believe so, Mother.¡±


    Before the Queen could reply, the young man standing by the King snorted. ¡°You ¡®believe so,¡¯ Emelina? You¡¯d bring this to Father¡¯s attention on pure conjecture? You reach too far, Sister.¡± He regarded Emelina with exasperation, shaking his head at her.


    ¡°It is no ¡®simple conjecture,¡¯ Rex.¡± Emelina¡¯s tone was frosty, her expression blank. ¡°The observations came from not only the Heroes, but from witness statements by the civilians who were nearby. Animals from here to several leagues away were noted to react with terror, cattle stampeding out of their pens, birds all flying away from the capital, horse-drawn carriages broke apart from the panic. The very air itself was thick with the haze of her rumored brutality and poisonous aura.¡±


    ¡°All of that and the statement of your precious Heroes is all you feel you need, isn¡¯t it, Sister?¡± Rex sneered at her, arms crossed as he looked at her from his slightly elevated perch.


    ¡°It is all I need, little brother.¡± Her expression never shifted, though there was a triumphant note in her tone.


    Rex frowned and glared at her, but wasn¡¯t able to react as an amused giggle pulled his attention. The young girl standing next to Queen was regarding them a nostalgic expression, though she said nothing else.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Frederick¡¯s stern call silenced them both, his eyes flinty as they rolled from sister to brother. ¡°All these years and you both still act like children. Or have you both forgotten that you stand in front of guests?¡± The two of them looked away from the King, red-cheeked and abashed by the chastisement. He exhaled through his nose and looked to us. ¡°Which among you led this defense of my people?¡±


    There was a moment of indecision amongst us, but I soon felt the eyes of those who fought land on me. Exasperation filled me, though I kept my expression masked, as I took a single echoing step forward. ¡°To say I ¡®led¡¯ my friends is an exaggeration, Your Majesty.¡± I started, my voice controlled, firm and polite. ¡°I simply saw a moment of chaos and saw fit to try and head it off before it caused irreparable damage.¡±


    ¡°What would you call irreparable damage, Joseph Blaine?¡± He stated my name with a natural authority that chafed at something within me.


    ¡°Injuries inflicted upon those who are unable to defend themselves.¡±


    ¡°You defeated your opponents. Rather skillfully, if what my daughter and her knights informed me was correct. Do you feel like you succeeded?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered him succinctly, a faint tightness in my chest loosening from the pseudo-confession. My words caused a few of my classmates to look at me in shock, even as I kept my attention focused on the King.


    Frederick just arched a single brow. ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Someone died that day. Someone who didn¡¯t deserve death lost everything that day.¡± I moved my hands behind my back; my left hand clenched tight enough for the knuckles to strain, to keep my frustration off my face. ¡°I was unable to protect her, so I failed, even as I stood triumphant over a dead man.¡±


    The King hummed as he studied me, his eyes searching for something. Even as he did that, I could feel the penetrating gazes of my friends, who were surprised by my words. ¡°Interesting words. Not many would feel the same, considering whom you faced before that self-perceived failure.¡±


    ¡°Her presence, this ¡®Jeanne,¡¯ was a nonentity the moment she fled the scene.¡± I rebutted. ¡°With her gone, it became my duty to safely secure the wellbeing of those unable to fight or flee.¡±


    A mysterious look crossed the King¡¯s face as he studied me, his eyes gaining a curious light in them.


    ¡°A ¡®nonentity¡¯?¡± The man standing next to the King stated evenly. I turned my attention to him, meeting his eyes. ¡°You would call a woman who fought under the original Demon Lord countless generations ago a ¡®nonentity¡¯?¡±


    ¡°She showed no desire to inflict harm. Despite her apparent ¡®cruelty,¡¯ Jeanne only seemed to want to ¡®test¡¯ my friends and me. In not a single instant she did raise her hands, only acting through intermediaries.¡±


    ¡°What of the moment she lost her temper? Dragons are notorious for their rage.¡±


    I managed not to roll my eyes at his obvious statement. ¡°Ill-thought words were spoken. Words that sparked Jeanne¡¯s lost composure.¡± I shrugged, showing an impassive countenance. ¡°She seemed to lose interest in their words when I showed I wasn¡¯t as affected.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The knight mused as he narrowed his eyes at me.


    ¡°Reinhardt, enough.¡± The Queen spoke up; her voice was gentle but stern. ¡°Young Joseph has given his observation. There is no need to interrogate the poor boy.¡±


    Reinhardt inclined his head to the Queen, though his eyes never left me. ¡°Of course, Queen Regina.¡±


    ¡°Father.¡± Rex suddenly spoke up, bringing attention to himself. His Father grunted and turned his gaze to the boy. ¡°I wish to challenge him to a duel, the Hero who stared down the Black Dragon.¡±


    That caused a stifling silence to settle upon the atmosphere. Disbelief filled me as the King turned his head to face his son. Rex looked a combination of eager and obedient to the approval of his father. Reinhardt looked to him, brows rising in disbelief.


    Regina looked surprised as she held a hand in front of her face. Emelina resembled a cross between shocked and enraged as she appeared to be trying and failing to keep her stoic mien. The girl next to the Queen seemed to be holding back laughter as she turned away from the group, facing the back wall.


    ¡°He stands before you, Rex. Ask him yourself.¡± Frederick half-demanded him, his tone full of a contained exasperation and ridiculous curiosity.


    Rex¡¯s expression turned rebellious, before he collected himself and looked towards me, his eyes filled with contempt. ¡°Joseph Blaine, I, Rex DeVere, challenge you to a duel.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked in place of a straight answer. Once again, a stifling silence settled in the throne room. Except, instead of staring at the prince in disbelief, they regarded me with shocked incredulity. I was tired of this entire meeting the moment the King insulted me with his casual contempt. The cross-examination questioning my belief from earlier only exacerbated my frustration.


    Rex blinked, before he scrunched his nose, appearing insulted by my retort. ¡°Why should I answer to you, Hero? I am the second Prince of Veritas!¡±


    I maintained my professional detachment, looking to him as if he was no one important. If anything, that only made him angrier. ¡°You want to duel me, Your Highness,¡± I answered him, speaking as if I were talking to a particularly slow child. ¡°I believe it¡¯s common courtesy to offer your reasoning when it comes to a duel. Especially between Royalty and vassal of the Monarchy.¡±


    The prince scowled as he glared at me as if hoping I spontaneously combusted. Still, he offered no answer.


    Silence once again settled upon the area, no doubt uncomfortable for some, but I honestly didn¡¯t care. I refused to play the games of a spoiled brat.


    ¡°I believe His Highness wishes to test himself against you and your already famous skills, Sir Joseph,¡± Reinhardt explained, his eyes never leaving me, gaze inscrutable. I arched a single brow, causing him to crack a smile. It was not a kind one. ¡°An Affinity that grants you quick master class skill with any weapon you wield. Such an ability is only one found in stories about legendary warriors rising from myth. Is it so difficult to understand that one would wish to challenge you upon hearing that?¡± It went without saying that I could see a similar desire in his eyes that I could see in Rex¡¯s.


    Great, the King¡¯s Knight wants to try and fight me too.


    ¡°I see.¡± I took in his explanation even as I noticed Rex scoff and look away, crossing his arms. I closed my eyes and turned my head down as if thinking about it. Then I exhaled and crossed my arms. ¡°No.¡± I opened my eyes and met a suspicious glare from the prince.


    ¡°No?! You¡¯d refuse a direct challenge? In the presence of not only Veritas¡¯ greatest Knight but also the King!?¡± I was honestly surprised that Rex wasn¡¯t foaming at the mouth, considering he discarded all sense of dignity. Regina was glaring death at her son, her cheeks red and jaw set.


    ¡°I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose,¡± I said to him, my tone perfectly even, conversational even. ¡°My comrades and I were asked to come here so that we would learn where we¡¯re going to go next, not to fight unnecessary battles.¡± At that, I very clearly turned my body to face towards the King and Queen. ¡°Your Majesty, you asked for us?¡±


    Going by what I could see in his eyes, Frederick seemed to find my interaction with his son amusing, even as his expression remained stoic. As Rex was about to retort, if his reddening cheeks were any indication, the King lifted a hand. Reinhardt placed a heavy hand on the Prince¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Reinhardt, take Rex to the training fields. He seems to have an excess of energy to burn.¡±


    ¡°At once, Your Majesty.¡± He bowed at the waist, before turning and walking away, an unmoving hand holding Rex¡¯s shoulder and guiding him to the back of the throne room.


    Rex continued to glare impotently at me, fuming as he swiftly began to regain his composure. His gaze flickered to his father, and his shoulders faltered for a second, eyes softening as hurt flashed across his features. He schooled his expression once more, glared at me, then turned and followed Reinhardt.


    When the pair disappeared into a door behind the throne, I heard the King exhale audibly. ¡°Joseph Blaine, you play a dangerous game. You do know that, correct?¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Your Majesty, I started a long time ago.¡±


    The King merely let out a small laugh, his eyes moving to Emelina, who was looking away, as if unable to meet our eyes. Then he nodded, ¡°Yes. There is a reason I asked for Emelina to bring you all here.¡± He straightened his posture and rolled his heavy gaze over each of us, as it measuring our worth at a glance. ¡°With Jeanne¡¯s now known awakening, we have reason to believe that the remaining three are also awake.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Luke asked him and saw him step up next to me, looking to the King.


    Frederick stared him as if testing him. ¡°The Four Generals are the Bearer of the Hoard, the Dragon; the Mistress of the Night, the Vampire; the Calamity of the Soul, the Kitsune; and the Chooser of the Slain, the Valkyrie. Jeanne, Mina, Kaede, and Eir.¡±


    Despite the gravity of the situation; despite the serious in which the King imparted that information; despite the severe regard the Queen held at her husband¡¯s words, I couldn¡¯t help the tired exasperation that filled me at his words. This¡­all of this was necessary material to know for my future survival on Verum, but I couldn¡¯t but think that this was all some elaborate prank by murderous LARPers on LSD that was holding my class hostage for their sick amusement. It just all felt like it belonged in some cheesy, fantasy novel.


    ¡°We still do not yet know the origins of the four generals, but we do know that the original Demon Lord personally found and drew them into his army. Their prowess stands above even the greatest of our number, even after so many generations have passed.¡± He gestured to us. ¡°You¡¯ve all witnessed Jeanne¡¯s casual cruelty, yet are still ignorant of her real strength. Disregarding her clear danger as a Dragon, as a practitioner of the arcane arts, there are none that stand as her equal. Human armies are mere fodder in the face of her wrath.


    ¡°Mina herself carried similar skill as Jeanne but was more known for her ability to create and command an eternal and undying horde of undead. It is a swarm that is hers to control, as well as the one who stands above her. None could match her combat, for her ability to control the battlefield was unmatched. To wage war against she who could endlessly raise an army would be the height of folly.


    ¡°Kaede is a woman who knows best how the human mind works. She could make you turn on your closest friend and make it seem like you always intended it. Her forces, other creatures like her, were her greatest weapons, her infiltrators. Information was her lifeblood, and she could steal it from anyone and everyone. Nothing could hide from her, and all knowledge was hers to take.


    ¡°Eir was a true god of war if there ever was one. She lived and breathed the sword. Stories have told that the moment she graced the frontline with her presence, the battle was as good as done. There were none who could so much as scrape her armor, though there were countless attempts. There was one understand, between both sides, that no one stood in Eir¡¯s path, else you deserve your inevitable end, for courting death in such a way.¡±


    We listened to the King¡¯s words, giving them the attention, they deserved. It felt more theatric then informative, but it told me the significant bits.


    Jeanne, the Dragon, is the magical artillery. What she blasts, dies.


    Mina, the Vampire, creates an undying army. What she battles, is overrun.


    Kaede, the Kitsune, is the master of espionage. What secrets you have, she already knows.


    Eir, the Valkyrie, is an unstoppable warrior. What she fights, loses.


    It all sounds simple enough.


    The King remained silent as he allowed us to digest what we learned. I lowered my gaze to the ground as I let the info ruminate. After a moment, I looked to the side. Luke was pale when he met my gaze, but resolute. I examined the rest of my friends and saw they were a mixture of afraid, determined and appearing constipated. However, when they met my eyes, they merely nodded. There was no hesitation, no regret. Each of us was ready to move forward despite our fears.


    We knew our foes, or at least the most significant at the moment, and realized that we could not stumble, we could not falter. The only direction to go was forward ¡ª no looking back, always onward.


    Never retreating, only advancing.


    I looked back to the King and knew that I spoke for everyone when I replied.


    ¡°And? What¡¯s next?¡±

 Memento Mori - 11

    Nyrill.


    That was the name of the village that class and I was going to stay in and continue what training we had. We learned that it was far enough from the capital to grant us some independence but close enough to help to arrive if given enough time for a warning. According to Emelina, it was a ¡®nice village, with a vast, populated forest and rolling hills as far as the eye could see.¡¯


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that, to be honest. I wanted independence, but this just felt like lazy appeasement. An appearance of granting freedom, while looping you with an invisible chain that¡¯d yank you back in when you least expect it.


    It chafed something fierce.


    ¡°Joey, are you okay? You¡¯re glaring.¡± Mitsuki¡¯s gentle voice pulled from my darkening thoughts, surprising me.


    From my seat in the moving carriage, I turned to my right to see that Mitsuki was watching me with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just¡­ I want to go home.¡± My voice a melancholy whisper at the end of my statement, my shoulders falling as I spoke. I fell back against my seat, head lolling back onto the velvety cushion.


    ¡°So do I.¡± She answered me, her patient voice gaining a forlorn edge to it. Still, her shoulders remained stiff. ¡°But we can¡¯t let it get to us.¡± Mitsuki¡¯s matter of fact answer brought a smile to my face.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Our shared whispers did little to wake a sleeping Luke and Kacee, who sat across from us. We were all dressed casually, in clothing that was meant to move in and without restricting us. I rolled my head back to the window, gazing at the clear, blue sky. We sat in companionable silence, listening to the faint breaths of our friends as they slept; feeling the faint rumble of the carriage traveling along the path.


    ¡°What was it like?¡± I looked over to Mitsuki, seeing her curious expression. At my confused expression, she elaborated. ¡°Facing Jeanne. She focused solely on you. What was it like?¡±


    ¡°Terrifying,¡± I said. Mitsuki blinked at my words. At her confusion, I let out a small laugh. ¡°It was like this stifling weight had settled on my shoulders.¡± I shook my head, a smile pulling at my lips. ¡°I wanted to lie down and go to sleep, but I was too exhausted to do even that, ironically enough.¡± I closed my eyes and released a sigh. ¡°Still, the way the day ended¡­if I could change anything at all, it¡¯d be¡­¡± I stopped myself, forcing my thoughts away from what-ifs and possibilities.


    ¡°We did everything we could,¡± Mitsuki affirmed, her expression stern.


    ¡°And that¡¯s what tears me up inside,¡± I answered her, a sad smile on my face.


    She frowned, but said nothing, her eyes straying downwards.


    The rest of the trip continued uneventfully, a pleasant silence as we allowed time to pass without incident. The caravan of carriages that ferried us to the village came to a slow stop at the local stable. When we stopped, the door to our carriage was pulled open to reveal Valeri looking up to us. ¡°We¡¯re in Nyrill so we¡¯ll be continuing on foot. See the sights as we go to where we¡¯ll be staying.¡± She stepped aside, and I received room to get out first.


    My feet hit the dirt road, kicking up a small bit of dust from the impact. I looked around and took the crisp late morning air, examining the cloudless blue sky and feeling the gentle breeze. The stable we stopped by was a wooden structure with an open front, with separate empty stalls filled with hay. The roof was low hanging cast a full shadow over the immediate area around the stables. Around us, there was a long stretching well-worn path flanked on both sides by a variety of wooden and stone buildings.


    Further down the path, that I could see, was a large circular city center, where stalls were set up. Another white chapel was in the distance, with people milling about in front of it. All around us, though, was a rather thick forest, leaves flowing and gently shifting in the breeze. The ambient sound of chirping birds, moving animals and people talking was oddly¡­comforting.


    Glancing behind me, I offered a hand to Mitsuki to help her down. She paused and studied my hand before a hint of color dotted her cheeks. As she took my hand, the glow vanished beneath her stoic expression, and she stepped onto the flat ground. We came apart, though I caught a downturn of her lips before I heard a faint grunt from the carriage.


    ¡°Here already?¡± Luke mumbled as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, getting out with a yawn. ¡°I figured it¡¯d take longer.¡±


    ¡°You slept through the trip.¡± I deadpanned at him, my eyes half-lidded as I regarded him. He merely snorted as he rose from his seat and climbed out of the carriage. I glanced behind him to see Kacee also getting up, coming to full cognizance in almost no time flat. As she followed after Luke, I turned to see that everyone was also making their way around the front of the stables. Another wagon continued down the path and finally caught sight of a pillar of smoke rising into the sky a little into the village.


    ¡°That would be Madam Amber¡¯s forging equipment,¡± Valeri explained, having no doubt seen my confusion. ¡°She was rather insistent upon it coming with us so that she could properly forge your new sword.¡±


    I hummed as I took that in, looking around as everyone milled about as if waiting in a field trip.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Lina. If we end up waiting any longer, we¡¯ll be late.¡± Now that I had a closer look, I could tell that she was close to our ages, if maybe a year younger, but held herself less maturely compared to her sister. She was wearing a casual, light blue dress with a white shawl over her shoulders. Kara was at her flank, offering the girl a look between fond and exasperated.


    Emelina nodded to her. ¡°I know Abigail. We¡¯ll go as soon as possible.¡± She then turned to the rest of us. ¡°This village¡­Nyrill is regarded as a home away from home for the Royal Family.¡±


    ¡°Father gave Nyrill a special dispensation,¡± Abigail explained as she walked forward, standing in front of us. ¡°It¡¯s protected by the edict of the DeVere monarchy, making so that the forestry surrounding it cannot be cut down for resources, the land beneath it cannot be harvested and that those living within will be protected from banditry.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we were coming here to gain independence?¡± Rudy asked her. He had ridden with Colette, Deandria, and Tadashi. Their group was next to us, having approached us when the two princesses had.


    ¡°You are,¡± Abigail said though she shifted nervously, her eyes flickering to Emelina. ¡°However, your well beings are still of high import to us. Nyrill is the best place possible for your safe introduction into Verum as a whole.¡± She spoke with nervous energy, as Rudy¡¯s intense stare weighed on her.


    Rudy was about to speak up, but Luke cut him off with an arm around his shoulder. ¡°C¡¯mon, Jaeger, Princess Abigail is giving her all to tell us everything she can. We all want to see the wider world of Verum, and she¡¯s just trying to help us as much as possible.¡± He looked over to the Princess and smiled at her. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Abigail replied instantly, her tone confident as she returned the smile. ¡°Lina and I only want to ensure that every one of you prepared yourselves for what Verum holds in store.¡±


    Rudy simply turned a dry look towards Luke, who was staring intently at him, before sighing as he closed his eyes. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Your welcome,¡± Abigail said with a proud smile.


    After that brief argument, the princesses and knights began to lead us on a short tour of the village.


    As this happened, though, I couldn¡¯t help but hang near the back of the group. I allowed my eyes to trail along the various buildings that we passed by and the trees that surrounded the village on all sides. Even as we received this ¡®independence,¡¯ it still felt like we were held to Veritas by a leash. I still appreciated what they¡¯ve done for me, for us, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice that we lacked the skills necessary to become productive people here. Aside from Amber, all we knew was how to fight, how to maneuver through a battlefield. Amber could be a blacksmith by trade, but we all only knew combat. I don¡¯t know about the others, but I¡¯d prefer to not live my life here as a mercenary.


    As distasteful as that felt, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d prefer that to live under the thumb of the Roya-


    A body collided with mine as I nearly fell back if I hadn¡¯t taken a few steps back to keep my balance. A pained grunt and a thud pulled my attention to what happened right in front of me. A young boy, looking to be around ten or a year or two around that, had fallen to his knees, groaning in pain as he rubbed his head. He dressed in rags, a ragged cloth that hung around him and barely covered his dirtied body. Thankfully, his trousers were wholly intact, the worn belt tied tight around his unnaturally thin waist. He rubbed his head and grimaced as he looked up to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir¡­¡± His brown eyes widened as he looked up to me, fear entering them as finally noticed what I was wearing. ¡°Ah, um, huh, Sir Squire, I am so very sorry!¡±


    Struck silent, I stared at what rested atop his head. A pair of rounded, brown ears that folded downwards in fear. His dirty cheeks had distinct whiskers and a pronounced pink nose. Now that I had a more precise look, he looked smaller than what I would assume a child his age would be. Aside from his ears, though, the thing that caught my attention was the black collar wrapped around his neck, a silver buckle on the front.


    The boy flinched beneath my gaze, trying to push himself away from me. Seeing the fear in his eyes, I closed my own and released a breath to reign in my flaring temper. After a few seconds to collect myself, I dropped to a knee and offered a hand to him. ¡°It was my mistake. I wasn¡¯t paying attention. Are you alright?¡±


    The boy flinched again as I moved my hand towards him, but didn¡¯t pull away at my words. He looked to me with a mix of disbelief and hope. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m okay, Sir. I was in a hurry and wasn¡¯t watching where I was going.¡± His words trailed off into a mumble as he continued to stare at my hand. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± He murmured as he lowered his head.


    A confused look flickered along my face, but I let my shoulders fall ever so lightly. ¡°Give me your hand,¡± I said to the boy. A surprised expression came to him, but he hesitatingly took my hand, and I stood, pulling him to his feet. With both of us on our feet, I let his hand go and began to brush off his shoulders and his back, getting the dirt off of him. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Neither of us was paying any attention.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± He mumbled, facing the ground.


    ¡°Stop apologizing,¡± I said sternly. The boy looked up to me, hunching forward at my frown. ¡°Stand up straight. Chin up.¡± The boy scrambled to follow my requests, apparently treating them like orders. Amusement and bemusement filled me, but I let neither show. ¡°Now, what¡¯s your-¡±


    ¡°Boy! Where in the world did you go?!¡± I was interrupted by an angry call from a man in a worn tunic, pants, and sandals storming over to us. He glared at the boy, who cowered, but did not flee. ¡°I take my eyes off you for one second, and you go and do this? Am I going to have to discipline you and your sister for this, boy?!¡±


    The boy turned to the man and fell to his knees, turning already teary eyes up to him. ¡°Please, master, no! Not my sister, not her. Just me! It was an accident. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you did it on purpose, boy.¡± He took a threatening step forward, lifting his hand as if to hit the child.


    Interposing myself between them, I spoke in a calm tone that belied the anger bubbling beneath the surface. ¡°You say that, yet you¡¯re the one making a scene.¡± An undercurrent of malice escaped me, causing him to step back, his face paling as he saw me. I had no idea what expression I had, but if it showed how I felt, then, well¡­ ¡°Do you always lash out at people you hold power over?¡± I said evenly, feeling my feet carry me forward. He stumbled backward. ¡°You know what that says about you?¡± A weight settled on my shoulders as I felt a chill race down my spine. My lungs hitched for a second before a surge of cold air opened them. ¡°Power is a privilege, not a right. To abuse it in such a manner is¡­¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It seemed like the noise of the surrounding area had died down as it became eerily quiet. The chirping of birds, the skittering of small animals, the ruffle of leaves and the whistle of the gentle breeze. The ambient noises that you never really notice. Everything fell to dead silence. The only sounds I could hear were the beating of my heart in my ears and the man¡¯s quick breaths. A chilling wind swept between us as he shivered audibly.


    The man stopped moving backward as I approached him and jerked forward as I stopped walking. ¡°Unbecoming of you as a man.¡± My voice was velvety and cutting, very much not a feeling I normally had. ¡°There is a saying where I¡¯m from: any man can stand adversity.¡± He staggered forward, his nose centimeters from mine, eyes wide with fear and gasping for breath. ¡°But to truly test his character, give him power.¡±


    He appeared to try and force himself back, but fell forward once more, stopping even closer to me. ¡°Given your treatment of him and threat against his sister, what does that say about you?¡± My voice devolved into a growl in this statement, causing him to shake and shiver. In the reflection of his full, dark colored eyes, I saw a flicker of red and narrowed my eyes, causing the red to diminish ever so lightly.


    ¡°The same could be said of you, young Hero.¡± A cultured, refined voice cut into the dark silence and all of a sudden everything fell back into the place. The ambient noises returned with a force as I felt a pounding in the back of my skull. The whistling of the wind drilled into my temple; the chirping of the birds rang in my head like a bell. I fought back the grimace as I looked to the one getting in the way of my anger. It was an older man, not elderly but refined in his musculature even through the glistening silver armor and chainmail; adorning the upper left chest portion of his armor was the symbol of a downward facing sheathed sword. His hair was shoulder-length and black, his expression stern and eyes bright. Over his left shoulder was a navy-blue cape that encompassed his entire arm and the hilt of a sword poked out from the right side of his hip. He regarded me as if I stood on the edge of a building, patient but worried, through his firm visage. ¡°Perhaps we could continue this philosophical discussion at a later date, but I feel you should release this man before he falls unconscious.¡±


    I gave him a confused look. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked him even as I turned to face the man again, only to be surprised at his cheeks slowly turning blue. My eyes flickered downwards to see that my right hand had latched onto the collar of his tunic, held and pulled tight in my white-knuckled grip. It almost hurt considering how tightly I was holding him. Releasing him as if he were on fire, I took a hasty step back as my heart to pound even faster than before. My hand ached as I could feel the blood pumping through it, fingers sore from the pressure they previously held.


    I stared at my hand in shock, a sliver of fear pulsing deep. Closing my eyes shut, I gathered myself before opening them once more and glaring as darkly as I could at the man. He was on his knees gasping for breath. His face darkened as he turned to me as if he were to berate me before he froze in terror. ¡°Walk away,¡± I growled out, not fully recognizing my voice. ¡°I won¡¯t stand for your abuse in my sight; you waste of breath.¡± The weight on my shoulders began to grow heavier, but I did not falter. ¡°I will endeavor to avoid the sight of you because I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll react if I see you again. So. Walk. Away.¡± Words that felt both alien and natural left my mouth.


    ¡°Who do yo-¡± He was about to retort, to bluster and demand, but the sound of knuckles cracking silenced him. I had clenched my hands at my side, holding myself back from giving into my rising fury.


    ¡°Walk. Away.¡± My voice came out more guttural than normal speech.


    The man¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet before he seemingly whipped around and scrambled away. The sound of feet scratching and shuffling along the ground pulled my attention to the source. My heart fell into my stomach when I saw the unfettered fear in the boy¡¯s eyes as he looked up to me. His jumbled steps sent him past me, never taking his wide eyes off me until he was far out of arm¡¯s reach, and quickly twisted around to run off after the man. I squeezed my eyes shut as I bit my lip, a chaotic mess of feelings swirling around in the pit of my stomach.


    What the hell is wrong with me?


    ¡°Your sense of justice is laudable, young Hero. But for the Beastkin child, it is a waste of your time.¡± The man¡¯s voice was bland and seemingly half-committed in its reassurance.


    The fury that was dying down flared to life once more as I turned a glare in his direction, my hand twitching for a sword that wasn¡¯t there. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was glad that I didn¡¯t have one on me or not. ¡°I will not stand for pointless cruelty, knight.¡±


    ¡°Inquisitor.¡± He corrected as if stating the weather. ¡°Perhaps so. A laudable belief, as I alluded to before. However, what if it wasn¡¯t pointless cruelty, then?¡± From the way his eyes lazily moved to my hands, he did not miss how my hands twitched for a missing weapon. His appraisal of me shifted as his eyes narrowed.


    The fury did not abate, only aggravated by his almost flippant answer. Before I could reply, someone cut in. ¡°Inquisitor Vincent.¡± Emelina had stepped forward. I turned my gaze to the side to see that everyone was watching in silence, Mr. Lethe, Kara and Valeri standing in front of my friends. Were they holding them back? Why? ¡°I see you¡¯ve come to us, rather than allowing us to reach the chapel.¡± She gave an observation, though her expression was¡­distasteful, if still polite.


    Vincent inclined his head. ¡°Indeed, Your Highness. I felt it important to come out to meet your group rather than wait.¡± His regard shifted obviously to me. ¡°It was fortuitous that I arrived when I did. Considering no one interfered.¡±


    ¡°You know my stance on certain customs, Vincent.¡± Her tone was cold.


    ¡°So you would allow one of your Heroes to assault an unarmed citizen?¡± Vincent drawled, his voice remaining perfectly polite, though there was a cutting edge to it. ¡°All because of a disagreement you have with Church Doctrine?¡±


    ¡°Assault?¡± I demanded of him.


    Before I could continue, Vincent cut in. ¡°You were choking a man without realizing it, Hero.¡± He put in so much mild sarcasm in that word that it stoked the flames of my fury. Though, in the back of my mind, a traitorous voice agreed with him. That shame was quickly overwhelmed by my anger.


    ¡°I will not stand by and watch a man strike an innocent child.¡± I snarled at him, my body sliding forward as I felt my Affinity beginning to inundate my body with power beneath the surface.


    ¡°Innocent?¡± For the first time, Vincent¡¯s expression faltered, eyes widening in surprise. Then his lip curled in disgust. ¡°No Beastkin, child or not, is innocent.¡±


    I saw red as my body was about to move forward, but a vice grabbed me by the shoulder and yanked me back violently. I twisted around to lash out at the one who stopped me. It was from Luke. He held my shoulder hard enough to make it uncomfortable, meeting my glare with his own. ¡°Get your shit together, Joey. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but this isn¡¯t you.¡±


    I ripped my shoulder out of his grip and set my jaw. ¡°Are you listening to this?! That was a child. A kid. And you want me to accept that it¡¯d be right to sit by and watch that abuse?¡± I hissed at him, causing him to flinch back and look away from me. ¡°Fuck that¡­¡± I looked back to the now impassive Inquisitor. ¡°And fuck you. I¡¯m not listening to your poison anymore.¡± A flicker of anger tickled the surface of my self-control, but I held it back and looked to Emelina. She met my gaze with sad, heavy regard. ¡°I¡¯m going to catch my breath somewhere else before I do something I regret.¡± Not waiting for an answer, I found Rudy¡¯s patient and slightly angry gaze, and asked, ¡°Can you find me in an hour?¡±


    He nodded brusquely, understanding in his expression. ¡°Go.¡±


    I turned and began to walk away, towards the thick forest. I pushed back the words of the people calling out to me. Again. The second time in two days, I¡¯ve had to walk away, unable to hold in my anger. What the hell is wrong with me? My temper¡¯s never been this horrid back home.


    My thoughts were a never-ending cycle of trying to understand what was causing me to react like this. In this frame of mind, I walked and walked until I was sure my feet came to a stop of their own volition. It was a persistent, unceasing forward progression, only waylaid by occasionally going around a tree that ended up in my path. Driven and powered by my simmering anger, I was able to walk longer, more consistently and faster than I¡¯ve had to in the past two months.


    I ended up at the entrance to a large meadow with a lake on the far left. A trio of boulders was next to the edge of the lake, at the base of the thick trunk of an old tree. The surface of the lake was calm, unmoving even in the face of the gentle, caress of a breeze. I sighed as I felt the kiss of the wind upon my face. Walking towards the boulders, I climbed on top of the one closest to the lake and took a seat. I heaved out a sigh, letting my head fall into my hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I think I¡¯m losing my mind.¡± I murmured to myself, mostly to voice my honest thoughts.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, I find. Those who don¡¯t happen to acknowledge that either ends up being painfully boring or refuse to concede the simplest truths.¡± A frighteningly familiar voice tore into my chosen solitude. I fell backward off the boulder and nearly into the lake, but a steady hand grasped me by the elbow, yanking me to the opposite side. I rolled back, flipping across the ground before I planted my hands onto the earth and pushed upwards. Jumping to my feet, I looked to the source of the voice to see the ivory-haired Jeanne smiling in amusement at me, her golden eyes studying me with a frantic curiosity, as if searching for something. She was still wearing the torn cloak from before, which did little to hide her slender form, the feminine curves that seemed to emphasize her inhuman nature. Her horns were nowhere visible.


    When her expression turned content, her smile resembling the cat that caught the canary, I couldn¡¯t help but shiver at a single thought: she found something she liked.


    ¡°Jeanne¡­¡±


    Her expression brightened, her smile becoming¡­happy? ¡°They told you my name? Fantastic. I was worried I¡¯d have to give introductions.¡± She rolled her eyes and sneered at an unseen person to her right. ¡°Such pointless pleasantries are the mutt¡¯s preference. They take far too much time, and I don¡¯t like to wait.¡± Jeanne¡¯s smile returned, though it was rapturous as she licked her lips. ¡°I vastly prefer getting to know someone in battle. Tis much more¡­ intimate.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt hearing those words coming from her. I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d fare against her without a sword. Hell, even with a sword, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Her eyes focused on me with an almost frantic intensity, her lips parting in a gentle, inhumanly beautiful smile. ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked her again, feeling another chill race down my spine.


    As she walked towards me, it was as if she glided gracefully, her hips shifting with every movement of her long, lean legs. Every step she made screamed both ¡®savagely beautiful¡¯ and ¡®beautifully savage,¡¯ making me feel so very confused as to whether I should stand there and gawk like a preteen in the onset of puberty, or turn around, yell ¡®nope¡¯ and sprint out of there like a bat out of hell.


    Unfortunately, she reached me before I could make the decision, and gently placed her hand on my cheek. The scales that trailed down her arms decorated the back of her hands, and the slight, sloping claws on her fingernails were cold to the touch, despite the notable heat that her skin gave off from the contact. ¡°My Regent gave me the capability to keep my mind long enough to make the journey here. She wanted me to witness the Heroes that had triggered the latter parts of the prophecy, to see if any were worthy.¡± Her golden eyes were wide as she looked to me as if I were an oasis in the center of a vast desert. Her lips flickered from a smile to grin, before shrinking to playful smirk, tongue flicking out to wet them. ¡°Of all them, only you stood beneath the weight of my lost control, my escalating rage, a temporary return of my incessant madness. Whether it be by chance, a flicker of strength amidst a crippling weakness, or even a quirk of fate,¡± She snarled the last word, but calmed herself with a shaky sigh, her breath tickling my face. Then her eyes shot open again, the intensity in them sending shivers down my spine. ¡°You shouldered it and remained strong in the face of overwhelming power. The power that has broken the courage of the most steadfast of knights; the morale of armies; and the belief of the most devout of holy men.¡± She inhaled through her nose, her eyes flickering almost in ecstasy. ¡°That is a will that is dying in the people of this world, never returning in the face of a corrupting and tainted peace.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± I asked her breathlessly, my body shivering beneath her touch. A part of me wanted to push her away, to lash out with everything I had, despite knowing that death was assured. A piece that wanted to stand firm and resolute even in the face of her overwhelming power.


    But that other part¡­ That other part wanted her. It wanted her presence. The ability to make others bow in the face of my anger, my wrath. It wanted her subservience; her head to dip due to my authority. It wanted her loyalty. And that terrified me.


    It wasn¡¯t some mysterious presence that invaded my mind, or any sort cliched tripe like that. No¡­ It was still me. It was that part of me that cried for freedom, to rip myself away from beneath the thumb of the Royal Family.


    It horrified me because all of that rage, all that desire for freedom and independence, all that need was¡­me. A part of me that I didn¡¯t want to surface, but came forward regardless.


    Jeanne¡¯s smile widened, eyes glowing with excitement. ¡°I set the stage. I laid the seeds for your inevitable evolution.¡± Her tone was husky, her breath, heady. ¡°I brought to the fore the primal aspects of who you are, deep inside. The parts that people hide from themselves, from the world. I awakened the depths of the power that slept within you.¡±


    Her other hand gently cupped my other cheek as her face moved closer, her body leaning against mine. Her breath tickled my lips as Jeanne continued, ¡°I never got to make my request before I was interrupted. She was rather cross with me upon learning that. Everything I did to gain your attention, your intent, your measure, and I never managed to ask the most important question.¡±


    When she asked it of me, I was shocked silent by my inability to fully commit to an answer. The weight of her words, the meaning of them, tore the breath from me in ways that my asthma had never done before. The sheer need, the desire, with which she spoke, it sent my heart racing, not from arousal, but excitement and trepidation. Her words alluded to the freedom I had begun to yearn for, in spite of the true meaning behind them.


    Her words had pushed me so far that I had lost myself to the world. So much so that when she disappeared from my sight, citing a slow decline of rationality, I hadn¡¯t noticed that she was indeed gone. Her scent had lingered, further driving the words deeper into my mind.


    I was so lost in her words, that when Rudy came to collect me with Emelina, I had followed them with nary a word.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed when we approached the estate and went to my room after a light dinner.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed the words of concern from my friends.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed Amber telling me she had begun in earnest to forge my sword.


    It wasn¡¯t until I was in bed that I realized how much of the day I had lost to my musings.


    The last thought I had before falling asleep were the words that had gripped my soul with such fervor.


    ¡°Will you be our King?¡±

 Memento Mori - 12

    ¡°The Inquisitorial force acts as an equalizer, maintaining the fragile peace between Beastkin and Humans,¡± Inquisitor explained to us as we all walked into a wide-open field, bordered by a packed congregation of trees on all sides. Each of us held our chosen weapon, glistening with an aura of magic to make them safe for full contact spars. ¡°As the Beastkin of the present times carries the blood of those who served in the Demon Lord¡¯s army in the past, they are susceptible to the madness that afflicts those who live in the depths of Terras, the late Demon Lord¡¯s demesne.¡±


    ¡°Madness?¡± Colette seemingly thought aloud, rather than outright ask, if her subsequent surprise at the answer given indicated anything.


    ¡°Yes.¡± His eyes flickered to me, before ending on her. ¡°In the far past, the first Demon Lord gifted and cursed those who comprised his armies. He granted them incredible power, for as long as they followed him.¡± Then he fully turned his eyes towards me. ¡°However, the moment they turn against him, they would be afflicted with a mad rage that strikes all those around them with no regard to friend or foe. Such a curse has persisted all these generations, with no exception.¡±


    ¡°Has no one tried to remove it?¡± Tadashi asked him, an intense look on his face.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Vincent answered offhandedly. ¡°All attempts failed.¡± His accompanied a faint upward curl of his lip before he smoothed his expression. He came to a slow stop in the center of the meadow, turning to face us fully. ¡°While I¡¯m sure that you may have done so many times in the capital, but for me to better understand where each of you in martial capability, I need to see how you fare in battle.¡± His cold gaze rolled over us, stopping ever so often before it landed on me, then flickered to Luke.


    ¡°Sir Blaine, Sir Wirth. Would both of you start us off?¡± I did not reply, beyond walking forward, my hand resting on the hilt of my sword. He watched as I moved, steps carrying me closer to the center of the meadow. Luke followed after, arms crossed and looking confident. We soon reached Vincent, who stepped back to give us some space. ¡°Your swords have been enchanted for sparring, yes? I¡¯d rather not see Veritas¡¯ Heroes cripple one another.¡±


    ¡°I cast it earlier today when Princess Emelina explained today¡¯s activities,¡± Nailah spoke up from the group, though she did offer the Inquisitor a glare.


    The glare rolled off him as he nodded. ¡°Good. You¡¯re both prepared. Draw your swords.¡± We did as he asked. I drew my temporary longsword, the single-handed grip uncomfortable in my grasp. The blade stood shorter too, but thicker, causing the sword to feel more cumbersome than accustomed. Luke held out a sword with a longer blade and hilt, with a pronounced cross guard. He held it with a single hand, ready and waiting for us to begin.


    ¡°When you¡¯re ready, begin.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at my friend, carefully shifting my grip on the sword. I inhaled and filled my lungs with air. My first, and only, thought lead to this: should I take the initiative?


    I immediately made my decision, bending my legs and rocketing forward. The ground beneath my feet cratered, kicking up dust as I lunged towards Luke. I started with a stab at his left leg. He smacked my lunge aside and answered with a parry that nearly made me stagger. I recovered instantly and met him once more in the middle, sword singing as it clashed with his. What happened next depicted a macabre dance of steel and skill. Affinity and endurance. We flowed from move to move, either of us unable to overcome the other. My superior talent with the sword trumped his supernatural ability to predict my movements and parry my attacks. His superior physical strength offset my greater agility, brushing aside and slipping through his crushing attacks.


    All around us, echoed the sound of clashing steel, the scuff of our shoes on the grass, the shifting of our armor as we practically danced. I felt the kiss of the wind caress my skin as I maneuvered, as I worked up a sweat. I tasted iron, having bit the side of my tongue, jarred by a sudden strike from Luke, forcing me to stagger from the blow. I felt the burn in my muscles already, the exertions from something as simple as sparring already set my heart to race and muscle to stretch, flex and loosen as I let out all of my burgeoning anger. The sweat on my skin chilled by the lazy wind of the late morning air. Laughter bubbled in my chest, but I dared not let it out, wanting to save what precious air I did have. I enjoyed these simple moments; these instances where the only things that mattered were the next few seconds. My body moved as my mind rested; my heart pounded as my soul relaxed. All my worries had vanished.


    Sparks, both ethereal and physical, erupted from our blades as they slid along one another when I parried one of his attacks, slipping into his guard. Suddenly adjusting my sword arm, I managed to jab the bottom of my hilt into his stomach. Luke hacked out a breath and staggered back with his arms still up, leaving his right side open, an unguarded area around his kidney. Bending my knees, I awkwardly grasped the bottom of my hand over the hilt with my free hand. Swinging as fast as I could, I aimed to end the spar in that instant.


    Miraculously, almost impossibly, Luke managed to counter seconds before my sword slammed into his side, his sword crashing onto mine, using his greater strength to push my attack aside. Speed I did not expect drove me back, forcing me to backpedal and give ground as I bobbed and weaved along with parrying his sword with my own. In that instant, Luke¡¯s reflexes seemed to have kicked into high gear, reacting almost seconds before I could attack. His eyes steadily moved, lips set into a thin line as I saw a pounding vein along his temple. His gaze shifted from my sword to my waist, to my feet, meeting my eyes, before continuing the circuit again.


    Luke¡¯s ridiculous offensive pushed me back. All the skill in the world meant little in the face of his nigh-precognitive attacks and parries. I found no openings and felt like mine, how few there may have been, were being exploited with laser precision. Gritting my teeth, I tapped into the new ability I had gained and felt my strength and agility grow in response. Stopping his downwards slash cold with a single hand, I retaliated with a kick to his chest. It wasn¡¯t full contact, as he had jumped back almost microseconds before it, but I did hear him grunt as he landed back on the ground, staggering back as he did so.


    ¡°My turn,¡± I growled and leaped forward to close the gap once more, cracking the ground beneath me. Our swords clashed once more, sparks dancing around our blades as they slid along their edges. The aura¡¯s around our blades flickered, almost like a light bulb close to death, but held strong beneath the pressure of our clash. Forcing my sword to the side, I broke the stalemate and once more slashed at him, my footwork getting me closer once more.


    Again, I experienced Luke¡¯s precognitive capabilities, but I kept my momentum. I made up for my inability to match his predictions by pushing myself to go faster. Where before, Luke had the decisive advantage, a stalemate now settled between our matching technique. Our swords were blurs, clashing time and time again, sparks and echoing clangs erupting from our clashes. We moved in ferocious synchronicity, matching one another seamlessly. As we fought, as we tried to send the other to the ground in defeat, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the grin on my brother¡¯s face. Excitement, an almost childish glee, danced in his green eyes as laughter echoed around us, amidst our resonant melee.


    It took me a bit to realize who laughed¡­ Me. I had lost myself so much in the duel, that I had laughed. Not a loud laugh, but still carried. This duel had captivated me, causing me to feel breathless more than anything else. But in the midst of that, I felt¡­liberated. The burning exertion of my muscles, the tightness of my lungs, the straining of my legs to keep moving, and the mentally exhausting continual study of my opponent were all feelings that I began to enjoy in the moment. I felt strong. I felt capable. I felt like I could take the world by storm and tear my freedom from it with nary more than a swing of my sword.


    At that thought, I twisted around and ducked below a swing of Luke¡¯s sword, maneuvering behind him. Bracing my bent legs, I drew my sword back and thrust it forwards, aimed at his back. Luke tried to jump forward, but I followed after him with my leap. I continued the thrust of my sword, pushing it farther forward. With a twist of the body, Luke intercepted my sword with his, but his superior strength meant nothing as we were still mid-air. An explosion of light erupted from the impact of our swords, sending both of us flying away from the other.


    I landed on my back, but quickly rolled to the side and climbed to my feet to see Luke having done the same. We locked eyes and measured one another; slowly, but plainly, I could see a smile growing on his face, excitement dancing in his eyes. At the same time, I feel a smile of my own answering his. With a tensing of my legs, I rocketed forwards just as Luke charged forward as well.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Cries erupted around us. ¡°Stop!¡± The sound of hurried footsteps pulled my attention to the side to see Deandria sliding along the ground in front of me, her large shield held in front of me. I knew I should stop. Intellectually, as well as emotionally, I knew that she had a reason to attempt to stop me. But, instinctually? Instinctually, primally, with my heart pounding deep in my chest and the adrenaline rushing through me, I wanted catharsis. I wanted to prove that I still had more. That I could even do more. My grip tightened on the sword as I sped up. Steel singing, I swung my sword at Deandria¡¯s shield. And echoing clang reverberated throughout the meadow as it stopped dead, the momentum instantly siphoned out of it, and me as well.


    A jar raced up my arm, and I grimaced in pain. The head rush that I experienced died down almost immediately as my limbs finally began to feel heavy, the sword lead in my hands. As I stepped back and let my hand fall, a cracking sound echoed throughout the clearing, followed by a snap and a thud.


    Before I could attempt to check the noise, Deandria lowered her shield and glared at me. ¡°What the hell were you two thinking? The enchantment on your swords break, and you decided to keep fighting?¡±


    Amid my still pounding heart, I felt a wave of anger. Before I could voice it, I closed my eyes and inhaled through my nose, then exhaled out of my mouth. Still, amidst an adrenaline rush, my emotions were still raw and heady. With everything that¡¯s happening to me because of Jeanne¡¯s actions, I knew that I likely worried the others. ¡°I guess¡­I just lost myself in the duel.¡± I let out a shaky laugh, lifting my empty hand to rub the back of my head sheepishly. ¡°It felt like I could win.¡±


    A snort behind Deandria caused me to twitch, but ignored that and focused on her inevitable reaction. ¡°And that made you decided to keep fighting after your swords regained their sharp edges?¡± I didn¡¯t respond, simply glancing to the side, flinching at the deadpan stares of the rest of the class. ¡°Idiots, the both of you¡­¡± She said breathily. Turning, she looked behind her, and I saw that Kacee had stopped Luke, a transparent barrier dissolving before. ¡°I bet you¡¯re both hurting right now, too.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    As she said that, I noticed that Luke pressed a hand to his forehead, his brow scrunched as he grimaced. ¡°Kind of. Accelerated perception sucks after the fact.¡±


    I could feel my muscles begin to pulse with pain as the strain caught up to me. ¡°Didn¡¯t stop you from using it against me.¡±


    ¡°Never.¡± He managed a cheeky grin for a second before a shaky groan escaped him and he dropped to a knee.


    Kacee stepped up to his side, pulling his arm over her shoulder and helping him to his feet. ¡°I second Dee¡¯s statement. You¡¯re both idiots.¡± She looked over to me. ¡°Pick up your broken sword and get back to the group. I¡¯d rather not lose more time to the measuring contest between the two of you.¡± I blinked in surprise at her words, looking down.


    Indeed, my sword had broken. Over three-quarters of the blade had snapped near the guard. ¡°How the¡­ When did¡­ Why?!¡± I groaned to myself as I crouched down, grimacing at the strain in my legs, and scooped it into the sheath with the hilt. I tried to stand back up but found that my legs refused to listen, but I didn¡¯t need to wait long as a hand had hooked itself beneath my arm and helped me to stand once more.


    Deandria offered me an exasperated glare. ¡°Boys.¡± She shook her head, her expression torn between amusement and frustration. She then helped me walk back to the group, and we stopped next to Amber, who stared at both me and the sword at my side in disbelief.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to dig into the superior metals¡­¡± I heard her mutter before my attention shifted back to Vincent.


    ¡°Hmph. It seems that Knight Valeri¡¯s description of the pair of you is true. Competitive and superbly capable.¡± He seemed almost insulted by that before he continued. ¡°I suppose we should have two more of you step forward¡­¡±


    The next few hours comprised of more spars amongst us, switching things up amongst opponents between us and finally figuring out a more robust schedule for the next few weeks. It wasn¡¯t until later that afternoon that we were given free rein to whatever we wished within Nyrill. Luke had decided to stay, saying that he wanted to speak with Vincent. Feeling sore from my spars and still irritated over Vincent¡¯s hate towards Beastkin, I opted to return to the estate and let my body relax.


    Fully aware, I could better study the building as I approached it. I walked in solitude, initially having walked over with Amber, but she broke away to get to the forge. The wooden and stone building stood two stories and made wide next to a large lake. The four corners of the building were a set of immaculately carved stone pillars with a triangular sloped wooden roof. I walked over to the immaculately sculpted and reached to open it, but a voice called out to me. ¡°Joseph.¡±


    I turned around to see Nailah walking over to me, her long hair bouncing as she approached me. She wore a set of loose-fitting, dark colored clothing that did well to hide her curves. ¡°Nailah. You need me for something?¡±


    She shook her head, a small smile playing at her lips. ¡°Not necessarily, I just wanted to talk. We don¡¯t do that much, do we?¡±


    ¡°No, I suppose not.¡± I motioned to the door. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of staying in for a bit, catch my breath. Sit with me?¡±


    Her smile widened, a cross of amusement and worry in her dark brown. ¡°I guess that makes sense. You did exert yourself this morning.¡± She paused as if mulling over her next words as we walked inside. The foyer had what appeared to be a varnished wooden floor that felt soft on our feet. The entryway leads directly to a set of upward climbing stair and to a hallway that leads into another room down the hall. On the left, a closed doorway stood in front of me. I went towards the door and opened it, walking inside of a large sitting room. Hanging on the far wall, above an unlit fireplace, laid a pelt of a white wolf. On the floor, a low hanging end table accompanied a few padded chairs that sat around it.


    ¡°Take a seat anywhere. I¡¯m going to rest my legs.¡± I dropped down onto one of the chairs and let out a heavy breath, relief flooding through me as I relished getting off my feet.


    Nailah smiled and let out a soft laugh as she sat down across from me, though she did so in a more sedate manner. She remained silent for a few moments, her eyes searching me as she seemed to be looking for the right words. ¡°How¡­¡± She started, furrowing her brow cutely. ¡°How do you do it?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± I asked her, not sure what she meant.


    ¡°Lead. Take charge. Stand up and fight like you¡¯ve done it for years?¡±


    I knew she wasn¡¯t talking about my Affinity. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said softly, getting a surprised look from her as she blinked. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I see what¡¯s going on and I know that I have to do something. An action, any action, would be better than just sitting there and doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°But how?¡± She asked me again. ¡°We both lived on that island for nearly a decade. We both had similar amenities.¡± Nailah paused. ¡°We live in the same district, Joseph. How?¡±


    I looked to her and finally saw what she tried to hide from the world. Fear. She felt afraid and had come to me to try and figure out how to stop. I turned my gaze away from her, looking out the window, into the beautiful blue sky. ¡°Because I hated every day I lived on that island,¡± I stated frankly. ¡°The moment my mother told Maggie and me where she and I were living after we left the shelter, I knew something felt wrong.¡± I paused as I felt old frustrations rise within my chest, a pinching sensation in my heart. ¡°The moment my father told me that he ¡®had to have a chat with his supervisor¡¯ and flew out of our old house through the window, I knew things wouldn¡¯t end well.¡± I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. ¡°The very second my mother left us at the apartment complex after promising to call, I hated that place with every fiber of my being.¡±


    I looked over to Nailah, seeing that she held back tears, just as I restrained myself from smashing the table in front of me. Her eyes swam, in grief, in understanding, as she bit her lower lip. ¡°Maggie never understood, being too young when it all started, four; with me seven. Not much of a difference, but just enough.¡± I released a calming breath, trying to loosen the tension from my shoulders. ¡°She used to call every day, our mother. Without fail, at the same time every day, even with differing time zones. Mom always made sure we were as happy as we were, despite everything that happened.¡±


    The arm of the chair whined beneath the pressure of my grip. I forced my hand to let it go. ¡°I could somewhat bear it, hearing Mom¡¯s voice, seeing Maggie so excited over something simple like a phone call.¡± I couldn¡¯t help the teary smile. ¡°Made it worth it, in some ways.¡± I shook my head, trying to bleed away the tension. ¡°Two years ago, she stopped calling and moved to weekly e-mails. I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s still her writing them anymore.¡± I tried not to remember the crestfallen expression Maggie had when that last call never came. ¡°After that, staying on that island truly felt like a gilded cage.¡±


    I turned my head and locked eyes with my classmate and comrade. She didn¡¯t hold back her tears. I felt unsure if I should be ashamed that I honestly felt relief after coming here, despite being forced to abandon my sister, my last bit of family. ¡°You asked how I¡¯m able to do what I can, to take charge when no one else does. It¡¯s because if the alternative is entering another cage like the one we escaped from, then I¡¯ll take charge again and again until I know without a shadow of a doubt that I¡¯m free. I¡¯ll fight and fight and fight until I¡¯ve torn my freedom from the hands of those that tried to chain me. I am the champion of my Fate, not the words of some trumped-up poem.¡± As I spoke those words, I could feel a warmth in my chest, a soothing heat that gave me strength.


    Nailah didn¡¯t respond for the longest time, her eyes searching mine. After a few moments, she lifted a hand and wiped the tears from her cheek. ¡°We all have our stories, our reasons for both staying on, and hating, the island we¡¯ve come to call our reluctant home. There is no pity amongst us, only a mutual understanding that keeps us together, despite being forced into a world that feels far wider than our own.¡± She paused, averting her gaze to the table between us, not focusing on it in particular.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, even after everything Her Highness has done to help prepare us.¡± Nailah demurred faintly. ¡°I don¡¯t have your dogged determination or Luke¡¯s natural talent or even Mitsuki¡¯s unflappable demeanor.¡± She shrugged her shoulders, a self-deprecating smile on her face. ¡°All I have is an Affinity that rewards creativity and I¡¯m not a creative person at all. I struggle and fight, and the only reason I¡¯ve stayed safe is due to Emelina¡¯s protection.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Even that fight in the village, I needed Guang¡¯s help to stay alive. He managed to finish the monster. I just kept it back¡­¡±


    I looked at her, disbelief. Were these¡­her real feelings? ¡°Nailah¡­¡± I breathed out. ¡°You fought with everything you had, didn¡¯t you?¡± She nodded to me, confusion in her expression. ¡°You had support. You had us at your back, ready for anything.¡± I shook my head, a small laugh escaping me. ¡°Your Affinity is limitless. All you have to do is imagine something and make it happen. Like that.¡± I snapped my fingers. ¡°Me? I touch stuff and master it instantly. Luke? He sees stuff in slow motion and reacts fast. Guang? He turns into a shadow. Kacee? She makes barriers.¡± I then waved my hand to the side. ¡°You can do what all of us can do, with just a little bit of thought. Creative? You don¡¯t need to be creative, Nailah. Science, physics, chemistry. You were the top of our class in school.¡± I couldn¡¯t hide the excited grin that escaped me. ¡°Hell, the only reason you weren¡¯t a part of 12-A was that there were too many people in that class already.¡±


    Struck silent, Nailah watched me, her eyes trailing along my face. Her eyes were wide as she took in my words as if waiting for something. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but an earth-shaking rumble interrupted her. We shot to our feet and raced towards the door. She reached it first and shoved it open, running through the hallway and out the front door. I followed her at her heels.


    We made our way outside just in time to see several knights already escorting civilians through the open streets. People were frightened, jerking around and turning around frantically, crying out for missing family members and demanding answers for what just happened. Some outright refused to follow in the throes of their terror, looking as though they were about to run off.


    As Nailah stepped forward, she called out, ¡°Everyone, please calm yourselves.¡± All eyes fell on us, knight and civilian alike. The knights looked relieved, it being a controlled movement though, each with the slightest shift almost unnoticeable to the untrained eye. Hope danced in the eyes of the villagers, as they murmured about the ¡®two Heroes¡¯ before them. ¡°We¡¯re doing our best to resolve this situation. However, we need your help. We need to listen to the words of Veritas¡¯ knights. Our fine warriors are more than capable of protecting you, but to make their duties easier, we need you to listen to their orders very carefully. Can each of you do that for us?¡±


    It looked like a switch had flipped. The chaos slowly died down as the villagers took Nailah¡¯s word as gospel. Some seemed contrite, while others appeared relieved at our presence.


    I offered Nailah a side-eyed smile as I noticed a knight quickly approaching us. ¡°Nicely done. I couldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    She smiled faintly, though I could see a hint of color in her cheeks, despite her darker complexion. ¡°Thank you. My mother is¡­she may have run for office before the Emergence and spoke well. I may have taken a few cues from what I¡¯ve seen of her.¡± Shame flickered across her face before she shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not important. We should see what he needs of us.¡± I took the shift in the topic without a word, looking to the quickly approaching knight.


    He held himself like a young knight, closer to our age. The knight carried himself awkwardly, almost as if he had never run in armor before today. His wore a helm, but we could see his slightly rounded face and dark amber eyes. Upon reaching us, he sucked in a breath and leaned forward, hands on his knees. ¡°Sir Blaine¡­Madame Imari, I¡­I¡­¡± He wheezed frantically, trying to catch his breath.


    Knowing full well how he felt, I stepped up to his side and grasped his shoulder, pushing his posture fully upright. ¡°Stand up straight. Breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth.¡± He did as I asked and I removed my hand. ¡°Slow and deep. I want to say to take your time, but it¡¯s not possible. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The knight quickly managed to catch his breath, though his cheeks were red from exertion. ¡°There¡¯s a horde, dangerously close to Nyrill. Knight-Captain Valeri sent me to collect both of you.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± I asked him, my heart beginning to pick up. Nailah stiffened next to me.


    ¡°At the plaza in the center of Nyrill. There¡¯s a war council happening right now. I¡¯m to lead you there.¡±


    ¡°Then take us there.¡± He hesitated, and I snarled at him. ¡°Stop waffling and move!¡± He nodded frantically, turned and raced off. Nailah and I took off after him.


    As we did, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the sky gaining a pale red hue, not unlike the day in the market.

 Memento Mori - 13

    We reached the plaza in record time, though I remained careful not to push myself too hard. My lungs were already straining as my heart pounded in my chest. Breathing slowly and deeply to keep myself oxygenated, I took in the hastily erected tent with several people around a table. Nailah and I broke away from the knight and quickly raced towards the tent. The poor knight called out to us, chasing after us, saying he needed to report to his superior.


    ¡°There is no need, Ryne. You¡¯ve done well to get them here.¡± Valeri replied as she approached us, her intense gaze falling on the flagging knight. The boy came to a sudden stop, standing at attention. ¡°Report to Welton. He arrived only a few hours after we did. He¡¯ll have your next set of orders.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± He answered, his tone perfectly even despite looking winded. He did an about face, then took off towards a regiment of knights.


    Valeri turned to us and motioned for Nailah to enter. She didn¡¯t look too worse for wear, only a little flushed through her dark skin. ¡°Go on ahead. The others are waiting. I need to speak with Joseph first.¡± She looked to the knight with a frown, then turned to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I gasped, eyes closed as I tried to catch my breath. ¡°Just have to catch my breath.¡± If anything, her frown deepened. ¡°Go. I¡¯ll catch up.¡± I repeated, making myself sound stronger than I felt at the moment.


    Nailah appeared about to protest, but upon meeting my eyes, she paused. She hesitated for a little longer before she slumped. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long.¡± My friend then made her way into the tent.


    ¡°I finally understand.¡± Valeri stared at me, both in confusion and realization. An odd combination, to be frank. ¡°You¡¯ve become their leader. Your class.¡± She elaborated, eyes widening.


    ¡°I figured it would be Mr. Lethe. He is our teacher.¡± I didn¡¯t fully commit to that statement. Two months had passed, and we hadn¡¯t had a single class in that sense: only combat training and physical conditioning.


    She shook her head, red hair slowing from the movement. ¡°No. Your educator is a good man. Well read and focused, but not leader-material.¡± Valeri paused, pursing her lips. ¡°It¡¯s¡­difficult to put into words. A leader, a commander, has a charisma about them. A willingness to act and commit that most lack.¡± Her eyes honed in on me, studying me intently. ¡°Amongst a group, whether they be knights, adventurers, bandits, or any group that comes together for a reason, there will always be at least one person with that spark.¡± She paused, a small frown appearing on her face. ¡°To call it a spark, though, isn¡¯t the best comparison, though. It¡¯s something that can and can¡¯t, be trained. Strategy and tactics can be learned, be taught. But there¡¯s something special about those who can act without thought and succeed. An instinct to move forward and act in concert with others. To adapt and react to the most dangerous of circumstances. All while coming out of it victorious, or as close to it as possible.¡± Valeri narrowed her eyes at me.


    ¡°And you think I have that?¡± I asked her. An odd feeling bubbled within my stomach, unsure of how to react to her words. Me? A natural leader? I doubt it. I just did what I felt necessary.


    ¡°I believe you can be a highly effective leader.¡±


    ¡°It was only one battle,¡± I stared blankly. My heart rate had calmed, and my lungs no longer felt tightened to all hell. I could now breathe freely as the tension in my chest had lightened.


    Valeri¡¯s expression softened. ¡°The first battle is often the one that makes or brakes most people. It¡¯s a crucible.¡± She studied me with a proud smile growing on her face. ¡°Despite what happened, you lead them to victory. You prevailed over your foes and aided your comrades in helping them do the same.¡± She paused as she appraised me, her gaze warm. ¡°Were you a knight under my command, I¡¯d have you lauded with medals and recommend you join my direct retinue.¡±


    As my face heated, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why I had said nothing about Jeanne. Why? Why have I kept her appearance here to myself? She could be the one to blame for this entire situation. Is it¡­


    Will you be our King?


    I shook my head and met Valeri¡¯s gaze, seeing a hint of pride in them. ¡°What did you wanted to say to me?¡± I asked her.


    Her smile faltered, eyes narrowing, before closing with remorse. ¡°I wish for you to sit this out.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± My voice came out as a growl, a heat rising in my chest. Indignation. Affronted pride.


    ¡°Your body isn¡¯t built for endurance combat. While your Affinity makes you very effective in combat, your¡­asthma cripples you in most circumstances.¡± She paused, giving me remorseful regard. ¡°War is about endurance, not overwhelming skill.¡±


    She¡¯s only telling me this because she cares. I kept myself calm, thinking this. It didn¡¯t help very much as my hand clenched at my side. ¡°Are you saying this as a Knight of Veritas or as the one who trained me?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡± She stated matter-of-factly.


    ¡°You¡¯re benching me,¡± I stated in a manner exactly like hers.


    Valeri frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the reference.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fighting, Valeri,¡± I said defiantly, glaring at her. A burn in my chest grew.


    She didn¡¯t respond, merely nodding her head as if she expected my answer, but she did not look happy. ¡°I understand. However, I have one request of you, Joseph, before we join the war council.¡± I motioned for her to make. ¡°Should we run into Jeanne once more, I ask that you retreat.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her, ignoring the panic that fluttered in my stomach. Did she know? How? When? Why the hell haven¡¯t I said anything, yet? ¡°Why me specifically?¡±


    Valeri¡¯s downturn of her lips gave the only tell of her mood. ¡°For some reason, Jeanne has a great interest in you.¡± Her eyes focused intently on me, concern warring with curiosity. ¡°While being a Hero is worthy of praise, it does not explain an avaricious dragon¡¯s interest.¡±


    Will you be our King?


    ¡°I wish I could tell you,¡± I stated dryly, giving her a deadpan look. Valeri snorted in amusement as she turned and motioned me to follow her as we continued towards the tent. Upon entering, I saw that seven poles that were stabbed into the earth, holding up the roof of the tent. A white sheet elevated above us, with the entrance flap held open by rope. The inside of the tent had a stifling humidity that nearly choked me for a few seconds before the air evened out and became almost inviting as it seemingly revitalized my body.


    A large, round table sat in the center of the sparse interior of the tent. A colored map of the Nyrill, primarily colored in a green surrounding a brown depiction of the village covered the stand. Around the table stood Emelina, Abigail, Kara, Mr. Lethe and a few other members of my class, Kacee being a vocal member of the group as she spoke directly with Kara. Everyone else stood scattered along the interior of the tent, talking with other knights. Off to the side, I couldn¡¯t help but notice Vincent and Luke discussing a rather severe topic if the nods Luke gave were any indication.


    As Valeri and I walked inside, the people around the map turned to us at our entrance. ¡°Valeri, Joseph. Good, you¡¯ve returned.¡± Emelina stated with a stern nod. ¡°Join us. We need to converse on the upcoming assault.¡± We approached the map and took our places. Valeri placed herself on Emelina¡¯s side, the opposite side from Kara. While I stopped next to Kacee, studying the map more closely. Around the green that no doubt represented the dense forest surrounding Nyrill rested a very bright red, probably the encroaching horde.


    ¡°What are we looking at?¡± I asked the group as a whole, causing a deafening silence to settle upon the entire structure. Everyone looked to me with questioning eyes, as if expecting the secrets of the universe. It reminded me of Valeri¡¯s words not a few seconds ago. I fought back the exasperation in my stomach at her faint, knowing smile.


    ¡°A large group of beasts has surrounded the village.¡± Rudy explained as he stared intently at the map. He held a handkerchief to his nose, a faint grimace on his face. He caught my look and pulled it away from his nose, showing a smattering of red. ¡°I caught sight of them through my Nature sight and asked Emelina to send a scout to make sure.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I should¡¯ve caught it earlier.¡±


    The princess shook her head. ¡°This close to the capital; it¡¯s something we shouldn¡¯t have missed.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. ¡°How¡¯d they get so close?¡±


    ¡°No doubt due to Jeanne¡¯s intervention,¡± Vincent answered, his critical gaze studying the map. ¡°Her arcane tricks are varied enough to mask the approach of a mindless throng of monsters.¡±


    ¡°You call them ¡®tricks,¡¯ Vincent?¡± Valeri said to the man, not even bothering to hide her dislike of the man with her tone. ¡°You know the tales. The stories of her reign of terror from the eastern lands on Verum.¡±


    ¡°Tales. Stories.¡± He said with as much scorn as he could push into the words. ¡°All unsubstantiated rumors brought on by the fanciful fears of superstitious scribes and parents curbing the defiance of children through fiction.¡± He leveled a steady stare to Valeri, his lips curling into a sneer.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel fake.¡± Luke murmured, his eyes focusing on the map, but not seeing it. ¡°Not after the events in the Merchant quarter¡­¡±


    ¡°Parlor tricks of a skilled illusionist playing on the human fear of the unknown,¡± Vincent answered confidently, looking to Luke. He didn¡¯t seem convinced but didn¡¯t reply regardless.


    ¡°The Court Mage of Veritas would have your head for words like that.¡± Valeri demurred, eyes alight with contained fury.


    ¡°Tis a shame that she is on a personal sojourn, then,¡± Vincent said with a smirk.


    Valeri¡¯s hackles rose, her jaw becoming set.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Emelina hissed out in frustration; eyes narrowed as she glared at both Valeri and Vincent. She straightened her posture from studying the map to facing her two subjects. ¡°Nyrill is under threat from mad beasts, and the two feel it necessary to argue like children?¡± Smooth like silk, her voice gave off a restrained fury. Silver eyes were like chips of ice as she looked from Knight to Inquisitor. ¡°At this moment, both of you will push aside any personal grievances and work together to protect this place and those who live here. Immediately afterward, I will bring you both before my Father, your King, and demand a review of your competencies.¡±


    The two of them were as stiff as statues as Emelina scolded them, their eyes focused right on her as they remained stoic.


    ¡°Are we clear?¡± Her voice came out as an icy hiss, a faint silvery aura drifting from the corners of her eyes as the air seemed to become heavy.


    Even as the two of them nodded, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why it reminded me of Jeanne¡¯s anger. This weight, though negligible as it didn¡¯t target me, settled on my shoulders and tried to force me to my knees. I felt a desire, outwardly expressed and driven, to command and conquer. I felt that intent, that intrinsic need, to shackle my will to her whims. I chafed under that weight but ignored it, wanting nothing more than to discard any attempts to cage me.


    Will you be our King?


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we received any missives from the capital?¡± Kacee asked, clearly shifting the subject to a ¡®safer¡¯ area. ¡°With something like this, wouldn¡¯t mobilizing your army to be the logical thing to do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been cut off,¡± Abigail explained, focusing on her simmering sister. Emelina seemed to be visibly trying to calm herself if her closed eyes and slow breaths were any indications. ¡°Something is preventing us from sending messages to Father and Reinhardt. In situations like this, the Court Mage of Veritas would have recognized a shift in the air, the excess of arcane energies within our borders, but¡­it¡¯s as Inquisitor Vincent said, she is on a personal sojourn.¡±


    ¡°Doing what?¡± Kacee asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t her duty to support your family with¡­¡± She looked at me as if trying to find the right words.


    ¡°Expanding mystical knowledge and experimenting with arcane trials.¡± I supplied a word salad off the top of my head, trying to sound as pretentious as possible while remaining as severe as the situation required.


    It seemed it worked because while the residents of Verum nodded to my words, those of us from Earth seemed to be holding back laughter and glaring at me because of it.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Emelina spoke up, having gathered herself successfully. ¡°I had asked Lillian to look into a few ruins from the first between the Hero King and the Demon Lord, in the hopes they held hidden secrets about the prophecy.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve yet to hear from her, so she¡¯s likely found nothing or so little that it wouldn¡¯t make a difference.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s focus on what we can do right now,¡± Kacee said swiftly, jabbing a finger onto the map. Everyone looked at her. ¡°If the horde around us keeps us isolated, then we don¡¯t think about the outside world. We focus on the here and now.¡± She then looked directly at me, dark brown eyes resolute and determined. ¡°Right?¡±


    I inclined my head towards her. ¡°Exactly. Ifs and buts will only serve to keep us from acting effectively.¡±


    ¡°Well-spoken,¡± Kara said with a resolute nod. She motioned to the map. ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to waste on these arguments. It¡¯s time we give out the necessary duties for each person to best contribute to protecting not only Nyrill, but it¡¯s citizens.¡± She then looked to each of us. ¡°Pay attention, because this is what I have in mind¡­¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ---


    ¡°Still not done with your sword, but you should have this one to keep your attention.¡± Amber handed me a proper hand and a half long sword. I grasped the sheath and attached it to my hip. ¡°Try not to break this one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± I let out a small laugh as I adjusted my armor. Looking down, I committed my defenses to mind.


    Amber rolled her eyes and pointed to the sword. ¡°Don¡¯t pull it out, but grab the hilt. Test out the grip.¡± I arched a brow at her almost giddy smile but did as she asked. I grasped the hilt with my right hand as if to unsheathe it. It fit my palm perfectly; every contour, every hint of contact, every space that my skin touched the sword felt like it fit as if forged specifically for me. I looked to her in surprise, catching her wide grin. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to start the blade of the sword, but I managed to finish the hilt.¡± She motioned to it with an open hand. ¡°The mold I had you use guided production perfectly, but that is still only a prototype. When I finish the proper weapon, blade, hilt and all, it¡¯ll be as if you were born to wield it.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic work, Amber¡­¡± I said breathlessly, pulling my hand away from the hilt.


    She nodded to me, smiling tightly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so, because since I¡¯m ¡®just a blacksmith,¡¯ I need to evacuate with the rest of the villagers.¡± Amber¡¯s shoulders hunched as she glared to the side. After a few seconds of angry silence, she released a calming breath and looked back to me, concern in her expression. ¡°Be careful. We¡¯re all split apart, so we can¡¯t look out for one another.¡± She hesitated, before lunging forward and pulling me into a hug.


    I returned the hug, holding her close. After a few moments, we split apart, and I tried not to focus on the tears building in her eyes. ¡°Hold down the fort. Those people need you more than you know.¡± I said to her, my voice thick. She didn¡¯t say anything, simply offering me a nod. Turning my head, I looked over to the troupe of five knights that were waiting for me, each wearing the left arm covering shoulder cape. ¡°I need to go, Amber.¡± Patting the hilt of my new sword, I gave her a cocky grin. ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ll come back, and we¡¯ll all celebrate as the Returning Heroes. We¡¯ll earn those titles.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡± With that, Amber turned and took off towards an evacuating group.


    A shaky breath escaped me as I turned and walked over to the knights who waited on me. ¡°Sir Blaine, are you ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I adjusted my armor, the same I had worn to meet Frederick, and strode ahead, leading the company. ¡°We¡¯re going to hold our line. No monsters will get past us. No beasts shall harm our charges.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my grin as my heart began to pounding and excitement raced through me. ¡°Shall we go, gentlemen? Shall we show these rabid creatures the might that Veritas brings to bear?¡±


    My escorts replied heartily, slamming their gauntleted fists against their shields and crying out in agreement.


    ¡°Forward, we march. Let us compose the dirge of their defeat.¡± As we moved, though, I couldn¡¯t help the foreboding chill that raced down my spine.


    As we moved through the thick brush of the forest, one of the knights pulled my attention to him, a tinny bass to his voice from the lowered helm. ¡°Sir Blaine, Knight-Captain Valeri asked me to give this to you.¡± I held out my hand, and he dropped a bright silver, luminescent oval stone into my palm. ¡°This is a communication stone. It will connect to any other stone within a certain radius. Each of your fellow Heroes also has one. Simply speak their name, and you will be able to speak with them. So long as it is on your person, you can speak through it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the range?¡±


    ¡°The entirety of Nyrill¡¯s surrounding forest. It should connect to everyone, barring magical interference.¡± He explained succinctly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to him as I slid into a hidden pocket beneath my belt. We continued through the thicket, maneuvering through the trees with only a margin of difficulty ¡ª the clank of steel and whistle of heavy breathing through metal visors. A part of me couldn¡¯t help but feel exasperated at the fact that the knights wore full steel armor into a forest as thick as this, but I trusted that they were still capable despite that.


    Still, it didn¡¯t take long until we reached our destination. When we stepped into the clearing, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that we entered the same clearing I fled to yesterday, where Jeanne had found me. ¡°Tell me again how this clearing is a choke point?¡±


    Another knight responded, pushing the front of his helmet up, revealing stern, weathered features with a thick goatee and light brown eyes. ¡°Blessed during the age of the first Hero King, Nyrill became his perfect getaway, a place to relax. As such, his will, and that of his bloodline can exercise general control over the area. Princess¡¯s Emelina and Abigail may not have the same level of control as His Majesty, but they willed certain parts of the forest to be nigh-impenetrable.¡±


    ¡°Which means that they¡¯ve limited the routes the beasts can take to reach Nyrill.¡± I finished for him, getting a nod from the knight. ¡°I see. Makes sense.¡± I looked back to the group I had been given command of, despite my lack of experience. ¡°Do what you have to get prepared. I want this place to be the last thing they see.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± They saluted with their swords and went to work. Some had begun verbalizing spells, while others were stationing themselves in specific places. As they moved through, the knight who had offered the earlier explanation approached me as I began to start my preparations. ¡°May ask you something, Sir Blaine?¡±


    ¡°You already did,¡± I said with a playful grin but got a confused look. Shaking my head, I waved a hand at him. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Have you done this before?¡± At my surprised look, he elaborated. ¡°You speak as if this is something in which you have familiarity.¡± He frowned, crossing his arms and clinking his armor in the process. ¡°Were you not a common-born civilian in your world, with no military experience?¡±


    I took in his question, looking to him with a stoic mien. After a few moments, I rolled my shoulders. ¡°Back on Earth, there are those who have crafted their own stories. Stories that depict conflict, struggle and other such ideas like what we¡¯re going through.¡± I offered a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ve always enjoyed reading things like that. It became an escape, a way to feel free despite my¡­circumstances.¡± I paused, looking to the sky. ¡°As of right now, I probably don¡¯t have a definitive idea of what I should be doing, but¡­if it¡¯s anything like the tales I¡¯ve read, then I can offer something, if only a small bit of help.¡±


    One of the other knights snorted. ¡°A small bit? You faced down the Black Dragon herself. If stories could help me face that monster and stand proud, then I¡¯d learn to read.¡± He sounded like an older man, his voice gruff and rumbly as he pushed his steel facemask upwards.


    Feeling my face get hot, I shrugged as I turned and looked along the trees. As I started forward, I felt a faint heat that came from the pocket where I stored the gem. ¡°I¡¯ve got a message. I¡¯ll be speaking with them, so keep an eye out.¡± I got a round of affirmatives and turned my attention to the ¡®call.¡¯ ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Joey, Valeri mentioned something about you being short of breath when you reached the tent.¡± Luke¡¯s voice broke into my thoughts as the stone seemed to vibrate, if only barely.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Yes, and as I told her, I am fine enough to help. I don¡¯t need any of you wasting your energy worrying about me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not-¡± Luke groaned as I could visualize him palming his face at my words. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re not, but I can¡¯t just not worry. Your asthma is a pain in the ass at the worst time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me something I already know.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Luke drawled then paused. He didn¡¯t reply for a few moments, then continued. ¡°This¡­all of this is too much.¡± I furrowed my brow at his shaky voice. ¡°I mean¡­we¡¯re what? 17, 18 between us? We started in school, in a modern world where all the conveniences we had are things we took for granted.¡± He paused.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking this now?¡± I asked him, playful disbelief in my tone. ¡°I had all this mind after the fight in the village. Facing death, causing it, and failing to save¡­¡± I shook my head, trying ward off the self-directed anger. ¡°All of that compounded into a single-minded wish to¡­be free.¡±


    ¡°Free? Why not go back home?¡± His tone pitched ever so lightly as I caught a hint of¡­anger?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s possible anymore. If it is? Sure. But I¡¯d rather not pine for an impossibility.¡± I paused and released a breath. ¡°Right now? I want to see Verum for the type of world it is beneath the surface. I want to know if I¡¯ll hate it, or love it, but I can¡¯t say unless I see Verum for myself.¡±


    Luke didn¡¯t reply for a while, leaving me to scan my surroundings, eyes tracking for movements in the thick forestry. ¡°Hey¡­¡± He finally spoke up, his tone shaky through the connection. ¡°Mind if I join you? I think an adventure would do me good.¡±


    I let out a laugh. ¡°Sure, Luke. We can even start it off in a tavern. Play the clich¨¦ almost to the letter.¡±


    ¡°Yea-¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re he-¡± A third voice, Rudy, cried into the connection but an explosion interrupted him, both echoing in my ear and the far distance on my left. I jerked to the side as I ripped the gem out of my pocket and tossed it away from me.


    A curse escaped me as my ears began to ring, grimacing as I held my hands over my ears. I stumbled off to the side until my body hit one of the boulders on the right of the lake, allowing me to gather myself. Ozone flooded the air as I felt the hairs on my arms stand on end.


    Behind you.


    A feminine voice tickled my ear, and my body reacted instantly. Leaping to the side, I dodged just in time to hear a loud crack, followed by a flash of blinding light. Tumbling along the ground, I rolled to my feet and drew my sword as I stood and turned. Four of my escorting knights were splayed out along the land, scorched, burnt and smoking. Formerly gleaming armor showed sundered into a broken, charred mess, with blackened blood pouring from the crushed recesses. Their weapons were broken, rendered useless and wrecked, with a damaged shield being the most intact tool lying nearby. The bodies and twitched and jerked, surrounding a single man who held a naked sword in his left hand with his right held off to the side, a sparking static and a swirling, almost invisible willow wisp encompassing it. I narrowed my eyes at the man, noticing that the one had given me the communication stone stood before me. In the flutter of the breeze, I caught sight of his shoulder cape. On the underside, I managed to see the stitching of a downward facing sheathed sword.


    ¡°A member of the Inquisitorial force, I presume?¡± I more told, than asked, but it held the same meaning. I stayed on the balls of my feet, ready to move at any moment.


    The man didn¡¯t react physically, and his covered face simply stared at me. ¡°You¡¯re as clever as Brother Vincent said you were.¡± His voice seemed both sarcastic and amused. He then moved his head, looking to the bodies that surrounded him. ¡°Still, it is a shame that these men had to die. They had not inconsiderable loyalty to the great nation of Veritas.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    The man turned his head to look directly at me. The intensity to his stare made me adjust how I held my sword, readying myself. ¡°Because they would have died to protect you.¡± I gave him a confused look. ¡°Thirteen Heroes for Veritas. For some, that could be considered a boon. A great advantage for humanity as we fight against the tide of madness and chaos.¡± He moved his open, sparking hand to point at me. The tip of his finger sparked and flickered. ¡°However, a good number of you are corrupted by your sympathy for the beasts that taint our great country.


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Control,¡± I stated as I began to pace to the side, keeping my gaze on his hand as it followed me. ¡°That¡¯s what you, and your group, want. You wish to control who can cause change within the Royal Family.¡± I kept a consistent distance from him as I circled him. ¡°It also doesn¡¯t help that I share similar beliefs with Princess Emelina, which no doubt makes you want to do this even more.¡± I cocked my head to the side, putting my back to a grouping of trees, too thick for a person to slip through. ¡°How close am I?¡±


    ¡°Hmph. It seems we underestimated you.¡± He paused, cocking his head to the side. ¡°How many of your ¡®stories¡¯ have moments like this, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°More than a fair share. Want to know how it ends?¡± I tensed my legs as I tightened my grip on my sword.


    ¡°No.¡± The smell of ozone became almost unbearable as his hand gained almost blinding brightness. A sudden discharge exploded next to my head as I jumped to the side, rolling across the ground and getting back to my feet. Another surge of lightning tore into the earth at my feet, but I dodged it by racing in a parabolic arc around the knight. Lightning danced at my heels, literally inches from tearing into my Achilles tendon, but I managed to keep ahead. Keeping my breath even, I raced along the scorched earth until I finally managed to reach the Inquisitor.


    The moment I came within arm¡¯s reach, I swung my sword for his extended limb. He pulled back and blocked my sword with his. Stepping inwards, I threw my hand forward and grabbed at his helm. Ripping it off, I stared at his shocked expression with a playful grin. Pale brown eyes were wide with disbelief and a flicker of fear and a cleanshaven and paled face stared at me as I were the devil himself. ¡°It always ends poorly for the one in your position.¡±


    The man collected himself and glared heatedly at me. ¡°As weak as you are, how can you dodge lightning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dodging lightning; I¡¯m dodging you.¡± Throwing his helm at his face, I caused him to flinch and step back. We entered into a dance of steel and skill as I made sure to remain away from the front of his right hand. The hiss and clang of steel echoed throughout the clearing as we clashed. I ducked and dodged more often to avoid his direct strikes if only to better conserve my stamina by avoiding direct clashes.


    A tickle at my cheek caused me to flinch and grimace, before narrowing my eyes and slipping into his guard and sliding the edge of my sword along his inner thigh. Red painted the grass as he leaped back, his left leg buckling beneath his weight as he fell to a knee. ¡°What are you?!¡± He pressed a hand to his bleeding thigh, his pale face pinched. He leaned against one of the tall trees, the trunk keeping him upright as he glared hatefully at me.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of blood.¡± I mused as my heart pounded deep in my chest, my breaths coming in deep and slow. ¡°I must have hit the artery.¡± I held the advantage, despite his Affinity¡¯s destructive capability. No games, no playing around. I finished decisively. If he tried any his tricks again, then I¡¯d have him cornered.


    Still. I had no illusions of this being an easy win with these circumstances. The knight appeared desperate and cornered, no doubt. A combination of those factors probably made him more dangerous than he previously showed himself.


    ¡°You treacherous knave! What makes you think that it¡¯s over with this?¡± He snarled at me, and I felt a breeze send my bangs flapping in the wind. I didn¡¯t focus on him, though. My eyes stared past him, at the tree he used for support. A faint glow encompassed the tree, a green radiance that seemed to frame him. ¡°You¡¯re foolish for giving me time to gather my strength. Now, I shall-¡± A wrinkled hand, of weathered and worn tanned skin, had reached out of the trunk and interrupted him. The bark parting as if it were water, and the hand wrapped around his throat and pulled him against the tree. The man jerked and gagged in surprised, dropping his sword and grabbing the wrist with both of his hands. He struggled and strained, but it did not budge. A twisting sound reverberated in the clearing as his neck strained under pressure. Then, with a twist of its wrist, the hand snapped the man¡¯s neck, causing him to fall limp. The hand then tossed the body to the side with surprising strength, sending the corpse flying to the side, colliding with a crunch against another tree a few feet to the left.


    Another hand followed it outwards as the first pulled itself back inside until the two were in a position to push the base of the tree open. A bright green aura encompassed the entirety of the tree, and an ethereal gateway formed in the center of the thick trunk. Ovular-shaped, a glowing green portal came into existence before my very eyes. Once the gateway opened fully, I backpedaled a few steps but froze when I glanced over my shoulder to see another entry in another tree. Cursing under my breath, I noticed that the path I had taken into the meadow had remained unobstructed, so I made sure to put my back to it and waited.


    The hands that pulled open the portal receded inside, vanishing again into the gateway. A deafening silence settled into the clearing, to the point where I could only hear my heartbeat.


    Then it happened. As if from out of nowhere, there stood a woman, clad in broken, black plate mail and a flowing, ragged red cloak, standing in the center of the clearing, facing me. Her long black hair easily reached passed her waist, lazily waving in the gentle breeze that encircled the clearing. Her eyes were blue, a beautiful blue that reminded me so starkly of the empty, cloudless sky. Gaunt, her cheekbones stood out against her skin, even as her chin-length side bangs framed her face. She looked tired, exhausted, as she stood in front of me, shoulders hunched and hanging forward.


    ¡°It is¡­nice to see you finally.¡± Despite her fatigued demeanor, her voice sounded resolved and unbent, husky and soothing to the ear. She studied me with an almost fervent, restrained, excitement.


    ¡°Who¡­who are you?¡±


    She offered me a smile. Despite the apparent strain in her expression, the exhaustion in her features, she had a beautiful smile. ¡°I¡­¡± She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow as if trying to hold herself back. ¡°You may call me Penemue.¡±


    That name told me nothing. Nothing that Emelina or her father or anyone else had told me had said anything of the name ¡®Penemue.¡¯ Why did it feel so important? ¡°Why are you here?¡± I tightened my grip on my sword, though I kept my expression masked.


    ¡°To ask you one last time.¡±


    I froze at her words.


    I knew what she meant.


    I knew what her next words were.


    I knew her question.


    And if that sad smile on her face indicated anything, she knew that I knew.


    ¡°Will you be our King?¡±

 Interlude II - Another Perspective

    ¡°Keep your shield up. Along with your footwork, it¡¯s your best chance of living through a battle.¡± Colette Leblanc¡¯s mentor, an older woman with silvery-grey hair tied into a tight ponytail, with no bangs and her hair slicked back. She wore loose-fitting leather armor with a rounded shield on her right arm and a sword hanging loosely from her left hand. ¡°Armor can only protect so much beneath a concentrated assault. You must be able to defend yourself if you wish to survive on Verum. Raise your shield.¡± The woman then lunged forward, thrusting her sword.


    Colette forced her shield up, grimacing from the impact of the strike. Not allowing herself to stagger, she retaliated with a swipe of her sword, her arm straining from the weight of the weapon. The woman parried her with an almost contemptuous slap of her sword, sliding forward and smashing her shield against Colette¡¯s. The teen staggered back, her left flagging as she lowered her guard. The instant it fell, the point of the woman¡¯s sword rested at Colette¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Madame Colette¡­¡± The woman offered her a tired glare, eyes sharp but resigned.


    ¡°I know, Vicky. My arms are tired, though.¡¯ Colette tried not to whine as she stepped back so that she had room to let her arms rest at her sides.


    ¡°Viktorine.¡± The woman corrected sternly, frowning at the teen. She then looked to the sky, eyes narrowing as she studied the sun¡¯s position. ¡°Hmm. We have been training for a few hours now. I suppose now would be a good time for a rest.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not done?¡± She tried not to whine, but her excessive soreness pushed her over the edge.


    Viktorine offered an exasperated stare. ¡°Her Highness requested that I offer my expertise in preparing you, Madame Colette. Please take this seriously.¡± With that said, she crossed her arms. ¡°I asked that you return here in fifteen minutes. We¡¯ll resume then.¡± After stating that, she turned and walked away towards the gardens.


    Colette grumbled as she lifted her sword and tried to sheathe it. Her arm shook as she missed the opening a few tries before the sword finally slid into the sheath. With a sigh, Colette looked around and took in the open courtyard, pleasantly warm with a gentle, almost unnoticeable breeze. Placing a hand on her hip, she turned around to see that some of her classmates were also taking a moment. She nearly walked over to one of them, but movement in her periphery caught her attention. A pair were running along the inner edge of the courtyard, along the walls of the keep. Joseph and Valeri, though the former seemed like he lagged.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether to be jealous or grateful.¡± Colette turned around to see that Deandria approaching her, her long blonde hair tied into in a loose ponytail with her bangs pushed up by a cloth hairband. She wiped her face with a rag. She wore a loose leather skirt, parted on the left to allow her leg to be seen and had a sleeveless jerkin over her torso. ¡°Joey doesn¡¯t need to learn how to use his weapon, but on the other hand¡­¡±


    ¡°He has to run laps.¡± Colette finished with a gentle laugh, pushing a hand through her short hair. She sported heavier clothing, despite her smaller size. She wore a chainmail skirt, seemingly both heavy and quite airy. Her torso clad in weighted leather, with steel attached to her arms and shoulders, to help build up her strength. She exhaled breathily. ¡°Two weeks and I already want to die. I could never imagine doing this my whole life.¡±


    Deandria offered her an amused smile, her breaths heavier than usual. ¡°It¡¯s something you get used to, after a while.¡± She shrugged a single shoulder, the one without the strap holding the four-foot tall shield on her back. ¡°Basketball¡¯s kept me in shape, so I¡¯m not as hurt by it.¡±


    Colette¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s right. I remember you saying something about practice before class started.¡± She hummed as understanding filled her. She noticed that Deandria didn¡¯t look as winded as she felt. ¡°Lucky. You¡¯re used to this already, Andi, and I¡¯m dying over here¡­¡±


    ¡°¡®Used to it¡¯?¡± Deandria¡¯s smile widened as she shook her head. ¡°No, far from it. It¡¯s taking everything I have to not just hide behind this wall of steel.¡±


    Colette groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can hold that wall when I struggle to keep this one in front of me.¡± She flopped the arm holding the shield, not bothering to lift it.


    ¡°Just keep doing it. You¡¯ll grow strong enough in no time.¡± Her friend stated simply, nodding with a smile. Deandria looked to the side. ¡°Hey, do you want to find some of the others?¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go see what they¡¯re doing.¡± At that, the two of them decided to make their way to the nearest person. It didn¡¯t take long until they happened upon a group of three people, two who were fighting while the remaining one observed.


    Guang and Tadashi attacked one another, though the latter¡¯s spear-handling kept the former at a distance. Tadashi jabbed and swept his spear side to side, forcing to Guang to side step and duck backward. Even amongst that, Guang continued to try and close the distance strafing and dodging to the side to try and circle around Tadashi¡¯s range. Back and forth, the two continued to probe each other¡¯s defenses, though the advantage sided solely in Tadashi¡¯s favor.


    ¡°Enough.¡± A man¡¯s voice called out, causing them to come to a slow stop. Guang frowned faintly while Tadashi¡¯s shoulders drooped as he breathed out heavily. The man walked over to the pair with a confident stride, dark brown eyes intensely studying the pair of them. He dressed in a set of leather and steel armor, where his shoulders and hips glistened with plate mail. He had thick sideburns that fell to his jaw. ¡°Very good, you two. Your agility is coming along smoothly.¡± He eyes rolled towards a heavily breathing Tadashi and the winded Guang. ¡°Endurance is something you need to work on, though. But I suppose now¡¯s a good time for a break.¡± He waved a hand at the pair. ¡°Rest. Catch your breath.¡± He turned and began to walk away. ¡°Sir Guang, I¡¯ll inform your mentor of your progress when she returns.¡± With that, he headed away from them and towards the castle proper.


    Guang snorted at his words, before looking towards Tadashi with a grin. ¡°I thought I had you, Tadashi. You¡¯re pretty damn good with that spear.¡±


    Tadashi hummed as he inclined his head towards Guang. ¡°Thank you. I admit that you nearly did. Almost slipped by me far more often than I liked.¡± Guang simply grinned at his words as Tadashi looked over to his new audience. ¡°Colette, Deandria. How long have you been there?¡±


    ¡°We just got here,¡± Colette answered as she walked over to the pair, circling them as she narrowed her eyes at the pair. ¡°Wanted to see how everyone else was¡­¡±


    Tadashi wore a set of weighted robes that wrapped around his shoulders and waist, holding a shoulder height spear at his side with the end of it resting on the ground.


    Guang had a set of form-fitting leather armor with his hood hanging down his back, a pair of sheathed daggers resting on either side of his hips. ¡°How are you guys doing?¡± He asked the three of them, breathing deeply as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    Deandria shrugged a single shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s footwork and learning a new skill. I¡¯m not having any difficulties¡­ Much, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had¡­experience with this weapon in the past,¡± Tadashi answered carefully. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of getting used to its weight and build my stamina.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so damn hard.¡± Colette declared as she let her shoulders slump. ¡°We¡¯ve been at this for weeks already, and I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve gotten any better.¡± She offered them a frustrated smile, shaking her head. ¡°After watching some of us show natural talent, it¡¯s frustrating¡­¡±


    Guang snorted, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s kind of hard to compete with Luke¡¯s natural talent or Kacee¡¯s analytical skill.¡± He then rolled his eyes. ¡°Plus, that¡¯s not even touching Joey¡¯s cheating Affinity or Mitsuki¡¯s ¡®Darwin is my Bitch¡¯ Affinity.¡±


    Tadashi frowned and shook his head. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t focus on the bad or what others have.¡± He caught their attention. ¡°What we should do is maximize what we do have to make it just as effective as theirs.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done.¡± Colette quipped, giving Deandria a playfully sidelong glance. ¡°Andi here makes momentum disappear. That seems like something you could use to gain an advantage. Me?¡± She lifted a hand, and a golden glow overtook her palm. ¡°I make things glow and not like Emmie.¡± She clenched her hand and rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m a glorified nightlight.¡±


    Everyone looked at her with varying levels of discomfort. One of them almost responded, but a voice broke into their conversation. ¡°Can you do that again, Colette? It looked familiar.¡± They all turned around to see that Joseph had approached them, though he looked like he had rolling around bushes for the better part of an hour, considering all the grass stains that covered his leather armor. His black hair, disheveled and he looked perpetually short of breath.


    Colette frowned at him but nodded regardless. ¡°Okay.¡± She opened her hand and caused the light to return.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Joseph stared at it, focusing his attention almost desperately upon it. His gaze flickered along it before he gave a decisive nod. ¡°I think I know what it is, though you really shouldn¡¯t just take my word for it. I believe that the glow you have is something like Holy.¡± As everyone stared at him, he gave a somewhat uncomfortable look, before he let out a coughing wheeze and shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll be a walking nuke against the undead. Master it, and no undead creature will be able to stand in your path.¡±


    Deandria smirked as she placed a hand on Colette¡¯s shoulder. ¡°See? You can¡¯t complain if Joey himself tells you that. He¡¯s a pro when it comes to this knowledge.¡± They decided to ignore Joseph¡¯s faint blush at the praise if only to spare him the embarrassment. Though, his notable heavy breaths concerned them.


    Colette stared at her hand, eyes staring into the bright light, utterly unaffected by its intensity. She clenched and unclenched her fist as a slow smile grew on her face. As Colette took in his words, the sense of dissatisfaction that she felt over her Affinity slowly faded. The feeling remained, but she¡¯d have to find out the rest for herself. Colette looked over to Joey, taking in his winded appearance, and gave him a gentle smile. ¡°Thanks, Joey.¡±


    His eyes widened, and his cheeks darkened at her words, clearly not expecting her gratitude. After a few seconds of silence, Joseph grunted as he nodded to her, looking away from her as he rubbed the back of his head. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. If I¡¯m wrong, then you¡¯re back to square one.¡±


    The young woman let out a laugh, her smile widening to a playful grin. ¡°But now? I have something to research. I have to thank you, Joey.¡± She sauntered over to him, playfully sashaying her hips until she finally stopped right in front of him. Poking him in his chest, Colette felt her eyes widen in surprise at the lack of give. ¡°Well, well, well. It looks like someone¡¯s been earning some gains.¡± Her grin widened. ¡°Flex for me, Joey-boy. Momma wants to see some muscle on this nerd.¡±


    Much to Colette¡¯s pleasant surprise, Joseph did not react in further embarrassment but instead gave her a tired glare. ¡°Hilarious, Colette.¡±


    She pouted at his lack of reaction, amused despite herself. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you no fun.¡±


    ¡°Oi!¡± Guang pulled their attention to him, causing everyone to miss Joseph relaxing expression. ¡°What about me? Joey isn¡¯t the only one with gains.¡± He pushed his sleeve and flexed, showing he did indeed put on muscle with his training.


    Tadashi rolled his eyes, shaking his head tiredly.


    Deandria gave him a commiserating smile. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic for you, shadow-boy. But¡­¡± She shrugged her shoulders with notable exaggeration. ¡°No one asked you.¡±


    Colette giggled playfully at Guang¡¯s affronted look as Tadashi and Joseph shared faint laughter.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± The dagger-wielding young man groused, shoulders slumping as he glared to the side. ¡°I¡¯m going to sit down somewhere; I¡¯m exhausted¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I will too.¡± Joseph wheezed, grimacing at the sound of his voice. He ignored the concerned looks from everyone, focusing on following after Guang. ¡°Mind if I join you?¡±


    Guang waved a hand as he walked away. ¡°Sure, whatever. I¡¯m probably going to pass out anyway.¡±


    ¡°God! So am I.¡± Colette quickly raced over to Joseph, draping herself over his shoulders. ¡°Carry me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The young man drawled, still walking forward even as Colette latched onto his back, forcing him to stagger forward to keep from falling. ¡°Hey, get off my back!¡±


    Colette just laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to try harder than that!¡±


    Surrounded by the amused laughter of their remaining three classmates, the pair of them made their way to a place to the rest.


    ----


    Patrick Lethe strummed his acoustic guitar, still surprised that a medieval society seemed able to build one for him. His fingers rolled along the strings, plucking them in tune with his fingers and pick. He studied his ¡®ax¡¯ and couldn¡¯t help the smile that grew on his face, feeling like a college student again. It had been years since he even picked up a guitar, yet the moment he did so after awakening his Affinity, he felt like only hours had passed since he last played¡­


    A twang caught his attention as his eyes flicked upwards to the source. Strumming a chord, he caused a controlled sonic boom to shoot outwards and destroy the arrow before it reached him. Several more followed and he continued to play, forming a fast-paced beat that he remembered hearing on the radio the day before he and his class dropped into Verum.


    His finger flew across the strings, striking chords and melodies he could remember with unusual clarity. His Affinity always felt odd, in the sense that it seemed like he never lived without it. Patrick always had an ear for music, always could commit any tune, any melody, any string of musical notes to memory. Every song he¡¯d ever heard, every jingle, every piece of music he¡¯d tasted in his shockingly short twenty-seven years of life came forward as if he heard them not moments ago.


    When compared to Patrick¡¯s students, their individual growth, and the Affinity¡¯s that they had developed, he felt disappointed in himself. As their teacher, he had the duty of protecting them and guiding them until they left his care, or he thought they were ready. Each of the surpassed him in their own way.


    They had already either found their ideal places or showed frightening capability in something connected to the world they now resided.


    Rudy had shown himself as an impeccable hunter. His patience when it came to both combat and stalking seemed almost as supernatural as his Affinity. It had gotten to the point where he more stalked than walked as he went about the day.


    Guang took to his training with enthusiasm, adapting to any and every struggle with determination and grit. His steps were just as light as Rudy¡¯s, but he had gained a tendency to strike relentlessly. His natural ambidextrousness allowed him to use his weaponry as easily as breathing.


    Nailah¡¯s natural intelligence aided her Affinity frighteningly well. Were it not for her hang-ups; she could¡¯ve become the most dangerous member of the Thirteen of them. A ¡®General¡¯ Affinity that allowed her to virtually manipulate the very magic in the air to her whims. When discovered, Lillian nearly canceled her trip, if only for a chance to teach her.


    Baasima, despite never having done so before, managed to demonstrate an impressive talent with direct physical combat. She gained preternatural flexibility and kinesthetic memory, allowing her to learn and adapt at a frightening pace.


    Tadashi proved to be a swift learner as well, though his preference for staying at a distance shifted his tutelage. His Affinity allowed him to create localized areas where he had absolute control, though he had yet to figure out wholly what it was that he could do.


    Deandria proved herself to be the epitome of a defensive wall and an eventual master of battlefield control. She could weather and negate all but the worst of assaults, though she needed further training with her Affinity. Regardless, very little escaped her sharp gaze and natural intuitiveness in battle.


    Kacee, on the other hand, had gained attention for not her Affinity, but her mind. She had shown a remarkable capability in strategy and predicting the flow of battle, both prior and amid it. Her natural intelligence lent wonderfully to her ability to lead a fight.


    Amber, while not leaning towards combat, proved that she had gained an intuitive, and adaptive, understanding of blacksmithing and the related tools with it. A combination of that and her general distaste for combat led her to become an apprentice blacksmith under a skilled and experienced blacksmith, employed directly by the Royal Family.


    Colette proved herself to be a slow learner in regards to combat, but her skill with her Affinity stood amongst the better of them, barring three. Using the sword and shield, she showed a hint of talent, but her hesitations held her back.


    Of everyone, though, three of his class showed exceptional talent even when compared to knights several years their senior.


    Mitsuki proved to be a veritable force of nature, able to shift into a variety of animals. Her instincts also mirrored them, allowing her to react instantly with the correct move. She needed no weapon, no armor because her mind was her greatest weapon.


    Luke, though he still needed training, proved to be the most naturally talented of the group. He soaked in combat knowledge like a sponge to water, his body picking up the necessary movements as if he were born to do so. His Affinity allowed him to watch anything in slow motion and pick up the most subtle of changes with ease.


    Finally, Joseph proved to be the most surprising. Intuitively mastering anything he wielded, his final student showed himself to be the one who both needed the least and most amount of training. Even then, he always seemed to know what to do or say to bring the others¡¯ mood up. Of all of them, Patrick felt that Joseph needed him the least. The young man showed himself to be a charismatic individual, though he did not notice. He pushed himself harder than anyone else, because of his asthma, and the rest of the class noticed. They saw and accepted that they had to do the same. When he spoke, the rest of them listened. When he acted, the rest of them watched and waited.


    Patrick felt himself smiling sadly as the last of his training came to an end. In a way, amongst the pride he felt for his students, he felt melancholy. Did they still need him?


    How soon would it be before they went off on their own?


    Should he let them?


    Could he stop them?


    No. Patrick shook his head. His students¡­they were always the independent type, ever growing and learning. They took to his lessons with frightening alacrity back on Earth. A part of him couldn¡¯t help but muse that they were his favorite class, for all the four years he had been teaching. They had their ups and downs, but they were still kids, despite their ages. They had their struggles, just like anyone else, considering the island they lived on back on Earth.


    They¡¯d be fine when the time comes. Patrick mused to himself, looking over to the side to see all of his students meeting up, laughing and joking as they made their way to a place to rest.


    He''d believe in them, even as he felt shame in his feelings of being unneeded, unnecessary.


    Perhaps¡­Verum could be a chance for something new?


    ¡°Patrick.¡± The teacher looked to the source of the voice, seeing Kara approaching him. She wore her armor, with her helm held in the crook of her arm. She smiled widely, proudly. ¡°You did well today. No one reached you. Have you been practicing?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve played in the past. It was like riding a bike?¡±


    She furrowed her brow at him. ¡°What is¡­?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll learn it eventually.¡± After a moment, she frowned at him. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Kara followed his gaze to see that he watched after his students. A smile flickered along her lips as her eyes rolled back to him. ¡°They are learning quickly. Almost as if they were born for it.¡±


    Patrick felt his lips twist, almost like his guts. He wasn¡¯t sure how to think about that, adapting such violence so quickly. ¡°They¡¯ve always been intelligent, always picking things up quickly.¡±


    Kara remained silent, her eyes flicking from them, back to him. ¡°Do you wish to join them?¡± Her voice, soft as she asked of him.


    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°They probably don¡¯t want to hang out with their teacher. I¡¯ll leave them to their devices.¡± Patrick then paused, turning his attention to Kara. ¡°Would you like to go out tonight?¡±


    Kara felt her eyes widen at his question, surprised even as her lips curled in a faint smile. ¡°I would be¡­amenable to it, Patrick. Her Highness has not afforded me any tasks, so I should be free after today¡¯s training comes to an end.¡±


    ¡°I can wait,¡± Patrick said as a smile grew on his face.


    His students may be growing up, but that doesn¡¯t mean he can¡¯t branch out on his own.

 Memento Mori - 14

    ¡°Will you be our King?¡± Her question sent chills down my spine.


    ¡°Why me?¡± I had to ask her, nervously shifting my grip on the hilt of my sword.


    Penemue cocked her head to the side, a crisp lucidity entering her gaze as it sharpened, focusing intently on me. ¡°You are the ideal candidate. Strong of conviction and belief. Your body can grow in strength and endurance with enough time.¡± She paused as her expression softened, lips curling into a gentle smile. ¡°But most importantly, you carry a kindness that most would see as weak.¡±


    I opened my mouth to reply, but stopped and gulped as my heart began to pound. Why did Penemue''s request sound so¡­appealing? ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡± Why can¡¯t I give a definitive answer?!


    Understanding appeared in her tired gaze. ¡°Honor is earned, not given, just like respect.¡± She cocked her head to the side, then looked behind her.


    I followed her gaze and felt my heart stop at what waited behind her. Monsters from mythologies and stories from all cultures stood, waiting behind her. Beasts that bathed in blood and rent flesh from bone in countless stories milled about behind Penemue, as if waiting for her word to act. Greek, Japanese, Norse, English, German, Spanish, Native American, Chinese. All sorts of mythological stories came to mind as I scanned the creatures prowling around behind Penemue, filling the clearing to the brim. My head jerked to the portals in the trees, and I saw that several more had opened, with more creatures still coming through, all eyes focused on me.


    ¡°Nyrill is in danger of destruction,¡± Penemue explained, her tone matter of fact as if she stated the weather. ¡°I cannot call them off, for that is outside of my regency. They are hungry, for both blood and violence.¡± Her eyes met mine, almost uncaring as they met my shock. ¡°They call you Hero, with no care for your understanding or beliefs of the title.¡± Lifting a slender arm out from under her torn cloak, she swept to the side. The monsters all froze, eyes filled with madness all looking towards me. ¡°I know why you¡¯re unable to answer my request, despite your earnest desire to accept¡­¡±


    Do I want to accept it? Do I understand the weight that royalty carries? Could I know it?


    What type of King would I be?


    ¡°Stand your ground and drag these driven-mad beasts to the depths of death. Defend the village full of innocents. Save the childhood home of the beloved King.¡± Penemue spoke with conviction, pulling my attention to her. ¡°Earn the title of Hero and stand against death.¡± She extended a hand to me, palm facing upwards to the sky. ¡°For should you live and succeed, the people of Veritas will push you to a single goal. A single endpoint that would restrain you to Veritas until the end of your days.¡± She turned her hand and pointed a single finger at me. ¡°Ascension. Evolution. Awakening. They would turn you into the second Hero King. They would shackle you, cage you and manipulate you to chain you to their prophecy.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to tell me?¡± I growled out, my heart pounding as my anger grew. Her words ignited a fury within me. I knew why she said them. She wanted to make me angry, to make me want to spite Veritas, to ignore their desires for me. I¡­I didn¡¯t know if I wanted that to happen, or not.


    ¡°If you accept my offer; if you embrace this new evolution, you will know a freedom that will grant you the ability to do whatever your heart desires.¡± She closed her hand, eyes wide with fervent hope, lips curling into a gentle smile. ¡°Become the next Demon Lord. Take charge of your fate and scoff at those who would attempt to ensorcell you.¡± Penemue lowered her hand and once again looked to me with hope, with desire. ¡°So I ask you once more: will you become our King?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Even after hearing those words, even knowing what she asked of me, I still couldn¡¯t answer. I still couldn¡¯t offer a solution.


    Penemue¡¯s smile did not fall, gaining a mysterious bent. ¡°There is nothing wrong with not knowing yourself. Some learn it through self-discovery. Others, after a moment of great personal struggle. Most, however, only truly understand themselves after facing death.¡± She narrowed her eyes, causing a very faint red glow to overtake them. The monsters behind her shifted as one, their intent focusing entirely on me. ¡°You will survive this, Joseph Blaine, and become all the stronger for it. These monsters, these lost-in-madness beasts, will serve as your crucible, your journey to self-understanding.¡± She gave me a gloomy smile. ¡°You may hate me after this, but no matter what, I will always understand and accept it. For you shall earn the resolve to act, regardless of the choice you make.¡±


    Her expression hardened bright blue shifting to a blood red. ¡°Fly free, my beasts. Devour to your hearts¡¯ content.¡±


    As one, every monster, every beast born from a nightmare, roared into the pale red sky. The earth under my feet shook from the force of their cacophony. Then they descended upon me like a sea of blackness, fang, and claw aiming to rend my flesh. If they finished with me, then they¡¯d descend upon the village. Evacuation or not, they¡¯d reach the villagers eventually, inevitably.


    With a reluctant excitement surging through my heart, I held my sword in both hands and met their charge with my own. With a roar of defiance and exhilaration in my pounding heart, I clashed with the horde and tested my mettle. Steel sang as I swung my sword, smacking away an errant claw, and following up with a slash. Blood arced through the air, but I had to parry and deflect before it painted the earth. Constant, ever moving, flowing movements were all I knew at that moment. Skills and techniques taught to me by the very sword in my hand countered and retaliated as efficiently as possible, keeping me alive and moving. The chaotic dance of limbs and claws and fangs shimmered in subdued sunlight as if trapped in an eternal sunset.


    I never turned away from the horde, never turned my back, always facing them with a blade in hand and ready to retaliate. The monsters struck with such ferocity, such mercilessness, such frightening speed. Wind scratched at my cheeks, tore at my arms and legs as I moved and dodged amid my melee. My heart pounded, my muscles burned and lungs strained. Despite the danger, I couldn¡¯t help but smile, but feel exultant in the face of such uncertainty. This was what it meant to be a warrior, to be a Hero, to test my strength and skill and resolve against seemingly insurmountable odds.


    With a sideways pivot on my left foot, I evaded a piercing lunge from a furred claw and removed it with an almost negligible cut from my sword. Bending my knees, I jumped over a whip of a tail, as if it aimed to trip me. I flipped midair to avoid more attacks on my person, moving my sword in the path of any attacks and using it to propel myself further. My arc through the air ended almost prematurely as a fanged mouth lunged at me from the earth, a pair of vice-like grips grabbing my arms and trying to restrain me. Pushing me back against a tree, the vampire-like creature tried to bite my throat out.


    With a skill that surprised even me, I managed to sheathe my sword in its mouth, the point of the blade tearing through the roof of its mouth and ripping out the back of its skull. Before I could pull it free, another monster shoved the body aside, my sword going with it. Now unarmed, I clenched my fist and felt the energy of my life force augment my body. Sidestepping a claw, I grabbed it by the wrist with one hand and stepped into its guard to drill an elbow into its stomach. It staggered back from the blow, forcing back several of the monsters and giving me some much-needed breathing room.


    Glancing to where my sword rested in the still warm corpse of the vampire, I managed to see that the horde had paused in its relentless pursuit of my life. As if like a hive mind, each of their eyes shared a mutual cruel amusement at my predicament. A hint of intelligence like a beacon of light in the darkness. A wheezing breath escaped me as I let out a shaky laugh, a grin growing on my face. ¡°You think I need a sword to deal with all of you?¡± I scoffed as I tightly clenched my fists, allowing the excitement that bubbled in my chest to come forward, unrestrained finally. ¡°Let¡¯s see who the real monster is.¡±


    The mass of beasts roared in a shocking unison and once again descended upon me. I crouched and stomped my leading foot onto the ground. It cratered inwards and disrupted the footing of quite a few of them, causing them to stagger and stumble over each other. Grinning despite being vastly outnumbered, I leaped forward and planted my foot on the back of the head of one of the fallen monsters. Its skull impacted into the hard earth, cracking both and painting the ground red. My fist flew forward and slammed into another, sending it staggering back in shock. I now stood in the middle of the horde, turning and twisting to keep as many of them in sight as I could.


    What happened next I could only describe as an uncontrollable mass of chaos. I held nothing in reserve, lashing out with as much strength as I could. Counters, grapples, and redirected movements were all I used and abused to keep from being overwhelmed. I acted solely on instinct, using each monster¡¯s strength against each other and evading one attack, grabbing their limb and pulling them towards me. Then I used them as a shield against another attacker. I moved like clockwork, manipulating their rising bloodlust to cause them to tear into their own. Always twisting and dodging and keeping my feet planted, I retaliated and fought on the move. My footing held just as much importance as my awareness.


    All it¡¯d take for me to die would be a single slip up.


    It didn¡¯t help that the grass appeared to be painted slick with blood.


    My breaths were becoming labored, my heart rate spiking, as the battle continued. I lashed out and retaliated with every strike that aimed for my life. Smacking away claw and fang, I felt my knuckles crack and bleed with every impact, but pushed forward regardless. Pliable flesh and thick muscle folded beneath the weight and fierceness of my blows, pushing them back with every step forward I took. I retook ground and kept it, using all of the not insubstantial techniques learned through my Affinity. Elbows and knees were used sparingly, as I wanted to keep a distance between my foes and me, while still keeping my footing stable.


    A glint of steel caught my eye in the gloom of the sunset. Smacking away an errant claw, I spared a glance at the source and felt my grin widen at the sight of the sword, still sheathed in the skull of the fallen monster. I just needed a chance, a single instance of freedom, and I¡¯d be able to rearm myself. Pushing myself further, my arms began to take on an almost ethereal glow. I felt my bones creaks, and my joints quiver as pressure began to build as if begging for release.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    And I gave them what they needed.


    Using a brief reprieve from their nigh incessant assault, I bent my legs and lifted my left foot and stomped. I released all the energy in my legs, creating an explosive shockwave that forced the significantly smaller group backward. Immediately afterward, I punched forwards with all the power in my arms, and sonic boom erupted forwards, and the area in front of me swiftly emptied of foes. Using that opening, I dived to my sword and ripped it from the monster¡¯s mouth. A hiss of steel answered me as my blade scraped against the broken skull and chipped fangs, blood painting the already crimson grass at my feet. I caught sight of the only remaining intact shield and picked it up as well, holding it with my left hand. It would serve as both a defensive option as well as potentially a second weapon.


    I faced the surprisingly dwindled force of monsters, a faint feeling of triumph swelling in my chest. Leaning forward, I preempted their fixed charge and leaped into the middle of their group, sword singing as I returned to the melee.


    A lazy swipe of a furred paw parrying my attack offered the only warning I needed for my already flagging strength. I could feel the fatigue settle in my bones, weighing my muscles down and squeezing my lungs for every last drop of air. Gritting my teeth, I force myself to compartmentalize my movements. Short, quick jabs and slashes were my next modus operandi, conserving what little stamina I had left while keeping my shield up and ready. I moved and held my shield at an angle redirecting blows, rather than outright blocking them. I kept moving, kept attacking, kept their attention on me. What felt like hundreds of tiny cuts littered my arms and legs as my mobility became more challenging to maintain.


    Regardless, I finally finished the last monster with a timed thrust into its throat. It felt to the ground at my feet, gurgling as it flailed with its glistening claws, red faintly coloring them. My sword jerked in my weak grasp as it fell, the sudden motion throwing me off balance, but I ripped it out with a backward stagger. I turned my attention to Penemue, my body swaying as I gasped for breath, sweat pouring down my back and my face. Blinking to clear my sight, I wiped my forehead with my leaden arm as it quickly fell back to my side. ¡°Well¡­¡± I gasped and sucked in air, trying and failing to regain my breath fully. ¡°Any¡­thing¡­else¡­¡±


    I grinned despite myself. Despite my exhaustion, I felt accomplished. Despite my lungs burning, I couldn¡¯t help the laugh that escaped me. Despite my fatigued body, I couldn¡¯t fight the pride that pounded in time with my heart. Despite dropping to my knees as my legs gave out below me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I stood atop the world.


    Penemue just smiled with pride, eyes the color of the empty blue sky once more. ¡°I never doubted you.¡± She hesitated for a second before she confidently strode over to me. As she walked towards me, I caught sight of a naked, bent and a twisted knife held in her belt. Her cloak flowed around her in the gentle breeze that danced in the meadow. ¡°Standing against impossible odds, facing a horde of mindless beasts with but a single goal in mind: your destruction.¡± Penemue reached me and fell to a single knee in front of me. She lifted a hand, wavering as she reached for me before she continued. Her hand felt cold, as cold as ice, but¡­surprisingly soft.


    ¡°Do you have your answer, now, Joseph Blaine?¡± Penemue asked me, her voice no louder than a whisper, her warm breath tickling my skin. ¡°Have you come to your understanding yet?¡±


    It¡¯s stupid when you think about it. It makes no sense. If you have difficulty knowing the type of person you are, what you¡¯re struggling with, then a fight to the death should be the last thing that helps you understand yourself. It should take years, either with constant self-reflection, or even voluntary therapy. The human mind, both physical and subconscious, is far too complicated for something as primal and ignorant like a fight to make things clear. But¡­


    My mind was clear.


    My worries no longer plagued me.


    My hesitations were gone.


    I exhausted myself and gave everything I had in that fight, and I now felt¡­free.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, managing to catch my breath.


    ¡°Will you be our King?¡± Penemue¡¯s voice came out as a whisper. It tickled my ear, sending shivers down my spine and clarity to my thoughts.


    I knew my answer. The answer that I hoped would give me what I what wanted above all else. Damn the consequences.


    ¡°What do I need?¡±


    Her eyes lit up with joy, as they shifted to a glimmering red, her cheeks gaining color as her lips parted to reveal a smile so beautiful that it stole what little breath I had left away. ¡°Simply accept what I give you.¡± Penemue then leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine. Her lips moved in a slow, tender rhythm. Almost casually, her tongue prodded my lips, and I opened them, allowing the kiss to deepen.


    As we kissed, what felt like liquid fire trickled into my mouth. Out of instinct, I tried to pull away, but the hand on my cheek slid behind my head and held its place, and her other hand grabbed the front of my armor, keeping me from moving my body. As she deepened the kiss, her tongue exploring the entirety of my mouth. I couldn¡¯t even enjoy the kiss because it felt like gargling hydrochloric acid. I planted my hands on her shoulders and began to try and push her away.


    She held the kiss between us for what felt like hours, before she finally released me. Penemue stood, straightening her posture even as my strength faltered, hands sliding from her shoulders as they shook. She looked down at me, a red line dripping down the right corner of her mouth. She lifted a hand and wiped the line from her mouth with a thumb. Her eyes no longer showed red. ¡°I¡¯ve given you the last catalyst for your ascension. The blood of the first Demon Lord.¡± My eyes flickered along her face, before they went downward, catching the glint of her naked dagger, now held in her hand.


    I choked and gagged at her words, my hands shot to my throat. Blood?! She made me drink blood?! All too soon, I could taste the blistering heat that slid down my throat and rested in my mouth. It felt like smoldering magma, hot in both temperature and intensity. Tears fell freely down my face as my sweltering throat unwittingly restricted a scream of pain. Her sorrowful gaze studied me as she lowered her hand, the twisted and bent knife pointing to the ground.


    "I''m sorry for what''s going to happen to you. The pain is something I wouldn''t wish on my worst enemy." Eyes as blue as the open, empty sky above us regarded me with sadness, but not pity. Only acceptance. "To spare you from the pain¡­" She paused, her eyes hardening with resolve. "You''ll have to die."


    With strength I had no idea I had, I scrambled back to my feet and twisted around to run away from her, though the corners of my vision were dimming. I passed by a tree after tree, until my vision decayed and failed, slowly submerging me in darkness. The sound of the roaring winds, the feel of falling leaves, were all that let me know I still ran, my sense of touch gradually getting lost in the all-encompassing burn.


    She didn''t pursue. Nor did the shadows that surrounded her. Her weak apology reached me in my growing numbness to the world, remorse filling her tone.


    I ran. I ran until I stumbled drunkenly, numbed by the pain from the steadily burning sensation had encompassed by lungs. Ragged, wheezing, breaths escaped me as I finally collapsed to my knees. I couldn''t breathe, my searing lungs tightening as if refusing to listen anymore. Consciousness slowly slipped from me, sluggishly dragging me away. I forced my arms to move, solely by will, moving one by one until I was pulling myself further and further away, tree by tree, branch by branch, shrub by shrub. Chocking gasps were all that I could exhale as I tried to breathe, tried to push out that burning, hot sensation from the recesses of my esophagus.


    A pair of hands clasped my arms, keeping me from falling even farther. "Don''t worry." A familiar voice broke through the haze in my thoughts, causing me to look up to see Luke looking down at me. I knew that I could trust him. He¡¯d be able to help me get the hell away. I¡¯d get to a healer or something, and they¡¯d give me something to vomit all this shit back up.


    "You don''t have to fight anymore." A pinching sensation in my chest caused me to cough wetly, the burning becoming just a bit more bearable. I blinked and gave him a confused look, my brows rising as my eyes widened. I felt my mouth open, my body moving on its own as if asking him why. His expression appeared torn, brows scrunched, mouth grimacing and eyes watering. ¡°Dammit, Joey¡­why¡¯d you have to listen? Why¡¯d you have to throw it all away?¡± The hand on my shoulder squeezed, barely breaking through the numbness in my slowly slumping body.


    Tears fell freely down his cheeks, eyes glaring down at me. ¡°I thought you would trust me. I thought¡­¡± He continued to speak, continued to cry and weep, to ask or demand things of me, but I could hear no longer. I could no longer feel his hand crushing my shoulder as my world began to dim and darken, as I felt my heartbeat gradually slow. I felt my lungs practically come to a standstill, no more air reaching my lungs. I spared Luke one last look, one last dead-eyed glare, before I hacked out a cough, blood trickling out of my mouth and sliding down my chin.


    Looking down, the last thing I saw before losing consciousness, before dying, was the point of a stained, chipped sword sticking out my chest, painted scarlet with my blood. I blinked again, but I didn¡¯t see anything else afterward¡­


    ----


    I remembered death.


    The thought chilled me. I could recall the moment my heart stopped beating, the second when my lungs refused to listen, the instant I could no longer feel the hand of my killer, my brother in all but blood, resting on my shoulder.


    I expected to feel shaken, to feel terrified of my mortality at that thought. But¡­I felt nothing. No, that¡¯s not right. I did feel something. I felt better, stronger. The worries that plagued me during my time with the others in Veracity and Nyrill were no longer present, no longer even considered.


    As I sat across from an attentive and excited Soralynn, meeting her faintly luminous amber eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but sit there in wonder at how¡­robust I felt. Even after the two months of training with the knights in Veracity, I always had a feeling of fragility, even more, pronounced than being at home. I knew that despite my capable Affinity and skill in combat, my asthma could potentially, inevitably, cripple me amid heated conflict. All it would take is one sudden attack at an inopportune time, and I would be showing my bare neck to the enemy.


    But now?


    Now, I felt like I could face the entire world with a smile on my face and come out victorious.


    ¡°Joseph?¡± Soralynn¡¯s restrained excitement in her voice caught my attention. She looked to me with a grin that showed off all of her perfect teeth, her hair floating ever so faintly amid her eagerness. ¡°That was everything? Everything that happened during your time with the other Heroes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered confidently, nodding once, grimacing as my bangs flowed in front of my eyes. Grimacing, I brushed it aside.


    Soralynn¡¯s grin widened as she leaned back in her seat. ¡°You didn¡¯t hesitate when you recalled everything. I sensed no break in your memory, brought on by your death and rebirth.¡± She clapped her hands, clasping them together as a corona of energy glowed around her. ¡°Oh! This is fantastic!¡±


    ¡°Soralynn. Calm down.¡± I said sternly, my eyes flickering to the parted blinds of our room, taking the darkness of the night sky. The sun had set and night had fallen, after my seemingly endless recollections. Standing, I walked purposefully over to it and pulled the curtains closed. Turning, I saw that she had a contrite grimace, though it did little hold back the glee in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s late.¡± I looked over to the window, staring at the now closed curtains. ¡°We should take the night and let everything settle.¡±


    ¡°Talk in the morning?¡± She asked me, and I nodded. Soralynn forced herself to calm, eyes closing as her shoulders fell. After a few seconds, her eyes opened, and they dimmed. She offered me an apologetic smile. ¡°I may have gotten too excited.¡±


    I gave her a dry look but didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Okay, I suppose it¡¯s time to go to bed, then¡­¡± I looked around the room and felt my shoulders fall as my gaze fell onto the bed.


    The only bed.


    I turned an amused stare onto Soralynn, who looked so innocent that butter wouldn¡¯t melt in her mouth. ¡°Sora¡­why is there only one bed?¡±


    The one thing I recalled before going to sleep that night, in the same bed as Soralynn, was that she never gave me an answer. She just smiled innocently.


    This girl¡¯s going to be the death of me¡­


    Again.


    ----


    Memento Mori - Fin

 Alea Iacta Est - 1

    Soralynn and I walked through the village, heading towards the stables for a pair of horses.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to travel unnoticed on a pair of horses, rather than a carriage.¡± She had explained to me after we had awoken that morning.


    I stared at the open, empty blue sky, breathing in the gently blowing air. We moved carefully as unassumingly as we could, each clad in the clothes that we wore yesterday. I was still wearing the cloak Soralynn had given me, but the front was open, revealing the clothing she had picked up for me. I didn''t keep my face hidden, but Soralynn had assured me that I wouldn¡¯t be recognized, considering all the time that had passed. Well, that and I looked different with longer hair and the few faint scars that peppered my cheeks. Before we left though, she waved her hand over my still red eyes, saying that she had cast an illusion over them.


    ¡°We¡¯re still in Nyrill, yes?¡± I asked her, turning my attention to her.


    She looked over to me, not responding to my question immediately. ¡°Yes. We need to move quickly, though. The longer we stay, the more at risk we become.¡± Her tone was soft, but she warned me sternly.


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± I paused, frowning as I stared at her. ¡°I have to see it, at least once.¡± She knew what I was talking about, though from the complex expression on her face, I could tell that she didn¡¯t want me to go, but couldn¡¯t find a reason to stop me. We had stopped walking as she deliberated, forcing the small sea of people around us to divert.


    After a few seconds, Soralynn sighed heavily as her shoulders fell. ¡°I won¡¯t try to stop you, Joseph, but¡­please be careful.¡± She gave me a confused expression. ¡°The Fallen Hero¡¯s memorial is a very sacred place. It is very rarely devoid of observers.¡± I took her words with a nod, catching the meaning behind her words without much trouble. At my response, her lips curved in a confused manner, before she matched my nod with hers. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be at the stables when you finish. If it¡¯s later, then meet me at the inn. When we reunite, we¡¯ll get something to eat, then head out for our next stop.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t take long. I just¡­ I want to see it.¡± I said, my voice falling to a whisper.


    The corner of her mouth twitched upwards, though she kept her expression masked. ¡°It is a significant site. Many people see it daily.¡± There may be a chance that there will be a lot of people there, then. I nodded to her statement, and we broke apart, heading to our destinations.


    I slipped through the crowds of people that went about their day as I made my way to a familiar spot. It didn¡¯t take long for me to reach the center of the village, where I last remembered the war tent stood raised on that day. I stood off to the side, studying the area with a sense of confused dread. It felt like I had just fallen asleep after a rough day and today was the aftermath. I was happy, though, seeing everything intact and calm, but¡­it was still disorienting,


    Shaking my head, I continued walking through the village. I looked around slowly, taking in the atmosphere of Nyrill a year later. A few buildings were different, likely either a change in occupancy or repairs from damages. Stalls were up and occupied, people working and buying from them. Mothers carrying wicker baskets full of a variety of foodstuffs; fathers hefting an assortment of tools and materials; children racing around while laughing and giggling.


    My feet carried me quietly as I studied these people going about their daily lives, their daily rituals. If¡­if Maggie and I were born here, would our family had broken apart as it did? Or would it have remained that idyllic, nostalgic peace that I can¡¯t help but recall with fondness? I know that it probably wasn¡¯t as¡­peaceful as I remembered it, but it was through a child¡¯s eyes. What parent doesn¡¯t make sure that their child only sees the good, as opposed to the cruel truth of the world?


    Blinking away the tears that threatened to flow freely, I sped up my pace to escape the memories that plagued me. It was pointless to reminisce about better times when all they did was hold you back, prevent you from taking the steps necessary to grow.


    It didn¡¯t take much longer until I reached the edge of the forest, seeing that there were others also milling about around there, though there was no crowd. It was only a few small smatterings of people who seemed to be walking out of the thick forest. I let them pass as I watched them move, my eyes shifting from the people to the woods I remembered being the place of my death. My body was still for what felt like hours before I was finally able to take a step forward. What started as a single step, became another, then another, then another. Before I knew what was happening, I was walking through the thick forestry with a confidence that surprised me.


    Offering polite greetings to my fellow pedestrians, I couldn¡¯t help the faint trepidation that simmered in the pit of my stomach. Still, what fear I did feel, I refused to let shackle me. I was going to be free, even from my hesitations. The broken streams of sunlight broke through the treetops around me, faintly illuminating the trail in front of and behind me. Lifting a hand, I stopped next to a tree on the path and rested my palm on it. I stared at it with wide eyes. Images flickered in my thoughts, followed by sensations.


    A burning in my throat, deep-set fatigue that once rested in my muscles, an ache in my bones that refused to settle.


    Closing my eyes, I shook my head and resumed my path towards the memorial.


    It was a simple memorial, with an upright, sheathed sword stabbed into the earth. A glowing aura encompassed it, almost rainbow in hue and color. There was no written monument, just the sword I remember wielding what felt like the previous night. My hand twitched as I held back the desire to take it by the hilt and leave. Even though this was my sword, I couldn¡¯t remove it without being forced to answer some awkward questions.


    ¡°Here to see Joseph¡¯s memorial?¡± A familiar voice pulled me from my silent musings. Breaking my vigil of watching the sword, I turned my head to see a young man dressed in white robes that concealed his hands. His hair was cut short, almost to the scalp on the sides of his head, but also in a top knot. Tadashi Abe smiled with melancholy as he looked to the sword stabbed into the ground. ¡°It¡¯s not much, considering what the DeVere¡¯s wished to do in his name, but¡­¡± He paused, his lips curling in a mix of amusement and frustration. ¡°We were all sure that he¡¯d want something simple.¡± Tadashi looked over to me.


    For a moment, I stiffened, preparing to sprint away if I was recognized. A memorial for me was something I dared not consider because the thought alone was so morbid. Plus, no one liked to discuss their death in such a lazy manner.


    ¡°Or at least, that¡¯s what most of us thought.¡± Tadashi shrugged his shoulders, an exhausted expression on his face. ¡°We¡¯d all learned so much about ourselves, and each other, after coming here.¡± He sighed, staring at the monument as if it held the answers to all of his questions. ¡°Things we never realized until we faced those monsters until we faced death.¡±


    I guess either my long hair or Soralynn¡¯s enchantment was enough to conceal my identity from him. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I shifted the tone of my voice, making somewhat deeper, but not in an exaggerated manner. ¡°Death can open your eyes to many truths.¡± I murmured as I looked back to the sword.


    Tadashi let out a laugh, a rough and bitter sound that caused my eyes to widen beneath my bangs. He¡¯d never¡­ ¡°You can say that again¡­¡± He then closed his eyes and shook his head, releasing a breath. Then he opened them and turned to me. ¡°I apologize. I never introduced myself.¡± Tadashi extended his hand. ¡°Tadashi Abe. It¡¯s nice to meet you¡­¡±


    ¡°Lyall,¡± I answered with the first name that came to mind as I grasped his hand with mine. It was an older name I had used in games I had played in the past. One of the first that I had grown out of after a few years. It¡¯d serve its purpose for now. ¡°Tadashi¡­? Are you¡­?¡± I tried not to sound like I knew the name.


    He offered me a sardonic smile. ¡°One of the Thirteen Heroes? Yes.¡± He appeared like he was going to say more, but stopped. ¡°I guess the more accurate answer would be Twelve, now.¡± Tadashi looked to the sword, shoulders falling.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not too much to ask¡­¡± I started carefully, pulling his attention to me. ¡°What happened to everyone else after¡­?¡± I motioned to the sword.


    Tadashi frowned, his lips twitching into the beginnings of a scowl. ¡°Disagreements.¡± He replied curtly. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m willing to say.¡± He gave me a disapproving look.


    ¡°I apologize,¡± I answered, inclining my head to him.


    He merely nodded to my reply, his frown not abating. ¡°I¡¯m the current caretaker for this memorial. I won¡¯t be for long, considering my affiliated congregation is moving to a neighboring village, further from the capital.¡± Tadashi turned to me, his expression turning complicated. He closed his eyes and shook his head. After a few moments, he turned and walked out of the clearing, a hand pressed against his head as grimaced.


    ¡°I need to go,¡± I whispered to myself. I stared hard at the sword. I need a weapon, and I¡¯m unsure if Soralynn has one prepared for me. This sword was forged for me, or as close to it as possible. If anyone had a right to wielding this sword, it was me. But, if I were to take it, there was a huge chance that someone would notice something very off about the situation. My hand twitched as I stared hard at the sword.


    I made my choice.


    Within an hour, I stood at the entrance to the inn, seeing Soralynn sitting in the lobby with a book in hand. It was a brown book, with worn pages and a threaded spine. At my appearance, she looked up to see me arrive and smiled widely, sliding her book into a pack at her hip. She skipped over to me.


    ¡°What were you reading?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Just reviewing the path we¡¯re going to take.¡± She patted her pack with a playful smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got the whole trip planned out.¡± We then approached the bar on the first floor of the inn. Soralynn placed a hand on my arm and offered me a playful smirk. Then she walked over to the woman operating the bar and caught her attention. ¡°Excuse me. I want to request a private room to dine with my friend there.¡±


    The woman, an older lady, was dressed in a worn brown tunic with greying hair tied into a tight bun smiled at Soralynn like she was an amusing grandchild. ¡°Of course, you can, sweetie.¡± She then gave me a playful smile as she reached beneath the bar. ¡°You should take care of this girl, young man. She¡¯s been such a sweetheart all these days, waiting on you.¡±


    I blushed despite myself, looking away as I rubbed the back of my head.


    ¡°Oh, Missus, please stop!¡± Soralynn¡¯s face was flushed with color, complaining audibly to the older woman.


    ¡°And I told you: call me Granny. You remind me too much of my Granddaughter that it¡¯s strange not to hear you say it.¡± She lifted a key and walked around the bar until she stepped out from behind it.


    ¡°And I told you, I could never!¡± Soralynn grinned. ¡°You can¡¯t be a day older than fifty, Missus. Too young to be a grandmother.¡±


    The old woman let out a laugh, shaking her head fondly at her. ¡°Just follow me, you silly girl.¡± With that, we followed the older woman along the side wall until we reached a shut door. She slid the key into the lock below the handle and unlocked the door. Opening it, she pulled a match out of her sleeve and struck it against the wall. Lighting a few candles, she gave the room a bright luminescence that would allow people to see reasonably well, but not too bright at the same time. She then turned and held the key out to Soralynn. ¡°I¡¯m leaving this with you, Missy. Don¡¯t let this boy push you around now.¡±


    Soralynn giggled as she took the key, wrapping her hands around the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m not worried. He¡¯s a softy.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The woman just hummed as she narrowed her eyes at me, then nodded to my companion. ¡°Alrighty, Missy. I¡¯ll have the food you ordered for the both of you soon.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± With that, the woman left the two of us alone, and Soralynn shut the door behind us. The room was pretty cozy with a table big enough for two people to sit at and eat comfortably with a pair of high-backed wooden chairs. On the wall opposite the door, was a window with a pair of parted white curtains. Four lit candles in each corner of the room, along with one on the center of the table, gave the room a pleasant illumination. ¡°We¡¯ll have the privacy to speak about any topic so long as we¡¯re in this room.¡± She explained as she took a seat, her earlier exuberance dimmed considerably. ¡°Human¡¯s take such considerations seriously, especially in villages connected to their beloved monarchy.¡± Her lip curled at that mention, but she shook her head. Soralynn then turned to me as I sat down, her expression softening. ¡°Were you able to see what you wanted to see?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered somberly. ¡°It was¡­disorienting, to see the place where I died.¡± I furrowed my brow at that statement but brushed aside the confusion. ¡°Tadashi was there, too.¡±


    That caused her to freeze. Literally. Soralynn¡¯s entire body showed a perfect arrest of motion. Her amber eyes glowed almost furiously. ¡°My inside information told me that the Heroes still in Nyrill should¡¯ve been on their way out the night you awoke.¡± She narrowed her eyes, hand clenching into tight fists. ¡°They¡¯ll have some explaining to do when we next meet.¡± Her words were almost seductively punishing as she pinched her lips angrily. Then her fierce gaze honed in on me. ¡°Did he see you?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t recognize me,¡± I answered warily. ¡°He acted like we never met, though it wasn¡¯t long enough to make a definitive choice.¡±


    She frowned severely. ¡°That¡¯s not good. I suppose we should be thankful it wasn¡¯t one of the Heroes you were closer with that met you. My glamour wouldn¡¯t have hidden you from a majority of your fellows.¡±


    ¡°Who would it have failed against?¡±


    ¡°Who were you closest to in your time here?¡± At her answer, I felt myself nod. Soralynn hummed at my answer and pulled out her book. Placing it on the table, she opened it to the middle, showing a map. ¡°We¡¯ll have to move out sooner than anticipated, but we¡¯re still on schedule.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Easiest answer? In the exact opposite direction from Veracity.¡± Soralynn answered. ¡°Most correct? We¡¯re going to consolidate your army.¡± She offered me a grin, though it more showed her teeth instead of resembling a smile. ¡°Your Generals are waiting for you. We¡¯re going to find them and bring them back to Terras.¡±


    I blinked at her answer, before narrowing my eyes at her. ¡°And how am I going to do that? Even if I am your King now, I¡¯m only a 17, or rather 18, if you count the year in the dirt, year old teenager. I¡¯m pretty sure that they¡¯ll probably all be reluctant; save for maybe Jeanne.¡±


    Soralynn offered a grin. ¡°You¡¯re right and wrong. They¡¯ll vary in whether they like you or not, but if Jeanne of all of them favors you, then there must be something in you that caught her eye.¡± Her glowing amber eyes flickered ominously as she narrowed her eyes, a smile playing at her lips. ¡°The Black Dragon is infamous for her cruelty amongst all of them, after all.¡±


    I grimaced at that, despite a reluctant warmth that bubbled in my chest. ¡°Then how do I gain the four''s willingness to follow?¡±


    ¡°Gain their favor.¡± Soralynn waved a hand to the side, speaking as though she was remarking the weather. ¡°Eir will no doubt test you in combat.¡± She studied me intently, her eyes flickering along my entire body. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have a problem with her. Even discounting your Affinity, you always showed a natural talent to martial prowess. It was only your body¡¯s former affliction that held you back.¡± A smile grew on her face. It was an excited smile that showed an unceasing curiosity. ¡°Her test will not be easy, but I think that she¡¯ll approve of you, Joseph.¡±


    I nodded to that. ¡°The others?¡±


    She frowned, crossing her arms as she considered. ¡°Jeanne will be a simple test. Not easy, but she was the one who picked you out the group.¡± She rolled her wrist, an ethereal speck of light following her fingertips. ¡°She¡¯ll either take a simple resolution or push you harder due to her expectations. Regardless, Jeanne intends for you to succeed, but will not make it easy.¡± Before I could reply, Soralynn planted her hands on the table, turning a stern gaze my way. ¡°Kaede and Mina are too unpredictable for me to offer any specific aid. However, a simple piece of advice is all you¡¯ll need from me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked of her, not looking away from her glowing amber eyes.


    ¡°Be true to who you are,¡± Soralynn stated simply. ¡°For all her love of deception, Kaede hates those who lie to themselves. She¡¯d rather you be a self-loathing whiner than an overconfident, boasting sycophant.¡± Her lips quirked in amusement. ¡°She would loathe you because of it, but she¡¯d respect you for being truthful.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks,¡± I said as I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Mina?¡± Soralynn murmured as she tapped her chin, looking to the ceiling. ¡°The herald of our armies is a woman who respects common sense and intelligence above all else. Fighting a losing battle, even knowing you¡¯ll lose, will only push her away.¡± She then smirked, meeting my eyes with amusement. ¡°Still, giving up too soon just disgusts her.¡±


    ¡°Penemue?¡± I asked as I considered what she told me of my four generals. I wouldn¡¯t know what I should do when I meet them until I meet them, so I could only do one thing: be myself. Still, I had to consider a fifth person ¡ª the one who directly put me in the position.


    Soralynn stiffened her gaze intent and piercing. ¡°Penemue? She is your Regent. The one who rules in your stead, until you take the throne yourself.¡± Her smile grew, lips parting to reveal too-perfect teeth. ¡°You¡¯ve already gained her favor. Holding the line against our mad kindred, saving them from their psychosis. Those acts were all that you needed to earn the favor of the woman who kept Terras from being lost in the abyss.¡±


    ¡°What of you?¡± Soralynn blinked, surprised at my question. ¡°You have to be important, considering what you¡¯re doing right now. How do I earn your favor? If I¡¯m to be your King, how do I earn your respect?¡±


    Slowly, but surely, the beginnings of color entered her pale cheeks. Before she could reply, the door was opened, revealing the woman with a tray with a pair of bowls, two loaves of bread, a couple of cups and a set of utensils connected to both. She looked like she was about to say something, but paused when she noticed Soralynn¡¯s pleased, flushed expression, then turned to me. The woman then snorted, a smile growing on her face. ¡°I can guess that you¡¯re enjoying yourselves.¡±


    When Soralynn put her head into her hands and moaned in playful despair, I couldn¡¯t fight the smile that grew on my face at both her reaction and the woman¡¯s laughter. After giving us our food and drinks, the woman left once more and returned us our privacy. As we ate, I asked her about my¡­former classmates.


    Sora frowned as she dipped her spoon into her stew, letting it rest on the rim of the bowl. She hummed as she leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. ¡°After the events surrounding your death, an argument erupted amongst them.¡± She waved her hand to the side, her lip curling in distaste. ¡°I haven¡¯t figured the specifics, but my best guess is that Luke tried to take over as leader of all of them.¡± She grumbled the first part of her statement, but her expression turned severe near the end.


    I furrowed my brow, confused at her statement. ¡°What? That¡¯s stupid. We had no leader.¡±


    She just laughed, a smile growing on her face. ¡°Yes, you all did.¡± Before I could ask her who, Soralynn pointed at me.


    I blinked in disbelief, my mouth falling open. ¡°What? That¡¯s¡­ That can¡¯t be true. Everyone did their own thing.¡± I said quickly, shaking my head. ¡°No one answered to me. We all followed our own goals.¡±


    ¡°Did they? Did you?¡± Soralynn¡¯s smile widened into a grin. ¡°Believe it or not, you were the glue that held them together. They deferred to you.¡±


    I scowled at her. ¡°I was not their leader.¡± I insisted, despite feeling like she may be right. A sigh escaped me as I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms. ¡°I just did what I felt was right. I followed my instincts, and it happened to work out.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It did.¡± Soralynn inclined her head to me. ¡°Charisma cannot be taught. Leadership cannot be learned. Some only learn they have it when they stand at the precipice between victory and defeat.¡± She paused, taking in my silence with a faint smile. Then she nodded once. ¡°I can understand your reluctance, so I¡¯ll tell you what I know about the others.¡± She took a bite of her stew and swallowed it with a lick of her lips. ¡°The first thing you must know is that they are a group no longer. All of them went to separate vocations within Verum.¡±


    She motioned out the window, pointing to the castle tower in the distance. ¡°Luke Wirth is still affiliated directly with Veritas. He¡¯s joined their Knightly Order, ascending with shocking speed.¡± Soralynn¡¯s smile turned cruel. ¡°Rumors have it that he¡¯s in line to replace Knight-Captain Valeri given enough time.¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply, unsure of what to feel about someone I used to see as a brother, my killer, rising so quickly.


    ¡°Colette Leblanc has joined the Inquisitorial Force.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°It seems that the assault on Nyrill turned her view on Beastkin sour.¡±


    I paused as if I heard her speak in gibberish. ¡°I¡¯m sorry what?¡± I furrowed my brow. ¡°Colette¡¯s always been a little playful and irreverent, but¡­that?¡±


    ¡°When faced with the overwhelming numbers and brutality from those afflicted with madness, is it any wonder that it¡¯s changed her?¡± Soralynn rebutted, her voice gentle.


    Madness? That¡¯s another word I¡¯ve heard quite a bit. I¡¯ll have to get her to explain it after learning about the others. ¡°Everyone else?¡± I resolved to remain silent until she finished with everyone; otherwise, this would take all day and into the night.


    Soralynn nodded, taking another bite of her stew. ¡°Deandria Penzig has entered into the tournament scene.¡± She explained. ¡°She¡¯s made her fortune as a prizefighter. Citizens all across Verum have learned the name of the undefeated champion.¡±


    She waved a hand to the side. ¡°You already met Tadashi Abe. He¡¯s become an official priest of the Church. He¡¯s ordained a few ceremonies.¡± A smirk crossed her face. ¡°Being a ¡®Hero¡¯ has a way of speeding up the process.¡±


    Sora then hummed, as if trying to decide who bring up next. ¡°Baasima Kanaan hasn¡¯t been ¡®seen¡¯ in the past few months, though rumors say that she¡¯s been traveling the world on her own.¡± She then shrugged. ¡°If she has, she¡¯s stayed well away from Terras.¡±


    ¡°Nailah Imari? She¡¯s joined the neutrally-aligned Arcane Observatory.¡± She pointed out the window. ¡°It¡¯s in the opposite direction from our destination, closer to the Holien Empire. Formerly apart of it, but after numerous representatives from other nations in Verum joined, its neutrality became¡­" She paused. "Necessary, due to political pressure.¡±


    Soralynn¡¯s smile gained a mysterious edge, though her eyes were dark. ¡°Guang Xu decided to delve into the more selfish side of human nature and ended up joining, and taking over, a thieves guild.¡± She rolled them, turning her attention to a dark corner in the room. ¡°Unfortunately for the denizens of one of the more ¡®modern¡¯ towns of Veritas, Guang has proved himself to be a harsh leader.¡±


    My escort crossed her arms, tapping a finger on her arm. ¡°Amber Haddock is a fully recognized blacksmith with an established forge and connections. Her base of operations is held in a border village, though she still gets regular commissions from notable individuals.¡± She smirked, her eyes dancing in amusement. ¡°She happens to base herself in a village we need to pass through if you wish to touch base with her.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she was serious or not, but I remained silent, just motioning for her to continue.


    She let out a small laugh. ¡°Moving on, Kacee Fitzgerald has started her own mercenary company. A ¡®Troubleshooting Organization,¡¯ if what I¡¯ve heard from my people are right.¡± She tapped the table with a finger, smirking playfully. ¡°She joined one to start with, but after a month of working with them she managed to completely take over and reshape it into something far more respectable.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold back the smile that grew on my face. It did indeed sound like something Kacee¡¯d be able to do.


    ¡°Mitsuki Minamoto and Rudy Jaeger, on the other hand?¡± Soralynn started, frustration bleeding into her tone. ¡°They¡¯ve completely vanished from the public eye. Ever since your ¡®death¡¯ they disappeared into the wilds of nature and have never been heard from.¡± She looked almost offended, not at them, but the lack of knowledge. ¡°Whether they¡¯re together or not, I don¡¯t know, but it seems like they didn¡¯t take well to the aftermath of the attack on Nyrill.¡±


    ¡°Patrick Lethe?¡± Soralynn paused, turning her attention solely onto me. Her amber eyes took on the faint glow from yesterday. ¡°Do you truly wish to know everything?¡±


    ¡°I refuse to be ignorant.¡± I declared. ¡°Even if it hurts or is detrimental to my emotional wellbeing, I¡¯ll recover eventually. But I refuse to be ignorant willingly. Tell me everything.¡± I said to her, clenching my hand tight enough for the spoon in it to strain from the pressure. Seeing that, I forced myself to calm before I broke it.


    ¡°After hearing of your death and seeing your body, Patrick Lethe proved unable to handle the weight of his perceived failures and lost himself to the drink,¡± Soralynn explained, her voice lacking any decipherable tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I had bitten into something sour. Patrick Lethe was an excellent teacher, one of the favorites that I remember having. He always seemed to carry himself well back on Earth, but it looks like the drastic change in the environment had been too much. I don¡¯t remember seeing much of him after ending up here, though. Perhaps my death had been the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back?


    ¡°Your rather public death has changed many things over this past year.¡± Soralynn started, dipping her bread into her stew. ¡°While it was traumatizing, it gave you the one thing you¡¯ve yearned for, since coming to Verum.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± I asked of her, feeling far too tired to care.


    ¡°The freedom to do whatever your heart desires.¡±


    I felt my heart flutter in my chest and a reluctant smile come to my face. ¡°Yeah, there is that. But I still need to gather my army.¡± I sarcastically remarked.


    Soralynn simply smiled. ¡°Well, yes. People will eventually discover who you now are. Your army will serve as a¡­deterrence.¡± She paused as her expression blanked, lips curling maliciously. ¡°Though, if you do wish to spread your power base, then we shall serve your will without hesitation or regret.¡±


    ¡°No war,¡± I said with a growl, eyes narrowing. ¡°I won¡¯t be responsible for the deaths of not only my future subjects but also those who are only protecting their homes.¡±


    ¡°What if they spark it by trying to kill you?¡± Soralynn asked me, her expression still blank, eyes glowing faintly. ¡°If their insistence for your head goes too far? What then?¡±


    I paused, frowning as I met her gaze with my own. Thoughts and feelings bubbled within me. ¡°If they will not listen to reason, if blind trust in a prophecy does not let them see the foolishness in attacking me, then I¡¯ll have no choice. I¡¯ll act.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see. I want to see the world for what it is before I have any hand in protecting or destroying it.¡±


    At that, Soralynn offered me a smile. It wasn¡¯t big, nor was it smug or proud. It was just a small, intimate smile that sent my heart racing. ¡°I can respect that. I¡¯ll show you as much as I can, Joseph.¡±

 Alea Iacta Est - 2

    The sun remained high in the sky, though later in the day, as we rode out along the main road from Nyrill. We rode atop a pair of horses, having left the village a few hours after eating. I was in a new set of clothing, primarily leather and cloth, with a rectangular, brown-cloth wrapped object strapped to the side of my horse¡¯s saddle.


    My horse was mostly brown and black with a greyish-white mane and tail. I sat upon a plain brown saddle with my feet held in a pair of white stirrups ¡ª saddlebags filled with a variety of camping tools that Soralynn had purchased before leaving. Sora¡¯s horse was pure white with a matching mane and tail. The wind whipped around me as our horses galloped down the open dirt road. We had left at a leisurely pace, thanked the border guard for their hospitality and left Nyrill without looking back.


    I couldn¡¯t fight the grin that spread on my face as we rode, my heart pounding as I reveled in the wind sending my hair whipping around my head. A little ahead of me and to the left, Soralynn glanced back at me, a smile playing at her lips. ¡°What has you so excited, Joseph?¡±


    ¡°Just call me Joey,¡± I said with a wave of my hand, still expertly controlling the horse. ¡°I¡¯m¡­glad to feel the wind and enjoy the freedom of the open air.¡± I reached down and rubbed the side of the horse¡¯s neck.


    Soralynn hummed, a smile growing on her face. ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re enjoying it so far¡­Joey.¡± She paused as if measuring how she felt speaking my offered name. With a final nod, her gaze turned to the saddle on my horse, still managing to stay in control of her forward motion. ¡°Your Affinity must be truly multipurpose if it works with more than weaponry.¡± Her eyes took on a calculative gleam. ¡°It¡¯s a curiosity I have to know the limits of such an¡­effective Affinity.¡±


    That made me pause and consider a few things. Had Soralynn ever told me anything about herself, besides her name? ¡°Soralynn?¡±


    She pouted at me. ¡°Please, call me Sora.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, a smile playing at my lips. ¡°Sora, then. What can you do? I¡¯ve told you about me, but you haven¡¯t offered the same.¡±


    Sora¡¯s eyes widened as her cheeks darkened in embarrassment. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m, oh, this is mortifying.¡± She murmured as she averted her eyes. ¡°Penny always told me I tend to get tunnel vision at the most inopportune times.¡± She released a calming breath and inclined her head to me. ¡°I¡¯m a Witch. A former human that was corrupted and twisted by demonic energy. I can technically do any form of Arcane manipulations, so long as I have the strength to follow through my choices. I¡¯d demonstrate a few tricks, but we¡¯re too close to a human settlement for me to be comfortable with that.¡±


    A Witch, huh? I was half-tempted to ask where her pointed hat and black cat were, but I¡¯d instead not mistakenly make fun of her. ¡°Thank you for telling me, Sora. Where are we going next?¡±


    Sora nodded to my first statement, a satisfied smile on her face. At the question I had asked her, she turned her head upwards. ¡°We¡¯re heading east at the moment and Veracity in the north.¡± She then pointed to her right. ¡°The first location we need to reach are the swamplands in the south, the Realm of the Unmarked Graves, where we¡¯ll have you meet Mina.¡±


    ¡°Mina¡­¡± I mused to myself. ¡°The Vampire, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sora stated with a mysterious smile. ¡°She is the one who fields the vast majority of your army. The self-propagating numbers that overwhelm your foes.¡± She bared her teeth in excitement. ¡°Once you gain her support, then the majority of the pressure on you to remain under the radar will lessen by a significant margin.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer immediately. ¡°Any of my friends¡­with what¡¯s happened to me, who among them do you think would be willing to join me?¡±


    Sora¡¯s smile shrank as she furrowed her brow. ¡°Of all of them¡­I¡¯m not sure. The fact that you¡¯re once again among the living will no doubt be a shock. However¡­¡± She turned a serious expression toward me. ¡°Your current state of being, the title you carry, I recommend you keep it to yourself until you know without a shadow of a doubt that they will not turn on you.¡±


    Frowning, I regarded her with a stern expression. I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about hiding things from my friends, even if they thought I was dead. Still, that wasn¡¯t something I should focus on at the moment. ¡°What¡¯s our next stop? I don¡¯t like the idea being on a constant charge to the ¡®Realm of Unmarked Graves.¡¯¡±


    Sora let out a laugh at my statement, teeth showing in her grin as she stared forward. ¡°We¡¯re taking a pit stop in Xadria, a town named for a notable past King of Veritas. It¡¯s an advanced settlement, far enough from Veracity that Knight presence is limited, though a few Inquisitors are roaming around.¡± She explained as we shot past the trees into a vast expanse of wide-open space. A clearing as far as the eye could see, no more trees in front of us. Vast, flat lands, with only a handful of blips in the distance, probably farmhouses or something like that. ¡°Plus, if my information is still accurate, I believe that Miss Fitzgerald has her mercenary company stationed out of there.¡±


    My head jerked over to face Sora. ¡°Kacee is there?¡±


    ¡°If my information is still viable.¡± She cautioned me. ¡°It has been at least two weeks since my subordinates told me of everyone¡¯s whereabouts.¡± Sora frowned as she leaned forward in her saddle, spurring the horse to go faster. I did the same, leaning forward to match her pace. ¡°Once we reach a checkpoint, I recommend we visit the local blacksmith, the armorer and find a place to rest. From there, we can better plot out a route to reach Mina.¡±


    I hummed noncommittally at her answer. I still wanted to meet with Kacee, if only to see how she was doing. Still, that was far off and not something I could do right then. At the moment, I just needed to focus on keeping pace with Sora. Even as I did that, though, I couldn¡¯t help the excitement that filled me, the ecstatic rumble within my chest as I grinned into the wind. I was free. Free to travel the world of Verum and see it for myself, to judge how I felt about it, regardless of the words and beliefs of those that others told me.


    When the sky had begun to darken, night coming closer and the day coming to an end, we had decided to make camp. After I had started the fire and helped Sora set up a large tent for us to share, I took in my surroundings. We had broken away from the thick brush of trees and were well into a vast field of empty plains. As much as I enjoyed the openness of the area, I didn¡¯t feel as if it were a secure place to be. Aside from the fire, the stars in the night sky illuminated the broad plains. On my right, I saw the thick grouping of trees in the direction of Nyrill and on my left was the direction or our destination. Off to the side, our horses were eating the gently swaying grass in the softly blowing wind.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Joey.¡± Sora¡¯s voice pulled my attention to her. She was tending to the fire, cooking a few strips of dried meat and boiling a small cask of water. ¡°We¡¯re far enough from civilization that we don¡¯t need to be concerned with being found.¡±


    ¡°What about animals or bandits?¡± I asked her as I walked over to the fire, taking the seat across from her.


    Sora snorted as she turned over the platter of meat, her eyes taking on an almost sinister glow. ¡°I¡¯m the scariest person in the wilderness right now, Joey.¡± She turned her head to regard me with an ominous smile. ¡°Well, until your power matures, my King.¡±


    I frowned at her answer but didn¡¯t say anything immediately, listening to the crackle of the fire. I moved my gaze to the light, watching the faint sizzle of the jerky. ¡°Sora, what is your role?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± She gave me a confused look. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What do you normally do that led to you being the one to find me?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Sora hummed at my question, turning her still glowing eyes to the crackling flame. ¡°I am the spymaster. I am the one who goes behind enemy lines and steals the knowledge that others do not wish me to know.¡± She looked up to me, lips quirked in a darkly amused manner. ¡°They don¡¯t necessarily know when I do, but I do regardless.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s how you found me? All of us?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She smirked ever so lightly. ¡°Thankfully, amongst all denizens of Terras, I¡¯m closest to human, so the affliction of madness did not rob me of my rationality and discipline.¡±


    ¡°Madness¡­¡± I whispered as I studied my escort. ¡°You¡¯re the third person who¡¯s spoken of this ¡®madness.¡¯ What is it exactly, beyond a curse that my predecessor inflicted?¡±


    Sora didn¡¯t respond at first, her lips falling into a frown. A contemplative silence settled between us until she nodded firmly. ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m the last person to be asked this question, amongst those from Terras, but I shall do my best to answer.¡± Her tone was soft and contrite as if she was afraid of disappointing me. ¡°In the War that humanity fought against the first Demon Lord, your predecessor needed an army and Mina had yet to gather her forces.¡± Her lips curled cruelly. ¡°Even in the past, discrimination against nonhumans was at an all-time high. The Beastkin wanted equality and weathered many abuses to prove their resolve.¡± She then shrugged. ¡°Something changed, an insult too many or they realized that nothing would change and the Beastkin elected a representative to approach the Demon Lord.¡±


    Sora leaned back in her seat, resting on her hands. ¡°Rumors abounded that war was inevitable and the then Royal Family tried to keep it hidden from the general villagers. Those rumors found the Beastkin, and they managed to locate the Demon Lord, though he went by a different name, one lost to time.¡± She lifted a hand and waved it to the side. ¡°They reached an accord, a bargain. The Beastkin would throw in their lot with the Demon Lord and fight in his army. In return for their loyalty, he granted them incredible power: strength enough to crush steel with a single grip.¡± She clenched her hand tight enough for her knuckles to turn white. ¡°Dexterity enough to dance around the most fleet of foot warriors.¡± Her hand opened, and she flourished her wrist as if holding a sword. ¡°A constitution strong enough to weather the worst of fatigue.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Sora then offered me a sad smile, her eyes dimming. ¡°All of that power, those gifts, for a single price. Their minds, their conscience, their rationality.¡± She shook her head, staring at the flame. ¡°Your predecessor gave them incredible strength and augmented their already wondrous potential, but robbed them of their minds and free will.¡± Sora pursed her lips. ¡°Should they stay loyal and follow him till death, they¡¯d have all the greatness they could ever desire. However, should they betray him, turn against his vision and attempt to subvert him in any manner, then they would lose their minds, their rationality, and lash out at all who are near, with no regard for loyalty or love.¡±


    Her lips curled in disgust. ¡°There are many things I agree with, about what your predecessor was trying to do, but that? Toying with the loyalty and minds of those who only wanted equality? All for his sick amusement and wish for cruelty? That disgusts me.¡± Sora turned her head to regard me with painful earnestness. ¡°That is why I am glad that of all the summoned Heroes here, it was you that Jeanne chose. Of all of you, she noticed something about you that she knew would make a difference.¡± She smiled wide and let out a joyous laugh. ¡°Of all of you, the closest one to a Hero, a true traditional Hero, is the one we chose to become the next Demon Lord.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say in response to her words. What could I say? The previous Demon Lord was a sick bastard who manipulated an entire species, ruining any chance they had for true equality. Should I be surprised? I can¡¯t. It¡¯s something I would¡¯ve expected, considering what Sora just told me. In a way, I have a better view of the man I¡¯ve replaced, and I don¡¯t like it. Then again, I don¡¯t have to do much to be better than him.


    Still, even with that, I¡¯m the equivalent of the Devil. Hello, Milton.


    ¡°I¡¯m no Hero.¡± I disagreed quietly, despite knowing full well her response.


    ¡°You will be the one to bring Terras back from its disrepair and usher in a new time of growth,¡± Sora spoke as if she were describing the weather as if it were a fact of life.


    An uncomfortable churn in my stomach was all I felt as I tried not to let her know how I thought about that. ¡°Tell me about Terras.¡± I segued away from the topic, wanting to know at least more about the nation that had become mine.


    Sora gave me a gentle smile as if knowing why I asked. ¡°Terras is a nation bathed in eternal twilight.¡± She lifted her head to face the night sky. ¡°It is neither too dark nor too bright, a perfect lunar illumination.¡± Waving a hand, she continued, ¡°Wide, flat plains as far as the eye can see, surrounded by a natural barrier of mountain ranges.¡± A smile flickered across her face. ¡°Fertile lands where those who bravely fight to keep their rationality make their living. Families, whole and unmarred by unnecessary conflict, populate Terras.¡± Her smile widened, pale cheeks gaining color as she looked to the sky, the moon¡¯s light bringing out a faint radiance from her eyes. ¡°The people are kind, even as they struggle with the encroaching madness. They fight and fight, holding on with everything they have even as Penemue keeps everyone on edge.¡±


    She then turned her gaze towards me, emotion filling her eye. ¡°With your ascension, Joey, the worst has passed. Your very presence weakens the pervasive curse of madness.¡± Sora leaned forward, taking my hand in hers. ¡°Terras needs a King. A Demon Lord to lead Terras to where it is meant to be. Wherever that is meant to be is up to you, Joey.¡±


    I expected to feel overwhelmed by her intensity, her joyous declaration, but I didn¡¯t. I felt content like I understood what she meant to like it was the only truth. I wasn¡¯t sure how I should take that, so I decided to move onto something else. ¡°Describe how the currency works in Verum.¡± She gave me a confused look and felt my cheeks darken in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯d rather not solely rely on others when it comes to purchases here.¡±


    Sora smiled faintly, before nodding and reaching into her bag. She pulled out a small brown sack that jingled as she moved it. Opening it, she pulled out a handful of coins and lined them along the ground. They were a set of different colors and looked like standard fare for medieval currency. ¡°There are four levels of currency. From lowest to highest, copper, silver, gold and platinum.¡± At each coin, she casually flicked each one to me.


    I caught them with relative ease using one hand. Turning my hand over, I examined the coins that Sora had given me. The copper piece was the smallest, but the thickest. I reached down and picked up it between two fingers. It was rough and hefty for a coin. My thumb rubbed over the engraved sheathed sword, and I turned it over, revealing a simple shield. Flicking it back over to Sora, I turned my attention to the silver piece. It was significantly lighter and just a bit smoother, but still coarse. The edges were ridged and rough as I rubbed my thumb over it. One side held the same sword image, but the opposite side showed a single wing, diagonal from the upper left to the lower right.


    I flicked it towards Sora, smirking at her exasperated sigh, then looked to the gold coin. It was smooth, almost too slick to hold. Firelight flickered across it as I examined the sheathed sword, feathers sticking out the cross guard and a diamond shape on the end of the hilt. On the opposite side of the coin was the image of two wings, joined at the bottom and jutting outwards to the top two corners of the currency ¡ª the outer edge of the coin held with a majestic finish, almost like laurels.


    When I sent the coin to Sora, I focused on the last piece of currency. The platinum coin. It glistened in the firelight, like a rainbow that flickered across the surface. The sheathed sword image appeared meticulously carved into the coin. I could make out the almost razor¡¯s edge of the slightest indentations. The tiny medal was smooth, practically painfully clean as I held it between my thumb and forefinger. Flipping it over, I saw that the back of the coin showed the dual wings, but had the shield layered over it. They also had that meticulous carving that I swore had to be personally carved. The outer edge of the coin also had the laurel border.


    It felt almost wasteful to flick the platinum coin back to Sora casually, but then I remembered who I was now. If I was afraid to treat a coin with disrespect, then I had to be even right thought of as the Demon Lord. With that in mind, I snorted and contemptuously flicked the coin back to Sora. As I turned my attention back to her, I couldn¡¯t help but notice her knowing smirk in the firelight, as if she knew what was going through my head.


    ¡°Each coin has its measure of worth. The silver is worth one hundred copper. Fifty silver to gold. Fifty gold to platinum.¡± She dropped her coins back into her pouch and put it back into her bag. ¡°The common populace is more likely to see and use copper and silver, with a lucky few managing to save up to gold.¡± Sora paused and held her hand to the side. ¡°Platinum? For all of ¡®universal availability¡¯ to the citizenry, only the nobility trade with it. Platinum is more of a status symbol, then outright currency by the average resident of Verum.¡± She closed her hand into a fist, then dexterously snapped her fingers, revealing a platinum piece that fell in between her fingers. ¡°A little piece of advice for when you inevitably strike out on your own. Even if you only have one, all it takes is one to get the attention of any common-born villager.¡±


    I nodded to her, accepting her advice and keeping it in the back of my mind for future reference. ¡°When we arrive in Xadria, what¡¯s the overall goal? Is it just to restock whatever provisions we have, or do you have a specific goal in mind?¡±


    Sora studied me intently for a few moments, a mutual silence accompanying the crackling of the fire between us. ¡°Provisions, mostly.¡± She finally started. ¡°Truthfully, I have an informant in Xadria, and I need to meet with her to review what we already know and learn more about what I need to know.¡± Her eyes met mine, glowing amber meeting my blood red. ¡°Your presence, while slowly being recognized by those fighting off the madness, is something we need to keep hidden from as many people as possible.¡± She paused, her lips curling and expression turning wary. ¡°Speaking of the memorial. Did you take anything?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said faintly, shaking my head. ¡°I wanted to because regardless of what everyone says, it is my sword. It was for me. But the memorial is something that people seem to cherish. It gives them something to believe in.¡± I paused and offered a self-deprecating smile. ¡°As much as it confuses me, I¡¯m an ideal, a martyr, for those who wish to find something, someone, to believe in and I can¡¯t take that away from people.¡±


    She gave me a perplexed expression, her brow furrowing and lips curling. Then she scoffed a laugh, shaking her head. ¡°Odd statement coming from a Demon Lord, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I did this for freedom, the ability to forge my path, not to kowtow to those who think they matter,¡± I stated, my tone darkening as I met her gaze with defiance.


    Sora didn¡¯t answer, meeting my gaze without fear. We stayed silent for a few moments before a smile grew on her face. ¡°We shall commission your equipment in Xadria. It¡¯s far enough from Veracity that we can stay there for a few days until they¡¯re finished. However, it¡¯s too close to Nyrill for us to relax fully, so please keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°How much longer till we get to Xadria?¡±


    ¡°At a leisurely ride? Two days. If we push ourselves, we¡¯ll get their late night tomorrow, but I¡¯d rather not appear like we¡¯re running from something.¡± Sora explained to me.


    ¡°Two days then. It¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t mind camping. A pleasant change of pace from¡­¡± And just like that, I was reminded of Earth and my sister. It¡¯s been a year for Maggie if time flows the same in both worlds. How is she doing? I can¡¯t help but ask myself that as I stared into the flickering campfire.


    ¡°Joseph?¡± Soralynn pulled my attention to her, concern in both her tone and expression. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Just remembering what was left behind.¡± I paused. ¡°Sora, do you have any siblings?¡±


    She paused, turning her gaze to the side as the corner of her lips turned downwards. ¡°No. It was only me growing up, and my¡­parents weren¡¯t the most supportive or capable.¡± She flickered her gaze to me, curiosity in her gaze. ¡°Why? Do you?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°One. A little sister. I miss her.¡±


    Sora didn¡¯t answer, her lips pursed as she turned her attention to the night sky. Silence reigned between us, only the sound of the crackling flame and the cooking meat on the individual sticks. ¡°In Xadria, Miss Fitzgerald is staying in her company¡¯s headquarters. If the information I¡¯ve gathered is still viable, then she¡¯s planning on moving to a town close to the nation¡¯s borders.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The Knight Corps is cracking down on outside military forces,¡± Sora explained as she leaned her head on a hand. ¡°The DeVere Royal Family wishes to regain their monopoly on military strength near Veracity.¡± She smirked playfully. ¡°Your death on Nyrill has affected much this past year. The dissolution of the 13 Heroes sent ripples in the land. Penny¡¯s decision to follow Jeanne¡¯s choice of you bought us the time we needed to do what is necessary.¡±


    I took in her words, considering them as carefully as I could. I picked at her words and tone, trying to decipher just what it was she trying to say without being obvious. ¡°What is necessary, Sora? What does Penemue want? Why did I have to ascend to the title of Demon Lord?¡± I paused and tried to figure out the right question and get the answer I wanted the most. ¡°What is the end goal?¡±


    Sora¡¯s answer forced me to take a moment and consider things carefully. She had promised answers after my tale. She had sworn to be truthful, to hold nothing back. She had been earnest and forthright with me.


    Still, her answer to my question was one I couldn¡¯t understand, not until the moment I entirely became assumed my role. Until the moment I gathered my forces and sat upon my waiting throne in Terras.


    ¡°Balance.¡±


    After giving me the answer, we didn¡¯t speak the rest of the night. It wasn¡¯t an uncomfortable silence, but a companionable one, where we finally enjoyed the finished meat. I ate my fill and drank my water.


    That night, beneath the stars and next to my newest companion, I slept the best I ever have in my entire life.

 Alea Iacta Est - 3

    The next morning, I awoke with a noticeable weight lying on the right side of my chest. The sound of faint breathing and the feel of the morning breeze entering the tent pulled me from my deep slumber. My eyes opened as I stared at the roof of the pavilion, an inaudible yawn escaping me as I blinked and turned my gaze downwards. Ruffled and tousled light brown hair was what greeted me as I tried to remember where I was.


    Ah. We¡¯re on the way to Xadria.


    As I slowly entered a state of consciousness, I felt Sora stir against me, a faint, breathy groan escaping her. She grunted and pushed herself into an upright position, raising her hands into the air and stretching with a grunt. The blanket she was under fell to her waist, revealing the raised hem of her shirt. Her stomach was toned and flat, but along her back, I couldn¡¯t help but notice a collection of faint scars that peppered her skin, disappearing beneath her shirt. With a heavy sigh, Sora¡¯s arms fell, and her shirt once again covered her back. She turned her head to face me, somehow making her bedhead look like a fashion statement. A smile played at her lips. ¡°How was your rest, Joey?¡± Her soft voice was rough and coarse from the night¡¯s rest, but I found that I liked how it sounded.


    ¡°I forgot I was camping out, it was so comfortable,¡± I answered honestly, feeling a bit confused as I sat up.


    Sora smiled playfully, her amber eyes glistening in amusement. ¡°Magic makes it convenient; I have to admit.¡± She slid out from beneath the blankets, revealing her bare slender legs. Sora stood and stretched once more, clad in a pair of short shorts and a cloth shirt. ¡°Well, we have a long ride today. Let¡¯s get dressed and get ready.¡±


    Forcefully turning my eyes from Sora, I climbed to my feet. ¡°I¡¯ll check around outside. Give you some privacy to change.¡± As I walked towards the exit flap of the tent, I couldn¡¯t help but notice a faint frown from Sora. Stepping out of the canvas, I had to squint and lift a hand over my eyes to keep the sun out of my eyes. The crunch of the grass beneath my bare feet and the gentle freeze that tickled my bare shins and forearms pushed me closer to full cognizance. After my eyes had finally adjusted, I lowered my hand and took in the sight of the horses that Sora and I had eating the grass at their feet.


    My horse shook their head and huffed out a breath, turning their¡­her eyes to me, as if acknowledging my presence. I hummed as I approached the horse. She seemed a little skittish at my approach, but aside from a faint whine, she didn¡¯t react to me. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m a friend.¡± I murmured to her, my voice soft as I placed a hand on her neck, sliding my palm gently along it. Patting and rubbing kindly, I smiled as she pawed the ground, her hooves digging into the soft, pliable earth. A notable exhale from her caused me to let out a faint laugh. ¡°I never gave you a name, did I? We were in such a hurry that it slipped my mind¡­¡± She shook her head; ears flickered back and forth aimlessly. I paused for a few seconds before a smile grew on my face. ¡°Kel. I think that¡¯s a good one. What about you?¡±


    She huffed through her nose, butting her head against my shoulder. ¡°Like it too, huh? I¡¯m glad.¡±


    ¡°Joey? I¡¯m decent. The tent¡¯s free.¡± I turned around to see Soralynn stepping out of the tent, in a set of clothes different from yesterdays. She wore a knee length dress with a corset. She wore a pair of dark brown boots and a set of riding gloves, around her waist was a black belt. Her hair had a low ponytail. As I stepped away from Kel, I could feel her intent gaze washing over me. In her hands, she held a large bag.


    ¡°Alright. Thanks. It won¡¯t take me long to change.¡± I walked back over to the tent. As I approached it, though, she held a bag out to me. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    The corners of her mouth curled upwards as her eyes brightened. ¡°I managed to collect these over the year before meeting you. They¡¯re nothing fancy, but they should serve you well enough until we find something more final in Xadria.¡±


    I took the bag and nodded my thanks to Sora, before entering the tent. Setting the bag down, I opened it and felt my breath catch. Swiftly changing, I folded up my sleep clothes and put them away. Stepping out of the tent, I gave Sora an intense stare. ¡°How¡¯d you find these?¡± Sora didn¡¯t immediately answer, simply looking like that cat that caught the canary. ¡°My vambraces and greaves. I was pretty sure the armorer took them back after I died.¡±


    Indeed, I was now wearing the very same armguards and greaves that I did the night I defended Nyrill. They didn¡¯t look as new as they did when I first got them but instead appeared to be of a darker tint in color. I wore a leather jerkin, though it felt a bit heavier than usual. Over that, I was wearing dark leather and short sleeve jacket that felt like it was concealing interlocking steel plates for defense, with quite a few hidden pockets on the inside. My pants felt similar to denim, but somewhat rougher to the touch, with thick leather padding around my waist and thighs for protection. My hands were covered by a pair of dark brown gloves, though the fingers on my pinky and ring finger were missing.


    For as much as I was wearing, I was confused about why I wasn¡¯t already sweating like a dog from the layers. Even if the weather wasn¡¯t hot, it was nowhere near chilly.


    ¡°This is a placeholder armor?¡± I asked her incredulously.


    Sora nodded to me, looking like butter wouldn¡¯t melt in her mouth. ¡°Well, yes¡­¡± At my deadpan glare, she offered me a playful smile. ¡°It¡¯s good enough to make a good impression, but it¡¯s not professional adventuring gear.¡± Sora shrugged as she adjusted the pack on her saddlebags. ¡°It¡¯s all I was able to smuggle on my person. We¡¯ll still have to get you a weapon, though.¡±


    I hummed at her answer but nodded nonetheless. I then went about breaking down the tent to pack everything away. ¡°What¡¯s on the schedule today?¡±


    ¡°Still making our way to Xadria. It¡¯s a two days¡¯ ride at the pace I want to take, but we should reach a small checkpoint later today.¡± She answered as she set out food and water for the horses. ¡°There¡¯s a blacksmith stationed there, though. They¡¯ll likely have a few weapons for you to pick from.¡± Sora paused and looked over her shoulder at me. ¡°What¡¯s your preferred weapon, Joey? I know your Affinity makes it redundant, but I¡¯m curious to know what you prefer.¡±


    ¡°A sword,¡± I answered her, feeling my lips parting in a simple smile. ¡°Even with my Affinity, after using so many different weapons during my time with Knights, I can¡¯t help but feel a personal connection to the sword.¡±


    ¡°Which type?¡± Sora asked, and I felt deep regard from her.


    ¡°Hand-and-a-half hilt. Single-edged, straight. Standard length and weight.¡± I then opened and closed my hand. ¡°I¡¯m a bit more particular when it comes to the hilt, but then I¡¯d be getting too nitpicky.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Sora mused as she took in my words, still getting the horses prepped for our ride.


    ¡°This checkpoint. What does it have and should we have to be concerned with being found out?¡±


    She cleared her throat as she stepped away from the horses, putting away her remaining tools. ¡°It has a barracks for the Knights stationed there, an inn and tavern for the occasional traveler, stables for horses and a variety of stores for those who are on the road.¡± I stood as I packed the last bit of the camping supplies. ¡°We¡¯ll likely get something to eat there and stay the night at the inn if there any available rooms. Though, the most important reason to stop by would be to arm you, Joey.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I accepted her answer as I approached Kel and attached the bags to her saddle, testing them with a tug to see if they stuck. ¡°What about you?¡± Sora gave me a perplexed look, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Don¡¯t you need a weapon? I figure it would be a smart idea not to advertise your magical abilities.¡± I asked her as I rubbed the side of Kel¡¯s neck.


    Sora smiled and shook her head, her dark hair shifting with both the motion and in the gentle breeze. ¡°I¡¯m armed, so you do not need to worry, Joey. I¡¯ve done this long enough that I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± She then approached her saddlebags and pulled out a pair of leaf-wrapped objects. ¡°We need to get moving as soon as possible, so eat this. It¡¯s a calorie supplement.¡± I took it and unwrapped it. It looked similar to caramelized bread covered in blue cream. Taking a bite, I couldn¡¯t help but blink in surprised at how sweet it tasted. I finished it in record time and blinked in wonder at how full I felt after eating it.


    I couldn¡¯t help give Sora dry glare at her amused giggles from my reaction. After that, though, we mounted our horses and continued our trek down the path. ¡°Okay, so our first goal is recruiting Mina. Where are these swamplands, specifically?¡±


    ¡°Along the border of Veritas and Kohinoor,¡± Sora explained, her voice carrying above the clopping sounds of our galloping horses. ¡°It¡¯s a natural occurrence in that area, from the excess runoff of water down the mountains. The marsh is an ideal base of operations for Mina so that she is both left alone and not tempted to run amok.¡±


    I blinked at that before a sense of trepidation filled me. ¡°Why don¡¯t they?¡± Sora gave me a confused look. ¡°The four of them. They¡¯re powerful if they terrify people as effectively as the four seem to do, so why don¡¯t the generals, I don¡¯t know, take whatever they want?¡±


    ¡°It varies.¡± Sora hesitated as if carefully considering her words. She bit her lip, staring forward. ¡°Among them, Eir is most content to follow Penemue¡¯s orders, to a certain extent. She¡¯s willing to stay inactive, but not willing to obey as she would you, should she acknowledge you.¡±


    Sora paused and scanned the surrounding area, eyes searching for something amiss. ¡°Jeanne is also compliant, but only when it either interests her or if she¡¯s resting with her hoard.¡± A grimace crossed her face. ¡°She has her moods, though, so Penny tries to keep her requests to a minimum.¡±


    I nodded to her as I waited for her to continue. ¡°Mina is¡­difficult.¡± She stated with a faint frown. ¡°She¡¯s proud, commandeering and demands respect.¡± Sora shrugged her shoulders with a grimace. ¡°It¡¯s warranted, all things considered, but anyone who is not her King will earn no courtesy from her.¡±


    Sora then offered me a complicated smile. ¡°Kaede, on the other hand¡­ she feels nothing for anyone, aside from our King. Aside from remaining hidden from the world, Kaede will not listen to a single request from Penemue, our Regent.¡± She turned her head to face me. ¡°In my opinion, it will be Kaede that will give you the most difficulty in recruiting. First impressions are everything to her.¡±


    Taking all this in, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh heavily. ¡°This¡­it¡¯s exhausting to think about.¡±


    Sora let out a laugh; it was a velvety sound that tickled my ears. ¡°You agreed to be our King. Too late for regrets now.¡± She then gave me a beautiful smile; eyes narrowed in amusement. ¡°It¡¯ll be like herding cats. Frustrating, at first. But when it all works out, it¡¯ll all be worth it.¡±


    Hearing her words and seeing her happy smile, I couldn¡¯t help but feel hopeful. ¡°Yeah¡­ Let¡¯s get it going.¡±


    ----


    The checkpoint appeared to be a small, yet heavily fortified town. The road that we traveled along reached a wood and stone gate with a pair of armed and armored villagers in front of it. There was no wall, just a single, standalone barrier. A part of me found it ridiculous, but I could understand that it was a statement, seemingly a belief that they would defend their station regardless of what one would attempt.


    Well, that, or there was a magic wall, but thinking along those lines would only drive me nuts. The town seemed to be surrounded by a forest, not unlike Nyrill, but it was nowhere near as thick or all-encompassing.


    The two men stationed at the gate struck me more as members of volunteered militiamen. Sora and slowed our horses to a gentle trot as we came within sight of the entry gate. She reached into her side satchel and pulled out a few copper coins. She looked over to me and smiled faintly, though her voice came out dull and empty of emotion. ¡°Let me do the talking. Guards are more thorough in their examination of newcomers as of late.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked her, allowing a small smile to appear as I looked over to her.


    As if falling into our charade, her cheeks darkened at my smile. ¡°Rabid monsters on the borders of Veritas and the other nations have been on the rise, so the militaries of Verum are increasing patrols and presence.¡± She then motioned to the guardsmen. ¡°They¡¯ve also requested the militia of the various villages and towns to increase their activities. As such, checkpoints now require a toll to be paid, to better support a more active militia.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I took her words with careful consideration as we approached the checkpoint. When we came close enough, one of the guardsmen lifted his hand and waved at us to stop. He wore what looked like hard leather armor and what resembled a rugby helmet. A small circular shield was attached to his right arm, and a sheathed sword at his waist. His partner wielded a spear, watching us almost lazily as his partner stepped up. ¡°Hold. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve heard, but these checkpoints require a toll. A tax paid to both the Royal Capital and the support this town.¡±


    ¡°I understand. My friend and I came from Nyrill, where the proprietor of the inn told me of the new developments.¡± Sora spoke plainly, her tone strong and confident.


    ¡°A runaway noblewoman?¡± The guardsman murmured as he took the offered coin from Sora. As he counted them, he shook his head. ¡°Not my business. You¡¯ve paid your toll. We¡¯ll wave you in then. Welcome to Del. We¡¯re a simple town, for those who are just on their way.¡±


    We made our way to the entrance and Sora continued speaking, offering the man a nod in thanks. ¡°Thank you. Is the blacksmith still operating? I¡¯m looking for a weapon that my friend here can use until we reach Xadria.¡±


    The guard offered me a scrutinous look, before turning back to Sora. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a slow few weeks, so the old man¡¯s been a bit ornery for lack of work. He¡¯ll probably try to push for a brand-new weapon, rather than one off the shelf, if only for something to do.¡±


    Sora hummed warily, as if unsure, as the gate opened in front of us. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Coin¡¯s a bit tight for us at the moment. I don¡¯t know if that would fit within our budget¡­¡±


    The man just waved his hand at us. ¡°The old man¡¯s not intimidating, just high strung.¡± He then turned his head and faced down the road, dismissing us.


    I looked over to Sora to see her smirking, motioning with her head to follow her. She continued into the town, and I push Kel to trail her. ¡°First thing we¡¯ll do is rent some stables for our horses. From there, we¡¯ll play it by ear, depending on how packed the inn is.¡±


    I nodded at her. Overall, the town looked like it had not too many people. We trotted down the empty road, the clopping sound of our horse¡¯s hooves dominated the morning atmosphere. Along the path, on either side, were a pair of single-story wooden buildings, built in size and wide, no doubt the barracks for the knights and militia. As we continued down the road, I caught sight of an open-sided building with an adjoining structure with a horseshoe on the front door ¡ª the stables. There were five sections, with two of them occupied by horses.


    We continued down the road until we reached the inn, which was close to the stables, thankfully. We led our horses to the stables and ordered space for each of them, let us resume our trek on foot. ¡°Let¡¯s check on the inn and see if there are any available rooms,¡± Sora said as we walked over to the inn. I pushed open the door only hear the faint sound of ambient music in the background of talking people. I walked inside to see a set of round wooden tables with straight-backed wooden chairs occupied by peopled drinking, eating and talking. On the back wall, there were a handful of booths, though only one had occupants. There was a bar on the opposite side of the building, where a young woman with long blonde hair, dressed in a white apron over a black dress was wiping down a glass.


    She looked over to the door to see us at the entrance and flashed a welcoming smile, before going back to cleaning her area. ¡°Let¡¯s see if there are any vacancies,¡± I said to her as I motioned to the bar. Sora nodded, and we walked over to the bar.


    As we reached the bar, the woman¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Well, you¡¯re both new. What brings both here?¡± She spoke with a very prominent country accent, causing me to blink in surprise. I guess accents like that are multidimensional.


    Thankfully, Sora proved to be nonplussed, smiling as she answered her, ¡°We¡¯re stopping by for the day. My friend and I are making our way to Xadria, but it¡¯s a bit too far to travel in a single ride safely.¡±


    The woman hummed, her brown eyes flickering from her to me, before ending back on Sora. ¡°Y¡¯all came at the right time, then. We¡¯ve got plenty of empty rooms.¡±


    ¡°How much for the night,¡± Sora asked her, leaning against the counter with a smirk.


    ¡°For the two of you? Twelve copper, meals included.¡± She replied with an easy smile, eyes rolling between the two of us. ¡°Though, that could change¡­would be sharing a room?¡±


    I was about to respond, but Soralynn cut me off. ¡°Yes. We are. Traveling together keeps us both safe from the dangers of the open plains.¡±


    The woman frowned at her words. ¡°Hmm, I understand. I¡¯ve learned that it¡¯s become far more dangerous since Veritas¡¯ borders have come under attack¡­¡± She hummed faintly, placing the glass on the counter and looking to the side.


    ¡°The borders?¡± I asked her, finally speaking up and catching her attention. ¡°Along which side of Veritas?¡±


    She frowned at me. ¡°The west, along the borders next to the untamed wilderness. Have you not been paying attention to the criers?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been¡­indisposed for a few months, unable to contact the wider world,¡± I explained carefully, motioning towards Sora. ¡°Sora managed to find me after a while, coining a family emergency of sorts.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The woman mused, offering me a friendly smile before she nodded and picked up the glass and putting into beneath the counter. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re able to pay, then I¡¯ll show you both to your room for the night.¡±


    I was about to motion towards Sora, but I stiffened at the feeling of cold metal pressed into my palm. Without looking to my companion, I pulled my hand from below the counter and placed it in front of me. Twelve copper coins dropped onto the table in front of her. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    She offered me a smile. ¡°Thank you, good sir.¡± She then quickly counted the coins, picked them up and dropped them into her apron pocket. ¡°If you¡¯ll both follow me.¡± She then motioned for us to do just that as she walked along behind the counter, towards a set of stairs on the wall opposite from the entrance. We ascended the wooden stairs, with the woman leading the way and Sora in front of me. White bulb sconces dimly illuminated the hallway on the second floor with a flickering ember in them. We continued down the wooden floors until we reached the third door on the right. It had a symbol I didn¡¯t recognize, but as I stared at it, it seemed to morph before my very eyes before ending on the Roman numeral for 3.


    As I blinked away a faint migraine, she woman unlocked the door and motioned us to go inside. Sora and I walked inside. It was a good-sized room, reminding me of a generic hotel room, but primarily wood and stone, with a pair of twin beds with plain white sheets and small dressers at their end. There was a single window with no curtains, but worn blinds.


    ¡°We just cleaned the room, so it should serve you well for the night. We¡¯ve already served breakfast, but lunch will be in a few hours.¡± She explained a few more things about what we were permitted to do after purchasing the room for the night, then gave me the key, before returning to her bar.


    After she left, I shut the door and watched as Sora released a breath and walked over to the bed closest to the window. She dropped her bag on the mattress and fell onto it, sitting down as she leaned back. Sora¡¯s expression darkened as she frowned, muttering to herself as she rolled her shoulders.


    ¡°Sora?¡± I pulled her attention to me. I walked over to my bed and sat down across from her. ¡°Everything alright?¡±


    Soralynn didn¡¯t respond immediately, merely staring at me for a few moments. Then she closed her eyes, a smile playing at her face. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Joey¡­¡± Sora paused, looking to the side as her expression darkened. ¡°I just¡­I¡¯m not too fond of my former race.¡± A scowl played at her lips before she smoothed her expression. ¡°They fear the unknown and lash out in anger when frightened. Most are unwilling to embrace change when it¡¯s clear that it is inevitable.¡± She then closed her eyes and leaned her head back, lips pursed in disgust. ¡°Their willful ignorance is a frustration that the world can do without.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much I could say to that. A part of me wanted to defend humans, to speak up and tell Sora that there was more to it than that, but¡­ After growing up in the world that I did, after practically being abandoned by my parents, after being betrayed by someone I considered family, my faith in humanity felt pretty damn shaken, if not nonexistent. Still, I couldn¡¯t just say nothing. ¡°People will do drastic things for the sake of comfort,¡± I said softly, leaning backward. ¡°After staying in one spot for so long, they tend to get territorial. I¡¯ve found that change will happen regardless of a person¡¯s wishes; it¡¯s how they react to that inevitability that defines them.¡±


    Sora looked over to me, her eyes inscrutable as she locked hers with mine. After a few moments of silence, her lips curled in mild amusement. ¡°You do not directly defend them, despite living as one your entire life. You do not disparage them either.¡± Her smile widened into a faint grin, slightly baring her teeth in something not unlike a shark-like smirk. ¡°It seems the Human race doesn¡¯t fail to disillusion themselves even to those across the veil.¡±


    ¡°I may have seen faints shadows of humanity¡­¡± I started, smiling faintly. ¡°But I haven¡¯t seen the worst, so I still have some faith.¡±


    Sora¡¯s smile sharpened as she seemed to hug herself, arms wrapped around her torso. ¡°Be patient, my King, for we shall see the true face of humanity as we progress with our goal. We are the unknown they fear. If we''re unprepared when they discover us, they will lash out.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about this ¡®them vs. us¡¯ mentality, but since I¡¯ve technically become Verum¡¯s Satan equivalent, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Still, I did choose this life. I will have my freedom, even if I have to fight the whole world for it.


    Before I could feel my mood dip, even more, Sora sucked in a sudden breath and abruptly rose to her feet. A wide grin appeared on her face, half-forced, half-amused, as she turned towards me. ¡°Well, we rested enough. Let¡¯s get to the blacksmith. We still need to get you your sword and help you get used to it.¡±


    Thrown off by her sudden exuberance, I allowed myself a small smile as I rose to my feet as well. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Sora gave a mischievous laugh as we left our room and headed downstairs, having locked the door behind us. ¡°You¡¯ll find that your preferred type of weapon will be easier to find than you initially thought.¡± We offered our formal farewell to the woman at the bar as we left, walking outside into bright late morning air. We walked relatively slowly and talked about anything and nothing if only to pass the time.


    When we finally reached the blacksmith. The building was primarily stone with a wooden storefront. Several generic weapons hung from a collection of hooks at the open window, no doubt advertising the weaponry. My discerning eye, from both my Affinity telling me what best fits me and my experience let me know what I worked with the best, allowed me to see which I felt would be most effective in my hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get inside. I¡¯m sure the proprietor will have more options within the store.¡± Sora grabbed my arm, already pulling me towards the door. We reached the wooden door, and she pushed it open, allowing a wave of heat to smack us in the face. I grimaced as I looked around the sweltering smithy. Stone shelving covered by cloth rags appeared filled with weapons resting on the sides ¡ª a wall, filled with arms that hung by their hilts. Along the wall opposite them, rested an assortment of armors, shield and stray handles with sheaths. At the back wall, the forge and well were still going strong, where an older man dressed in leather coveralls, gloves and in a leather and stone welder¡¯s mask. The man was currently working, focused solely on the task before him.


    Seemingly without a care in the world, Sora continued to pull me forward, releasing my arm as she rang a bell at the stone counter. The blacksmith lifted a hand, pointing his finger in the air, the universal sign for ¡®give me a minute.¡¯ With that, I decided to browse the available wares while Sora saw fit to wait patiently. Swords, axes, bucklers, and a variety of other types of weapons and shields were set out to display for a customer to see. Honestly, I was half-tempted to pick one or two of them up, if only to add to my repertoire.


    ¡°Sorry ¡®bout the wait. Had a few last-minute projects to finish. What do you need?¡± A gruff voice pulled my attention from the display weaponry. I turned around to see an older man with worn, weathered features and long reach scar along his left cheek, going from the chin to behind his ear. His eyes were dark and narrowed, with pronounced crow¡¯s feet. His apron was dirty, and he smelled faintly of sweat.


    Sora spoke up immediately, replying to the man with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m looking to commission a sword for my friend here.¡± The man furrowed his brow, turning a skeptical gaze to me.


    ¡°Sora, let me take it from here,¡± I said to her, my tone kind, yet stern. I approached the man and took a moment to measure his temperament. How to take this route¡­? ¡°I¡¯m looking for a hand-and-a-half sword, single-edged, straight blade with a simple guard. No fancy additions, just a good sword that passes the examination of a skilled blacksmith.¡±


    The man narrowed his eyes at me as if searching for something. ¡°Those specifications¡­are you another brat trying to emulate Veritas¡¯ lost Hero?¡± He scoffed and crossed his arms. ¡°Ever since the tragedy that happened in Nyrill, fools trying to recapture the hope he inspired asked for those specs time and time again. After a few months of that, no self-respecting blacksmith would accept such monotonous craftsmanship.¡±


    Though I felt frustrated at his words, I could recognize feeling frustrated. Seeing his reluctance, I offered him a shrug. ¡°I apologize for making such a repetitive request, then. Do you happen to have any weapons already made that are close to such specifications?¡±


    The man furrowed his brow at me as if searching for any deceit from me. If his expression was any indication, it seems that the average person didn¡¯t give in that easily. Still, I remained silent as I waited for his response, arm resting on the counter as I waited for his response. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll check if I have anything in the back. Wait for a moment.¡¯ He pushed himself away from the counter and went to the end of his store.


    After he disappeared through a door in the back, Sora looked over to me with a frown. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me ask him? I could¡¯ve convinced him to craft you a new sword to those exact specifications.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one blacksmith I want to make my most ideal weapon,¡± I replied with a slowly widening grin. ¡°She isn¡¯t here,¡± I answered without a care in the world, crossing my arms. Her eyes widened at my answer, before she laughed under her breath, shaking her head as she looked forward once more. As we waited, I turned my attention to the display weaponry and armory to pass the time.


    A faint crash in the back, followed by a muffled curse caught my attention. The door to the backroom was pushed open, and the man came trudging through his store, grumbling into his beard as he reached the counter. He continued to give me the stink eye as he placed a three-foot-long wrapped, rectangular box. ¡°I made this a few months ago, but the ignorant who commissioned it decided to leave town before picking it up. It¡¯s not an exact match to your request, but it¡¯s close enough.¡± He pushed the box towards me and pulled off the cloth wrapping the box. It appeared to be a simple black box with a silver latch keeping it closed.


    I stepped right up to the counter and undid the latch. With a click, I flipped the notch up and grasped the edges. Pushing upwards, the top of the box opened almost too quickly. The smell of freshly oiled steel tickled my nose as I opened it. A bare blade rested on a white cloth, next to its pale brown sheath. It had a longer hilt than that of a standard longsword, though shorter than most hand-and-a-half grips, greeted me. Thick and wrapped in sequentially tied leather strips that encompassed the entire handle. I studied the cross-shaped guard, left and right edges sticking outwards to fixed points. The dual-sided blade rested on the cloth, showing my reflection as I studied it.


    ¡°May I?¡± I motioned to the sword.


    ¡°You¡¯re planning on buying it, right?¡± He asked me, his voice hard.


    I offered him a playful smirk. ¡°If I like how it feels, yeah.¡± He grunted and waved his hand at me. I glanced to the side to see that Sora was stepping away, to give me space. Reaching forward, I wrapped my hand around the hilt of the sword and lifted it out the box.


    The first thing I noticed was that it wasn¡¯t cumbersome. It was almost like a feather with how light it felt in my hands. A part of me wanted to swing it, to get a better physical feel for how the sword felt, but I don¡¯t want to push my luck with the old blacksmith. Still, while the hilt didn¡¯t have that same lived in feeling that the one Amber had made for me did, it did feel¡­familiar in the way I held it.


    Lowering the sword, I picked up the sheath and slid the sword into it. I then looked to the blacksmith and allowed myself a satisfied grin. ¡°How much?¡±

 Alea Iacta Est - 4

    Sora and I walked out of the blacksmith''s store with my new sword, now attached to my belt on my left side. I also carried a bag full of oils, some rags and other items to clean my new sword. We walked down the road, and she glanced over to me. ¡°Shall we find an open space for you to practice with your new sword, Joey?¡± Sora¡¯s voice trailed off as she turned her head to the side.


    ¡°I do need to figure out how it feels to use.¡± I murmured as I rested a hand on the hilt. I looked over to her to see that she had stopped walking, staring off into the distance. Her lips had curved downwards into a scowl, eyes flitting back and forth as if searching for something. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­something nearby.¡± Her scowl deepened. ¡°Penny had made sure that there would be no monsters on our route if only to keep too many knights from being near us.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean for us if what you¡¯re thinking is true?¡±


    Sora sneered in the direction of the forest as she turned to face it fully. ¡°We¡¯ll have to resolve this ourselves before others bring unneeded attention to it.¡±


    ¡°Let me drop off my new things first, just in case it breaks out into a fight.¡± Sora turned a hard stare in my direction, her lips curling in frustration. She locked eyes with me, but I met her gaze without hesitation. We stayed like this for a few seconds, before she huffed and looked away. ¡°I¡¯m willing to help, considering you¡¯re doing this for me, but I¡¯m not going to complicate it.¡±


    Sora didn¡¯t reply, turning an empty gaze towards me, her expression no more evident than a mannequin¡¯s. Amber eyes glowed faintly. After a few seconds of silence, she closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose, before exhaling audibly. ¡°I apologize,¡± Sora said. ¡°Disloyalty is¡­anathema to me.¡± She turned and bared her teeth in a facsimile of a smile at me. ¡°Hope I do not meet Knight Wirth before you, my King, else you may lose the chance to get answers.¡±


    A complicated feeling surged through me. How would I react when I saw Luke? Uncontrollable fury? Inconsolable sadness? Listless ambivalence? I don¡¯t know. I suppose that this is one of those things where you won¡¯t know until the moment in question arrives.


    ¡°Do what you feel you feel you must. I¡¯m going to drop these off and come back to join you when you go into the forest.¡± She nodded to me and turned her attention to the woods across from us, eyes wide and hungry as I walked away.


    It didn¡¯t take me long to go back and forth from the inn and return to Sora, to which she led the trek into the forest. We broke through the tree line and stepped into the forestry with a purpose. The woods weren¡¯t as thick Nyrill, but the density of the trees was just a bit beyond my shoulder-width. Sora walked with a purpose, her expression severe as she led us down a path that only she could understand.


    As we walked through the all-encompassing nature, though, a strange smell tickled my nose. I came to a stop as I tried to parse through the various scents that proceeded to assault my senses. I grimaced as I couldn¡¯t place any of them with my new knowledge. Sora was getting ahead of me, so I quickly picked up the pace to catch up to her. As I did, though, I couldn¡¯t help but take note of the faintly metallic and sweet scent that flitted through the air.


    Sora suddenly stopped, her frown deepening. ¡°I smell blood.¡± She stated, her tone lacking emotion.


    I furrowed my brow as I inhaled through my nose, grimacing at the faint sweet scent. ¡°I think I do too.¡± I murmured just loud enough for her to hear.


    Sora flickered a gaze over to me, eyes widening with surprise before she focused forward. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. Let¡¯s move forward.¡± She opened her hand, and purple-yellow energy began to coalesce in her palm. ¡°Be ready with your sword.¡± We reached what looked like a natural opening in the ground, an underground cave entrance that went into the darkness.


    Drawing my new sword, I held it with the blade pointing downwards and followed after Sora while peering into the darkness. As we stepped down the natural incline, I couldn¡¯t help but see a faint light in the distance. The flickering flame reminded me of a torch. I could see in the dark and had an enhanced sense of smell. Soralynn and I need to talk about my new capabilities and soon. I¡¯d prefer not to get surprised in the future.


    The crunch of the compact earth under our feet was the sound we gave off as we ventured further into the cave, the smell of blood becoming more pronounced. Craggy, cramped walls encompassed us, forcing me to bend forward to keep my head from scraping the uneven ceiling. It felt like we traversed a half naturally formed as well as an artificial cave. The jagged walls and ceiling jutted out and folded inward, while wooden beams seemed to be erected to give some form of a neat appearance. Broken, decaying humanmade lanterns hung uselessly from the poles, swaying in the stagnant air.


    ¡°This is an old mine,¡± Sora explained, her voice an almost inaudible murmur. ¡°It used to be maintained by a now-defunct mercantile organization, the guild¡¯s predecessor, to mine rare ores from the earth.¡±


    ¡°What happened to it?¡± My voice came out low enough for me to have a hard time hearing it.


    ¡°Typical human greed and hubris.¡± Scorn and disgust colored her gentle tone, Sora¡¯s expression unchanged from its stone-like mien. ¡°The chief officers of the former guild tried to cheat their sponsors and keep a majority of the profits for themselves. However, the then King of Veritas was a man who valued integrity above all else. Once he learned of the attempted deceit, he had the guild disbanded; then men who perpetrated the deception hung and the wronged party aid in recreating a ¡®more respectable guild.¡¯¡± Sora rolled her eyes, contempt present in her curled lip.


    ¡°Is this the only mine?¡± I asked as we continued down the path.


    ¡°There are many other mines scattered among the lands of Veritas, Kohinoor, and Melia. Some have collapsed, while we repurposed others for various uses.¡± She explained as we slipped under a fallen beam and beneath some fallen rock, where a portion of the cave had collapsed. ¡°My people have managed to hide most of them away by stealing old maps of a landmass so that we could use them ourselves.¡± Sora paused, then nodded. ¡°Once we reached a more secure location, I¡¯ll show you where they are on a map.¡±


    Before I could reply to her, I knew that we had arrived at our destination, not by sight, but by smell. When Sora and I came to a stop, we stood in an open area, but with a low-hanging ceiling. An ambient, faint brown light illuminated the darkness of the cave, bringing attention to framed, scraggly walls, the rusted cart tracks and the rotting, wooden beams that seemed to creak almost musically in the background. Piles of stone peppered the ground as pronounced cobwebs rested in the corner of the small cavern.


    I now knew what I smelled if the sight that greeted me was any indication. Several feet in front of Sora and me laid several broken and bloody bodies of men clad in torn and rent armor or leather and steel. They were dismembered and disemboweled recently if the still pooling blood around them was any indication. Their weapons were sundered and scattered all around them. It was recent, but not too recent considering that they were dead, no longer suffering what fate laid before them.


    ¡°There you are.¡± Sora paid the corpses no mind, walking towards what was on the other side of the sea of bodies. It appeared to be a black clump of fur that gradually expanded and shrunk as if breathing. Blood matted it and poured from it. Broken pieces of swords and daggers stuck out from its sides and back, liquid life dripping freely from every open wound. Arrows peppered its flank, and I turned towards where I assumed the bolts were shot from to see a boulder the size of my torso embedded in the cave wall¡­through the upper body of a man with a bow resting next to his open hand.


    Sora walked around to the side of the clump and looked down, her expression softening. Her lips parted, and eyes widened before she let out a breathy sigh. ¡°So that¡¯s how they pulled you here¡­¡± Sora¡¯s voice was gentle, but mourning.


    A huff escaped the body in front of her. I furrowed my brow at her. ¡°Sora¡­¡±


    She turned her head to me, grief in her expression. ¡°Come. I wish to show you something.¡± She beckoned me over, her hand held up and palm out, fingers curling to call me over. I kept my sword out as I walked over to her, eyes staying on the beast in front of me. My footsteps echoed faintly in the deathly quiet cavern as I made my approach. As I came closer, I could the faint inhale and exhale of the creature in front of me, the labored breathing of someone trying to stay awake. Or alive, if what I¡¯m seeing is evident.


    When I came to a stop, I felt a pair of dark yellow eyes stared up at me, defiance and exhaustion greeting me. Cataracts peppered the eyes, leaving the gaze vacant and tired, but no less intense.


    ¡°The Amarok is a proud creature.¡± Sora started as she crouched down, running her head down the wolf¡¯s head. The eyes never left me though, as if testing me, evaluating me. ¡°They are a rare breed of wolf, almost born to thrive in solitude, so much, unlike its unblessed kin. They hunt and track and kill with almost frightening ease. Because of this, they live lives of isolation, keeping away from the populace of all races.¡± Sora pursed her lips, eyes flickering to the bodies as anger colored her gaze. ¡°However, they are still living beings that wish for companionship, for someone with whom to share the love they hold within themselves.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The Amarok huffed lethargically at her words, turning her blinded gaze to Sora with an exasperated intelligence.


    A smile grew on Sora¡¯s face as she looked at the ailing beast. ¡°Do not deny it.¡± She teased the Amarok.


    The realization filled me. I looked to the living breathing myth in front of me, then to the bodies that littered the earth around her. ¡°A mother¡­¡± I murmured under my breath, noticing the Amarok¡¯s ear twitch at my words. ¡°You¡¯re a mother.¡± My words caused her to turn unseeing eyes back to me. ¡°These men¡­to even have the chance to harm you, they needed leverage¡­¡± Anger flared within, a burning fury that burst to life for a second, before dying down to a faint ember. ¡°Is your pup unharmed?¡± My voice came out strained, but hopeful.


    The Amarok did not answer me, only studying me with unseeing eyes.


    ¡°The pup lives, my King,¡± Sora answered with a soft smile. ¡°Else the cave would¡¯ve collapsed from the grief-stricken rage she¡¯d have experienced.¡±


    A huff escaped the Amarok before she turned her head to face a spot in the cavern further inside. I turned towards that direction and managed to catch sight of something else in the distance. A smaller clump of fur, reminiscent of a young puppy curled into a ball. ¡°Sora, stay with her.¡±


    My guide gave me a confused look. ¡°Joey?¡± As I began to walk by her, her eyes widened. Before she could say anything, the Amarok in front of her shuddered and growled, as if trying to rise to her feet. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± The Amarok failed to rise but did manage to slam her paw on the ground in front of me. The cavern shook, causing debris to fall from the low ceiling above us. It peppered my head and shoulders, forcing me to stop as the clawed paw rested on the earth in my path.


    I turned my head to face the Amarok, meeting her enraged snarl with an impassive. The earth shook from the force of her rumbling growl, not unlike an in-progress rockslide. The sheer amount of animalistic fury presented to me should¡¯ve shaken me to the core, struck me silent and dumb with fear and desperation to get away as fast as I could.


    But I did not feel fear.


    I did not feel trepidation.


    I did not feel hesitation.


    No.


    I felt at ease.


    This animalistic drive to show dominance, to exert a force of control and prove that I was the one who was in the right. That was what I felt. I met the Amarok¡¯s gaze without hesitation. I locked eyes with a wild animal that size of an SUV and did not buckle beneath the weight of her rage.


    Compared to Jeanne, she was no more than a crippled pup with a head bigger than her sense.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die,¡± I stated. ¡°You¡¯re going to die and leave your child behind.¡± I held nothing back, watching serenely as the Amarok continued to try and rise, even as Sora watched her with a masked expression. ¡°You have a choice. You can either let Sora and me take your pup so that they have a chance to live, or we can leave and let it fend for itself and die as humans with fear for monsters kill or enslave it.¡± I spoke bluntly, not caring how callous I sounded.


    The Amarok rose shakily to her feet, managing to hold her balance and meet my eyes with a mien of unrestrained fury. She took an uncertain step forward, as if it were the first step in life, faltered as a reluctant whine escaped from her. Displaying bloody fangs, she gave off a rumbly growl that shook the cavern notably.


    I did not care, turning to face her, holding my sword to the side fully. ¡°If you¡¯re going to attack, then do it,¡± I answered her fury with an uncaring tone, feeling my heart beginning to pound and my excitement to rise. The danger, the impending conflict caused the corner of my lips to twitch upwards. ¡°Just know that it won¡¯t end like your earlier slaughter.¡± I allowed a smile to appear on my face, baring my teeth in an excited grin. ¡°I¡¯m a much bigger danger compared to some meager bandits.¡± My voice fell into a challenging growl, even as I heard a faint breathy gasp from Sora.


    The Amarok continued to growl, stalking forwards with ginger steps that still caused her pain. The ground shook with every step as I waited for her to approach. It didn¡¯t take long until she was snout to nose with me, her teeth bared furiously. We both stayed still, eyes locked as we waited for each other to act first.


    Silence dominated the cavern as she stopped growling, but her glare did not abate.


    All of a sudden, high pitched growls and barks broke into our stand-off. As one, we looked down to the source. The Amarok pup looked like a mix of Siberian Husky, German Shepherd and some genus of a wolf. It was predominately black with a streak of white that trailed along the length of its tail. Hackles raised, the Amarok pup bared its teeth in an adorable declaration of puppy fury, faded yellow eyes flaring with defiance.


    With our mutual stare down interrupted, we looked down at the pup as it demonstrated its aggressively adorable ferocity to me. As we watched the puppy, the elder Amarok collapsed to the ground, a pained expression in her unseeing eyes. The dog jumped at its mother¡¯s actions, before bounding over to her and whining as it licked and prodded her frantically. The mother turned her gaze towards her pup, affection warring with grief.


    Out of respect to their interactions, I turned away from them to see that Sora had approached me. She regarded with a perplexed expression. ¡°Why did you try to approach the pup?¡±


    ¡°The mother¡¯s going to die,¡± I explained under my breath, knowing that Sora could hear me. ¡°Neither of us can heal, so the only thing we can do is ensure that the child can have a future.¡± Giving her a questioning look, I saw that she shook her head at my initial statement. ¡°If my assumption is right, then there¡¯s one of two things we can do.¡±


    Sora offered me an approximation of a smile and a pout. ¡°Which are?¡±


    ¡°Am I right in assuming that you have agents you can contact?¡± She nodded to my question. ¡°Then we could have you call one of them to meet us, and we can leave the pup with them and have it sent to Terras. Penemue could look after it or set something up for it.¡±


    My guide hummed, an unsure sound as she waved her hand. ¡°There¡¯d be no issue among my agents, but Penny is phenomenally busy. Set something up? Yes. Penny¡¯s fantastic at bureaucracy. But look after her?¡± Sora shook her head. ¡°It¡¯d be too time-consuming for your Regent.¡±


    I felt my brows rise. ¡°The pup¡¯s a girl?¡± She gave me a playful smile and rolled her eyes. I huffed and shook my head. ¡°The second¡­we look after the pup.¡± That caused Sora to give me an intense stare as if searching for my intentions. I felt a tingle of frustration at her lack of an answer but pushed it aside. ¡°If the Amarok can do this to a group of full-grown men while protecting her young? Then I wouldn¡¯t want to see one rampaging across Veritas and making things difficult for us. I¡¯d rather have her with us so that we could both protect and care for her.¡±


    ¡°She would bring attention onto us,¡± Sora explained slowly, eyes narrowing. ¡°People would find a pair of people traveling with a wolf odd, let alone an Amarok.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a pup. Small and unassuming.¡±


    ¡°They thrive naturally.¡± She refused my point. ¡°Amarok have to; out of genetic necessity. She¡¯d be unable to enter towns and villages with us.¡± Sora shook her head, crossing her arms. ¡°It¡¯ll take a few months for us to reach Terras and that¡¯s not counting the time needed to reach each General.¡±


    I frowned at her, knowing full well that her she was speaking truthfully. ¡°How likely are people to believe we tamed her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unheard of for that to happen.¡± Sora frowned as well, meeting my gaze. ¡°The average person would recognize something didn¡¯t belong.¡±


    I closed my eyes. Is it worth taking the pup with us? Or rather, can we bring the dog with us? I don¡¯t think the mother would let that happen. Still, could the pup survive on her own so close to a human settlement? I¡¯m not sure. At the same time, why do I want her to come with me so badly? Is it the idea of fighting alongside a mythological creature tickling my nerdy fantasy? Or am I secretly a humanitarian?


    Ha! Fat chance of that.


    Hm. Still, what shou-


    My train of thought was interrupted by a tug at my leg. I opened my eyes and turned my attention downwards to see that the pup had latched onto the leather of my shinguard and pulled. Seeing that I was looking at her, she let go and growled at me before trotting back to her ailing mother. She was staring intently at me, her sightless eyes boring holes through me as she exhaled through her nose. I turned to face her fully and sheathed my sword, approaching the pair of Amarok.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± I asked her as she turned her head to the pup. She grunted as she pushed her head against her child. The wolf whined, leaning against her mother. The mother growled and added more strength to her push, sending the wolf stumbling away. She whimpered again and was about to walk back over to her mother, but the elder Amarok bared her fangs and growled at her. The pup huffed and proceeded to sulk as she walked over to me, turning her dull yellow eyes towards me.


    I crouched down and looked to the pup. ¡°I guess you¡¯re coming with us, huh?¡±


    ¡°Joey, we can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with whatever comes our way.¡± I declared to Sora. ¡°We¡¯ve been entrusted with an important task, one that I will follow through with, regardless of any difficulties.¡± I reached towards the pup, though she began to growl at me, though she did not move. Smirking playfully at her stubborn attitude, I swept her off of her paws and stood with my hands under her two front legs. Arms bent, I hefted her almost weightless fluff and studied her. ¡°We¡¯re going on a dangerous journey. One where even I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯ll survive.¡± That caused the pup to give me a strangely savvy look, faded yellow glimmering in the faint light of the cavern. ¡°But I¡¯m not planning on giving up. I want to be free, so this is my path. This is what I have to ask of you, little Amarok. Will you follow me, pup?¡±


    Faded yellow locked with my blood red. The pup grumbled as she seemingly took in my words. After a few seconds of nothing, she opened her mouth and yawned as she kicked her feet futilely. I let out a laugh at her reaction. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes. Now, though, you need a name¡­¡± I paused as I considered a few ideas. Then I allowed a smile to grow on my face. ¡°Marishka. Suitably feminine, but still a strong name.¡±


    The newly named Marishka blinked and whined as she closed her eyes. She shook and moaned in discomfort for a few seconds before she fell limp in my hands. Her eyes opened as she gave me a tired glare, showing me a pair of eyes that were as red as a pair I¡¯ve seen in the mirror.  She let out a groan, shifting around in my hands uncomfortably. A soft chuckle escaped me as I crouched down, letting her gather her feet under her and back on the earth. Marishka huffed at me as she turned and went back to her mother.


    The elder Amarok studied her pup, then rubbed her head affectionately against Marishka¡¯s body. She purred softly to her daughter before she pulled her head away. The two of them stared at one another, before she suddenly jutted her chin towards, but kept her empty gaze on her child. Marishka groaned audibly, gave her mother a lick on the side of her face one last time before she turned and walked over to me.


    I gazed at the mother one last time, who regarded me slowly. ¡°Rest well. She¡¯ll grow strong. I swear to you.¡± The mother crooned one more time, before her eyes closed lethargically, never to open again.


    Sora and I waited for Marishka to finish expressing her grief, howling into the empty cavern.

 Alea Iacta Est - 5

    After giving the Amarok mother a funeral pyre out of respect for both her and Marishka, we disposed of the assumed bandit corpses and returned to the inn as the sun began to set. I didn¡¯t know if animals were permitted within the inn or not, but I decided to be petty and requested Sora conceal our newest companion. While seemingly uncomfortable beneath Sora¡¯s veil, Marishka proved still numbed after her mother¡¯s passing. I carried her in the crook of my arm, with her chin resting on my shoulder, as we entered the inn and walked through the barroom and up to our quarters.


    Upon arriving, Sora dispelled her veil, and I set Marishka at the foot on my bed, before sitting down next to her. ¡°What¡¯s the plan tomorrow?¡± I asked Sora as she picked up her bag and began to sift through its contents.


    ¡°We head out at first light.¡± She answered with a definitive nod. ¡°With a comfortable pace, we¡¯ll be able to reach Xadria by late afternoon, barring unexpected happenstance.¡± Sora¡¯s gaze rose and lingered on Marishka. ¡°Thankfully, Xadria won¡¯t bar little Rishka¡¯s entry, considering she still looks like a normal wolf pup.¡±


    Marishka huffed through her nose as if offended by the comparison.


    I couldn¡¯t help but offer the tiny canine an amused smirk, pushing my fingers through the fur on her head. ¡°Smug little thing, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She grumbled at my words, turning her snout to face away from me.


    A laugh escaped me as I turned my head to the side to see that it looked dark outside. ¡°I take it we have another early morning tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re to reach Xadria in a reasonable amount of time, yes.¡± Sora nodded to my question as she pulled out a change of clothes, a plain cloth tunic and a pair of short shorts. ¡°You should get ready for bed. We can prepare something for Marishka when we¡¯re both done.¡±


    I hummed in response to her words as I stood up from the bed, hand still resting on the pup¡¯s head. I turned to give Sora privacy and went to my bag. The Amarok stood up and padded over to my bag, peering inside with a reluctant curiosity. I ruffled her head, gently digging my fingers into her fur with a single hand as I pulled out clothes to wear to bed. Pulling my hand from her head, I went about the process of unbuckling and unstrapping my armor to change.


    A few moments later, I wore a pair of loose-fitting shorts and a T-shirt. Setting my armor to the side, I placed and folded it on a nearby chair for easy access when awoke the next morning. My sword rested against the wall next to my bed, in case of an emergency. I then turned around to see that Sora had crouched in the space between our beds, adjusting a few blankets and a pillow, no doubt for Marishka. She turned her head to regard the patiently waiting puppy. ¡°Do not climb into bed with either of us. For securities¡¯ sake, I can¡¯t cast anything that would avert attention from us, because it could affect bystanders.¡±


    Marishka huffed through her nose, glancing down at her makeshift bed apathetically. Then she looked over to me. I merely shrugged at her, causing her mouth to open as she yawned. Promptly, Marishka hopped off my bed and landed in her blanket cocoon, lying down and closing her eyes.


    Sora then nodded and stood as she regarded me. ¡°Let¡¯s follow her lead, Joey.¡± She offered me a smile. ¡°I hope you¡¯re an early riser because tomorrow morning will be an entirely new beast when compared to today.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see, I suppose.¡± With that, Sora walked over to a candle and blew out the flickering ember, submerging the room in darkness. I climbed into bed and closed my eyes. Shockingly enough, I fell asleep far faster than I thought.


    <hr>


    I stood upon a worn, aged and torn carpet in the middle of a dimmed, lowlight chamber. Moonlight peered through a stain glass window, depicting a set of level scales. The room gave off a faint, reddish illumination. Eight worn and chipped pillars were evenly dispersed around the hall, holding up a high ceiling, from which a black banner hung freely. The room appeared barren and empty, yet I had a feeling that something was missing, something intrinsic to the atmosphere.


    From where I stood, directly in front of me rested a marble throne, chiseled meticulously as if by an amateur hand. It had no decoration, no cushion, no tapestry. It appeared dull and almost unassuming in how it physically appeared. It looked painfully uncomfortable as if no amount of moving would make it better.


    But it called to me. It demanded my attention, my presence. I tried to move forward, to answer that call, but I could not; feeling rooted in space where I stood.


    ¡°You¡¯re not really here. Just an astral projection.¡± A painfully familiar voice pulled my attention from my internal musings. My gaze shot towards the source to see a beautiful young woman clad in a simple, black, thigh-length dress. A shawl rested upon her shoulders, wrapped around her and hanging to her waist. There were bags under her blue eyes, but they were faint. Her thigh length black hair flowed freely behind her. She no longer appeared gaunt, but still immensely tired. Penemue smiled as she gazed at me. ¡°Still, I am glad to see you well, Joseph.¡± She stood at a doorway on the far side of the room.


    ¡°How¡­how is this possible?¡± I turned my eyes to my hands, feeling them widen at my partially translucent limbs.


    ¡°Terras calls to her King,¡± Penemue answered, her voice soft, but proud. ¡°You took a mantle that has been gone wanting for what¡¯s felt like an eternity.¡± She let out a laugh, reminding of the gentle melody of wind chimes in a light breeze. ¡°After all this time, we finally have our King. I¡¯m sure you can imagine how stressed our patience is.¡± My Regent paused, cocking her head to the side. ¡°How is Soralynn treating you? She is a very dedicated young lady.¡± A small smile grew on her face, amusement dancing her in her bright eyes. ¡°I sometimes have to force her to relax.¡±


    I let out a small laugh. ¡°I can tell. Sora practically has our entire route mapped and prepared.¡± That brought a smile from Penemue as she nodded at my answer. I then felt my lips curl downwards as I considered something. ¡°Are you watching us?¡±


    ¡°Clairvoyance is a talent of mine, yes.¡± Penemue inclined her head to me, her expression, mysterious. ¡°I cannot peer too close to Veracity; else their Court Mage would sense my spiritual intrusion.¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer my question, but I let it pass. I looked around the throne room. ¡°All of this¡­it¡¯s mine when I get here?¡±


    ¡°This and more.¡± Penemue smiled as she nodded to me. ¡°You can only see this room for now, but there is so much more to see.¡± My Regent strode further into the room, her gaze rolling around the frayed stone walls. ¡°The castle lives like any other. She¡¯s been in disarray, existing without a King. But now? With your willing ascension, she¡¯ll begin to return to her days of wonder and glory.¡± She then turned to face me, her smile wide and proud. ¡°All with you sitting upon her throne.¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to do as King?¡± I asked her. ¡°I know nothing about politics or ruling.¡±


    ¡°As Demon Lord, your word is Law in Terras. Whatever your whims offer you, they will follow gleefully and without hesitation by its inhabitants.¡± Her eyes took on an ominous glow, lips curling strangely. ¡°Once you find your Generals, then we can finally bring Terras back to its former glory, and you can enjoy the freedom you¡¯ve yearned for so long.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re using each other for our own ends, then?¡±


    ¡°If that is what you believe, then so shall it be.¡± Penemue demurred with an incline of her head.


    I took her words with a faint frown, before turning to regard her. ¡°Mina. What is she like?¡±


    Penemue did not answer immediately before her lips curled playfully. ¡°You¡¯ll have to see, My King.¡± I opened my mouth to ask another question, but my Regent continued. ¡°Good morning, Joseph. I hope you rested well.¡±


    Confusion filled me. ¡°What do-¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°-you mean,¡± I mumbled out as my eyes opened and I stared at the wooden ceiling above me. I blinked a few times as I sat up, taking in my current surroundings. I had woken up back in the room that Sora and I had rented. ¡°Did¡­she just play a prank on me?¡± Disbelief filled me as I palmed my face and shook my head.


    ¡°Joey? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sora asked me as she too sat up on her bed, the shoulder of her shirt dipping downwards.


    ¡°Penemue is a troll,¡± I said as turned to the side, stepping onto the cold wooden floor.


    Sora frowned at me. ¡°A ¡®troll¡¯? I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a troll. I may not know what her species is, but she is no troll.¡±


    I let out a laugh as I looked over to her. ¡°It has a different meaning in my old world. Basically, playing a joke for the sake of causing trouble.¡±


    She continued to frown as if mulling the word over in her mind as she got to her feet. Then she hummed and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll never understand how a human¡¯s mind works. I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± Sora then reached down the hem of her shirt and pulled it off over her head, without a care for my presence. Once again, I noticed the scars that peppered her bare back, shifting ever so lightly as she moved. The tight, corded muscle that demonstrated her clear history of physical activity.


    Turning my head from her, I faced the wall on the other side of my bed and began to change back into my armor. As I stripped down to a pair of braise, I caught sight of a black blob sitting on my bed in my periphery. Turning my head, I looked down at my newest follower, an Amarok puppy. Her pale red eyes stared unblinkingly at me as if waiting for something. ¡°Did you sleep well, Marishka?¡± I asked her as I pulled on my pants and began to strap on my greaves, sitting next to her on the bed.


    She bared her teeth in a pronounced yawn, sliding her tongue along her teeth sleepily. She groaned at me, a hint of exasperation coloring her stare.


    I let out a gentle laugh. ¡°Yeah, it is early to be getting up, but when you have places to be¡­?¡± I shrugged as I snapped the last buckle in place and stood back up. Turning around, I noticed Sora smoothing out the creases of her dress and adjusting her corset.


    Sora caught me looking and twisted around to both study me and smile in amusement at Marishka. Her eyes trailed along my chest before she met my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll take Marishka out before you and set up our horses. Don¡¯t take too long.¡± She walked over to the Amarok and leaned down to pick her up, but Marishka snapped at her, snarling at the witch. Sora narrowed her eyes, which took on a menacing glow.


    Before she could respond, I snapped my fingers next to the pup¡¯s ear, causing her jump and whine in surprise. ¡°Hey. None of that.¡± I scolded her, giving her a stern glare. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be picked up, then stay close and unseen. But I will not have fighting amongst us.¡± I looked to Sora for a moment, meeting her eyes and seeing a glint of approval. Whether that be for my discipline of Rishka, or just for taking charge, I didn¡¯t know. ¡°The three of us are in this together. I will not accept infighting. Am I understood?¡± My eyes went from the Amarok, then to the Witch.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Soralynn purred submissively, her eyes taking on a faint glow, approval dancing in her smile.


    Marishka groaned in answer to my statement, standing up and hopping down to the ground at Sora¡¯s feet.


    I then focused on Sora, who smiled mysteriously at me. ¡°Do what you have to do, but don¡¯t pick up Marishka unless it¡¯s necessary.¡± Sora nodded to me, her smile widening subtly. Looking over the edge of the bed, I locked eyes with the Amarok. ¡°And you, Marishka. Sora knows this place very well like she knows people. Follow her lead till I get to you.¡± She groaned at me, turning her head away from me petulantly.


    ¡°Worry not, my King.¡± Sora started softly, crossing an arm over her heart. ¡°We¡¯ll get out of here safely.¡± With that, she waved a hand over herself and her reluctant companion, causing a faint ripple to roll over them, then promptly left the room with her bag in hand.


    I closed my eyes and let out a breath, shaking my head. ¡°That puppy¡­¡± Then, with one last sigh, I went about changing into the rest of my armor.


    It didn¡¯t take long, even with the addition of the hilt attached to my belt, for me to get fully dressed. The jacket felt pleasantly snug, but still offered plenty of room for me to maneuver without being restricted. Even after having already worn it yesterday, I couldn¡¯t help the childish glee that filled me as I wore it. Then I swiftly realized the life I now lived and the circumstances behind it. Abducted to a new world; forced to fight for them and killed by someone I considered a brother in all but blood. That quickly dampened what excitement I felt. Closing my eyes, I exhaled through my nose and pushed aside those negative thoughts. Treating them like I did my asthma, I pushed them out and took in what positivity I could.


    ¡°I¡¯m living in a fantasy world now,¡± I muttered under my breath, fostering that childish glee to resurface. A laugh escaped me, warmth filling my chest. My shoulders fell as tension bled out of me. Rolling my neck, I lifted my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I walked out of the room, picking up the key for the bedroom from the nightstand.


    As I walked down the steps to the first floor, I couldn¡¯t help but hear a cacophony of voices echoing downstairs, anger and fear coloring the words with a menagerie of hues. I paused on the steps, confusion filling me. Wait. How could I know that? Furrowing my brow, I focused on the colors.


    Reds, yellows, greys. They dominated the atmosphere of the bar and inn, even from where I stood on the steps. They swirled and flowed in the air before, darkening and lightening in twisting intervals. It looked like a physical representation of a drug trip a person could see on television. I focused on the colors and began to understand the emotions connecting to them. Anger, fear, anxiety. Emotions that roiled and churned in the stomach of the ones experiencing them.


    The smell of rotten and burnt meat tickled my nose, nearly forcing me to gag. It didn¡¯t feel like a natural smell, but one that stroked the back of my mind and my throat.


    A groan escaped me. ¡°I can smell emotions, too?¡± Exasperation filled me as I shook my head and muttered under my breath. ¡°I¡¯ll focus on that later. I need to figure out what¡¯s going on first.¡± Continuing down the stairs, I reached the first floor and saw that Sora stood by the bar, frustration coloring her stoic mien as she stared at the woman.


    ¡°What do you mean no one can leave? My friend and I have places we need to be.¡± Her tone of voice, smooth as silk, but with a hint of steel behind it, demanded an explanation.


    The woman appeared obstinate but sympathetic. ¡°I apologize, but the militia has closed the entryways until this situation resolves itself. It¡¯s all in place for the safety of travelers; I promise you.¡±


    Sora looked like she wanted to retort, her expression cracking to show hints of her anger, but she closed her eyes to let out a breath. Next to her, sitting on her hind legs, Marishka silently snarled at the woman, unseen under Sora¡¯s veil.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked as I approached the pair. Behind Sora, in the tavern proper, were a plethora of armored and armed people speaking amongst themselves, as if in an informal war council. As I stepped off the stairwell, a few of the older looking soldiers glanced over to me, their gazes falling on my sword as I headed to the bar.


    The woman at the bar frowned as she glanced behind Sora and me, still uncomfortable with Sora¡¯s regard. Then she sighed, her skin looking green. Fear and anxiety rolled off of her in waves, though I tried to ignore them. ¡°During a routine check of the area, the militia¡¯s scouts found the bodies of several mutilated bandits, as if mauled by a wild animal.¡± She grimaced, her lips curling. ¡°There have also been several abductions for women and children.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at that, looking to the bar in thought. ¡°And they¡¯re locking everyone in here because¡­?¡±


    She looked vaguely uncomfortable at my question. ¡°The leaders of the militia are concerned that the kidnappings happened from within this settlement.¡±


    I tried not to roll my eyes at her answer. Of course, it happened from inside the settlement. Still, now seemed like the wrong time to retort with sarcasm. ¡°So there¡¯s an inside man?¡± She gave me a confused look at my question, clearly not understanding my term. Nodding at her confusion, I elaborated, ¡°Could there be a bandit in the settlement, hiding in plain sight, sending their comrade''s information?¡±


    Realization appeared in her face, and she swiftly nodded. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what the commander believes.¡± She smiled as if she had won a prize from such a simple deduction.


    Sora regarded me plainly, though I caught a hint of warning in her amber gaze.


    ¡°You thought that up pretty quickly, young man.¡± I turned around to see an older man with a trimmed salt and pepper beard, dressed in simple, but sturdy leather and steel armor. A one-handed hammer with an ax blade on one side rested at his side. Sharp, brown eyes framed by pronounced crow¡¯s feet focused on me with a concerning intensity. ¡°Not many people come up with ideas like that. What brought you to it?¡±


    For an instant, I stiffened with indecision. How could I spin this without sounding suspect or delusional?


    ¡°What other reason could there be for the militia to close the settlement?¡± I replied with a rhetorical question. ¡°It¡¯s common sense. If you know there¡¯s a danger, and a potential source of it hides amongst the people, like a fox in the henhouse, then it¡¯s best to lock it down so the hounds can find it before things go out of control.¡±


    The man gave me an appraising look, his expression stoic for a few moments before he nodded in approval. ¡°I¡¯m glad some people understand. I¡¯ve had to deal with a few rowdy travelers giving the little lady here trouble.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± The young woman behind the bar scowled at him, causing him to chuckle good-naturedly.


    The commander shook his head, before facing me once more. ¡°You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders if only figuring out what others didn¡¯t. What say you join us for planning out defenses?¡±


    I shared a look with Sora, who remained stoic. She stared back at me, eyes flickering with masked frustration. Then I turned back to the commander. ¡°Would this be resolved today if I did? My friend and I do have places we need to be today.¡±


    ¡°You and everyone else, boy.¡± The man scowled at me, before closing his eyes and exhaling through his nose. ¡°Perhaps if we locate the source of the potential assault, then I¡¯ll loosen the blockade. But I refuse to let those selfish vagabonds take more than their little camps.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ve got yourself another pair of eyes and a sword arm,¡± I answered the man as I stepped away from the bar, resting my hand on the hilt of my sword.


    The man grinned clapping me on the shoulder. The force of the impact would¡¯ve forced me to buckle in the past, but it did little more than make me square my shoulders. ¡°Good man. We¡¯ll be over by the grouped tables when you¡¯re ready to join us.¡± He then turned and strode back to the rest of the militia.


    I turned back to Sora, keeping Marishka in my periphery. ¡°Keep an eye on things here. I¡¯ll be offering my strength to the militia so we can leave as soon as possible.¡±


    Sora nodded, crossing her arms with a frown. ¡°I shall stay and help protect the remaining women and children, then.¡± I returned her nod and made to follow the old man to the impromptu meeting, but she caught me by the arm. ¡°Lyall.¡± She called me by the name we agreed would be my pseudonym. I met her worried gaze once more. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    I nodded to her with a small smile, before turning an approaching the impromptu war council. As I did, though, I couldn¡¯t help but get the occasional flashback to what happened in Nyrill, my last meeting with the whole of my old class.


    Shaking my head, I finally reached the tables where the commander had taken a few tables and pushed them together and surrounded it with a collection of other armed and armored people, men, and woman. They were an assortment of simple armors, primarily leather and the occasional chainmail. Very few, almost none, wore plain steel, but a person or two who wore it in their armor, at least on a small portion.


    The commander smirked playfully at me. ¡°Your woman offering her parting words?¡±


    ¡°Just a friend, a traveling companion.¡± I gently refuted him, my gaze rolling across the map of the settlement, taking in the various circular tacks that I assumed marked positions where the militia had people stationed. ¡°What are we looking at?¡± I decided to get right down to business. I had places to go and people to meet ¡ª the less time I wasted on the arrogance of those involved with banditry, the better.


    ¡°A guild-trained scout saw a few signs.¡± The commander answered decisively, turning his attention to a young woman who appeared to be trying to hide in the back of the group, yet still tried to pay attention to the meeting. She had a petite, slender frame that remained hidden beneath a dark brown cloak with the hood pulled over her head. ¡°Relona, we¡¯re going to begin the meeting to assault the bandits.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Her voice had a light timbre to it as she approached the table, steps too light to make noise. As she got closer, I noticed her pointed chin peeking out from the shadow of her hood. Her skin had a light tan complexion. The young woman stood a few inches shorter than me, the top of her head reaching my chin. She approached the table, turning her gaze up to me. Her eyes were a forest green color, reminding me of leaves on a summer day. She studied me intently for a few tense seconds before she looked down to the map. A slender, gloved finger poked out from her sleeve and rested on the map that depicted the forestry on the north end of the village. ¡°There were a lot of footprints here that lead out. They appeared sloppily hidden.¡±


    I hummed at her answer, narrowing my eyes at the map. ¡°They tried to hide, but were in a rush,¡± I mumbled as I stared at where her finger rested, trying to remember the exact location or if I had seen that area. I looked back to Relona, who studied me with a surprising intensity. ¡°How close is their base camp?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer immediately but sluggishly shrugged. ¡°Close enough they¡¯d want to hide evidence. Far enough to need to hurry. I didn¡¯t follow their path to check.¡±


    The commander grunted in dissatisfaction. ¡°Either way, they¡¯re too close for comfort. I want them gone.¡±


    Frowning, I studied the map. ¡°Relona, can you still follow the trail?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± She nodded at me. ¡°It¡¯s still fresh, but too many people will ruin it.¡± Relona paused, her lips pursing in distaste. ¡°Also, everyone else is too noisy. They¡¯d hear us far before we reached the hostages.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone¡¯s a ghost like you, Lona.¡± One of the other militiamen grunted, getting a heated stare from her.


    ¡°Not my name.¡± She rebuked and swiftly turned back to the map.


    The commander shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve told you once before, Relona. I¡¯m not letting you go off on your own.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t catch me.¡± She defended, her hand clenching.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if they have any Diviners, traps or scouts like you.¡± The old man stared her down.


    Relona set her jaw, defiance dancing in her gaze. ¡°There are no scouts like me.¡±


    A frustrated grunt answered her. ¡°So you say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with her.¡± I cut in, mostly to stop the argument. That caused almost everyone to turn towards me, disbelief and surprise in their expressions. Though, the commander seemed skeptical if the arch of his brow meant anything. Relona, though, stared at me with her wide green eyes. ¡°I¡¯m light on my feet and a fast learner.¡± Then I smirked. ¡°If I get caught, I think I can make a noisy distraction for her to either get away or find the hostages.¡±


    The man narrowed his eyes at me, pursing his lips. His gaze flickered to the sword at my waist. ¡°How are you with that sword?¡±


    ¡°Like I¡¯ve used it for years.¡± I gave instead of an answer. The commander grunted, holding back a smile if the faint twitch of his lips indicated anything. He turned to Relona. ¡°Are you willing to do this, Relona?¡±


    She did not answer him, studying me. ¡°Can I trust you?¡± Her voice sounded light, but I felt an edge to her tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s not something I can decide for you,¡± I replied, meeting her gaze without hesitation. ¡°All I can tell you, that you¡¯ll likely believe, is that I want to rescue the innocent villagers.¡±


    Relona remained silent for a few moments, staring at me intently. Then she very noticeably turned towards the commander. ¡°I agree with his plan. We¡¯ll work faster as a pair than as a group.¡±


    The old man narrowed his eyes at me as if searching for something. After a nod, he turned back to Relona. ¡°You got your special arrows, there, Little Lona?¡± Relona frowned, narrowing her eyes even as she nodded to him. The man smirked as he crossed his arms, turning his attention to the rest of the group. ¡°Got that, men? We got a pair of scouts willing to brave those bandits for you. Let¡¯s give them our best!¡±


    The roared an affirmative with their answer, fists slamming against hard surfaces.


    Relona and I shared an exasperated stare.

 Alea Iacta Est - 6

    We stood at the place where Relona last saw the footprints leading into the forest. The scout crouched as she studied the ground with a clinical intensity, eyes flickering along the faintly pressed earth. There were only the two of us, since the more people who came along, the more likely we¡¯d lose the tracks to our footprints.


    Relona suddenly stood, staring forward with a frown. ¡°Stay close and stay quiet. I¡¯ve picked up their trail.¡± Without waiting for my response, she shot into the thick forestry upon light steps.


    I followed her without trouble, keeping pace as my eyes flickered through our surroundings. As I kept pace with her, I reached behind me to double check the new weapon that Sora had given me before heading off with Relona¡­


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± I stopped at the entrance of the inn, turning around to see Sora walking up to me, an object in her left hand. She came to a slow stop and held out her hand, showing to a black sheathed knife. The sheath was primarily black, though there was a white streak along the inner curve. There was a curved, ovular guard, reminding me of a K-bar, though with a stylistic medieval bent.


    I lifted the weapon from her hand, holding it by the sheath. Overall, it seemed to be around seven and a half inches long, from tip to pommel. An electric-like tingle raced up my hand as I held it, but it didn¡¯t feel like my Affinity triggering, considering I¡¯ve held daggers and knives before.


    ¡°This is Kato,¡± Sora explained, causing me to look back up to with a frown.


    ¡°We just picked me up a sword¡­¡±


    Sora let out a faint laugh. ¡°And we both know your history with them.¡± I rolled my eyes at that, though I focused them on her when her hands rested on mine, wrapping my fingers around the hilt. ¡°Should your sword break, Kato will not.¡±


    I tried to ask more, but a combination of factors prevented from doing that. The knife was attached to my belt, parallel to it, lengthwise. My feet raced along the cluttered earth, skipping past exposed roots and around bushes to keep noise to a minimum. I occasionally lost sight of Relona, but I could still see flickers of a muted red, that faded in and out as I caught sight of her again and again. She moved like a shadow, vanishing as the light faded in and out as we ventured further into the woods.


    Suddenly, she came to a stop by a thick trunk of a nearby tree. Lifting a hand, Relona waved me down. I ghosted over to her side and peeked around the tree. ¡°We¡¯re close.¡± She explained, her gaze focusing in the distance through narrowed eyes. ¡°The entrance to the camp is just up ahead.¡± Relona turned her head to looked towards me. ¡°The hostages are likely kept in the back of the camp, farther from the village.¡±


    ¡°And if you want to search for them, I¡¯ll slow you down.¡± She nodded in response to my blunt assessment. ¡°Then, go. I¡¯ll keep watch from here.¡± Relona didn¡¯t reply at my words, just studying me. I found myself rolling my eyes at her subtle disbelief at my willingness to follow her lead. ¡°Look. Pride has nothing to do with this. I want them saved just as much as the next person. You do what you need to do, and I¡¯ll support you.¡± I kept my voice low but tried to convey my sincerity to her.


    Relona¡¯s lips curled downwards, not responding to my words for a few moments before she nodded. ¡°Stay and keep watch. If they realize that something is wrong, then get their attention.¡± She then stepped around me, vanishing in the underbrush. Waiting a few moments for her to gain some ground, I turned my attention back to the opposite side of the tree. Leaning against it, I peered around the tree and took Relona¡¯s former position.


    From where I stood, I could see the bandit camp. Cloth tents were raised, covered fire pits created in the center of the field, with several wooden cages that riddled the far end of the site. A hastily crafted wooden shed rested on the other end, with men in leather and cloth armor going in and out of it in random intervals. They spoke to one another in voices that I couldn¡¯t hear, laughing about something.


    ¡°They¡¯re laughing about the village¡¯s poor defenses.¡± A feminine voice whispered behind me, causing me to twist around, unsheathing the knife that Sora had given me. Pressing the blade to the newcomer, I roughly grabbed her by the shoulder and spun us around to hold her against the tree. The stranger appeared to be a young woman around my age with black bangs and short black hair that fell to just above the bottom of her ears. She wore a set of formfitting black leathers that hugged her lithe, feminine figure, clearly meant to distract those she fought. An empty sheath poked out from below her left elbow, diagonally pointing to the ground. Dark eyes studied me, showing no fear, only curiosity. Her skin had a naturally pale pallor; her face from the bridge of the nose downward covered by a cloth mask.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I demanded an answer from the stranger, watching as she lifted her head when I pressed the knife closer to her neck.


    ¡°Kato.¡± Her voice came out in a faint monotone, eyes watching me closely.


    I furrowed my brow, flickering my gaze between her and the camp to make sure I would remain aware of my surroundings. I looked back at the woman. ¡°Kato? The hell do you mean? The same as the knife?¡±


    Her expression twisted, brows furrowing at my answer, though her lips remained unmoving. ¡°Knife? I am no simple ¡®knife.¡¯¡± She sounded insulted by my summation of the weapon in my hand.


    Confusion filled me at her answer. ¡°What? What are you-¡± I felt my eyes widen before they narrowed. The air around her seemed to shift as I focused solely on her, a flicker of light dancing in her dark eyes, like a reflection in the steel of the blade. ¡°You¡¯re the dagger¡­¡± I continued, choosing a different name for the weapon.


    She still didn¡¯t look happy at my name for her weapon form but nodded nonetheless. I pulled the blade from her throat and shifted to the side, allowing her to step to my flank. ¡°We can speak later, if you wish, Milord,¡± Kato spoke silently, her stern gaze turning from me to the bandit camp.


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right, we are,¡± I replied with a murmur, leaning back against the tree and I returned the dagger to the sheath at my back. Watching the men go back and forth, I kept an eye out for anything that would give me the warning to support Relona.


    ¡°The half-elf is too skilled for you to notice at your current level of awareness,¡± Kato spoke softly, her gaze watching the camp. She peered around the other side of the tree. ¡°The best time for you to act would be when a majority of them move towards the cages in the back of the camp.¡±


    I frowned at her unwarranted advice but said nothing to disregard them. Merely taking in her words, I continued to observe, until they finally sunk in. Shock flew through me. ¡°Wait?! Half-elf?¡± I whispered to her, surprised at the description of Relona.


    Kato frowned at me, a hint of disapproval in her gaze. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± A second of silence passed, before she nodded once, her expression smoothing over. ¡°You didn¡¯t know. You¡¯ve yet to learn how to discern species at sight.¡± Her eyes went from me to the camp, then back to me. ¡°You will learn of your abilities as time passes. If you have any questions, feel free to bring them towards myself or Soralynn.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but give her a disbelieving stare, blinking at her blunt admission as if she hadn¡¯t just dropped a bombshell on me. Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. Holding back a sigh, I turned my attention back onto the camp. They were still milling about, though I did catch strange movement near the back. Colors danced in my vision, illuminating different members of the group. I narrowed my eyes and watched they began to get rowdy, happily exclaiming as a few of them decided to head to the back.


    ¡°We need to get closer.¡± I murmured as I slipped away from the tree and crouched closer to the brush. Kato silently followed after me, sticking to my shadow in a strangely unobtrusive manner. I slid forward with silent footsteps until I managed to gain a better view of the camp. Reaching a rather thin tree closer to the edge of the area, I crouched down and leaned against it with most of my body weight to keep the majority of pressure off my legs, hand resting on the trunk. At this point, I could hear them.


    ¡°How much did the boss say we needed to get before returning?¡± One of them spoke up as they milled about in their tents.


    ¡°As much silver as we can carry.¡± The second started in a raspy voice. ¡°But, if they have gold, then we bleed ¡®em for all they¡¯re worth.¡±


    ¡°Heh. I ¡®member bossman calling this place a ¡®treasury¡¯ or somethin¡¯ like that.¡±


    A third one cut in. ¡°Hostages would work pretty good. Making sure they know we mean business.¡± He meandered around an unlit firepit. ¡°They probably know we got ¡®em by now.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because one idiot got too excited.¡± The first one spoke up, his shadow peeking out from inside of a tent. ¡°Now we got to keep watch; else we¡¯ll get surprised.¡±


    The third man snorted. ¡°Those old fools won¡¯t dare. We got their women and brats.¡±


    ¡°I still say we pull one of the woman-folk out and have some fun.¡± The raspy one grumbled, walking out of the tent. ¡°There were a bunch of plump bitches I¡¯d love to pick from.¡±


    ¡°And the boss said no ¡®tasting the merchandise.¡¯¡± The first snarled at him, causing the raspy one to flinch away. ¡°That sort of shit pisses off the townsfolk, makin¡¯ them call in the knights. We don¡¯ need that kind o¡¯ heat.¡±


    ¡°Milord.¡± Kato¡¯s monotone voice pulled me from my observations. ¡°Your hand.¡± I looked to what she pointed out and saw that my fingers had dug into the wood of the tree. Closing my eyes, I forced myself to calm down and lessen the pressure my fingers gave off.


    ¡°Fuck it.¡± The raspy one snarled. ¡°Oi! You! Bring out one of the girls. I¡¯m bored!¡± My eyes shot open as I stared at the source. The man pointed to one of the grunts. ¡°Take one to my tent, now!¡± The man took off running as if shocked.


    The owner of the first voice stormed forward and grabbed him by the collar of his armor. ¡°What did I just say?!¡±


    ¡°The boss said to enjoy ourselves.¡± The raspy one retorted, pushing him back. ¡°¡¯ Sides, we¡¯re not sellin¡¯ all of them to those slavers.¡±


    ¡°You stupi-¡± The three of them froze and turned to face the direction I was in, standing as they did. ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡±


    As they argued, I had decided that I would wait no longer, done listening to their pointless arguments. I wasn¡¯t going to stand by and allow them to take advantage of a defenseless young woman. The fact that I was a ¡®Demon Lord¡¯ meant nothing compared to that. I had a fucking conscience, and it demanded a single thing from me: stop these bastards, no matter what.


    If they had to die? Then so be it.


    I stood and strode into the campsite without a care in the world, already drawing my sword from its sheath. Kato fell into step with me, a foot behind me, and to my right. At his question, I turned my attention solely on him, causing him to flinch back. They all wore similar armor, with little variation. Basic, black leathers that hung loosely, while carrying an assortment of bladed weaponry. From the other tents, more men walked out, each of them covered in dirt and grass stains, all bringing their weaponry, from bows to daggers, to swords.


    I stared at the trio who I heard speak before showing myself. ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter to you, because I¡¯m here to make one thing clear.¡± I hefted my sword, allowing the late morning sunlight to bounce off of it. ¡°I¡¯m going to break you.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The first and third stared at me, appearing unnerved. Whether it was at my appearance or demeanor, I didn¡¯t know. The second one, though, laughed at me with a raspy voice. The man''s dirty face marred by a scar along his ear and over his lips sneering at me. ¡°Gonna break us, eh? You and your girly, there? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡±


    I saw Kato shift in my periphery, a flicker of steel in her hands, palms facing behind her. She seemed to be waiting on my word.


    I took a single step forward, causing the two I mentioned earlier to flinch. ¡°You¡¯re a cocky one, aren¡¯t you? Go ahead. Bring me your best.¡± I challenged him, allowing my anger to come forward, shaping the grin that I gave them. At that, all three were unnerved. ¡°Because I¡¯ll take your best and bend it over my knee. Everything you¡¯ve ever accomplished; all the pride you¡¯ve felt? I¡¯ll make it all pointless.¡± Adrenaline surged through me, my heart pounding, as I finally voiced my newfound confidence.


    The raspy one snarled at me. ¡°Keep your delusions to yourself, boy.¡±


    The first grimaced as he looked from me to his comrades. ¡°I don¡¯t like the look of this kid¡­¡± He pulled a pair of hand axes from his belt, his hands flexing as he adjusted his grips.


    The third shook his head, lifting the spear from his back. ¡°I think¡­the smart thing would be to retreat.¡±


    The second bandit sneered at his comrades. ¡°You fools are scared of this brat? He¡¯s just a kid!¡± He pointed at me. ¡°Get ¡®em, boys!¡± At that, all the men that had stepped out of their tents charged towards Kato and me.


    I felt nothing at the difference in numbers, only disappointment. ¡°Kato. Keep them off my back. I¡¯m going to take out the garbage.¡±


    Kato bent her legs, her hands opening at her flanks, naked blades falling from between her fingers. ¡°At your command, Milord.¡± She threw her hands forward, causing the knives to fly through the air. She was a black streak as she raced ahead of me, intercepting the men who charged towards me.


    I kicked forward, seconds after her, allowing a grin to appear on my face. The raspy one flinched as I reached him, clearly surprised by my exuberance. Thrusting my sword forward, I aimed to disembowel the poor bastard. The man managed to get his sword in the way of my attack, pushing it aside with a grunt. Before he could retaliate, though, I slugged him across the jaw with my free hand. Blood streaked from his mouth as I felt his teeth cut the skin on my knuckles. He staggered from me, looking woozy. Before I could continue my assault, the remaining two bandits joined to support their comrade.


    They attacked me from both of my sides, aiming to hem me in from the left and the right. I lifted my sword and swiftly parried both attacks, following up with a kick to the third guy¡¯s stomach and a backhanded slash at the first outlaw. They staggered from me, grimacing from my attacks and glaring at me in turn. I let out a laugh at the trio, lowering my sword to show how little of a threat I considered them.


    The three of them managed to gather their wits and looked to one another, each looking torn between frustrated and accepting. After a few seconds, they reluctantly nodded following one another. The trio separated and began to surround me, stepping out of my periphery. I turned my head to look to each of them, allowing my grin to grow even more. I clenched the hand holding the sword, and I heard my knuckles crack. My eyes flicked about them as I willed my shoulders to relax. ¡°Time to go in order,¡± I muttered to myself.


    I exhaled softly and whipped around to face the first guy that I heard. He didn¡¯t look surprised as I charged him, my sword singing as I swung it towards him. He brought up one of his axes and blocked my sword with the haft, directly beneath the blade. Twisting his weapon, he tried to rip my sword from my hand, but I stepped forward and into his guard, drilling an elbow into his chest. The bandit exhaled painfully, staggering back from the impact of my strike. I pulled my sword free from his attempt to disarm me and unleashed another barrage of attacks.


    My sword sang as I slashed at him again and again. I struck from all sides, forcing him to stay on the backfoot. Steel clanged and echoed from the clash of our blades, but I slipped forward and punched him in the throat. He gagged and staggered back, but as I tried to follow up, I felt a tingle race up my spine. Ducking down, I dodged a stab of the third¡¯s spear. Jerking to the side, I threw my left arm upwards and against the haft of his spear with my armored vambrace. Stunned by my counter, the third grunted and tried to recover. The point of my sword rocketed to his open flank.


    The second roared and slashed at my back; I caught sight of him through my periphery. Abandoning my current attack, I dug the heel of my left foot in the earth and pivoted to the side. Ducking beneath the attack, I rotated around and jammed the hilt of my sword in the second bandit¡¯s flank. He exhaled painfully from the blow, nearly dropping his sword as he took a step back. I stomped my foot into the ground and sprang forward, my sword spearing forward with a twist of my waist. He grimaced, but blocked my lunge, though I forced his sword aside.


    In my periphery, an ax flickered into sight, clearly aiming for my back. My sword intercepted its path and was forced to stagger back from the impact. The spear tried to gore me from behind me, but I sidestepped it, aiming an overhead slash at the third.


    Time and time again, the three tried to use the fact that they had surrounded me to strike me down, but all it proved was that my heightened instinctswere beyond what they were before my death. My reflexes answered every one of their attacks, and I pushed them back again and again. They thought they had me; that all it¡¯d take for them to kill me finally was a single lucky strike. Unfortunately for them, this was just a moment for me to feel how different my body became after my resurrection.


    My senses were sharper; I could hear the whistle of steel swung through the air; I could taste their frustration, their anger, at being unable to hit me. My instincts were almost precognitive, forcing my body to react literally seconds after catching their movements. I felt stronger, able to brush aside their strikes with little effort. I could predict where they¡¯d move next by studying their expressions, reading them like an open book. My Affinity had seemingly triggered with my very body, considering it a weapon in and of itself. But I knew that wasn¡¯t the case, because this was me. This battle, these actions, was all me.


    Throwing my free hand to the side, I caught the haft of the spear as the third once again failed to pierce me with it. Throwing it downwards, I heard the bandit grunt as he fell to a knee. Stepping towards him, I planted my foot onto the haft of his spear and pushed it onto the ground. The third bandit, now disarmed, tried to flee with a stutter step backward, but I was too fast for him. Kicking forward, I flexed my arm as my sword ripped through his armor and out of his back. He hacked out a cough, blood painting his chin.


    I grabbed him by the shoulder and made an about-face, turning to the remaining two bandits. They looked on in shock and rage at what I had just done. The second let out a growl as he raced ahead, much to the first¡¯s surprise. A kick from me forced my impromptu shield to tear himself off my bloodied sword and crash into the charging bandit. The two of them became a mass of chaotic limbs before falling to the ground with a thud and echoing snarls.


    I turned my attention to the first bandit with a grin, slashing my sword to the side to force the blood to fly off it. Leaning forward, I raced towards him with a lunge. He swung an ax to counter my thrust, aiming at my face, but I ducked passed it. The banditattempted to jerk to the side to avoid a fight-ending stab through his gut, but couldn¡¯t evade the gash that I opened up on his side. He growled and unleashed a flurry of ax swipes, clearly hoping to overwhelm me. My sword answered his every strike, meeting themat every blow, every swing.


    With a twist of my blade, I hooked my sword beneath the edge of his ax and ripped one of his weapons from his right hand. It flipped midair, soaring upwards until I swiped it off the air with my free hand. Within the same swing, I slashed downwards and felt flesh give way as his left hand fell to the ground, blood dripping from his severed wrist. Stunned from the loss of his hand, he froze and stared at where it once was. Just as he appeared to break from his stupor, I flipped the sword in my grasp until the blade pointed to the ground. Stabbing downwards, I pinned his foot to the earth with my sword.


    The first bandit let out an echoing cry as I stabbed his foot into the earth. Ripping my sword free, I slid backward and viciously kicked him in the chest. He fell to the ground with the air knocked out of him. I dropped my foot back to the ground and sauntered over to him. Reaching down, I grabbed him by his hair and pulled his head up. His mouth opened as his eyes widened with fear, but I did not let him speak, just punching him in the face with the cross guard of my sword. Blood spurted from his shattered nose as his head lolled in my grip as he fell limp.


    Letting him go, I turned around just in time to see the second bandit climbing to his feet, after having separated from his beaten comrade. He panted and looked from me to his fallen allies. Fear flickered in his gaze before he snuffed it with rage. ¡°The hell are you?!¡±


    ¡°Your ¡®boss¡¯,¡± I growled out, my voice rougher than usual and lips parted to reveal my teeth, ignoring his question. ¡°What is his name?¡± Even as my heart pounded in my chest, I didn¡¯t feel tired. No. I felt excited, ready to continue, ready to push myself even harder. I wasn¡¯t winded. It was such a rush, not having to worry about my asthma crippling me anymore.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± The bandit took a reluctant step back.


    A laugh bubbled within my chest. ¡°You¡¯re going to be stubborn? Now?¡± I took a step forward, causing him to stagger backward. ¡°Your comrades got off easy. You¡¯re all kidnapping scum, but at least they weren¡¯t planning on violating anyone.¡± I lifted my sword and pointed the tip at him. Blood dripped off the guard and the blade, from my previous attacks on the defeated men at my feet. ¡°Your comrades are alive at my mercy, but you¡¯ll get far worse if you don¡¯t answer my question. Who is your leader?¡±


    He gritted his teeth, looking around frantically. ¡°He doesn¡¯t-¡± He slashed at me with his sword, clearly trying to surprise me. I scoffed as I lazily flicked my sword to the side, the flat of the blade smacking him on the arm. He jerked back as I stepped forward and threw a left jab at his face. My bloody knuckles broke his nose with an echoing crack. He dropped his sword and put both hands over his nose, letting out a cry of pain.


    With the same hand, I reach forward and grabbed him by the throat, digging my thumb into the point between his jugulars. He gagged nasally, dropped to his knees, his hands grabbing my wrist to try and pry himself free. I stared down at him, keeping my expression neutral as I felt my frustration rising. ¡°You¡¯re trying my patience. Tell me what I want to know.¡± He nodded as frantically as he could despite my grip on his neck. I narrowed my eyes at him, noticing the rising fear that began to color the air around his body, overriding the anger that had dominated him earlier. ¡°I¡¯m going to let you go. If I don¡¯t get the answer, I want¡­¡± I placed the tip of my sword below his left eye, very carefully breaking the skin to cause a drop of blood to surface. He whimpered at my threat, grunting in assent and holding himself back from nodding.


    Releasing him, I stepped back and watched as he sucked in breath after breath, gingerly rubbing his neck. I waited patiently as he gathered himself. ¡°Well?¡± I prompted him, his shoulder stiffening.


    ¡°The Boss¡­¡± He sucked in a breath, his voice even raspier than before. ¡°The boss normally goes by Yin.¡± He flinched as I narrowed my eyes at his answer before he tried to explain himself. ¡°We don¡¯t know his real name! He hasn¡¯t told anyone aside from his righthand man! We¡¯re just grunts!¡±


    ¡°Yin, huh.¡± I mused as I considered the name. Something like seems painfully obvious, considering what Sora has told me. ¡®Yin¡¯ is a Chinese term, if my memory serves me well. Is it wrong of me to assume it¡¯s Guang? I¡¯ll have to shelve it for later. ¡°I see.¡±


    The second bandit nodded frantically, before grimacing as he gingerly rubbed his throat. ¡°I told you all I know! Can-can-can, I go?¡±


    ¡°Can you go?¡± I gave him an incredulous stare before I snorted. My foot snapped out, catching him in the throat. Blood erupted from between his lips as he fell backward, gagging as he held his throat. ¡°Kidnapping innocent women and children; threatening to ¡®taste the merchandise.¡¯¡± I felt my upper lip peel back, baring my teeth in an obvious sneer. ¡°You must be delusional if you think I¡¯ll let you go after hearing that. I¡¯ll let you live, all of you, but only until the villagers can get their justice.¡±


    I stood there, feeling better than I ever have had before. It felt like adrenalineracedthrough my veins, yet I had no jitters, no shaking limbs, nothing. My lungs flared, sucking in air and expelling it with an ease that frightened me, knowing my history with asthma. I felt stronger, more focused, and capable of doing so much more than before. I sucked in air through my nose and rolled my shoulders.


    I turned away from him, ignoring his pained gagging and gasps for breath, to see that Relona had returned and stood next to a motionless Kato. Both seemed to watch me; the former with a stoic curiosity and the latter radiating a silent approval. ¡°Is everyone safe?¡± I asked Relona.


    She offered me a slow nod, her eyes rolling over the beaten bandits around me. She appeared torn between amusement and frustration. ¡°I saw where they held the hostages.¡± Relona started with a whisper. She frowned, eyes narrowing as she stared at them. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill them?¡±


    My response didn¡¯t come immediately. Why didn¡¯t I kill the outlaws? I defeated them. I proved my dominance as a better warrior; I proved my might. In a world like this, the common thread of society is ¡®might makes right.¡¯ So why didn¡¯t I kill them? Do I want that weight? Do I even care about these men? They¡¯re kidnappers, thieves, murderers and much worse. I shouldn¡¯t care, but¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not my place to decide if they live or die,¡± I answered her, reaching into a pocket of my jacket. Pulling out a clean, white rag, I wiped down the blade of my sword. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to the people they¡¯ve hurt to decide how they¡¯re punished.¡± Studying my sword, I nodded as I thoroughly cleaned it of their blood. ¡°That is the justice I will offer. No more, no less.¡±


    Relona took in my answer with a curious frown, studying me with a surprising intensity. Her forest green eyes stared deep into my own, before examining my face. Then she closed her eyes and nodded. ¡°I fired the flare. The militia will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of the bandits?¡± I didn¡¯t see any other bodies around the pair.


    ¡°They have been tied up, Milord,¡± Kato explained, bowing her head to me. ¡°I managed to defeat a few of them before she decided to join me.¡± There was a hint of frustration in her tone as if she wanted to do more. Did she want to kill them? Or was she angry that Relona stepped into her fight? I¡¯ll have to ask her when we¡¯re alone.


    ¡°The militia will decide their fate,¡± Relona stated, closing her eyes as she nodded.


    I hummed and looked around me, wondering what happens next.

 Alea Iacta Est - 7

    I stood off to the side and watched as the aging commander guided his militia in guiding the now freed women and children back to the village. One half was doing that, while he had joined the other half in corralling the restrained bandits into a single group. Whether he would decide to execute or jail them, I didn¡¯t know and, honestly, I didn¡¯t care. I took what I wanted from them, a chance to see how my body felt in combat after my resurrection.


    Kato stood a step behind me and to the right, within my periphery. She had her wrists crossed in front of her and head bowed as if waiting for my next orders; her half-mask pulled down to reveal her stoic expression. Her thin lips pinched as she watched the proceeding before her. As the militiamen went about their business, I turned my head and spoke. ¡°Kato. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am your shadow. The one who stands where none can see and your unseen defender.¡± Her dark eyes turned towards the dagger sheathed at my back. ¡°So long as you carry my original form, I will always be at your side.¡±


    I wracked my brain for anything in mythology that gave a name to what she was describing. Originally an item, but could create a human form with but a thought. An object with a soul¡­


    ¡°Tsukumogami?¡±


    Her head jerked towards me, surprise entering her expression for the first time since I¡¯ve seen her. ¡°You know of my origins?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve studied myths and stories,¡± I explained instead of offering a straight answer. ¡°You and Sora are the ones escorting me throughout Verum, then?¡±


    Kato hummed in assent to my words. ¡°Lady Penemue felt that our abilities would aid you best.¡±


    I frowned at that but didn¡¯t reply to her words. Leaning against a tree, I crossed my arms and noticed the commander walking over to Kato and me. As he approached us, his gaze flickered over to Kato, a frown growing on his face. When he looked back to me, he extended a hand. ¡°You¡¯ve done good work today, young man. Thank you.¡± I took his hand and shook it decisively.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it without Relona. She¡¯s the one who found and rescued the people.¡±


    The man snorted at my words, shaking his head as he lowered his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve always known that girl is good at what she does. I¡¯m just shocked that someone was able to keep up with her.¡± He narrowed his eyes at me, his lips curling into a curious frown. ¡°Just who are you, Lyall?¡±


    I cocked my head at his question as I noticed Kato stiffen ever so lightly. Sliding my hands into the pockets of my jacket, I felt a faint laugh escape me. ¡°I¡¯m only someone trying to find his place in the world.¡± My lips parted into a grin as if baring my teeth to the world. ¡°I want to enjoy this freedom for as long as I possibly can.¡±


    The older man let out a laugh at my audaciousness, his frown turning to a grin. ¡°That¡¯s an adventurer¡¯s belief, right there. Have you registered with the guild yet?¡±


    ¡°Not just yet. Sora and I were headed to Xadria to do just that.¡± I then motioned towards Kato, who remained still while she watched us silently. ¡°Well, until I ran into Kato, here. She¡¯s an old friend of Sora, who¡¯s joined me for the adventure.¡± She inclined her head to me, agreeing with my words, but saying nothing.


    The commander grunted, gaze flickering from her to me. ¡°We¡¯ll resolve the situation with these lowlifes quickly. There are plenty of people who need to leave and enter the settlement.¡± I nodded to his explanation.


    ¡°Do you want any help? An extra pair of hands can speed things along.¡± My question caused him to arch a brow at me.


    He shook his head. ¡°No. My boys and I can handle things on our own.¡± He motioned in the direction of the village. ¡°You just head back and tell everyone else how things ended.¡± With that, he turned back around and began to order his men to their various tasks.


    Stepping away from the tree, I motioned for Kato to follow. ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡± The spirit gave a silent affirmative, falling into step with me. As we made to leave, a familiar voice called out to me.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Relona hurried over to us as I turned at her call. She came to a slow stop in front of me but didn¡¯t say anything for a few moments. I didn¡¯t react to her immediately, simply arching a brow at her seemingly complex expression. Her lips parted, as if to speak, but closed once more. After a few moments, she finally managed to speak. ¡°May I walk with you?¡±


    I shared a gaze with Kato, whose stoicism gave me nothing of her thoughts. Turning back to Relona, I offered her a shrug. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you. Feel free.¡±


    Her lips twitched almost unnoticeably into a smile before her expression smoothed over. With that, we continued to make our way back to the village proper. We took our time as we made our way through the thick forestry. ¡°Thank you.¡± Relona finally spoke up, catching my attention as we stepped around a large tree. I turned my head to her, causing her cheeks to darken noticeably, under the shade of her hood. ¡°For helping me. I like this village. These people.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me,¡± I replied gently, shaking my head. ¡°It was the right thing to do. No one deserves what could have happened to them.¡±


    Relona frowned, not happy with my answer, but she did refute my words. She remained silent as we continued our trek. ¡°I¡­heard that you wanted to join the guild.¡± I looked at her, but she just faced forward, not meeting my gaze. ¡°I¡¯m a registered scout affiliated with the guild. I can recommend you to make it easier to join.¡±


    I frowned at that, turning my eyes to the cloudy blue sky. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I didn¡¯t help to gain your favor.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Relona hummed. ¡°But there¡¯s a waiting period between signing up and becoming officially registered. A test for newcomers.¡± She waved her hand to the side. ¡°But a rec from a current member can skip that process.¡±


    ¡°When are you heading up there?¡± She gave me a confused look. ¡°Sora, Kato and I are leaving as soon as we can. I¡¯d rather not rush you.¡±


    Relona frowned, turning her gaze to the ground. ¡°How soon do you wish to join? A notice will speed it up, but a direct meeting will end the wait immediately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush. I¡¯m meeting some people in Xadria before I do anything else.¡±


    ¡°I have a job in Nyrill, so it¡¯ll be three more days until I can return.¡± She mused more to herself than answering me. After a moment of thought, Relona looked up to me. ¡°Wait for me before you leave. I¡¯ll give you a copy of my Adventurer¡¯s Seal.¡± At my confused look, she pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s an ID for Adventurers. They can explain it better.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to like something, if the downturn or her lips indicated anything, but didn¡¯t elaborate.


    It didn¡¯t take much longer for us to reach the village finally. We stepped onto the paved, bordered path heading towards the tavern, where those who stayed behind would remain until word of victory, or defeat, came back. As we approached, Relona tugged the sleeve of my jacket. I turned to face her. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the stables, check on the horses and the stablemaster.¡± I nodded and watched as she left without another word.


    When she was out of earshot, Kato finally spoke again. ¡°If Milord would permit it, I could follow her, see if the half-elf is hiding something.¡± Her voice was low, but I noticed her eyes focusing on Relona¡¯s retreating.


    ¡°No,¡± I said sternly. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to.¡±


    Kato frowned, turning to face me with disapproval. ¡°She witnessed your prowess. We don¡¯t know her true objectives.¡± She paused, eyes narrowing. ¡°She¡¯s hiding something.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all hiding something, Kato,¡± I answered her; my voice low to only be heard her. ¡°Besides, peopled still think the ¡®Fallen Hero¡¯ is dead and buried. Unless I proclaim my name from the highest mountain for all on Verum to hear, then my identity should still be secret.¡±


    Kato¡¯s frown became more pronounced before her previous stoicism returned. ¡°As you command Milord.¡±


    I matched her earlier frown, facing her fully for a few seconds. We locked gazes as I searched her dark eyes, seeking something, anything, that gave me any clue of what she was thinking. I sighed when I found nothing. ¡°We can talk at length on the road, after leaving. All three of us need to discuss this entire¡­¡± I waved a hand between us, grimacing as I tried to think of the right word. ¡°¡­state of affairs of my status.¡±


    ¡°As you command, Milord,¡± Kato answered deferentially, bowing her head to me.


    I bit back the groan at her response. I wanted to tell her not to call me that, but I had the feeling that it¡¯d be a fruitless effort. With that resolved, somewhat, we resumed our walk back to the tavern. The various windows appeared covered, curtains drawn and closed, pressed against the glass by a solid wall behind them. Approaching the building, I narrowed my eyes at the very faint flicker of energy overlaying the entirety of the building. My vision shifted ever so lightly as the aura gained a dark rainbow tint of ever-shifting colors. A part of me wondered what would happen if I touched it; thankfully, the rational part of my mind pushed that aside as an idea came to mind.


    ¡°Sora. If you can hear me, then I¡¯m here to give the all-clear. I defeated the bandits, and the commander is releasing the hostages as we speak.¡± Nothing happened as I continued to focus on the swirling colors, trying to find a pattern, while allowing Kato to keep an eye on my flank. No answer was given for the longest time as I stood there, ¡­that is until the color s vanished as if they were never there from the beginning. Off to the side, the curtains parted to reveal a curious young boy with wide green eyes. His brown hair was chin length and tied in the back. He watched me for a few moments as I met his eyes. Suddenly, I allowed a playful grin to appear on my face and winked. He gasped and grinned widely, but a hand yanked him back away from the window.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The door clicked and opened to reveal Sora standing there with a knowing smirk on her face, a hand resting on her hip. Peering from around her was the woman who worked the bar. ¡°I see things worked out well enough, then.¡± Her eyes took on a very faint glow before they died down as her lips widened into a playful grin. ¡°Get inside first. Everyone¡¯s still shaken up.¡± She stepped aside to allow Kato and me to walk inside. I looked around to see a large group of women of varying ages and an abundance of children all milling about. My attention, though, was pulled towards the sight of Marishka being petted and by a posse of young children.


    The young Amarok looked miserable, glaring at the wall as she was held in the lap of a young girl, while the children around her tried to pet or coax her into coming to them. As I walked inside, though, she turned her head to see me. With surprising agility, she leaped out of the girl¡¯s arms and ran over to me. Panic in her canine expression, I couldn¡¯t hold back the snort as I crouched down to meet her. ¡°Popular, aren¡¯t you?¡± I smiled down at her as she skidded around behind my legs, peering around them to watch the petulant children that didn¡¯t want her to leave. Running my fingers through her fur, I congratulated her with a grin. ¡°You did well.¡±


    Marishka rumbled with an appreciative growl as I stood back up and faced Sora. Once I did, though, I found that I was given a scolding glare from the young woman the handled the bar. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°You hid your puppy from me. Pets aren¡¯t normally permitted here; I¡¯ll have you know.¡±


    I offered a shrugged, grimacing contritely. ¡°I apologize for the deception, but Marishka was a last-minute addition to the group. I never expected her to join us.¡±


    The young woman sighed, her shoulders falling. ¡°I suppose I can overlook it this time. She¡¯s kept the children calm while everyone was gone. You also proved yourself to be a great help if your return means anything.¡± She then gave me a questioning look.


    I turned to Sora, seeing her proud smirk, and promptly explained what happened. When I told them of everyone returning soon, and physically unharmed, I was interrupted by an echoing cheer from the group that watched us. The children leaped up from their seats and hurried over to me, peppering me with questions. I heard Marishka let out a whine and race between their feet towards Sora, who watched with playful amusement. I turned my head as I examined the children that surrounded me. I turned my head towards the mothers; some of whom appeared like they wanted to scold their children or watch how this played, while others seemed torn between joy and wariness of their kids¡¯ proximity with me.


    A smile grew on my face as I placed my hands at my hips, letting a laugh escape me from deep in my chest. ¡°They were no challenge for the likes of me!¡± I grinned down at the kids; whose wide eyes told me that they drank in my words with reverence. ¡°The moment I arrived; I saw the vile fiends who created this chaos.¡± I punched my right fist into my left hand. ¡°Unable to allow such injustice to continue, I strode into their camp and challenged them then and there.¡±


    The kids watched, enchanted by my embellished tale, and cheered as I acted out the fight as if it were a story of chivalry and honor. I couldn¡¯t hide the smile that grew on my face as they cheered and cried out at the ¡®important bits,¡¯ leading me to add more energy to my story.


    As I continued, though, Relona entered the tavern, blinking in blank surprise at my playacting. When I saw her, I pointed her to the kids. ¡°There she is, the most important member of this adventure, Lady Relona.¡± As one, the kids turned towards the hooded young woman, proverbial stars in their eyes. ¡°Were it not for her keen eye and superb skill in tracking, we could not have saved the innocent nor defeated the dastardly brigands!¡±


    This time, it was the girls who lead the charge towards the newcomer, squealing in glee and chattering out questions about the events that just transpired. She gave me a tired glare from under her hood but appeared reluctantly amused at the children that both surrounded and congratulated her. I met her glare with a playful grin, turning to walk over to Sora.


    The Witch cocked her head to the side as she studied me with a mysterious twinkle in her eye. As I opened my mouth to speak with her, she shook her head, her gaze flicking behind me. Yeah. We were still surrounded by those uninvolved with our journey. It¡¯s best to keep what we¡¯re going to discuss about as secret as possible. Still¡­ "Relona told me of her willingness to recommend me for guild registration.¡±


    That caused her gaze to sharpen, eyes flicking to Relona, before focusing on me. ¡°That will be a help, though it would bring attention to you.¡± Then she nodded decisively. ¡°It¡¯s a necessary sacrifice. Affiliation with the guild would offer you the freedom to go anywhere on Verum.¡± Her smile widened, one of triumph. ¡°Well done.¡±


    I took in her praise with a faint frown. I did not do what I did to gain something. Honestly? While I did want to help the kidnapped people, I just wanted an excuse to test my new physical prowess. In the end, all I did was breathe out through my nose. ¡°The only thing I want to do is move on from here.¡±


    Sora nodded as she turned her attention to my newest shadow. Her smile widened ever so lightly. ¡°It is nice to see out and about, Kato.¡±


    ¡°It is pleasing to act on my own¡­Soralynn.¡± She paused before stating Sora¡¯s name, a moment of silence occurring with a blink. ¡°I¡¯m glad you saw fit to call for me.¡± Kato bowed her head to Sora.


    Sora smiled as she inclined her head. ¡°I felt it best to call in extra help.¡± Her gazed rolled over to me, lips curling in amusement. ¡°Considering our friend likes to play the hero.¡±


    I let out a chuckle. ¡°I saw a chance to speed things up. We do have places to be, after all.¡±


    Kato and Sora hummed in assent to my words. With that, we all waited in the tavern for the commander to return with his people. As we waited, I crouched down and gave Marishka some attention, pushing my fingers through her fur with a gentle attentiveness. She hummed beneath my ministrations; eyes closed as she leaned against me. Time passed slowly as several hushed conversations occurred around us, with people motioning to my group. After a while, a few kids broke away and asked if they could pet Rishka. I did say ¡®yes,¡¯ much to her apparent despair, but I made sure to tell them to be gentle.


    It was while a large group of curious children surrounded me that the commander and a few men finally returned to the tavern, letting everyone know that everyone had returned safely. He rolled his gaze over the crowd of happy villagers, celebrating the inevitable safe return of their fellow villagers. As a smile stretched across his bearded face, he caught sight of me and approached us. ¡°My men are currently escorting them back here. It¡¯ll take a few hours for everyone to return, but you did your part.¡± At my confused look, the old man snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll open the gates for you and your group to leave. Just be ready soon. There¡¯s still some work that needs we need to finish, but I gave my word.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t fight the smile that flickered along my lips. ¡°Thank you.¡± He nodded and turned around as I faced Sora. ¡°Have everything?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to pick up provision for the rest of our trip, but yes.¡± Sora nodded to my question as she leaned down to pick up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She drew my attention to the bag I had left with her. Grabbing mine, I followed her as she began to leave the inn. ¡°Let¡¯s stop by the market and make our purchases.¡± We bade our farewells to the kids, who seemed heartbroken as Marishka left with me.


    We left the tavern, Sora walking at my immediate right, Kato behind me to my left and Marishka trotting ahead of me with restrained excitement. We strode outside and followed the path heading towards the market for nonperishable foods. ¡°How do we know if there¡¯ll be people? We did just resolve this bandit situation.¡±


    Sora offered me a playful smile. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what people will do out of gratitude.¡± Her smile turned flinty. ¡°Humanity is a hardy species, especially when it comes to potential profit.¡± Behind me, I could see Kato expression pinch in my periphery, before she masked it. ¡°We won¡¯t get anything for free, but there will be available resources for us to purchase.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt, both at her casual cynicism and the fact that I didn¡¯t feel surprised. Then again, I am ignorant of how this world is, so things like this could be a norm for most people. We reached a single-story building with a pair of open windows, curtains flowing in the gentle breeze of the late morning. As we stopped at the door, Sora turned towards me. ¡°I¡¯ll pick up the provisions. You, Kato and Rishka can handle the horses. Meet me there.¡± She pointed down the road to the far end of the village, where I could see a lone gate in the distance. ¡°I won¡¯t be long.¡± Sora inclined her head to me and walked inside the building.


    ¡°I can lead us to the stables, Milord. I remember the route Soralynn took.¡± Kato explained softly, her voice barely above a whisper.


    I hummed in assent to her, nodding in answer. ¡°I¡¯m in your hands, Kato.¡±


    She inclined her head and began to lead me. It didn¡¯t take long for us to reach the stables, where a plethora of horses stayed for the night. A man was filling their troughs, a bucket of water resting at his side. As we reached the stable, though, Kato allowed me to step past her. I furrowed my brow at her, but she stared ahead, deferring to me.


    Frustration tingled at the pit of my stomach as I regarded her, though I kept my expression masked. Closing my eyes, I released a breath and continued towards the stablemaster. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m here to pick up my and my partner¡¯s horses.¡± In my periphery, though, Kato vanished from sight and sense. Confusion flickered through me until I reached back and slid a fingertip along the hilt of Kato¡¯s knife.


    The stablemaster was a younger man, slender and wiry. He wore a set of brown coveralls and a sheathed dagger at his hip. His bright eyes studied me carefully before realization dawned on him. He grinned as I approached. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s you. I have yours and her horses ready. Just give me a bit.¡± He raced into the stables and approached our horses. After a few moments, he managed to walk them towards me. ¡°I want to thank you for what you did. You and Little Lona saved my sister and nephew.¡± He handed the reins to me.


    ¡°I only held their attention,¡± I explained to him. ¡°It was Relona who did the heavy lifting. Saving them.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°She couldn¡¯t have done it alone. Lona¡¯s good, but even she can¡¯t fight off all those people on her own.¡± He let out a laugh, grinning widely. ¡°It¡¯s like a Hero happened to appear in Del at the right time.¡±


    I felt a smile grow in response to his words but shook my head. ¡°Thank you.¡± He waved me off as I walked back towards the meeting point I promised to meet Soralynn. As I made my way to the exit gate, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the villagers that stayed were now milling about, continuing their days as usual. They greeted me kindly, and I answered them with a wave, smiling reassuringly. It felt overwhelming, dealing with everyone¡¯s gratitude. I honestly wanted them to stop, but how can you brush all of that aside? After doing what you can to help, how can you willingly disregard their appreciation?


    Truthfully, as much as I enjoy the occasional philosophical, mental tirade, I just wanted them to fucking stop.


    I reached Soralynn just as my temper was fraying at the edges. As I approached, her eyes twinkled with knowing mischief. ¡°How does it feel, Mr. Hero? To bask in the villagers¡¯ thankfulness?¡±


    I glared at her, expression pinched and lips curled downward. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I want to get the hell out of here before I do something we both regret.¡±


    Sora let out a joyous laugh, hopping up onto her horse, to which I followed suit. We went up to the gate, and the militiamen standing guard waved us through, allowing us to go without paying the tax.


    Once again, we were back into the wide-open plains, galloping forward with our horses.


    Onwards to Xadria.

 Alea Iacta Est - 8

    According to Sora, we made excellent time when we stopped for the night. Sitting across from one another at the fire, with Kato at her left, we began to talk about our future goals for our sojourn into Xadria. Marishka laid in the tent, already asleep.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to meet with my informants when we arrive.¡± She explained as she adjusted the embers in the fire with a stick. ¡°While I do that, you should be able to locate the local guild hall and register yourself.¡±


    Kato hummed as her gaze met my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with Xadria¡¯s layout, Milord. If needed, you may ask me to aid you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I nodded to Kato, accepting her words with gratitude. ¡°I¡¯ll register as soon as I can, but I want to check on a few things.¡± At Sora¡¯s questioning/hard stare, I narrowed my eyes at her. Frustrated anger bubbled within my chest at her silent demand. A popping sound pulled my attention downwards; my hand clenched tight enough for my knuckles to be white and strained. I closed my eyes and released a breath, the tension in my shoulders loosening as I rolled them. Opening my eyes, I met Sora¡¯s questioning gaze with determination. ¡°Where is Kacee¡¯s headquarters?¡±


    Sora narrowed eyes, meeting my simmering anger without hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you should do that.¡± She spoke evenly, sternly. Next, to her, Kato remained silent, not reacting at all to our interaction. ¡°It has not even been a week since you¡¯ve awoken. You haven¡¯t fully adapted to your new powers. You¡¯re not ready.¡±


    ¡°And I won¡¯t be ready if I hide.¡± I retorted heatedly, a warmth growing in my chest. ¡°If I¡¯m to gain the respect of my Generals, then I need to be stronger than I am now.¡± I pointed back in the direction of Del. ¡°There¡¯s a pretty big difference in power between a fucking Dragon and three middling bandits. The only way for me to grow is to gain more experience and fight.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡± Sora did not buckle beneath my glare. ¡°But you cannot grow if you¡¯re overwhelmed by the opposition.¡± She kept her voice even, her gaze level. ¡°Even before your change, you had immense potential. A potential that made you a Hero King candidate.¡±


    ¡°Potential will mean nothing if I¡¯m not ready,¡± I answered her, leaning forward as I clenched my fists. ¡°It¡¯s been a year Sora. The others have had a year to get better with not only their weapons but also their Affinities. If I have to fight them, then I¡¯d rather not do so with year old techniques and skills.¡±


    ¡°Your Affinity makes that worry, null, Joseph.¡± Sora rebuked my complaint with cold logic. ¡°Your evolution made your body stronger. The only weapon you need is your mind.¡±


    ¡°The evolution didn¡¯t make me stronger, Sora.¡± I refuted her, baring my teeth in frustration. ¡°I fought them,¡± I stated as I opened my hand. ¡°I fought them, and it was like brushing aside children.¡± Then I closed my hand and clenched it. ¡°I felt stronger after the fight when I defeated them.¡±


    Sora and Kato stiffened at my words, eyes widening before narrowing. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Witch asked me, glowing amber eyes studying me intently.


    I paused, unsure of how to explain. ¡°It''s difficult to put into words.¡± I frowned and shook my head. ¡°After I defeated the bandits, it felt like I became stronger like I could exert more direct force behind my attacks. Or move faster. Or react quicker.¡±


    Sora hummed at my answer, turning her intense gaze to a flickering flame. ¡°Your predecessor, while his Affinity is unknown, had a¡­secondary ability that allowed him to ¡®grow stronger.¡¯¡± She sounded as if she put quotations around her words. ¡°He could strike ¡®bargains¡¯ with others. Once he fulfilled them, he would gain ¡®strength¡¯ in proportion to the grandiosity of the deal forged.¡± She motioned to the flame. ¡°The bargain formed with Beastkin would¡¯ve afforded him an unprecedented level of ¡®strength¡¯¡­¡± Sora turned her critical gaze towards me, a frown on her face as she studied me with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°So¡­¡± I started, crossing my arms as I leaned away from the fire. ¡°My ¡®gift¡¯ for becoming the Demon Lord is essentially becoming stronger the more I fight?¡± I let out an incredulous scoff. ¡°Like ¡®experience points,¡¯ I guess?¡± I couldn¡¯t help the disbelief that bled into my tone, despite the life I now lived. ¡°I wish could call it ridiculous¡­¡± I shook my head ruefully.


    Sora pursed her lips. ¡°I know not what ¡®experience points¡¯ are, but your assumptions are not far from my thoughts on the matter.¡± She cocked her head to the side, studying me. ¡°The only question is how your strength grows from¡­conflict.¡± Her lips twitched as if holding back a smile. At my questioning stare, she shook her head. ¡°How is your growth measured? Is it a set rise with every battle, or does it scale off the difficulty of the struggle? Does there need to be a risk of injury or death?¡± Sora narrowed her eyes. ¡°Or is your subconscious influencing it?¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew,¡± I answered with a low voice.


    ¡°No.¡± Soralynn¡¯s voice sounded stern, surprising me with its intensity. ¡°You¡¯re not understanding, Demon Lord Joseph Blaine.¡± She grabbed my undivided attention. ¡°This is the Demon Lord¡¯s role in the world. Forcing innovation and growth from the other races on Verum.¡± She slapped a hand onto the log she sat upon, cracking it from the impact. ¡°Countless lifetimes of peace have turned the denizens of Verum into slothful, selfish sycophants who believe that they are entitled to the riches of the world without effort.¡± Disgust marred her beautiful features, her lips curling and nose scrunching as she glared towards me. ¡°They have stagnated and moved backward in societal growth, for there is nothing to push them, no one to punish their arrogance.¡±


    She pointed to me. ¡°What is the mother of invention? The source of inspiration? The need to progress?¡± Sora sneered. ¡°Ambition? No. Greed?¡± She scoffed, letting out a mocking laugh. ¡°Clearly not. No. It is conflict.¡± She turned her eyes to the stars in the night sky. ¡°When there is an obstacle that stands in your way, it is your instinct to break through it. To surpass it.¡± Sora slammed a fist into her open palm, causing an echoing smack to leap into the night. ¡°To destroy it. That is a Demon Lord¡¯s reason for existence. To be the obstacle that humanity needs to progress; to eternally move forward under the fear of destruction.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m to start a war and force humanity to try and stop me?¡± I asked her, disgust in myself building. Had I ¡­accepted this?


    ¡°No.¡± Sora snarled; eyes glowing as she glared at me. ¡°War destroys and mars the land irrevocably. War leaves nothing behind to grow, to thrive, to become more in the ashes of what¡¯s left.¡± She shook her head violently, hair whipping around her head. ¡°Simple conflict. Force them to rise and match you. Meet them in the middle and break away at the opportune time. Never letting complacency poison them.¡± Her lips parted into a savage smile. ¡°Your duty, the duty that has fallen onto your shoulders, is to find that balance, that constant equilibrium. How far is too far? When is it best to step away? Why do they need your threat?¡± She held her hands open and off to each of her opposing sides, palms facing up. ¡°Your duty is balancing the struggle and the respite that humanity needs to prosper.¡±


    I sat there in stunned silence, basking in the words that Sora had spilled all over me. I blinked as I took in her words, having difficulty coming to terms with what she had told me. ¡°If the Demon Lord is necessary, if I¡¯m necessary, then why don¡¯t people realize that?¡±


    Sora snorted in evident disgust. ¡°Because humanity fears what they cannot understand. Something like the necessity of an adversary is a concept they will never accept, let alone understand. And they hate what they fear.¡± A cruel smile grew on her face as she shrugged. ¡°Humanity will always try to destroy what they fear, what they hate. Because they cannot control it; they cannot embrace it. Humanity is a self-destructive force that needs to be guided by an outside entity; otherwise, they will bring about their end.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m that ¡®outside entity¡¯?¡± I mused, both in response to her words and introspectively.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sora stated gently, her intense stare measuring me. ¡°You were chosen because Penemue felt you would best be able to both handle the weight of this task and the true meaning behind the duty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of expectations to put on a single person.¡±


    ¡°You are not alone, Joey.¡± Sora demurred, a gentle smile growing on her face. ¡°You are a King, with an entire nation at your back. We will be your support. Your pillars.¡± She reached forward and grasped my hand; clenched tight enough for it to hurt and my knuckles to be white from the exertion. She gently opened it, placing her palm against mine and clasping our fingers. ¡°We stand with you, just as you stand with us. So do not fear that you¡¯ll be doing this alone.¡±


    Her words still froze me, causing my heart to race. This¡­this had become my role? Someone who had to maintain a precarious balance between war and peace? Well, it¡¯ll be an adventure, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Okay. This topic is heavy.¡± I stated with a laugh, trying to bring levity to the moment. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it more tomorrow. That¡¯s when we reach Xadria, yeah?¡± Sora nodded, slowly pulling her hand from mine. I quickly grasped it again, trying to fight off the shakes I could feel coming. ¡°Let¡¯s talk itinerary. I need to know all the important places I need to see or reach.¡±


    Sora¡¯s eyes hovered over our hands before they looked up to reach mine, her smile shadowed by the flickering embers that danced beneath her face. ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    <hr>


    We approached the entrance gate to Xadria early that next morning. A stone wall stretched into the horizon for as far as I could see, with low hanging parapets that framed the armored guards that patrolled along the top of the wall. Sora and I came to a slow stop in front of a tall stone gate, protected by a pair of knights clad in bright silver plate mail.


    Upon seeing us approach, the knights called out to us. ¡°Hold!¡± We did as he asked and watched as one of the knights walk up to us. ¡°What brings the two of you to Xadria?¡± He wore a set of plate and chainmail, a sword sheathed at his waist and a shield at his back. The front of his helm was pushed upwards, revealing his tanned features.


    Sora handed him the toll to enter the town. ¡°Personal and business.¡± She answered with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m meeting some old friends, and we¡¯re registering with the guild.¡±


    The knight put the coins into a pouch resting at his hip, nodding to her words. ¡°I see.¡± He hummed as he waved us onwards. ¡°I wish you a prosperous time in Xadria. Please, take your time and enjoy the sights.¡± He spoke with a deadness to his voice, as one could hear from a telemarketer. It took everything I had to keep from laughing as Sora, and I spurred our horses into Xadria proper.


    As we passed through the gates, the trellis falling back behind us, I couldn¡¯t help being silent as I took in the medieval metropolis that I found myself seeing. Stone, marble, alabaster and other varieties of rock seemed to have been used to build the various structures within this¡­this city. The roads were evenly paved, framed by immaculately carved beams of wood; densely packed earth comprised the streets, filled with both foot traffic, carriages and solo horses. Sounds echoed all around us, consisting of people talking amongst themselves, whether from bartering over goods or merely talking about their days.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°This is where we¡¯ll part for now.¡± Sora¡¯s voice pulled my attention to her; our horses have come to a slow stop at a fork in the road. She had turned her horse towards the left, Marishka peeking around her from her seat in front of the witch. ¡°My comrade is down this road.¡± She motioned down the road with an incline of her head. ¡°The Adventurers guild, though, is further down that road.¡± She then pointed down the opposing route. ¡°Should you need more directions, remember that Kato is familiar with Xadria¡¯s layout.¡±


    ¡°Take care alright,¡± I said to her. A wry smile grew on my face, lips parting playfully. ¡°I¡¯d hate to come charging in to help you.¡±


    A laugh escaped, reminding me of calming bells. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± With that, she turned away from me and urged her horse down the road. Watching her go down the road a little more, I turned my attention to the other path and urged my horse forward. I looked around at the moving crowd and came to a decision. My eyes scanned my surroundings until I found my objective.


    Not five minutes later, I walked out of a set of stables and slid a ticket into the pocket of my jacket. I had checked Kel into a stable and paid for a bath and food for her so she could rest from the journey here. In the meantime, I had decided to walk on my own so that I could go around on my own. I just had to not look like a gawking tourist as I made my way through this medieval city. As I stepped into the thoroughfare, Kato manifested around the corner and fell into step next to me. She still had her skintight armor, but she wore a brown cloak over it, her half-mask hanging freely.


    ¡°Do you wish for me to lead us to the guild hall now?¡± Her voice, soft, as we walked along the dirt road.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head in the negative. ¡°I know it¡¯s in this general direction, but I want to experience Xadria properly before diving right into business.¡± She hummed at my answer, inclining her head in a faint nod. At that, I stepped into the flow of foot traffic, falling in line with my fellow pedestrians.


    Honestly, as Kato and I made our way down the dirt road, I couldn¡¯t help but remember a trip to a Ren Fair that I went to with Maggie and our mother. The loose cloth clothing and pants on the men and the flowing, simple dresses on the women. The ambient sound of chatter and the echoing thud of footsteps gave off music all on their own. The smell of dirt and smoke from a distant forge; along with food from the various stalls that Kato and I walked past greeted my nose.


    ¡°Do you know where Sora¡¯s going?¡± I asked Kato as I faced forward.


    ¡°Lady Soralynn is meeting with a comrade to learn more about our expedition,¡± Kato explained with a low voice. ¡°She¡¯s also making sure that our people learn of new developments, keeping them informed.¡±


    I hummed and nodded at her answer. ¡°Okay. What¡¯s in Xadria?¡± At Kato¡¯s curious incline of her head, I chose elaborate. ¡°Things to do, places to go, people to meet. Things like that.¡±


    Kato hummed and nodded at my explanation. ¡°Xadria is the mercantile hub of Veritas. This city has anything and everything your average villager can imagine.¡± Her answer both told me everything and nothing simultaneously, but I kept that to myself, merely letting her response at her own pace. ¡°However, the biggest draw to Xadria is the Guild Headquarters that resides here. It is the busiest one on Verum, boasting the most registered Adventurers and enlisted Mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°Mercenaries? What¡¯s the difference between the two?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Adventurers take any job, from bodyguarding to hunting to exploring lost ruins.¡± She paused and motioned her hand to the side. ¡°Mercenaries, on the other hand, almost exclusively take on combat jobs.¡± I frowned at her explanation, not seeing the difference. Kato hummed loud enough to be heard as if trying to find the right words. ¡°Mercenaries only act when they are guaranteed payment, which is why combat jobs are their exclusive choices; while adventurers are those who take joy in seeing the world and payment is a bonus to doing what they love.¡±


    Understanding filled me upon hearing such a simple explanation. ¡°And the Royal Family want their Knights to show a more positive image by being more available than mercenaries.¡± Kato inclined her head to my answer. ¡°But what makes people choose one over the other?¡±


    Kato didn¡¯t reply immediately, facing forward as we walked. ¡°Aside from personal preference, I cannot conceive a plausible answer.¡± Her voice remained below a whisper, causing me to strain to hear her answer.


    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have to see for ourselves then,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the guild.¡± Kato nodded to my statement and sped up her pace to begin leading me towards our destination. We walked in companionable silence, weaving amongst the tide of the sea of people. I kept an eye on our surroundings as we moved, checking out the various buildings that we passed. Buildings made of stone, of wood, of different materials, with straight and triangle roofs and the occasional chimney were what I saw while sticking close to Kato.


    People of all sorts of appearances walked around us, from men and women to adults and children. I tried not to stare as I took notice of a few people that appeared to be more than human. Those with faintly pointed ears; those were shorter and stockier than others; there were even people with anthropomorphic animal characteristics. What little I saw told me that it wasn¡¯t obvious, in-your-face societal differences between the different species, but that was also the case on Earth, from what I could see. Though, I had no idea why I searched for that, considering my current situation exuded far too much danger and future uncertainty to snoop about common prejudices.


    We finally came to a stop in front of a large, four-story building. The front two corners of the structure appeared to be white, alabaster pillars with a stone foundation around the outer edges. The wood that comprised the front of guild hall appeared a faint brown with framed windows flanking the front, double doors, from which some individuals in a variety of armors and wielded an array of weapons. More windows indicated the floors above the first, with shadows flickering across them repeatedly, depicting a seemingly busy day. Above the front door, an elaborate sign with a material I didn¡¯t recognize decorating it. As I stared at it, a piercing migraine pinched from my temples, causing my eyes to water. A grimace escaped me as the symbols on the sign seemed to shift and twist until they became legible.


    ¡®Xadria¡¯s Guild Hall¡¯


    Nausea squeezed my stomach as I could finally read the words in front of me. It remained until a few calming breaths allowed me to settle my stomach. ¡°Milord?¡± Kato¡¯s concerned voice pulled my attention from the nauseating sign. Swallowing, I shook my head and motioned forward. She pinched her lips and grunted in affirmative.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head inside.¡± After nausea had passed, I gathered myself and walked through the still open doors as they began to close from a previous group¡¯s exit. My footsteps echoed silently into the boisterous hall. Several wooden tables filled with laughing and eating people filled the majority of the first floor. Along the leftmost wall rested a raised stone counter, manned by a trio of individuals, two men, and a woman. Next to the bar resided a rounded, square bulletin board covered with sheets of paper and a menagerie of different styles of writing. On the ceiling above us, several lanterns illuminated the room with a pleasant shine of the light. ¡°Shall we get registered?¡± I smiled playfully at Kato, who cocked her head to the side while stoically studying me.


    I snorted at her response and led us over to the front desk. Once again slipping through a sea of people, I managed to reach the counter and saw that two of the clerks, the men, were already occupied with people handing over sheets of paper and bags. Walking over to the only free clerk, I saw that there sat a younger girl, around my age or a little younger, dressed in an immaculate, dark navy-blue vest with a long-sleeved white shirt beneath it. Her dark blonde hair tied tightly into a severe bun with a trio of single strands of her bangs hanging over her forehead. She wore a pair of glasses with perfectly round lenses in front of her pale brown eyes. I approached the counter where she stood and cleared my throat. ¡°Excuse me.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, reading through a book, faintly chewing on the feather end of her quill. ¡°Um, excuse me,¡± I spoke up, placing my hand on the chilled stone counter. She still didn¡¯t respond.


    Kato began to show hints of agitation if the shift of her stance and clench of her fists told me anything. I glanced over my shoulder and shook my head at her, though she still did not relax. Facing the clerk once more, I cleared my throat and clapped my hands loud enough to catch her attention. She squeaked and jumped at the sudden sound, throwing the book and the quill into the air. Her eyes flickered to me, widened, but they quickly looked to the now falling book. At my sides, I heard someone curse, but I paid it no mind. As the two items fell, I threw my hands out and swiped the quill out of the air first. When the book came within arms¡¯ reach, I grabbed around the spine, snapping it shut and holding it before it could hit the stone counter.


    The young woman reddened as she studied me, whether, from embarrassment or fear, I didn¡¯t know. Regardless of that, I placed the book back onto the counter with the quill atop it and slid them over to her. ¡°Sorry about surprising you.¡± I did not bring the chaos that just occurred any attention.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She squeaked as her eyes fell onto the book before she shakily reached forward and took it off my hands. With shaky hands, she moved it to space directly beneath the counter. Then, closing her eyes, she clasped her hands in front of her and breathed deeply, exhaling silently. As if centering herself, she opened her eyes once more and smiled kindly, a hint of gratitude in her gaze as she looked to me. ¡°Hello, sir, how may we of the guild help you today?¡±


    ¡°I wondered if my friend and I could register to become adventurers,¡± I answered promptly, having decided to let what just happened to pass.


    Her eyes widened before she furrowed her brows. ¡°You¡¯re not adventurers¡­?¡± She mused to herself before shaking her head. ¡°Of course, but first we of the guild prefer to give a brief test to prospective adventurers.¡± She pulled out a folder and flipped through a few papers before pulling a random sheet out of it. Placing it in front of me, she continued, ¡°This is the basis for the standard mission flier. Registered adventurers must show some level of literacy for them to be able to move forward.¡±


    I reached forward and held up the flier. Keeping my expression masked, I held back the frustrated groan at the curly squiggles that greeted me. Once again, a pinching pain appeared in my temples, though not as intense as before. Before my eyes, the squiggles shifted and bent until it resembled basic English.


    ¡°Looking for skilled defenders. Escorts for herb gathers needed. Willing to pay per bushel collected.¡±


    As I finished the flier, I handed the paper back to the clerk and took in her gentle smile. She held another article and offered it to Kato. My escort stepped forward and took the paper.


    ¡°Exterminators needed. Goblin camp in outskirts of town. Willing to pay a team to rout them.¡± Kato read it in a droning monotone, her expression hilariously blank when she handed it back.


    The clerk nodded in acceptance to our recitations, smiling proudly at us. ¡°That¡¯s great. You¡¯re already making wonderful progress in registering.¡± She put her folder away beneath the counter and pulled out two sheets of paper. ¡°If you¡¯ll follow me into the back, I¡¯ll take the both of you to a private room to fill out the guild¡¯s registration forms.¡± She motioned for us to follow her as she stepped away from the counter. As she did, she pressed a button on the wall behind her, causing a single ding to echo behind the wall.


    Kato and I walked around the counter and into a wooden door the clerk had opened. As we followed her through a wooden hallway, illuminated by bright lanterns, I spoke up, ¡°If I have an Adventurer¡¯s Seal for a recommendation, do I need to give it to you?¡±


    The clerk¡¯s eyes widened at that before she calmed herself. ¡°Um, yes. We have an additional sheet to fill out in affiliation. We¡¯ll have to contact the Adventurer affiliated with it to verify, but it¡¯ll expedite the process.¡± She paused, ¡°Do you know the name of the Adventurer, recommending you?¡± Her tone, wary as if testing me.


    ¡°Relona. A scout I met in Del.¡±


    The clerk gave a smile. ¡°I know Relona. I¡¯m her Liaison with the Guild.¡± She gave me a searching gaze. ¡°You must have done something great to gain her attention like that.¡±


    I shrugged at her words. ¡°I just did what I felt was right, no more, no less.¡±


    She took my words with a smile, inclining her head in silence. It didn¡¯t take long for us to reach a door that she unlocked and wave us inside. The room had a single wooden table, a cushioned couch and a pair of chairs, with a single bright lantern on the center of the ceiling. ¡°You can write, yes? If not, then I¡¯m more than willing to act as your scribe.¡±


    I shared a discrete glance with Kato, who nodded with a jerk of her chin. ¡°Yes, we can. Thank you.¡± She held the papers to us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll step out to pick up the recommendation form and return posthaste. Should you have any questions, I¡¯ll answer them to the best of my ability.¡± Kato and I took the sheets and went over to the tables. Before I could reach it, though, the clerk grabbed the edge of my jacket between two of her fingers. I looked down at her hand before meeting her flushed expression. Offering me a shy smile, she whispered, ¡°For earlier¡­thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I answered with an equally low whisper.


    She paused, still not releasing me. She then cleared her throat and let her hand fall, grasping them both in front of her. ¡°Should any of you need anything before I return, simply press the button on the wall.¡± She pointed to the brass button on the wall, a brass wire stretching from it and trailing along the wall to the ceiling. ¡°Someone will come by and offer you aid. Should you need me specifically, then ask for ¡®Aspen.¡¯¡± With that, she nodded her head to me and walked out of the room and down the hall, further into the building.


    When she vanished around the corner, I shut the door and walked over to the table and sat across from Kato. Kato stared at me in silence for a few seconds before finally speaking. ¡°Why are humans so odd?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked myself that my entire life, Kato,¡± I said dryly. ¡°And I¡¯ve never found a good answer.¡±


    ¡°Then, I suppose we¡¯ll never find one.¡± With that final statement, we turned our attention to our registration forms.

 Alea Iacta Est - 9

    After having finished the last bit of paperwork, Kato and I now sat in the main hall of the guild, at one of the tables with food sitting in front of each of us. Bread, cheese, corn, a steak, and a bowl of stew comprised our complimentary meal for finishing up the paperwork. The paperwork would take approximately a week to go through for registration to complete, but it would¡¯ve been longer had it not been for Relona¡¯s recommendation, though it still had to be verified. I didn¡¯t know what to feel upon hearing that, but Kato had told me we¡¯d be staying in Xadria for a bit longer before heading back out, considering we now sat a comfortable distance from Nyrill and the Royal Capital.


    ¡°Soralynn knows the full route for our journey, but I¡¯m familiar with it enough to know that we¡¯re at a comfortable pace.¡± Kato had told me as we ate, dipping her bread into her stew and taking a bite. ¡°When she finishes her current task, she will find us. No need to concern yourself with finding her.¡±


    With that, I considered my current standing. Kato and I now had personal identification that¡¯d act as ID until registration went through. I had asked Aspen to explain it to us as we gathered all of the completed paperwork.


    The guild had chosen this path for registration because it acted as an unofficial test of trustworthiness for prospective Adventurers. Yes, an Adventurers time is a premium, considering they did not have entirely consistent employment, moving from job to job when they completed and turned them in. However, they also had to work within the confines of the time frame their employer set for them. Impatience or slothfulness would adversely affect job performance and reputation, for both the Adventurer and the guild, so the delay between paperwork and official registration would allow the guild to see how the Adventurer would react to forced downtime.


    The prospective Adventurer would be given a specific time frame to return to the guild, and they had to return at that precise point in time. They could not loiter at the guild or continually harass the clerks for information on registration, else that would disqualify them. At the same time, if they returned late, then that would also exclude them unless they provided plausible and provable reasons for their delay as an Adventurer¡¯s interactions with clients came back to the guild, who acted as intermediaries to create the various jobs that Adventurers partook.


    However, those who created this system understood that Adventurers live a very active and constant lifestyle, requiring a steady stream of income to survive. To alleviate this, if they did not have funds to support themselves during the interim, the guild loaned them a limited stipend to pay for room and board at designated inns distantly connected to the guild. This tested the Adventurer¡¯s ability to ration and control their spending when during a job drought, where the number of clients who needed jobs done wasn¡¯t as numerous.


    Typically, this interim took place either between two weeks and a month, depending on the interaction between the prospective Adventurer and the designated clerk. The amount of time was at the discretion of the clerk, their observing coworkers, and the District Administrator. They would initially consider the Adventurer¡¯s attitude with the clerk and how they interacted with one another, both at the desk and how they acted on the path to the room to fill out the forms. After they finished that, what happened next was that word would go out to the inns and shops affiliated with the guild and the prospective Adventurer would be discretely observed by various parties in a variety of caste levels, from the local Nobility to the proletariat with a plethora of connections.


    Should the prospect successfully make it to the guild at the appointed time, the committee responsible for accepting or denying registration would have already decided by that time. Barring exceptional circumstances, though, which are resolved on a case by case basis.


    When she had told me this, I immediately asked why she was saying this to me, considering I was a prospect.


    ¡°Recommendations are an infrequent event within the guild because it is a risk for a hard-earned reputation.¡± Aspen had explained. ¡°And the few that do occur are primarily done for family members.¡± She slid our papers into a folder and put it beneath her arm. ¡°Relona has been an exemplary scout in our employ, adored and respected by our clients for her professionalism and conscientious attitude; even with her curt demeanor and preference for solitary jobs. She has been with us for five years and not once has she been given anything less than a model review from her clients.¡± She studied me intently, a smile growing on her face. ¡°As her Liaison, I know her very well. For her to offer a recommendation alone speaks well of your character.¡± She held out the leaf-shaped pin that Relona had given me before leaving Del yesterday. ¡°For someone who¡¯s been my friend, I¡¯m willing to take the same risk for you that she is.¡±


    With that, Kato and I were sent back out to the main hall, given our food and a list of the inns affiliated with the guild. Still, though, with the answers I had received, I had one last question.


    Why tell this much? Wouldn¡¯t it ruin the sanctity of the test if I knew of its contents early?


    I suppose the question itself is a part of the test as well, considering that approaching the clerks for it could be regarded as harassment. I could ask it after the week had passed. I checked the list given to me and noticed an attached card. Flipping it open, I took note of a specific time to return. A smile escaped me as I finished the last of my meal. After noticing that Kato finished it as well, I stood and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to find a place to stay.¡±


    She nodded to my statement and followed me as I left. As we exited the guild, I noticed that the sun was still high in the sky. ¡°Milord.¡± Kato caught my attention while we walked. ¡°Do you¡­still, wish to find her company?¡± For a moment, I was confused over what she meant; then it hit me. Kacee.


    ¡°Yes. I don''t want to meet Kacee yet. I want to become more comfortable with Xadria first, then we¡¯ll see.¡±


    Kato hummed in assent to my answer. ¡°Follow me.¡± She walked ahead of me as she led me through the city streets. We strode quickly through the endless sea of people, navigating them with almost supernatural grace. As we walked, I noticed the surrounding building shift from a merchant-esque area to a more residential section. The first set of houses appeared to be of a lower class, with them being primarily wooden. I frowned as I took in the various people around us. The sea of people had lessened, becoming an occasional passerby. I noticed the rare person in the corners of alleys, vanishing from sight. Children and elderly hung around the front of their homes; the occasional glance pointed toward us, but quickly turned away when I met their gazes.


    The big thing I couldn¡¯t help but notice was that¡­it was so dirty, compared to the section where the guild stood. ¡°Kato, why is everything so¡­?¡±


    ¡°There is a disparity between people that grows, the closer we get to the outer walls of Xadria,¡± Kato explained, still facing forward. ¡°It is when we go further into the main section of the city that we see where the nobility and higher ranked adventurers reach states of needless convalescence.¡± She then motioned forward. ¡°Your old friend made her base in this area to ensure that the common people could be protected.¡±


    I looked around her to see what she had pointed out. The structure stood out amongst the blatant dilapidation of the surrounding homes and decaying streets. Built from stone and marble, it showed itself to be a monument for strength, as if proclaiming its defense of those encompassing it. Four floors, like the guild hall, but far blockier and humbler. A banner hung from the roof, slowing above the double door front entrance, depicting a pair of crossed staves with folded flags hanging from them. Well-manicured shrubbery framed it, bringing a pure beauty to it. People milled about in the windows, moving back and forth.


    ¡°The Twin Flag Company,¡± Kato spoke softly, eyes focused on the banner. ¡°Formerly lead by a discharged Knight of Veritas.¡± She inclined her head to the building. ¡°The company used to thrive, on both the merits of his skills and those of his people, but with the events of Nyrill, business is being pulled away from companies like this.¡± I frowned at that, but before I could ask about that. ¡°When the time comes to join the guild fully, then you¡¯ll have the opportunity to see what I¡¯m referencing.¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply as I stared at the building in front of me. Kacee likely worked from this building, leading them to a new direction, hopefully with plenty of success. A part of me wanted to walk into the building and find her; to tell her that I was alive, that I was okay. But¡­I couldn¡¯t. I had no idea her current stance, her position. Would she accept me? Would she turn me into the Knights? Am I worrying over nothing?


    If my brother in all but blood showed himself as willing to stab me in the back, then how could I believe that Kacee wouldn¡¯t do the same?


    ¡°Milord?¡± Kato¡¯s voice came out as a whisper, pulling my attention to her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± I turned around and walked away from the building, an uncomfortable churn at the bottom of my stomach.


    <hr>


    Sora found Kato and me a few hours later after I had toured around Xadria, getting familiar with the town that I would be staying in for the foreseeable future. She found us as we walked through the merchant center, striding past a few clothing stalls selling cloaks and blankets. As Kato took over a watch for us, I told her what we had done after breaking apart.


    ¡°Your former compatriots have been moving.¡± She started as we walked down the dirt road. ¡°Nowhere near here, barring Miss Fitzgerald, but still within Veritas itself.¡± Sora reached into her bag and pulled out a dull, grey sphere. Holding it out to me, she continued, ¡°Just in case we¡¯re separated, I want you to keep this with you.¡± I took it from her and held it in my hand, resting it on my palm. Smooth, but with multiple flat faces, it rolled with my steps. ¡°A newer communication stone keyed to you and me specifically.¡±


    I nodded to her explanation as I slid it into one of the pockets in my pants, beneath my sheath. A part of me wanted to ask about Luke, to know what he had been doing, but a knot formed in my stomach at the thought, so I pushed it out. ¡°Kato and I registered at the guild. Are you going to do the same when we reach an inn?¡±


    Sora offered me a playful smile as she reached into her bag, pulling out a bronze plate with three stars framing the outer edge and surrounding the image of a wand. ¡°I¡¯ve been registered with the guild for a year.¡± I came to a stop and offered her my driest glare, but my ire caused laughter to escape her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not saying such.¡± She slid her card back into her bag, grinning playfully.


    I rolled my eyes at her words, smiling despite myself. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯m curious why you didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important for you to be as self-sufficient as possible,¡± Sora explained with a smile, leading us down the dirt road. ¡°At the same time, I¡¯ve made sure to remain under the radar while raising my rank in the guild.¡± She waved a hand to the side. ¡°Though I am on record, my notoriety is low compared to most adventurers, so a recommendation from me wouldn¡¯t amount to much.¡± A gleam appeared in her eyes as she smirked over to me. ¡°I never expected you to meet a skilled adventurer and gain her favor.¡± Her smirk widened into a grin. ¡°It¡¯s almost as if you were born for this¡­¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    I shook my head. ¡°That only happened because I wanted us to leave Del promptly.¡±


    ¡°You committed to action for a single reason, but it had a multitude of positive consequences.¡± Sora rebutted, meeting my gaze as she stopped in front of me. ¡°Such things are part and parcel of the role you¡¯ve taken. Accept it, and you¡¯ll find that your future will be far happier with your decisions.¡±


    I grimaced as I took in her words, glancing to the side with a reluctant frown.


    Sora took in my expression and nodded once, then promptly turned back around to resume her trek. ¡°I¡¯ll drop this for now, but you must soon understand your role,¡± I grunted. ¡°As of now, though, I believe it¡¯s time you meet more of our people.¡± I gave her a surprised look, causing her to turn her head to meet my gaze in her periphery, a smile on her face. ¡°Yes. During the rendezvous, we agreed that you should be able to see who they are and hear their explanations in person, rather than only from me.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. I have a few questions that I want to have answered.¡± At that, Sora submissively inclined her head to me and turned around to resumed leading Kato and me. We strode through Xadria with a purpose, effortlessly navigating the sea of people still going about their day this mid-afternoon. The constant state of disrepair that surrounded us slowly gave way back to the typical atmosphere of the ¡®modern,¡¯ medieval city. The crowd thickened as we continued, forcing us to adjust how we proceeded.


    Soon enough, we began to enter the ¡®noble quarter¡¯ or where the wealthy lived in the city. After leaving the merchant quarter, I started to see manors spaced about, reminding me residential suburbs back home, for those who made six figures, anyway. The number of people populating these streets fell to an almost nonexistent number, with the occasional person being an individual clad in elaborate clothing. They took notice of us, appeared momentarily confused, then upon seeing our clothing, paid us no more mind. I didn¡¯t make a fool of myself, looking around like a tourist, but a part of me wanted to look around more carefully. Thankfully, I had the self-preservation to control myself in this new area.


    Eventually, we came to a stop in front of a twelve-foot-tall iron gate. I peered through the bars to see a two-story Victorian-style manor. Several people dressed in scuffed uniforms worked in the gardens that filled the entryway; unlit lanterns resting atop light poles stood at intermittent internals on the grounds. Sora lifted a hand and gave a single wave before she lowered it with a knowing smile. The front door of the manor opened, and an older gentleman in a black overcoat approached the front gate.


    Upon reaching us, I noticed that he indeed appeared older, considering his perfectly-groomed goatee and pronounced laugh-lines around his mouth and crow¡¯s feet framing his light brown eyes. He wore a black and white suit with immaculately clean white gloves and black dress shoes. Seeing Sora, he offered her a kind smile. ¡°Lady Soralynn, you¡¯ve returned far sooner than anticipated.¡± The man spoke as she undid the latch on the gate, sliding it open soundlessly.


    Sora let out a small laugh, smiling widely. ¡°I¡¯ve always given my all in my tasks, Oxton. You know that.¡±


    The man, Oxton, answered with his smile, significantly smaller but no less kind. ¡°Indeed, Lady Soralynn.¡± His eyes rolled over Kato and I. ¡°Lady Kato.¡±


    ¡°Oxton.¡± She answered with a grunt.


    Then his gaze fell onto me. For a moment, he didn¡¯t respond, before his eyes widened in surprise. He quickly masked his expression and closed the gate behind as we entered the grounds. ¡°Welcome to Luvian Manor, Milord. I wish you a peaceful stay here.¡±


    Surprised by his deference, I composed myself and inclined my head. ¡°I am grateful for the hospitality. I¡¯ll endeavor not to make myself a nuisance.¡±


    Oxton didn¡¯t react noticeably to my words, merely nodding as he walked ahead of us, directing us inside of the manor itself. We strode down the marble pathway, and I turned my head in time to see one the gardeners, a boy who seemed on the elder end of teenage his years, stood from his work. His light eyes met mine before they widened, and he swiftly turned back around. Before I returned my attention forward, I managed to catch sight of a white furry belt wrapped around his waist. I blinked in surprise, before furrowing my brow and turning my attention to the others working the gardens.


    All of them had some form of animal-like additions. Ears atop the head; tails wrapped around their waists; scales on exposed skin; and strange looking pupils. Beastkin. The people who own this manor employ Beastkin to work in and around their home.


    I faced forward and continued to follow the party into the manor. Oxton opened the door, an elaborately decorated wooden door with silver filigree framing the outer edge of the entryway. A trio of dark blue tinted windows rested head height on the door. He waved for us to enter as he bowed his head. Sora offered him a kind smile as she led us into the building. There was a noticeable dip in temperature as I stepped over the threshold, goosebumps racing up my arms before I became accustomed to the cold. The entrance hall revealed a spacious, empty area with a set of wide steps leading up to a second floor ¡ª an elaborate chandelier with an ambiently glowing sapphire that illuminated the area. The walls were decorated a dark blue with various decorations. White pillars reached the two-story high ceiling, attached to a railing on the second floor.


    Off to the right, a door flung itself open as a young woman with short hair so black it appeared to have blue highlights strode towards Sora with an excited smile. She wore what resembled a merger of a summer dress and a dark pantsuit, a parted skirt revealing her white tights-covered legs and raised heels. Around her shoulders rested a white shawl contrasting beautifully with her dark sapphire necklace. ¡°Sora! You¡¯ve returned so quickly! I didn¡¯t know you missed me so much.¡± Her voice gave off a pleasantly husky soprano as she smiled at Sora, showing off her bright white teeth.


    Sora returned the smile, though much more subdued. ¡°Alba. I told you that I planned to return. You shouldn¡¯t be so surprised.¡±


    Alba¡¯s rolled over to me, icy blue eyes rolling over me, paying Kato no mind as she did so. ¡°Oxton. I¡¯m now entertaining guests. There will be no interruptions unless I give the order.¡±


    ¡°At your will, Mistress.¡± The man replied with surety, shutting the door behind us with an echoing click.


    ¡°Come! I¡¯ll show you my study.¡± Alba seemingly spoke directly to me, her eyes meeting mine with an almost burning curiosity before she turned and walked back out to where she arrived. I hesitated for a second, my eyes falling onto Sora, who just met my gaze with a smile. With no more than an exhale, I turned back to follow the path that Alba had taken to leave. Taking the lead, I left the entrance hall with Kato and Sora following after me a few steps back. I strode through the doorway and heard Sora close it behind us. The brightly lit hallway that we entered seemed decorated with a plethora of pictures and decorative items, primarily that of flowers, bouquets and derivatives of such. The photos appeared to be of others of similar appearance to Alba, though she seemed to be only one smiling in them.


    We followed Alba passed a few closed doors until we reached the end of the hall, to which she pulled out a key and unlocked it. With a click, the door opened, and she walked inside. The first thing I saw when we entered was the bookshelves, filled to the brim with an assortment of books, folders filled with papers and the occasional knick-knack. My gaze fell onto the map on the far wall, with various darts poked into the mountainous portions of the areas, with the occasional plain containing one or two. A stand rested in the corner, with a shut book and a quill sitting next to it. Directly across from the door rested the desk, in front of a window with the blinds pulled shut. Upon the desk rested a few more books with an open notebook in the center, sitting on an empty page, with an upraised mirror aimed towards the door we just entered.


    The door clicked shut behind me as I came to a stop in the center of Alba¡¯s office. The young woman¡¯s gaze turned intense as she stared at me, turning around and walking over to me, coming to a stop in front of the desk. She did not blink as she stared, eyes wide and lips parted. ¡°The Fallen Hero¡­¡± She whispered; her voice almost reverent as she exhaled. ¡°How long has it been since you¡¯ve awakened?¡±


    ¡°This is the fifth day,¡± I answered her as I met her gaze with a frown.


    Alba¡¯s eyes widened even more, shock appearing in them as she quickly turned to Sora. ¡°Five days, Soralynn? So soon?¡± I gave her a confused look, but she ignored me. ¡°The journey to Lady Mina is far too treacherous for you and I at our best, let alone a Demon Lord who hasn¡¯t broken the surface of his potential.¡± Alba glared at my companion.


    Sora rolled her eyes, meeting the glare with an unmoving mien. ¡°You know as well as I do that the borders within Veritas are becoming more difficult to traverse stealthily. Heavier levied taxes; more unwarned searches and seizures of solitary travelers; the slow push against registered mercenaries.¡± Sora pointed towards the window. ¡°Veritas is far too dangerous for us at the moment to take our time to gather strength slowly. If we are to succeed, then we must seize the momentum and never let it go.¡±


    Alba bared her teeth at Sora, a chilling mist seeping out from the corners of her mouth. ¡°It is only because the remaining Heroes don¡¯t wish to be revered that there aren¡¯t monuments celebrating Joseph Blaine¡¯s ¡®sacrifice.¡¯¡± The black bled out of her hair, becoming a whitish-blue that seemed to wilt amid her anger. ¡°Simple glamours cannot hide our incipient King forever, Soralynn. Your breakneck pace will bring all we¡¯ve all ever planned to ruin!¡±


    Sora¡¯s amber eyes took on a furious glow, her bangs raising and curling as they lost color as well. ¡°Time is of the essence, Alba. Tensions between humans and Beastkin are becoming too noticeable. If we don¡¯t act soon enough, then humanity will attempt a purge.¡± Her face twisted into a rictus of anger, black markings resembling veins appearing on her face, branching from the corners of her mouth, her nostrils, her ears, and her eyes.


    Alba rolled her eyes, her face taking on an unhealthy pallor, splotched of black dotted her dry, flaky skin. ¡°Your hatred of humanity makes you predictable, Witch. I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t given in to that fury of yours.¡±


    Sora sneered, her upper lip curling as her eyes narrowed. ¡°And your obsession with beauty is apparent, Wight. Still wasting your funds on making things look pleasant to look at, aren¡¯t we?¡± She snorted at the growing fury on Alba¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s a wonder that Penemue still allows you to move, considering your evident envy.¡±


    The woman growled gutturally, stepping forward. ¡°At least I bring something to the table, unlike you.¡± Her fury twisted into a mocking scoff. ¡°You tour the world and use other''s hard work as your own. A second-rate Lady Kaede.¡±


    My companion bristled, the veins on her face pulsing once before her expression turned blank. She took a single step forward and replied, ¡°Says the one ordered on standby for her overzealous assault last year.¡± Alba twitched at that; her eyes narrowed at Sora. ¡°Scarring two of the Heroes when Penemue simply said to test them.¡± She gave a contemptuous sneer. ¡°And you¡¯re still on house arrest, yes?¡±


    Alba snarled audibly and nearly took a step forward¡­


    ¡°Enough.¡± I cut into their argument with a frustrated growl, causing the two of them to stiffen. They continued to stare at one another, but I knew they could see my glare in the corner of their eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know about your disagreement, and, frankly, I don¡¯t care for it right now.¡± I turned and placed a hand on their shoulders, pushing both of them a few steps back. Alba¡¯s body was cold to the touch, unnaturally so; while Sora was the opposite, her body burning hot at the touch. ¡°We¡¯re here for a reason. Introductions, people I need to meet and know; not for the two of you snipe at each other over a difference in opinion.¡±


    I rolled a gaze from Sora to Alba, eyes narrowed and holding back the irritated anger that had begun to bubble as they argued. ¡°Am I clear?¡±


    The two of them were silent as I waited for an answer, wide eyes intensely focused on me. As they stared at me, I could feel Kato¡¯s silent approval radiated behind me, a faint upward twitch of her lips, before her stoicism returned.


    A shaky breath escaped Alba as she stepped back, causing my hand to slip from her shoulder. As she did so, though, her eyes never left me. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Her voice came out shaky as her face slowly began to change back, her hair regaining its black. ¡°Soralynn was right¡­ You were born for it.¡±


    Sora scoffed at her words, the veins on her face slowly disappearing and the glow in her eyes dimming. ¡°Obviously.¡± Alba narrowed her eyes at the woman.


    Before she could retort, I clapped my hands to catch both of their attention. ¡°Need I treat you both like children?¡± I glared at them in turn, causing them to bow their heads slowly. ¡°Now, let¡¯s all take a moment to gather ourselves. After that, we¡¯ll continue our discussion. Professionally.¡± I narrowed my eyes at the two of them, daring either one to defy my will.


    ¡­Defy my will? The hell?!


    An excited smile appeared on Alba¡¯s face, eyes shifting to a glassy white-blue. ¡°Fallen Hero, indeed. You truly are our Demon Lord, Joseph Blaine.¡±


    My gaze flickered past her, and I caught my reflection in the mirror on her desk. Red eyes stared back at me, an undercurrent of demanding anger billowing within them.


    Is it wrong that I don¡¯t feel surprised by that?


    ¡­


    I thought so.

 Alea Iacta Est - 10

    After tempers had cooled, Alba had seats brought into her office. Or, instead, she had a chair brought into her office and offered it to me. All while giving Sora the most self-satisfied cat-smile, to which I just rolled my eyes and sat down. As Alba sat in the chair behind the desk, I sat across from her with Sora and Kato standing at my flanks, looking as comfortable as if they were born to do so.


    ¡°The current societal climate between humans and Beastkin is tense, to understate it to a frightening extent.¡± Alba started as she pulled out a few files and handed them over to me. ¡°Ever since the events at Nyrill last year, more and more Beastkin have been removed from their former workplaces.¡± She paused, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Barring a few exceptions of course, as you¡¯ve noticed in my gardens.¡± A wry, dark smile appeared on her face. ¡°And the Twin Flag Company. The two of us, and an even smaller number of other groups, the Guild included, are the only ones in Xadria, and other surrounding towns, willingly employing Beastkin.¡±


    I flipped through the pages, feeling less and less pain as symbols shifted from illegible to English for me when I read. ¡°Political unrest. Societal tensions¡­¡± I murmured as moved from paper to paper. ¡°What of other nations, then?¡± I asked her, handing a few documents to Sora.


    ¡°Melia is more accepting, considering the Elven nation is most capable of treating Madness to a certain extent, though the specifics are unknown to us.¡± Alba sounded frustrated at that specific point, sifting through her papers. ¡°Kohinoor has booted them from their borders, outright banning an entire species of people from returning. Dwarven-kind isn¡¯t accepting of most things, not like their stonework or metalsmithing. That in and of itself didn¡¯t surprise us.¡±


    When Alba paused, I looked up from the papers to see a complicated look on her face. ¡°What of the Holien Empire?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Her reluctant answer caused me to frown, placing the papers on the table. At my look, she turned her attention to Sora. ¡°Have you found anything about them, Soralynn?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sora answered with a shake of her head. ¡°Which is concerning.¡±


    ¡°Why? Beyond the obvious.¡± I asked her.¡¯


    ¡°Because Eir is hiding within Holien borders.¡± Both Sora and Alba answered me at the same time.


    I blinked at their answer. ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid you both share a talent you¡¯ve neglected to mention.¡± At their mutual confused and outraged expressions, I held back the amused snort that threatened to come forward. ¡°A skill for the understatement, because that¡¯s fucking terrifying, not concerning.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Let¡¯s shelve that for now and get back to the fact that we don¡¯t know anything about Beastkin in Holien. Something else that¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    Alba blinked as I heard Sora hum in amusement. The woman at the desk closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve been trying to send agents through their borders for years now, but we¡¯ve lost contact with them every time.¡± She flipped through a few more papers. ¡°Aside from a few unsubstantiated rumors, we have nothing about the political climate between humans and Beastkin.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything that would be helpful?¡± Sora snipped at Alba but flinched when I threw a withering glare at her.


    The corner of Alba¡¯s mouth twitched, but she didn¡¯t react to Sora¡¯s words. ¡°Unfortunately, my role is restricted to the mercantile politics of Xadria, so I cannot offer any direct aid to you, Milord. However¡­¡± She smiled and reached behind her desk, pulling out a drawer and lifting a silver bell. Ringing it three times exactly, she replaced the bell and closed her drawer. ¡°I can offer you help in another way.¡±


    Not a few seconds later, the door to the office opened slowly. ¡°Lady Luvian, you called?¡± Oxton stood at the entrance, hands clasped behind him.


    ¡°Oxton, please bring Arce here. I believe I¡¯ve found her ideal task.¡±


    Oxton bowed at the waist. ¡°At once, Milady.¡± He silently closed the door.


    I frowned in thought as I looked back to a smirking Alba. ¡°Who¡¯s¡­Arce?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to her to introduce herself, Milord.¡± She answered playfully, a broad smile on her face.


    ¡°O¡­kay.¡± I mused as I gave her a confused look. Shaking my head, I turned my attention to another topic. ¡°About my registration, what places do you best recommend for us to use?¡±


    Alba waved a hand. ¡°For tonight, you¡¯ll all stay here. It¡¯s too late in the afternoon for you to be able to find adequate room and board.¡± She then pointed to the bag I was carrying. ¡°The guild should¡¯ve handed you some cards, yes? They should have a list of places to stay and go.¡± I pulled them out and held them to her. Alba took them and flipped through them with a critical eye. Her lips curled as she hummed in discontent. ¡°They¡¯re steering you towards the better choices, at least.¡± She handed them back to me. ¡°The first two on each card are the best options, though try to keep them balanced. Don¡¯t use the first option on all of them; even with the funds that Soralynn has, it wouldn¡¯t give a positive impression on your financial skills.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense.¡± I mused as I studied the cards, taking in the names on the cards. Sliding them into a pocket, I turned my attention back to Alba, who examined me intently. ¡°Is there anything else I need to know during my stay here?¡±


    At that, a distressed look crossed her face. Her brow furrowed and lips scrunched, eyes narrowing. She looked to the side, towards Sora. I turned to see Sora with a similar expression. As I waited for an answer, none were forthcoming.


    ¡°Well?¡± I tried not to repeat myself, turning my attention between the pair of them, as they seemed oddly in sync with their reactions.


    A few uncomfortable moments passed until Alba finally replied. ¡°At the end of the week, when you¡¯re due to return to the guild, there¡¯s a festival that scheduled to begin.¡±


    ¡°A festival?¡± I asked her, cocking my head to the side and arching a brow. ¡°Do I need to ask what it¡¯s for?¡±


    Alba didn¡¯t reply, pursing her lips as she studied me. After a few seconds, she shook her head and looked up to Sora. I looked to the Witch to see her eyes dancing in amusement as she stared at Alba. The Wight scowled at her, leaning back in her seat to cross her arms. The two of them entered into a pointless staring contest.


    I closed my eyes and sighed in exasperation. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± I muttered and placed my head in my hand, shaking it. ¡°Kato. Please explain what they¡¯re too afraid to.¡±


    ¡°A week from now is the start of the Fallen Hero Festival.¡± I nodded at Kato¡¯s explanation but stiffened when the words finally settled in my thoughts. ¡°It is a three-day celebration in honor of Milord¡¯s sacrifice to protect Nyrill. During those days, out of city jobs are temporarily put on hold, and people come in from all around Veritas to aid in the celebration.¡±


    ¡°What.¡± Breathless, I stated more than asked.


    Alba fidgeted beneath my stare. ¡°The Royal Family is unable to join Xadria¡¯s celebrations this year due to circumstances outside of their control.¡± A hint of smugness bled into her features before she flinched at my furrowed brow, my stare darkening.


    ¡°Also, the Heroes still affiliated with Veritas do not take part in the celebrations, for ¡®personal reasons.¡¯¡± Sora picked up from where Alba stopped, before stiffening when I turned my stare onto her.


    I maintained this intensity before I closed my eyes and relaxed into my seat. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I couldn¡¯t keep the exhaustion out of my tone when I resumed talking. ¡°Is there anything in this festival that could potentially bring attention to me?¡±


    ¡°So long as you do not dominate the various games that take place during it, then no,¡± Alba answered.


    I nodded to her words, but before I could ask anything else, the door to Alba¡¯s office opened. ¡°Lady Alba? You asked for me?¡± A young woman¡¯s voice pulled our attention to the doorway.


    The waifish young woman stood in the open doorway, dressed in a set of form-fitting white trousers that hugged her slender legs like tights, while she wore a knee-length black skirt that flowed around her legs. She wore a loose tunic with a scaled, leather jacket over it. She had faintly rounded cheeks and a youngish looking face, with dark grey eyes. Her reddish-amber hair fell a few inches past her shoulders, though a braid tied around the back showed me that it seemed longer than the first appearance. What caught my attention, though, were a pair of white triangle ears that rested atop her head, reminding me a fox. I noticed movement behind her, seeing a greyish-white bushy tail that twitched at the sudden attention. Walking inside, she shut the door and fidgeted as her eyes met mine.


    Before she could continue, though, another flicker of movement pulled my attention. A black blur raced around her as Marishka practically leaped onto my lap, sticking her head under my left arm, as if to hide. Bewildered, I looked down at her for a few moments of silence, before I closed my eyes with a heavy sigh, pushing my fingers through Marishka¡¯s thick fur. ¡°I missed you too, girl. Glad to have you back.¡± She shook faintly in my grasp, but I said nothing about that, giving her the attention, she needed.


    Alba watched us in silence before she cleared her throat. Without stopping, I looked towards her. ¡°Arce. Introduce yourself.¡±


    ¡°I am called Arce, Milord.¡± She bowed at the waist, her voice hitching as she stuttered subtly. ¡°How may I be of service?¡±


    ¡°Should Milord accept you, Arce, I will be turning your services as a scout over to him,¡± Alba explained to the girl, turning her gaze towards me.


    Meeting her gaze for a moment, I debated standing to approach Arce properly, but with Marishka in my arms, that would be too difficult. Making do, I turned around my seat as Sora stepped aside to offer me a clear line of sight to the newcomer. ¡°Arce, yes?¡± She nodded minutely, shoulders hunched, clearly nervous if her shaking, entwined hands told me anything. ¡°Tell me about yourself. Alba recommends you, but I don¡¯t know anything about you.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Arce stiffened, her cheeks losing color, but she closed her eyes tightly. A breath escaped her as her shoulders loosened, tension seemingly leaving her. After a few seconds of silence, her eyes opened once more. ¡°I¡¯ve been an on and off adventurer for the past two years. I¡¯ve taken most jobs in and around Xadria, with maybe one or two that are led out of the city.¡± She paused, pursing her lips. Her silence passed for a few moments. When I blinked, however, she vanished from sight. Jerking to the side, I faced Alba¡¯s direction once more to see Arce standing next to her, hands clasped in front of her. ¡°I excel at moving through and exploiting blind spots.¡± She explained when I stared at her.


    Alba smirked in triumphant, leaning back in her seat in self-satisfaction. ¡°Arce¡¯s been with me for the better part of four years. She¡¯s never failed a task that I¡¯ve given, and I don¡¯t feel like she¡¯ll start now.¡± Said girl blushed bashfully at Alba¡¯s words, looking down with a small smile. The Wight leaned forward in her seat. ¡°Milord, if my situation were any different, I¡¯d personally join you in your journey across the continent, but I¡¯m to remain here.¡± She threw a glare at a self-satisfied Sora. ¡°Soralynn¡¯s perspective of the world is¡­flawed and biased, more than anyone else¡¯s.¡± She offered my first companion a half-smirk, turning her gaze back to me.


    The fact that Sora said nothing to defend herself told me far more than a direct answer ever would.


    ¡°Thus, my aid will have to come through indirectly.¡± She towards the fox-eared girl. ¡°Arce, I am officially turning your employment from me to Joseph Blaine. Serve him as you¡¯ve served me over these years.¡±


    Arce gave her a shaky smile, nodding to her words. ¡°Of course, Lady Alba. I feel honored that you¡¯ve taken care of me as long as you have.¡±


    Alba¡¯s expression softened; the smile she gave the girl resembling that of a sister with pride in her sibling. ¡°You deserved nothing less.¡± Her gentle tone brought an even brighter blush to the younger girl¡¯s face.


    Still, Arce sucked in a breath and turned directly to me. ¡°Lord Joseph Blaine, I am honored to follow the man chosen to become the King of Terras.¡± She bowed to me, her upper body practically parallel to the ground, holding that position, apparently until I replied.


    Complicated feelings welled within me upon hearing her words and seeing her actions. Pride and satisfaction for her subservience, much to my frustration; exasperation for the theatricality, though I can understand why considering the circumstances that could be between them. Youthful exuberance, since this all reminded of so many fantasy stories I¡¯ve experienced back home. Regardless, for us to continue, Arce needed me to reply.


    ¡°Arce.¡± The girl straightened her posture, looking to me with a hesitant gaze. ¡°In public, my cover name is Lyall, so be sure to call me that when we¡¯re around others.¡± She nodded to my words. ¡°In private, though, when it¡¯s only us, call me Joey.¡± She stiffened as if the implied informality terrified her, but I lifted a hand. ¡°We¡¯re going to be fighting alongside one another. I won¡¯t have the people putting the lives in my hands be anything less than people I consider friends and comrades.¡± I offered her a soft smile. ¡°I hope you come to feel the same.¡±


    Her cheeks darkened as she nodded to me, her lips curling into a minute smile. ¡°I do, as well.¡± After her response, Arce closed her eyes and sucked in a breath, as if to gather herself. ¡°As a scout, my specialty is approaching and stalking my targets stealthily, as well as mapping out areas for my party to safely traverse.¡± She lifted the left side of her jacket outwards, revealing the hilt of a dagger. ¡°I¡¯m skilled with the dagger, but I¡¯m also capable with a bow.¡±


    ¡°That, combined with your ability to exploit blind spots, make you a terrifying sniper, as well.¡± I finished for her when she paused, getting a blushing nod from her. Unable to hold back a grin, I leaned back in my seat and looked from her to Sora, then to Kato. ¡°An archer, a vanguard, a flanker and a caster. We¡¯ve got a whole team already.¡± As Sora smiled playfully at my words and Kato inclined her head, Marishka groaned at me, narrowing her red eyes at me as she pulled back. I rolled my eyes at her, pushing my fingers through her fur. ¡°You¡¯re still too small, Rishka. Wait until you grow into your heritage, then you¡¯ll find your place.¡± She grunted at me, turning and hopping off my lap.


    Alba watched the Amarok with a critical eye, curiosity dancing in her icy blue eyes. ¡°I¡¯m still in disbelief that you managed to bond with an Amarok. They are remarkably independent.¡± She mused as she leaned back in her seat. ¡°Even Penemue has difficulty convincing them to move to areas lacking humans.¡±


    Marishka snorted as I offered a shrug. ¡°The circumstances behind it aren¡¯t what I¡¯d like to repeat, if only for Marishka¡¯s sake.¡± Alba nodded at my answer. With that, the rest of the meeting continued without fanfare. Alba told me the information I needed to know about staying in Xadria; what I needed to avoid considering festival preparation is going to begin in earnest tomorrow, and an assortment of other pieces of info that I¡¯d need on a rainy day.


    When we finally ended the meeting, the sun was still high in the sky but seemed to be dipping towards the horizon. I¡¯d been out and about all day, so I felt somewhat comfortable with Xadria. I¡¯d probably still need help finding places, but that¡¯ll resolve itself with time. Currently, Alba had Oxton show us to the rooms that we¡¯d be staying in for the night while she returned to whatever tasks she had for the day.


    Needlessly extravagant, the room I now stood inside of seemed just as encompassing the living room in the apartment I shared with my sister. Pressed against a back was, rested a bed with a black canopy; next to it stood a bed-stand with an elaborate lantern. A bookshelf stood across the entrance, filled to the brim with texts that I felt curious about when I saw them. An ebony wooden dresser was across from the window in the room; the window covered by a set of drawn, black curtains. I looked down to see a white rug atop the dark blue carpet. Humming to myself, I shrugged off my jacket and tossed it onto the dresser. Removing Kato¡¯s knife from the back of my belt, I placed her next to my coat.


    Sitting on the edge of the bed, I put my face into my hands and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I wonder¡­how is Maggie?¡± I spoke aloud, leaning backward on my hands to feel the comfortable give of the mattress. ¡°These five days have been nonstop, without a chance to sit back and just¡­let go.¡± I laughed and shook my head. ¡°Here I am, talking to myself.¡± I paused and closed my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to feel; aside from being in over my head.¡± Another laugh escaped me, though it sounded far more tired than I showed.


    ¡°Politics, societal shifts, espionage. I¡¯m seventeen fucking years old, and I¡¯m expected to fix all of this?¡± Clenching my fist tight enough for my knuckles to crack, I slammed it onto the bed. ¡°Yet, why do I feel relief?¡± I gritted my teeth and leaned forward. ¡°Why am I relieved, knowing that I¡¯ve been forced to abandon my sister? The only family I have left.¡± I placed my free hand on my face; eyes scrunched shut. ¡°Why, dammit? Why?!¡±


    I¡¯ve held it back for so long, this festering anger that simmered just beneath the surface. It had started with the attack in the merchant quarter by Jeanne, became more apparent with her death; seeing with my own eyes the bigotry against a mere child; coddled because of my asthma; before it ultimately culminated with Luke¡¯s betrayal.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. Bottling it up would only make things worse. I¡¯ve already been on a knife¡¯s edge since waking up, but I could tell that it¡¯d only take one mishap for me to lose control. My transformation had only made it more difficult, fraying the edges of my consciousness with a desire to command, to conquer what stands in front of me.


    I needed someone to talk to, someone to vent about this; it couldn¡¯t be Sora. For all her stated loyalty, I didn¡¯t know her; I didn¡¯t trust her enough to let everything out. It had to be one of my old classmates because they understood. They knew from where I¡¯d be coming from, where we¡¯d be coming from.


    A year, though. My friends have been forced to live on Verum for an entire year, while I was dead. How much had they¡¯d changed? How much have I missed? How much-


    I abruptly stood, shaking my head quickly. ¡°Stop moping.¡± I scolded myself. ¡°Action. Duty. You have a goal and a destination. Focus on that.¡± This life stopped being a game and had become real life for me. No more games. No more hesitation. ¡°Get out of your head and focus on the task at hand.¡± I needed to fight, to just let go and burn through this excess energy. I needed a moment to myself.


    Walking over to the window, I parted the curtains and opened the window. It opened into a small balcony with a black railing. Feeling the gentle breeze of the wind kissing my face, I closed my eyes and basked in the afternoon air.


    ¡°Joseph?¡± Sora¡¯s gentle voice caught my attention. She must¡¯ve been given the room next to mine. I turned my head to see her standing on the balcony, having removed her corset and only dressed in her flowing cloth dress. She no longer held her weapon, just standing on the open terrace. ¡°What are you doing out here?¡±


    ¡°Getting some air.¡±


    She hummed at my answer, looking over the horizon of the city in front of us. The dimly lit stone and marble building before us basked in the late afternoon air. I leaned against the metal and stone railing, staring forward with an exhausted hunch. ¡°Do you wish to know something, Joey?¡± Sora asked as I studied the horizon, taking in the faintly smoky air from the distant forge. I turned my gaze to her as she continued to look forward, her mien almost unnatural with her stoicism. She took my silence as consent. ¡°I hate this world.¡± I blinked, caught off guard by her sudden statement. ¡°I hate these people, so easily swayed by ignorance and fear.¡± Her gaze rolled over to me slowly, expression a blank mask that reminded me of a mannequin. ¡°Sometimes I wonder what the point of all of this is; why I do what I do.¡± Her lips slowly curled upwards, though her eyes remained cold, like chips of ice.


    I didn¡¯t answer her for a few moments before I inclined my head forward. ¡°Then, why?¡± My voice came out a faint whisper, almost lost in the ambient breeze around us.


    Sora closed her eyes, leaning her head back. ¡°Penemue convinced that there was something worth protecting in humanity. Something that stands out as deserving of dedication and hope.¡± She snorted, lips curling in disdain as she bared her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve yet to see what she meant; yet to see the trait that humanity carries that makes them ¡®worthwhile.¡¯¡± She sneered the final word with such hatred and distaste that it felt like a chill had settled on my shoulders, a figurative cold slime dripping down my back.


    However, it surprised me when her eyes suddenly locked onto me, glowing iridescently with curiosity. ¡°But when I observed you, during your first two months on Verum, I noticed something different.¡± She leaned towards me, a franticness to her growing smile. ¡°Even as you fought and learned and trained, I could sense growing anger in you, Joey. Oh, you remained close with your classmates, but there was always a feeling of dissatisfaction, a desire to break away.¡±


    I won¡¯t lie. I did feel such things during my time with the Royal family. After having lived on that island with my sister for the past decade, I wanted to feel¡­free. I had felt tired of being trapped within a gilded cage. While I hated my abduction, I managed to see it as an opportunity to be free. A chance to live my life the way I wanted to, rather than by the whim and will of another.


    ¡°With a will and instinct of someone who had seemingly been born on Verum, you took to your new environment with no complaint, only a steely determination,¡± Sora spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper; yet her intense stare made it feel like she declared it to the heavens. ¡°Even facing Lady Jeanne, you showed no hesitation, only a tired resignation of an old soul trapped in his circumstances.¡±


    ¡°And what does this tell you?¡± I asked of her, already feeling exhausted. This whole day felt like it had gone on for too long, and I just wanted it to end.


    ¡°That even amongst your class, an already impressive coterie with astounding potential, you were the only one who could shoulder this burden,¡± Sora stated with finality, meeting my eyes with hers. Stern and unmoving, she pushed her resolution towards me, clearly in the hopes that it would move me. Even as I felt my heart pound at her words, I maintained my stoic gaze, meeting her eyes without hesitation. ¡°The role of the Demon Lord is a weight that not many can carry, because of the foes he must face and the duties he must fulfill.¡±


    I took in her words with a frown. A feeling of frustration welled within me, just the same as when Emelina used to speak of my class and me as Heroes. An expectation of becoming something specific; an expectation that I had to do that very thing, with an unspoken threat of disappointment. A twitch in the corner of my mouth was all I gave as I pushed away from the railing. ¡°Goodnight, Sora,¡± I abruptly said as I left the balcony, shutting the window behind me.


    ¡°Joey?¡± Sora¡¯s confused voice, muffled by the window between, ended up being the last thing I heard before deciding to go to bed.

 Alea Iacta Est - 11

    ¡°This is the best inn within a reasonable budget for your average adventurer,¡± Arce explained as we came to a stop in front of a two-story wood and stone building. Windows peppered the face of the building, though the entrance had a pair of elaborately decorated wooden doors, held open by something from the inside. People milled back and forth, leaving from it and walking past it. ¡°The bar the owner runs also has a wide assortment of drinks and good food.¡± She said as we approached the inn, Sora and I following the Fox Beastkin.


    While we did so, though, I couldn¡¯t help but notice a few people staring at us. Then again, a part of me can understand, considering both Sora and Arce are both attractive women. What concerned me, though, seemed to be that I happened to be under just as much scrutiny. As I followed them, I rolled my gaze over the people who studied us, trying to pick out the ones that seemed to stand out the most.


    When we stepped over the threshold and into the inn proper, a cacophony of sounds greeted me. Laughter and clinking mugs, alongside the music of utensils hitting plates and loud chewing, were all that I heard when I followed Arce into the inn. An assortment of men and woman in just as diverse styles of armor and clothing all sat at various tables and in booths, regaling each other with a variety of tales and stories. As I stood there, as I stopped in the middle of the tavern, I couldn¡¯t help the adrenaline that surged through me. I couldn¡¯t hold back the playful grin that appeared on my face.


    It reminded of all the stories I¡¯ve read, I¡¯ve experienced. The start of an adventure, a tale as old as time, a gathering of the heroes of the tale. It always started here; every clich¨¦, every fantasy staple, started in places like this, where the explorers of the unknown gathered. Where heroes, before they knew they were heroes, began their journeys. In my heart of hearts, I became that kid again; the child that found his escape in countless stories of good vs. evil; in stories of heroes meeting the villain and proclaiming their intent for victory; of finding an impossible goal and defeating it after countless hours of struggles.


    ¡°Well, well, if that isn¡¯t an adventurer¡¯s smile, I don¡¯t know what is.¡± A woman¡¯s amused voice pulled me from my childish reminiscence. My smile fell as I turned towards the source; a woman dressed in a low-cut, dark brown ankle-length frock with a dark grey long-sleeve shirt under it. The rolled-up sleeves revealed a pair of slender, but subtly muscled forearms; she wore an apron over her dress, though the occasional faint stain peppered it. Her honey-blonde fell to her shoulders, though tied into a high ponytail by a piece of twine. Faintly freckled cheeks dimpled as she smiled cutely towards me, alongside an amused Soralynn and a mystified Arce.


    The woman let out a laugh at my attention, focusing on her. ¡°Now, no need to look so dour at being called out.¡± She placed a hand over her chest and nodded her head to me. ¡°The name¡¯s Kersti, and I¡¯m a friend of Arce.¡± The newly named Kersti wrapped an arm around the timid girl¡¯s neck, pulling her into a one-armed hug. ¡°It¡¯s always a good thing to see a few friends with my favorite Foxy.¡± She grinned toothily before her eyes narrowed. ¡°Y''all are her friends, yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to believe so,¡± Sora answered with laughter in her voice, clearly amused at Arce¡¯s flustered fidgeting as she tried to escape Kersti¡¯s grasp. ¡°Arce has agreed to join our party for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, it is a fruitful one.¡±


    The barmaid¡¯s grin turned genuine, and she quickly pulled Sora into a side hug as well. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the narrow of my companion¡¯s eyes at that, her gaze flickering darkly as she leveled a sudden glare, before smoothing it over with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re good people, Missy! What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Soralynn.¡± She answered, her voice subtly sharper than before, but she maintained her smile.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Soralynn. C¡¯mon, let me show you and yours to a table.¡± Kersti grinned as she turned and began to lead the Fox and Witch. ¡°You too, Handsome. Follow the bar wench.¡± She winked over to me, even as Sora gave me the most long-suffering gaze, I have ever seen from anyone. I snorted as I followed them. My eyes scanned my surroundings, and I caught sight of a few animals resting or eating. A few dogs were sitting at the feet of table, birds perched on the back of chairs and a few felines roaming around to beg for scraps.


    At my ankles, a brush of fur rubbed against my leg. I glanced down to see Marishka walking freely, looking around with narrowed red eyes. She opened her mouth in a yawn, her fangs bright white in the dim lighting of the inn. Marishka growled as she caught sight of the various animals.


    ¡°Hey. Play nice.¡± I nudged her with my foot, smiling down at her. She groaned at me, but still dutifully followed at my feet. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. I¡¯ll get you some meat when we sit down to eat.¡± She turned an intense stare towards me; red eyes glistened with emotion. Then she huffed and rushed ahead towards Sora and the others. I chuckled at her excitement and continued to follow after Kersti casually.


    Not a moment later I sat at a reasonably-sized wooden table with Arce and a disgruntled Sora. Kersti stood at the table with her hands on her hips. ¡°Well now, what is it everyone wants? I¡¯ll discount it, not just because you¡¯re a friend of Arce, but a new adventurer as well.¡± She grinned and nodded once. ¡°Now, what¡¯ll you and your furry friend have?¡± She looked down and around the table, where Marishka sat at my feet.


    We gave our orders, but when it came to Marishka, she pulled my attention by biting at the scuff of my pants and gave a tug. I looked down to her and took in her beseeching gaze. I opened my mouth to ask what she wanted when I felt a tickle in the back of my mind. All of a sudden, it felt like something rested on the tip of my tongue. I sat back up and faced Kersti. ¡°Rishka will have a small rack of ribs, lightly cooked with no seasoning.¡± I blinked a little in surprise but brushed it aside.


    Kersti smirked playfully at me as she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be right along, Handsome.¡± She turned and sauntered away.


    ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± I asked Sora with a bewildered stare.


    My companion smiled proudly. ¡°Your bond with Marishka is far stronger than I assumed.¡± She inclined her head to the table, towards where the Amarok at my feet. ¡°You formed it when you first locked eyes with her, hence the change in eye color. That represents a connection between the both of you.¡± She narrowed her eyes as her smile widened. ¡°Your role and Affinity influence the bond you share. I can only wonder just how much it does.¡±


    Arce frowned contemplatively as she peered around the table. Then her eyes widened. ¡°You have a-¡± Then she shook her head, eyes focused on me, filled with respect. ¡°Young Marishka will grow into something incredible. I know it.¡±


    I focused on her words, curiosity filling me. ¡°What can you tell me about Rishka¡¯s species?¡± As I asked that, said Amarok walked around and hopped into my lap, red eyes focusing on Arce as well.


    She pursed her lips, eyes flickering around as if searching any potential eavesdroppers. ¡°Specifics will have to wait for a better setting, but I can offer generalities.¡± Arce paused as she placed her hands on the table, entwining her fingers. ¡°They¡¯re growth rate is phenomenal. Depending on the age you picked her up, she¡¯ll most likely grow large to hunt on her own, with consistent success.¡± She pursed her lips, eyes closing as she seemed to mumble to herself. ¡°Relatively close to the height of a healthy foal, though she¡¯ll be slenderer than normal until she gains muscle. Whether from hunting and eating to gain mass or due to aging naturally, Marishka will quickly too large to be hidden conventionally.¡±


    Marishka seemed to hum proudly upon hearing that, straightening her posture and raising her snout with a toothy grin. I pat her head down, pushing my fingers through her fur; she groaned at my actions, even as I smiled, but did nothing to stop it. I¡¯m starting to think she likes it.


    Arce studied her intently, not blinking as she did so. ¡°Do you know how old she is?¡±


    I opened my mouth to tell her I didn¡¯t know, but once again, the tickle from before gave me pause. ¡°Five months, coming upon six within the week.¡± I blinked in surprise once more, turning a shocking look at the docile Amarok sitting on my lap.


    ¡°Five months and three weeks, but still the size of a pup?¡± Arce murmured audibly, furrowing her brow as she stared at Marishka. ¡°She must¡¯ve been the runt of the litter.¡±


    Marishka stiffened, then bared her teeth. A guttural snarl came from her as red eyes focused angrily on Arce, tensing as if to leap.


    My hand slid from her head to the scruff of her neck as I grasped her tightly, holding her in place. I place my other hand at her chest and kept from her attacking, teeth snapping at the Fox. Arce did not flinch, meeting the enraged Amarok¡¯s glare without fear. ¡°Calm down,¡± I ordered her, feeling the rumble of my words deep in my chest. Marishka stopped growling, recalcitrantly lowering her head, but still glaring. ¡°It was not meant to be an insult, Marishka, but an observation,¡± I explained evenly, my eyes on her unblinkingly. ¡°You may be small now, but in the future?¡± I bared my teeth in a smile that would make other second guess my demonstrated benevolence. ¡°Looking at your mother, you¡¯ll be a force to be reckoned.¡±


    Marishka relaxed at my words, but turned her head away from Arce, staring at the table petulantly.


    I turned my gaze back to Arce, who stared at Marishka in confusion, even as I noticed an amused Sora watching the byplay between us with a small smile. ¡°Continue.¡±


    Arce nodded shallowly. ¡°Her species is held up as the unparalleled hunter, famous for their solitary nature.¡± She tapped the table before her with a single finger. ¡°Powerful and independent, they very rarely willingly enter any form of civilization.¡± She closed her eyes, leaning back in her seat. ¡°Marishka is meant to be an Apex Predator.¡± She opened her eyes and gave me a steady stare. ¡°It is a surge of good fortune that you bonded her to you.¡±


    Smiling proudly at the Amarok in my lap, I ruffled her fur with both of my hands, fingers entwining with her thick black coat. ¡°You hear that girl? You¡¯re going to grow up to be a badass.¡± She hummed with joy, her body essentially vibrating in my grasp.


    ¡°And to think,¡± Sora started with a smile as she watched Kersti approach the table with a tray of drinks in her hands. ¡°Having her join us was done on a whim. Nicely done.¡± Following Kersti, a second young woman, with dark red, almost black, hair. She held the tray with our food.


    We took and enjoyed our meals, but it ultimately didn¡¯t take long; myself and Sora both getting a meat stew with bread, Arce ordering something resembling a vegetarian course, and Marishka enjoying her ribs with a passionate intensity. We did talk as we ate, but we had agreed to eat out, rather than at Alba¡¯s manor. After having ordered a pair of rooms for ourselves over the next six days, we left the tavern to find something else to do.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Arce, what can we do for the next six days to kill time?¡± I asked her as we left the tavern, the two of them walking at my sides.


    Arce hummed she chewed on a piece of jerky, pulling it to side to side as she held it in her mouth. ¡°Most merchants and adventurers will be working on preparing for the Fallen Hero Festival so that most stalls won¡¯t be as active, and jobs will be more specialized.¡± She cocked her head to the side, her tail swaying behind her and ears twitching cutely. ¡°Perhaps¡­we should explore the outskirts of Xadria. We¡¯ll have to step through a checkpoint to go outside of the city limits, but there¡¯s plenty of areas where we can gain privacy.¡± Her intense gaze fell onto me. ¡°In the short time since you¡¯ve awoken, you¡¯ve yet to find your limits, correct fully?¡±


    I nodded at her words, my lips twitching at the corner to show my frustrations. ¡°Yeah. I haven¡¯t. Half-trained bandits aren¡¯t what I¡¯d call an adequate measuring stick.¡±


    Arce gave a resolute nod. ¡°Then we can head out and find a clearing amongst nature outside. With Soralynn aiding me, we can perhaps touch upon what your body is truly capable of achieving.¡± She turned her to request our companion¡¯s support silently.


    Sora closed her eyes but nodded nonetheless. ¡°My enchantments should hold amid combat. You have my support, Arce.¡±


    Just as Arce opened her mouth to reply, a voice called out to us. ¡°Oi! Wait a moment, you three!¡± We stopped, and I turned around to the source ¡ª a group of four people, three men, and a woman, approaching us. The leader, an excitable-looking young man with a faint slash scar on his right cheek, grinned as he rushed up to us. He wore a set of half-plate armor that covered his torso, his forearms, thighs, and shins, with his upper arms, shoulders, elbows, and knees covered in leather. At his hip, a sword rested in a sheath. His light brown hair fell to his shoulders, tied into a loose ponytail. ¡°Can you meet with my team for a bit and me? We want to talk about something.¡±


    Sora and I traded looks for a second, then I faced Arce, who appeared unsure as she chewed her lip. At my feet, I felt Marishka¡¯s body vibrate as if to subvocalize a growl. I reached behind me subtly, sliding a finger along the hilt of Kato¡¯s knife form. Offering a tentative nod, I said, ¡°Sure.¡± I got a broad smile from him, but I couldn¡¯t help the suspicion I felt from his exuberance. ¡°Mind if we talk at the park down the road? The tavern¡¯s probably too loud for a casual chat.¡±


    He blinked, clearly surprised by my suggestion, before his smile widened. ¡°No problem. I¡¯m just glad you agreed to talk.¡± He turned and waved for his party to follow him. ¡°They said ¡®yes¡¯!¡± He cried out with laughter, drawing attention from different passersby around us. Some of his party appeared amused, but one gave him the driest glare I¡¯ve seen from anyone. The guy waved off their reactions, exuberantly motioning for them to approach us.


    ¡°I feel the urge to light his hair on fire. While¡¯s conscious.¡± Sora whispered to me, staring forward with an unassuming smile. ¡°May I please do so?¡±


    Despite myself, I couldn¡¯t fight off the genuinely amused smile that grew on my face. ¡°He¡¯s not that annoying.¡±


    ¡°The fool¡¯s excitable.¡± She drawled as if it were a blaspheme. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± Sora maintained her polite mask as the guy¡¯s party approached us.


    The party consisted of an older man with a bald head and a salt and pepper beard; a young woman with waist length silver hair; and a baby-faced girl who appeared to be fresh out of school. The youngest looking girl glared at him. ¡°Rorick, you¡¯re tiresome, you know that?¡±


    The newly-named Rorick gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Apologies, Faithe.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and offered us an apologetic smile. ¡°Our friend¡¯s impulsive. Forgive his outburst.¡±


    Before I could respond, Sora replied kindly. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Lyall¡¯s pretty infamous for his exuberance at times.¡± She gave me a wry smile, jabbing her elbow into my side. I grunted at her statement, rolling my eyes with a faint smile.


    With that, we walked over to the park to which I had referred. We made our way to a small section of nature attached to the paved dirt road, with a few trees that dotted the artificial clearing and some parallel sitting benches with a table between them. A small pond rested in the med left, framed by a knee-height wooden fence. The two of our groups sat around the table, idly noting the pedestrians that walked by us, going about their day.


    Rorick grinned as he slapped a hand on the table, causing it to shake from the impact. ¡°Before I make my request, let¡¯s do some introductions.¡± He lifted a hand and waved it. ¡°Name¡¯s Rorick. I¡¯m a vanguard registered with the guild.¡±


    Faithe sighed heavily at him before shaking her head with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Faithe. A ranger and cartographer. I¡¯ve surveyed my share of abandoned dungeons and labyrinths in Veritas and Kohinoor.¡±


    The older adult hummed as he nodded. ¡°Garland. A priest of the Church of the First Hero.¡± He placed a clasped fist over his chest as he inclined his head to us. At first, I thought he held a cross in his hand, which confused me, considering the symbol doesn¡¯t have the meaning on Verum. However, upon focusing on it, I realized that it depicted a sheathed sword, the hilt attacked to a sliver-linked chain. The crossguard pointed out shorter than a standard cross, but it remained longer length-wise.


    The woman with silver hair smiled enigmatically. ¡°Helma. A fellow vanguard.¡±


    Sora regarded them with a masked smile. ¡°Soralynn. I am a three-star caster, registered to the guild.¡±


    ¡°Arce. Scout.¡± Arce stated curtly, her shoulders stiff.


    ¡°Lyall,¡± I answered before offering a rueful smile. ¡°In the process of registering with the guild. Prospective vanguard.¡±


    The four of them gave me almost synchronized shocked looks. ¡°You¡¯re not registered?¡± Helma asked me, her voice a shade deeper, but still feminine. ¡°You have the look of an experienced warrior already.¡± Her eyes trailed along the side of my face; no doubt focused on the faint scars along my jawline.


    ¡°Circumstances prevented me from properly registering until now,¡± I explained myself, though I kept it vague. Helma nodded, a look of grim understanding crossing her features.


    Marishka hopped onto my lap from the ground, then onto the table and sat upon her haunches, looking to the group before her imperiously. I snorted and patted her on the head, pushing her down playfully. ¡°This little pup is Marishka.¡± She grumbled at my lackluster introduction but did nothing else.


    Faithe¡¯s eyes widened, her smile growing. ¡°She¡¯s gorgeous. Where did you find her?¡±


    Marishka soaked in the praise. ¡°We found each other on our travels. More a quirk of chance, than anything else.¡± I explained, watching as the Amarok turned and hopped off the table to lie on the ground next to me.


    Rorick seemed oddly excited, hopping around in his seat and causing Faithe to give him a stern glare. ¡°Not yet registered, eh? How about you and your group join us for a job? We¡¯re short a few people and need some roles filled. What do you say?¡± He spoke rapidly as if the words spilled from his mouth.


    I paused and blinked as I processed his words. While I did that, Faithe closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°Please forgive my brother.¡±


    I waved her off, ¡°Nothing to forgive. Just tell me what you can about the job. I¡¯m not doing anything blindly.¡±


    Rorick blinked in surprise before he grimaced. Faithe gave him an exasperated glare; eyes narrowed at him. She huffed and turned towards us, her expression turning apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my brother. He always seems to get ahead of himself.¡± She reached behind her, pushing a hand into her cloak. Pulling out a folded sheet of parchment, she offered it to me. ¡°The job¡¯s a routine cleansing of a dungeon near Xadria. A few hours ride northeast.¡±


    I took the paper, feeling the coarse paper with a faint frown. Opening it, I read over the posting. It offered specifics of the job, but I just committed the gist of it to memory. ¡®Monsters have repopulated the dungeon near Xadria. Traverse its depths and rout them to clear it out. Bring back proof of completion from the bottom most floor¡¯. As I read it, I couldn¡¯t resist the childish nostalgia that filled me. Still, I kept my expression stoic as I turned to Sora, then Arce. ¡°What do the two of you think?¡±


    Sora frowned as she studied the posting. ¡°Why do you need seven people to clear the mission? The dungeon near Xadria is nowhere near dangerous enough to warrant a party of five, let alone seven.¡± She narrowed her eyes as she stared at them.


    At that, Garland grimaced and shook his head, the corners of his mouth curving downwards and his brow furrowing. ¡°That would be the case normally. However, something dangerous has settled in the heart of the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°How dangerous?¡± Arce asked him as she continued to read the posting in my hand.


    ¡°Dangerous enough to kill the previous party that made an attempt.¡± The woman with silver hair straightened her shoulders with a determined frown. That caused both Arce and Sora to face her, intently staring her down with their combined intensity. Helma pursed her lips and gripped the edge of the table, a straining sound reaching us from her grip. ¡°My sister and I were a part of that party.¡± She paused, her jaw shifting as she faced us. ¡°I alone managed to escape, thanks to the distraction my former leader and stubborn sister.¡±


    ¡°You fled?¡± Sora mused, sounding contemplative as she examined Helma.


    ¡°Against the might of the horde, my former party and I were no match.¡± She offered a self-aggrandizing smirk, shaking her head. ¡°The skills of a Hero are beyond the common adventurer.¡± Helma shrugged. ¡°Not many have the suicidal bravery of the Fallen Hero.¡±


    I¡­didn¡¯t know how to react that particular description of my past actions. I had a choice. My life compared to the lives of Nyrill. Anyone with a conscience would make a similar choice, or at least I¡¯d hope so.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for self-deprecation or judgments.¡± Garland cut in gently, waving his hand through the air, palm facing down. ¡°Threat of death will shake the belief of all but those of the strongest of wills. We are all but flawed peoples, trying to find our path in this life.¡±


    For a moment, I saw rage and disgust flash in Sora¡¯s expression. Her amber eyes flickered with light, her lips curling and baring her teeth. Then, in an instant, she smoothed her mien to a calm smile. None of the people in front of us reacted, which made me believe they all missed it. Keeping that in mind, I turned towards my companions, looking between them. ¡°Would this affect me? I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll work with my registration.¡±


    ¡°It will not count in the official payment from the guild,¡± Arce stated softly, her voice low, but still able to be heard. ¡°However, it¡¯ll lean in your favor and make it easier for your first promotion.¡±


    I nodded at her explanation. ¡°What do the two of you think? We¡¯re a party, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m familiar with that specific dungeon,¡± Arce said, causing Faithe¡¯s eyes to widen. The Fox Beastkin caught the question in her gaze. ¡°A past job of mine was to scout and map out as many secret paths hidden in it.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­?!¡± Rorick leaned forward with a grin.


    ¡°I can help.¡± Arce nodded shallowly, turning her gaze towards me.


    Sora hummed as she crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯ll join on one condition.¡± She lifted a hand, pointing her finger at the sky.


    ¡°Name it.¡± Faithe declared.


    The Witch in disguise offered a smile that would¡¯ve made most shiver in fear, but the four in front of us seemed unaffected. ¡°All the loot we find as a group must be split between both of our parties, 50/50.¡±


    For a moment, Helma expression twisted, eyes narrowing. I couldn¡¯t blame her, considering some of the things we find may have belonged to her old party. Some items may have sentimental value, which would make anyone selfish enough to want to fight for it. Helma stiffened for a moment, focusing on Sora before she forced herself to relax. ¡°I find that acceptable. All I ask is that I keep what used to belong to my sister.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal.¡± I cut in, meeting Sora¡¯s unflinching gaze sternly. She held my gaze for a moment, before nodding once and relaxing in her seat. I faced the group in front of me and handed the posting back to Faithe. ¡°We can meet up tomorrow?¡± She inclined her head in a nod. ¡°Where then?¡±


    ¡°At the eastern gate. It¡¯s a straight shot from there to the dungeon.¡± Faithe smiled at my answer. ¡°We¡¯d have to leave early though if we wanted to return by nightfall.¡±


    We all came to an agreement, setting up a more specific time frame to meet up, then went our separate ways. As we got out of earshot, Sora spoke in a faint whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t trust them.¡±


    Walking down the dirt road, I looked to the sky to see the gently rolling clouds. ¡°I don¡¯t know enough about the culture of the guild to know either way. However,¡± I paused and frowned. ¡°They agreed to your terms too easily, Helma aside.¡±


    ¡°Some prefer the adventure itself, rather than the prizes they collect,¡± Arce explained carefully, facing forward.


    Marishka grumbled as she followed at my feet. She had remained oddly silent during the entire meeting.


    ¡°Yes, but we have control over the situation with our agreement.¡± Sora mused. ¡°This way, a refusal would¡¯ve left us at the mercy of being ignorant of their locations. We¡¯ll know where they will be.¡±


    Arce nodded languidly, flexing her hands into claws, before relaxing. ¡°I¡¯ll be vigilant. They can¡¯t watch me the entire time.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s gather provisions today. Prepare.¡± I set out our plan for today.


    For tomorrow? We have an adventure.


    A smile played at my lips, excitement dancing in my chest.

 Alea Iacta Est - 12

    The next day, we made our way towards the eastern gate, with Arce leading the way. A thick, cloudy sky greeted us, an omen for poor weather, or even a more miserable day. I only hoped that my instincts were wrong; I wanted to lose myself in the upcoming adventure, to bask in the childish dream I had ever since I cracked open my first fantasy novel. The tales of freedom, or traveling through vast open plains and exploring dangerous labyrinths, sparked an uncontrollable wanderlust that grew within me. I saw the world, the immense skies, and wanted nothing more than experience it with nothing more than the wind on my face and the grass between my toes.


    As I continued towards the eastern gate with Sora, Arce, and Marishka, I can¡¯t help but feel like someone has stepped over my grave. It feels like this idyllic, not-peace, but the balance stood on a razor''s edge.


    I sat upon Kel, trotting down the dirt road with Marishka resting in front of me. Sora rode next to me, her gaze casually rolling over the surrounding area as Arce led us to our destination. ¡°This dungeon, what can you tell me about it?¡±


    ¡°For most people, it can be difficult to perceive what¡¯s before you,¡± Arce explained. ¡°On average, most people rely on their sight, so this dungeon remains unknown compared to other, farther, dungeons in Veritas.¡±


    ¡°Then it is fortuitous that we have someone with enhanced senses like you, Arce,¡± Sora stated, still looking around. Arce bashfully lowered her head, still facing forward. ¡°We¡¯ll most likely have to rely on my ability to generate light magically.¡± She shrugged without a care in the world. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me.¡±


    I hummed at that. ¡°I take it a torch wouldn¡¯t work very well?¡±


    Arce shook her head. ¡°No. The ambient darkness of the dungeon devours natural light. We will indeed have to rely on magically induced light.¡±


    I took Arce¡¯s assurance without hesitation, but Sora resumed speaking. ¡°Do you know anything about the group we are meeting? Have you seen any of them in the past?¡±


    Arce hummed, turning a pensive expression upwards. ¡°Amid my jobs, I have seen some of Helma, mostly in passing, with her late party.¡± She paused, lifting a hand from her reins to tap her chin. ¡°Garland is a priest. He¡¯s almost always staying at the local church, so it¡¯s a surprise that he¡¯s willing to step out for such a dangerous job.¡± Arce paused, frowning.


    ¡°What of Rorick and Faithe?¡± I asked her, gently prodding her to continue.


    She shook her head. ¡°This is the first I¡¯ve met them. They must have come in early, relative to your arrivals at least.¡±


    I hummed as I frowned, checking my surroundings. We strode passed the various residential buildings, seeing the inhabitants go about their business. They paid us no more mind than one would a regular part of their day; considering they lived a town where the main administrative center of the guild resided, they probably have seen everything.


    It didn¡¯t take long until we reached the eastern gate. A stone and wooden three-story building sat next to a lowered trellis gate. The front of it beheld a set of four pillars. Men and women in varying states of steel and leather armor milled about around of the structure, all bearing an easily identified shoulder cape. Knights of varying ages patrolled from the barracks, each heading off down a variety of paths that led into Xadria proper.


    ¡°Xadria¡¯s eastern barracks for the Knights of Veritas,¡± Arce explained as we continued to the set meeting point. I gave a verbal reply, before turning my attention from it and seeing the group of four standing by their horses, speaking with one another. ¡°There they are.¡± She stated just as I caught sight of them.


    Before any of us could catch their attention, Garland looked up from a folded piece of parchment and met my gaze. He lifted a hand and waved us over, causing Rory to turn from a talking Faithe and face us as well.


    The young man grinned and waved excitedly, calling us with a yell that pulled the attention of everyone around us. ¡°Hey! You all made it! We¡¯re over here.¡±


    His loud cry pulled the curious and frustrated gazes from various passersby. Even as Faithe growled and gently rebuked him, I could feel Sora¡¯s frustration at my side. ¡°I want to hurt him.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold back the laugh that escaped me, my lips parting into a wide smile as we went closer to the party before us. ¡°If you hurt everyone you wanted to, then I¡¯m sure Verum would be having a population crisis right now.¡±


    ¡°And yet the gene pool would be all the better for it.¡± Sora retorted with a scoff, shaking her head from what I could see in my periphery. As we approached them, I caught sight of her clearing her expression, offering a polite smile.


    Our horses came to a slow trot the closer we got until everyone was within speaking distance. Rorick spurred his horse to face us, grinning all the while. He wore his armor from yesterday, but I could tell from the polished sheen that he had it recently cleaned. I returned his grin with one of my own. ¡°We¡¯re here. Hope we didn¡¯t make you wait long.¡±


    Rorick let out a good-natured laugh, shaking his head at me. ¡°Nah. You all made it just in time. We were talking about the line up for when we enter the dungeon.¡± Waving a hand for us to follow, he continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to clear the checkpoint before we can leave.¡± My group and I followed him as he returned to the rest of the party. ¡°Let¡¯s head out everyone. We have a dungeon to clean out.¡±


    Faithe met us with an apologetic smile before giving Rorick the stink eye.


    Helma inclined her head to us, before facing forward as she urged her horse forward.


    Garland offered us greeted us with a pious nod, a prayer at his lips. In my periphery, I noticed the faintest twitch of her lips, the beginnings of a scowl, before she answered with a smile. Arce hummed in assent, facing forward with a professional stoic expression.


    Our horses clopped along the stone walkway, under the raised grille and through the long line of murmuring people coming and going. Armored and cloaked knights stood on either side, examining the cards and papers of passersby, waving some through and pulling others to the side. When our party reached an available knight, I noticed Rorick pull out his guild card and show it to the knight. Waved by, he went ahead while the other three did the same. As I approached, I held out my card for him to see, but he stiffened, motioning for me to stop.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you.¡± He said as he held his hand out to me. I placed my card in his hand. ¡°Provisionary. Isn¡¯t this your trial period?¡± The Knight scrutinized me through narrowed eyes. ¡°This won¡¯t count to your completions.¡±


    As he pulled me aside, I couldn¡¯t help the chill that raced down my spine, though I kept my expression stoic. Hearing his words, I nodded with a hum. ¡°I know. But if I¡¯m going to stay in town with nothing to do, then I¡¯d rather find something to do with people willing to show me the ropes.¡± I offered a confident grin. ¡°Better than sitting around, am I right?¡±


    The Knight studied me, eyes flickering along my face. He didn¡¯t react for a few moments before his lips curled upwards and he snorted, handing my card back to me. ¡°If only some of our recruits thought that way, Lyall. Keep this up, and they''ll accept you without issue.¡± He then waved me through, motioning for Arce to come up next.


    Faithe smiled when I reached them. ¡°Making a good impression on the Knights always helps a possible adventurer. His words will reach the guild by tonight.¡±


    ¡°I just spoke the truth. No need to treat it as anything special.¡± I answered with a shrug.


    Faithe spoke nothing more on the subject, though I caught a hint of respect in her gaze as she turned back to face forward. When Arce and Sora made it through the checkpoint, the seven of us spurred our horses into a gallop and raced through the flat plains. I couldn¡¯t help the grin on my face as I felt the wind fly by, sending my hair whipping around my head. Huh. I¡¯ll see about getting it cut later. All around us, trees and nature fly past us our horses galloped.


    Helma led the charge while Arce and Garland took to the flanks; with this occurring, Faithe rode between Rorick and me; Sora rode behind us, casually keeping pace. He spoke up over the sound of the horses¡¯ gallop. ¡°When we get to the dungeon, we¡¯ll need to figure out the line order we¡¯ll take.¡±


    ¡°Scouts should take the front and casters should remain in the middle, no matter our order,¡± I said quickly. Faithe blinked at my immediate response, curiosity coloring her inquisitive regard. Despite the embarrassment I felt from her stare, I offered a shrug in explanation. ¡°It¡¯s only logical. Scouts are best capable of moving quickly and quietly, so they¡¯re best equipped to ¡®scout ahead.¡¯ Besides, the average caster is more than capable of filling any role with their abilities, on the condition that they have time to cast. It only makes sense to ensure their protection.¡± Video games helped a lot, considering I remember taking the longest time to decide my party placements.


    Faithe narrowed her eyes playfully at my explanation. ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re not an adventurer?¡±


    I snorted, ¡°Not a registered one. I¡¯ve had a few journeys before this. Nothing too exciting.¡±


    She offered a grin. ¡°We¡¯ll have to trade stories.¡± I returned her smirk with a faint smile. ¡°Alright. The line-up should be simple. Arce and I will lead, followed by Garland. You and Rorick will cover Soralynn¡¯s flanks while Helma protects us from behind.¡± Faithe gave me a questioning gaze as if wondering my response.


    ¡°Sounds good. We don¡¯t know much about everyone¡¯s abilities, but it should cover our bases well enough.¡± My answer got a relieved smile from the cartographer. ¡°What¡¯ll be waiting for us in the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°A combination of undead and Beastkin lost to the Madness.¡± At my furrowed brow, she grimaced. ¡°Dungeons need to be regularly cleared because they exude an aura, a mystical haze. The aura stimulates the rising of a mishmash of undead creatures and exacerbates the encroachment of Madness within Beastkin.¡± Faithe paused, pursing her lips and facing forward. Her shoulder hunched as I caught a flicker of something on her face before she finally offered me a cautious mien. ¡°Will¡­Arce be fine?¡±


    ¡°I trust her. The dungeon will not hinder Arce.¡± I stated to her with confidence I didn¡¯t feel. Hell, I didn¡¯t feel confident that it was the truth. I knew almost nothing about this ¡®Madness,¡¯ so I couldn¡¯t honestly give my opinion on it. Still, I¡¯ll believe in Arce.


    Faithe gave me a stern nod. ¡°I¡¯ll trust your word.¡±


    I paused as I considered her words. Not just what she just told me, but all of them. My lips curled downwards as I turned my head to regard Faithe. ¡°Why me?¡±


    Faithe blinked, genuine surprise filling her features. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Of the three of us you could¡¯ve spoken to, you chose me. I¡¯m a prospective Adventurer. Sora and Arce have already registered for a few years by now.¡± I tried my hardest not to scowl and let my blatant suspicions become apparent. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the last person you approach for this?¡±


    She studied me after I said that, her unassuming brown eyes focusing intently on me as if searching for something. Then, after a few seconds, Faithe offered me a smile. ¡°The guild is only present to protect adventurers. People traveled long before it.¡± Her smile widened into a grin. ¡°Besides, your answer before told me that you¡¯re far more knowledgeable than most experienced adventurers are. Some are idiots who¡¯d charge in for the glory.¡± She rolled her gaze over to Rorick. ¡°Like a certain idiot, I happen to know.¡±


    The young man flinched and gave her an exaggerated look of despair. ¡°Faithe! I don¡¯t know I¡¯ve done to earn such anger from you!¡±


    At that, the two of them devolved into an argument that seemed more playful than deliberate.


    ¡°I know about the dungeon we¡¯re approaching,¡± Sora whispered to me, her voice somehow reaching me over the sound of our horses galloping.


    ¡°Is there anything I should know?¡± I spoke normally, trusting that she¡¯d be able to hear me.


    ¡°Operatives from Terras had already cleared it out.¡± I gave her a narrow-eyed look, pursing my lips. Sora nodded faintly, almost unnoticed due to the gallop of her horse. ¡°It should still be empty of monsters for the next six months.¡±


    I furrowed my brow as I stared forward. ¡°What can we do?¡±


    ¡°Turn a potential ambush against them,¡± Sora replied. ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep appearing ignorant of their potential motives, though.¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply, just humming as I stayed with the galloping party.


    After an hour of hard riding, we finally came to a stop next to a lake, the water¡¯s surface resembling a mirror that reflected the cloudy blue sky. Our horse panted and huffed as they went to the edge of the lake. Person by person, we climbed off our horses and stretched to recover from the trek. I watched as Kel dipped her mouth into the water and drink, disturbing the calm surface.


    Adjusting the saddles, I patted her on the side and rubbed her neck. ¡°Good girl. Drink your fill. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡± She lifted one of her hooves and kicked into the ground. I smiled as I turned to face the rest of the group. They gave off a varying number of reactions to the length of the ride, ranging from a hint of stiffness to nothing at all. Hell, Sora, Arce, and Helma acted like they hadn¡¯t ridden at all, while Rorick was twisting around, his armor clanging from the movements. Faithe jumped up and down, kicking her legs outwards. Garland pressed a hand to his lower back and stretched.


    We stood in the middle of the clearing, with a thin grouping of trees and shrubbery surrounding us. A pleasant warmth encompassed us, reminding me of a summer day.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    After a few moments to recover, Faithe clapped her hands to capture everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°The dungeon entrance is this way.¡± She pointed towards a well-worn path that led deeper into the forest. ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s waiting for us, so we need to be careful.¡± We responded positively before following after her. ¡°Lyall and I spoke on the way here and figured out the order for us to traverse the dungeon.¡± She motioned towards Arce. ¡°Arce, you and I will lead with Garland behind us.¡± The older man grunted as he nodded to her. Faithe looked towards Sora. ¡°Soralynn, you will follow after him, with Lyall and Rorick covering on the flanks.¡± The three of us nodded to her; then she looked towards Helma. ¡°Helma, you¡¯ll be the back line. The first line of defense in case anything gets around us.¡±


    An agreement sounded amongst us, and we made our way towards the dungeon entrance. Upon reaching it, I noticed that it comprised itself of a pair of old trees, wrapped and peppered with mossy cobblestone. Pinpricks of light flowed out of the entrance, though distorted by something within the dungeon itself.


    ¡°Garland, Soralynn. Can I trust the two of you create mystical light for us? The dungeon doesn¡¯t allow natural light to survive for long.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Garland¡¯s rumbling reply answered as he lifted his chain, causing a bright light to illuminate.


    ¡°We shall alternate.¡± Sora quipped as she pulled a slender dirk from her corset, flipping her grip on the weapon.


    With that, we walked into the dungeon itself.


    <hr>


    Mirrors. A cold chill. Dim, almost greedy, lighting. All-Encompassing darkness.


    Those were what I saw as our group traversed the narrow hallways of the dungeon. The walls were uneven and sharp, the artificial light bending and flickering along the surface. The reflections I saw depicted warped and cartoonish renditions of whoever peered at the wall. If we stared too long, our reflections twitched and flinched, even as we remained calm and silent. I held my sword in my right hand, tip aimed towards the ground.


    In the light, the ground was a pitch black and smooth even with its uneven, jagged surface. It reminded of obsidian, though I sincerely hoped that there wasn¡¯t a volcano anywhere nearby. Probably a question I should¡¯ve asked sooner.


    As we walked, though, I could feel a tingle in the back of my eyes, causing them to water. The darkness became lighter, almost like a faint strobe effect, illuminating what I tried to examine, which was nothing. The floors were slick and jagged, making our footing almost precarious. My gaze flickered to the wall, and I very nearly staggered. Red stared back at me; an almost menacing gaze that seemed fervently search for weakness. I blinked, causing blue to return, though the strobe effect remained. I faced my current party and felt shock fill me as I took in the faint, very dim, white outline that illuminated them in my sight.


    Sora and Arce had pale red outlines, almost pink. Species? Some form of personal IFF? I don¡¯t know, but all I could definitively know is that I could see in the dark as if I lived in an eternal rave.


    ¡°We¡¯re coming upon the first checkpoint.¡± Faithe¡¯s soft voice carried in the deafening silence. Checkpoint? I turned a confused look towards Sora, who only shook her head. I frowned and faced forward.


    The ¡®checkpoint¡¯ had a low-hanging ceiling, that forced Garland to crouch, being the tallest of us. Rorick and I were the next tallest, but our heads barely scraped the jagged ceiling. Arce and Faithe stood the shortest among us, but not by much. The ovular room was briefly illuminated by the ambient light that Sora gave off, along with some natural lighting from the glass-like walls. The floor, uneven and jagged, forced us to stop and adjust our stances continually.


    Helma paced around, her lips curled downwards and brow furrowed. Her jaw clenched and unclenched, lips peeling back as she looked around with an almost reckless abandon. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. The first of my party fell into this room. Her equipment should still be here?¡±


    ¡°Monsters don¡¯t take trophies?¡± I mused curiously.


    Helma shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re mindless. Every monster that humanity has encountered only thirsts for our death.¡± She waved her free hand to the side, encompassing the whole room with her gesture. ¡°My sister¡¯s corpse should be lying right there, eaten to the bone.¡± She blinked away tears as her voice cracked. Knuckles popped as she clenched her fist. The woman stiffened when a heavy hand landed on her shoulder, Garland bowing his head further from his place behind her in silent support.


    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯re dealing with a mad-driven Beastkin that still has its intelligence?¡± Rorick carefully posited, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. I felt my eyes narrow as I caught the barest hint of amusement before he replaced it hesitance. The colors surrounding him roiled and flared; as he had not changed even as he looked around warily. I had yet to identify the specific colors, but I could tell that they were different from what I¡¯ve seen earlier. The darkness made it easier for me to see them, forcing me to regret not looking deeper into my new abilities.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± Faithe deadpanned at Rorick after a moment of silence, to which everyone turned to him. The same colors that warped and danced around Rorick seemed more subdued with her, but still present.


    He gave a shaky shrug, his hand seemingly squeezing and shifting on the hilt of his sword. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a dungeon that repopulated early. Anything¡¯s possible.¡±


    Helma started at his words, a flash of color overtaking her as she turned an incredulous stare at Rorick. ¡°What?! Repopulated early?! You never said that before!¡± She gnashed her teeth at him, menacingly raising her single-edged, curved saber.


    Faithe¡¯s eyes narrowed, a flash of red overtaking her aura as she regarded Rorick with a clenched jaw. However, when her gaze met mine, her eyes widened; she forcefully relaxed, very carefully rolling her shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Eyes honed in on me. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to explain that to me.¡± A silence settled among the group. In my periphery, I saw Sora carefully pacing along the outer edge of the checkpoint. ¡°Because that seems like something the guild would make sure the average adventurer should know.¡± I adjusted my grip on my sword but lifted my free hand upwards to motion to the room. As one, every set of eyes focused on that hand, as Rorick subtly gulped, wiping a bead of sweat off the side of his head.


    ¡°I was the last person to map the changes to this dungeon.¡± Faithe explained slowly, her eyes flicking from me to a seething Helma and a confused Garland. ¡°I managed to reach the lower floors, clearing a few of them, but had to leave before I could reach the epicenter.¡± Her explanation seemed logical and reasoned, but¡­


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Helma snarled at her, trying to take a step forward, but Garland held her back with the hand on her shoulder. She pointed angrily to Rorick; whose eyes widened comically. ¡°He was the one who told my sister and me about this dungeon! That the first few floors were already cleared.¡± She set her jaw, glaring at a stoically contrite Faithe. ¡°Yet, the moment we entered this very room, a swarm was waiting for us. Beasts and undead, using teamwork to separate and kill my sister before we managed to finish them off.¡± She ripped her hand from Garland¡¯s grasp and took a step towards Faithe, the sound echoing in the small cavern. ¡°How is that ¡®cleared¡¯?¡± She snarled at Faithe, pointing her saber at the ranger.


    Faithe sighed through her nose, glancing to the side in shame. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, I truly am.¡± She then gave a determined stare to Helma. ¡°But I stand by what I said. I cleared the first few floors, before leaving to report my findings.¡±


    In my periphery, I saw that Sora had entirely circled to get behind Faithe, having left her flame floating behind me. Also, Arce seemingly hid from sight. ¡°Do scouts always leave jobs half-finished, or did you leave when things got too difficult?¡± I tried not to sound too confrontational, but this entire situation was unraveling something fierce. Faithe¡¯s eyes blazed as she glared at me, nostril flaring. I shrugged lazily, lifting my free hand to keep eyes off my sword hand. ¡°I mean, you left before reaching the epicenter of the dungeon, didn¡¯t you? Those were your words.¡± I shook my head, a snort escaping me. ¡°Forgive my possible ignorance, but aren¡¯t scouts meant to traverse dangerous regions by nature? Aren¡¯t cartographers meant to map out the best possible route? Especially in places like this.¡± I allowed a smirk to grow on my face, lifting my chin and peering down my nose at the seething Faithe. ¡°What¡¯s the point of a map that doesn¡¯t point out the goal?¡±


    Okay. I¡¯m feeling concerned. I¡¯m pulling off this fa?ade way too well. I think that blood affected me more than I initially thought.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Rorick growled, glaring at me. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too far?¡± He had his jaw clenched, hand holding his sword tightly. ¡°You don¡¯t know the job; you don¡¯t have the right to judge.¡±


    ¡°And yet, here we are.¡± My voice was silky smooth, even as replied with a playful smile. ¡°Helma lost her party, her sister, because of incomplete information. Information, she got from you.¡± I pointed to Faithe, casually sliding my right foot back. ¡°I don¡¯t know your reasoning, Faithe, but you called us here. More people to your slaughter. So how about you get the real reason we¡¯re all here.¡±


    When Faithe said nothing, her eyes wide and angry as she glared hatefully at me, that gave Helma all the reasons she needed to act. A scream escaped her, a cry that tore at my heart with the weight of loss I couldn¡¯t help empathize with to an extent, as she raced towards Faithe. The soles of her armored greaves glowed a dull blue as she practically rocketed forward, shaking the rocky ground from the sudden shift and rise of momentum.


    For an instant, I caught a flash of steel form her glove as she continued to glare at me. A growl escaped her as she twisted to face the charging Helma and fling a bare blade. Contemptuously slapped aside by a saber, it did little to dissuade Helma¡¯s lunge.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Rorick ran ahead to intercept her, leaning forward and down to keep his head from scraping the low ceiling.


    I had other ideas. Keeping my sword low, I crouched as well and raced forward to meet Rorick¡¯s charge. I sprinted past a stunned Garland and readied my left arm. I reached Rorick faster than he must have expected if the shocked stare he gave me indicated anything. When I got within arm¡¯s reach, I threw my armored braced against his sword and pushed it aside; simultaneously, I slashed along the ground with the point of my blade. Had I any less skill than my Affinity afforded me, then I never would¡¯ve been able to cause the sparks that erupted the ground, nor manage to manipulate where they shot. Rorick cried out in pain as I slashed up and off the ground, sending the sparks into his face.


    He staggered forward, blinded, and sent off balance by my actions. I slipped ahead and kicked Rorick¡¯s back foot out from under him. The cavern shook from the impact his armored body made when he hit the ground. I twisted around and dropped a knee onto his back, pressing against the spot between his shoulder blades. I slammed the hilt of my sword into the back of his hand, causing it to slam into the ground with an echoing crunch. He cried out in pain as his hand spasmed open; I immediately slapped his sword away, sending it skittering and bouncing to the far end of the hollow. Grabbing a handful of his hair, I pulled it and his head up as I placed my weapon against his throat. He gulped audibly as I looked towards Helma.


    It seems that during my trip and disarm of Rorick, Faithe managed to do something to Helma, who had lost herself to grief. The silver-haired woman had a bloodied nose and sat on her knees, with her head held back by a firm grip of her locks and a naked, slim blade pressed against her slender neck. Not bothering to hide her frustration, Faithe exhaled gustily through her nose, eyes glaring at me. ¡°It seems the stories of the ¡®Fallen¡¯ Hero¡¯s Affinity aren¡¯t as exaggerated as I thought. You made Rorick look like a child.¡±


    ¡°You mean he isn¡¯t?¡± I retorted snidely, getting a frantic struggle from my captive. I squeezed with my left hand, pulling his hair all the tighter. He grunted and squeezed his eyes shut, but stopped fighting me. ¡°How about we stop this fa?ade. I¡¯m tired of your lies. Who are you?¡±


    Faithe didn¡¯t reply immediately, her lips curling as if she had eaten something sour. After a few seconds and a whimper from Rorick, she relented with a look of panic at the blood dripping from my blade. ¡°We¡¯re Inquisitors from the Nyrill Branch.¡± I narrowed my eyes at her, but she seemed to be focusing on Rorick with worry, who hadn¡¯t moved beneath me, just breathing evenly. ¡°One of our flock saw that your grave had been disturbed and¡­¡±


    I blinked at her words before realization slowly filled me. A merger of disgust and fury quickly replaced it. ¡°You dug up my grave.¡± My voice came out both dry and aggrieved. ¡°What had you done if I was still there?!¡±


    ¡°Repented in the name of the One God.¡± Faithe demurred before her eyes lit with a fervent belief. ¡°However, you weren¡¯t. The grave no longer had the body of the Fallen Hero, which only meant one thing.¡±


    ¡°You had been taken in by the mad machinations of the Black Dragon.¡± Rorick spat from his position beneath my knee, spittle hitting the slick, obsidian ground.


    ¡°It is a shame.¡± Faithe sighed, her shoulders falling ever so lightly as she shook her head, though it did not loosen her hold on Helma. ¡°For one of Veritas¡¯ vaunted Heroes to lose themselves to temptation.¡±


    Frustrated exasperation and disgust filled me. A tired groan escaped me as I rolled my eyes. ¡°You have got to be kidding me. All of you Inquisitors can¡¯t be zealots. You can¡¯t be. Please let this be an outlier. I don¡¯t want to be followed by walking clich¨¦s.¡± Rorick stiffened beneath me, but said nothing, though I could tell he seethed.


    ¡°Zealots! We are no mere zealots!¡± Faithe snarled, glaring hatefully at me as if I had insulted her parentage.


    In my periphery, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the suspiciously quiet Garland stiffen as well.


    I ignored Faithe¡¯s retort. ¡°Sora. I¡¯m tired of arguing in the darkness. Light the place up please.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Faithe stiffened at the sound of Sora¡¯s voice coming from behind her. Immediately following Sora¡¯s reply, red, ethereal flames encircled the entire outer perimeter of the checkpoint. An orange-red glow now illuminated everyone.


    If possible, Faithe showed even more shock as she looked around, taking in the presence of the flames. ¡°This magic¡­it¡¯s not based on human or even Beastkin magic, but¡­¡± She gritted her teeth, her pallor lightening until she visibly paled. ¡°Soralynn isn¡¯t a damn three-star caster, but a damn Witch!¡± When her eyes fell onto me, she exhaled shakily, as if someone had walked on her grave. Yellow encompassed her entire form, though an undercurrent of red floated beneath the surface. ¡°Those eyes. You really are¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that we can see one another, let¡¯s get right to it,¡± I growled out, not bothering to pay heed to her growing fear. ¡°Are the two of you the only ones who know I¡¯m alive?¡± Faithe didn¡¯t respond, still staring at me in fearful awe. Even Helma had stiffened, eyes wide as she stared in horror. I glared at her, pulling my sword from Rorick¡¯s throat. He relaxed ever so lightly, but when I slammed his head against the head, a gurgle and grunt escaped him. That broke Faithe out of her stupor as I put my blade back to his throat. ¡°The third time, I¡¯ll carve a trench out of his throat.¡± I snarled at her. Anger filled me, exasperated by my impatience. I didn¡¯t know if I was bluffing or not, and that scared me more than the thought of being hunted.


    Faithe pursed her lips, eyes focused on the bleeding Rorick before she steeled herself. ¡°There are three others stationed at our Parish. We came here on our own yesterday.¡± She spoke through gritted teeth.


    We had a day¡¯s head start over them, then. That¡¯s not good. Before I could reply, Faithe let out a ragged breath. ¡°What can you do? Kill us? It won¡¯t work.¡± I narrowed my eyes at her. A shaky, but a confident, smile appeared on her face. ¡°The head of our Parish knows of your revival and our journey here. Should we die, she¡¯ll inform the Inquisitorial Force of it all. Everyone will know of your revival.¡±


    ¡°But not that I¡¯m the next Demon Lord.¡± I countered, causing her confidence to crumble before she steeled herself. ¡°The only ones who know are the two of you, and I¡¯m not feeling very merciful right now.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re outnumbered, three to two. This situation is in my favor.¡±


    What happened next, though, surprised me.


    Faithe¡¯s lips spread into a cruel but excited smile. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Joseph Blaine.¡± The moment she spoke my name, she slid the blade into Helma¡¯s throat and tore it out the opposite side. Arterial spray arced out of her throat like a water fountain, painting the ground between us with a river of red. ¡°Garland, now!¡±


    I don¡¯t know how to explain it, but when I saw her callously end a life, my thoughts stuttered, my mind coming to a screeching halt. In that instant, my grip on Rorick loosened enough for him to act. He wrenched to the side and pushed me off of him, losing some of his hair in the process. He staggered forward to reach Faithe.


    Off to the side, I saw Garland on his knees, both hands clasping his necklace. It glowed, almost incandescently, with the bottom of it sticking out of his clasped hands. He stabbed it downwards, towards the ground, but flinched backward when an arrow pierced the side of his neck, slipping in between the opening of his collar and helm, blood spirting outwards. He gurgled, but quickly righted himself, continuing his downward stab.


    Sora glided over to him, a surge of energy shooting from her outstretched hand towards his body. Even as she did so, her eyes widened, genuine surprise flickering in her glowing amber orbs. Her jaw clenched as anger flared in her expression, and she turned to head towards me, hand outstretched.


    Garland¡¯s last words as Sora¡¯s blast tore into his torso, eating through his armor as if it were paper, pulled me out of my stupor. ¡°The Demon Lord cannot return.¡±


    With almost comical ¡®tink¡¯ the blade tip point of the sword-cross touched the obsidian floor.


    It was as if time itself had stopped. All eyes stared at where Garland had struck the ground.


    Faithe looked almost fanatically excited.


    Rorick offered grim satisfaction.


    Sora had a look of self-aggrandizing rage.


    Arce, who stood next to me, appeared resigned.


    Me? I felt numb as if my head had been dunked into a bucket of ice. I could still see blood arcing through the air, even though Helma now lied on the ground, gagging audibly. My world pulsed; as if hand clenched around my heart.


    All of a sudden, glowing white veins branched out from the impact point. Instantaneously encompassing the entire floor, the white veins pulsed, a surge of energy exploding upwards¡­


    The floor beneath us vanished, revealing a seemingly endless black pit. All around, the remnants of the floor spun and flickered before disappearing.


    The only thing I saw as I fell was darkness.

 Alea Iacta Est - 13

    One of the clearest memories I can recall with an odd sense of clarity, despite its apparent age, was during a storm at my old home. I was seven years old, a few months before the Emergence, and it had been two weeks after Maggie¡¯s fifth birthday. Not much frightened me, but I never liked surprises. Sudden bursts of stimulus always aggravated my asthma, so my parents made sure that things were kept in control around the house. As a result, I was quite a sickly child and always tried to find comfort in my parents¡¯ arms.


    When a flash of light flickered behind the white curtains of the hallway window, I braced myself for the inevitable crack of thunder. My small feet pattered quickly along the soft carpet; arms held over my head as thunder followed lightning. I came to a stop in front of a particular door at the end of the hall, the master bedroom. My childhood home wouldn¡¯t win any awards; it was a simple two-story building with three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms; a home office; a kitchen-dining room and a living room. We weren¡¯t rich, just enough to be comfortable, with both of our parents working, though mom almost did so from home. I never learn what they did, my mom working for the government about landscapes, and my father worked for a manufacturing company.


    I reached for the doorknob to open but stopped. Mom had always made sure to impress politeness into Maggie and me, to try to be considerate of others, and knocking before entering a room ended up being one of the first things that she taught us.


    I knocked on her door loud enough for her to hear it. ¡°Mama,¡± I called out to her, trying to be too loud to wake Maggie. She had always been a light sleeper. No answer. Another crack of thunder and I jumped, my lungs tightening as I gasped. I pinched my eyes shut and tried to breathe slowly and deeply as Dad had shown me. Knocking again, I raised my voice just a tad. ¡°Mama. Can I¡­¡± I shuffled on the carpet, looking around the dark hallway.


    Another flash of light and I quickly opened the door and ran inside. My feet practically skipped along the floor as I raced towards the bed, pressed against the far wall. I leaped onto the bed and crawled along the soft, cushiony surface, getting beneath the blanket to hide ¡ª the dark blue comforter enshrining me in darkness to act a shield from the raging thunder.


    My mother grunted, and the bed shifted as she sat up. ¡°Joey? What¡¯re you doin¡¯ up?¡± Her words slurred, no doubt from having been forced awake. The thunder roared once more in place of my answer, causing her to sigh in understanding. ¡°Oh, Joey¡­¡± I heard her grunt once more, followed by the sound of the moving blankets. She gently tugged at my shield, but I held tight. ¡°Joey. Get from there. You can¡¯t breathe well under the blanket.¡± Of course, my mother was right, but I couldn¡¯t forgo my first and last defense, even as I felt the air I could breathe becoming stale. Another crack of thunder only cemented my resolve. ¡°Oh, baby.¡± She cooed and stopped pulling at the blanket.


    For a moment, nothing happened, but I soon felt her arms around me and pull my body against hers, the soft fabric of her sleepwear comforting to the touch. As her arms cradled my shaking form, I loosened my grip on the comforter and leaned into my mother¡¯s embrace. A spot of warmth blossomed atop my head. ¡°Relax. I¡¯ll protect you from the thunder. Just come out from there.¡±


    I let go of the blanket, and she quickly pulled it off of my head, allowing me to breathe easier. Her warm hand brushed my head along the side as if flattening my hair. For an indeterminate amount of time, we stayed like this; the scared child being protected and loved by his mother, listening to the sound of the rain pelting the window. Her soothing voice whispered calm assurances to my ear as she held me in her arms.


    After a few moments, she let out a soft laugh. ¡°Such a Mama¡¯s Boy, aren¡¯t you, Joey?¡± I didn¡¯t reply, merely pressing my face into her side. Then the thunder roared once more. I tightened my grip on my mother. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here. You don¡¯t need to be afraid.¡±


    ¡°Not afraid.¡± I murmured; my voice muffled. ¡°Just don¡¯t like it.¡±


    She hummed, her fingers pushing through my hair, calmingly rubbing my scalp. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being scared, Joey.¡± Mom¡¯s soothing voice calmed my pounding heart.


    Even still. ¡°Not scared, either.¡± I stood by my statement, despite my current position.


    ¡°Oh? Not afraid or scared? Aren¡¯t you fearless?¡± A playful amusement danced in her tone. We remained like this, silent as my mother comforted me. Another crack of thunder forced my breathing to stutter, my eyes to squeeze shut. ¡°Joey.¡± Mom¡¯s voice calmed me, but I didn¡¯t answer her. ¡°Joey.¡± Once again, she called my name. ¡°Joseph.¡± Sternness entered her tone, causing me to raise my head ever so lightly. I peeked up at her, peering into her blue-green eyes. She seemed tired, exhausted even, with the faint bags under her eyes, but it did not detract from the love in her eyes. Her disheveled hair, while usually would bring out laughter in him, did nothing to detract from her smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be afraid. To be scared.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but dig in my heels. A hint of childhood rebellion sparking within me. ¡°I¡¯m no-¡±


    She placed a finger to my lips, her smile widening and eyes dancing with amusement. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with fear. Everyone gets scared.¡± A secretive smile grew on her lips. ¡°Want to know something?¡± I nodded once; eyes wide. Her smile widened to a grin. ¡°Even I get scared, you know.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. Mom?! My fearless and persistent mom gets scared?! ¡°Really?¡±


    A laugh escaped her at my response, quiet but deep. She quickly recovered and nodded at me. ¡°Yes. I get scared, too.¡±


    ¡°When?¡± The question tumbled from my mouth.


    Her eyes widened at that but narrowed in remembrance. She didn¡¯t reply, but I felt her eyes focus on me. ¡°You and Maggie are my world, you know.¡± Mom¡¯s answer told me nothing and everything at the same time. She must¡¯ve seen it from my expression because a snorting laugh escaped her. ¡°Fear is okay. It¡¯s natural. You¡¯ll always feel a little afraid once in a while, but do you want to know a secret?¡± I nodded quickly, getting a smile from her. ¡°It¡¯s what you do when you¡¯re afraid that¡¯s important. When you¡¯re so scared, you can¡¯t move. When you¡¯re so afraid, it¡¯s like the whole wide world is watching you.¡± She moved a hand between us and tapped me on the chest. ¡°But no matter what, always remember one thing, the most important thing: remember what you love most. Remember that, and you¡¯ll find the strength within you to be courageous.¡±


    I cocked my head to the side, furrowing my brow. I didn¡¯t get it. It was all a bunch of big words that strung together and meant something important. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Another laugh escaped my mother, and she pulled me into a tight hug. ¡°Sorry about that, Joey. Your Mama got ahead of herself.¡± She pressed her lips against the top of my head. ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you get older, I promise you.¡± Mom paused again, then leaned back with a smile. ¡°You love your sister, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do!¡± I answered without hesitation, causing her smile to widen.


    ¡°Then think of her when you¡¯re afraid.¡± Mom nodded once. ¡°Until you find people that mean a lot to you, then think of Maggie. That way, you¡¯ll push the fear to the side and face it head on.¡± Then she cocked her head to the side, pointing to the window with a grin. ¡°The thunder¡¯s hit twice now, you know.¡± I felt my eyes widen at that, surprised as I looked to the window, seeing the raindrops hit the window.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Mom nodded to me. ¡°It¡¯s not always easy, but you can be brave. It just takes a little practice.¡± I hummed at her words, looking down. Then I looked up to her. Her expression softened. ¡°Do you want to sleep here tonight?¡± I nodded shyly, relaxing as her shoulders fell and she smiled faintly. ¡°Still my baby boy, aren¡¯t you?¡± She huffed with a smile and pulled me into a hug. ¡°Fine. Get comfortable. We¡¯re going back to sleep.¡±


    As she laid back down, I asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡±


    Mom stiffened, her expression cracked ever so lightly before she straightened. ¡°He¡¯s working late. Something came up at his work.¡±


    ¡°He said that yesterday.¡± I couldn¡¯t help the whine that escaped my lips.


    ¡°I know, baby. I know.¡± She pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head. ¡°Your father loves you and Maggie. That¡¯s why he works so hard.¡± I didn¡¯t reply to her words, only tightening my hold on her. Mom huffed at my response, before speaking once more. ¡°Close your eyes, Joey. The storm will be over when you wake up.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered as my eyelids slowly drooped downwar-


    ----


    ¡°Wake up!¡± My body shook as a pair of hands pressed against my shoulders as I laid there in the darkness. Before I could reply, a feminine voice called out to me as she shook me once more. ¡°Joseph, please wake up!¡±


    My eyes shot open as I quickly sat up on the cold, hard floor. I looked around to see reflections of myself and Arce surrounding us. Mirrors encircled us, confusing my sense of direction as I tried to find out where I had woken up. I couldn¡¯t help but note that my sword was missing.


    ¡°We¡¯re on the bottom-most floor of the dungeon,¡± Arce answered my unspoken question. I grunted as I got to my feet, grimacing at the sudden pinch in my ankle. A groan escaped me as I dropped to a knee to keep my weight off of it. Arce got to my side in an instant, inspected my ankle with a frown. She gingerly touched it, causing me to hiss at the sudden spark of agony. ¡°You must¡¯ve landed on it wrong. It¡¯s twisted, but thankfully not broken.¡±


    A surge of frustration filled me as I examined my surroundings. I could faintly see through the darkness around me, but the presence of the walls confused me. Were they even there? Or are we trapped in some endless pit of the dungeon? ¡°Are you okay, Arce? Not hurt?¡±


    She blinked at my question, staring uncomprehendingly at me. After a few seconds of silence, her expression softened as she nodded to me. ¡°Yes. While it did surprise me, I¡¯ve always been skilled at falling well.¡± She reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of stiff sticks and some bandages. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since we¡¯ve fallen, but no one¡¯s come by, so I can tie a makeshift splint.¡±


    As Arce worked, I watched her hands move with almost fluid grace. ¡°Have you heard from Sora?¡±


    Arce shook her head, her bangs flowing side to side at the motion. ¡°No. She¡¯s likely nearby, but she could also be setting up a checkpoint for us when we get moving.¡± I noticed that she said nothing about Faithe and Rorick.


    As I thought of them, I recalled the moment seconds before the floor vanishing beneath us: Helma¡¯s slit throat and the blood flying through the air. Of how it painted the air, reminding me of an artist¡¯s macabre tapestry. An unbidden shiver raced down my spine, causing me to grit my teeth in frustration. Why did this shock me? Why am I fretting over something so, so, so stupid?! Why did I feel so¡­?


    Scared.


    It¡¯s okay to be afraid.


    Mom¡¯s voice sounded in the back of my skull, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut. Nostalgia warred with a reluctant betrayal. Why had I remembered such a thing? What was the point? I¡¯d probably never see her again, and that was before I had ended up on Verum. Now? It¡¯s a pipe dream, never to come true because it¡¯d only happen after a string of unlikely events.


    Why this memory in particular? I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯m free. The whims and machinations of others no longer shackle me, only lead and guided by my whims¡­Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Yet, why do I feel so unfulfilled?


    ¡°Joseph?¡± Pulled from my downward spiral, I met Arce¡¯s concerned gaze, her dark grey eyes filled with worry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She had finished wrapping my ankle; it felt tight and restricting since I couldn¡¯t move my ankle, but that meant it worked. Still, it looked goofy as hell, considering she had wrapped it around my boots.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I murmured. Her lips curled downwards, a hint of disappointment coloring her countenance. It quickly vanished as she stood and straightened her leathers, offering me a hand. I took it and managed to get to my feet without much trouble, making sure to keep my weight off my ankle. ¡°Thanks.¡± I extended my gratitude to her, though my smile felt more like a grimace.


    Arce nodded once, seemingly copying my smile/grimace, before she turned and stepped to my side. ¡°Can you see yet? I¡¯m unsure if your vision has evolved at this point.¡±


    As she wrapped my ankle, I could indeed begin to clearer in the darkness. I could now better see the walls, noticing that its rough surface reminded of the floor that had disappeared beneath us earlier. Only this time, they were reflective. Glowing red eyes stared back at me, my grimacing face staring back at me in a mocking distortion. ¡°I can. Has the bottom floor of this dungeon always been a mirror funhouse?¡±


    It felt like we had been walking for hours, but I knew that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know what you¡¯re referring to, but no it has not,¡± Arce answered decisively, already starting to walk forward. I limped after her, ignoring the twinge in my ankle from the motion. She didn¡¯t notice or at least didn¡¯t bring attention to it. ¡°Either Garland¡¯s spell was more elaborate than I assumed, or Faithe and Rorick have an Affinity that can affect the environment.¡± She pursed her lips, eyes searching the area around us. ¡°Because this cannot be an illusion.¡±


    Why do I feel like she¡¯s wrong? A chill raced down my spine as if I was being watched. ¡°How can we leave?¡±


    Arce exhaled through her nose, lips pursing. ¡°There¡¯s a teleportation stone in the epicenter, but I don¡¯t believe it¡¯ll be that easy.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She didn¡¯t answer, because I felt a sinking sensation deep in my gut. I lifted a hand to interrupt her. ¡°They beat us there, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume that they did, yes.¡± Arce did not sound happy at that answer.


    I didn¡¯t feel happy either. That meant we either had to fight our way out, or they¡¯d already leave and tell the world about me. Both sucked, especially considering my current injury. ¡°We need to find Sora.¡± I declared, and Arce nodded with a determined frown. With that, we ventured into the darkness of the dungeon.


    All around us, I witnessed our distorted reflections follow our movements, moving in a variety of directions. It felt like we walked through a mirror funhouse with the lights dimmed to just above complete darkness. As we walked, Arce¡¯s voice spoke lowly. ¡°No doubt, Soralynn is most likely pursuing the pair.¡± She paused, her lips curling downwards. ¡°Marishka is with her, isn¡¯t she?¡± I nodded, causing Arce¡¯s frown to deepen. ¡°Hopefully, the bond between the two of you is strong enough to strengthen her. Especially considering what your Affinity can do.¡±


    I gave her a sideways stare, limping alongside her as we continued down the uneven path. ¡°What do you mean?¡± This monotony started to piss me off; people are figuring out my Affinity before I am. Once we get out of this, I¡¯m going to sit down and do some experiments with my abilities to find my limits.


    ¡°Immediate mastery over everything you¡¯ve touched.¡± She pointed to the empty sheath at my left side. ¡°You¡¯ve only trained with the sword for three months, yes?¡± I nodded to her, causing her to incline her head to me. ¡°That includes all form of martial mastery if my assumptions are correct.¡± I nodded to her once more. ¡°However, how does that lend towards horse-riding? Or learning a new alphabet? Or fighting in armor? What else has your Affinity gifted you, Joseph?¡± Arce paused, coming to a slow stop to turn towards me with an intense stare. ¡°Your Mantle?¡±


    I stopped at her words, turning to face her fully. ¡°My Mantle?¡±


    ¡°The knowledge of Ascension is limited and restricted. No one truly knows what happens to those who are chosen to ascend to the ranks of Hero King and Demon Lord, save for the ones who experience it.¡± Arce spoke softly, her tone and mien severe and unmoving. ¡°Yet, neither spoke of how it changed them, for differing reasons. The Hero King, because he threw himself into war immediately after his Ascension, and the Demon Lord, who sparked a war spanning the entirety of Verum, uncaring of the loss of life in the process. Perhaps they saw it as unnecessary to dwell on the past, or their roles were too important to waste on answering pointless questions.¡± Arce paused, her expression becoming stoic. ¡°Or perhaps they were still adapting the roles that forced themselves upon them. Perhaps, the powers they inherited truly didn¡¯t become theirs until they clashed in their final battle.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going with this?¡± I tried to keep the quiver out of my voice as I replied, an uncomfortable squeeze settling in my stomach.


    ¡°You are adapting to your new role frighteningly fast.¡± I gave her a confused look. An abashed look crossed her face before she paused. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. You¡¯re taking in the powers you¡¯ve accepted at a breakneck pace.¡± Arce motioned ahead of us, no doubt in the direction of the epicenter of the dungeon. ¡°Even before the first meeting with their group, you had suspicions of them. Suspicions that held no basis, beyond being called out of nowhere.¡± She tapped me on the chest. ¡°Your vision is already at the level of the average Beastkin since you can see in near darkness; if Sora¡¯s statement of your defeat over the bandits is true, then you¡¯ve already found your capability for exponential growth; but the most shocking aspect of it all is the simplest observation¡­¡±


    Arce lifted her hand towards my face, hesitating before she placed it on my cheek. With a gentle push, she moved my head to look past her, towards the reflective wall behind her. Red eyes stared back at me, and I could swear that the hallway around me seemed brighter than before. ¡°Your eyes. The glowing eyes of a Demon that revels in conflict, testing the resolve of all who dare to meet them.¡± Her lips curled upwards, dark grey eyes gaining an amused twinkle. ¡°By all rights, you are an anomaly. Of all the texts explaining your Mantle, none of them ever mention someone coming into this power as quickly as you.¡±


    I took in her words with a shaky breath, staring at my reflection with a confused expression. I stared into my eyes, basking in the iridescent crimson orbs while I tried to consider everything. Ever since I gained my Affinity, physical actions always came easy to me, so long as I grasped the tool connected to it. Swords, spears, knives, staves, and countless other weapons shown to me from Veritas¡¯ armory. Even archery, though I never fired an arrow after touching a bow; I could fight in armor like a second skin after donning it for the first time. Weapon maintenance became trivial, provided I didn¡¯t break it; horse riding felt like I had done it my entire life ¡ª even most noncombat items added to my growing experience, like some gardening and farming tools.


    Everything I touched, directly or indirectly, I mastered instantly, though I needed the physical strength and ability to follow through. The only thing I could never use ended up being magic. After Lillian had told me my handicap, I borrowed a tome from one of her subordinates, but it did absolutely nothing for me. I gained nothing from it; when I tried to read it, my head pounded as a migraine settled in my forehead. I would never use magic, so I decided on staying on the martial path. Though, learning Baasima¡¯s Ki manipulation that day in the Merchant quarter surpri-


    I jerked in surprise, stepping backward to create space between Arce and me. I tore my gaze from my reflection and lifted a hand. Clenching it in a fist, I focused on what I had done to call upon that power when I first gained it. Arce¡¯s concerned voice sounded miles away as I looked deep into myself; I hit a wall, something like a flexible barrier that prevented me from going further. Furrowing my brow, I pushed and felt a hint of give, before it held firm. It felt like saran wrap, a thin film encompassing my awareness, muddling my vision. I pushed harder, and the resistance grew in response, but all it did was aggravate me. I closed my eyes and pulled back.


    I inhaled slow breath to gather myself, exhaling just as slowly. Centering myself, I squared my shoulders and once again breathe deeply, from the diaphragm. My unconscious mind idly provided instructions and relayed them to my body. Slowly, but surely, the film began lessening, losing its thickness. In the back of my awareness, I felt my right fist clench tight enough for the knuckles to crack.


    Arce¡¯s confused voice echoed in the background as if trying to catch my attention, but I pushed her out. She¡¯d only distract. I leaned into my Affinity, immersing myself in the dearth of instinctual knowledge. Piece by piece, I adjusted my stance; I shifted my footing, ignoring the twinge of my twisted ankle. I rolled my shoulders, relaxing them as I turned them to the side. I opened my hands, loosening the tension that settled in them. I exhaled slowly, breathily, and the film that covered the veritable sea of energy that thrummed within me slowly dispersed. Strength filled me, washing away what little fatigue I felt. My ankle burned as if it were dipped into warm water before it cooled, and the pain washed away as though it never existed.


    You can be scared. It¡¯s natural.


    I opened my eyes as I felt a smile grow on my face, watching as Arce¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The surrounding area brightened as a faint glow overtook my body, warmth cocooning me in its embrace. I hadn¡¯t found inner peace or perfect equilibrium between rage and serenity; I only followed what my Affinity already gathered from contact with Baasima¡¯s Affinity. ¡°It¡¯s official¡­¡± Arce¡¯s gaze shot to mine, confusion filling her at my words. ¡°My Affinity is blatantly unfair.¡± I grinned and turned to face the mirror wall behind me.


    All around us, illuminated by the power I had called upon, rested a paradoxically endlessly array of mirrors, shattered and broken mirrors that continually rebounded reflections and light. We stood within a perfectly ovular prison, our boot prints decorating the earth around us.


    ¡°How¡­?¡± Arce¡¯s disbelief sounded palpable, a sense of self-deprecation coloring it.


    I stared at my distorted reflection, my grin widening. ¡°It¡¯s like you implied. My Affinity lets me cheat the system. Accelerate understanding; move forward at a more efficient pace, a faster pace.¡± As I approached the wall, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how¡­unstable, I appeared. The broken congruity of my expression didn¡¯t feel wrong; it felt like a representation of my actual state of mind.


    Trauma changes people. It shifts priorities and triggers shifts in personality. Even on Earth, I don¡¯t remember much about how I used to be before being separated from my parents. How much more different would I be had the Emergence never happened? Would I have changed? Is who I am now an inevitability that would have come to pass, regardless of how my life passed?


    Or has experiencing death and remembering it as vividly as I have driven me insane, and I just haven¡¯t realized it?


    Hell, I don¡¯t know.


    There¡¯s nothing wrong with fear.


    All I do know is that I¡¯m fucking tired of being afraid. I¡¯m nowhere near ¡®enlightenment¡¯ or anything like that. I want to find my path. My own goal and self-understanding.


    I stopped within arm¡¯s reach of the distorted glass wall, sliding my foot backward and turning my shoulders. ¡°Getting lost in my head and losing myself to emotions will get me nowhere,¡± I spoke, both to myself and Arce. ¡°I¡¯ve lived my whole life trapped in a singular place, a stationary position.¡± I reared back my fist, squaring my shoulders, and bending my knees. ¡°No more. I¡¯ll stand still no longer. Nothing will stop my advance. Not your threats,¡± my eyes narrowed as my grin widened enough to hurt my cheeks. ¡°Not my fears,¡± I placed my free hand against the wall, feeling a tingle race down my arm. ¡°And definitely not a fucking prophecy!¡±


    I twisted forward and put all of my body weight behind my punch. My fist tore through the glass wall like a wet paper towel, spearing through it and slamming into something soft, followed by a yell. The barrier shattered from the impact, exploding outward harmlessly, allowing Arce and I to see through it.


    I knew I stared into the epicenter of the dungeon. In the very center of the stood a waist-high stone pedestal, forged from a pair of intersecting stalagmites. Atop it rested a glowing, white sphere, that appeared to contain an ever-shifting fog. It illuminated the room, revealing two prone, bleeding corpses lying on the ground off to the side; two people stood, both staring at me in a perfect dichotomy of horror and delight, while a third rested on the ground, groaning and rubbing their face from the force of my punch.


    Sora grinned proudly, her face scuffed and marred by black smudge, a bruise on the left side of her jaw and a cut beneath her eye. In her left hand, she held a knife in a reverse grip, while her right held aloft with an orb of purple energy floating above her palm. Her scuffed armor was torn and scratched, with blood dripping from a wound on her side.


    Across from her, Rorick stared at me in horror and anger, surprise coloring his bruised and slashed face. He missed significant portions of his armor, with many bite and claw marks around his uncovered limbs. Scorches and burns decorated his body in abundance, colored by the occasional bruise. A broken sword lay a few feet off to the side, while another rested in his hand, clenched tightly. His shield could no longer be called a shield, more like a chew toy.


    At Sora¡¯s side, and somehow big enough to stand at her waist height, a black wolf with thick, powerful limbs stood menacingly. Fangs bared hatefully as red eyes bored into Rorick; in front of the wolf laid a ball of twisted and torn metal, adorned with a variety of bite and claw mark. Marishka had somehow grown large enough to tear out her foe¡¯s intestines with no more effort than I would tear a sheet of paper.


    Lying on the ground a few feet away from me, grimacing as she rubbed her jaw, Faithe breathed erratically as she stared at me in disbelief and fear. Soot and scratch marks marred her formerly flawless skin. Other than that, she seemed unmarred. Eyes wide with shock stared up to me.


    I kept up my grin as I rolled my gaze over the group in front of me. A part of me wanted to say a quip before diving into the fight, but I felt my smile fall when I caught sight of Helma¡¯s body. Blood pooled around her no doubt cooling corpse. A person died because of my actions, no matter how indirect. Though I did not wield the blade, my efforts led to it, causing the desperation Faithe experienced. That may seem twisted or strange, but that¡¯s how I felt. Very little could change that.


    I had a choice before me. An inevitability that I would¡¯ve reached regardless. A decision I still don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready to make. But we don¡¯t always have the luxury of choosing our crucibles, do we?


    My grin returned as I looked towards Rorick, relishing in the flinch he gave at the weight of my attention. ¡°You have my sword. I¡¯d like it back.¡±

 Alea Iact Est - 14

    I stepped into the room, moving purposefully towards Rorick. He seemed to hyperventilate if the sudden and frantic breaths he did meant anything. He staggered back, shaking his head. ¡°H-How?! Faithe¡¯s Domain is absolute! No one could have broken free!¡±


    I snorted at him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call that ¡®absolute.¡¯¡± I shook my head. ¡°But I¡¯ll be sure to offer my gratitude. I had to realize something to break free.¡± I clenched my fists, the glow dimmed until it vanished, though I still felt the strength flowing through me. My grin turned playful. ¡°Sadly, you don¡¯t need to know.¡± I crouched and lunged forwards, cracking the earth beneath my feet from the force of my charge.


    Rorick cursed as he stumbled back and fell onto his butt, fear crossing his face.


    Unfortunately, before I could reach him, I had to stop and leap backward to avoid a veritable sea of black shards as they gored into the stone floor. Landing on the ground in a crouch, I turned towards the source. Faithe stood with an outstretched hand, left cheek bruised and lip busted, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. She glared, eyes flaring with fury. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I drawled at her as I rose from my crouch, straightening my posture and placing my hands at my hips. ¡°Sad that I broke your illusion?¡±


    She flinched minutely, but her eyes narrowed. ¡°I had hoped to exhaust you so that Rorick and I could bring you back to Nyrill.¡± Her nostrils flared at my cocky grin. ¡°But it seems like I¡¯ll have to cripple you.¡±


    My grin faltered as I considered her words, my good mood falling. ¡°So¡­you want to cage me?¡±


    ¡°For your own good.¡± Faithe declared, clenching her fists. The shards of glass finally returned to her side, floating behind her aimlessly.


    ¡°I need you and Maggie to stay here now.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­you¡¯ll be safe. It¡¯s for your own good, so¡­continuing being the good brother I know you are.¡±


    Hearing those words, taking in the apparent meaning behind them, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a memory come forward: the day when my time trapped in a gilded cage began. A cold fury billowed within my chest, causing my smile to turn flinty, my eyes to narrow. That island. I hated it and everything it represented ¡ª the thought of returning to it¡­it¡¯s anathema to me. But the idea of being trapped elsewhere; a return to a gilded cage, when I had just taken this freedom, did not sit well with me.


    ¡°That is a mistake.¡± I pushed as much power into my legs as I possibly could and leaped. The epicenter shook, and the ground behind me broke, sending rubble tearing and breaking from the earth. My punch flew true, once again crashing into Faithe¡¯s face. Her eyes widened and watered as I put my body weight behind the blow, sending her careening into a stone wall. She screamed in agony from the strike, the glass shards clattering to the ground noisily. In the background, I heard Rorick cry out the name of his comrade, but I ignored him. As she fell from the wall, I followed immediately after her and caught her by the side of her head. I slammed her head into the wall once more and let her go. Tears flowed from her face, but it did not deter me from punching her in the stomach as hard as I possibly could.


    Blood poured from her mouth as I heard a crack and tear. Faithe dropped to her knees, and I attempted to follow up with another attack, but my instincts screamed for me to move. Diving to the side, I watched as a sea of glass drilled into space I once stood. They reminded me of a woodchipper, countless spinning blades that scraped audibly against one another, eating through everything in their path. Faithe stood shakily, grimacing as she held a hand to her stomach, hunched over from the pain. ¡°I will not lose here.¡± She pointed to me, and the glass shards zoomed towards me.


    I offered no words, saving my energy to evade the shards. I dived to the side, feeling a breeze send my bangs fluttering. I rolled along the ground, and when my lead foot finally touched the ground. Upon contact, I flexed my legs and rocketed towards Faithe, sprinting headlong towards her. The shards followed after me, practically engulfing my shadow. I spared a glance over my shoulder, turning back to see that Faithe had decided to keep distance between us, running away from me. Still, I gained on her with my superior physical abilities.


    Faithe dived to the side, extending a hand and waving it to the side. The shards audibly vibrated, before I felt the air itself become dense. I twisted around and dropped to the ground, evading a spear formation by the skin of my teeth. Watching the sea of shards followed a singular path, I saw them encircle my position; I looked around to see Sora and Rorick clashing, dagger and sword meeting time and time again. She had the advantage, pushing him back once more with the support of her magic and Marishka.


    The corner of my lips curled upwards, and I sprinted towards them, knowing that the shards would follow me. ¡°Sora!¡± I cried out, causing the trio to glance towards me. Sora grinned and twisted around, throwing her empty hand at her opponent. Rorick tried to break away, but his surprise prevented him from acting correctly. Ethereal energy tore into his armored torso as Marishka¡¯s powerful jaws bit effortlessly into his left ankle. The sound of torn flesh and a cry of pain caused him to pause and try to kick her away.


    I reached him within seconds, throwing my hand out to grasp the collar of his armor. Sliding forward, I crouched and drilled an elbow into his stomach. He heaved from the blow, leaning from the impact. I jerked him forward and released his collar. He staggered towards me, and I took hold of his wrist. Hooking my shoulder in his gut, I heaved him up and over my body, then slammed him bodily onto the ground. Rorick gagged from the impact, groaning as I wrenched my sword from his grip. Before I could follow up with a stomp, Sora slid in front of me and forced me to step back to release Rorick. She held up her free hand, causing a curved, luminescent barrier to manifest around us.


    With a shrieking sound, the sea of shards parted from the impact, encircling us as Rorick rolled away from us to scramble back towards Faithe. Sora lowered her hand, and the barrier dissolved. She straightened her posture and stood right at my side, staring intently at the pair before us. ¡°I believe that my King has given you his answer, clergy. We shall not return to Nyrill.¡± Sora declared to them, her brows furrowed and teeth bared in triumph.


    ¡°The Demon Lord must not rise.¡± Faithe said evenly, her expression hard. ¡°Even if we must collapse the dungeon atop all of our heads, we will not allow that to come to pass.¡± Rorick climbed to his feet, favoring his left arm.


    Sora sneered at her, placing her empty hand on her hip. ¡°And you showed anger at being called a zealot.¡±


    Faithe and Rorick stiffened, the former¡¯s expression darkening while the latter became stoic. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said to them, shaking my head. Eyes flickering to me, I sighed and lowered my sword. ¡°It¡¯s you who doesn¡¯t know anything. I don¡¯t want destruction. I don¡¯t want chaos. I want to live my life free from those who want to control my life.¡±


    Rorick scoffed, his lips curled in distaste. ¡°It¡¯s an inevitability that the next Demon Lord will spark a war. Nothing you say can change fate. They¡¯d all be pointless and petty words.¡±


    I felt a rumble of anger pulse through me, but I brushed it aside. ¡°If nothing I ¡®say¡¯ will mean anything to you, then let my actions speak for me.¡± It took all I had not to growl out those words.


    ¡°We¡¯re not fools, Joseph Blaine.¡± Rorick glared, shoulders tense as he waited for the melee to resume. ¡°It is a monster¡¯s nature to do whatever it takes to fulfill their ambition.¡± He motioned towards me, flinching as he used his injured arm. ¡°The moment you accepted that mantle was the moment you became something else. We cannot trust you.¡±


    I felt my hackles rise, and my knuckles crack as I clenched my fist. ¡°Monster, huh?¡± Sora turned her head to glance at me in her periphery, an unreadable emotion in her gaze.


    My words went ignored as Faithe picked up where Rorick left off, the sea of black shards aimlessly floating behind her and at hers and Rorick¡¯s sides. ¡°It is a shame that the Hero with the greatest potential fell the farthest, but I suppose it is human nature to succumb to temptation.¡± Regret and pity filled her gaze as she regarded me. ¡°Still, to have you killed would be the greatest shame. We¡¯d prefer you to live, Sir Blaine. Under the aegis and protection of our parish.¡±


    Irrationality filled me; a building rage and rising fury. Faithe pitied me. She worded it kindly, but she intended to cage me like some wild animal. Still, I pushed it down. ¡°You¡¯re not listening. I don¡¯t care about any of you. I don¡¯t want to ruin any lives or hurt them. I want to be free to see this world for what it is.¡±


    ¡°And you can.¡± Faithe said, attempting to sound soothing, but her efforts only seemed fake. ¡°You can see Verum, but with our people guiding you where it is most beautiful.¡±


    Rorick shrugged, his gaze focusing intently on me. ¡°Though, your desires don¡¯t mean much, when the prophecy states you will start a war after your¡­journey.¡±


    The anger returned in force, a white-hot rage blinding me. A part of me wanted to give in, to take catharsis from beating that smug bastard in the face. ¡°You take your prophecy and go to hell.¡± I guess I didn¡¯t have as much self-control as I thought I did. I took a step forward, and the ground cracked beneath the force of my footstep. ¡°I will not bow in the face of words, like some weak-willed child.¡± I snarled at him.


    Rorick¡¯s gaze sharpened, his jaw straightening. ¡°Fallen Hero or not, I will not allow you to affront the gospel from our God.¡± Faithe stiffened, her tentative gaze shifting from Rorick, to me, to Sora.


    ¡°I will be free.¡± I bared my teeth in defiance, lifting my sword. ¡°I will not be chained, nor caged, nor shackled. Freedom is my right, and if I have to, I will take it from the hands of close-minded and cowardly fools like you, then I will.¡± I growled as I slashed through the air. ¡°I am going to walk out of here, free; whether it¡¯ll be over your bodies or not, is entirely up to you.¡±


    Before either of them could respond, Sora let out an amused laugh. ¡°Well spoken, Joey. I¡¯ll second that belief with every fiber of my being.¡± At my other side, Marishka snarled an echoed affirmative, her hackles rose and fangs bared.


    Rorick narrowed his eyes at me but said nothing.


    Faithe closed her eyes and sighed reluctantly. ¡°I¡­am sorry you feel such a way, Sir Blaine.¡± When she opened her eyes, she stared at us with determination, her gaze hardening. ¡°But Rorick and I have a mission that we will see through to the end. You shall come with us, willingly or not.¡±


    ¡°I prefer the terms, alive or dead, personally,¡± Rorick growled as he unsheathed his sword.


    Faithe glared at him. ¡°Rorick, you shou-¡± Appearing next to her, as if from nowhere, Arce stepped out behind Faithe. Her expression was placid, though her eyes were intense. Her lips curled downwards as she pulled a stiletto from her sleeve, a seven-inch pointed, slender stake. Flipping it in her grasp, she caught it in a reverse grip and stabbed downwards. It tore through the flesh of Faithe¡¯s thigh, causing her to freeze. An echoing scream tore from her lips, tears already streaming down her face. The shards floating around her froze, before collapsing uselessly onto the earth in a deafening cacophony.


    Seeing an opening from a shocked and enraged Rorick turning towards Arce, I closed the distance between us with a lunged. I cleared the width of the entire room in an instant, my sword slicing through the air, aimed at his chest.


    Rorick cursed as he noticed me, catching my sword with his before I could reach him. Our swords clashed, but I managed to push him back from the force of my charge. In my periphery, I caught sight of a black blur, before Rorick jumped back to avoid it.


    On my left, Sora leaped into sight, her dagger held above her head and glowing with radiant green energy. Slashing the downwards, she unleashed a wave of energy that tore into the earth as Faithe jumped away. The ground parted from the force of the attack, shaking all of our balance. Sora landed with sure footing and lunged after Faithe, Arce following after with her bloody stiletto.


    Rishka and I intercepted Rorick as he tried to support Faithe. My sword thrust forward, aimed towards his chest, but he parried it. His hand shot upwards and pushed my thrown punch aside, but he grunted in pain as Marishka bit into his armored thigh. Metal whined as her jaws tore into him as if no more than cardboard. Rorick kicked at her, and she leaped back, tearing away a piece of his armor in the process. Blood painted the ground at his side as flesh parted from her strike. He staggered back, flagging from the weight formerly held on his injured leg.


    I followed up with a front kick, hitting him in the stomach. Metal bent inwards as he continued to stagger back, hacking out a breath as I winded him. His paled expression betrayed his pain as he glared hatefully at me. He squared his shoulders and grasped the hilt of his sword with both hands. A grimace set on his face as he placed his stance. Then, suddenly, his wound stopped bleeding, as if falling into stasis. ¡°I¡¯m done playing along with Faithe¡¯s plan. I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Rorick snarled at me, kicking forwards to lunge at me.


    Despite myself, upon hearing his words, I couldn¡¯t help the smile that grew on my face. A tingle raced down my spine as laughter bubbled within my chest. As he charged towards me, unimpeded by his injury, I chuckled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try. Don¡¯t interfere, Rishka. I want this fight myself.¡± She huffed, scratching the stone floor with a paw. Crouching, I met his charge with my own. I slashed upwards and challenged his downward swing. Our swords clashed, and gravity acted in his favor, forcing me to stagger from the impact. I stepped backward and parried his next string of attacks.


    Steel sang between us as our swords clashed again and again. He acted as the ever-advancing force as I causally bled off the energy of every one of his attacks. I twisted and side-stepped, feeling my smile grow as I noticed his growing frustration. As his swings became more ferocious and angrier, his expression tightened and darkened, eyes blazing with fury. His strikes became frenzied and desperate, jaw clenched, and hands tightened on his sword. Amid his assault, I parried one of his blows to the side, sending him stumbling from the redirected force.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°How long have you been training with the sword?¡± I mused to myself, not expecting an answer.


    ¡°Since the day I could hold the blade.¡± Rorick snarled through clenched teeth. He twisted around and attempted to resume his assault. My free hand lashed out and grabbed him by his left wrist, bending and breaking the metal of his gauntlets. He gasped breathlessly and dropped to a knee, but still held firm onto his sword.


    Turning his sword away from me, I stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Your entire life? You¡¯ve trained your entire life and yet¡­¡± I paused as a faint melancholy settled in my gut, joy slowly leaving me as my smile fell. ¡°To me, it feels like you¡¯re a flailing child throwing a tantrum.¡± With a flick of my wrist, I pushed him back, my augmented strength causing him to fall back, landing with an echoing thud. I watched him scramble to his feet with a sense of disappointment. I no longer felt angry, just tired, and disappointed. I¡¯ve barely held a sword for two months and change, and he for virtually his whole life.


    I watched him take a stance in front of me, taking a bearing with his sword held in front of him. I saw the fear and anger in his glaring gaze and shook my head. ¡°Just stop. Stop throwing your life away.¡± Please. I don¡¯t want to kill you. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say those words but knew that I would, if it meant I could remain unchained.


    ¡°To hell with you, Demon Lord. I will succeed at what Sir Luke failed to do.¡± At that, fear left his eyes, replaced by a steely resolve.


    I felt my entire world freeze at his words. A pounding sensation in the back of mind caused his words to echo in my thoughts. Slowly, gradually, the anger from before returned. It simmered beneath the surface. It cried out to be released, to be sent out to the world. It demanded destruction; it demanded reprisal and immediate satisfaction.


    ¡°What Luke failed to do?¡± My words came out rough and coarse, my throat tight. The corners of my eyes blurred, and I blinked it away. ¡°You have no way to understand what he¡¯s done to me.¡±


    ¡°His actions brought us time.¡± Rorick declared, a flicker of hesitation filling him as he gulped.


    Yellow hovered over the surface of his body. He was afraid. Good.


    ¡°No,¡± I growled, my voice rumbling deep in my chest. Phantom pain flickered along my back, centering where Luke had stabbed me. I felt the sensation expand until it reached my chest. With that, my anger bubbled and cried out for catharsis. Red slowly colored the edges of my vision, a weight setting on my shoulders. ¡°That bastard betrayed me. He broke a decade-long friendship.¡± My throat constricted as I gritted my teeth, adjusting my stance into a crouch, and shifting a foot forward.


    Rorick gulped, shifting back as if to widen the gap between us. He steeled himself and met my gaze without hesitation. His hand shook as he retorted with words that pushed me over the edge. ¡°Is it a betrayal when you were the one who deceived him first?¡±


    All rational thought came to a screeching halt. My body stiffened as I stared at Rorick in disbelief. Slowly, I lowered my sword arm while still staring at Rorick. His own eyes widened at my reaction, a flicker of hope appearing his gaze. A part of me felt amused at that. ¡°I¡¯m done playing nice.¡± Strength filled my legs as I shot forwards, practically destroying the ground beneath my charge. My sword swung downwards and he managed to lift his to block me. This time, physics was on my side.


    Rorick dropped to a knee as he held my sword back with his own, arms shaking from the exertion. I towered over his crouched form, opposite hand pushing down on the upper end of my single-edged sword. As I watched the hope leave his eyes, a cruel smile grew on my face. ¡°You should have stayed home. Perhaps you would¡¯ve lived long enough to see another sunrise.¡± Throwing my foot forward, I kicked him in the stomach hard enough to cave in the front of his armor. Blood and saliva shot from his mouth as he stumbled, no doubt to try and put distance between us.


    I didn¡¯t allow it.


    I followed his retreat closely, my sword singing as it cut through the air towards his face. He frantically deflected it, unable to bleed off the force I put behind it. I kept him on the backfoot as I continued my forward march, conducting a single blade orchestra as I maintained my nonstop offensive. I tapped into my Affinity and pushed it as hard as I could. Strength and skill drove me forward, guided by my will to crush the one who stood before me utterly. My assault on him, like a dance, compared to his previous attack on me; every move transitioned flawlessly to the next, probing every last one of the gaps in his guard, opening wound after wound even with his frantic, desperate attempts to stop me.


    I twisted and spun with every swing, my sword whistling as it carved a path through the air, crying for the blood of my chosen prey. Rorick lost the right to be called an ¡®opponent¡¯ the moment he allowed his fear to shatter his composure; I held no mercy for the fool before me, even as fresh tears flowed down his face. He begged me to stop, to let him go; he swore never even to speak my name, to forget that I even existed. His blithering words meant nothing to me; his childish blubbering only driving me to further ruthlessness.


    My expression became masked, a blank fa?ade that showed nothing to the one who stood before.


    With a flick of my wrist, I ripped his sword from his hand and sent to flipping to the side. He stumbled away from me, but I followed him, effortlessly reaching him. I threw out my left arm, crashing an elbow into his face. He grunted and placed his hand over his face to staunch the bleeding; I followed up by lifting my sword and thrusting it towards his chest. I decided to end this farce. I had swiftly frown tired of his endless blubbering.


    His eyes widened as he watched my sword rocketing towards him. With reflexes that even surprised me, he threw his arms in the path of my sword. The point of my steel, backed by my superior strength, tore through the steel of his armor and into the flesh and bone of his arm. He grunted in pain but forced his and my sword downwards as I pushed the thrust forward despite the resistance.


    His arm had reached his left flank when the rest of my blade tore through it and ripped into the meaty side of his torso. I twisted my sword and listened as his echoing scream turned into something agonizingly primal. After the entire length of my sword ate through his body, I gave one last twist and ripped it out the side, painting the ground on his left with a generous amount of red. As I did so, I felt warm droplets pepper my cheek when I stood to my full height. I stared down at my brutalized foe impassively; my anger lost amid a determined apathy. Emotion had died off as the ¡®fight¡¯ continued, my blows growing heavier and faster. My rage no longer drove me forward, only the catalyst of the inevitable victory I held as I stood over my beaten, bloodied opponent.


    ¡°Rorick!¡± Faithe¡¯s enraged, worried, cry, tore my attention from my foe. I glanced to the source to see her wounded, but still mobile. Fresh wounds peppered her, her armor hanging loosely and drenched in blood. Blood dripped down the side of her mouth, but she still held a hand out to me. Behind her, the sea of black shards had become a much smaller grouping, resembling the size of a large dog. The shards undulated and bloated until they rocketed through the air, spinning and drilling towards me.


    The same desperation felt earlier, to dodge, to evade, did not return. I saw an obstacle. I lifted a foot and took a step back. One second I stood over a beaten and bloody Rorick, the next I stood on the other side of the epicenter of the dungeon, next to the floating orb. The shards tore into the ground next to Rorick, before the rose and encircled him, acting as a protective barrier. I turned face Faithe, but she ignored me, limping as she attempted to run towards Rorick.


    As I watched her reach her partner, Sora, Arce, and Marishka went over to me. Sora, looking almost no worse for wear, smiled with pride as she studied me.


    Arce remained expressionless as she stared after Faithe as if waiting for reprisal.


    Marishka sat on her haunches at my left flank, bright red eyes watching the pair.


    I too looked towards the pair who attempted to bring me back to Nyrill, watching the shards dispersed upon Faithe¡¯s arrival. She fretted and worried over Rorick, whispering desperate assurances to him as she tried to press onto his stomach wound, tears gathering in her eyes.


    We had won. Faithe and Rorick wouldn¡¯t fight any longer.


    That didn¡¯t mean this was over, however.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± Faithe cried as she continued to try and stop Rorick from bleeding out. ¡°We¡¯ll stop. We¡¯ll leave you alone. We¡¯ll forget all about you. Please! Just¡­let us live.¡± He won¡¯t. I was sure that¡¯s what she tried not to consider, even as Rorick began to hyperventilate, the puddle of blood beneath him growing more prominent as time passed.


    Did I believe them?


    No.


    When Sora had first awoken me, I never considered a situation like this. Hell, in hindsight, it¡¯s easy to realize, especially since my grave was in perfect line of sight with the church.


    If they had found me, it¡¯s an inevitability that others can find me just as quickly. My anonymity would only last so much longer; it is as Sora had told me, I needed to find Mina before I could relax even a bit. My new role would cause panic and fear in people; armies would march and attempt to hunt me down. I needed an army to act as a deterrent. Regardless of what I decided to do to the two before me, people would find out about me and seek me out.


    It was inevitable.


    But I¡¯d have more time if they didn¡¯t walk out of here, regardless of Faithe¡¯s desperate promise.


    The big question that plagued me was whether I had it in me to take that first step¡­


    Could I kill in cold blood?


    ¡°Please¡­¡± Faithe¡¯s teary voice pulled me from my internal debates. ¡°Have mercy¡­¡±


    Just like that, I remembered the anger I had discarded as I defeated Rorick. I remembered the declaration he made about killing me and Faithe¡¯s intentions of caging me. ¡°Mercy?¡± Disbelief colored my voice as I furrowed my brow at her words. ¡°You beg me for mercy after trying to dictate my life.¡± My voice came out rough from the rage I held back. ¡°You threaten to cage me, to tear my freedom from my hands, and you have the gall to beg for mercy.¡± Incredulity filled me alongside my tired fury. ¡°What gives you the right?¡± I scoffed and turned away from them.


    A surprised gasp escaped her as I slashed my sword to the side, sending the blood that stayed on it off to the side. Sheathing my sword, I motioned for my group to follow. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± I approached the orb and reached behind me and tapped Kato¡¯s hilt.


    I made my choice.


    It would not be by my hand. Not yet.


    Kato disappeared from the hilt at the back of my belt; I heard a gagging sound, followed by a slicing sound, then a thud. ¡°It is done, Milord.¡± The knife returned her sheath as I closed my eyes, flickers of shame and resignation tickling the edges of my stomach. I had them killed, and I didn¡¯t even have the heart to watch them. Or do it with my own hand.


    I guess I¡¯m shaping up to be a fine monster.


    I just stood there, in front of the floating orb, staring at its smoky contents with a frown.


    ¡°Take the orb, and we¡¯ll appear at the entrance of the dungeon.¡± Sora¡¯s soft voice explained to me. I didn¡¯t answer her as I lifted my hand; I stared at it in wonder, momentarily confused as to why it hadn¡¯t begun shaking. Wouldn¡¯t a reaction like that be reasonable? Shouldn¡¯t I be moments away from hyperventilating from shock at my actions? Or has my Mantle changed me so much that I don¡¯t react to death as a person should?


    Whatever. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± I said as I palmed the orb. A blinding light engulfed us, and the unstable stone flooring changed to the cushiony and drenched give of grass and mud as we appeared at the mouth of the cave. I lifted my head to stare up to the dark rainclouds that poured their contents upon the earth.


    Sora cleared her throat. ¡°We should return to Xadria.¡± I nodded at her. We swiftly made our way back to the horses. I passed by the horses of those who died, climbing onto a huffing and whining Kel. Sora got onto her horse, as did Arce with hers.


    Marishka shrunk back down to her former size and yawned heavily, her head drooping as I hefted her onto my lap. She fell asleep as I rubbed my fingers through her swiftly dampening fur.


    ¡°I will take the orb to the guild, as well as the horses,¡± Sora explained as we turned our horses to make our return trip. ¡°They¡¯ll wish to know about the death of four adventurers.¡±


    ¡°Can they recover the bodies?¡± I asked her, not caring about the answer, but to fill the air.


    ¡°No,¡± Arce answered for her. ¡°Those left in the dungeon belong to it; nature shall run its course, regardless of our wishes.¡± Her soft voice drew a nod from me.


    I held the orb out to her and Sora took it, sliding it into her bag. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to sleep for the rest of the week.¡±


    With that, we made our return trip to Xadria.


    <hr>


    The remaining time of my trial period progressed uneventfully, thankfully. With Sora or Arce at my side, while the other picked up supplies or met with Alba to trade information, I grew more familiar with Xadria. While it would no doubt take much longer for me become as comfortable with it as they were, I became capable of traversing it on my own.


    I visited a blacksmith within my budget and had my sword and armor service while commissioning a more permanent set.


    I found the library and realized that my ability to read remained focused on English since the words translated themselves upon sight. Didn¡¯t know how I felt about that, but there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it.


    I watched as preparations for the upcoming festival were underway, occasionally helping when I could lend a hand. Honestly, I found that to be more amusing than anything else, considering for whom the festival is meant to celebrate. Regardless, if it were in front of me, then I¡¯d help, but I wouldn¡¯t go out of my way to help.


    Even with all of that, I didn¡¯t do the one thing that a part of me wanted so fervently. Even with their attempts to capture me, seeing Faithe and Rorick¡¯s comradery made me feel¡­nostalgic. Solitude didn¡¯t plague me, because Sora, Marishka, and Arce never let me feel alone. But¡­


    I still wanted to speak with my old friends, to laugh with them, to share smiles and hopes and dreams.


    It¡¯s cheesy as all hell and pointlessly angsty, so I tried not to dwell on it. I did everything I could to pass the time until my trial week ended, all so I could finally become an adventurer and see more of Verum.


    These thoughts jumped back and forth in my head as I stepped into the guild hall on the day my trial ended. A full week had passed, and I felt confident that things would go over well. Sora and Marishka had opted to stay at the inn, the former working on something for me while the latter didn¡¯t want to deal with crowds. Arce had come with me, wanting to check in with the guild; No Kato, at least outside of her knife form, since she hadn¡¯t been the one to receive the recommendation letter, so she had to wait two more weeks. She could appear at any point, though, so I did not need to worry for her.


    As I stepped into the guild hall, I took in the loud interactions of the other adventurers, who laughed and shared drinks, talking and yelling amongst themselves. Almost all of the tables were filled with people eating and drinking, chatting, and debating various topics, drinks sloshing everywhere as they clanged mugs in celebration.


    Along the bulletin boards, groups milled about and pointed to various listings, debating on what jobs to take and what to avoid.


    For the first time since returning to the guild, I felt a genuine smile grow on my face. That childish joy from before came roaring back. I could finally experience the stories I had read over the course of my life. I could finally live the dreams that I had escaped to when trapped on Earth.


    With a fortifying breath, I rolled my shoulders and walked purposefully towards the front desk.


    As I approached, though, I heard something that nearly made me stumble¡­


    ¡°¡­while I am sad to see you go, Miss Fitzgerald, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯ve managed to find what your company needs.¡± The same clerk who had helped me, Aspen, speaking to a woman at the desk. From behind her, I could see that the woman wore a form-fitting leather jacket with metal bracers along the forearms; she wore a flowing, ankle-length dress with a slit cut up to mid-thigh, revealing a pair of armored boots. I compacted staff rested on her back, attached to a leather and steel harness on the back of her jacket. Her long, wavy hair was black and tied into a low braid, tied with dark brown string.


    The woman replied; her voice hauntingly familiar. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s frustrating that I have to leave, considering my connections here, but needs must.¡± She nodded decisively, taking something from the counter and sliding it into her jacket. ¡°I¡¯ll have some noncombatants stay behind since they prefer it here. If needed, you can contact me through them.¡±


    Aspen nodded once, writing something down before continuing. ¡°I shall keep you in mind. The Twin Flags have been nothing but exemplary in their work ethic.¡±


    ¡°They should be. Nothing but the best.¡± Pride leaked into her tone.


    Aspen smiled, shifting from professional to fond before her eyes flickered to the side. She caught sight of me and her smile widened. ¡°Lyall! You¡¯ve arrived early. Come. I¡¯d like you to meet an acquaintance of mine.¡±


    ¡°Lyall?¡± The woman spoke, her voice affecting curiosity. She turned to face me, and as we locked eyes, I felt my lungs squeeze and my stomach drop. Brow length bangs, swept to the right, rested above a milky white left eye framed by a faded, thick scar from just above the brow to below the cheekbone; both it and her brown right eye rested beneath a pair of rounded lenses, outlined by thick frames. Her natural tan was darker than I last remembered if only by a bit; beneath her jacket, she wore a high-necked vest with black buttons. It hugged her slender, feminine frame well.


    ¡°Joseph?¡± Kacee Fitzgerald whispered hoarsely, hope warring with disbelief as if she had just seen a ghost.


    ----


    Alea Iacta Est - Fin

 Ignis Aurum - 1

    The moment Kacee and I locked eyes; I felt my heart begin to race. She recognized me and said my name. Granted, she whispered it, and no one made it clear they heard her, but she said it nonetheless. According to the world, I was dead, and there¡¯s no changing that. I couldn¡¯t afford to be found. Not now.


    Not yet.


    The moment she noticed and recognized me, I made my choice. Twisting around on one foot, I spoke to Arce. ¡°Get Sora. Meet me at Alba¡¯s.¡± My words to her remained at a whisper; I sprinted out the door and fled from the guildhall.


    ¡°What?!¡± Kacee¡¯s voice sounded scandalized. ¡°Hey!¡±


    I stepped outside and into the foot traffic, running against the flow. My superior balance afforded me the skill to successfully navigate against the tide. Sparing a glance over my shoulder, I saw that Kacee had run to the door, her gaze honing in on me. Her eyes narrowed and waved to others, then pointed towards me, all while staying silent. As she did that, it felt like a pair of eyes dug into my back, but it only spurred me on. Kacee walked to the side, around the opposite end of the guildhall, and vanished around the corner. Strength surged through my legs as I raced further down the street, slipping through the sea of people as though I were born to do so.


    Sparing a glance over my shoulder, I caught sight of two people managing to keep pace with me, though from outside of the thoroughfare. A man and a woman, appearing a few years older than me, ran down the sides of the street, avoiding the people just going about their day. The woman¡¯s eyes tracked me precisely, even when I slipped in between and moving carts to break their line of sight. A visual cognition Affinity, then? I''d have to push harder to get away if I wanted to get away from her then. Hopefully, it¡¯s not as all-encompassing as I remember Rudy¡¯s being.


    I made a sudden turn into an alley, jumping through the reins connecting a pair of horses to an elaborately lavish carriage. The horses neighed in protest at my swift action, forcing the driver to pull the reins to keep them calm. The stagecoach driver tried to calm the horses but yelled at me.


    Lifting a hand, I called out an apology but did not look back. The narrow alleyway did not afford a lot of room for strafing, but the walls were close enough for me to commit to my next action. Jumping up, I planted a foot on the wall then kicked off of it. Hitting the wall on the opposite side of the alley, I continued my ascent by kicking from wall to wall until I came within arm¡¯s reach of the roof. My hand latched onto the wooden awning, and I swiftly grabbed it with my other hand, deadlifting my body fully upwards.


    Climbing onto the partially inclined roofing, I planted my feet and looked over my shoulders. My pursuers just managed to reach the alley, looking up to with a pair of deadpan stares. I grinned down to them, a playful laugh escaping me. ¡°Catch me now.¡± With a surge of Ki, I pushed strength into my lower body and face towards the noble¡¯s district. Slanted and flat roofs as far as the eyes could, with varying heights, showed me a straight route to my destination. All I had to do was reach the Luvian manor, and I was home free. Grinning, despite the seriousness of the situation, I kicked forward and leaped towards the next roof. I pushed as much strength through my body as I could, sprinting as I parkoured from building to building, jumping across gaps and twisting around the occasional obstacle.


    In my periphery, I saw that only one of them still followed me, the woman, though she seemed to be pacing herself, studying intensely. Facing forward, I allowed a grin to spread across my face. I would never tire of this; running as hard as I could without the fear of my asthma crippling me. I breathed deeply, the pleasant burn of my muscles only driving me to push harder. I cleared gaps with space to spare; I maneuvered around obstacles with flare, grinning all the while.


    As I kicked off a rooftop, a figure appeared in my path, having emerged from the side. My eyes widened as I caught sight of the second person who pursued me. He was an older man with skin the color of copper with a straight black hair pulled into a tight, low ponytail with no bangs. Stern dark brown eyes studied my face, no doubt to commit it to memory then narrowed. A closed, sleeveless vest covered his muscled frame, revealing a pair of corded, thick arms. His lower body was equally muscled, clad in a couple of loose-fitting pants. Coiled ropes hung from a loop on the left side of his waist; fingerless gloves covered his hands, which seemed to be dripping water.


    He reached towards me, a chilling mist wafting from his palm.


    I curved my body to the side, avoiding his hand by bare inches. Reaching forward, I grabbed him by his thick upper arm and yanked him behind me. With new leverage, I propelled myself forward and pushed him back. As I reached the next rooftop, I heard the grunt as he landed on the roof behind me. Landing irregularly, I rolled forward, got back to my feet and resumed sprinting as if I never stopped.


    The wind whipped through my hair as I continued my run across the rooftops. Close. Nearly there. I could see Alba¡¯s estate in the distance, my heart racing. I have to-


    A chill raced up my spine as I jerked to a stop, nearly falling forward as an arrow pierced the rooftop in front of me. I stared at the faintly vibrating shaft, the fluttering fletching, and the dimly glowing gem framed by the fletching. The glow flickered for a few seconds before the light swelled. I felt my eyes widen. ¡°Oh shi-¡± An explosion of light and sound cut me off, forcing me to stagger back and grunt in pain.


    My entire world rang like a tinny bell at the forefront of my brain; a pinch in my tightly shut eyes caused me to grumble and curse under my breath. My enhanced senses screwed me this time. An arm wrapped swiftly around my neck, but before it could settle in and catch me, I twisted to the side and hooked a hand between the arm and my throat. Tucking my chin, I grabbed the wrist with both hands and shifted a foot backward. With a grunt, I pulled at the arm and threw the person over my shoulder, slamming them onto the roof.


    I staggered back to create distance, but felt something wrap around my wrist and pull taut. I blinked away the stars, and my vision slowly returned to see that the one who attacked me was the guy from earlier. He lied on the ground where I slammed him but held some rope in his hand with one end wrapped around my wrist. Before I could twist my wrist and pull it free, he pulled the cord and forced me to stagger forward. He shot to his feet, leading off with a thrust of his palm towards my stomach. I tensed my gut, but jerked to the side to avoid the attack, though he restricted my movement. He shot to his feet from his crouch and yanked the rope towards him.


    I threw a punch at him, but he expertly evaded it and grabbed my wrist. He attempted to throw me to the ground; I hooked my foot around his ankle and punched him in the kidney with my other hand. The man grunted, pain flashing across his face, though he held fast. Time and again, the guy and I traded blows, always countering and dodging; unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t get away, so he managed to keep me in place.


    In my periphery, I caught sight of my second pursuer. It was a woman, clearly a few years my senior, with close-cropped dark silver hair that barely reached her chin. Bags rested beneath her dark, sea-green eyes as she narrowed them at me. She leaped from the roof behind us; in her hands, she held a cord of rope attached to a trio of stone balls the size of baseballs. Bolas. She predominately wore leathers and hide as armor, with segmented steel plates covering her arms, with a topped quiver on her back along with an unstrung bow.


    As she threw the bolas at me, I flexed the arm the man had trapped and augmented my strength. With a grunt, I weathered a drilling punch into my side and suddenly yanked the man to the side, pulling him in the path of the bolas. I watched as the woman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. The man quickly planted his feet and grabbed my trapped arm with both of his hands; my footing slipped as a puddle of water appeared out of nowhere. I lost my balance, and my leverage, feeling him suddenly flip me bodily over his shoulder and in the path of the bolas.


    I stared in disbelief at the rapidly approaching bolas, listening to whistle from the swinging orbs. My heart pounded as rising anxiety settled in the pit of my stomach. Those were tools meant to trip up and capture animals and criminals. They used them against me. They¡¯re trying to catch me. A chill raced down my spine as I set my jaw. It looks like I¡¯d have to fight harder.


    I threw out my hand towards the approaching bolas, trusting in my sharp eyes and reflexes. The very second the back of my hand touched the rope, I waved my arm in a circle, following the bolas¡¯ trajectory. The tool flowed along the length of my arm, but as the last ball reached my hand, I hooked my fingers around the rope, catching the ball in my palm with an echoing smack. The bolas came to a sudden stop as I felt my Affinity working its magic.


    The moment my feet touched upon the roof once more, the stonework cracked and broken inwards, my knees bending from the impact. Turning a glare towards the man, I caught sight of his subtly widening eyes, before he narrowed them in determination. Twisting my wrist, I weaved the bolas around my arm and turned away from him. The balls flipped and flew the air, whistling from their flight. A dumbfounded surprise flickered across his face as he took in the sight of my newest weapon. As the first ball swung towards his face, he had to slack the tautness of the rope so he could step back to avoid the first strike. I stepped towards him, continuing the orbit of the bolas around my body, the line sliding and twisting around my arm and shoulder.


    My continuous march forward and subtle, shifting my arm at the smallest moments kept the bolas spinning, nearly braining my attempted captor. He weaved and dodged as expertly as he could, even while making sure he kept my wrist captured. I kept the woman in my periphery, making a note of the fact that she made no move to get closer, only stringing her bow with calm confidence. It was when she finished that and nocked an arrow that I decided to act.


    Driving a knuckle under the man¡¯s rib, I caused him to grunt, and he flinched back from the pain. I quickly turned the face the woman and threw my arm outwards, sending the still spinning bolas back to the person who threw it. It didn¡¯t surprise her, but she ducked and jumped to the side, pulling back an arrow. My footing slipped as another puddle appeared beneath my feet, but I went with my new shift in momentum. Jerking to the side, I pulled at the rope still on my wrist and forced the man before me. He struggled against me, but my superior strength aided me in twisting his arm behind his back, pushing it upwards. I forced him to his knees, back to me and facing the woman.


    With one hand keeping his arm in a lock and the other reaching behind me for Kato, I growled in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s a bit overdue, but I think explanations are in order.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I agree.¡± Kacee¡¯s voice cut in, causing all three of us to turn towards the source. Walking on purple disks that appeared in the air as she stepped, she made her way over to us with a severe frown, her gaze focusing intently on me. Her expression was masked, but I could see an unknown emotion swimming in her gaze. The sight of her caused my stomach to churn in anxiety; fear and hope warred within me, even as I wanted to slip out of the rope and keep running. Her gaze fell onto the man and me, a sigh escaping her as she closed her eyes in exasperation. ¡°Morgan, Yvette, when I told you to pursue, I didn¡¯t mean capture.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Ah.¡± The woman, Yvette, I¡¯m assuming, mused audibly, her cheeks gaining a hint of color. Her lips curled as she glanced away. ¡°My apologies, Captain.¡± She had a soft, yet lyrical voice, almost musical in how she spoke.


    Morgan, the man I restrained, grunted as he pulled against me. ¡°Got a bit excited. Been a while since my last job.¡± He had a deeper voice, reminding me of documentary narrators. He spoke through gritted teeth, though, with a rough tone. ¡°Damn, kid. You¡¯re ruthless.¡±


    Reluctant amusement filled me as I glanced down at him. ¡°I tend to be, given the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Joseph?¡± Kacee¡¯s whisper pulled my attention to her, seeing her expression contort. Her brows pushed together, lips parted, jaw clenched; her eyes studied me frantically. ¡°You are¡­Joseph Blaine, right?¡± She seemed to be holding herself back if the fist she clenched at her side meant anything.


    At this moment, I stood at a turning point. Kacee seemed desperate if my estimation was right, and could take my next words badly. I could lie, I should lie, especially considering the role I now embody. The logical course was to convince her that this was all a misunderstanding on both of our parts. She mistook me for her dead friend, and I ran because I saw something or someone in the guild that made me reconsider my life choices. That would be the most natural choice, allowing me to keep my fragile anonymity for a little longer, but bring more suspicion. Aspen would wonder what drove me to run; the other adventurers who saw it would also wonder, possibly making my life more difficult with taking jobs in larger teams. She¡¯d likely apologize and return to the guild to continue her brief meeting, before leaving to horizons unknown, and I probably wouldn¡¯t see her again for a long time.


    Or¡­


    I could tell the truth.


    As she studied, I allowed my anxiety to come to the surface, offering her a shaky smile. ¡°Captain, huh? You¡¯ve moved up in the world, Kacee. I¡¯m glad.¡± My voice shook as I finally allowed the hope I felt to grow, gently fostered by the sight of my friend.


    Kacee¡¯s eyes widened at my words, realization and relief warring with disbelief and grief. She clenched her jaw and began to walk forward in a daze.


    I released Morgan, and he quickly climbed to his feet, loosening his hold on the rope. Rolling my wrist, I felt the cord fall freely and rubbed feeling into it. I turned to face Kacee fully and waited for her reaction. Her approach slowed until she stopped with arm¡¯s reach. Her body froze as she met my gaze, eyes flickering back and forth as if searching for something. After a moment, her eyes closed, and her shoulders fell slack. Just as sudden, Kacee pulled me into a tight hug, head resting on my shoulder, arms wrapped firmly around my torso. ¡°You died, you idiot.¡±


    Surprised as I felt by the affection, I swiftly returned the hug, my arms wrapping around her body. ¡°Believe me; it wasn¡¯t the plan. I always hated those plot twists in my books.¡± I replied, not caring that my voice cracked as my eyes watered.


    Kacee snorted but didn¡¯t verbally reply. We held the embrace for a few more moments before she pulled away from me. As she did, I finally realized that stood a bit taller than me, almost unnoticeable unless you looked for it. Kacee didn¡¯t speak, her expression becoming masked, even as her eyes remained kind. After a few moments, her gaze turned deadpan. ¡°You ran.¡±


    I snorted at her sudden words, unable to stop the helpless laughter that bubbled from the bottom of my stomach at her delivery. Right at that moment, it was like we never went our separate ways. She allowed me to finish, her brow arching, and the corner of her mouth quirking upwards. Now breathless in the aftermath, I sucked in a breath to calm myself. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I gave her an equally deadpan gaze. ¡°I died. Hell of a conversation to have in the guild, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Kacee¡¯s smile grew, though she did not show teeth. She shook her head. ¡°You have a point.¡± Then her gaze sharpened into a glare. ¡°You still ran.¡± I shrugged at her, not bothering to reply again. She exhaled through her nose, then promptly turned towards Yvette and Morgan, who had turned around to face away from us, speaking with one another silent. ¡°Return to base. I¡¯ll follow.¡± She looked to me with a questioning gaze. ¡°Come with us? It¡¯ll be more private compared to a rooftop.¡±


    I paused to consider her invitation. I wanted to talk with her, to catch up after being separated for a year, from her perspective anyway. There was so much I wanted to ask that I could only get from speaking with my old friend.


    Nothing will stop my advance.


    ¡°Yeah. I will.¡± I answered decisively, glancing in the direction of the Luvian manor. ¡°Mind if I send a message to my companions? They¡¯re probably worried.¡±


    ¡°Feel free,¡± Kacee said, a glint of happiness entering her stoic expression at my answer.


    I subtly touched Kato¡¯s hilt, and she appeared at my side as if she had never left. The trio before me stiffened simultaneously at her, eyes focusing on the newcomer. ¡°Milord?¡± Kato paid none of them any mind, though her eyes did flicker towards Yvette and Morgan with flinty regard.


    ¡°Find Sora and the others and tell them where I¡¯m going.¡±


    Kato nodded once. ¡°She will wish to come to you.¡±


    I turned towards Kacee, who stared at Kato with an intense gaze. She caught my unspoken question, before replying. ¡°If you trust her, then I have no reason to keep her away.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said softly before facing Kato. ¡°Have her come to the Twin Flag company¡¯s headquarters. I¡¯ll be with Kacee in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°At your will.¡± Kato then vanished from sight.


    All three of them turned their incredulous stares towards me. I merely basked in them with a feeling of pride. I met Morgan¡¯s gaze and allowed a smirk to appear on my face; he blinked at my expression before he snorted and rolled his eyes with the world¡¯s smallest smile.


    ¡°I thought I had seen everything.¡± Kacee¡¯s deadpan almost brought on another fit of laughter, her flat gaze bringing forward more amusement than I thought possible. ¡°I am mistaken, though. You have a damn ninja at your beck and call. How?¡±


    I blinked at her question before a small laugh escaped me. I offered her a playful grin. ¡°Shall we go, then?¡± I pointedly did not answer her question.


    Kacee¡¯s response to my avoidance was the driest glare I had ever received in my life.


    It was glorious.


    <hr>


    We approached her headquarters a little later, Kacee and myself walking ahead with Morgan and Yvette following. We walked along the thoroughfare, moving at a leisurely pace. ¡°Bounty hunters, huh?¡± I mused as I glanced back at the pair. ¡°After having met them, I can only agree.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s another job.¡± Yvette mused with a shrug; her eyes lidded with evident exhaustion.


    ¡°It¡¯s all about leveraging available skills.¡± Morgan rumbled as he crossed his arms.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice the faint pride in their expressions, though it remained subtle.


    Kacee hummed, lips curled upwards. ¡°Twin Flags has been around for longer than a few years, but I joined a few weeks after having left Emelina¡¯s service.¡±


    I cocked my head to the side. ¡°I wonder. Why a mercenary over an adventurer?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°We¡¯re more organized,¡± Morgan said, his voice rumbling. At my gaze, he shrugged and said no more.


    Kacee snorted at the answer. ¡°He¡¯s not wrong, unfortunately. Parties between Adventurers are too informal for my tastes. Too easily broken apart¡­¡± Her lips curled downwards, gaze turning towards me. ¡°You¡¯ll tell me what happened that night?¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply at first, meeting her gaze. The events that transpired that night gave me the Mantle I now held. It cured me of my asthma just as it cursed me with a burden to fight for more than what I was. Nyrill started with a duel against Luke and ended with his dagger in my back. I¡¯d relived it once before, and I¡¯d instead put it out of my mind sooner, rather than later. ¡°I died that night.¡± My answer caused her eyes to widen.


    Kacee looked around as we reached the entrance of her headquarters. She then met my gaze, brows furrowed in concentration. ¡°We¡¯ll talk in my office.¡±


    I nodded in response to her question. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Sora, though. She¡¯ll be able to clear a few misunderstandings.¡±


    Kacee frowned at my answer. ¡°Do you trust her?¡±


    ¡°I have since I¡¯ve awoken and she hasn¡¯t led me wrong yet.¡±


    My friend¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but she did nod. Then let¡¯s hurry.¡± We approached the front of her building, opening a wooden door framed by a stone threshold. Kacee walked inside first, with me behind her and Yvette and Morgan stepping in after me. Boxes filled the foyer with people of various appearances milling about, stashing stuff into different open boxes. Upon her entrance, eyes shot over to Kacee. At that, she turned to Yvette and Morgan. ¡°Continue to clear out and organize your areas. We¡¯re getting everything one space to store them away until we head out.¡± The pair nodded and walked further into the building, taking a left down a hall before they split apart.


    Wood and stone comprised the inner walls of the building, stone pillars, and wooden walls and ceiling, offering that medieval aesthetic that I wouldn''t stop adoring.


    Before we could continue to our destination, a guy, who appeared a few years younger than Kacee and me, approached her and cleared his throat. He had close-cropped blonde hair and light green eyes as he looked to his leader. ¡°Captain, you, uh, have a guest. She arrived a few minutes before you and Alpha squad.¡±


    Kacee furrowed her brow, intensely studying him. ¡°I don¡¯t remember having any appointments today. Did she give you a name?¡±


    ¡°A Soralynn.¡± The boy answered, nervously. Now that he had dropped her name, I could see his pale pallor and the bob of his Adam¡¯s apple. ¡°She said that, um, you¡¯d want to meet with her when you arrived.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Kacee stopped herself before turning to face me with a frown. ¡°Is she this ¡®Sora¡¯ you mentioned earlier?¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± I said. I faced the boy and gave an apologetic smile. ¡°She didn¡¯t¡­do anything, did she?¡±


    If anything, his face lost more color as he frantically shook his head. ¡°No. No sir. Nothing.¡± He then turned and pointed behind him. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I have packing to do. I escorted her to the conference room. Good day.¡± With one last nod towards Kacee, he turned around and practically jogged to the cluttered front desk.


    Kacee¡¯s deadpan expression amused me. ¡°What did she do to scare him? And why do I blame you?¡±


    ¡°Sora does what she wants. I don¡¯t control her.¡± I answered with a stare of my own.


    She scoffed and rolled her eyes, lips curling upwards at the corners of her mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s just go.¡± With that, we walked through the lobby, and I watched as Kacee returned the various greetings from her subordinates. We entered a hallway, both walls filled with open doors, and I could see the different mercenaries in Kacee¡¯s employ. They looked happy with her, clearly content with how she led the company if my read of their actions meant anything. Boisterous and lively, several of the mercenaries appeared to be veterans of years of battle; there were also a few around our age. Each of them seemed to wield an assortment of armaments and armors, letting me know that this company could potentially fulfill any mission. Even the paraphernalia informed me of how prepared the Twin Flags company could be for any situation, from spare armors and weapons to the rare items that radiated enough magic to felt by my newly awakened senses.


    We walked further down the hall until we reached the only closed door, a dark redwood with a steel knob. Kacee reached for the knob but paused. Her gaze turned stern as she stared at the door, or rather, through it. ¡°Joseph.¡± Her low voice pulled my attention directly onto her. ¡°This Soralynn¡­ Do you trust her?¡±


    Do I trust Sora?


    Do I trust the woman who helped me out of my grave and helped me get away clean?


    Do I trust the woman who has done nothing but speak the truth? Although I¡¯m nowhere near na?ve enough to believe that she¡¯s told me everything.


    I don¡¯t think I know. But to an extent¡­


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t given me a reason not to.¡± I answered instead of a ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no.¡¯


    Kacee frowned as she turned her head to face me. Her eyes locked with mine, searching for something. ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    ¡°With my life.¡± I felt no need to hesitate with my answer. Even before the two months under Emelina¡¯s care, Kacee and I, along with the rest of our class, had known each other since we had first started school on that island a decade ago. Even if she expressed it differently, she felt that same discontent of being trapped on that island; of being separated from the people, we loved, never having the chance to see, or speak with, them again. She understood, more than anyone else on Verum could, the dissatisfaction that filled me even when under Emelina¡¯s care.


    Such was the gilded prison that island always seemed to be.


    At my answer, her eyes widened. She remained silent before she breathed out. Closing her eyes, she shook her head, a fond smile growing on her face. ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± With that, she opened the door and walked into the room.


    A long rectangular table sat in the center of the room. On the wall to our immediate left rested a blank whiteboard, with an empty tray attached to the bottom. Off to the right, attached to the wall, was an open closet, with several folded chairs with cushions on the seats. Across from Kacee and I, Sora stood at a closed window, staring out into the milling crowds of the busy streets in front of the building.


    Kacee shut the door and clicked something on the handle. She then promptly tapped a gem on the wall right to it. As soon as that happened, Sora turned and smiled widely upon seeing me. Then her eyes rolled over to Kacee, narrowing in recollection.


    Sora opened her mouth and nearly spoke, just as Kacee attempted the same. However, I interrupted them both with something I knew would spark a little chaos, making sure to keep my face straight as I said it.


    ¡°I¡¯m the next Demon Lord.¡±

 Ignis Aurum - 2

    Both Sora and Kacee stared in shock, for differing reasons, I assume.


    Kacee¡¯s jaw fell slack as she blinked once, twice, then a third time. Her eyes widened with disbelief, staring at me as if I had spoken Swahili, then her shoulders fell slack as she palmed her face, a heavy sigh escaping her.


    Sora¡¯s expression turned a hilarious combination of pale and flushed, eyes narrowing as she pursed her lips. Her brows furrowed as her nostrils flared, jaw setting and shifting from side to side. She pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled through her nose.


    As one, the two of them met gaze. I could see the reluctant comradery the two shared in their long-suffering expressions.


    I couldn¡¯t fight the amused grin that appeared on my face at their reactions. It had been so long since I had felt this relief, this burgeoning amusement that filled my chest.


    Kacee sighed once more through her nose before facing me again. ¡°As much as I hate to ask, can you please repeat that?¡± Her voice had a strained quality to it as if I had squeezed her vocal cords with my question.


    ¡°I¡¯m the next Demon Lord.¡± I ignored Sora¡¯s vocal displeasure, her audible groan reaching me as she leaned against the wall behind her.


    My old friend walked over to the table and pulled out a chair, dropping down onto it with a huff. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought you said.¡± She groaned as she shook her head. ¡°This could be disastrous; I hope you know.¡± I arched a brow at her. Kacee exhaled noisily, pushing a hand through her bangs. ¡°When I took over command of Twin Flags, I swore that I wouldn¡¯t repeat what my predecessor had done. I refuse to hide important information from my subordinates.¡±


    I hummed at her answer, pulling out a seat at the table to sit. I offered her a smile. ¡°Do you trust them?¡± I already had an idea of her answer.


    ¡°With my life.¡± She parroted my earlier response, a knowing smile on her face.


    ¡°Then tell them.¡± I gave a lazy wave of my hand.


    Kacee blinked after I answered, disbelief entering her gaze. She furrowed her brow as she studied me. ¡°I can¡¯t- What- How-¡± A frustrated breath escaped her as she palmed her face. After a moment of silence, she turned a distrustful glare towards Sora. ¡°I figured you would be trying to stop this.¡±


    Sora gave her a deadpan glare, even as I noticed a pulsing vein beneath her bangs. ¡°Joseph is my King. Though I may disagree with some of his choices, I must follow through.¡±


    ¡°A follower has to ensure their leader doesn¡¯t do stupid shit.¡± Kacee countered, her glare darkening. ¡°It¡¯s obvious you don¡¯t like it, so why allow your ¡®King¡¯ to make such a choice?¡±


    Sora¡¯s expression twisted, brows furrowing and nostrils flaring. Her lips curled downwards as black lines began to appear on her face. ¡°It would behoove you not to question what isn¡¯t your business. Have I told you how foolish it is to allow a Witch into the heart of your headquarters unsupervised? No, I have not.¡± Her bangs slowly shifted to an unnatural white, as black veins appeared in her narrowed eyes. ¡°Keep your unnecessary opinions to yourself, Hero.¡±


    Kacee¡¯s expression shifted, an angry veneer crossing her face. She rose to her feet and narrowed her eyes angrily. She set her jaw. ¡°A Witch, huh? I¡¯ve heard of your type. Harbingers of chaos and death; the stories always start by telling of a Witch that led the Demon Lord to his throne. You and yours have always started the beginning of the end.¡± Kacee contemptuously waved a hand at Sora. ¡°Is this your attempt to subvert my friend? Will I inevitably be forced to fight him for the sake of the World?¡±


    Sora¡¯s lips curled into a sneer, lifting her chin to peer down her nose. ¡°Is this all the famous Lady Fitzgerald is capable of? A slave to prophecy and inevitability?¡± She snorted and shook her head. ¡°Already resigning yourself to the whims of those who proclaim to speak for their God? How disappointing.¡± Sora simpered mockingly, waving her hand towards Kacee as if to brush her aside. ¡°You may as well as have stayed a prisoner of the Royal Family.¡±


    Kacee¡¯s expression fell into an enraged stoicism, eyes flaring with emotion. Her hand clenched into a fist, the muscles on her arms flexing and tensing as her shoulder hunched.


    Sora stared at her with a triumphant, but cruel smirk, a daring spark in her darkening eyes. She let her hands rest lazily at her side, hanging open and ready.


    An echoing crash reverberated within the room, catching both of their attention. Two pairs of eyes riveted towards me as I pulled my fist from the hole I punched through the table. ¡°When I asked Sora to meet us here, I didn¡¯t do it with the intent to start a fight,¡± I spoke evenly, my tone deceptively light, as I shifted my attention between them. ¡°I wanted to reconnect with an old friend. I wanted to hear what has changed from someone who would know the world as I did.¡± I stood and stared at the pair in front of me, an odd sort of emptiness settling in my chest in place of the anger I felt surfacing earlier. ¡°Yet, all I¡¯m experiencing is a disappointment.¡±


    I turned an empty glare towards a mystified Sora, whose wide eyes and faintly upward curling lips met my gaze. ¡°This is the -second time I¡¯ve seen you argue with someone who disagrees with you. I don¡¯t know if this is a habit, but I¡¯m already tired of smoothing over your mistakes. Check your attitude.¡± She flinched at my words, looking away with shame as the black receded from her pallor.


    When I looked towards Kacee, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the surprise and inquisitiveness behind her bewildered stare. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡± Kacee blinked at my statement before eyes narrowed. ¡°Sora¡¯s purposefully trying to get a rise out of you, and you just let it happen. Since when have you entertained the selfish whims of someone trying to provoke you? Has Verum changed you that much?¡± I shook my head, eyes closing as I sighed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to keep looking. Where¡¯s Rudy when you need him?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I get it.¡± Kacee groaned as she released a breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. She took a moment to gather herself, breathing in and out slowly. When her eyes opened, she stared at me in confusion. ¡°You¡¯ve changed.¡±


    Hearing her say that, more than Sora and Alba¡¯s observations of my sternness, made me pause. Neither of them knew me before coming here, so their statements didn¡¯t have the same weight, but with Kacee¡­ ¡°In what way?¡±


    She pursed her lips, eyes narrowing. ¡°I can¡¯t place it, specifically. You¡¯re still the same when it comes to your attitude and demeanor, but¡­there¡¯s a weight to you now.¡± Her eyes searched my expression. ¡°Your gaze is harder now, too.¡±


    I snorted at her answer. ¡°Getting backstabbed by the one you consider a brother does wonders for losing what naivete I had left.¡± My voice hardened by the end of my statement.


    Kacee grimaced, her eyes falling. ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡±


    That caused me to stiffen, staring at her intently. ¡°Did you know?¡±


    She nodded once. ¡°It¡¯s one reason why I left the capital.¡±


    ¡°One reason?¡±


    ¡°Of many.¡± Kacee did not elaborate, though I caught a sense of understanding. We looked away from each other at that, neither of us unwilling to further explain.


    ¡°You said something earlier, about Witches being a ¡®bringer of chaos.¡¯ What do you mean?¡± I asked her; changing the subject.


    Kacee frowned at the question, turning to face Sora. ¡°I can¡¯t answer the question adequately. What about you?¡±


    Sora huffed a smile, lips curling as she studied Kacee. ¡°Not going to assume that I¡¯ll be biased?¡±


    ¡°I know you will,¡± Kacee replied, her tone almost bored. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll lie.¡± Sora¡¯s smile fell, eyes narrowing. ¡°Joey isn¡¯t stupid. Neither of us is. With an explanation right from the source, Joey and I can come to our conclusions.¡±


    ¡°And learning of a Witch¡¯s duty can give you that?¡± Sora sneered at her.


    ¡°It can help,¡± I answered for her, getting a surprised look from my companion. ¡°I want to know more about my role, beyond seeking out my Generals and taking my throne.¡±


    Sora frowned at that, before turning to look out the window. After a few moments of silence, she huffed out of her nose. ¡°Fine. But please listen well and don¡¯t interrupt. I¡¯d rather not repeat myself more than necessary.¡± Closing her eyes, she seemed to father herself. ¡°The first thing you must know about a Witch¡¯s role is how a Witch is created.¡±


    Sora¡¯s gaze turned guarded as her lips curled upwards, an empty smile that promised nothing. ¡°What is the worst thing you can do to a person?¡± She paused, but not long enough for her to get an answer. ¡°Give them hope, foster it, encourage it. Make them believe that life will get better; that no matter how bad it is, good will always triumph.¡± She spat to the side, her lips curling downwards to show something ugly and wrong. ¡°There is no hope when it is all taken and crushed underfoot before you. To create a Witch, you must fill an innocent maiden with hope. Make her believe in the beauty of humanity and the kindness and mercy of the strong.¡± She spoke the words with scorn as if they were mockeries of the language. ¡°Then, when she has proclaimed her unyielding faith and belief, you crush it. You break her world-view most thoroughly and cruelly possible. You take away everything she¡¯s ever loved and hold it right in front of her, an arm¡¯s reach away.¡±


    Sora lifted a hand, and a green sphere appeared above it, pulsating as if in tandem with a heartbeat. It glowed an ethereal verdant aura, illuminating the conference room. Black splotches faded in and out, weaving left and right, up and down. The light illuminated her passive expression but brought attention to her glowing amber eyes. ¡°Hope. Some believe that hope is a manifestation of Holy energy. Power reminiscent of Angels from an Era long passed.¡± She clenched her hand, snuffing the ethereal energies. ¡°A Witch is born when that Hope is torn away, and Revulsion replaces it. An unending loathing for those who destroyed what the new Witch formerly loved.¡± Her eyes flickered, black veins spreading outwards before they dispersed. ¡°More often than not, it is the selfishness of humanity that sparks such a change. A change that makes it impossible for a Witch like myself to feel love once more.¡±


    She waved a hand to the side, the glow in her eyes dimming. ¡°With that in mind, is it any wonder why a Demon Lord gains a desire to destroy humanity? The one who guided them showed them a truth of the world: that humanity is a curse that is meant to be culled.¡± Her intense gaze honed in onto Kacee, narrowing as anger flared her amber glare. ¡°That is my belief. My experience with the people of Verum. It is my earnest belief that for humanity to be saved, it needs to be culled, the chaff cut free.¡±


    Kacee gulped, eyes wide as she stared at Soralynn. Her visage shook as her lips quivered, opening to reply before she closed them to clench her jaw. ¡°Is that¡­what you¡¯re trying to influence Joey to do?¡± Her voice shook, with fury, with fear.


    Even I felt similar, despite having spoken about my role before arriving at Xadria. Is that ¡®balance¡¯? To callously trade lives for the sake of cutting out the cruel? Who has that right? To decide who lives and dies at the flip of a coin? I don¡¯t want that right. I don¡¯t even want to think about it; to consider how cold I¡¯d have to become for such a choice to not break me. I want to be free, to live my life how I wish, but I¡¯d rather the cost not be the lives of countless others. Everyone has the right to be free, to live however they want, and I don¡¯t want to be responsible for stealing the freedom to live from others, just so I could see the next day, unshackled.


    It would make me no better than those who had ripped Maggie and me from our moth- our parents.


    What of Rorick and Faithe?


    When their names came to mind, a cold hand gripped my heart as a chilling mist settled in my chest. That¡¯s right. I had already caused the death of two people for my freedom. Am I already on that slippery slope? Have I already fallen into the path of the Tyrant? Have I begun the descent unto the monster that¡¯d callously discard countless lives for self-interest?Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    What would it cost next, to stay on my chosen course? Whose life, whose freedom, would I have to trade next time?


    ¡°No.¡± Sora¡¯s answer caused my thoughts to stutter to a halt, even as Kacee stiffened, disbelief coloring her expression. At my friend¡¯s reaction, Sora snorted and gave her a mocking smile. ¡°What? Am I not allowed to entertain unwanted thoughts? Or are you saying that I¡¯m a slave to my deepest whims? Because that¡¯s all they are, whims.¡± She gave a mocking laugh, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not so weak-willed to give into thoughtless desires.¡± Sora sneered as she leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯m not a human; so afraid of my meaningless whimsy, that I¡¯d blame it on the target of my hatred. I know, and accept, my prejudices.¡± She cocked her head to the side, giving Kacee a mockingly inquisitive look. ¡°Can you say the same?¡±


    Kacee met her gaze with determination, even as her pale expression betrayed her instinctual fear. ¡°Even saying that you underestimate the kindness of the common man. You allow your hypocrisy to color your words.¡± She shook her head. ¡°If you hate humanity so much, then why act to protect it, if indirectly?¡±


    Much to her evident surprise, Sora¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Penny saved me.¡± Her gaze then hardened as she stared at Kacee¡¯s slack-jawed mien, amber eyes glowing menacingly. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say. I must fulfill it, and I will complete it, even at the cost of my life.¡±


    Kacee blinked at the answer, brow furrowing as she studied Sora. She closed her mouth and set her jaw, eyes hardening as she continued to stare my companion. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡± Her stern tone caused Sora¡¯s brow to arch in amusement. ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡± Sora¡¯s lip quirked into a half-smile. ¡°I¡¯ve made a decision.¡±


    She then turned her head and completely disregarded Sora, facing me. ¡°I will accompany you and make sure you don¡¯t lose yourself, Joey.¡± Kacee¡¯s expression softened, and she offered me a smile. ¡°You¡¯re my friend. The last thing I want is for you to become what you hate.¡±


    My felt throat felt thick at her heartfelt statement. I gulped as I blinked away the tears that threatened to come forward. ¡°What about Twin Flags?¡±


    Kacee¡¯s smile widened into a grin. ¡°You know what¡¯s most likely to turn a man into a monster? A lack of options. We shall accompany you, Joey.¡± Her grin turned proud as she crossed her arms. ¡°There¡¯s very little you can¡¯t accomplish with the varied talents that the Twin Flags company can bring to bear.¡±


    For the first time in a while, I felt a smidgeon of hope spark within my chest. She¡¯s-


    Sora snorted, bringing our attention to her. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Joey¡¯s the next Demon Lord. Do you honestly think that as superstitious and ignorant as the average person is, that they¡¯ll be willing to help?¡± She glared at Kacee, anger coloring her tone. In a way, I can understand where Sora¡¯s coming from. Her cynicism rang true, considering what we¡¯ve encountered with Rorick and Faithe and their refusal to accept my words.


    ¡°My people are far from average,¡± Kacee stated with the confidence to move crowds.


    Sora narrowed her eyes at her, lips curling in distaste. ¡°We shall see.¡± With that, she stepped away from the window and walked over to the door.


    I stood and walked with Sora, but turned back to Kacee. ¡°See you later?¡±


    Kacee grinned widely, a confident glint in her expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When we see each other again, I¡¯ll have the whole company at our back.¡±


    Our back. I couldn¡¯t help the excited grin that grew on my face at Kacee¡¯s words.


    <hr>


    Sora and I approached the guild to finish my registration finally. The sea of people striding alongside us framed our trek, even as they moved around us. The ambient sound of chatter from pedestrians and the clopping of horses dominated the atmosphere. We walked in relative silence, though Sora seemed to be fuming, if her scowl, clenched fists and pulsating vein in the forehead, meant anything. ¡°Sora?¡±


    ¡°Am I irrelevant?¡± She asked me out of the blue, stopping as she turned to face me, desperation warring with anger. The foot traffic around stuttered for a moment at our sudden stop, but after a few ignored dirty looks, people continued to walk around us.


    I blinked at her question before I gave her my answer. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you accept the help of all others around us, even after everything I¡¯ve offered? Am I not enough?¡± Sora¡¯s expression crumbled, frustration, and anger filling her gaze.


    ¡°Because I refuse to let you shoulder everything on your own.¡± I shook my head at her bewildered stare. ¡°The role I¡¯ve been given that I now carry is one that I can¡¯t do on my own. I understand that; I accept that. I can¡¯t reach my destination alone, but that¡¯s why you¡¯re here.¡± I lifted a hand, hesitated, then placed it on her arm. ¡°I need you, Sora. I didn¡¯t know that when we first met, but I know that now. I never could¡¯ve made it this far without you.¡±


    Sora shook her head. ¡°You underestimate yourself. For all your ignorance, you¡¯ve learned quickly and adapted well.¡± A reluctant smile appeared on her face. ¡°Give it a week or two, and it¡¯ll be like you¡¯ve been a part of this your entire life. My presence won¡¯t be necessary for much longer.¡±


    ¡°Will you shut your damn mouth?¡± My frustrated retort caused Sora to stiffen, her eyes widening and mouth falling open as she stared at me. I accepted her statements of me learning quickly; the stories and games I¡¯ve played had helped, but they were nothing compared to the legitimate experiences I¡¯ve had. But as she spoke, I couldn¡¯t help but feel an uncomfortable twinge in my chest at her self-recrimination. It sparked a fury that I refused to ignore. ¡°Stop. Just stop. You¡¯ve been nothing but a great companion and friend.¡± I leaned forward so that our faces were only inches apart. ¡°You¡¯ve shown me a new life, one that I¡¯ve wanted for as long as I could remember. You¡¯ve¡­¡± I paused, a genuine smile appearing on my face. ¡°¡­helped fulfill a dream I¡¯ve had since childhood.¡±


    I pulled her against me, wrapping my arms around her. She felt soft but warm as I heard her suck in a sudden breath. She stiffened at the contact, shifting ever so slightly at the touch, but made no move to pull away. ¡°Never second guess your worth again. I won¡¯t stand for it.¡± Sora didn¡¯t respond to my words, so I just listened to her breathing. We stayed like that for a few tense seconds before I felt her arms return the gesture, wrapping around me as her hands grabbed at my jacket.


    We held the embrace for a few moments, before pulling apart and facing one another. Sora¡¯s intense expression studied me, a faint confusion filling her gaze. She said nothing as she studied me, her cheeks colored ever so lightly with red. Amber eyes gave off a dim glow, searching my blues. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her words came out a breathy whisper before she turned away swiftly. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± Curt words pulled me from my stationary posture. We resumed our trek to the Guildhall in silence, though I noticed that Sora walked closer to my side, her hand occasionally brushing against mine. She never did react to that, always facing forward with her stoic mien.


    Of course, the moment we returned the guild, after adjourning to a private meeting room, I had to deal with Aspen¡¯s suspicious questions over why I ran from Kacee. ¡°Because of persistent recruiting?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied confidently, nodding to her apparent disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ve had so many offers for joining groups that I¡¯ve taken to running from the more¡­exuberant recruitment attempts.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see,¡± Aspen stated dubiously; her brow arched as she studied me. After a moment, she exhaled with a twitch on the corner of her mouth. ¡°Well, I am glad to see that you¡¯ve come today.¡± The clerk smiled at with professional pride. ¡°The guild has heard nothing but good things about you over the week. A great attitude; a willingness to offer help; skillfully frugal.¡± She clasped her hands in front of her atop the desk. ¡°We¡¯re glad to accept you within our ranks, Lyall.¡±


    Warmth rose in my chest at her words, a subtle sort of pride. I didn¡¯t do anything I felt special, just taking it easy over the week, barring the start of it.


    Her expression fell as if she had read my mind. ¡°Though, it is a shame what happened with Miss Faithe and her party. I can¡¯t imagine the horrible events that occurred within the dungeon.¡± Aspen offered me a look of sympathy.


    I turned my head to the side, the warmth from earlier falling away. ¡°It¡¯s not something I ever want to happen again. I¡¯d rather not go through such a thing again.¡±


    Aspen didn¡¯t immediately reply, studying with a look generally reserved for those who had just left a funeral. I didn¡¯t how to react to her sympathy, but it didn¡¯t annoy me like I¡¯d assume it would. Still, I¡¯d instead not focus on it, so I decided to continue with our meeting. ¡°So, what¡¯s next? Is there a ceremony or something?¡±


    My liaison¡¯s smile widened, a hint of pride growing in her gaze as she let out a small laugh. ¡°No. No ceremony, I¡¯m afraid. Otherwise, we¡¯d never be able to stop.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Normally, we finish registration by giving you your ID card and sign on or two more forms to finalize it¡­¡±


    I furrowed my brow, unsure of how to react to her wording. ¡°Normally? Is my situation different?¡±


    Confusion settled on Aspen¡¯s expression. ¡°Not significantly, but it did bring the attention of a few people. You will obtain your ID, I assure, but you have one more meeting.¡±


    ¡°With whom?¡±


    At that, a complicated countenance overtook Aspen¡¯s face, a cross between frustrated and amused, if the twist of her lips and furrow of her brow indicated anything. ¡°She wanted me to keep it surprise, though I should¡¯ve expected that, considering her personality.¡± Aspen shook her head. ¡°Still, once I let her know we¡¯ve reached that point, you won¡¯t have long to wait.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± I¡¯d rather not fight my way out of here. It would make things very¡­complicated.


    ¡°Not long. Just a few minutes. She wishes to ¡®clear the air,¡¯ whatever that may mean.¡± With that, Aspen stood and offered me an apologetic bow before she walked over to the door and stepped out.


    I sat back in my seat and waited, entwining my fingers as I looked around the room. However, that proved to be unnecessary, since I heard the door open before seeing it. An older woman walked into the room. She wore something resembling a pantsuit, but lined with leather and cloth; she tanned skin and immaculately trimmed salt and pepper colored hair that fell a few inches past her shoulders, with wavy bangs that flowed over her eyes. Leaf green eyes framed by faint crow¡¯s feet and bags beneath them studied me as she walked over to the chair across from me. She lifted a hand and pushed some of her hair behind a subtly pointed ear as she pulled out the chair and sat back, placing a folder on the table. ¡°I am Saelseris, Guild master.¡± Her gaze narrowed at me. ¡°May we dispense with formalities and deceptions?¡± Her voice was like steel hidden in silk, soft yet stern, as she studied me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean?¡± Panic fluttered in the pit of my stomach, but I forced myself to remain calm. It wouldn¡¯t be beneficial to start a fight here.


    Saelseris placed her hands in front of her, resting over the other. The corner of her mouth twitched, but she held her expression still. ¡°One thing we at the guild do not advertise is our ability to ferret out dishonesty in our paperwork.¡± She waved a hand to the side as if brushing aside debris. ¡°It is a secret that only my direct superior is privy to; something about enchanted ink and paper.¡± She licked her lips and focused on me intently, eyes pinioning me in place. ¡°It¡¯s able to highlight not only direct lies but also those by omission. Like falsified recommendations, histories, and names.¡± I managed to keep from flinching, but the narrowing of her eyes only told me that I still had a tell for her to see.


    ¡°Aspen, the dutiful clerk that she is managed to contact Relona and proved that her recommendation was true.¡± Saelseris shook her head, eyes closed with an exasperated resignation. ¡°Honestly, once we cleared that, there was no need to continue further searching your history.¡± She tapped the table with a finger. ¡°People from all walks of life, from the proletariat to the nobility, choose to join the guild under a new guise; whether it is an escape from the monotony of their lives or to become someone entirely new. So long as they finish their jobs and civil war doesn¡¯t break out, it is of no concern to me.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± I spoke into the silence that steeled between us. ¡°Why are we here?¡±


    She opened the file and sifted through the papers she had brought with her. ¡°While we don¡¯t care about people hiding parts of their, the one thing we require above all is the correct manner to address our adventurers.¡± Saelseris pulled out a sheet, and upon closer examination, I saw that it happened to be my paper. ¡°The name you gave is incorrect. To officially join the guild, we need your real given name.¡± Her eyes noticed the stiffening of my shoulders, and she allowed herself a small smile. ¡°The guild is granted certain freedoms from the ruling classes from all nations our branches reside, barring the shelter of national criminals. Should you give me your real name, the guild will never disclose such information.¡±


    I paused, opening my mouth to reply, then I closed it. I pursed my lips and met Saelseris'' eyes. We locked eyes for a few moments before I finally replied. ¡°What are your thoughts on dead men?¡±


    For the first time in that meeting Saelseris affected a look of surprise, brows rising and eyes widening minutely. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not an undead; otherwise we¡¯d have every priest in Xadria beating down our doors.¡±


    I allowed a tight, closed-mouth smile to grow. ¡°Small mercies, I suppose.¡± I paused and extended a hand.


    ¡°Speak your name, and the forms will change to compensate.¡±


    ¡°Joseph Blaine.¡±


    Her eyes widened as an ambient light flared on the paper, before dimming and dying out. The guild master looked to the article, then to me, before she let out a breath as a smile spread across her face. ¡°I suppose the stories of Heroes being hard to kill aren¡¯t wrong; it appears that the tales of your death are greatly exaggerated.¡±


    I snorted at her words; faint nausea that had filled me slowly slipped away. ¡°Well, yes and no. The horde didn¡¯t kill me. Someone else did.¡± The arm of my chair whined in protest, and my knuckle cracked.


    Saelseris turned her head to face the source of the sound. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that destruction of guild property will add a demerit to your record and you¡¯ll have to pay for it.¡± She said nothing more about the subject as she reorganized the papers in front of her, sliding them into her folder.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± I answered her statement as I forced my hand to open; the tenseness in my shoulder slowly bled out as I exhaled through my nose. ¡°How many people will know?¡±


    ¡°Aside from myself, only Aspen, your liaison.¡± She said without looking away from the papers. ¡°She understands the need for discretion in guild matters.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Saelseris responded with a simple nod. After a few moments of silence, she reached into her jacket and pulled a rectangular card. She held it out to me. ¡°This will act as your ID for guild-related matters.¡±


    I took it from her and felt how coarse the back of the card was, but how smooth the front was ¡ª the image of a bared sword and a single bronze star. Strange symbols on the top left of the card shifted before my eyes, revealing my name in written form. ¡°Not very helpful when I want to remain anonymous for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°You do not need to worry. It¡¯s only required to show my contemporaries on request.¡± Saelseris helpfully supplied. ¡°Guild officials will recognize the magic its presence exudes.¡± She gave the folder in front of her one last pat before she said one last thing. ¡°I¡¯m curious. What are your feelings on the upcoming festivities?¡±


    I turned my attention from my card to her, seeing the amused quirk of her lips. Allowing myself to relax, I let my shoulders fall and my head to lean forward. ¡°So fucking weird.¡±

 Interlude III - A Chat Among Friends

    ¡°I am glad to see that all of you have managed to arrive on time.¡± Kacee Fitzgerald turned a flinty glower towards her left flank, staring at a young man with hair the color of burnt flames and a jagged scar on his left ear. ¡°All of you.¡±


    He grimaced and placed a hand on his chest, over the sleeveless jerkin he wore. ¡°That hurts, Captain. It does. I shouldn¡¯t have to defend myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d fail. Every time.¡± Yvette said with a dry tone, her eyes rolling in his direction stoically. ¡°It¡¯s a fact of life. The sky is blue. The grass is green. Leander is a lazy bum.¡± She shrugged as she heard the scattered chuckles from the others in the meeting hall.


    Leander¡¯s expression turned cross as if he seemed unsure of whether to glare or brush it off. He quickly made up his mind, scoffing and rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Enough. We¡¯ve had our fun.¡± Kacee smacked the surface of the table, an echoing clap resounding in the room. She and six others sat around the very same table that she had sat with Joseph earlier that day. Her eyes flickered from person to person, meeting their gazes as she¡¯s always done ever since taking over Twin Flags. ¡°How is our current operation proceeding? On schedule?¡±


    Her fell onto Yvette, who inclined her chin slightly. ¡°My division has gathered all of the equipment in disrepair and are deciding which can be salvaged or scrapped. It is going well.¡± Her brusque tone clinically explained her duties.


    At her side, Morgan grunted, leaning his head on a hand. ¡°We¡¯ve scouted all available jobs from at least three towns out from Xadria.¡± He shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s a drought up north; elves and Beastkin from Melia have managed to snatch up a majority of long-term contracts, with almost all positive appraisals from employers. They won¡¯t need mercenaries for a long while.¡± He then waved a hand. ¡°You already know how things are close to Veracity and Nyrill; from Xadria, the most profitable opportunities are further south and east.¡±


    Nex to him, a deceptively youthful-looking man with pointed ears and a narrow face hummed. ¡°As Morgan stated, jobs closest to Veracity and near the border of Melia are either assigned to the Knights or taken by rival companies.¡± He reached into a bag he kept next to his seat and pulled out a rolled map, spreading it out on the table. Motioning to drawn routes along the southern portions, he continued, ¡°What my comrade did not mention, though, was that Kohinoor has an abundance of jobs available for us to take, no doubt in response to Veritas¡¯ decision.¡±


    Morgan grunted, the corner of her lip curling. ¡°What Fall isn¡¯t saying is that every mercenary worth their name, both person and group, is making their way to Kohinoor as we speak.¡± He waved his hand to the side, a grimace on his face. ¡°By the time we get there, we¡¯ll be shit out of luck for employment.¡±


    Fallinor hummed in assent, his thin lips curling downwards. ¡°I¡¯d prefer optimism, but that doesn¡¯t pay well.¡± That amused the fellows around the table, along with an eye-roll from Kacee. ¡°Also, even if we decided to accelerate our departure, we¡¯re a few hours behind other companies; even with them risking the treachery of traversing Kohinoor¡¯s mountain ranges, the potential payouts for the contracts would be more than worth it.¡±


    Kacee hummed in discontent, nodding to the pair. ¡°I see. Regretful, but it¡¯s one less we¡¯re ignorant about. Anything else?¡± She turned her attention towards Leander.


    The man blinked when Kacee focused on him, but leaned forward and looked over the map. A serious expression came over his face as he motioned towards the red line drawn from Xadria to Kohinoor. ¡°Kohinoor is not a good location for our company¡¯s future.¡± At everyone¡¯s searching stare, he exhaled through his nose. ¡°Competition is becoming fiercer amongst mercenary companies with Veritas due to the Royal Decree. Even before that, our exceptional reputation already made us a target by our rivals. Now?¡± He grimaced and shook his head, leaning back. ¡°Our rivals would be everything in their power to sabotage us, no matter where we decided to go.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± Kacee glared at the map.


    ¡°Lee¡¯s right.¡± A soft voice cut in, bring her attention to the young woman who spoke. She appeared to be on the younger end, closer to her early teens, but she held herself confidently. The teen had dark grey hair, cut short to her shoulders, with a pair of furred ears atop her head, the left one hanging downwards. A scar marred the pale skin of her skin on the side of her neck and along her cheek. Purple eyes stared at the map as the teen frowned. ¡°He, Ash, and I met at the guildhall to see how other companies fared and¡­¡±


    ¡°It felt more like a viper pit than a tavern.¡± The young man next to her resembled her, with the dark grey hair and the ears; his left ear, though, appeared to be slashed, half of it missing and scarred over. He sat a few inches taller than the teen next to him. He stared at the map, his gloved right hand resting on the corner of it as he leaned over it. ¡°Briar may be the empath, but if I could tell¡­¡±


    Kacee closed her eyes as she exhaled. ¡°I noticed a tense atmosphere during my visits, but I suppose my observations fall short compared to the three of you.¡±


    Ash snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad, Cap. Bri and I don¡¯t get too many offers anymore since that decree.¡±


    ¡°And the few who do try to sneak by us,¡± Briar mumbled as she stared at the map.


    ¡°We¡¯re at an impasse.¡± Kacee declared, lips curling as she leaned back in her seat. ¡°If we stay, we¡¯ll no longer be able to continue taking jobs. If we leave, rival companies will sabotage us.¡±


    ¡°Compared to Kohinoor and Veritas, Melia is no better, considering their troubleshooters.¡± Morgan rumbled, crossing his arms. ¡°And Holien outrights refuses companies not already affiliated with their government.¡±


    ¡°The best we can realistically do is become more mobile, but that¡¯s not without its troubles.¡± Fallinor demurred as he stared at the map.


    Cracking knuckles pulled everyone¡¯s attention to Ash, who had clenched his gloved hand. ¡°I refuse to be anything like them.¡± He gritted his teeth.


    Kacee pursed her lips, but before she could speak, Briar placed a hand over his fist and spoke soothingly. ¡°Have faith in the Captain, Ash. With her leading us, it won¡¯t come to that.¡± She turned her gaze to me. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°As long as I lead us, we will not devolve into a roving band of cutthroats.¡± Kacee declared sternly, seeing a round of resolute nods from her lieutenants. After a moment, she exhaled through her nose. ¡°This is a problem we¡¯ll have to revisit in our next meeting in two weeks after we¡¯ve had more time to come up with solutions.¡± That garnered another round of consents, to which Kacee continued. ¡°I have one more subject I need to bring up for our meeting.¡± She turned her attention solely onto Briar. ¡°Earlier today, we had two guests. What is your read on them?¡± Briar paused, not immediately replying, as if she debated with herself. ¡°Start with the woman.¡±


    Briar nodded. ¡°Wrath. It simmered beneath the surface as if waiting to be unleashed.¡± She grimaced and shook her head. ¡°It never abated, never dimmed.¡± A shiver escaped her as she furrowed her brow and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever get used to it.¡±


    Ash frowned at the answer, giving her a concerned look. ¡°Are you alright? You¡¯ve never felt such intense emotion before.¡±


    Kacee watched as the girl shrugged, her expression pale. ¡°The fact it surprised me made it worse. It won¡¯t bother me if I can expect her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Briar,¡± Kacee whispered to the girl, getting a shake of the head. ¡°What of her companion? How did he feel?¡±


    Briar paused, eyes narrowing in remembrance. ¡°Reading him¡­was difficult.¡± She frowned, crossing her arms. ¡°He felt nervous on the surface; not his primary emotion, but still prevalent.¡± The teen furrowed her brow, placing a hand on her chin. ¡°Concrete emotions eluded me, though that could¡¯ve been because the woman eclipsed him¡­¡±


    Yvette arched a brow and studied Briar, then turned her head to face Kacee. ¡°Are you referring to the one you brought here? It seemed like you knew him.¡±


    Morgan let out an audible hum. ¡°You mean the kid that managed to brush me off? I figured you were trying to recruit him.¡±


    Kacee paused, feeling Leander and Fallinor studying her and waiting for an answer. Before she could reply, Briar sucked in a breath. ¡°There was one moment, though.¡± That caused everyone to turn back towards her, curiosity at her musing tone. ¡°One moment where the woman¡¯s anger vanished. Not by anger. But¡­it¡¯s closer to that particular emotion than any other.¡± Her gaze rolled over to the table before landing on a specific spot. ¡°What is this table made of?¡±


    Leander followed her gaze, and he lost some color in his complexion. ¡°Far tougher than anything on the market, that¡¯s for sure. There¡¯s no one in our company with the raw strength to just¡­¡±


    ¡°Put their fist through the table?¡± Kacee said, her tone dry and amused.


    Fallinor pursed his lips as he studied her. ¡°You know who he is. The man you brought here and the one who¡­did that.¡± He motioned to the hole.


    Kacee nodded. ¡°I do. He¡¯s someone I¡¯ve known since before I joined Twin Flags.¡±


    ¡°One of the other Twelve Heroes, then?¡± Fallinor asked of her, leaning forward in his seat. He pursed his lips as he narrowed his eyes in recollection. ¡°Hm. From what I remember, seeing the man in passing, he didn¡¯t resemble any of the tales I¡¯ve heard of them.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Leander grunted. ¡°I still want to disbelieve that a group of peasants summoned from another world are worthy of the Royal Family¡¯s attention.¡± He inclined his head towards Kacee. ¡°No offense to you, Captain. I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯re capable of and it doesn¡¯t leave me wanting.¡±


    As the summoned heroine met his statement with a smile, Morgan chuckled as he shook his head towards Leander. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Lee. It is a fact on Verum; those summoned here are superior.¡± He lifted a hand and waved to the side. ¡°The kid managed to outmaneuver me in my specialty; I don¡¯t have any problems believing that he¡¯s one of the Heroes.¡±


    Yvette frowned as she looked towards him. ¡°I lost sight of you both as he sprinted on the rooftops. How did he counter you?¡±


    ¡°He took and kept, the momentum of the fight.¡± Morgan snorted and grinned as he shook his head. ¡°I thought I had him, and he controlled the entire flow of the fight.¡± Then he paused, grin falling as a frown grew on his face. ¡°Captain. Which Hero was he? The only one among the Twelve Heroes with that unarmed skill is a woman.¡±


    Kacee allowed a playful grin to appear on her face, curling the bottom end of her scar outwards. ¡°He¡¯s not among the Twelve, but the Thirteen.¡± That caused a deafening silence to settle in the meeting room. The six of them stared at her, even as Briar slowly rolled hers towards the hole in the table.


    ¡°I know that tales talk of the Hero King being summoned from another world and committing deeds once thought impossible, but defeating death?¡± Fallinor spoke as he studied the casually smirking Kacee, though he did catch the faint twitch in her brow. ¡°No offense, Captain, but I do not believe that you and your fellow Heroes are at that level just yet.¡±


    ¡°None taken.¡± Kacee tried not to remember the striking pain in her scar but brushed it off as she shook her head. ¡°No, but circumstances may fall in our favor.¡±


    ¡°The Fallen Hero is alive?¡± Briar whispered breathlessly, eyes staring intensely at Kacee.


    Ash jerked to the side, staring at her with wide eyes. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The stories say he gave his life to defend the King¡¯s childhood home.¡±


    Kacee¡¯s smile became brittle, eyes glinting with an ugly flash of anger before she snuffed it. She noticed Briar flinch and offered her an apologetic smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know how Joey survived, although he should be dead considering the wounds, but he did.¡±


    ¡°The kid¡­¡± Morgan started haltingly, leaning forwards in his seat. ¡°You¡¯re saying I tried to capture the Fallen Hero?¡± He paused and snorted, ¡°Well, I guess fallen isn¡¯t right anymore.¡±


    Yvette gave him a playfully, deadpan stare. ¡°Morgan, you should be wary. Children all across Veritas will hate you for what you did.¡± Her lips curled into a small smile, showing that it wasn¡¯t serious.


    Morgan just snorted, crossing his arms. ¡°Kid¡¯s pretty good for having been dead.¡±


    ¡°Where is he now?¡± Briar asked breathlessly. ¡°Still in Xadria, or has he left by now?¡± Ash continued to stare at the hole in the table as if he had stopped breathing.


    Kacee furrowed her brow as she studied Briar. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s still here. But¡­Briar, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with th-that-that woman!¡± Briar stuttered as she pointed to the window. ¡°That anger, that fury; someone with that much hate should not be near someone like the Falle- like Joseph Blaine!¡±


    The girl¡¯s Captain studied her with a look of concern before she sighed. ¡°Joey is not someone who likes to be told how to live, Briar. Remember that, if you do meet.¡± Then she shook her head.


    ¡°Captain?¡± Ash studied her, having finally stopped staring at the hole in the table. ¡°Are you trying to tell us something?¡± He had a shaky expression, his pallor whitening. ¡°It has to be something big because you¡¯ve been letting us go on for longer than normal.¡±


    Kacee didn¡¯t reply immediately, allowing a small smile to grow as she met Ash¡¯s gaze. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. I¡¯m happy my friend is back; happy that he¡¯s not dead and walking among us. But¡­¡± She pursed her lips. She turned her gaze to each of her Lieutenants. It had been seven months since she had taken the reins of the leader of Twin Flags from her predecessor. It would take too much time to recall everything she thought wrong with what she¡¯d seen, so¡­


    ¡°Joseph Blaine, a very close friend of mine, is to become the next Demon Lord. I wish for us to travel with him as he and his party as he gathers his Generals.¡±


    A dead silence settled in the room as all six of her Lieutenants stared at her in disbelief. Despite the severity of the situation, Kacee could not help the amused smile that appeared on her face.


    Morgan blinked once, then twice, opening his mouth to reply, before sucking in a breath and closing it. He furrowed his brow and palmed his face with a groan. Massaging his temples, he grumbled. ¡°I tried to restrain¡­the Demon Lord?¡± He lowered his hand and gave her a narrow-eyed look.


    Yvette hummed, her hand resting on her chin. Her half-lidded stare focused on the ceiling as she pursed her lips. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly what the Captain said, Morgan. She said ¡®to become,¡¯ so Sir Blaine is still the same Hero he was summoned to be.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re arguing semantics, Yvette.¡± Leander refuted her; his expression pinched, and cheeks have lost their color. ¡°His name is in the same sentence with Demon Lord without the word ¡®fighting¡¯ between them.¡± He sputtered, shaking his head quickly. ¡°That alone makes this¡­terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Has he burnt down villages, yet?¡± Yvette asked him, her eyes crinkled at the edges and the corners of her lips curling upwards. ¡°Were orphanages sacrificed in his name? No? Then we have no reason to worry. Sir Blaine is likely still the same boy that Captain knew before the events of Nyrill.¡±


    ¡°This is no time for your irreverent jokes, Yvette!¡± Leander snarled at her, clenching his hand at his side. ¡°A summoned Hero, one of the more skilled ones at that, is the next Demon Lord.¡±


    ¡°I suppose, in your eyes, it¡¯s time to panic and scream like an insensate, terrified child wailing for their mother¡¯s teat, then, Leander?¡± Fallinor drawled as he clenched and unclenched his fist, causing the knuckles to pop audibly. He worked his jaw and rolled his shoulders. Leander¡¯s glare rolled over him as he rolled his eyes. ¡°No. Captain clearly stated ¡®to become,¡¯ you deaf fool.¡±


    Briar nodded jerkily, her ears twitching as she adjusted her posture. ¡°Yes. Fallinor has a point, ignoring the insult.¡± That got a stiff snort from her brother, who had clenched his hands together, claws jutting from his nails. ¡°It is not a single choice that turns a man into a monster, but a collection of choices and actions.¡± Her words caused everyone to focus on her specifically, causing her shoulders to buckle from the weight of their gazes.


    Ash cleared his throat, pulling the attention to him. He forced himself to relax as he saw Briar relaxing. ¡°Yeah. It doesn''t convince me that Sir Blaine has become the¡­that.¡± He shook his head as if brushing off the uncertainty and fear. After he had gathered himself, Ash turned towards Kacee. ¡°What¡­what type of person is he?¡±


    Kacee huffed out a laugh, lips curling upwards. ¡°Joseph Blaine is someone who immerses himself in the things he loves, even at his own risk.¡± She took a moment to consider explaining video games so that she could describe his exhaustion in class, but decided against it. She had no time for needless exposition. ¡°Stories. More than anything, on the island we resided, he lost himself to stories to escape.¡± Kacee shook her head, her smile twisting in distaste. ¡°Ironic, considering they focused on worlds like Verum.¡±


    ¡°A dreamer, then? An idealist?¡± Fallinor prodded, plucking at potential interpretations.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Kacee mused, having not been as close to him like¡­a certain someone. ¡°But it never got in the way of his studies.¡± She paused, searching her memories for something more¡­concrete than just pointing out her friend¡¯s hobbies. Then her eyes widened, before softening. ¡°But more than anything, there was one thing, one person, he held above all else.¡± Kacee turned her gaze towards Ash and Briar. ¡°My friend has a younger sister.¡±


    ¡°A younger sister?¡± Ash mused as he turned towards his sister. ¡°Were they close?¡±


    Kacee snorted as if he had asked a stupid question. ¡°Of all people, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d understand best, Ash. Like you and Briar, Joseph and Margaret are all they have left of their family.¡± She paused, and a smile slowly spread across her lips. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s why I decided to leave you and Briar in charge of recruitment, beyond your Affinities. The two of you¡­¡± Kacee paused, a laugh escaping her. ¡°You remind of him. Him and Maggie. Your interactions.¡±


    ¡°She was left behind,¡± Briar answered her observation with that statement. Kacee didn¡¯t reply. ¡°With your class¡¯s summoning, Veritas ripped Sir Blaine from the very bond that would anchor him.¡±


    Ash¡¯s expression twisted as if he had tasted something sour. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, his hand grasping his arms as his claws began to jut outwards.


    ¡°In a way, yes. You¡¯re exactly right.¡± Kacee decided to not yet touch upon the events of her friend¡¯s ¡®death.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯d make you an enemy of anyone.¡± Morgan mused, grimacing as he tapped the table. ¡°What has he been up to since coming back to life?¡±


    Kacee grimaced. ¡°He didn¡¯t say, but the woman, Soralynn, has been acting as his guide.¡±


    Once again, a deafening silence settled in the atmosphere. A strangled gasp escaped Leander as he let out a hysterical laugh, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s even better. We have a potential Demon Lord with a reason to hate Veritas being led by a woman who practically foams at the mouth with rage. You tell the best stories, Captain!¡±


    ¡°Leander, please keep your insanity to yourself. Else you¡¯ll infect the rest of us.¡± Fallinor retorted to him, ignoring the man¡¯s venomous glare. Despite that, the half-elf turned stiffly and cleared his throat, digging his fingers into the back of his neck. ¡°Beyond the obvious warning, Captain, why exactly are you telling this? Sir Blaine has expressed no desire to join our company.¡± That caused Leander cough suddenly, hitting himself on the chest.


    Morgan grunted, grimacing as he turned his head towards Kacee. ¡°The kid applied to be an Adventurer, didn¡¯t he? It¡¯d give him more freedom to act and explore than being a mercenary, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Kacee felt her breath catch upon hearing Morgan¡¯s words. Something about the content brought forward a memory she had honestly forgotten.


    The moment when she and her class first entered the Keep in Veracity. In the dining hall. Learning about Affinities. Witnessing the first exact moment of discord in 12-B. Joseph taking and drinking the potion that awakened his Affinity.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be caged no longer.¡¯


    The zeal, the desperation, with which he said those words before drinking from the vial stuck with her. She remembered, with those words, how she too felt trapped on that island ¡ª forced to say goodbye to her father over a decade ago, only to then be raised by her aunt. She remembered looking forward to the calls from her father every week before they slowly receded to a monthly occurrence. She remembered the sinking feeling in her chest when he missed one call, then another, then another.


    It continued and continued until her disappointment faded into ambivalence. She had long since forgotten the sound of her father¡¯s voice; that, more than even the lack of contact, struck her the hardest.


    In a way, with that realization, she could understand, and share, the anger her friend held. Kacee realized that fierce filial piety Joseph held towards the relationship he shared with his sister. The last family he had; she tried not to consider it, but she did feel some jealousy. Her relationship with her aunt did not deserve mention, only being reminiscent of distant roommates.


    That island was her cage. A cage that disguised itself as a paradise.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be caged no longer.¡¯


    ¡°Captain?¡± Kacee jerked out of her recollections by Briar¡¯s concern. She faced the girl with surprise before her shoulders fell upon seeing the girl¡¯s wide, innocent white-blue eyes. ¡°Are you¡­okay?¡± All around them, the conversation amongst her lieutenants, Leander and Fallinor, died as they focused on her.


    Of course. It¡¯d be empath pulling Kacee from her reminiscent spiral. ¡°Not yet.¡± Kacee offered her a shaky smile. ¡°Not just yet.¡± She paid no mind to the questions of her health from the others, steeling herself by straightening her postures and facing her people. ¡°I want all of you to meet him because we¡¯re going escort him on his journey.¡±


    For the third time that evening, a dead silence settled on the room. Only this time, Kacee did not fight the smile that surfaced from her amusement.


    One has to find their joy; the world isn¡¯t kind enough to offer it, after all.

 Ignis Aurum - 3

    ¡°Come one, come all! We of Xadria bring to you, our lovely audience, a tournament of the ages! In honor of the Fallen Hero, a young man of unique skill for a newcomer, who gave his life to protect the lives of countless citizens of Veritas.¡± A man wearing elaborate clothing stood in the middle of a wide-open field, at the base of an open-roofed colosseum, surrounded by packed seats filled with a joyously clapping audience.


    Kacee and I stood at the top of the stands, watching the announcer excitedly introduce the various combatants. ¡°Not going to participate?¡± Kacee asked me, her voice barely above a whisper, lips curled into a faint smile.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head as my hands slid into the pockets of my jacket. I watched the announcer explain how the brackets would break apart. A smile played at my lips as I watched kids as young as fourteen guided into groups. ¡°I¡¯ve got too much on my plate to join something like this.¡±


    My old friend hummed as she leaned against the railing, hair falling down her left side. We stood in silence, watching as the participants cleared the field for the first fight. ¡°Where¡¯s your¡­¡± She paused, mouth curling downwards as distaste crossed her features. ¡°Is Soralynn near?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t fight the amused smirk that appeared on my face. ¡°She and Arce are gathering supplies for a scouting mission to the south. Sora knows of our destination, but she doesn¡¯t know how much of the path has stayed as she remembered it.¡±


    Kacee hummed, crossing her ankles as she rested a hand on her cheek. ¡°I spoke with them. My company.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    She nodded, gaze focusing on the people in the arena. ¡°Some didn¡¯t believe me; while others wanted to turn you in.¡± Kacee snorted as she waved her hand to the side. ¡°Thankfully, calmer heads kept things in control.¡± She then rolled her regard over to me, expression becoming stoic. ¡°You should meet them. Clear the air. I think¡­¡± Kacee paused, frowning ever so lightly. ¡°I think they¡¯ll like you, especially considering your work ethic and combat skills.¡±


    ¡°Aside from the fact of my role, maybe,¡± I said, my lips curling into a wry smile. Kacee rolled her eyes in response to my statement but waited for my reply. I considered it for a few seconds, studying my friend intently. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at the thought; nervousness tickled the back of my throat as I gulped silently. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll have Arce come with me and give Sora some time off.¡± I allowed a wry grin to come forward, fighting the wave of nausea with sarcastic amusement. ¡°I¡¯d rather her not start another fight.¡±


    Kacee snorted, laughter escaping her as she stood. She crossed her arms and shook her head. ¡°Yes, please do that. There are far too many hotheaded people in my company. Even as terrifying as Soralynn can be, I don¡¯t think any of my people will back down.¡± She stepped away from the railing and began to walk towards the exit. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to one of the food stalls. I haven¡¯t eaten since breakfast.¡± We strode through the crowd of spectators, hearing the sounds of the audience roaring in exuberance as the sound of conflict reined in the stadium.


    We left the colosseum and into the packed streets, wandering through the thick crowds of civilians and adventurers. Stalls filled with games and an assortment of foodstuffs greeted Kacee and me as we walked alongside one another. Her searching gaze wandered over the variety of goods. I realized something caught her eye as she took a sharp turn and politely hurried to one of the stalls. The customers before her stiffened as she approached, eyes widening as if seeing a celebrity in person, but she paid them no mind. Kacee reached the stall owner and spoke with them, her expression lightening as they traded words before she handed over a few copper coins and received a pair of foodstuffs in something that resembled hotdog wrappings. With one last faint smile, she nodded towards the owner before turning to walk back over to me.


    ¡°Here. I think you¡¯ll like it. Not too sweet and a little tangy.¡± I held the folded wrapper in a single hand while staring down at what looked like a set of glazed sausages wrapped in a reddish-orange sauce. It had a sweet, tickling scent that reminded me of strawberries. A toothpick sat on the side, sticking out from one of the snacks. ¡°Stop staring at it and eat one.¡± Kacee rolled her eyes at me as she picked one up and bit it off of the toothpick.


    I hummed as I picked up the toothpick and speared a sausage. Lifting it, I popped it into my mouth and chewed. I blinked as a subtle warmth spread the bite to my jaws. Not overwhelming or biting, but a pleasant tingle that raced along the inside of my mouth. The sweet, tangy tingle brought a smile to my face as I took another bite.


    Kacee hummed as she nodded. ¡°Good. One of the first treats I had after coming to Xadria.¡± She then resumed her walk down the busy road. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. We¡¯re meeting Yvette at the Tailor¡¯s Emporium. There are a few errands she and I have; you can accompany us.¡±


    ¡°Mind if we stop by the blacksmiths? I need to check on my commission.¡± Kacee waved a hand as she took another bite and I stayed at her side walking down the road.


    ¡°Might as well. I need to check on a last-minute order.¡± She said around a bite of her snack. We took a leisurely route down the well-traveled paths, moving through the crowds as they went from attraction to attraction. Side by side, we walked in companionable silence, taking in the sight of children playing games in the streets; people enjoying themselves at stalls; merchants peddling their wares.


    It felt odd, experiencing a festival meant to celebrate a sacrifice I made. Still, the celebrations aren''t for the dead, but the living. If they needed this to move on, then who was I to try and stop them.


    It didn¡¯t take long until I caught sight of the smokestacks ascending into the open air. The blacksmith worked from a large, single-story building forged from stone and marble, with several open vents near the ceiling, from where smoke continually rose. The building had a straightforward appearance, meant for function over beauty; it¡¯s only decoration was a swinging sign next to the entrance, depicting a hammer and anvil with a stylized gem resting on the bottom left corner.


    I took the lead and approached the stone and wooden door, the only place where there was wood, and knocked loud enough to be heard, before pushing it open and walking inside. ¡°Hey, Boss! How goes it!?¡± I called out over the clanging echo of a hammer hitting an anvil. I couldn¡¯t help the grin that appeared on my face as I walked into the sweltering heat of the forge.


    ¡°Yah damn Brat! I ain¡¯t yer ¡®Boss¡¯!¡± Hilariously enough, the proprietor spoke with what resembled a Scottish accent. Sora had introduced ¡®Boss¡¯ to me during my week interim when we visited to commission some better equipment for my use. She had seemingly met him a few times before and acted far differently than I remember her doing with me. Funnily enough, she had influenced me to do the same. ¡°I ain¡¯t finished yet, but hurry in here!¡± He called out over his hammering.


    The entrance of this blacksmith reminded me of the once I visited in Del, but with a lower hanging ceiling and far more basic weaponry and armor to act as general wares. Swords of all types rested along the right side of the entrance; while polearms stayed on the left and armor wore by wooden mannequins stood along the counter before the door. I let out a laugh at his response and walked through the entryway, unable to hide my childish amusement at both the situation and Kacee¡¯s resigned acceptance. I walked past the marble counter and lifted it at the hinge, heading to the back room. Kacee followed me with a bemused expression.


    Upon entering the back room, it felt like a wave of heat and humidity smacked me in the face. Sweat already peppered my forehead when I caught sight of the shirtless, stout Santa-look-alike hammering away at an anvil. As I waited for him to acknowledge, I took in his currently active workshop; A cleared floor space with a raised platform for armor-modeling a rack next to it next to a frame with hanging tools. Dimmed lights illuminated the smithing room, the occasional spark from the impact of his hammer on the anvil brightening the atmosphere.


    The stout man stopped hammering away, lifting a cloth from a pocket in his pants to wipe sweat from his brow. He turned to face me with an ornery glare, looking around me with suspicion. ¡°Where¡¯s your shadow, kid?¡±


    ¡°Sora has errands to run today.¡± I waved a hand to the side. ¡°I¡¯m checking out the festival with an old friend.¡± I ignored his disbelieving stare as I looked around the shop. ¡°Speaking of, Sora mentioned you¡¯d have a part of my armor done?¡±


    He grunted and pointed towards the platform. ¡°Strip from the torso up. The armor is skin-tight, boy.¡±


    I snorted and did as he asked and stepped upon the dais. Removing the jacket, I draped it over the mannequin and pulled off my tunic. The sweltering heat already caused me to sweat. I twisted from side to side, stretching my torso. As I felt the heat wash over me, I placed my hands on my hips and waited for the blacksmith return with the fragment of my armor. I glanced down and blinked in surprise at the tight corded muscle that made up my torso. Even my arms were a shock, comprised of hard tissue forged for action and combat, not for show. From my perspective, it was only three months ago that I had the body of asthmatic lay about that enjoyed his time playing video games and reading. Now? I resembled one of those old action movie stars from before the Emergence.


    ¡°Joey? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kacee pulled my attention to her, standing at the side with no visible indication of the heat bothering her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been over a year for you, but less than half that for me.¡± I murmured, slowly turning my attention to her. ¡°Is it possible to have changed this much?¡± I motioned to my body.


    Kacee paused, pursing her lips as she closed her eyes with a look of old regret. Like an immeasurable weight that settled on her shoulder, she practically folded in on herself. Despite that, she maintained a reluctant pride in her stance. ¡°You have no idea, Joseph. No idea.¡± She opened her eyes, and my heart clenched tight in my chest. The pain in her gaze, the distraught smile that spread on her face, caused my breath to catch and muscles to tense. ¡°After what happened to you, even more than the merchant district, we finally understood.¡± Kacee turned to the side, forcing her expression towards stoicism. ¡°It would¡¯ve happened eventually, but Nyrill¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Emelina could never have given us what we needed. What we wanted.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Freedom.¡±


    She didn¡¯t disagree with me. ¡°Everyone went their separate, though some stayed behind, for various reasons.¡± My friend grimaced. ¡°There were violent disagreements for some, over what to do next. A few of us stole away into the night, never to be heard from again. Some became famous in distance villages and towns.¡± Kacee glowered towards me, her eyes swimming with emotion. ¡°Deandria fights for sport, for money, and supports contests between slaves. Have you heard that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I feared that my asthma had returned when my breath froze in my chest, but the shock had stunned. ¡°I¡¯m so- What?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back the outrage the bled into my disbelief.


    Kacee grimaced, whether at my expression or what she spoke of, but I could see that neither were right. ¡°Yes. She came to her conclusion during Nyrill, something about freedom only for the strong.¡± She sighed and shook her head. ¡°Luke spoke with her last, both during that night and before she left. They argued, and a fight broke out.¡± Reluctant amusement danced in her eyes, her lips curling into something ugly. ¡°She broke both his legs, but he managed to take her hand. Blood painted everywhere, and the look of fury on his face only made it all the more poetic.¡±


    ¡°Poetic?¡± Bile tickled the back of my throat at the thought of my classmates hurting one another like that. We had our disagreements or arguments, but nothing to that extent. Had my absence¡­? Did I¡­? Just what was I to my class for it to fall apart that much? It felt unbelievable and unreal, like someone staged it all, setting us up like pieces on a board.


    ¡°Luke tried to take over as ¡®leader.¡¯¡± She spat out the word, her expression twisting, and her eyes alighting with an old fury. ¡°Saying something like we needed a ¡®stabilizing influence.¡¯¡± Her lips curled, making think she¡¯d spit out something nasty. ¡°He never fucking realized that he cau-¡± Kacee clenched her eyes shut, gritting her teeth as she lowered her head.


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I stepped off the podium and walked over to my friend. I pulled her into a hug, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her head against my shoulder. ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t say anymore. I¡¯ll figure it out on my own.¡± She stiffened at the contact, and I worried that she¡¯d pull away and shut down, but when she relaxed, I tightened the embrace. I held it for a few more seconds, then broke away before it got weird.


    As I took a few steps back, Kacee sucked in a breath and blinked away tears that I refused to see. She nodded when I said nothing about it, then crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve spoken with Soralynn about us, and I don¡¯t want to know what she¡¯s told you. However, there is one thing you need to know.¡± Kacee met my gaze intently and I couldn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t look away. ¡°The Royal Family silenced the events surrounding your death at Emelina''s order, and your actions have exalted you among the common folk.¡± Something about my expression caused her expression to crack, her lips parting and rising into the shadow of a smile. ¡°You, as the Fallen Hero, are known to be the Favored Hero amongst all of us. Some of us honestly don¡¯t care, myself first amongst them.¡±


    I snorted at her wry smile, relief filling me at her response. But, a burning question filled me at her words. ¡°How? I didn¡¯t do anything to earn those accolades?¡±


    ¡°How else? Stories embellished character traits and actions.¡± Kacee waved a hand to the side. ¡°Unparalleled skill with a sword cause those starting on their journeys to beg blacksmiths to forge a sword like the one you were rumored to wield.¡± The caused me to remember the blacksmith from Del and his reaction to my request. ¡°Your grief at the death of the girl turned you into the universal Hero to all children.¡± She offered me a kind smile even as she noticed the flinch I gave at that reminder. ¡°You¡¯ve become the one that children think of when they¡¯re frightened of the boogeyman.¡±


    Before I could interrupt, Kacee offered me a grin, though her eyes twinkled with schadenfreude. ¡°The one I¡¯m most fond of, though, is this one in particular: that one instant of you defending the Beastkin boy from his guardian. Though Vincent tried to keep that hidden, out of spite no doubt, rumors flowed freely.¡± Her lips parted into a grin more, bared her teeth than smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve become a Hero to them; a defender of the powerless and downtrodden Beastkin, with no care or mind of what their ancestors did in accepting a bargain with the Demon Lord.¡±


    As she spoke, my heart both clenched and pounded in uncontrollable intervals. My breaths, both rapid and erratic, were inaudible. Kacee¡¯s word played utter hell on my thoughts, sending them spiraling out of control. This is¡­ it can¡¯t be real. I hadn¡¯t seen or experienced any of this. I¡¯m not a Hero. I don¡¯t want to be a Hero. There¡¯s only one thing I want, and heroism would play merry hell on my attempts to achieve it. ¡°What?¡± My voice came out a breathy wheeze, reminding me of my old asthma.


    Kacee must¡¯ve noticed my distress because she grimaced. Before she could reply, though, I continued, ¡°You have to be joking. Are you playing with me? You have to be because I haven¡¯t seen, or heard, of anything resembling that. So tell me, you¡¯re pulling my leg. Making up for lost time and ribbing me. Please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I clenched my teeth at her response, turning away and pacing back towards the pedestal. Pedestal. How fitting. ¡°You probably haven¡¯t experienced that because you¡¯ve been lying low. Soralynn has no doubt been shielding you from that; likely until you were ready.¡±


    ¡°When would I have been ready, Kacee?¡± I said, not facing her as I stepped onto the pedestal. ¡°Would any of us be ready for something like this? We lived in an entirely different world, both literal and figurative, for our entire lives.¡± I turned and glared towards her, too tired to put in the effort, lowered shoulders and slouched forward ever so lightly. ¡°Our world was both frighteningly small and unimaginably large. We knew everything and nothing about what was happening around us. The island? A controlled environment not unlike a prison.¡± I lifted my arms and threw my hands outwards. ¡°Here? We can go anywhere, do anything. Be anyone. You know how overwhelming that feels; how it still feels.¡± I shook my head, heart pounding as an old fury bubbled from deep within my chest. ¡°We went from prisoners to Heroes. Neither of which have happy endings.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Kacee whispered, unable to meet my gaze.


    ¡°Do you?¡± I asked her, furious disbelief filling me as I couldn¡¯t stop the glare from surfacing. ¡°Do you?¡± I growled, a rumbling deep in my chest, as I tore my gaze from her. Anger filled me, both at her, myself, and this whole situation. ¡°Maybe you have more experience than I do, but living it this past year, but I¡¯ve seen how it ends. I¡¯ve read it. I¡¯ve watched it. I¡¯ve played it.¡±


    I exhaled through my nose, trying to deal with the growing fury that bubble in my chest. ¡°There¡¯s a happy ending, alright. But the reality is stranger than fiction; far stranger if the life we¡¯re stuck in is any indication. The journey is full of sacrifice, struggle, and enough pain to destroy a lesser person.¡± I shook my head, clenching my fist tight enough for the knuckles to crack. ¡°Can you honestly say that all of us have the fortitude, the will, to push through such conflict without it breaking us?¡± I included myself because I don¡¯t know how much my journey will change me. How different will I be when I look back after fulfilling my goal?


    Will I end up as the Demon Lord that people fear, all in the process of cementing my freedom?


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we already?¡± Kacee said, quietly but with no less steel than the stare she gave me.


    ¡°Did you have a Demon Lord standing before you, then?¡± I refuted her with a reluctant smile.


    Kacee grimaced, clearly wanting to retort, but unable to find the words. She huffed through her nose, not looking away from me. ¡°You¡¯re still you.¡±


    ¡°Who says I¡¯ll still be me when I finish this journey?¡± I¡¯ll walk this path to the end, no matter the consequence. Of that, I had no doubts. I owed it to my family, whom I¡¯ll never see again.


    She didn¡¯t reply but never looked away. ¡°Me.¡± Defiance defined her perfectly at that moment. Defiance that I couldn¡¯t help but admire; I couldn¡¯t help but smile at it. ¡°Your eyes may change, but you won¡¯t. I won¡¯t let you.¡± Kacee stared at me with a frantic determination, her jaw setting, and expression hardening. ¡°We came here, together, as a class. We¡¯ll leave here, together, as a class, once again.¡±


    Her silent promise and statement caused me to close my eyes, the corners of them stinging. ¡°What happened to you?¡± My voice cracked as I spoke, rolling my shoulders to loosen the tension that had settled.


    ¡°Death changes people. You, of all people, should know that.¡±


    A snort escaped me at her words. ¡°Yeah. I guess I would. Sitting on both ends of that opens your eyes, I suppose.¡± I mused.


    A clanging sound and a door slamming open pulled our attention towards the dwarf walking back into his forge. Over his shoulder, he held a lacquered wooden case longer than he was tall. ¡°While you two had a lover¡¯s spat, I found this.¡± He effortlessly hefted it over his head and held it out to me. ¡°Put it on and show some thanks.¡± His gruff demands amused me, slowly pushing away the fear of the future.


    A laugh escaped me as I took the base by the handle. ¡°You sound confident.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t lie, boy.¡± He grunted as I fully grasped the weight of the case.


    I hummed as I hefted the case. ¡°Lighter than I imagined¡­¡± The dwarf didn¡¯t reply, just grinning beneath that thick, messy beard of his. I gently put the case at my feet and slid my hands along the length of the case, finding the two latches on either end and flipped them open. I lifted the lid and smiled as I looked upon the silver armor ¡ª countless, layered scales overlapped the interlocking chain links and slim black leather. I slid my hand along the smooth, chilled steel, a tingling sensation racing up my arm upon contact. My vision shifted as I studied it, revealing a dim pulsating light. ¡°Enchanted too.¡±


    ¡°Hoh.¡± He dragged out the words, his tone betraying how impressed he seemed. ¡°Not bad for a Brat like you to tell that. Can yah tell what they are?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered softly as I lifted it out of the case. Grabbing by both of the arms, I held them out and saw they appeared interconnected, the leather hanging loosely and the chain jingling. ¡°Looks a bit snug.¡±


    ¡°Try it on and stop complainin¡¯.¡± He grunted. ¡°Girlie, help him out.¡±


    Amused by his order, Kacee complied. It took a bit a struggle, maneuvering the leather over my head and entirely onto my body. I pushed my arms into the armor and adjusted it until it managed to fit snugly. When Kacee stepped back, I rolled my shoulders to settle it onto them fully. The leather hugged my torso like a second skin with an almost negligible weight resting on my arms. Speaking of my arms, I noticed that they seemed far too sinuous to be anything resembling steel. From shoulder to wrist on both arms, scaled steel covered me, and fingerless gloved engulfed my hands.


    It didn¡¯t feel like armor, but I knew deep in my gut they would hold beneath all but the worst of blows. Not that I¡¯d let it happen, though. My torso bore pure, breathable, leather that moved and flowed with my every movement. It didn¡¯t feel as protective as my arms, but that¡¯s a no brainer.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait till you finish. This feels incredible.¡± I moved my arms and clenched my hands, reveling in the shocking lack of resistance.


    The dwarf barked out a laugh. ¡°Your shadow paid good money and supplied some of the best material.¡± He bared his yellowed teeth in a confident grin. ¡°Give me another week, and I¡¯ll have the whole set.¡± Then his smile fell, ¡°I still don¡¯t know why yeh won¡¯t let me forge yer sword.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one blacksmith I want to forge my sword. She promised and will deliver. Until then, I¡¯ll only use ready-made weapons.¡±

 Ignis Aurum - 4

    After changing out of my armor and back into my tunic and jacket, we managed to make it to the Taylor¡¯s Emporium. A collection of open-air stalls all interconnected greeted us as we happened upon the crowd of milling shoppers. Kacee crossed her arms as she searched the group before us, eyes narrowing as her scar twitched at the movement. As she did that, I looked around too, sliding my hands into the pockets of my jacket. My gaze flitted among the various faces that passed us by, searching for something familiar.


    Silver. A memory came to the surface. The rooftop pursuit. The flashbang arrow and bolas. The man and woman¡­ Morgan and Yvette? I believe those are the names of the two who chased me.


    I focused on the woman who stood with her back to us, clad in a pair of slim dark brown leather pants, a short-sleeve jacket, and a bag slung over a single shoulder. Her dark silver hair barely reached chin length but appeared immaculately maintained. Fabrics and an assortment of other craft materials poked out from the bag.


    ¡°Ah. There¡¯s Yvette. Let¡¯s go.¡± Without another word, Kacee resumed walking towards her subordinate. I fell in step with her, watching as she called out to Yvette. The woman lifted her head and turned to face us, eyes flickering to me, before landing back on Kacee. ¡°How goes it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve nearly gathered everything. Haggling¡¯s an issue since Briar has her task, but I¡¯ve saved here and there.¡± Her deadpan tone answered clinically as her eyes went over to me. ¡°How are you this day¡­Lyall? Especially during the festival.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but notice the twitch at the corner of her lips, amusement dancing in her tired expression.


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine; finishing my errands. As for the festival¡­?¡± I allowed a small smile to appear on my face. ¡°It¡¯s nice seeing people enjoy themselves, even if the¡­topic of the festival doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s lips twitched as I caught the laughter in her eyes, the bags lightening ever so lightly. ¡°I suppose so.¡± She faced Kacee, meeting my friend¡¯s silent stare. The two shared a quiet conversation before she turned towards me once more. ¡°Captain told my colleagues and me of her wishes regarding you. It¡­¡± Her lips curled downwards in an attempt to hold back the laughter she, no doubt, nearly succumbed to. ¡°Caused quite a stir among us.¡±


    ¡°I guarantee that their reactions weren¡¯t as funny as Kacee¡¯s.¡± Kacee rolled her eyes at my irreverent answer but said nothing in response.


    Laughter finally escaped the mercenary. ¡°I wish I could disagree, but it seems we both know the Captain too well.¡± Yvette¡¯s expression sobered, her deep regard falling onto me. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know the risk her request involves.¡±


    ¡°Considering I¡¯ve become persona non grata for Verum as a whole. I think I have an idea.¡± I grimaced but shrugged as I looked to the side.


    As Yvette frowned at my statement, Kacee sighed and shook her head. ¡°I understand that it¡¯s a difficult request. Maybe the most difficult, but I believe we can do it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of can or can¡¯t, Captain,¡± Yvette said, her tone patient. ¡°Nor is it a matter of danger. But a matter of will.¡± She inclined her head towards me. ¡°I do not doubt that Lyall could be a man worthy of immense respect and capability, but in our line of work, we must always measure the risk.¡± Her regard had an intensity to it that caused me to blink surprise. ¡°You should know that, Captain.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Kacee held herself with no less intensity, but her scarred visage offered a bit more weight. ¡°However, when measured against future investments, such risk is more than worth it.¡±


    Yvette blinked, then her eyes widened as Kacee¡¯s words surprised her. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Her eyes rolled onto me, sparkling with an unseen emotion. ¡°I see.¡± Kacee then faced me, crossing her arms with a self-satisfied cat-smile.


    I furrowed my brow at them. ¡°What do you mean ¡®future investment¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Once again, I am stunned into silence at your insight, Captain. I would never have seen beyond the stories. But that is something we should indeed look into.¡± Yvette murmured, her lips parting and curling upwards to reveal her teeth.


    As the target of their regards, I couldn¡¯t help the chill that raced down my spine. ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re starting to scare me. What the hell do the two of you mean?¡±


    Kacee sighed through her nose, rolling her eyes. She looked around casually. ¡°For a smart person, you can be dumb. You¡¯re going to become a King. What do kingdoms have?¡± She drawled, eyes falling half-shut as she stared at me.


    I sucked in a breath to demand an explanation before realization struck me. I¡¯m going to be a King; hell, I¡¯m already a King, but without a nation. But to run a country, a King needs money, and a country has a treasury. With the time that¡¯s passed, all the people that have traveled to, and died upon reaching, has no doubt given Terras an impressive amount of resources. Money, armor, weapons. Everything that¡¯s considered liquid assets.


    ¡°You want me to pay you.¡± I did not ask, despite the sheer disbelief that filled me. ¡°You offered to guide me. To protect me out of the goodness of your heart. And you want me to pay you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yvette deadpanned, but I ignored her.


    Kacee shrugged, rolling her shoulders with a playful smile. ¡°I run a business. I have to make ends-meat somehow.¡±


    As I pinched the bridge of my nose with a sigh, Yvette made an impressed sound. ¡°Already you¡¯ve found a way to spark a profit. As expected of our Captain.¡± I heard Kacee¡¯s amused humm and shook my head.


    Before I could suffer this situation any longer, with the impromptu comedy duo before me, a familiar voice broke into our airspace. ¡°Is¡­everything okay?¡± Arce¡¯s soft voice pulled my attention to her. She blinked at my suffering expression before concern overtook her countenance. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by strange people.¡±


    Kacee snorted at my answer. ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk.¡±


    I gave her a dry glare. ¡°You¡¯re talking about me paying you from a treasury I don¡¯t know anything about.¡±


    As Yvette and Kacee offered me faux-serious stares, Arce mused with a hum. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lady Regent wouldn¡¯t mind such an expense.¡± That caused everyone to focus in on her. She grimaced and flinched at our surprised stares. The Fox Beastkin faintly folded in on herself for a moment before she solidified her resolve. ¡°Lady Regent,¡± Her gaze fell onto me, narrowing ever so slightly before she continued. ¡°She could be persuaded to allot discretionary funds for escorting our King on his journey.¡±


    It seemed that she wanted me to keep Penemue¡¯s name secret. Whether it¡¯s because we¡¯re in public, or if we¡¯re keeping it from everyone, I didn¡¯t know. I just decided to roll with it.


    Yvette hummed with a playful smile, regarding Kacee with approval. ¡°Leander will lose his mind. Paid to escort a¡­monarch on his journey. It¡¯s like an old tale that Briar has read.¡±


    Kacee returned the smile with one of her own, nodding decisively. ¡°Even considering the client, a paying job is a paying job.¡± She grinned at me, crossing her arms. ¡°Barring a violent refusal, or a screw up on your part, we¡¯re very likely to take on your job, Lyall.¡± She leaned forward and squinted. ¡°Don¡¯t screw it up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll screw it up just to spite you,¡± I said to her with narrowed eyes, unable to entirely hide my playful smile.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± Arce pulled at my sleeve. ¡°Such jokes aren¡¯t in good taste.¡± She beseeched me, eyes swimming with emotion.


    Meeting her gaze, it reminded me of Maggie when I had made similar jokes in the past. A pang of hurt flashed in my chest, but I swiftly pushed it back down, forcing myself to look away from Arce¡¯s stare. She must¡¯ve noticed if the sudden apology in her eyes told me anything. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s taken care of. When do we meet your lieutenants?¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Kacee turned her attention towards Yvette, who examined the bag hanging from her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve essentially picked up everything and special ordered for more. All I need to do is pay for them, and we should be good to go.¡±


    ¡°Good. Go ahead and finish things up here. We¡¯ll meet you at the entrance to the Emporium.¡± At that, Yvette then left the conversation to make her purchases. Kacee turned towards Arce and I. ¡°Honestly, I do hope things roll in your favor. I want to join you, Joseph, but I will not force my people to act against their will.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that,¡± I said, unable to stop myself from turning towards Arce. She caught my regard and turned away, her cheeks darkening from the attention. ¡°What¡¯s everyone been up to?¡±


    Arce hummed as she pursed her lips. ¡°Everyone has their tasks. Soralynn is gathering resources and mapping out a route. If all goes to plan, then we should be able to set out soon after you''ve finished your commissions .¡± Her lips quirked upwards. ¡°While staying in the Luvian Manor, Marishka has been practicing shifting sizes. I think she¡¯s anxious to show it to you in person.¡±


    ¡°Marishka?¡± Kacee asked as the three of us began to head towards the entrance. ¡°You have someone else following you?¡± I could hear ¡®another girl?¡¯ in her tone of voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­a young wolf,¡± I answered carefully, catching the suspicious narrow of the eyes from her. I shook my head but continued. ¡°I found her after an unfortunate accident with her mother, and she ended up traveling with me. We bonded and¡­¡± I offered a shrug and trailed off at the end of my sentence.


    Kacee hummed and smiled. ¡°I look forward to meeting her. How old is she?¡±


    Arce fielded this question. ¡°The specifics elude me, but according to her size, attitude, and breed, I would assume her to be around six to eight months.¡±


    I blinked, surprise filling me. ¡°That young? I know her breed necessitates early growth, but that seems a bit ridiculous.¡± I paused, considering her appearance during my ¡®fight¡¯ against Rorick and Faithe. ¡°Speaking of, how can she grow like that in the first place?¡±


    Kacee paid particularly close attention to Arce as the Beastkin patiently explained. ¡°Marishka¡¯s breed is noted to be viciously independent from birth, due to both dietary requirements and temperament. Natural growth is accelerated compared to other breeds because of that; they are among the more mystical breeds of creatures inhabiting Verum.¡± She turned her gaze towards me, eyes pinioning me as she offered a contemplative frown. ¡°That she¡¯s as submissive to you as she is, even at her age, makes her an anomaly.¡±


    ¡°Does that make her the runt of the litter, then?¡± I asked, considering her fervent disagreements at mentions of her small size.


    Much to my surprise, Arce shook her head. ¡°On the contrary, Marishka is in the upper percentile of physical and mental development for her breed, from my observations,¡± Arce explained clinically, showing none of the skittishness I¡¯d seen her express in social moments. ¡°Surprisingly enough, I estimate that she¡¯ll be fully grown in two months, give or take two weeks, if she remains healthy and active in the meantime.¡± Her lips quirked as she met my gaze. ¡°Until then, I guess our food budget will stay reasonable. Afterward? Who knows?¡± Upon realizing that Kacee and I gave her our undivided attention, she blushed up a storm and shrunk in on herself.


    Kacee blinked slowly as she studied my companion before she faced me once more. ¡°How did you find a Fenrir?¡±


    ¡°Wrong mythology.¡± I immediately refuted her, unable to hide my playful smile. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know how these particular wolves compare to a Fenrir.¡±


    ¡°Fenrir are lost to the world,¡± Arce spoke softly, straightening her posture and looking away from us. ¡°At one point, they walked Verum freely, unfettered by the conflicts that plagued, still plague, humanity. Now?¡± She shrugged. ¡°No one knows their whereabouts, or even if they still live.¡±


    My friend and I stayed silent as we contemplated those words. We locked gazes, no doubt sharing the same thought on the subject. Something like that, an important detail that fell onto our laps, could only mean one thing. ¡°That¡¯s some heavy foreshadowing, Arce.¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the amused smile from appearing on my face. ¡°We¡¯re almost guaranteed to run into one on our journey now.¡±


    Kacee snorted and turned away from me, hiding a grin behind her hand. Her shoulders shook as Arce blinked and faced me with a pout. ¡°That¡¯s not a laughing matter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± I waved her off, my smile widening to a grin. ¡°If it happens, you can ¡®I told you so.¡¯¡±


    Arce¡¯s pouted deepened, but before she could continue, Kacee waved it off. ¡°He won¡¯t let this go, Arce. Just enjoy the moment when you can finally say those words.¡±


    My companion turned her pout towards Kacee, but another interruption prevented her from voicing her displeasure. Yvette approached us and hefted her bag. ¡°I¡¯ve made my purchases. Let¡¯s go.¡± She studied us, seeing the grins Kacee and I had, and Arce¡¯s pout. ¡°What did I miss?¡±


    Arce crossed her arms, pout deepening. ¡°Our leaders not taking anything seriously.¡±


    ¡°So just another day, then?¡± Yvette¡¯s flippant response caused Arce to deflate as she closed her eyes and sighed.


    <hr>


    We reached the Twin Flags building after a fifteen-minute walk, making meaningless small talk to pass the time. As we walked inside, Yvette spoke up. ¡°Let me put everything with our luggage. I¡¯ll meet all of you in the conference room.¡± With a nod, she turned and strolled into a further room within the building.


    Kacee lifted a hand to her knee and pushed hair behind her ear, eyes closing for a moment. Then she nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. They¡¯ll meet us in a few moments.¡±


    As Arce and I followed her, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the other members of Kacee¡¯s company watching me with wide eyes. I looked around, meeting everyone¡¯s gaze, before offering a playful grin. They quickly scattered, going about their business with an almost frenzied intensity. ¡°Please don¡¯t terrify my subordinates.¡± Kacee deadpanned, without looking back at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault they¡¯re so skittish,¡± I said good-naturedly, grinning playfully. It didn¡¯t take much longer until we entered the same conference room as yesterday. Kacee walked over to the head of the table and looked through the papers that sat upon it. I scanned the room, then the table, before my gaze fell upon the spot I had punched through yesterday. ¡°So, uh, you haven¡¯t had this fixed, yet, huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s barely been a day, Joseph.¡± Kacee deadpanned, not looking away from her papers. ¡°Besides, it¡¯d be difficult to explain, considering how strong the stone table is.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it made of?¡± I asked, curious of my own strength, especially since I have yet to find my limits.


    ¡°It¡¯s significantly tougher than stone, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know.¡± I couldn¡¯t help the smile at her evasive answer.


    Kacee rolled her eyes; her lips twisted into the ghost of a smile. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    At her wry tone, I couldn¡¯t help the laugh that escaped me; it felt like a carefree laugh that lightened the phantom weight that settled on my shoulders. Kacee¡¯s smile and her nostalgic exasperation made me feel lighter than any moment in the past week. Honestly, it felt like nothing had changed, despite knowing that all of it did.


    The door exploded open and a young woman, who appeared a year or two younger than Kacee and I, raced inside. She wore a set of leather pants with a cloth skirt that fell to her knees and a sleeveless vest with an elbow-length armored cloak. Her dark grey hair fell to her shoulders, parted in the right of her head, held back by a white clip. Atop her head sat a pair of furred ears, with the left hanging limply. Oddly, I also noticed a couple of ears on the sides of her head, which answered one question I never knew I had. An odd hue of purple in her eyes gave me pause as she questioned Kacee. ¡°Captain! You¡¯re back! Where is-¡± She froze as Kacee looked towards me. My eyes noticed the scar that trailed down her left cheek and along her neck, before vanishing under her clothing.


    Almost robotically, the girl turned her head to face me. Murky lilac widened as they met my blue, her light skin gaining a red hue as her lips parted into a circle. Her hands opened and closed, shoulders falling as she studied me.


    I looked towards Kacee, pointing towards the catatonic girl with worry. ¡°Is she¡­okay?¡±


    Kacee grimaced, pushing her papers into a single stack. ¡°Briar happened to be one of the ones who wanted to meet you. Badly.¡±


    I blinked at that, turning my attention back to Briar. Concern filled me at her catatonia, so I approached her and offered a hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Briar. Hope my reputation hasn¡¯t soured me to you just yet.¡±


    Briar jerked out of her stupor and quickly grasped my hand with both of hers. Warmth engulfed my hand as she took it with an almost fervent restraint. ¡°No!¡± She grimaced and quickly shook her head. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s an honor to meet you finally. I just¡­¡± Briar pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as she cocked her head to the side. She looked around me. ¡°You have someone else with you.¡± The intensity in her gaze seemed almost¡­fervent.


    ¡°You mean Arce?¡± I glanced behind me to see Arce also staring at Briar, lips curling downwards.


    My companion walked up to us and inclined her head to Briar. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, Briar. Glad to see that you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Briar seemed almost¡­confused. ¡°You were always a part of this?¡±


    ¡°I have my debts to pay, my beliefs to follow.¡± She offered me a small smile. ¡°I will follow Milord until the day he full ascends.¡±


    Briar turned her attention back to me, lilac orbs examining me intently.


    ¡°Briar! Stop running ahead!¡± A boy¡¯s voice caused us to look towards the door as he practically sprinted into the room.  The newcomer appeared similar to Briar, but a few inches taller and broader in the shoulders. He had the same hair color, but shorter, and his ears were the same, though the left missed a chunk. He wore a set of loose, leather armor, though he had a long right sleeve, compared to his short left one. His unassuming armor seemed to be built for a combination of finesse and force, being thick around his arms and legs, while torso and waist appeared lightly armored. It seemed almost¡­familiar. His own lilac gaze appeared lighter than Briars, but more narrowed and searching.


    When his gaze fell onto me, he froze as well.


    Kacee sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°Hello, Ash. Nice to see that you¡¯re following your own advice.¡±


    The newly named Ash flinched at Kacee¡¯s implied reproach. ¡°Apologies, Captain.¡± She accepted his words with a nod, and he turned back to face us. Ash opened his mouth, no doubt to reply, but when his gaze fell upon Briar and me, his expression changed into something that made me think he¡¯d been kicked somewhere sensitive.


    Kacee snorted, ¡°Hmm. Joey, Briar, how long are you going to hold hands?¡±


    Briar¡¯s skin once again gained a red hue as she dropped my hand with a squeak.


    Why did this feel so familiar? I couldn¡¯t help but ask as I felt a gamut of gazes on me, with a variety of amused and frustrated expressions.

 Ignis Aurum - 5

    With the misunderstanding quickly resolved, it didn¡¯t take long for the rest of the Kacee¡¯s lieutenants to reach the conference room. She took a seat at the head of the table, looking through some papers she had pulled from her bag. I had taken a chair near her, but before Arce could sit next to me, Briar excitedly dropped next to me and began to ask me all different sorts of questions. Her exuberance surprised me, throwing me off for a moment before I recovered.


    As I spoke with her, though, I couldn¡¯t help but notice Ash¡¯s intense stare. It didn¡¯t feel angry or demanding, just¡­probing as if searching for something. I tried not to pay him any mind, just allowing him to come to his conclusions. In my periphery, I could see Kacee giving her a gentle look, warmth filling her brown eyes.


    Not long after, Yvette had returned with three others in tow. Morgan nodded towards me, though he gave me an amused smirk, shaking his head as he sat down across from me. The next two people were a pair of men, one who looked around my age, if a little older, with hair that reminded me of a dull flame. He studied me warily, his expression unsure, if a little frightened, as he sat down next to Morgan.


    The second was a man of an undiscernible age with a narrow face and pointed ears. He narrowed his eyes at me, studying and searching for something notable with his discerning gaze. He kept his expression stoic, though his eyes betrayed his curiosity.


    ¡°You¡¯ve all made it, good.¡± About to stand, Kacee watched as Arce approached the door and closed it, pressing the stone next to it. A complicated expression crossed her features as she studied Arce. ¡°Thank you.¡± Arce nodded towards her, taking up a stance behind me, arms crossed behind her. Kacee rolled her gaze over us. ¡°I understand that this is last minute, but I thank all of you for making it on such short notice.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the Captain, Captain. It¡¯s only right.¡± The redhead replied flippantly, though the quiver of his voice brought everyone¡¯s gaze towards him.


    ¡°This decides the future of Twin Flags.¡± The half-elf drawled. ¡°It¡¯s only logical.¡±


    Ash grunted. ¡°It¡¯s important. Not really a choice.¡±


    Yvette hummed, then shrugged. ¡°This should be an amusing conversation.¡±


    Morgan snorted. ¡°I¡¯m curious. More than anything.¡±


    Briar vibrated in her seat, nodding once. ¡°It¡¯s important.¡±


    Kacee rolled her gaze towards me. ¡°Anything you¡¯d like to say?¡± I could hear the word ¡®smartass¡¯ hanging off the end of her statement.


    Screw it. ¡°Sure. But only because you asked for it.¡± I turned my attention to the six sitting near me. ¡°I¡¯m Joseph Blaine, but I¡¯m sure that¡¯s old news to all of you right now.¡± I allowed a playful grin to appear on my face. ¡°And I¡¯m the next Demon Lord.¡± A plethora of reactions danced before me, eliciting a sense of schadenfreude from me. ¡°Though, I¡¯m not exactly fond of causing destruction, so you¡¯re all safe.¡± I grinned playfully, leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms.


    Kacee palmed her face as I heard a choking gasp from the redhead. Yvette¡¯s expression brightened, her lips curling as laughter danced in her eyes. Morgan held back laughter.


    Ash snorted wheezing laughter.


    The half-elf rolled his eyes with a suffering exhale.


    Briar blinked and hummed contemplatively.


    ¡°Another one.¡± The half-elf groaned.


    Ash cleared his throat and stared at me in disbelief. ¡°You think this is funny?¡±


    I met his gaze, and my grin turned flinty. ¡°Well, it¡¯s either make a joke out of it or dwell in angst while dressing in black.¡± His expression twisted as he stared in incomprehension at my words.


    Kacee snorted, covering her mouth as I noticed the sides of her scar twisting upwards. She quickly gathered herself once more and pulled our attention to her. ¡°I ask you all here for a single reason. I want to propose a new job. A paying job.¡± She focused on me, even as exasperation filled me. ¡°I put forward the motion that we accept the job of escorting Joseph as he gathers his Generals.¡±


    I¡¯m starting to think that Kacee enjoys doing this as much as I do because the amusement in her gaze at everyone¡¯s slack-jawed responses told me far too much.


    The redhead grunted and punched himself in the chest. ¡°Repeat that, please. I think I hear things.¡±


    ¡°No, Leander. I don¡¯t think you are.¡± Morgan¡¯s devil-may-care grin and forward. ¡°You serious, Captain?¡± At Kacee¡¯s nod, he let out a snort of laughter. Clapping his palm on the table, he pulled a slip of paper and threw it forward. ¡°I¡¯m for it. We¡¯ve had a drought long enough.¡±


    Another slip joined it, Briar smiled widely, lips parting to show her teeth. ¡°A chance to see more of the world, alongside two Heroes? I¡¯m all for it.¡±


    Ash rolled his eyes at his sister, the corners of his mouth curving upwards. ¡°Keep it under control, Briar.¡± He threw a slip onto the table. She glared at him, her cheeks gaining color.


    Yvette scowled at the trio. ¡°Too fast. You didn¡¯t even wait for him to explain payment.¡± She said that she tossed her slip onto the table.


    The half-elf stared at his compatriots with a look of suffering, a half-lidded stare with a furrowed brow. His gaze fell onto the slips. ¡°You say that, yet you don¡¯t wait for him to do so.¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed as he exhaled gustily. When he opened his eyes, the man turned his gaze towards me. ¡°Sir Blaine, how exactly are you going to purchase our services?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m just as lost as you are,¡± I answered, my tone drier than the Sahara. For a moment, the half-elf and I shared a moment of solidarity amid this insanity, before I opened my mouth to put forward a way to pay.


    However, Arce interrupted me by placing a blue stone onto the table. ¡°Lady Regent of Terras foresaw something such as this, so she allowed Sora and me to make an offer.¡± She turned towards the half-elf. ¡°Would this satisfy you, Mr. Fallinor?¡±


    The newly-named Fallinor frowned as Arce addressed him, reaching forward to pick up the gem. ¡°Yvette. Will you check it out?¡±


    The woman hummed as she plucked it from his palm. She closed and eye and studied the gem intensely. ¡°Perfectly cut. Seamless edges. Great enchantment potential. A masterful piece of art.¡± Yvette placed the jewel back onto the table as though she handled something made from glass. Her intense gaze honed in on Arce. ¡°This gem has worth equal to approximately 50 platinum pieces, at least.¡±


    Arce nodded. ¡°Yes. It does. Should Twin Flags prove willing to offer aid supporting my Lord, then we will pay you in the amount of thirty gems, of equal cut and finish. Half now, half at the end of the job. As per protocol.¡± Deafening silence settled in the room, all eyes focusing Arce and me; even Kacee stared at us in disbelief, eyes wide and jaw dropped.


    In my periphery, I noticed another paper slide to the rest. Fallinor entwined his hands over one another, nodding once as I gave him a questioning look.


    Soon enough, all eyes fell onto Leander. He had a paled expression, green coloring his cheeks. He looked at the slips, then to the gem in front of Yvette. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know, Captain.¡± He flinched as her eyes fell onto him. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a lot of money. Platinum.¡± Then his shaky gaze focused on me. ¡°But a Demon Lord¡­ I¡¯m not a devout man, far from it, but¡­¡±


    Kacee opened her mouth to reply, but¡­ ¡°Do what you feel you must.¡± I retorted, causing him to flinch. ¡°No matter what, you only have one life to live.¡± Leander nearly replied, but he just exhaled breathily. ¡°But take it from the person who died. If there¡¯s something you want, take it.¡± I leaned forward in my seat, meeting Leander¡¯s fearful gaze without hesitation. ¡°If there¡¯s a dream you wish to fulfill, throw away your hesitations. Sneer at those who would stop you and push them aside. Cast off your fear, the shackles that hold you back.¡± He shook, nearly shivering as he never looked away from my unblinking gaze. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of me, then do something about it. Face your fears; challenge me, because believe me, the longer the wallow, the more you suffer.¡±


    ¡°Joseph.¡± Kacee¡¯s soft, but stern, voice pulled my attention to her. She frowned as he met my eyes with her own. In the reflection of her lenses, I noticed a flicker of red, a crimson glare. The moment I saw it, though, the red faded until it fully bled away to blue. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°No need, Captain.¡± Leander¡¯s voice broke our stalemate. The sixth slip of paper joined the rest as I once more faced the last Lieutenant. Leander defiantly met my gaze, though I noticed a trickle of sweat trailing down his temple. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I have to. No matter what.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the grin that appeared on my face, excitement bubbling within my chest. ¡°I look forward to it, Leander. Show me what you can do.¡± His expression twisted, eyes narrowing as he met my gaze defiantly.


    ¡°Gladly.¡±


    Kacee groaned as she rolled her eyes. ¡°Boys.¡± She then heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°Now that we agree, shall we start planning out the job?¡± Kacee didn¡¯t allow anyone to reply. ¡°Yes? Good. Morgan, Fallinor, tell our people of our newest job. Give them all the information you feel they need. Use your discretion for each individual.¡± She turned towards Yvette. ¡°Continue with the requisitions. Gather the people you need to expedite and do it properly.¡± Her gaze fell onto Leander. ¡°Scout out all available routes heading out of Xadria. We¡¯ll have more information for you when we reunite with everyone.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    When she turned towards Briar, the girl straightened upon making eye contact. ¡°Briar, Ash, I want the two of you to travel with Joseph and Arce to meet the rest of his companions. Gauge capabilities and decide on whether an escort is necessary.¡± She earned a decisive nod from the pair. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll stay here and put together the appropriate paperwork to finalize the job.¡±


    <hr>


    With that, the meeting ended, and I left alongside Arce, Ash, and Briar. Our destination? Luvian Manor to meet Sora and Alba.


    As we walked, though, Briar seemed to start, then hesitate, as if she tried to think of what to say. She opened her mouth, paused, then closed it with a frown. She furrowed her brow and pursed her lips in a way that reminded me of my sister; the way the look of intense focus and pinched lips betrayed her desire to ask me something.


    ¡°Captain¡­¡± Ash broke the silence first, bringing my attention to him. Briar gave him a dirty look, lips curved downward into a cute pout. ¡°Captain said that you have a little sister.¡±


    I blinked at the non sequitur. ¡°That¡­came out of nowhere,¡± I replied with a hum. I nodded, regardless. ¡°I do. Why do you ask?¡± Being a world apart doesn¡¯t make me less protective of my baby sister, even if a friend mentioned her.


    Ash shrugged a single shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± He twisted his lips and looked towards an equally perplexed Briar. ¡°How did the Captain put it? Little facts like that¡­ Humanizes people?¡± He grimaced and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She always says these big and difficult words.¡± Ash rubbed the back of his head.


    Briar hummed and nodded. ¡°She put Ash and me in charge of recruitment, cuz we can read people really well.¡± She lifted her hands and shrugged, palms facing upwards. ¡°We always ask them simple things like that. Ash and I get to see how they are when they talk about and think of, people important to them.¡±


    ¡°Families aren¡¯t always well-adjusted.¡± My voice didn¡¯t go above a whisper, but they heard me, considering Briar¡¯s intense study of me and the cock of her ears. The two of them offered confused stares before understand flashed in her gaze.


    ¡°They¡¯re still important.¡± She said softly, lips quirking into a half-smile. ¡°Good or bad, they make us react in different ways.¡±


    Ash¡¯s eyes flashed in understanding. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s what you mean!¡± He grimaced and rubbed the back of his head. ¡°You are just like the Captain. You talk with big words, too.¡± He shrugged a single shoulder. ¡°She taught me and Briar how to read and write, but lots of words still don¡¯t make sense to me.¡±


    My brows rose as I looked to him in surprise. ¡°Kacee taught you how to read and write?¡± I guess it makes sense, considering her English skills. Though, I wonder how she worked around the language barrier. Knowing her, I suppose, she¡¯s probably already mastered Verum¡¯s alphabet and grammar. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me, that¡¯s for sure.


    Briar nodded with a smile, humming in content. ¡°Yeah. After we joined, she helped us learn how to¡­¡± She paused and put a finger on her chin, cocking her head to the side. Her ears twitched as she narrowed her eyes. It distinctly reminded me of some dogs I¡¯ve seen reacting to something new. All of a sudden, her eyes widened, and she grinned, her left ear twitching upwards before it returned to hanging limply. ¡°She taught us how to ¡®properly function in society.¡¯ Reading, writing, and speaking correctly!¡±


    Her brother made a face and practically shivered. ¡°So scary. She never let me rest.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the weak smile that spread on my face. These two¡­ There¡¯s a story behind this. A pair of siblings, scarred and latched to the hip, yet still strangely optimistic. Could they have been slaves? Illegitimate children of the nobility tossed aside, or sold, for being unwanted? Or just homeless kids, forced to live in poverty until they finally found someone who gave a damn? I suppose I won¡¯t know, not until they tell me. Something like that? It¡¯s far too personal, too painful, to speak of with a stranger.


    Still, though, seeing them interact; seeing them laugh, joke and reminisce; it did indeed remind me of my sister and me. Briar¡¯s happy-go-lucky bearing brought Maggie to mind; her never-ending optimism in Mom¡¯s return even as I lost hope. The ever-present smile that never wavered, even as my anger simmered beneath the surface. How her mere presence always made things feel just a bit lighter, just enough to make it bearable. Ash¡¯s wary regard reminded me of myself; how I¡¯d cautiously study everything that neared Maggie. That steady stare, he levied towards me when he thought I couldn¡¯t see it, causing me to consider my attitude over the years. When had I begun to assume the worst? When had I started to only see the worst in every situation?


    ¡°Yeah.¡± My voice was just above a whisper, catching their attention. Briar¡¯s eyes widened just as Ash¡¯s narrowed. ¡°I have a little sister. Margaret. Maggie.¡± Arce, my silent companion, strode ahead of us, meeting my gaze with a small smile. She walked in front of us, eyes scanning the area around us; we passed through the thoroughfare, slipping the crowds of the people going about their days. We currently walked through that transition area between the noble district and the commercial zone in Xadria, where traffic was both at its heaviest, yet easiest to navigate.


    ¡°What is she like?¡± Briar¡¯s intense gaze never left my face as she asked as if probing for something in my expression.


    What was my sister like? Really? Happy? No; she struggled with or torn family just like I did, but never let me see it. Angry, like me? I don¡¯t think so. Maggie¡¯s infinitely better with her emotions than me. Dissatisfied? Definitely, but she¡¯d never let me see it; always putting a strong face forward. Maggie, no doubt knew that I¡¯d do everything I could to make it better, even if it caused an attack.


    ¡°She¡¯s strong.¡± My voice came out a whisper, hoarse as I cleared my throat. ¡°Even when things were bad, she never let it show. Always putting on a brave face when given bad news.¡± I allowed a smile to appear on my face as I looked forward. ¡°Maggie always found something positive; never letting the bad overshadow the good.¡± I shook my head, a helpless laugh escaping me. ¡°At times, it felt like she protected more than I ever did for her.¡± I closed my eyes tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to come forward.


    I missed her. My only family left.


    ¡°Your anchor.¡± Ash¡¯s voice caused me to stop walking, my heart beginning to pound deep in my chest. I looked towards the wolf Beastkin with an intense stare. He hesitated, nearly cowering under the weight of my stare. But he steeled himself, meeting my eyes with an empathetic grimace. ¡°Without her, you¡¯d be lost. You¡¯d have no reason to keep fighting. No reason to care for anything beyond yourself.¡±


    No reason to not be a monster. The unspoken words rang in the back of my mind. Indeed, I can honestly say that without my sister, I¡¯d probably have lost myself by now.


    Ash blushed beneath the weight of my stare, looking away even as Briar gave him a worried frown. ¡°Ash¡­¡±


    The boy shrugged, rubbing his arm. ¡°So, yeah. I get it. Before the Captain, it was just Briar and me. She may be older, but I had to be strong.¡± He gave a resolute nod, meeting my eyes. ¡°She may not be here, but she¡¯s living her life, right? Maggie¡¯s waitin¡¯ for you. What do you want her to see when you meet her again?¡±


    Hah. This kid cut right to the heart. I closed my eyes, breaking the stare. A breath escaped me along with a shaky laugh. I dropped a hand on his shoulder and gave a firm squeeze. ¡°You don¡¯t hold back, do you?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Kacee did right picking you and your sister up. No doubt.¡± He flushed at my words, a pleased expression on his face as he faced away from me. When I turned around to face forward, I noticed a wide grin on Briar¡¯s face, her cheeks sporting a healthy blush.


    Upon noticing my gaze on her, she turned away from me and looked to Arce. ¡°Miss Arce, how close are we?¡± Her voice came out rushed with a squeak, but none of us decided to point it out, though Ash did offer her a smirk.


    ¡°Not far, but please, just call me Arce.¡± The fox Beastkin offered her a kind smile over her shoulder.


    ¡°Then call me Briar.¡±


    Indeed, it wasn¡¯t far, considering we reached Alba¡¯s manor not a few moments later. Oxton, seemingly expecting us, met us at the gate and escorted us inside. He led the four of us through the garden, where those working there greeted us politely but deferred to me with respectful nods. We walked through the entrance hall and towards Alba¡¯s office. When we reached the door, he bowed and spoke, ¡°The Lady waits with Miss Soralynn inside. They¡¯ve been expecting your return. I wish you all a good day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Oxton,¡± I said to the butler.


    ¡°Your thanks are unnecessary, but accepted gratefully, Lord Blaine.¡± Oxton bowed towards me, deeper than he did so for the others, and promptly turned away, walking towards his next destination.


    As I watched Arce open the door, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the twisted expression on Briar¡¯s face. A contorted, paled grimace with a hint of green in her cheeks. Sweat already peppered her forehead, but she held herself carefully, swaying ever so lightly. ¡°Briar?¡± I asked her, causing Ash to jerk towards me at the concern in my tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Her voice quivered, breathing deeply. ¡°I already prepared myself for this.¡±


    Ash stepped over to her. ¡°You should¡¯ve stayed with the Captain. I could¡¯ve done this on my own.¡± Concern warred with disapproval as he placed a hand on her shoulder, straightening her posture.


    Briar pushed his hand off her shoulder. ¡°No. I can¡¯t hide from them. I need to get used to them eventually.¡±


    ¡°This is why Captain hasn¡¯t fielded you in battle yet.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± She whispered harshly, glaring shakily at him.


    I studied them silently, trying to decipher what their argument. Before I could say anything, though, the door to Alba¡¯s office opened fully. I looked inside to see Sora standing to the side and reading something on the desk. Alba stared at it intently, a frown on her face. That, coupled with Briar¡¯s apparent discomfort, set off so many warning bells. They didn¡¯t notice us as we walked inside. ¡°-do they mean, they¡¯ve lost contact with our agents around Xadria?!¡± Alba said through the gritted teeth, fingers white as she squeezed the quill in her left hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t like it.¡± Sora hissed, eyes glowing as they narrowed. ¡°Something has gone wrong on both sides.¡±


    ¡°Have they died?¡± Alba sounded like she contemplated killing them herself.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Sora murmured. ¡°They should know how important Xadria is right now. Discretion should¡¯ve been emphasized.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I cut into their conversation, approaching the desk with a frown.


    Neither appeared surprised as they looked up to me. ¡°There¡¯s been no reply from our people. The message went through, but it¡¯s past their reply timeframe.¡± Alba placed her quill onto the table with deliberately slow movement, as if restraining herself. Her gaze flickered to Ash and Briar. ¡°Is you¡¯ve returned with company. Did your meeting with Miss Fitzgerald go well?¡±


    Ash stepped forward, clasping a fist over his heart, and bowed at the waist. ¡°Ash, a senior member of Twin Flags, offers his greetings.¡± It sounded stilted and half-practiced, but when I noticed the shivering and stiff Briar, I knew that he covered for her. ¡°Briar and me are here to talk about working with Joseph Blaine and his party about their¡­¡± He furrowed his brow and looked towards me. ¡°Mission.¡±


    Alba looked towards Sora, who offered him an amused smile, like an adult humoring a child. The two locked gazes as the former nodded to the latter, deferring to her with a distasteful look on her face. Sora hummed and turned towards Ash. ¡°That depends on what you mean?¡± Her gaze fell onto the pale and shivering Briar but said nothing.


    Ash stepped in front of her, expression turning mulish. ¡°We know that you¡¯re escorting a¡­¡± He met my eyes for a moment before facing Sora. ¡°A King.¡±


    Sora¡¯s eyes flashed, lips parting to a small smile. ¡°A ¡®King,¡¯ hmm? I see. Tell me why I should care?¡±


    ¡°Sora,¡± I growled as I stared at her.


    She inclined her head. ¡°What can you offer, little wolf?¡±


    ¡°Twin Flags offers their support in searching for the Demon Lord¡¯s four Generals.¡± Ash did not speak those words, but Briar, who had stepped forward and jutted her chin out in defiance. She held herself back from shivering but clenched her hand tight enough for blood to pour from her fist. ¡°We offer manpower, resources, and support.¡±


    Sora smiled as she studied the shaky girl, a hint of respect entering her amber gaze. ¡°Good. We may call upon that soon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Confusion filled me. ¡°Why?¡±


    Alba and Sora silently locked eyes, before facing me once more, the latter replying almost flippantly, with only her glowing amber orbs betraying her frustration. ¡°Because a contingent of the Royal Family will arrive in Xadria on the last day of the festival.¡±

 Ignis Aurum - 6

    I blinked as I heard her words, furrowing my brow. Lifting a hand, I poked the tip of my finger in my ear and shook it with a grimace. One I stopped, I faced Sora and asked, ¡°Can you say that again? I think I misheard you.¡±


    ¡°No, you did not.¡± Sora did not grimace, though she did smile apologetically, expression softening. ¡°Our information seemed not only to be faulty, but outdated as well.¡± The Witch reached down and lifted a paper from the desk. She held it out to me. ¡°As of last week, when we first arrived, we were right. Now?¡± She shrugged as I took the paper, watching as the script shifted before my eyes. ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Indeed. As of a whole five minutes ago, Sora¡¯s currently MIA agents had sent over verified information that Abigail DeVere of the Royal Family will grace Xadria with her presence in honor of my sacrifice in Nyrill. I read through it, taking in everything with a frown, but stiffened as I happened upon a specific spot. Emotions swirled within; a cloying sense of melancholy stuck to my ribs, weighing me down as I breathed. Anger bubbled and sloshed in my stomach, bile rising up my throat as nausea swelled within me. I pulled a hand from the paper and clenched it tight enough for knuckles to crack and pop.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve found the name of the second person of interest,¡± Sora said, her voice gentle, but stoic.


    ¡°Luke will be here.¡± My voice came out a ragged wheeze. Red clouded my vision, and I quickly closed my eyes, breathing out through my nose. I needed to calm down; I felt one step away from an eruption, like a bubbling volcano. This anger, it came from nowhere, yet it felt so natural in how it overwhelmed me. I couldn¡¯t even continue reading the paper, so I lowered it and forced my shoulders to relax.


    A hand wrapping around my empty fist startled me as I faced the source. Briar stared up to me, her mien an odd combination of white and green. Her lips curled upwards into a smile, eyes softening as she squeezed my hand.


    Why does she seem so sick? Hell, she¡¯s been like that since we arrived and Sora only seemed amused. Huh. Now that I look at her, Briar seemed pretty young all things considered; especially since she and Ash are two of Kacee¡¯s Lieutenants. In charge of¡­what? Recruitment. But why-?


    Wait. Is Briar¡­? She paid close attention to me as I spoke with Ash, never taking her eyes off me. She reacted as I spoke of Maggie and she¡¯s clearly in pain when she¡¯s near Sora and Alba. And now me. Why would she be in pain when just standing next to us?


    Wait. Recruitment. Pointed questions about family. Strong reactions. Like what I¡¯ve experienced.


    Emotions.


    ¡°You¡¯re an Empath,¡± I said as I felt my fury abating, slowly dying down as horror filled me. Briar felt emotions strong enough to be hurt by Sora¡¯s presence, to be sickened when merely standing before her, and now me. That was the only thing that made sense. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Briar shook her head and let her hand fall freely. She faced Sora and steeled herself. ¡°Who comprises Lady Abigail¡¯s guard?¡±


    Sora arched a brow at the girl, studying her with an analytical eye. ¡°After distinguishing themselves with seven months of exemplary service, Luke Wirth and Colette Leblanc were henceforth assigned to guard the Second Princess.¡±


    ¡°¡®Exemplary service.¡¯¡± My voice came out rough as a red film overtook my sight. I turned my attention to the left, glaring at the map on the wall. She had moved the darts since I had last been here, with cords attached the bases. ¡°If they knew the truth, they wouldn¡¯t want him anywhere near the princess.¡± I released a slow breath, rubbing my face to try and calm myself. I¡¯d rather not hurt Briar with my growing rage.


    ¡°Those who live, they create the narrative.¡± Alba demurred, rising from her chair and approaching the map on the far wall. ¡°That is the way this world has been since time immemorial. The strong direct the world, while the weak are controlled.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡± Briar denied, desperation and resignation coloring her tone.


    Alba turned an amused glance towards the girl. ¡°Believe what you wish, but that is the undisputable truth. If you want it to change, then spark a revolution and rule when the ashes have settled.¡±


    Briar did not reply, just glaring at Alba impotently.


    ¡°Enough.¡± I cut into the argument before it escalated any further. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose to alleviate the building headache, a continuous pulse centered in my temples. ¡°With that horrid piece of knowledge lodged in my brain, what are we going to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Even with her intentions to arrive, Abigail DeVere will only arrive late tomorrow night and speak in your honor on the eve of the final night of festivities,¡± Sora explained as she turned towards Alba¡¯s desk, sifting through the papers. ¡°In the midst of that, we¡¯ll have you leave tomorrow morning for a ¡®personal expedition¡¯ to scout in response to rumored monster sightings.¡±


    ¡°But there aren¡¯t any,¡± Ash said with a frown, causing Sora and Alba give him matching glares. He grimaced as he turned away from them, unable to meet their shared enmity.


    ¡°Obviously.¡± Sora rolled her eyes. ¡°However, Alba has sparked the rumor amongst the masses with our agents. It¡¯ll take time to gain traction. When it finally does, one of us will volunteer our team for the expedition.¡±


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve mobilized, you¡¯ll properly scout out a path for your journey to the Realm of Unmarked Graves.¡± Alba stepped over to a cabinet next to her wall map and opened it. Flipping through documents inside the drawer, she pulled out a folded piece of parchment. She turned and held it out towards Sora. ¡°This is a map of the area between here and the border of Kohinoor.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Ash broke into the conversation once more, grimacing under the combined glare from the woman, before centering himself. ¡°You¡¯re saying you know where¡­the Realm of Unmarked Graves is?¡±


    Sora didn¡¯t reply, blinking once as she stared at Ash in disbelief. Her eyes rolled lethargically towards Alba, whose expression twisted into frustrated exasperation, lips curled as she bared her teeth in disgust. The two locked eyes and commiserated in mutual frustration, before quickly looking away. ¡°Yes. We do. May I continue without interruptions this time?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Ash grimaced and shrugged. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Sora hummed, narrowing her eyes before she resumed. ¡°We will stay outside of Xadria for the remaining time of the festival and return when we receive word that the contingent has left.¡± She paused, eyes flickering to Ash before she faced Briar. ¡°May we count on Twin Flags to offer support for this task. Whether to have an operative or two join us or create a distraction to aid our departure?¡±


    Briar, who seemed to regain her color quickly, nodded firmly. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll have to speak with the Captain, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll go along with the plan.¡±


    Sora nodded and unfolded the parchment studying the parchment. ¡°How recent is this, Alba?¡±


    ¡°Two weeks since.¡± The Wight answered, searching through other papers. ¡°The operative who missed their rendezvous updated it.¡± As she said that, she frowned. ¡°Damn. I suppose that means that it may be compromised.¡±


    The right corner of Sora¡¯s mouth quirked upwards as she bared her teeth in a sneer. ¡°Not so perfect, now are you?¡±


    Alba gritted her teeth, glaring at the Witch. ¡°Do not start, Soralynn. We have more important things to worry about. Like certain radicals.¡±


    Sora¡¯s expression fell, eyes narrowing and gaining a faint glow. ¡°Them? I thought Penny ordered them to stand down.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re radicals for a reason.¡± Alba arched a delicate brow. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be such if they obeyed orders, now would they?¡±


    Sora bared her teeth at the passive-aggressive retort, but before she could snipe back, I caught their attention with a heavy sigh. I looked from Witch to Wight and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like being lost in a conversation.¡± I then regarded the equally lost Briar and Ash. ¡°Plus, is now the time to speak of internal matters?¡± The two of them flushed, glaring at one another before turning away brusquely.


    ¡°Arce. The three of us need to speak about sensitive matters. Please escort our esteemed guests back to their headquarters so they can make their necessary reports.¡±


    Arce deferred to me, and I nodded. Before she could continue, Briar cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to impose, but the Captain will likely ask one of us to remain with you to make communication easier.¡± She stiffened when Alba stared at her.


    After a few moments of silence, Alba pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have Oxton show you to the tea room. We may be long, to warn you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Briar nodded once, though she ignored Ash¡¯s intense stare. With that, Arce escorted the two of them out the room.


    Once the door clicked shut, I watched as Alba returned to her desk and sat down. I grabbed a chair as well and sat down as I watched Sora continued to look through the map. ¡°Now. Tell me about these ¡®radicals.¡¯¡±


    Sora didn¡¯t reply, still reading through the papers before her. Instead, Alba chose to field my questions. At her desk, the Wight pulled out more articles and handed them to me. As I took them, she began to speak. ¡°During the tenure of your predecessor, he gathered a force of officers to lead his army, the Four Generals being the most well-known.¡± Held in my hands, I examined a collection of dossiers of several soldiers. ¡°However, they were not the only ones, with me amongst those he sought to recruit.¡±


    I gave her a surprised look; seeing my shock, her lips curled ever so lightly. ¡°Monsters such as I do not age like humans and Beastkin. We thrive differently and, thus, have extended longevity.¡± She waved a hand, causing black splotches to manifest on her skin and her hair to slacken and turn to a pale blue. ¡°As a Wight, an Undead creature, my longevity is already substantial compared to others. Because of that, myself and a select few others, led and guided the various divisions within his army.¡±


    ¡°How large was the army?¡± I asked as I quickly flipped through the papers, marveling at the sheer number of them.


    ¡°The largest in Verum¡¯s history.¡± A subtle pride-filled Alba¡¯s tone, her splotchy eyes flickering with an indistinguishable emotion, as she hissed with a twist of her lips. At that moment, I could tell just how inhuman my newest cohort as the incipient Demon Lord seemed to be. ¡°While he lived, no human, dwarf, or elven army could challenge us. Even together, marshaling their greatest of warriors, they could not challenge us.¡± She closed her eyes and exhaled gustily, her cracked lips parting and revealing blackened teeth. ¡°Before the Hero King¡¯s Ascension, we remained uncontested and undefeated. Nothing stood in our path for long; with their best and brightest only serving as easily-solved bumps in the road.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°But upon his Ascension?¡±


    Grudging respect, an emotion she seemed to be uncomfortable with expressing, overcame her. Alba gritted her teeth and shook her head, hands clenched in front of her. ¡°It started slowly, with the occasional loss on our side. Lieutenants falling and key locations lost to the slow advance of Humanities marshaled forces; we never realized our inevitable defeat until my fellows, and I recognized an emotion in our Lord we¡¯d never seen before¡­¡± Alba shivered, eyes closing as her appearance slowly shifted back to her human guise. Her mien crumbled, brow furrowing and lips pursed with a frown. ¡°Fear.¡±


    ¡°Fear?¡±


    Alba¡¯s lips curled as she chuckled lightly. ¡°One thing you must understand is that before the Hero King¡¯s Ascension, your predecessor knew only victory. His every battle ended only in the conquering of his foes.¡± She met my eyes, wisps of mist exuding from them. ¡°If every foe you¡¯ve fought was crushed underfoot; if every battle you¡¯ve ever led ended in joyous victory; then would you not hesitate upon hearing the loss of a checkpoint guarded by one of your elite warriors?¡± A shaky laugh escaped her, her face pale from remembrance. ¡°When we heard of that loss, the previous Demon Lord¡¯s fury was apocalyptic. It terrified all of us because he beheaded the scout who reported without hesitation, with nothing more than a red-eyed glare.¡±


    A red-eyed glare. How often have I felt a rage at the edge of my consciousness, a fury that would only abate once I had spilled blood? How often will I feel it, until I lose all control? I¡¯m not sure, but I do know that if I try to ignore it, it¡¯ll only come back again and again, harder to control.


    ¡°The story of his defeat has been told time and time again, Joseph Blaine. I see no need to tell it again.¡± Alba met my gaze head-on, not looking away even as I noticed red in the reflection of her eyes. ¡°What you do need to know is that a vast majority of my compatriots will not accept you as the next Demon Lord.¡±


    In my periphery, I caught sight of Sora stiffening. She lowered the papers in her hands and faced Alba with an expression carved from stone. Her amber gaze glowed dimly, but sharply. Wisps of black energy flowed from the corners of her eyes and mouth. Green, ethereal energies crackled around her free hand, along the length of her arm. The cloth of her sleeve glowed before it began to tear apart, the threads coming to pieces under the weight of her power.


    Alba rolled her eyes, her expression twisting into one of exhausted exasperation. ¡°Stand down, Witch. I have no intention of going against Penemue¡¯s orders.¡± Sora made no move to do as asked, though she did narrow her eyes. Now ignoring my companion, Alba focused on me. ¡°Make no mistake, Joseph Blaine. My loyalty is not to you, but the ruler of Terras.¡± Her gaze shifted, becoming almost probing. It felt like my hair stood on end, like static electricity racing along my body. Still, I met her eyes without hesitation, hands opening, and closing in preparation. The corners of her lips twitched before she continued. ¡°Penemue¡¯s intervention prevented Terras from imploding from rampant Madness. It is only due to her that we still can act, beyond mindless destruction. If she asks it of us, we will support you, guide you until you can fully Ascend to the throne.¡±


    Once again, the weight of her stare settled upon my shoulders. ¡°Make no mistake, though. It is not you that we follow, but Penemue, the Regent of Terras. She returned to us our rationality, our ability to think beyond destroying the closest settlement.¡± She closed her eyes, and her shoulders slacked, rolling her neck to crack it. When her eyes opened once more, Alba treated me to an unstable glower that caused her guise to falter and her body to quiver. ¡°Yet, even with that¡­¡± Her voice gained an unnatural quiver, a broken rasp that grated at my consciousness. ¡°We stand at a precipice; at the edge of a cliff, where a single choice can throw us over the edge.¡±


    Her elongated nails dug into the hardwood desk beneath her fingers with a creak. In my periphery, Sora continued to stand at the ready, the ethereal energy already destroying her left sleeve.


    ¡°Penemue may have granted us this opportunity, but her decisions have not sat well with all of us.¡± Alba remained in the guise of the Monster that simmered beneath the surface of her fa?ade, staring at me, like a lion before a gazelle.


    Strangely, though, I did not feel fear or trepidation. No. I felt calm; at peace.


    No¡­


    That¡¯s wrong.


    I wanted her to attack me. To attempt to kill me. I felt similar to how I did when I encountered those bandits. I had yet to reach my limits, to learn of my real strength. I had this need, this drive, to satisfy that unending curiosity that poked and prodded me at times.


    But this was not the time to satisfy mindless curiosities. I wanted my answers, and I would get them by force if necessary.


    ¡°What are her orders?¡±


    Alba¡¯s lips curled to reveal teeth reminiscent of gleaming and chipped charcoal, her eyes shining with predatory approval. ¡°To standby and watch. To aid the growth of our next King when he rises. To do nothing. Do you not see how that grates and aggravates those who followed your predecessor?¡± She gritted her teeth as her chest heaved and fell, expression twisting into something ugly and wrong. ¡°We were conquerors. We took what we wanted and crushed those who stood against us! Under his rule, we were gods among men! Worshipped and feared for standing above all who opposed us!¡± She gnashed her teeth, sending green spittle onto her desk as she rose to her feet abruptly. The chair fell back as she stared down at me, eyes alight with primal and animalistic fury.


    ¡°That damned Hero King stole everything from us! Our power base! Our subjects! Our reign of terror! Our King!¡± She slammed an open hand onto the surface of her desk, tearing a hole through it and sent wood and debris everywhere. I leaned to the side to avoid those sent in my direction, but never took my gaze off her. ¡°We had everything only to have it all taken away by a usurper! In our Madness, we would¡¯ve ravaged the earth and all who stood in our path.¡± Her lips curled into a cruel sneer. ¡°With our liege, he lost his life. With his death, there would¡¯ve been none who could¡¯ve stopped us!¡±


    She closed her eyes with what appeared to be a forced exertion. Like a visible transformation, Alba¡¯s human guise returned. Like watching a film reel in reverse, the decay that encompassed her body reverted until she returned to ¡®normal.¡¯ With an exhale through her nose, she rolled her shoulders and straightened her ruffle clothing. She opened her eyes and studied me with a visage of stone, a cold gaze meeting mine as though I had seen nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°Yet, as lost in our Madness as we were, we failed to realize that it was more than the monstrous strength that elevated us. Our King¡¯s guidance. Our intelligence and wisdom. Those were the traits that brought us to the height of our power. Not the nigh-limitless brute strength that Madness had granted us.¡±


    Alba shook her head as she waved her hand. A thud behind her caused me to notice her chair asserting and fixing itself up so that she could sit once more. ¡°With our King gone, we had lost all of that. We had lost everything that had granted us victory.¡± She closed her eyes as her entire form crumbled before me, grief filling her. But I did not feel pity for her. No. I felt nothing for her. I just needed information from her.


    The Wight straightened herself, meeting my gaze with tired defiance. ¡°I tell you this so that you¡¯ll understand. Some of us chose to accept Penemue¡¯s command, following her orders in the hopes that His successor will rise to power. I am among that number, so I¡¯ll do what I can to guide you, Joseph Blaine.¡± She frowned towards me, an unknown emotion filling her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it, but I can¡¯t help but detest you. I know nothing of you beyond the paltry rumors that have overblown your deeds. You¡¯ve not earned my loyalty, and I doubt you ever will.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, I couldn¡¯t help a sliver of emotion that wormed its way into my heart. A description of it refused to come to mind. No words came forward, only a sense of confusion. In a way, it didn¡¯t bother me. A part of me felt glad; a real Monster sat in front of me. Someone who had the blood of countless innocent people sat before me, unrepentant of the atrocities she had no doubt committed. For the first time in my life, I had met someone who genuinely reminded me of the villains that I¡¯ve read of in my stories. It felt almost¡­nostalgic.


    But¡­if I¡¯m to thrive in a world like this; I had to come to terms that I¡¯ll likely run into more people like Alba.


    Monsters who act in self-interest and only care for their own dreams to succeed.


    Monsters who hide among people as if they belonged, only to use the status quo to their advantage.


    Monsters that disguise themselves as people, using that public face to further their goals.


    If I¡¯m to thrive¡­will I have to become a Monster like that?


    I stood from my seat, pushing my chair backward in the process. ¡°Then, this radical you¡¯ve mentioned, they¡¯re one of your old compatriots. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Alba nodded to my deduction. ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt. Either through subversion or death, they¡¯re preventing us from gaining the information we need.¡± She studied me intently, eyes narrowing as she met my gaze.


    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± I accepted her answer with a nod. I rolled my shoulders as a rush of energy surged through me, a chill racing down my spine. ¡°Before I take my leave, I¡¯d like to offer a piece of advice, if you¡¯re willing.¡± As I spoke, my voice cracked as hints of my earlier fury returned to me. I reached the side and grabbed the edge of her desk. With an exertion of strength, I had no idea I had, I upended her desk and flipped it to the side. The only reaction Alba gave before I acted was a widening of her eyes. My left arm burned from the exertion, almost uncomfortably, so as I stepped forward, I used my right to reach forward and grasp the Wight by her throat.


    My hand tensed as I wrapped my fingers around her throat, the touch of her skin cold to the touch. Adrenaline sent my heart pounding in my chest as I lifted her bodily from the chair and slammed her form against the wall hard enough to shake the room. Various paraphernalia sitting upon shelves vibrated in place, nearly falling the ground; paintings and maps hanging on the walls fell to the ground, face down. The wall cracked from the impact; a gag escaped her as I squeezed. I leaned forward and looked her in the eyes, not at all surprised by the vibrant red glint in the reflection of her dead gaze.


    ¡°Never raise your voice to me again, Alba.¡± My voice never raised above a casual volume, as if speaking nonchalantly. ¡°I used to think that I was a patient person, due to my forced exile, but ever since coming to Verum, I learned how mistaken I was.¡± Never turning from her mute surprise, I cocked my head to the side. ¡°You say you¡¯ve lost everything, but you¡¯re mistaken. You¡¯ve never had anything to lose, Alba. You¡¯ve clearly always been cold, so nothing¡¯s changed for you.¡±


    I tightened my grip on her throat, causing her to grasp my wrist both of her hands and gag audibly. She made no move pull it away, merely meeting my gaze with an intrigued glint in her eye. ¡°Betrayal. Loss. Death. They can change people. On both sides of the divide. Power, though?¡± I leaned forward, the smell of her strained breath tickling my nose as I neared her. Mint. A mask for the undertone of decay that my enhanced sense of smell had pierced. ¡°Does Power change people? Or does it bring their true character to the surface?¡±


    With one last squeeze, I abruptly released Alba and stepped back to watch her collapse to the ground. She held her throat, but never tore her gaze from mine, an unknown emotion simmering in her lifeless orbs. ¡°Consider those words the next time you speak to me. I may still be new to this world. But cruelty?¡± The cruelty to force a pair of children to live on their own. ¡°The callousness of those with power?¡± The callousness to separate a mother from her children. ¡°Self-serving actions at the cost of others?¡± Luke¡¯s betrayal. ¡°I understand those perfectly well. If you think you can manipulate me; if you think you can twist me towards your own ends; then you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    I stared down at her, watching as her eyes widen and lips part. ¡°You never have to see me again, Alba. Just give Sora the information from now on. Because if you think you can speak to me that way again¡­¡± I casually lifted my foot and drove the sole of my boot into the wall next to her head. The wall shook again, dust and specks of debris falling from the ceiling above us; the clatter of more fallen items filled the awed silence Alba afforded me as I pulled my foot back. ¡°I have my goals, my own dreams to fulfill, Alba. Ambitions that I will achieve. Stand in my way, no matter your allegiance, and I will bring everything I have to bear against you. Against your old comrades.¡± My voice never raised above a whisper, but I knew she heard me. ¡°Your past doesn¡¯t matter. Your ambitions aren¡¯t a factor. Your loyalty means nothing to me. Only your compliance.¡±


    I reached down and took by her chin, meeting her eyes in her catatonic state. ¡°Whether it¡¯s to Penemue or me, means nothing. Just fulfill your obligation to gather and supply information. Everything else is irrelevant.¡± I straightened and abruptly released her, turning to leave. ¡°We¡¯re done here. If I see you again, it¡¯ll be too soon.¡±


    As I walked towards the door, I nearly stumbled as I caught sight of my reflection in a fallen, cracked mirror. Hair as white and pure as the driven snow; eyes the color of freshly-spilled blood, devoid of all humanity and remorse. Skin paler than a freshly killed corpse. An expression contorted into a rictus of controlled and direct fury. The cracked mirror depicted someone that I couldn¡¯t recognize, yet knew deep in my heart, no matter the fervent refusal. In the mirror, the broken, corrupted, visage showed me a Monster that stood in that very room. A Monster that hid in place sight, waiting for an opportunity to rise.


    When I blinked, it vanished. My shoulder-length, nigh unruly, black hair, and dark blue eyes. Tired. That¡¯s how I looked and felt, in that very moment. I spared no more than a few seconds at the observation, before returning to the exit.


    ¡°Sora. Gather the rest of the information we need. Find me later.¡± With that, I left Alba¡¯s office with a slam of the door, ignoring a call of my name from one of them. I didn¡¯t even know from which one. I just wanted to get the hell out of there.


    Now. Where the hell is Briar and Marishka?

 Ignis Aurum - 7

    The early afternoon breeze sent my bangs fluttering in the wind as I stared forward, breathing through my nose to calm my frazzled nerves. I stared at nothing, sitting upon a wooden bench in a deserted park on the border on the noble¡¯s and commerce district in Xadria. Leaning back, I tried to lose myself in the fingers that entwined themselves in my frustratingly long tresses. Behind me, Kato wordlessly fixed up my hair with her weapon form. ¡°Apologies for asking this, Kato. I just can¡¯t ignore my hair like this anymore.¡± I kicked a rock out from under my foot as I moved it to the side.


    ¡°It is of no consequence, Milord.¡± Kato demurred in her stoic, a hint of tenderness in tone. Her finger gently tugged at my locks, asserting her grip before I felt it slack with a silent cut. ¡°Though you are skilled with my knife form, I am still superior in its use.¡± Kato proved surprisingly affectionate in the aftermath of my request.


    It had been a few minutes since my talk with Alba and Sora. After collecting Briar and Marishka, I had left the Luvian manor in fuming silence, refusing to pay my newest companion¡¯s worried glances any mind. Though I regretted causing her pain with my anger, I knew that I was only one concerned question away from snapping at her, something that she didn¡¯t deserve. In the midst of that, I had resolved to change as much as I could, starting with something simple.


    Without turning my head, I looked over to the right to see Briar showering Marishka with pets and cuddles. She sat on the ground against a tree with the black wolf wrapped in her arms and on her lap. Light, rumbly groans emanated from Marishka as she relaxed into Briar¡¯s grasp, enjoying the attention.


    Arce and Sora had yet to return from their respective places, so it remained the four of us until they met us.


    ¡°How short would you like the cut, Milord?¡± Kato interrupted my silent musing. She had already cut the back and sides.


    ¡°Ideally, I¡¯d prefer a crew cut, but I¡¯m not sure a knife could cut it that close,¡± I answered idly, staring to the cloudless sky.


    ¡°Crew cut?¡± Kato said as if testing the phrase on her lips. ¡°I am¡­not familiar with such a term.¡±


    I snorted, lips curling into a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. I prefer it shorter than what this world could provide. So make it too short of grabbing in a fight.¡±


    ¡°I would not allow such a thing to happen, but I shall make it so.¡± Kato protested such an occurrence before returning her attention to my hair, threading her fingers through my hair once more. The feel of her gently massaging my scalp caused me to close my eyes in contentment.


    The sound of approaching footsteps prevented me from losing myself to Kato¡¯s ministrations. ¡°More and more, you surprise me with your actions, Joey.¡± Sora entered the park, amusement in her tone. ¡°I dare say that you surprised Alba and me with your reaction to her impertinence.¡± I didn¡¯t reply to her words, just reveling in Kato¡¯s gentle attentions. She huffed at my silence. ¡°Already taking advantage of your subordinate¡¯s skills to relax, I see.¡± The crunch of grass under footsteps approaching me was the last thing I heard before a weight settled down next to me on the bench. ¡°Joseph, in all seriousness, are you okay?¡±


    Sora¡¯s concern seemed a combination of forced, uncomfortable, and oddly genuine. I¡¯ll admit, on a bad day, her semi-robotic question would rub me the wrong way, but Kato¡¯s ministrations felt strangely calming, so I could answer without snapping at her. ¡°I thought I was, then I saw Luke¡¯s name and heard that he''d be here soon.¡± I shrugged without moving my head. ¡°Meeting up with Kacee and Arce joining us has made it easier, though.¡±


    Sora hummed, her arm brushing against mine. ¡°Our journey is a difficult one, so more support can only help.¡± She sounded frustrated as she spoke, discontent filling her tone.


    I let out a laugh, eyes opening to regard her in my periphery. ¡°We can¡¯t do everything on our own, Sora. A little help here and there can only make achieving our goals all the more satisfying.¡±


    She frowned, lips curling down as she turned to face me. ¡°I know, but I must guide you. My duty is to show you Verum.¡± She crossed her arms, leaning back on the bench. ¡°I just feel as though others infringe upon it more than my liking.¡±


    ¡°I told you before, and I¡¯ll tell you again, nothing and no one can replace you.¡± I declared with as much resolve as I could muster. She turned to meet my eyes; her expression blank. ¡°You were there when I pulled myself from that damn grave. You guided me out of Nyrill. Without you, I¡¯d have no idea where to go, aside from ¡®away.¡¯¡± I narrowed my eyes at Sora, baring my teeth in a grin. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go. Not for a very long time. If at all.¡±


    Red colored her cheeks as Sora¡¯s lips curled upwards, looking away from me to look towards Briar and Marishka. The wolf Beastkin stared at the two of us; her expression inscrutable as her ears twitched. Her study seemed intense enough for her to stop petting Marishka. Sora¡¯s smile turned amused as she met Briar¡¯s gaze. ¡°Tell me, Empath. What do you feel? Have you become accustomed to me, yet?¡±


    The girl grimaced when Sora noticed her before her gaze fell flat. ¡°How¡­how can you live with that much fury?¡± Concern filled her tone, but her expression betrayed her disbelief.


    ¡°A Witch¡¯s conception is not a story for the faint of heart, little wolf.¡± Sora shook her head, then rested her chin on a fist, elbow sitting on her knee. ¡°I¡¯ve long since become accustomed to how I feel for this world. It will not change, not without a forceful revolution.¡± She waved her free hand to the side, a tired scoff escaping her. ¡°I¡¯ve no desire to take such drastic measures to rehabilitate a race I detest. So, I¡¯ll watch as they destroy themselves in with their hubris and greed.¡±


    Briar frowned, looking ready to argue before reluctant understanding crossed her features.


    Sora¡¯s smile widened at the girl. ¡°Of course, someone like you, who experiences the emotions of those around you, would understand better than most.¡± She slowly shrugged, not moving from her seat next to me. ¡°I do not need to beat a dead horse. The state of humanity is something easy to see, so I¡¯ll leave it be.¡± She then straightened her posture, facing Briar inquisitively. ¡°Tell me, what exactly can Twin Flags offer us?¡±


    As the two of them spoke, I noticed a shadow flicker over us for an instant. I threw my gaze upwards just as Kato pulled her hands from my hair. The empty sky hid nothing from my enhanced sight as I caught sight of a winged, white horse soaring through the open air, heading in the direction of the guildhall. Clad in glistening alabaster armor, the Pegasus galloped through the air as if walking on land; sitting upon the saddle was an indistinguishable figure in armor with a polearm attached to the side of the seat. ¡°The hell¡­?¡±


    ¡°If my estimation is right, that is a Pegasus.¡± Kato murmured, frowning as she too stared at the soaring figure. ¡°Which is strange, considering they¡¯re exclusively reared in Holien. Primarily partnered with warriors descended from Valkyries.¡±


    I blinked at Kato¡¯s words, my gaze turning from the potential Valkyrie descendant to face the spirit given physical form. ¡°Valkyries? From Norse mythology?¡±


    Her lips curled downwards, and her brow furrowed as confusion crossed her normally stoic features when she looked down at me. ¡°¡®Norse¡¯? You speak of thinks I do not recognize. Stories from your world, perhaps?¡± She mused rhetorically before shaking her head. ¡°Regardless, the original Valkyries were warriors of unmatched skill and devoted themselves to a lord they saw as worthy.¡± Kato turned her head to face the direction of the retreating figure, her short hair swaying in the gentle breeze, lips curling down to a pronounced frown. ¡°Why a descendant is here, in Veritas, I do not know. But it must be something notable for one to leave their monastery.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Kato shook her head. ¡°Descendants stay in Holien because their lineage grants them incredible power and potential, but they must fulfill a certain oath before it can be achieved.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like how that sounded, frowning as I faced Kato. ¡°An oath.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± She hummed, inclining her head. ¡°An oath of service to a lord. Forever offering her loyalty to one who will forever hold her future in their hands.¡± Kato noticed my disbelief, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards before she smoothed her expression. ¡°As powerful they are, their services are kept within the Imperial Lineage. Honor Guards comprised of the most talented and highly-trained warriors of legend have protected the Emperors and Empresses of Holien for as far as back as the Empire can trace their history.¡±


    ¡°That much power contained within a single nation?¡± I mused with a frown. ¡°Sounds like a powder keg waiting to ignite.¡±


    Approval danced in Kato¡¯s dark gaze as her lips quirked upwards. ¡°Holien is the religious center of power on Verum; they¡¯ve shown no inclination towards conquest and have happily cooperated with the other nations.¡± She then inclined her head. ¡°Besides, the occasional descendant has been allowed to join with notable people, whether or not they affiliated with national heads of state. Select noble houses can boast about having Valkyrie blood within their lines.¡±


    That seems¡­strange for a head of state to allow, even to foster positive connections. If Kato¡¯s words are valid, then Valkyrie descendants are international resources all on their own, and allowing other nations to gain their allegiance would be a mistake. Then realization filled me as my eyes widen. ¡°It¡¯s the training they receive, or something within Holien itself, that allows Valkyrie descendants to grow as much as they do.¡±


    ¡°That is the assumption.¡± Kato¡¯s muted response belied the hint of pride in her tone. ¡°Countless nations have tried to discover their methods, but all have failed.¡±


    I nodded as I took in her words, meeting her gaze with pointed regard. ¡°You seem oddly informed about this topic.¡±


    Kato did not immediately respond, her gaze falling to the ground. Her stoicism betrayed none of her thoughts, though I did notice her eyes rising to meet mine. ¡°As the spirit of the blade you wield, I am sworn to follow you. I am neither forced nor compelled, to do as you order. It is solely my choice.¡± Deceptively lethargic, Kato turned to face the direction of the distance flying figure. ¡°Due to that, I will likely have to face threats that threaten your life and the very freedom you cherish. Threats that can be anything, anyone.¡±


    ¡°Like a Valkyrie.¡± A sense of anticipation filled me. A rising desire to test myself against a legend, to see if my potential could reach them. If I were to meet one, to face one, aside from Eir, in combat, how would I fare?


    ¡°Not well.¡± Kato seemingly guessed my thoughts from my expression, if the stern stare meant anything. ¡°The idea of being ¡®born for greatness¡¯ is oft-debated among scholars and philosophers all across Verum. Whether it is derived from a ¡®destiny¡¯ or an ambition, it is of little consequence. Potential is a nebulous concept that cannot be measured.¡± My usually silent companion spoke sternly, caution filling her words. ¡°For the common man, that is indeed the inalienable truth. For Valkyries? They are born for war. For battle.¡± She emphasized that with a weight that drew my attention solely to her.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°From birth, all Valkyries show an almost preternatural preference for the art of warfare. None are their peers in that realm, save for the very rare anomaly.¡± Kato laid a hand on the bench, leaning forward to loom over me essentially. ¡°If we were to meet a Valkyrie out for blood, Milord, I beg you to flee.¡± I blinked at the rare intensity in her words, taken aback at her sudden shift in demeanor. ¡°There are three people in all of Verum that can face a Valkyrie in single combat and come out victorious. Even among them, it is not due to an abundance of combat skills, but their ability to even the playing field.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± I asked her ¡ª three people who can stand against people forged for battle from birth. I can avoid them, study them, or use them measuring sticks for my growth. Honestly, I toyed with the idea of trying to get a Valkyrie sworn into my service, but brushed the thought aside, since it¡¯d only put me on a radar I wanted to avoid.


    ¡°Reinhardt of Veritas. Ellewyn of Melia. Penemue of Terras.¡±


    Hearing my Regent¡¯s name and that of Veritas¡¯ greatest knight, I furrowed my brow and considered her answer. ¡°What makes them that powerful?¡±


    ¡°Reinhardt of Veritas is a Knight of excellent skill. Even at his age, his skills and strength have not dulled. He traveled with the current King in their youth, seeing the entirety of Verum in the hopes of aiding his King to gain the worldliness to be a better ruler.¡± Kato pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. ¡°We do not know the specifics, but Reinhardt¡¯s Affinity allowed him to face an Adult Dragon in single combat in his youth and come out victorious with nothing more than a broken arm and a shattered sword.¡±


    I had no idea what to think about that since I haven¡¯t seen a dragon to compare the two. Aside from Jeanne, who I¡¯m sure skews the scale, I don¡¯t know any dragons. Still, to face a dragon in single combat and come out with only a broken arm has to be a feat worthy of respect.


    ¡°Great Sage Ellewyn is a Mystic of the highest caliber, wielding magic from all documented, and some undocumented, schools,¡± Kato explained clinically as if reciting a book passage from memory. ¡°She is one of the chosen few who lived and fought, in the era of the Hero King and Demon Lord. She has seen rise and fall of civilization; though, she currently lives in seclusion on the outskirts of Melia, furthest from occupied settlements.¡± Kato nodded, ¡°Fitting, considering rumors state that her powers allow her to rewrite the laws of reality to fit her whims. I recommend that we avoid her at all costs.¡±


    The old hermit, then. She¡¯s seen it all at once and likely wouldn¡¯t be surprised by anything brought against her. If she were the mentor type, then people would probably travel across the globe itself for an opportunity to even meet her.


    Still, that brought me to the last name, the one that Kato had to explain to me, merely standing there in silence. ¡°What of Penemue?¡±


    Kato didn¡¯t respond immediately, her lips curling downwards and arms crossing. ¡°Lady Penemue¡¯s full capabilities are unknown to me, even compared to the previous two. However, I have reason to believe that does nothing to discredit the rumors of her strength.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°She defeated three of our four Generals in single combat, consecutively.¡± Kato¡¯s matter-of-fact statement made me blink as I considered her words. Indeed, I had yet to meet them or see them in action, but if the stories of their capabilities were correct, then¡­


    ¡°The same Generals that have the whole world terrified at their mere mention?¡±


    Kato nodded. ¡°Yes. She faced Eir in a battle of pure martial ability and won. Lady Penemue still carries her broken sword, a remnant of their final clash.¡± I did remember the broken blade she held when I met her in Nyrill. ¡°She then challenged Jeanne¡¯s mystical aptitude immediately afterward, snuffing every flame; desiccating every conjured ocean. Penemue matched and overcame all of Jeanne¡¯s attempts to destroy her, before forcing Verum¡¯s most powerful Dragon to kneel in defeat.¡±


    Kato then shrugged, facing where Sora and Briar spoke beneath the shade of a tree in the park. ¡°Compared to the first two battles, Mina could not muster much to challenge Penemue. The Vampire Lord summoned a horde large enough to drown most nations in bodies in bodies, but they were wiped out with but a wave from Penemue¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°What of Kaede?¡± I asked her, trying to put all of this into place. As powerful as Penemue seemed to be, why was I here? What point would there be for what was mainly a group of nobodies that my class and I happened to be? If there were already people as powerful as Kato claim there to be on Verum, then why summon students to fight their wars for them?


    ¡°She recognized the futility of challenging someone as superior as Lady Penemue and forfeited her right of challenge.¡±


    ¡°Why have my class and I summoned then?¡± Kato faced me, her gaze intent, and searching. ¡°In a world like Verum, with people and groups as potent and powerful as you say, why call upon a group as powerless and pointless as my class?¡± I couldn¡¯t help the desperation that leaked out. Hearing all of that, putting the pieces together and coming to a conclusion made me feel¡­like it was all pointless. What could I, someone who can only master what he touches, do to change a world where there are already people who could reshape maps with a flick of a finger?


    That feeling of insignificance chafed in ways worse than the idea of returning to that damn cage.


    Kato didn¡¯t reply, meeting my eyes stoically. The smallest, most minute, shift of her expression told me a myriad of potential answers I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d like, but I had to know.


    ¡°Verum, for as long as most know, has been chained by the concept of prophecy. Of predestination.¡± Kato began, her voice was soft as she turned her gaze upwards, towards the sky. ¡°Though they are far and few between, giving the illusion of freedom to most, the few that are in place tell of events that are doomed to come to pass, regardless of, or perhaps in spite of, outside intervention.¡± She shook her head, bangs dancing with the movement. ¡°There have been attempts to avert prophecy, but all have failed. Whether they lacked the resolve to follow through, or the prophecy expected such attempts, it mattered not. Predestination remained.¡±


    Then her gaze honed in me, an unknown emotion dancing in her dark orbs. ¡°Your class, however, is an anomaly. The summoning spell the DeVere Monarchy used normally could only summon one person.¡± My eyes widened at that, causing Kato to nod, lips curling upwards. ¡°Yes. Something interfered. Something that Lady Penemue could not foresee. All of a sudden, instead of one guaranteed Hero King candidate, there stood thirteen. Thirteen opportunities to throw the prophecy into chaos. Thirteen chances to take the final prophecy and break it, before it could ever gain traction.¡±


    I frowned as I studied her, taking in her words ¡ª breaking prophecy. The idea of self-fulfilling prophecies came to mind almost immediately. How much did they change only for events to forcefully line up to inevitably fulfill the prophecy¡¯s real goal? How much could I do to change the world in a way to facilitate that ambition? What part of my history would make someone think I¡¯m capable of sparking such a revolution in a world as vast as Verum?


    ¡°And you think I¡¯m that chance?¡±


    ¡°All it took was a single choice,¡± Kato stated. She motioned towards me, holding her knife form out to me handle first. ¡°We do not know who the one meant to become Demon Lord was, according to prophecy, but it was not you.¡± I took the knife from Kato and stood, facing her. ¡°For someone who called himself ¡®powerless and pointless,¡¯ you helped to loosen the chains that prophecy holds on Verum. You willingly accepted the Mantle you now carry. You continually embrace the Power that flows through you.¡± She lifted a hand, hesitated with a flinch, but then reached forward to grasp the hand that held the knife. ¡°The journey has only just begun.¡± Kato lifted my hand so that the blade pointed skyward. ¡°It is an inevitability that you will gain power. A power that will affect Verum. Live how you wish to live.¡±


    Kato squeezed my hand, her eyes meeting mine with a beseeching gaze. ¡°You are still afraid, still hesitant about what stands before you. Strides have been made, yes, but true resolve takes time.¡± She hardened her stare, lips set into a straight line. ¡°Until you can move forward without indecision, use me to strike down your foes. Until your fear no longer shackles you, let me bloody my hands in your stead. I am your blade, Milord. The unfeeling killer that will enact your will without hesitation.¡±


    That same fury from before rose, sending icy chills down my spine. I couldn¡¯t refute her words. I wanted to; I yearned to deny her statements, that I wasn¡¯t afraid. I made my choice. I would walk this path, without looking back. Still, that cloying sensation on my ribs, the weight in my stomach; nausea that refused to abate filled me without cease.


    What held me back? What stopped me from denying her accusations? What could I say that would-


    Say.


    Words. Words changed nothing. Just speaking has done nothing for me during my time on Verum. What caused things to change for me? What sparked change?


    Action. Deeds. Combat. Catharsis. Compromise. Doing something instead of just talking about it.


    This isn¡¯t some Saturday morning cartoon where talking about your problems resolves them. No. I lived in the real world. Single moments of reflection wouldn¡¯t address all of my fears, my hesitations. I needed to grow and evolve beyond the person I was. I needed to become something more; not change, but progress further and become more than the person I am at this moment.


    ¡°I refuse,¡± I whispered, but with no less strength. Kato flinched, eyes widening as hurt flashed across her stoic features. ¡°I will not use you as a crutch. I will not force what I need to do upon you, Kato. My burdens? I will accept them, even as I accept help to shoulder them.¡± I offered her a smile, even as forced and shaky as it was. ¡°I¡¯m not there yet, but will you stand with me, until I become the Lord you deserve?¡±


    Kato¡¯s eyes widened even more, her stoicism practically shattering as shock pervaded her expression. Hand falling from mine, she dropped into a single knee, heading bowed and almost touching the ground. Surprise filled me as I looked around for errant pedestrians. ¡°There is no need to question it, Milord. I will stand with you, at your side, in your shadow, whenever you wish it. Your goals are mine to defend; your ambitions, I will do my utmost to see them fulfilled. Your hopes, I will pursue to the very end of my life.¡± She turned her gaze upwards, her dark eyes filled with a red hue and lips pulled into a fierce smile. ¡°This Knife is yours to wield, Milord, until the day I shatter.¡±


    The emotion with which she spoke floored me, taking my breath away. I stared down at her, red clashing with red, as I stood above her. Disbelief warred with a primal satisfaction deep within my chest even as I lowered my hand, Knife resting loosely in my grip. When¡­did it get to this point? When did I deserve such devotion from someone I had known for such a short time? What did I do-


    Our hands are hands that are meant to command that which must be practiced in others. [¡­] Our skill is without match, without loss. [¡­] Our [¡­] is held aloft by that which our hands rest upon.


    A pulse in the back of my skull caused my eyes to water, a knot to settle in my throat. Eyes watering, I blinked and stared down at Kato, meeting her red-hued dark eyes. No. No time, nor need, for indecision. I had a path I chose to walk; a path from which I will not be deterred. Too many people counted on me.


    ¡°Rise, Kato. I won¡¯t have you kneel; not when I¡¯m still just another guy.¡± I whispered to her, extending a hand. ¡°I won¡¯t ask for your loyalty. I won¡¯t ask for fealty. I won¡¯t ask for your life.¡± She furrowed her brow as she took my hand, and I pulled her to her feet. ¡°All I ask is a chance. A chance to earn what you¡¯re willing to give me.¡± As I said that, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the red disappearing from her eyes as her expression fell into its usual stoicism. ¡°Will you do that for me?¡±


    Kato didn¡¯t reply for a few moments, silently studying me. Then she nodded. ¡°Call me when you need me, Milord.¡± She vanished from my sight.


    I turned my attention to the weapon in my hand, adjusting my grip. It didn¡¯t feel¡­ Comfortable was the wrong word. Natural? No. I could wield it as if I¡¯d done so my entire life, yet it always felt like the knife wielded me. All the weapons I¡¯ve held felt like that.


    They controlled me. Though, that didn¡¯t feel wholly right. Control was the wrong word. Directed? Guided? Pushed? I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t feel like I wielded the weapon ¡ª a guiding hand that led my every swing; a whisper of a voice that directed my footwork. My Affinity, when I tapped into it, gave me these sensations.


    My body? Does it count as a weapon? Am I even in control of that? How much of me if free?


    ¡°Joseph?¡± Briar¡¯s concerned voice pulled me from my introspection. I turned to face her, sheathing Kato into the sheathe at my back. Her downcurved lips and widened eyes belied her attempts to hide her worry. ¡°Are you¡­well?¡±


    Did she read my emotions? I thought she has trouble doing so. ¡°Maybe? I¡¯ve got a lot to think about¡­¡± I frowned and looked down.


    ¡°Do you¡­want to talk about it?¡± She asked me.


    I blinked as I met her gaze, unable to hold back the small smile, the upturn of my lips. ¡°Not right now¡­ Thank you.¡± I then looked passed her to see Sora, a perplexed expression on her face. ¡°We have supplies, don¡¯t we? Tomorrow¡¯s expedition.¡±


    The Witch nodded deliberately at my question with a searching stare. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s¡­¡± She paused, brows furrowing as disbelief slowly left her, followed by a bemused acceptance. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Little did I know, I wouldn¡¯t be away long.


    I may not believe I¡¯m a Hero, but¡­


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a Villain, either.

 Ignis Aurum - 8

    The next day came relatively quickly. We had gathered our things over the rest of the day and slept in our inn. The next thing I knew, I sat upon Kel, with Rishka on my lap, and trotted over the exit gate with Sora, Arce, Briar, and Marishka. Kacee had decided to stay with her company to help continue packing everything away, though I could tell she wanted to come with me. As such, though, she had sent Briar with us with a communication stone so we could keep in contact.


    Getting through the checkpoint proved simple enough with Alba¡¯s deception, so we quickly found ourselves galloping away from the city and through the vast fields outside Xadria with Sora and Arce leading the way. The wind whipped through my recently cut hair as I rode next to Briar. As we rode, I couldn¡¯t help but notice something flicker of color in my periphery. I spared a glance at the source but didn¡¯t linger on it.


    ¡°Joey?¡± Briar asked me, pulling my attention to her. ¡°What is it?¡±


    I frowned as I turned from her to scan the surrounding area. I furrowed my brow and narrowed my eyes, trying to will whatever sight power my mantle gave to activate. Colors flickered in my line of sight; Sora, Arce, and Briar each gained a bright white outline, though it wasn¡¯t blinding. My temples began to pulse as pressure started to build. Flashes of ¡®nonhostile colors¡¯ danced in and out of sight, before dying out into a colorless void. With a grunt of pain, the colors washed out, and the throb in my skull reached a crescendo. However, just as the colors died, a flicker of a dark and angry red pulsed notably in the distance on the left.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± I groaned as I pinched the bridge of my nose to alleviate the drumming headache focused on my temples. ¡°We¡¯re probably being followed.¡± My voice felt and sounded strained as I tried to breathe slowly. Soft, wet licks caressed my chin from below as Marishka wanted to soothe me.


    ¡°Followed?¡± Shocked, Briar let out a shaky breath. ¡°How do you know?¡± Her expression twisted as she no doubt felt my frustration. ¡°Is it from your¡­?¡±


    ¡°The previous Demon Lord could see and decipher emotions, making it easier for him to manipulate others,¡± Sora explained as she continued to lead us. She continued to face forward but turned her head to look back towards us, lips curled upwards into a smirk. ¡°We want them to find us, to meet us. If only to gain the answers we want.¡±


    ¡°Whoever they are, they¡¯ll likely attack Xadria in the future,¡± Arce spoke softly, her voice barely heard above the billowing winds flowing around us. That got a strangled gasp from Briar, to which Arce nodded. ¡°I spoke with Kacee about such an eventuality after escorting your brother back. She¡¯s organizing your people as we speak, preparing for the inevitability.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Briar looked towards me as my headache finally began to decrease.


    I nodded once. ¡°We¡¯re out here for two reasons. To keep from running into the delegation from Veracity and to intercept some of the forces that are circling the city.¡± I adjusted my posture on Kel, pushing her to move faster. ¡°From the information Alba supplied, they¡¯ll likely attack sometime tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°The last day of the celebration for Joey¡¯s sacrifice.¡± Sora smiled playfully at my grunt, clearly amused by how uncomfortable that made me. ¡°With that amount of time, Miss Fitzgerald will have time to contact the garrison of knights and coordinate her efforts with them to best fulfill her chosen task.¡±


    Briar hummed, her expression twisting in discontent, brow¡¯s furrowing and lips pursed. ¡°I don¡¯t like secrecy, but I understand. This is a delicate situation.¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡± Arce nodded; her braid caught in the wind of our charge. ¡°However, we¡¯re still in need of more information.¡± She whispered into the wind, my enhanced hearing just barely picking up her voice. ¡°Once we¡¯re a good distance away, we¡¯ll set up a base camp and wait for an inevitable ambush.¡±


    ¡°How will we know if they¡¯ll attack?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ll be there,¡± I answered her with a stern frown. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that they¡¯re dissatisfied with how Lady Regent is running Terras.¡± I noticed the discreet backward glance from Sora, approval dancing in her gaze.


    Briar nodded to my answer, though she still appeared lost. ¡°I think I see. But, how are we sure that they¡¯ll attack tomorrow?¡± No one answered her, and we continued on our route. It didn¡¯t take much longer until we finally reached an area near where the dungeon. Pulling our horses to a nearby lake, we climbed off and grabbed our equipment. I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked over to where Briar struggled to heft her more substantial travel bag. Taking the roll, I held it under my arm and watched as she jumped in surprise at my intervention.


    Not a few moments later, we entered into an open clearing and began to set up camp. As we did, I kept my attention on the surrounding forestry while I worked, building my tent. Marishka wandered off, heading into the foliage on her own with a yawn. ¡°Sora, do you know who¡¯s behind this attack?¡±


    The Witch shook her head as she prepared the fire, circling a space with rocks. ¡°No. I may have met her former comrades, but I can¡¯t name him or pinpoint what he is.¡± She frowned and straightened her stance, crossing her arms. ¡°He is very militant, though. Diplomacy and subversion aren¡¯t his preferred methods. His division follows his words and beliefs devoutly, without hesitation or fear.¡±


    ¡°But he is no fool,¡± Arce said, not turning away from setting up her tent. ¡°His experience in warfare and battlefield tactics are tried and tested. Not much surprises him. Likely, he¡¯s already predicted our plans.¡± With one last stab of a stake, she set her tent in place and rose to stand at attention. ¡°Still, he and his men will assume that we¡¯ve left to keep you away from the DeVere delegation for the remainder of the festival. They¡¯ll likely not expect us to discover his full plans, so we¡¯ll be able to surprise them when they attempt to ambush us here.¡±


    I grunted as I brushed off my knees upon standing. ¡°When we finish, you¡¯ll leave to hunt?¡± I asked Arce, getting a nod from her. ¡°We¡¯ll have the fire ready for you when you return.¡± Briar blinked at my non sequitur before her eyes widened subtly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head out now. I noticed a few deer on the way here.¡± Arce turned and walked into the foliage, disappearing from view.


    Briar walked over to the fire. ¡°Let me get it started.¡± She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a pair of items.


    As she went about sparking a flame, I walked over to Sora, who flipped through a small notebook. ¡°What do you think is going to happen in Xadria when they attack?¡±


    ¡°Standard operating procedure is to cause as much destruction as possible and kill as many civilians as they can,¡± Sora explained clinically as if describing the weather. ¡°They¡¯ve no doubt realized that you¡¯ve left the city and have sent a force to find and kill you. Whether he¡¯ll be a part of the group pursuing us or attacking the city, we don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Do know about what I can do?¡±


    Sora frowned, turning to face me. Her intense amber gaze studied me; lips pursed in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­believe so. Your skill is known, but so is your old affliction. He¡¯ll likely send his warriors to deal with you while he goes to Xadria himself.¡± She looked back down at her book. ¡°Variak Timerus. A former subordinate of Lady Mina, before his dissatisfaction with Penny, caused him to leave with his force to act on his own.¡±


    ¡°What is he?¡±


    ¡°A product of Mina¡¯s experimentation with mid-battle genetic adaption.¡± She flipped through her notebook and placed a finger on a specific passage. ¡°Fighting him is meant to be a slow, gradual defeat as he adapts to the damage inflicted upon his person.¡±


    I frowned as I considered ways that I could potentially defeat him. Honestly, there are only so many ways a person with enhanced physical ability could inflict harm. Even with a sword, I could do so much. I¡¯d have to leverage my Affinity in using different weapons I had available to have a chance. ¡°How would you stop him?¡±


    Sora¡¯s lips curled in amusement, a smiling growing on her face. ¡°Our strengths are far too different, I¡¯m afraid. Your Affinity can offer you many things, Joey, but my powers aren¡¯t among that list.¡± She turned back towards her notebook, flipping through the pages before she abruptly closed it with an audible clap. ¡°Well, I need to step away for now.¡± Sora clasped me on the arm as she walked by me. ¡°They¡¯re near.¡± She whispered in my ear as she strode past me and through the foliage further into the forestry.


    I turned and walked over to Briar, standing over a newly ignited, flickering flame. She teased it with a stick, stoking the fire with an occasional prod. ¡°Be ready. We¡¯ll probably be attacked soon.¡± As I said that, though, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the faint pallor to her expression.


    Her gaze flicked to me before her lips curled into a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. It won¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve fought feeling like this. I need someone to cover me.¡± Her voice shook as she said that to me.


    ¡°Stay close. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± I declared, meeting her gaze confidently. Color flooded her cheeks at my statement, but she nodded mutely. A smile played at my lips, but as I went to continue, movement flickered in my periphery. The foliage moved, disturbed by movement as I turned to face the source. I casually rested a hand onto the hilt of my sheathed sword and put a hand over my mouth. I yawned and leaned back, stretching my back.


    A sudden flash of light raced through the greenery caught my attention. I threw my hand outwards from my face, catching a soaring knife by the hilt inches from my face. Seconds after I found it, a tingle raced down my arm, and I retaliated by throwing it back where it came from. The crumble of leaves and crack of broken branches let me know I hit.


    Before I could do anything else in response, I felt a chill race down my spine and dropped to the ground, rolling to the side. A figure flickered into sight above me, a polearm mid-slash aimed at where my neck used to be. I rumbled along the ground, getting to my feet mid-motion as I drew my sword. The figure dropped to the ground in a crouch, lunging towards me with a sweeping slash of their halberd. Moving my sword to the side, I blocked another sweep of the polearm and finally managed to catch sight of my assailant.


    They appeared to be an androgynous figure clad in leathers colored brown and green with the hood up. What little I could see of its face seemed almost unnaturally pale, the expression flat and unmoved. I held them back as our weapons pushed against one another. ¡°I hear you don¡¯t like your new management. I suppose listening to your complaints is the least I could do.¡± I jerked my left shoulder forward and punched forward, but missed as they jumped backward. Pointing my sword downwards, I nearly charged forward, but another chill led me to lift my sword and to slash to the side. An echoing clang resounded through the clearing as I slapped aside the arrow aimed at my temple.


    Before I could respond to that attack, the polearm wielder stabbed at me, fast enough to part the air itself from the force of the strike. I parried the thrust with the flat of my blade but had to duck and give ground to avoid another arrow. The earth cratered from the impact of the shaft. Movement in my periphery caused me to tumble to the side, dodging a hammer blow that parted the land where I once stood. Another hooded figure stood before, a hammer as long as I was tall held in both of their hands.


    Once more, I had to move to avoid another concussive arrow, rolling along the ground with a frown. Again, I dodged another attack on my person, but before I could retaliate, one of the remaining two struck in the opening and prevented my attempt to counter. On my own, they had my number; I wouldn¡¯t be able to win. Alone against this team, I¡¯d likely lose and die.


    Thankfully, I¡¯m far from alone.


    An uplifting melody settled into the clearing, and my thoughts cleared; my heart began to pound as strength filled me. Colors gained a vibrant tint in my vision, becoming more precise and more natural to notice than before. Everything became sharper and more defined as I could see everything before me in a new light.


    In my periphery, I saw Briar holding an oddly shaped flute to her lips. A hilt grasped in her left hand and blowing into a pronounced guard. The blade of her dagger seemed around seven inches long and thicker in width than a typical knife.


    The figure with the polearm leaped towards me, blade held high and quickly slashing downwards. Simultaneously, an arrow rocketed through the air towards me. In my periphery, I noticed that the hammer-wielder took notice of Briar and chose to target her.


    I lunged forward and twisted my body first to dodge the halberd user, managing to slip around behind him. Amid my footwork, I evaded the arrow by a hairs-breadth, the echo of its impact masking a distant snarl. A grin escaped me as I attack my opponent¡¯s open back. They suddenly interposed their polearm between them and my sword, blocking my attack. My arms gained a faint glow as I augmented my strength, lifting the person off their feet and sending them flying forwards.


    As that happened, the figure with the hammer raced towards Briar. The girl never stopped playing her flute, watching as her opponent ran towards her, hammer held aloft. Seconds before they reached her, a black blur hurtled through the air and collided bodily with them. The hammer flew from their hands and slammed into the ground with an echoing thud. The two bodies rolled along the ground for a few feet until they came to a stop. Marishka, in her adult form, stood atop the hooded figure with her jaws clamped around their neck, her slender, yet deceptively powerful limbs holding their body down. With clenched of her jaw and a vicious shake of her head, Marishka bloodily tore into the figure¡¯s neck. A visceral crunch echoed into the clearing as she shook and pulled at her prey, angrily growling and snarling with her mouth full.


    Another arrow pierced through the air towards Marishka, the air itself distorting from the force of the soaring arrow. With my free hand, I quickly reached behind me and threw Kato towards the ground in front of Marishka. As if from nowhere, Kato flashed into existence and slashed at the arrow with her weapon form. The impact caused an explosion of concussive to erupt outwards, destroying the ground in front of Kato.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    In the midst of all that, the halberd wielder got back to their feet and looked around stoically, their gaze landing on Marishka at the sound of a final crack. The Amarok climbed off the limp, broken and bleeding corpse, and snarled towards the final hooded figure. Kato ghosted to my side, standing and staring menacingly. As Briar continued to play, I tried not to lose myself to the adrenaline surging through my veins. ¡°Last chance. Let¡¯s talk. Else I¡¯ll have Marishka help me strangle you with your intestines.¡± Her growled rose in volume to support my threat.


    The figure looked to each of us, as measuring our abilities, before they finally spoke. ¡°No.¡± An androgynous voice that told me nothing of their gender, if they even had one.


    As if on cue, when they finished speaking, several figures exploded into the clearing, all wearing the same leather armor. A person with a bow and one holding a pair of knives all flew bodily into the meadow, like ragdolls, crashing into one another with echoing smack, before landing bodily on the ground. From either side, Arce and Sora strode after them.


    Arce wielded a silver-colored longbow, deceptively simple looking. She stared after the pair with a stoic glare; her dark grey eyes focused on the figure with a bow.


    Sora smirked maliciously after them, eyes dancing with amusement as she held a notched dagger in a reverse grip with her left hand, green energies floating around her right. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to talk. Homunculi with no pain receptors can¡¯t be interrogated or intimidated.¡± Sora¡¯s smirk grew into a grin, eyes narrowing as laughter danced in her gaze. ¡°I suppose Variak has an alchemist in his service now? Your false bodies are frighteningly close to appearing human.¡± The figure did not answer, merely adjusting their grasp on the polearm.


    ¡°Their Affinities are only half-effective this way,¡± Arce explained clinically, her tone stoic. ¡°Though their bodies have no internal limiter, so be wary.¡±


    All of a sudden, the music in the meadow came to an abrupt halt as Briar gave a strangled gasp. I spared a glance at her to see that her face had lost color, though green-tinged her cheeks. ¡°No. No, no, no. Why?!¡± She snarled at the figure, ears stiffening and standing on end. The figure holding the halberd smirked in the shadow of his hood, the first hint of emotion he had shown yet.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her, concern bleeding into my words. ¡°Briar! What¡¯s happening!?¡±


    ¡°All across Xadria, people in hooded armor are attacking innocents.¡± She gritted her teeth, glaring with a tearing gaze. ¡°So many people have died already¡­ You monsters!¡±


    Sora¡¯s grin fell as she cocked her head to the side, brow furrowing. ¡°The DeVere delegation arrived earlier than expected and are lending aid¡­¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be enough.¡± Arce mused with no emotion in her words. ¡°To attack this early, this effectively, they must have planned this far earlier than anticipated. We¡¯ve played into their hands.¡±


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t.¡± All three of them turned their questioning gazes towards me even as I stared at the halberd wielder. ¡°We never factored into it in the first place. This? This is just a chance to clean up a loose end.¡± The figures slowly turned their heads to focus on me, shoulders tensing. ¡°I¡¯m not arrogant enough to assume every plan the opposition makes hinge on me. No. They''ve planned for a long time to come. The false bodies, the surgical strikes throughout Xadria, and the leak letting Alba and Sora know about their lost operatives.¡± I took a step forward, noticing Kato match my movement in my periphery. ¡°Whether or not I was in Xadria did not affect the success of your op. If I happened to die? Great for you. If they captured me? Even better.¡±


    ¡°After it ends, Xadria will be crawling with Royal Knights.¡± The figure spoke, conceit coloring its stoic tone. ¡°You¡¯ll be one step closer to being removed.¡±


    At that, Sora stiffened, her expression twisting into a rictus of hate before it masked itself.


    Arce narrowed her eyes, reaching behind her to draw an arrow.


    Briar huffed and heaved, her chest rising and falling as she glared.


    Marishka bared her bloody teeth as she growled, hackles raised.


    Kato shifted, changing her stance to mimic mine.


    What did I do?


    I grinned. Excitement filled me as the thought of a challenge, finally reaching me came to mind.


    I laughed. Originated from deep in my stomach as my shoulders shook and I shifted my grip on my sword.


    I crouched. Strength surging through my legs as I prepared to continue the fight.


    ¡°Bring your best.y All of you. I¡¯ll meet it. Match it. Break it.¡± My heart pounded deep in my chest; lips parted into an excited grin. ¡°No matter who, or what, it is, I¡¯ll surpass it, again and again. I am the Master of my Fate, and none of you Monsters will ever change that.¡± The ground at my feet erupted as I lunged.


    Once again, uplifting music filled the clearing, a hymn of victory, and triumph that sent strength pulsing through my body. I twisted to the side and avoided an arrow as Kato leaped up and over it, the tip of her foot landing on my shoulder before taking off higher into the air. Twin daggers lashed out at my face, but I parried and pushed them downwards, flipping forward and over the figure.


    As my body made its arc through the air, the two hooded figures turned their weapons onto me. The first nocked an arrow and aimed towards me while the second reared back a hand to throw.


    Arce practically appeared from nowhere, swinging her bow down onto the figure¡¯s arm. The impact jarred their grip and forced them to aim to the ground at their feet. The arrow, forcefully loosed, hit the ground with an echoing concussive force ¡ª dirt and debris obscuring the area around them.


    In a flash of green, Sora stepped to the knife-wielding figure¡¯s flank, her dagger stabbing into their arm. An orb of green energies flared in her open, right, hand as she clapped the figure on their stomach. Blood flew through the air as the hooded figure flew backward from the impact, losing their right hand in the process. A distance crash, followed by the cracking sound of falling trees, caused Sora to grin playfully. Green energies flared around her body as she vanished from sight.


    I landed on the ground in front of the halberd wielder in a crouch, ducking beneath a sweeping swipe. Above us, Kato descended upon the figure, stabbing downwards. The halberd wielder thrust up at her falling form, aiming for center mass. She let the knife go, and as it fell, she disappeared.


    I caught the knife and slashed at the figure, aiming for the leg. They smacked my sword aside with the haft and twisted around, aiming a slash at my flank. Flipping Kato to a reverse grip, I deflected the slash and stepped further into their guard. I slammed my shoulder into their chest, forcing a stumble, and followed up with a flick of my wrist. My sword twisted and slashed upwards, carving a trench out of their leather on their front. Blood arced through the air, but before I could follow up, I had to duck and lean away to avoid a slash.


    What happened next could only be described as a dance with death. The hooded figure proved to be supernaturally skilled with the halberd, even in the close quarters I preferred. They fought with constant, non-stop motion, with no wasted movements. They flowed from hit to hit, transitioning from blunt to bladed in an instant.


    I blocked, countered, parried, and struck every chance I could take. My body burned with exertion, an almost pleasant exertion that forced a grin onto my face. I ducked, flipped, twisted, and maneuvered all around the hooded figure, avoiding every blow I couldn¡¯t deflect by the skin of my teeth. Still, I answered every attempt on my life with a strike of my sword singing for every fight-ending opening I could take. Whether they were faked or not, it didn¡¯t matter, because I used both my sword and Kato. Time and time again, when they blocked my sword, I would always try to slip Kato¡¯s blade into the melee.


    It didn¡¯t always work, even if I did inflict the occasional slash wound, but overall, their defenses proved just as exceptional as their unyielding offense. It felt exhilarating and sent my blood pumping; I could hardly keep up, sometimes barely managing to deflect their sudden strikes, but every near-miss made me realize both my lack of overall experience and just how busted my Affinity seemed to be.


    I staggered from the blow made to my jaw, tasting blood as I threw my left hand forward. Kato flew lazily from my open palm as I ducked beneath the slash of the blade. I grimaced as I planted my feet and swayed to the side to avoid another attack. My sword stabbed towards an opening but was slapped away by the haft. I dodged another counter and stepped close, punching at their stomach. As they grunted and staggered back, I caught a flicker of shadow behind them. Tasting iron, I grinned and thrust my sword forward. Sword met haft and blade time and again as I began my assault.


    Short, fast strikes descended upon them, aimed and explicitly targeted to end a fight immediately, I offered no quarter, no mercy, as I called upon more and more strength. Where I lacked in combat experience, I made up for in sheer, overwhelming physical force and speed. I rained down blow after blow, hitting any and everywhere I could, while maintaining momentum to prevent a possible counter-attack.


    With one last clash, we locked weapons, blade to the haft. Feet planted and bodies pushing forward, we tested our strength against one another. ¡°You will not win. Not alone, boy.¡± They stated evenly, though I could sense a hint of frustration in their tone.


    I couldn¡¯t help it. With my pounding and racing heart, I couldn¡¯t stop the laugh that escaped me. ¡°Not alone.¡± All of a sudden, I spat out a glob of blood into the shadow of the figure¡¯s hood. They grunted and flinched from the impact. They cursed and wiped at their face; from behind, Kato stepped out from their shadow and stabbed forward. The hooded figure staggered from the blow, legs buckling. With a twist of their halberd, the figure lashed out at Kato. The blade slashed through the open air as she vanished from sight.


    I stepped forward and threw out my hand, latching onto the halberd and locking it into place. I thrust my sword forward and watched as it tore through leather and flesh as quickly as paper. Blood painted the earth behind them as I ripped the weapon out of their hand and tossed it to the side. Kato stepped into existence next to me, her bloodied knife form held loosely in her right hand. Spitting once more, but to the side, I heaved and huffed as I grinned down at the figure, their hood having fallen off. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re ugly.¡±


    Milky white eyes stared sightlessly up at me, a mix of blood and saliva painting their face. ¡°Even if I fall here, I will not die.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, breathless as I held my free hand out to Kato. She handed me her knife. ¡°But I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be pleasant.¡± I then stabbed them in the face, blade tearing into the bloodied, white orb. Ripping it out the side, I tore my sword free and turned to see my friends victorious.


    Sora walked over to me, dragging a headless body by the hood.


    Arce brushed herself off, slinging her bow over her shoulder. Marishka stood over their beaten opponent, the fur around her head drenched in even more blood.


    Briar lowered her dagger flute, staring at the dying flame in horror.


    I wiped off my jaw, grimacing as I brushed against a growing bruise. Ignoring that, I walked over to Sora. ¡°Can we make it back to Xadria?¡±


    ¡°Together? Not in time to help.¡± Sora answered in the negative, dropping the headless corpse at our feet. I noticed a line of blood dripping down her left arm, the sleeve of her clothing shredded. ¡°One of us? Possibly.¡± She focused on the body, a calculating glint in her eye.


    ¡°Send me.¡± That caused everyone to focus on me in varying degrees of disbelief, though Briar showed hope.


    ¡°Joseph.¡± Arce started warningly. ¡°You¡¯re injured, and the DeVere delegation is there, fighting as we speak.¡± She shook her head, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice how¡­unruffled she seemed to be. ¡°They¡¯ll likely survive, though casualties will be horrible.¡±


    ¡°Your intervention will solve nothing, Joey.¡± Sora stared at me with a frown. ¡°If I could take us all, we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation. But it¡¯s only one person, one trip. It¡¯d take time for all of us to make it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t disagree. I¡¯m only one man, and something as horrible as what we were told was happening couldn¡¯t be fixed by just one man. But¡­ ¡°I have to do this, Sora. I can go where the fighting is the worst and pull attention towards me. I can¡¯t just stand here and do nothing when I know people are dying.¡±


    Sora grimaced as she stared to the side. The wind picked up, sending her hair flapping. She pursed her lips as she twisted to bare her teeth. Her glowing amber eyes rolled onto me. ¡°On one condition.¡±


    ¡°Name it.¡±


    ¡°Hold nothing back.¡± Sora¡¯s answer surprised me, causing me to blink. ¡°I can tell you¡¯ve been holding back. Physically, emotionally. If I send you back, Joseph, it¡¯s time for you to stop keeping your struggles close to vest.¡±


    I stared at her, my expression a mask. I didn¡¯t reply, uncertainty rolling in the pit of my stomach. Could I¡­ No. She¡¯s right. I can¡¯t keep doing that.


    Before I could answer, Briar grabbed my arm. She looked up to me with a begging stare, her lips forced into a smile. ¡°I¡­my brother¡­ I¡¯m worried about him¡­¡±


    I stabbed my sword into the ground and placed my free hand on her head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I smiled down at her as I ruffled her hair. Then I faced Sora. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She smiled, a fierce expression as she bared her teeth. ¡°I look forward to you keeping your word.¡± Sora extended her hand, and a green aura overtook it.


    I gently pulled my arm from Briar and grabbed my sword. Wiping off the blood, I sheathed it and Kato in their respective holders. I approached Sora and looked down at her hand. Lifting my hand, I looked towards the remainder of my party. ¡°Stay safe on the way back. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything else waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°The same could be said for you.¡± Arce demurred softly, concern filling her gaze.


    Marishka whined as she bumped my leg with her shoulder.


    Briar clenched her fists, looking up to me. ¡°Fight and come back, Joey. We¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    I nodded to all three of them, noticing Kato standing at my right and behind me. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you, Milord. Don¡¯t hesitate to call on me.¡± She then vanished from sight.


    I looked towards Sora and reached for her hand. Before I made contact, she said, ¡°Xadria is protected from most popular teleportation options. This is a loophole I¡¯ve found. Stay aware.¡± She warned me as my hand met hers.


    My world twisted, colors shifting, and breaking apart. It felt like my body was being pulled apart and pushed together at the same time. Yet, despite that, my mind remained untouched. It felt like I lived through a kaleidoscopic trip through a drug trip I never asked for. It accelerated, then reversed, before it all snapped back into place. In an instant, I went from having solid earth beneath my feet to having nothing but air below me.


    ¡°Wah.¡± I exhaled as I took in the wide-open sky, feeling the gusty breeze brush against my body. I looked around with wide eyes and filled with disbelief. Below me, I saw flames and chaos in the streets, people running and screaming even as people clad in armor fought with people in hooded, leather armor and tried to escort civilians away. For a moment, I hovered mid-air, trapped in a transient air bubble that already began to flicker.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± I turned towards the source to see a young woman around my age clad in form-fitting alabaster armor. Her waist-length hair waved and flapped in the wind as she sat upon her armored Pegasus. Eyes, the color platinum, remained hidden behind a pair of glasses that made her eyes comically large. Held loosely in her left hand was a bloodied silver spear. She opened her mouth to speak again, but the bubble around me finally popped, and I dropped like a rock.


    I heard her cry out to me, but the sound was lost in the rushing wind as I succumbed to gravity. Angling my body downwards, I caught sight of a trio people fighting a single hooded figure, who seemed more substantial than the other warriors in muscle mass, wielding a sword as long as I was tall as though it weighed nothing. I reached behind me and unsheathed Kato, throwing it forward. Kato manifested in my path and threw out her hands, catching both her knife form and my extended hand. She twisted around and released me as my body picked up momentum heading towards the sizeable hooded figure. Kato vanished as she threw her knife form back to me. I caught it and sheathed it again.


    Moving even faster, the buffeting winds deafened me and sent my jacket flapping. Grinning, despite the dangerous situation, I extended my right foot into a kick and crossed my arms in front of my face to protect it. I suffused my body with Ki to augment my strength even further.


    In my periphery, I noticed that the hooded figure noticed my approach far faster than the trio fighting them. They twisted around to face me, attempting to bring their sword to bare. One of the trio intercepted them, stopping their sword. Still, they lifted their arm and held it in place.


    My kick slammed into the hooded figure¡¯s raised arm, and a deafening crack echoed throughout the open-air market. More breaks and pops resounded through its body as a notable pulse of energy surged, a wave of force echoing outwards. The figure grunted, its voice gravelly and rough before physics asserted itself, and the figure rocketed away and passed the knight who attacked him. Their body crashed through wall after wall, stone, wood, and mortar, an unceasing flight that ended after thirty seconds of continuous progress.


    I flipped off the kick and landed on a three-point landing, crouching as I placed a hand on the ground. I breathed heavily as I tried to let my legs recover from the sudden strain. The muscles burned and pulsed as they suffered the backlash of my last attack. Rising to stand on still shaky legs, I felt all eyes on me, from both knights and civilians, even as the fighting had temporarily died down.


    Squaring my shoulders, I raised a hand and grinned confidently. ¡°Worry not, citizens of Xadria and Knights of Veritas!¡± I spoke loud enough to be heard without straining my voice. ¡°The Hero of Nyrill stands before you. I am ¡®Fallen,¡¯ no more. I stand with you!¡±


    A deafening silence settled upon the open-air market, even as the crackling flames and straining foundations of ruined buildings colored the atmosphere.


    ¡°Joey?¡± Luke¡¯s shocked, and concerned voice pulled my gaze towards him.

 Ignis Aurum - 9

    I breathed in and out as I tried not to focus on the growing pain in my legs. I didn¡¯t know how far I dropped or how fast my descent ended up being, but the rising burn in my muscles did not do much for my mood. Ever since I pulled myself out of that grave, I¡¯ve sat on a razor¡¯s edge, a balancing act on keeping my temper in control. I suppose a decade worth of resentment from being trapped on that island explained some of it, but I always had a reason to not just go off on a tear. Maggie still saw the positive in whatever situation presented towards us, and for her sake, I never let my frustrations get the better of me.


    Ever since coming here, though, I lost that reason. I forgot what made it worth hiding my anger. Yeah, coming to Verum allowed me to experience a sense of freedom that I only saw in stories, but without my sister, it doesn¡¯t feel¡­complete. I suppose that¡¯s why I find myself enjoying a fight more than I rightly should. The exertion, the burn that I can finally revel in without worrying about my asthma crippling me. That cathartic feeling of forcing my will upon others, hurting my opponent before they could do the same to me.


    What does that say about me?


    That I like hurting people?


    Of course, when I sparred with my classmates, I felt a sense of accomplishment from seeing our growth. I felt joy in that, but¡­it seemed incomplete, and I expected more. Perhaps, the reason I accepted Penemue¡¯s request to become the next Demon Lord was that I needed this validation. That I needed to show the world that I wouldn¡¯t let it cage me again. That even if it made me into its villain, I would embrace that role, so long as it gave me what I yearned for the most.


    I suppose it¡¯s because of that, despite the fear I held of becoming something monstrous, I¡¯m happier as I am now than I ever was on Earth. The fact that I could take my future into my hands and shape it; however, I wished proved to be more exhilarating than I could have ever imagined. I could do so much more on Verum than I ever could on Earth, and that makes this happiness I feel so bittersweet because the one person I¡¯d want to share it with is still trapped in our old prison.


    So, even as I heard the desperate cries of joy and relief from the woundedadventurersand formerly fleeing knights, I couldn¡¯t feel anything from it. I don¡¯t know these people. I don¡¯t know their lives or struggles or pain. But if this continued, if the raging fires, clashing of steel, loosened arrows, and inexplicable explosions continued, then innocent lives would be lost. Homes demolished; families torn apart; livelihoods ruined. As someone who lived in a world torn asunder by the aftermath of the Emergence, selfish people fighting without care or knowledge of the consequences of their actions, I couldn¡¯t in good conscience stand by and let it happen again.


    The scope and timeliness are vastly different, but if I let something like this slide, without even attempting to act against it, would I be any different from those who selfishly chose to force their will and beliefs on others all those years ago?


    No. I don¡¯t believe I would. If chaos is all someone wants, with no rhyme or reason, then I¡¯ll put myself in the way. Again and again.


    Even if it hurt. Even if the burning pain in my legs reminded me of the tightness in my lungs.


    Even if it forced me to face the brother I once had, the brother I once trusted as much as my sister. Even if I have to face the one who killed me.


    Luke Wirth hadn¡¯t changed much over the year. Broader in the shoulders; hair a little darker from the sun and longer, tied into a short ponytail. His formerly light complexion appeared darker, no doubt from working outside. He wore a set of scuffed and freshly dented silver armor, a shoulder cape resting over his left hand. Green eyes as wide as saucers stared at me with disbelief, relief, and shock warring in them.


    I ignored the burning fury in my chest as I grinned towards him, though it felt more like I bared my teeth. ¡°Surprised to see me? It¡¯ll take more than a horde of monsters to put me down for good.¡± Now is not the right time to vent. I kept telling myself that as I clenched my left fist around the hilt of my sheathed sword. ¡°You look beat to shit, Luke. You¡¯ve been slacking in my absence, haven¡¯t you?¡± I fought the sneer that wanted to appear, instead rolling my eyes to turning towards where I had kicked the giant Monster. ¡°You always get complacent without someone to measure yourself against.¡±


    ¡°Joey¡­¡± He must¡¯ve not heard me over his shock, simply breathing out my name. The familiarity in his tone stoked my fury even more as bile rose in my throat, the edges of my vision flickering an angry red. ¡°How are you alive?¡± His voice rasped as I heard a shaky footstep approach me.


    ¡°Spite and resentment do wonders when you wake up buried alive.¡± A growl colored my tone as I grit my teeth, turning a side-eyed glare in his direction. ¡°If you have enough of it, you¡¯ll find that even Death has trouble holding onto people drowning in it.¡± I didn¡¯t speak loud enough to be heard by anyone but him, and I felt my grin widen at his flinch before he narrowed his eyes.


    Before he could retort, though, Kacee stepped in between us, walking over a fallen stall. Her armor didn¡¯t appear as bad as his, but still sported torn links and pierced holes, blood dripping from her right hand. ¡°You¡¯re back early. I thought you and yours wouldn¡¯t return until tomorrow.¡± She spoke casually, but the intensity in her gaze belied her silent demand.


    ¡°Briar told me what was happening. Couldn¡¯t ignore it. Others are one their way back.¡± I answered curtly, facing the direction of the one I kicked. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± The wind had long since died down as I idly watched bedraggled knights and adventures guiding civilians away from the open-air market.


    Kacee frowned but didn¡¯t answer immediately, then she nodded. ¡°It happened out of nowhere. The Guildhall, the Knight¡¯s Garrison, several company headquarters, and the noble quarter were all bombed.¡± I blinked at her quick explanation, but couldn¡¯t cut in as continued. ¡°Almost immediately after, individuals in hooded cloaks descended upon the common folk and unaware knights, adventurers, and mercenaries.¡± Her lip twitched, lifting upwards as she bared her teeth in an angry snarl. Now that I have a closer look, I can tell that she¡¯s livid. Tensed shoulders, clenched fists, a set jaw, and narrowed eyes all said to me that Kacee cried out for blood. ¡°Recovery and defense are slacking due to low numbers.¡± At that moment, the stillness of the air and eerie silence of the open-air market set the mood for my deteriorating mood.


    ¡°How many?¡± I asked her, my voice tight as I spoke through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Too many.¡± She dug her heel into a fallen canvas, before stopping when she realized where she stood, her expression stricken.


    I turned to face the path I kicked the monster, feeling like I didn¡¯t hit him hard enough. ¡°They got us good.¡± The sight of crumbling walls and broken homes brought forth so many memories, memories I¡¯ve tried to forget.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kacee whispered. ¡°How¡¯s Briar?¡± Raw emotion thickened her voice.


    ¡°Safe. Worried for Ash. Told her I¡¯d keep an eye out.¡± In the distance, I caught a flicker of movement as debris began to shift. I cut my sentences short, staring forward to wait for Variak to return. ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°Shaken but unharmed, the last I saw him. He¡¯s leading the civilians to safety.¡±


    I nodded to that, relief like cold water slipped into my chest. ¡°We¡¯ll have to trust him, then. To stay unharmed.¡±


    Kacee grunted, not happy with my answer, but reluctantly agreeing with me. ¡°I want him dead, Joseph.¡± She hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°The one who did this. I want his head to roll. Of all the times to not have a blade, I¡¯m starting to regret picking the standard.¡±


    With a hiss of steel, I drew my sword and let my arm hang to the side. ¡°No worries there. I¡¯ll paint the streets with his blood.¡± A sense of primal satisfaction surged through me at those callous words, when at any other time, I¡¯d cringe from how edgy it sounded. It seems Verum has changed me faster than I assumed.


    ¡°Not without help, you¡¯re not.¡± Kacee snarled as she slammed the end of her standard onto the ground, cracking the earth at our feet.


    A hand on my shoulder caught my attention, pulling me to face the source. Luke glared down at me, his green eyes alight with frustration as he frowned. ¡°Stop ignoring me, dammit. How are you alive?!¡± The strength of his grip gave me pause, as I felt the pressure of his grasp even through the thick leather of my jacket.


    I jerked my shoulder out of his grasp, keeping my expression stoic even as my heart pounded, and fire seared my veins. ¡°Is now the time ask that? Or are you selfish enough to ignore the lives lost to this monster?¡± My lips rose as I bared my teeth into a sneer that came far too quickly. ¡°Some Knight you are, ignoring the cries of the innocent and debilitated. How many lies have you told to hide that part of you?¡±


    Luke gritted his teeth, looming over me as his paled stare tried to bore holes into me.


    ¡°Really, boys? I don¡¯t know what dick-measuring contest you two decided to have, but now isn¡¯t the time.¡± A nostalgic, lackadaisical tone of voice pulled my attention. Footsteps rapidly approached us, and I felt a small yet firm hand press against my chest and force me to take a step back. Between Luke and me, Colette LeBlanc wore a chainmail dress with a flowing skirt of segmented plates and a formfitting chest plate. In her hands, she held a circular shield and a longsword, the standard sword-and-board, though the shield seemed meant for parries and deflections, rather than blocking. Her platinum blonde hair, a tint darker from the sun, rested in a pixie cut style, framing her face cutely. Strangely, though, I furrowed my brow at the silver mask that covered the left side of her face.


    Her easy-going smile, the one I remembered being confident and proud, seemed bitter and fragile, widened as she looked up to me. She hadn¡¯t grown taller, and I couldn¡¯t tell if she¡¯d grown in any other way. Still, I could see the disbelief and wary joy in her blue eyes as she studied me.


    ¡°How was your nap, Joey? You overslept by a few months. It¡¯s a new record for you.¡± Her voice cracked as she greeted me.


    I opened my mouth to reply but froze as a chill raced down my spine. I turned to face where I had kicked Variak once more. Ice water poured down my spine as my vision colored a vivid red, a rage, not my own, dropping onto my shoulders like a lead weight. Falling rock from a stone wall of the remnants of a building caught my attention, eyes honing in on it. My lungs clenched, and my heart pounded; it felt like I stood beneath a microscope, no different from a frog prepped for incision or ants beneath a magnifying glass. A sudden breeze tickled my face, sending my bangs flapping before my face. A whistling sound reached my ears.


    An explosive curse escaped me as I tensed my still sore legs. ¡°Move!¡± I leaped away from my position; sword held defensively in front of me. The others responded to warning favorably in the nick of time as a meteorite struck the earth where we once stood. Stone, dirt, dust, and debris filled my vision, but I didn¡¯t blink. That proved to be the best choice as the cloud erupted sideways, followed by a slab of sharpened steel whistled through the air, aiming for my neck. I ducked just in time, losing a few strands of hair from the speed of the slash. Not wasting any time, I lunged forward and stabbed towards his loosely armored stomach.


    ¡°Too slow!¡± Variak¡¯s gravely voice shook me to my core as his sword practically teleported upwards, before slashing downwards. Forced to abandon to my attack, I sidestepped the slash and jumped to the side. Upon striking the ground, another loud explosion rocked the open-air market. The sheer force of the displaced air sent a wave of nausea through me, shaking my whole world. I bit back the bile that rose in the back of my throat as my still shaky legs buckled. ¡°Weak.¡± He snarled as his sword once again moved too fast to anticipate, soaring sideways to cut through my waist.


    I gritted my teeth and managed to put the flat of my sword in the path of his swing. Once again, upon impact, an explosion shook my entire world. Forced onto an impromptu flight, I soared backward and flipped uncontrollably. Everything around me spun, upside-down, right-side up, I completely lost track of my surroundings as my stomach flipped. Closing my eyes, I flipped my sword in my grip and caught it, only to stab downwards. My blade tore into the earth as my arm jerked painfully, and my bearings righted themselves.


    The sound of grunts, clashing steel, and explosions echoed in the back of my mind, drowned out by the pounding sensation in my skull. I breathed in my nose and out my mouth, trying to put myself back to an equilibrium. After a few moments, agonizingly long moments, I gritted my teeth and tasted iron as I opened my eyes and glared towards the fight. Luke and Colette clashed with Variak in the center of the rubble; they evaded and kited around him, attacking and dodging, clearly trying not to be touched by his sword. Kacee didn¡¯t try to block him with her barriers, just creating them as midair platforms for her to attack from above, while still avoiding his painfully fast and wide-sweeping slashes.


    My heart pounded deep in my chest, and I breathed deeply, chest rising and falling. I growled as I slowly loosed my hold on my growing temper. Variak beat me. He had the overwhelming advantage in that first engagement, and it frustrated me, incensed me. My nostrils flared as I growled, red coloring my vision. ¡°Kato. Get ready. A frontal assault is suicidal, so we¡¯re going to hit him from all sides.¡± She didn¡¯t respond or appear, but I knew she heard me.


    As if driven by my pulsating fury, Ki began to gather along my body. It started in my chest, expanding outwards and inwards. The pain in my legs slowly dispersed, replaced by a steady thrum of life that energized me. My arms flexed as power filled them; my body loosened even as I tensed my legs. Crouching down, I fell into a sprinter start, sword arm held to the side. The ground beneath me cracked and buckled from the build-up of energy in my body. My left hand cracked the earth with my grip, finger digging into the ground. I lifted my body at the legs and leaned forward, the toes of my greaves digging into the earth.


    The stone-ground behind me erupted up and outwards as I shot forward. Winds raced passed my body as I took off after the group in front of me. Moments before I reached them, Luke spared a glance over his shoulder, struggling beneath the weight of Variak¡¯s attack. His eyes widened subtly before he braced a shoulder and shoved forward. As I reached them, Variak stumbled from Luke¡¯s shoulder check, and I punched the ground with my free hand, digging into the ground and twisting around with the momentum of my charge. Now at Variak¡¯s back, I ripped my hand out of the earth and swung at his knees, treating him like a tree to be felled from below.


    With a grunt, Variak dodged my swing by forcing himself forward with the downswing of his sword. Debris erupted from the impact, blinding me and causing Luke to grunt from the meaty smack. I continued the momentum of my swing, twisting my body around until my back was parallel to the ground. I looked upwards to see a translucent platform manifest before my eyes. I threw my free hand towards it as Variak turned his attention towards me, his giant sword already aiming to carve my head open like a pumpkin.


    Time seemed to slow down as everything happened at once. I reached for the platform as the sword raced for my skull. Every nanosecond that passed, my hand neared the barrier at the same pace as the sword aimed for my head. I narrowed my eyes as Variak¡¯s gaze met mine, his crinkling in a cruel amusement, lips twisting into a smirk. Of course, his expression twisted, eyes widening, and lips parting as frustration flashed in his gaze. A hand clasped onto mine and yanked my body upwards, avoiding the slash by another hairs-breadth. Kato crouched upon the platform, knife in hand, and stabbing forward as she pulled my body into the air. She released my hand as I twisted around and watched another platform manifest within reach.


    I grabbed it like a handhold and pulled my body forward, slashing downwards with all of my strength behind it. Standing atop one of Kacee¡¯s barrier platform, Kato hovered over Variak¡¯s horizontal sword, mid-swing, and stabbed her knife form at his chest; simultaneously, I used what leverage I could muster from the platform created for me to slash down at his head. He growled and attempted to move his weapon to block us, but Colette appeared from nowhere, slamming her shield against the flat of his sword to force it down. At the same time, she stabbed at his open side.


    My instincts screamed for me to move seconds before I saw the back of his sword begin to glow. Flexing my left arm, I pulled on the barrier and abandoned my slash to throw my body behind Variak. I landed on the ground, my feet slamming onto the ground and cracking it as I twisted around to face the monster¡¯s back. Kato flickered out of existence, the dagger falling into my free hand. Seconds after her disappearance, a concussive explosion detonated, forcing Colette to stagger away with a cry. Before that end, I lobbed the knife into the air and lunged at his back.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    As Kato reappeared in the air, Luke swung his greatsword at Variak¡¯s flank, his massive sword cutting a swathe through the air. The hooded monster dexterously twisted around and aimed towards Luke, though he also met my gaze with his milky white eyes. His sword gained another vibrant glow, but as he swung, a wall appeared in the path of his attack. The explosion that erupted from the sword rebounded from the barrier, forcing him to stagger backward. The three of us descended upon him like a pack of wild dogs.


    Kato landed on his broad shoulders, her knife sliding into his neck as he moved his head to avoid getting stabbed in the skull.


    Luke¡¯s sword tore into his waist, carving to his spine.


    I reached him with a ground-cracking stomp, thrusting forward and tearing into his chest with a sword. He staggered back and wheezed out a hacking cough, blood painting his chin. He quivered and coughed, lifting his sword despite all of our weapons sheathed into his body. A gurgling chuckle escaped him as the sword began to glow again. My eyes widened, and I ripped my sword free, trying to jump away before his explosion knocked me away. Kato ripped her knife free and vanished from sight again, her knife soaring through the air and into my waiting hand.


    Luke followed suit, but both of us were too slow as the vibrancy in his sword reached a crescendo-


    Variak swiftly raised his sword, blocking a silver lance that drilled into it. He staggered from the impact but remained standing. However, when the woman quickly followed it, I remember seeing in the air kicking the flat of the sword with both feet. Variak flew back from the impact, bouncing along the ground, and suddenly trapped in a circular barrier. A concussive blast exploded outwards, trapped within the boundary with a shuddering detonation.


    The woman flipped midair and landed next to me, silver lance in hand. Standing tall, the same height as me, she stared at Variak with a frown. ¡°We need to coordinate; otherwise, we¡¯re just wasting time.¡±


    Luke landed onto the ground next to her, sliding backward upon impact. ¡°He¡¯s adapting to everything we throw at him. I used to be faster than him.¡± He said as he adjusted his grip.


    Colette stepped up to my flank, hefting her sword and shield. ¡°I¡¯m all for some teamwork.¡± She said, breathing deeply through her mouth.


    Kacee fell into place on Colette¡¯s opposite, spinning her standard in a single hand. ¡°I think I¡¯ll join the fray this time.¡±


    Kato manifested in my shadow once more, taking the knife I handed back to her. ¡°What do you have in mind, Milord?¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply, merely staring ahead. No one offered any words, no potential plans, though I did notice Luke¡¯s tensed shoulders and pronounced frown. Frustratingly enough, though no one looked away from the recovering Variak, they did glance at me in their periphery.


    Great. I¡¯m the go-to guy for plans now. Fucking fantastic.


    Keeping my rising irritation close to chest, I rolled my shoulders. ¡°If he¡¯s adapting to us and the damage we deal, then we¡¯ll have to keep up the pressure. We have no casters, right?¡± I spared a glance at the Valkyrie, getting a nod. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll have to strike in sequence and without cease. Nonstop offense while covering one another¡¯s openings. Frontline and harrier. Then break away in teams. Keep up the pressure until we can end it in one decisive blow.¡± I then glanced over to Kacee. ¡°Kacee¡­¡± I turned towards the newcomer.


    ¡°Hilda.¡± She said, not taking her eyes off Variak.


    ¡°Kacee, Hilda. Find ideal moments to act. You¡¯re both more able to independently on your own. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± My body stiffened as I considered my next actions, my following words. My mouth dried as it opened, jaw clenching and shoulders stiffening. Shaking hands tightened around my sword¡¯s hilt and forced my body forward. ¡°Try not to get me killed this time, Luke.¡±


    He hissed out a breath, before grunting and followed after me. ¡°Don¡¯t keel over.¡± His thudding steps reached my ears as I snorted, grinning, and facing Variak. Power flooded through my legs as I crouched and shot forward. The ground cratered with every step I took, speeding up my charge.


    Variak growled, sending chills of instinctual terror through my body. The part of me that was still human shook and quivered, drying out my mouth and causing the muscles in my arms to clench. That fear, that primal terror, enraged me. It pushed me forward; it drove me. A growl bubbled up from the deepest pit of my gut as red fully bled into my vision. Strength filled me like water poured into basin, a vast bottomless receptacle. It continued to flow, to surface rising and soaring until it hit a glass ceiling. The moment that contact was made, I reached Variak, and my perception stalled. I raised my head, agonizingly slow, and we locked gazes. For a moment, I did not see white but a smoldering yellow. My red locked with his yellow and saw the challenge. I saw a demand and a burning desire to conquer and destroy.


    Our swords clashed, and my perceptions returned to normal. Variak swung from the side, and I jumped upwards, blocking with the flat edge of my sword. Sparks erupted from the impact as I used his strength to ascend above him, a glint of silver flickering in my sight. I pushed off the clash, up and over my opponent. Variak attempted to counter my evasion, but Luke¡¯s sudden attack stalled his attempts. I landed on the ground, my back to his, in a crouch. Bringing my sword to bear, I twisted around and tore into his muscled back with my sword. Blood painted the ground in an arc; however, as soon as my blade left his flesh, though, his skin sealed itself back together, bubbling beneath the surface.


    Variak roared and pushed Luke away, twisting around to bring his sword onto me like a guillotine. I slid to the side to avoid his attack, using the flat of my blade to arc his slash so that it grazed the ground rather than a direct impact. I stepped forward and kicked him into the knee, forcefully hyperextending it with an echoing crack. He grunted and slammed the flat of his sword against me; I blocked it and felt my body rise from the ground and soar away. He followed up by twisting around and parrying Luke¡¯s attack, kicking him away with an instantaneously healed leg.


    While airborne, I watched as Colette and Kato descended upon Variak the moment Luke and I were pushed back. They didn¡¯t last any longer than we did; as he smacked Colette¡¯s sword away and dented her shield with a punch, it felt like something clicked into place. He didn¡¯t attack us when we gathered together. Variak could¡¯ve healed faster if the injury I gave his knee didn¡¯t last long enough to help Luke. He waited for us to plan, though not a good one; he let us set the pace, then reacted with overwhelming strength. Variak¡¯s toying with us, allowing us to plan and plot, only to treat with as much care as a fox would offer in a henhouse.


    Kato threw her knife form to the side as Variak swung his sword at her, vanishing to avoid the blow. She reappeared in the path of the knife, catching it and dropping to the ground, only to leap back into the battle.


    When Colette was thrown away from an explosive impact from the ground, I landed on the ground and crouched. Just as I crouched to charge forward, I couldn¡¯t help but notice Hilda casually step before Variak. As if walking on air itself, she held her spear aimed downwards and perpendicular to the ground. Like flowing water, she twisted to the side and avoided a sweeping slash. Her expression serene, she flipped her spear mid-grip, opening a wound from hip to shoulder and following up with a crack on his jaw. For the first time in the fight, Variak gave ground as he stumbled back. Surprise flickered in his expression before he narrowed his eyes and focused solely on the seemingly tranquil Valkyrie. Then he vanished.


    Instantly after, a ground-shaking explosion stole my footing, forcing me to kneel. All around us, the buildings that barely held up, if only by the barest of foundations, finally collapsed. Dust debris engulfed the battlefield; the ground lost in the opaque hazard ¡ª all except around the crouched Variak, sword lodged into the ground. High above him, Hilda slowly descended, having reached the peak of her jump. Her silver-grey hair flowed around her head like a river, waving in the calm winds; she kept her wide eyes focused on Variak, slowly beginning to spin her spear in a single hand. As she descended, the speed of the rotations increased until all I could perceive was a blur of motion.


    Variak paid no mind any of us, the other four distracted and shaken from the force of the explosion. I couldn¡¯t move, my eyes focused intently on Hilda. In the back of my mind, it felt like something tried to slot into place. A nebulous sensation that rooted my feet to the ground, indecision freezing my thoughts. Ragged breaths escaped me as I witnessed poetry in motion upon the battlefield.


    Variak slammed into the ground as Hilda reached him, the blunt end of her spear planted onto the back of his skull. With a flip of her pike and twist of her body, she knocked upwards and slashed into his face, sending an arc of blood skyward. The hooded monster quickly planted his feet and growled, expressing frustration for the first time in this fight. Then, with speed, unlike any he¡¯d shown before, he assailed Hilda with impunity.


    Like the wind, Hilda virtually danced between the expertly swung attacks. She twisted, turned, ducked, and pirouetted with alien grace, never ceasing her calm retaliations. Her spear sang a duet with her graceful evasions, striking and parrying in equal measure, never wasting a single movement. With an eye I had no idea I had, I could see that every move she made, every breath she took, all rolled to the next step, the subsequent retaliation. Wound after wound opened up on Variak¡¯s body with every flick of her spear; grunts of pain and frustration punctuated all the blunt strikes from her weapon. A river of silver flowed with her every move, following her grace with breathtaking beauty. Bit by bit, second by second, Variak gave ground, and Hilda took and held every step of it.


    I felt a chill race through my body as I studied her every move.


    At that moment, I could see why Kato begged me never to face a Valkyrie. I could see why people feared Eir so much. In a world where martial arts, unarmed, and with weapons, ruled the battlefield, I understood why Valkyries were noted to be ¡®born¡¯ for battle. Hilda appeared no older than me, yet she moved as if she trained from birth. She treated Variak, who had toyed with all of us, like a child throwing his toys. Perhaps, with her, this could fina-


    All of a sudden, Variak threw his left hand forward, reaching for something. With an almost contemptuous flick, Hilda removed his arm from the elbow. The limb flew to the side, and she stiffened, shock filling her as she squinted her now uncovered eyes. I followed the arm and watched as a reflection of light flash across my vision.


    Hilda recoiled from a kick to her stomach, saliva, and blood shooting from her parted lips. ¡°Just a cripple.¡± Variak snarled with a bloody grin as he pulled his foot back. He lifted his sword above his head, and it began to glow bright enough to force me to squint. The Valkyrie dropped to her knees, gasping out a breath.


    Once again, my perception slowed as I watched Hilda hold her stomach. Her hair pooled around her, over her hunched shoulders as she leaned forward, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. I watched Variak hefted his sword upwards with a single hand, light erupting from the massive blade. My body refused to move. I wanted to rush over if only to get her out of there. But what could I do? I can¡¯t beat him; every time we meet, he overwhelms me with both his skill and his sword. Is this my limit? Master-class ability that meant nothing against someone with superior experience and a different weapon?


    What did I come here for? To watch as an ally dies in the face of a heartless monster? To flail and moan before the ones I wanted to protect? To fail and die in front of the person that betrayed me? To fail? To cry in futility?! To be weak?!


    ¡­ our ambition to stand above all¡­


    It slotted into place. That nebulous sensation locked into place, a key slotting into a lock, tumblers clicking and releasing their hold. Tension bled out of my body as a numbness settled in my stomach, cooling that burning pinion holding me in place. I loosened the grip on my sword, pulled back my arm and crouched.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take away his skill¡­¡± I felt my lips pull back, baring my teeth as a calming chill settled on my shoulders. ¡°But, his sword is another matter entirely,¡± I remembered her movements, Hilda¡¯s flowing steps, and graceful evasion. I don¡¯t have the build for pure, raw brute strength, and I¡¯ll never get it.


    Speed.


    I¡¯m slender and wiry. I need to stop fighting head-on and meeting Variak blow to blow.


    Momentum.


    When I first came here, I couldn¡¯t take advantage of my build because of my asthma. Every movement, every breath, pushed me closer to an attack. I was forced to adapt to a more direct combat style out of necessity.


    But now?


    I don¡¯t have that worry.


    Teach them our might.


    That voice, that painfully familiar tickled the edge of my consciousness. Why was it so familiar?


    No. I¡¯ll think about it later. I have a more pressing situation.


    I focused on Variak as he swung downward, aiming to cleave the blinded and kneeling Hilda. Crouching, I focused Ki into my legs and feet. Strength gathered and concentrated until they gained an almost luminous aura. With a calming exhale, I kicked forward. A deafening eruption propelled me forward, and I heard several more buildings crumble and collapse. Almost instantly, I reached the space between Variak and Hilda, slamming my right foot into the ground to stop. The earth crumbled and broke from the sudden shift of energy, a deep and throbbing ache settled in my legs, nearly buckling beneath my weight. Bringing my sword to bear, I held it to the side and met Variak¡¯s sword once again. Angling downwards, I parried his sword so that it slid away from Hilda and me.


    I grimaced as my legs quivered and nearly collapsed, but I held firm. Sparks and glistening silver shards erupted from contact, the glow of the sword reaching a blinding crescendo. With a grunt and shift of my body weight, I forced our clashing blades to the left. I closed my right eye as our swords exploded. Shards of steel bit into my side and nicked my cheek and nose, though they failed to pierce my jacket. He grunted as he staggered back, head flinching back as he grimaced and closed his eyes beneath his hood. Blinded in my left eye to only see spots of light, I closed it and opened my right. He had lifted his right arm; sword lifted in his defense.


    Good.


    I spared a glance down at the remnants of my sword, seeing an inch and a half of ragged steel, chipped and broken. ¡°It¡¯ll have to do.¡± My legs still burned a bone-deep ache that refused to abate even as Ki slowly began to fix the damage done to them. I panted out a pained gasp, but gritted my teeth and raced ahead. Heavy footsteps caused Variak to realize I charged him again. He scoffed and slashed down at me; the sword started to glow once more. I did not lift my broken sword.


    I ducked to the side and jumped up, extending my left hand. My fingertips caught hold of the sleeve of Variak¡¯s cloak, allowing me to reaffirm my grip with a tug. Wrapping my left hand around his thick wrist, I yanked my body towards him. I latched onto his arm, idly remembering a jungle gym from my childhood. ¡°What!?¡± He said as he felt my weight on his arm. My legs screamed in agony as I gritted my teeth. I spared a glance over my shoulder as I lifted my right arm, reversing the grip on my sword. Wide eyes, raised eyebrows, and parted lips greeted me, forcing a strained smile from me. His expression twisted to gritted teeth and pulled back lips, but before he could retaliate, I stabbed downwards.


    Blood painted the ground, followed the clanging sound of his dropped sword as I slashed through his wrist, severing tendons and breaking through bone. I let go and fell to the ground. A whine escaped me as a jolt rocketed through my legs, nearly causing them to buckle. I¡¯m going to pay for this later. With a hiss, I hooked my foot beneath the hilt of Variak¡¯s fallen sword and kicked it upwards. Its weight fought me every step of the way, a heft that sent another wave of agony through my legs, but I managed it regardless. I grabbed the hilt and felt a surge of information that forced to stagger back.


    Motion. Stillness. Rejection. Detonation.


    My mind filled with knowledge that slotted effortlessly into place.


    Stillness, followed by contact; contact, triggering an instantaneous reaction of motion. Sudden shift in momentum is rejected, shocking the matter into action despite nature. Leading to a detonation of energy.


    A name shot to the forefront of my thoughts. A title that told me everything I needed to know. The words felt incomprehensible, but I understood them. I realized it. I¡¯m holding a magic weapon.


    ¡°Inertia Denial.¡± I declared as I hefted the weighty sword, resting it on my shoulder. My legs quivered beneath its weight, forcing me into a crouch. ¡°A rejection of Potential energy, but refusing its shift to Kinetic energy. A paradoxical application of physics, causing a violent chain reaction. Hence, the explosions.¡± I allowed a grin to appear on my face as I watched Variak glare at me, his wrist healing with the bubbling beneath the skin. ¡°It makes no sense; a nonsensical combination of words.¡± My grin widened as a laugh rose from deep in my diaphragm. ¡°In my world, something like this? Physicists would pull out their hair, trying to explain it. But this isn¡¯t my world. No. Different rules, different guidelines.¡±


    In my periphery, I caught sight of Kato flickering into existence next to Hilda, holding out a pair of bent glasses.


    ¡°You have my sword, boy,¡± Variak said, the ground rumbling in the face of his tone. ¡°Return it, or I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    My grin widened as I laughed at his statement, watching as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°You broke mine, so it¡¯s fair play that I get to keep this.¡± I flexed my arm, augmenting my strength, to lift it from the ground. It still felt heavy, but I could feel my body adapting, my strength adjusting to the weight in my hands. ¡°You¡¯re free to try, though. I¡¯ll answer in kind.¡± Then I blinked.


    When my eyes opened, Variak¡¯s freshly regenerated hand was barely inches from my face. Almost instinctual, I bent backward to avoid his lunge, then threw my body to the side. With a thought, a small explosion erupted from the sword, giving me more distance. Spinning along the ground, I twisted around to face Variak as he straightened and glared at me. I grinned and held the sword with both hands. I spared a glance behind him to see Hilda stand, straightening the glasses that rested on her face. Off to the side, Luke and Colette approached us, a group of Knights at their backs.


    Kacee strode forward, mercenaries and adventurers, each taking up a spot to overlook the battle. She planted her standard onto the ground, expression stern as she waited for her moment.


    Kato paced around Variak until she, Hilda, and I surrounded him.


    He looked around; teeth gritted as he glared at us before his gaze fell onto me. ¡°It seems my mission didn¡¯t meet all of my objectives. I had hoped for more.¡± His gaze fell onto the sword in my hand, brows furrowing as his lips curled downwards, fists opening and closing. His eyes focused on me once more, narrowing. ¡°There are many expectations on your shoulders, boy. You failed to meet mine.¡±


    A laugh escaped me as I lifted my stolen sword, pointing it towards him. ¡°Keep your expectations to yourself. You¡¯ve been fighting how long? How many years are under your belt? Yet, look at us. Look at where we stand. I¡¯m still learning, still growing. But you? You¡¯ve reached your peak.¡± I bared my teeth in a laughing grin. ¡°Go ahead. Run away. I¡¯ll be waiting. Because when we next meet?¡± I slashed to the side, carving a trench into the ground. ¡°I¡¯m going to pound you into the ground.¡±


    Variak stiffened, milky white eyes widening. His jaw dropped as he took an involuntary step back. He then gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow, glaring at me. ¡°Your arrogance will be the end of you, boy.¡± A sudden flash of light encompassed us, blinded me as I stepped back and lifted my stolen sword in defense. Light pierced my vision, and I grimaced, waiting for an attack. The whiteness died just as quickly as it appeared, and I maintained my guard. Moments of heavy silence passed until I lowered my new sword.


    Variak vanished, leaving behind the broken rubble of the open-air market. My comrades, new and old, also seemed wary and tense as they too waited for the other shoe to drop. After several moments of silence once again passed, I huffed out a breath and stabbed into the ground. Falling down, I sat on the ground and leaned against the flat of the blade to allow my legs to rest.


    ¡°Kato,¡± I spoke lowly, but she heard me if her sudden jerk in my direction meant anything. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap. Kick the ass of anyone who tries to wake me.¡±

 Ignis Aurum - 10

    ¡°How did it feel?¡± I blinked into consciousness as I took in the marble throne before me. I no longer felt rooted to place, able to lift my feet and walk around. The rough, worn carpet did not shift beneath my weight, filling me with confusion. ¡°To push yourself? How did it feel?¡± I turned to face the source of that voice; her amused patience gave it a playful cadence. Penemue clasped her hands before her, approaching me with a slow gait. Blue eyes crinkled as she came to a slow stop within arm¡¯s reach of me.


    I opened my mouth but paused as I lifted my hand. It looked more¡­solid. ¡°Nostalgic.¡± She cocked her head to the side, straight black hair shifting behind her due to the movement. The corner of her mouth quirked upwards, but she didn¡¯t speak. ¡°The burn, the exertion, it reminded me of my asthma.¡± I glanced down at my legs, tensing and flexing them to see if they still hurt.


    A small laugh escaped her, her mouth widening into a smile. ¡°Yes. They did force you to go farther than you have before.¡± Penemue turned and walked around me towards the stain glass window. I hesitated, lifting my foot and dropping it before I chose to follow her. ¡°We are not as united as I¡¯d like.¡± Her voice didn¡¯t above a whisper, rising to stare at the window. ¡°There are those who don¡¯t approve of my decisions. I don¡¯t blame them. I can¡¯t.¡± She shook her head, that smile never leaving her face.  Upon reaching the window, she lifted a hand. Long, slender fingers topped by immaculately cut and maintained adorned her soft-looking hands. Penemue gingerly tapped the window with her pointer figure. Upon contact, color bled away and allowed moonlight to pierce the glass unimpeded.


    The throne room, now illuminated by moonlight, revealed to me that it had changed from my last visit. The carpet appeared less torn and frayed, only looking walked upon. Pillars looked more intact, no longer as chipped or fractured. The black banner now had four smaller companions around it, frayed, illegible images resting upon them, each different from the last.


    ¡°Your predecessor made many choices and even more enemies,¡± Penemue whispered as she stared up to the moon, eyes lidded and smile melancholy. ¡°That will not be the last time you meet Variak in battle.¡± She faced me, smile still sad, but eyes sharp. ¡°That was not his strongest, nor his most dangerous.¡±


    ¡°What is he?¡± I said to her, remembering the numerous moments he¡¯d healed.


    Penemue closed her eyes, humming as she lowered her head. ¡°One of your predecessor¡¯s greatest creations, if still a failure in his eyes. A creation was granted life through the power of his bargains. Variak Timerus is a chimera, a beast with a single goal for existence: Adaptive Evolution.¡±


    ¡°A chimera.¡± I frowned as I considered the events of the previous fight. ¡°He healed and escalated the fight so quickly, reacting as it progressed.¡± I mused as I crossed my arms. ¡°Had the fight went on, could I have beaten him?¡±


    ¡°You forget that you are also always evolving, with every battle you partake.¡± Penemue reminded me, not answering my question as she looked back out the window. She wrapped her arms around her midsection, shoulders hunching as she stared into the horizon I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°I cannot tell you everything about your foes, Joseph. This is a part of your journey. Travel. Study these cultures, these lives, and the world around you with that fervent dedication I know lives in your heart.¡±


    I frowned as I studied her, turning to face my Regent. ¡°Just who exactly are you, Penemue?¡± She met my gaze with an analytical eye. ¡°You knew when my class and I arrived on Verum. You knew to pick me out of all of them.¡± I shook my head and crossed my arms. ¡°I¡¯m not questioning your loyalty, far from it. I just¡­want to know who you are.¡±


    My Regent studied me, her placid expression softening as she closed her eyes. Penemue¡¯s arms fell to her sides and lifted them, placing her hands on my cheeks. The warmth of her touch felt distant, as if through a thick sheet of cloth. ¡°I will not claim destiny or fate. I will not say I saw your potential. And I will not say that you¡¯re superior or better capable than your peers.¡± She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against mine, her dark blue eyes closing as she smiled. ¡°I chose you because I saw someone with a simple wish and a kind heart. Someone crippled by an uncaring world and chained by the expectations of those who created it.¡±


    Her eyes opened, meeting mine as she pulled away and pressed her lips against my forehead. ¡°I believe you can change this world. Whether by force or kindness, you will shatter the status quo and shift the paradigm.¡± Penemue stepped back, smile wide, and arms falling to her side. ¡°Promise me one thing, Joseph Blaine. One simple request, but perhaps not an easy one.¡± At my nod, her smile faltered before she nodded firmly. ¡°Never lose that kindness. The world is callous and cold, uncaring of the weak and crippled. Don¡¯t let fighting that cruelty strip you of your compassion. Hold onto it like a lifeline. It¡¯ll keep you human.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t react to her words beyond being stunned silent. The intimacy with which she used to treat me caused my face to warm. I fidgeted in place, just watching as I took in Penemue¡¯s infinitely gentle mien. I couldn¡¯t look away from her; that earnest gaze locked with me, pinioning me in place. She never turned away, never showing impatience, just showing that kind smile. I opened my mouth to exhale softly; then, I squared my shoulders. ¡°I promise.¡±


    The way her expression brightened at my words made my heart pound and my face to heat up, ¡°Good.¡± She then nodded before her countenance fell. ¡°Our time is coming to an end, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°How-.¡± I paused, frowning as I looked down at my hands. Color began to fade and turned translucent. ¡°How can I come back?¡±


    Penemue smiled, crossing her arms as she turned to face the window. ¡°When you sleep, think of me, and I¡¯ll hear. I¡¯ll call you to me, and we can speak again, at least until you wake up again.¡±


    <hr>


    I gasped as I awoke, jumping up from my seat against the bar. I looked around my surroundings, taking in a new area than where I last remember taking my nap. Instead of the shattered open-air market, I sat in the bar section of the inn I remember renting. I sat on one of the barstools with my stolen sword resting against the bar next to me. I looked around, taking in the scattered and upended chairs and tables, the hole in the wall, and the breeze that blew in from outside. The smell of spilled drinks tickled my nose, the shelves behind the bar bent inwards and toppled.


    ¡°Miss Kato told me where you¡¯d prefer to awaken.¡± I jerked in surprise, facing the source of the voice. The Valkyrie who fought at my side, Hilda, sat next to me at the bar. She offered a nervous smile as she adjusted her large-framed glasses. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you awake. You¡­worried me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply as I studied her, connecting her worried expression with the casual, confident warrior from before. After a few moments of silence, I nodded and said, ¡°I came from a fight I had just finished, but the fall is what hurt the most.¡±


    Hilda nodded, a frown growing on her face. ¡°It shocked me, seeing you appear in a flash of green light and drop from a few hundred yards in the air.¡± At my shocked look, she gave another stern nod. ¡°Yes. I chose to overlook the surrounding area, looking for civilians when you appeared. How did you survive?¡±


    I frowned at her, unsure if telling my secrets to a newcomer proved a smart thing to do. ¡°Hilda, why did Kato trust you to watch over me?¡±


    She straightened and pushed her shoulders back. ¡°I, Brynhildr of the Northern Holien Monastery, am here to offer my services and loyalty as a Valkyrie. Should you accept, my power will be yours to use as you will.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± I said to her, wanting to get to the point.


    Hilda stiffened, clenching her fists as she turned to face forward. Leaning against the bar, she lowered her head and bit her lip. Her shoulders hunched as her hair fell over her left shoulder. Hilda opened her mouth, pausing before closing it. She reached up to her face, pulling her glasses off and turning to face me with her squinting eyes. Foggy, greyish-platinum eyes squinted at me as her lips twisted into a macabre smile. ¡°From the moment of my birth, I¡¯ve lived with sub-par eyesight. Without my glasses, I can only see up close, too close.¡± With white knuckles, she replaced her glasses, eyes closed.


    A sigh escaped her, shoulders falling. ¡°My sisters are kind to me, kinder than one would think.¡± Her lips twisted once more, the corners of her eyes crinkling. ¡°Were we not close, I¡¯d think it pity, but¡­¡± Hilda turned a troubled gaze towards me, eyes searching me for something. ¡°When you¡¯ve grown accustomed to hardship, any attempts to lessen burden makes one feel inadequate, right?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Her words, her expression, and the exhaustion in her demeanor caused something in my chest to constrict. She understood. She knew exactly how I felt before my ¡®death¡¯ when it came to my asthma. I could see it in her eyes, in the slump of her shoulders, the resignation in her behavior. The frustration one felt when pitied by their loved ones, even when you knew deep down that they didn¡¯t mean anything wrong by it.


    ¡°You want to follow me.¡± I didn¡¯t ask, just stating a fact.


    Hilda nodded once. ¡°Since the first sisterhood of Valkyries, my ancestors have always served a lord, or lady, of our choice. Whether out of duty or personal choice, my predecessors devoted their lives to others.¡± She offered me a shaky smile; her unsteady hands clasped before her. ¡°Even though I do not lack the abilities that made the Valkyrie renowned, my¡­affliction always held me back.¡± Self-reproach colored her expression as she furrowed her brow. ¡°No doubt as you saw when the homunculus knocked away my glasses.¡± She huffed through her nose. ¡°The Archbishop of the Northern Monastery never said it outright, but all of my sisters knew it. Was I unable to find a lord, whether inside or outside of Holien, I would¡¯ve stayed within the Monastery as a mere overseer for the next generation of Valkyrie.¡±


    I grimaced as I registered her words, but said nothing. The resignation in her tone awoke an empathetic fury within me. That frustration of not having the power to control your life, and it being your fault, it always grated something fierce.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Hilda broke into the silence of her pause, a relieved smile growing on her face. ¡°When I heard of Veritas summoning not one, but thirteen, Heroes, I felt hope.¡± Her gaze focused on me, laughter coloring her tone. ¡°My dearest sister, Rota, then told me something that kindled a hope I thought I had lost. One of the Heroes, the one rumored to have immense potential, had an affliction of the lungs.¡± Hilda closed her eyes, tears swimming in them as she faced downwards. ¡°Despite the risks, he continued to train, to better himself. He never let his weakness hold him back.¡±


    ¡°Hilda¡­¡± I wanted her to stop. I couldn¡¯t listen to this anymore. Not to this painfully personal confession, especially from someone I just met. Who the hell tells their life story when you first meet someone?! She met my gaze, catching the tone in my words. ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t say anymore. I get it. You have your reasons. I¡¯m sorry for making you feel like you had to tell me that much.¡± I spun to the side and stepped off of my chair, grabbing my stolen sword by the hilt. ¡°If you wish to follow me, then we should talk before you make any decisions. Not here, where it¡¯s not private. For now, stay with me until then.¡±


    Her expression brightened, eyes widening as she shot off the stool. ¡°Of course, Lord Joseph. I shall wait as long as I need to.¡± She grasped her spear


    I grimaced and shook my head. The title added to my name left a bad taste in my mouth. ¡°Call me by name, no more, no less.¡± I hefted the oversized sword and rested in on my shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s head out; I¡¯m done resting. There are probably people who want to speak to me.¡± I groaned as I walked over to the hole in the wall.


    Hilda made a contemplative sound, followed by a cough. ¡°That¡¯s¡­truer than you may think.¡±


    I stopped as I reached the hole, a sigh escaping me as I fought the urge to palm my face. ¡°And here I thought the fight would be the hardest part¡­¡± I said under my breath as I stepped through the hole, lifting a hand over my eyes to block the sun. All around me, things were moved and set aside for later use; people walked in and out of the impromptu raised tent, some coming out with bandages on wounds and others with small boxes of food or items. People in an assortment of armors and cloaks worked to get debris and remnants of shattered stalls to the side for later repairs.


    I watched as Adventurers and Mercenaries employed the various stations where civilians went for aid, while Knights oversaw everything for protection. All around us, things still appeared damaged and shattered; it¡¯ll no doubt take at least weeks for it all to be finished rebuilding.


    ¡°Sir Blaine? Have you finished your nap?¡± The amused voice of a young teen caught my attention. I turned to face a younger teen with long black hair tied into a braid and held up as a ponytail. She wore a set of modest clothing, leather, and cloth as a pair of legging and a knee-length skirt, a glint of steel hidden in the folds, with a shirt and a shawl over it. In her right hand, she held a pole-arm with a curved blade atop it. Eyes the color of glistening silver studied me, relief and joy filling them as she smiled widely. Upon meeting my gaze, she offered me a devil-may-care grin, eyes crinkling at the edge. ¡°Lina will be overjoyed to hear that you¡¯re alive and well.¡±


    ¡°Princess Abigail.¡± Her name came to mind as I turned to face her. The year had been kind to her; she¡¯d grown a few inches in height but remained as lithe as I had last seen her. Dried blood still stained the edges of her clothing, no doubt from her battles, but she held herself with pride. Head held high and chin thrust forward; she carried herself with a strength of will that made me curious how much skill she had. ¡°Nice to see you¡¯ve grown.¡±


    Confidence bled into her smile as she pushed her hand through her bangs. ¡°Valerie¡¯s been teaching me on her off time. I may not have Mother¡¯s skill, or Affinity, with magic, like Lina, but I am a prodigy with the halberd.¡± She narrowed her eyes at me, playfully glaring at me. ¡°We can¡¯t all have Martial Affinities like yours.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t fight the smile that grew on my face. Aside from Emelina, I found Abigail the easiest speak to amongst the Royal Family. She never seemed to take the etiquette of royalty to heart, always speaking without care. Welton¡¯s frustrated glares always brought a smile to my face when I saw him nearby when Abigail happened upon my class and me during training.


    ¡°Still.¡± Her voice softened, smile turning melancholy. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you alive, Sir Blaine. It destroyed Lina when news of your death reached us.¡± She closed an eye and lifted a finger to her lips, mischievously smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her I said that, though. Lina hates it when you break that fa?ade of hers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I grimaced as I looked to the side. The thought of seeing Emelina, of going back to Veracity or Nyrill, sparked a sense of dread within me.


    Abigail turned her head to look passed me, her expression brightening. ¡°Hilda! I was looking for you.¡± She skipped by me and latched onto the Valkyrie with a hug around her shoulders. ¡°We should¡¯ve believed you!¡±


    Hilda shifted with a reluctant grimace, returning the hug with a groan of discontent. ¡°Highness, please, now isn¡¯t the time.¡± Her cheeks flushed as she looked around warily before meeting my amused gaze. Her cheeks darkened even more as another groan escaped her, quickly looking away from me.


    ¡°You sound like Welton,¡± Abigail said, grumbling as she gave one last squeeze before stepping back. Her lips spread into a wide grin, showing her perfect white teeth. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Hilda.¡± Then she pouted, lips curling downward as she stared hopelessly at the Valkyrie. ¡°I still wanted you to follow me, though. It would drive Rex crazy if I had a Valkyrie follow me!¡±


    Hilda quickly recovered herself, placing a hand on her armored chest with a sigh. She offered the Second Princess a smile; head cocked to the side. ¡°My apologies, Highness, but I saw what I saw, and that won¡¯t change.¡±


    The vagueness of her words confused me. I furrowed my brow and studied her. ¡°What do you mean? You ¡®saw what you saw¡¯?¡±


    Hilda blinked at my question, before her cheeks darkened once more, lips curling into a reticent grimace. Before she could reply, though, Abigail cut in with a knowing grin. ¡°Hilda¡¯s a Seer, Sir Blaine. Her Affinity is a limited form of precognition.¡±


    I blinked at her words, unsure of how to react to that. I furrowed my brow and turned to face the Valkyrie, who offered me a slight nod, cheeks still red. ¡°What did you see?¡± I asked her, trying to put words to the complicated feelings that warred within me.


    As she was about to reply, another voice broke into our conversation. ¡°First, you take a nap after the fight, and now you commandeer the princess¡¯s attention. Are you trying to draw attention to yourself?¡± Kacee strode over to us, dirt peppering her cheeks as she brushed off her shoulder.


    ¡°How goes the aftermath?¡± I said, ignoring her question.


    She rolled her eyes at my deflection, lips rising into a ghost of a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve organized my people and had Ash and Fallinor work with other companies and parties of adventurers to set up tenements for those who lost homes. Impromptu food kitchens and triage centers have also been created and manned.¡± I nodded to that, and as I tried to reply, Kacee continued. ¡°Briar¡¯s messaged us that she and the rest of your party had reached the entry checkpoint.¡± She furrowed her brow and glared at me. ¡°Can you tell me why Soralynn has brought a body with her?¡±


    ¡°No idea.¡±


    As I said, Abigail let out a breath, staring at me with wide eyes. ¡°They attacked your party outside the walls, as well? Why?¡±


    ¡°No doubt because of what has transpired,¡± Hilda spoke in my stead, unknowingly saving me from having to lie. ¡°Joseph played a key role in defeating the lead homunculus, and they likely knew of his presence here.¡± Eyes rolled onto me, and I shrugged, neither accepting nor denying her words.


    Abigail hummed, then nodded. ¡°Alright. The protocol for situations like this is to lock down the city. No one leaves or enters until the location has been stabilized.¡± She turned towards me with a stern gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you to the checkpoint and convince them to let your party inside. It¡¯s the least I can do for your aid, Sir Blaine.¡±


    I took in her words and nodded. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Abigail.¡±


    She grinned and waved her hand to the side. ¡°No worries, Sir Blaine.¡± She leaned forward and winked, grinning devilishly. ¡°Keep this between us, but you¡¯re Lina¡¯s Favored Hero. It¡¯s the least I can do. Besides, call me Gail. Father didn¡¯t want me to stand out too much, anyway.¡±


    I smiled as amusement filled me. A laugh escaped me as I looked towards Hilda and nodded, motioning her to follow me. ¡°You need to meet the rest of my party.¡± The Valkyrie stiffened and nodded shyly, her smile widening as I caught the rising excitement in her gaze.


    I then turned towards Kacee, who studied me through a lidded glare, lips twitching upwards.


    Finally, I faced Abigail. ¡°Okay. Then call me, Joey. Lead the way¡­Gail.¡±

 Ignis Aurum - 11

    I couldn¡¯t help the amusement that filled me, the smile that surfaced, as I watched Sora stare a quivering Knight into submission. From atop her horse, she stared down at the determined, seemingly terrified Knight that prevented her entry into Xadria. Beyond the post-attack quarantine, I could understand why he denied her entry, considering the headless, bleeding corpse strapped the back of her horse. I still didn¡¯t understand what she could gain from the body, but all it offered was a difficulty to reenter the city.


    ¡°M-miss, the c-city is locked down. We can¡¯t let anyone in or out.¡± He seemed inexperienced if his inability to meet her gaze told me anything. His gaze kept flickering to the body, the blood dripped down the flank of the poor horse. Next to him, it seemed his partner shared my amusement, studying him behind a masked helm.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Sora¡¯s deceptively calm reply caused a crinkle of chain links as the knight clenched the hilt of the sword at his hip. Her lips curled upwards as her amber eyes crinkled, head cocked to the side. ¡°However, my friend is inside the city and is waiting for me. I¡¯m sure you know who he is.¡±


    Briar trotted her horse up to Sora¡¯s side, frowning as she furrowed her brow at her. ¡°Miss Sora, there¡¯s no need to be so abrasive.¡± She turned towards the body, grimaced, and turned towards the Knight. Her expression lightened as her lips curled upwards and reached into her jacket. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my friend. She gets pretty impatient.¡± Briar pulled out a card and held it out to him. ¡°Briar of the Twin Flags mercenary company. I contacted my Captain, so she should be nearby.¡±


    The Knight made a noise as he took the card, looking at it with an outstretched arm. ¡°The mercenary company led by one of the Thirteen? Even so, the lieutenant said not to let anyone inside¡­¡± He held the card back to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I still can¡¯t allow entry.¡±


    Briar took back her card, expression becoming pinched as she groaned. Before she could speak, though, as Arce approached, leading my horse behind her, a head of black fur popped out from the Fox Beastkin¡¯s grasp and looked in my direction. Red eyes widened as she leaped out from the young woman¡¯s grip. The wolf landed on the stone path and bounded over towards me. The Knights shouted in surprise, and the one who remained off to the side attempted to catch her.


    Smirking despite the situation, I walked along the stone path towards my charging Amarok. The Knight pursuing Marishka came to a sudden stop upon seeing me, stiffening as he noticed the large sword I held over my shoulder. I ignored him as I closed the distance with Marishka, crouching down and grunting as she bodily slammed into me. I grumbled at the sudden shift in weight but stayed upright. ¡°Hey, girl. I wasn¡¯t gone long.¡± I grinned as I pushed my left hand through her fur. I felt confusion fill me as I considered her. ¡°Did you get bigger?¡± I said down to her, low enough for no one else to hear me.


    She looked up to me, baring her teeth and growling, her eyes glistening. Joy tickled the back of my mind as my hand slid along her side onto one of her legs. It did indeed feel thicker, while still slender. A laugh escaped me as I ruffled her head with a grin. Marishka huffed as she pushed her head into my palm, enjoying the attention I afforded her.


    ¡°Um, sir. We need to respect the quarantine.¡± The Knight said to me as he approached us, hand resting on his sword. His gaze also seemed to hone in on the sword I held over my shoulder, hand tensing around his hilt.


    I rose and faced the Knight with a smirk. ¡°I suppose I should, but I¡¯d have never gotten where I am if I always followed the rules.¡± I studied him, not moving as I turned a lazy gaze onto my large sword. ¡°How about you let my little Rishka pass, at least?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but notice several other Knights turning towards us. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to send your pet back outside.¡±


    Pet? Outrage, not my own, tickled the edge of my thoughts as I heard Marishka growl. I didn¡¯t think that, either. I looked down to see that my Amarok prepared herself for a fight, baring her fangs angrily. With a sigh, I lifted my sword and stabbed downwards, blocking Marishka from sight. The Knight stiffened and drew his sword, taking a single step back. ¡°Calm down.¡± Whether my words were meant for her or the Knight, I kept to myself.


    Before anything else could be done, Abigail walked forward and stopped at my side. She crossed her arms and glared at the Knight in front of us. They stiffened at her appearance, sliding into an at-rest stance. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± She narrowed her eyes at him.


    The Knight she directly addressed inclined his head. ¡°Her Highness Abigail DeVere, Second Princess of the DeVere Monarchy.¡±


    She nodded, a single, sudden incline of her head. ¡°Yes. That means I have power over certain aspects of the actions my Father¡¯s Knights undertake, so long as they don¡¯t cause harm to the populace.¡± Abigail pointed to the trio on horses; I couldn¡¯t help but notice the faint smirk on Sora¡¯s face. ¡°Allow them inside.¡±


    ¡°But, Highness, the quarantine.¡± The Knight blocking Sora protested, turning towards the princess.


    ¡°These three are a party to Joseph Blaine, the Hero of Nyrill. He separated from them to return and aid in protecting Xadria.¡± Abigail DeVere narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. ¡°In the name of the DeVere Monarchy, you will allow them entry. Am I understood?¡±


    The Knight lifted a hand in a salute. ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡± He turned and motioned for them to enter. Sora smiled down at him, a depiction of angelic patience. The Knight fidgeted beneath her regard but just stared forward as she and the rest of my companions trotted past him. Though, he did flinch when the corpse bounced past him.


    As Sora approached me, I looked up to her with a dry gaze. ¡°You still have the body?¡±


    She shrugged, a lazy smile spreading across her face. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to study an alchemist¡¯s work.¡± Curiosity danced in her amber gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll have to find time to do so¡­¡± Sora then turned her gaze onto the smiling Abigail. ¡°Considering our new¡­benefactor, we¡¯ll likely have our time occupied by other events.¡±


    Abigail smiled up to Sora. ¡°Knowing that Joey is alive is something worth no less than a true celebration. Father will definitely be joyous to learn of it.¡± She grinned over to me, eyes closing in the process.


    Sora hummed at the princess¡¯s answer, frowning towards her.


    Briar quickly raced inside, approaching Kacee. She hopped off her horse and leaped into Kacee¡¯s arms, pressing her face into the crook of her neck. ¡°I was so worried.¡± Her muffled voice caused my friend to wrap her arms around her to return the embrace. ¡°You¡¯re okay¡­¡±


    Kacee¡¯s rubbed her back soothingly, murmuring in her ear. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡±


    I turned away from them to offer them privacy. ¡°Let¡¯s get away from the checkpoint. Give the Knights their space back.¡± I said to my party. ¡°We need to talk about a few things.¡±


    <hr>


    When we returned to the inn, Kacee and Briar went back to their company, and Abigail reunited with her delegation with the intent to find me again. My party and I sat in a meeting room on the second floor of the inn. Hilda and I sat on a couch while Sora and Arce sat across from us on a pair of chairs. Marishka paced around the room, peering around up high, clearly enjoying her new height as her jaw hung open, tongue lolling out.


    Arce cocked her head, ears twitching atop her head, as she studied Hilda. ¡°You fought side-by-side with Joey against Variak?¡± The Valkyrie nodded. The Beastkin shrugged as she crossed her arms. ¡°I have no reason to disagree. Your people¡¯s skills are already renown, and you¡¯ve proven yourself trustworthy initially.¡± She nodded towards Hilda. ¡°Welcome to the party, Miss Hilda.¡±


    Sora studied Hilda with glowing amber eyes. Her lips twitched as she turned her head to the side. ¡°Tell me, Brynhildr, do you know the ritual?¡±


    That caused the Valkyrie to stiffen and look away. ¡°No. I do not.¡±


    The Witch nodded and leaned back in her seat. ¡°It seems my assumptions were correct. The bonding ritual that causes a Valkyrie to ascend isn¡¯t something they know, but those who lead the Empire.¡± She focused on Hilda. ¡°Am I correct?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Hilda said, her voice lower than before. ¡°We never understood the limitation amidst our youth. But the Archbishop explained it succinctly during our coming of age. To protect our sisters and our future, they allow only those of a sufficient rank in our parish to know and perform the ritual. My sisters and I are not permitted to know them, to prevent us from leashing ourselves to a Lord before we¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°And you want to follow me?¡± I asked her, frowning despite myself. Shaking my head, I released a breath and said, ¡°Sora, can you make sure we can¡¯t be overheard?¡±


    ¡°Already done.¡± She said, still studying Hilda.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I opened my mouth to ask Hilda something when she interrupted me. ¡°I do not have a combat Affinity, as I¡¯ve said before. I¡¯m the only one amongst my sisters like that. However, my combat abilities are no less dangerous.¡± I could attest to that, having seen her outright overwhelm someone who threw me around like a ragdoll.


    ¡°What have you seen, though?¡± I said, causing her to look at me with her wide eyes. ¡°To make you choose to follow me, to seek me out; what did you see?¡± She had already touched upon the why earlier, but when she had mentioned her Affinity previously, it made me curious.


    Hilda didn¡¯t answer immediately, furrowing her brow. She pursed her lips and placed a hand on her chin. ¡°My visions always feel like I¡¯m watching an event without my glasses. But, one or two things are always crystal clear to me. You are one of the things that are always clear to me.¡± She crossed her arms and tapped her slender arm with a pair of fingers. ¡°Events around you have changed consistently ever since a certain event.¡±


    That caused my two companions and me to focus on her. ¡°The future changed? How? When?¡± Sora said to her, brow furrowed and amber eyes glowing intently.


    Arce didn¡¯t ask anything, but the intense stare she exuded told me the importance of this topic.


    Hilda didn¡¯t answer, but she did focus on me. ¡°The first vision that changed was of you facing a horde of monsters in a meadow.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°The first version had you and Miss Fitzgerald fighting together. Victorious, but injured in the aftermath.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened.¡± I rejected the words with a shake of my head. ¡°I fought alone. Then Luke stabbed in the back.¡±


    The Valkyrie¡¯s gaze turned sharp as I said that, wide eyes narrowing as she studied me. She pursed her lips. ¡°I knew the vision changed, but it ended after the last monster fell. I never realized that Sir Wirth betrayed you.¡± Her lip curled upward in disgust. ¡°Betrayal amongst family is one of the worst crimes to my sisters and me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quick to believe me,¡± I said carefully, trying to gauge her reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no reason not to.¡± She shrugged a single shoulder. ¡°Sir Wirth did seem insistent that I offer my services to him. He didn¡¯t, and still doesn¡¯t, interest me.¡±


    ¡°What causes changes to your visions?¡± Arce asked her, cutting into the conversation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hilda answered with a shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯s never happened with anyone or anything else I¡¯ve seen in the past.¡± Marishka walked over to me and hopped up into my lap, resting her head on her paws and closing her eyes. The Valkyrie stared at the resting Amarok, eyes wide, and her brows high. ¡°How¡­¡± Then she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll ask later. There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± I focused on her, motioning for her to continue. ¡°I know that you¡¯re the next Demon Lord.¡±


    A deafening silence settled upon us, four sets of intense gazes focusing on the unreasonably calm person sitting next to me. I mean, yeah, I intended to tell her myself, but just hearing her say it like dropping a bomb made me twitch something fierce. The tenseness in my shoulders bled out as I relaxed back in my seat. ¡°One less thing for me to tell you then.¡± That caused Sora and Arce to turn towards me. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie to the people we¡¯re going to travel with; it¡¯s a waste of effort and time.¡±


    Sora hummed as she smiled, crossing her arms in front of her. She nodded. ¡°It seems fortune favors you, Joey. A powerful Affinity, an Amarok, and a Valkyrie that wishes to follow you.¡±


    I shook my head, still rubbing the top of Marishka¡¯s head. ¡°Nothing I¡¯ve earned with my own effort. My journey still hasn¡¯t fully begun.¡± I grimaced. ¡°Meeting Abigail, though, has no doubt forced us onto a path to return to Veracity.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it has, but that is the consequence of returning to fight,¡± Sora said, the corner of her mouth quirking up, amusement dancing in her eyes.


    ¡°I, for one, am glad you made such a choice,¡± Hilda said, her voice low and lips quirked into a small smile.


    Arce hummed. ¡°It¡¯s a setback, but your renown offers you leverage. You have the power to dictate terms for your independence.¡± She lifted a hand. ¡°On one hand, you do have the right to take your own freedom, to travel Verum on your own terms.¡± Arce then lifted her opposite hand. ¡°On the other, Frederick DeVere has the power to force you onto a path on the threat of imprisonment or death. You don¡¯t yet have the leverage, nor power, to force him to comply with your wishes.¡±


    Sora huffed out a laugh, lips curling into an amused smirk. ¡°I wonder how obvious he¡¯d make it. Veritas¡¯ citizens love their Monarchy. How would they react to their King, forcing their Hero onto a path against his will?¡± She shrugged even as I noticed Hilda twitched with an uncomfortable twist of the mouth. ¡°I suppose we won¡¯t know until we meet with him.¡± Her gaze fell onto the Valkyrie. ¡°What are your thoughts on this, then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be as severe as you claim. His Majesty, Frederick DeVere, is a good King, a good man. Close friends with Holien¡¯s Emperor. I doubt he¡¯d force a path onto an innocent person.¡±


    ¡°Innocent to whom?¡± Sora challenged but paused when I stared her down. She relaxed back into her seat. ¡°My apologies, Brynhildr. I see the worst in any situation before me.¡±


    Hilda offered a crooked smile but shifted nervously. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We all have our reasons.¡± She paused and continued, ¡°But, please, call me Hilda, Miss Sora. I haven¡¯t yet earned the right to be called that name.¡±


    Sora just smiled, inclining her head in acceptance. ¡°I will. I¡¯d like to ask you something if that¡¯s alright.¡± Hilda nodded, and Sora motioned to the side, palm facing up. ¡°Holien¡¯s borders are locked down, and no one is allowed in or out. Why?¡±


    ¡°Several Valkyrie newborns were kidnapped last year.¡± That caused all of us to stare at her in shock as Hilda frowned, hands tensed as she crossed her arms. ¡°None of us know how it happened, but someone managed to sneak into the Western Monastery and take an entire nursery full of children.¡± She exhaled through her nose, cheeks darkened, and lips pursed with fury. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have been possible, but it happened anyway.¡± She shook her head. ¡°The Emperor decreed that we should close our borders and let no one leave or enter.¡±


    ¡°Then how were you able to leave?¡± Sora asked her, leaning forward with an upward quirk of her lips.


    Hilda didn¡¯t answer immediately, looking down as she chewed her lower lip. After a few moments of silence, she said, ¡°Not many people were happy with the Emperor¡¯s decision, even if they understood it. I managed to get into contact with a smuggler and paid them with outdated information and gold. They smuggled me to the border, and I made my way to Veracity.¡±


    Sora frowned as she hummed. ¡°I suppose that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°What do you think will happen when we return to Veracity?¡± I asked my party.


    Arce shrugged, crossing her arms. ¡°They will be joyous at your return as a Hero. That much is certain. However, it will raise questions.¡±


    ¡°How did I come back?¡± I mused to myself, tapping my chin. Then I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t fully know; that¡¯s the truth. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Sora laughed to herself. ¡°Celebration is inevitable. When you return, either he or the queen, will push for a gala to celebrate your life.¡± She tapped her palm with a finger. ¡°Nobility from all corners of Veritas will be called to Veracity, as well as the few Heroes still affiliated with them.¡± Her lips twisted as she shook her head.


    ¡°Miss Sora is likely correct.¡± Hilda agreed. ¡°The gala would take a few days to prepare, but we¡¯d be given quarters equivalent to an ambassador from an allied nation.¡± She nodded once. ¡°You¡¯ll only be allowed to have one escort for it, though.¡±


    I furrowed my brow at that but accepted her words with a nod. ¡°I get it. I suppose I should ask who doesn¡¯t want to join a party with the upper crust of Veritas¡¯ nobility?¡± I felt myself smiling in amusement at my question.


    Sora swiftly shook her head in the negative. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d agree, but that¡¯s too much attention on me.¡± Her answer caused me to furrow my brow. Her lips quirked at my response. ¡°I work best when under the radar. Yes, I¡¯m in a group with the Fallen Hero, but no one of import has looked into me yet. It¡¯s best if I remain as unseen as possible by those of the nobility.¡±


    Arce¡¯s expression twisted as if she¡¯d eaten something sour. ¡°Put me in the wild, and I¡¯ll be happy. The politics of Veritas¡¯ nobility is a beast I¡¯d rather not undertake any time soon.¡± She inclined her head to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I get it.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything else as my gaze fell onto a sleepy Marishka. She met my gaze and huffed through her nose. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to ask you anyway.¡± She groaned at me and rested her head. I turned towards Hilda, who smiled playfully at the Amarok on my lap. ¡°Hilda?¡±


    ¡°Combat is not the only skill a Valkyrie is taught. We¡¯re also trained statesmen.¡± She placed her hands together on her lap and bowed towards me to a 45-degree angle. ¡°If it¡¯ll support you, then I¡¯ll follow you into the lion¡¯s den of national politics.¡± I heard the smile in her voice and caught sight of it as she sat up straight.


    Sora glanced out the window, narrowing her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s still early. We should stop by the blacksmith and see what¡¯s finished.¡± She stood and brushed off the front of her dress.


    Arce hummed as she rose to her feet as well. ¡°I¡¯ll check in at the guild. They¡¯ll probably have information important for us to know.¡±


    Hilda cocked her head to the side. ¡°Her Highness will want to know how you¡¯re doing, Joseph. I¡¯ll also help with correspondence between us.¡±


    I rose and watched as Sora flicked her hand to the side, a faint pop sound echoing around us. Lifting Marishka, I held her out to Arce. ¡°Here, bring Rishka with you. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d take well to the heat.¡± The Amarok grunted as I passed her off, but did little more than twist around in Arce¡¯s arms, much to the young woman¡¯s amusement.


    ¡°I will, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll start walking on her own soon.¡±


    I let out a laugh and looked to each of my party members. ¡°We¡¯ll meet back here after our errands and figure out what to do from there.¡± With that, we nodded in sync with each other and went about our ways to our destinations. Sora and I walked down the road, passing by the rubble of the fallen buildings and broken pathways. Various people moved about, working together to move debris out of the path, for foot traffic, horses, and carriages. The cloudy sky blocked out the sun while humidity filled the air; rain felt like it was only a few moments away.


    As we walked, I spoke with Sora about what happened during the fight, informing her how it went and the immediate aftermath. She had managed to stow my stolen sword away into a portable bag, letting me keep my hands free. After I had finished with my interaction with Hilda, I watched as Sora placed a hand on her chin, lips twitching upwards. ¡°You¡¯ve no doubt frustrated Variak with your confident irreverence. Stealing his sword and refusing to bow only made you a future target, even with their success over Xadria in mind, will no doubt cause him to plan for you.¡± She nodded. ¡°You did well, even when pushed back.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I accepted her words with an incline of the head. ¡°Luke being nearby helped, I suppose. What anger I did feel helped add to my strength.¡±


    Sora grunted at that. ¡°While I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out over time, I¡¯m still unhappy over potentially returning to Veracity.¡± She frowned and crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯ll also eat into my research time for the homunculus body.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have all the time in the world, Sora. I¡¯m the one who has to meet with the King. I¡¯ll give you the time you need.¡± Sora hummed appreciatively and bumped her shoulder into mine. ¡°What can you get from the body, anyway?¡±


    ¡°How it moves. Weaknesses in its structure. The source of the connection between it and the host body.¡± Sora mused as she placed a hand on her chin. ¡°An assortment of things, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hurry and get our commissions. I don¡¯t like the idea of being separated for too long.¡±

 Ignis Aurum - 12

    Walking out of the blacksmith, I held a rectangular case at my side. Sora swung a slender box over her shoulder, with a strap latched onto either end. We strode down the road, in the direction of the guildhall. The blacksmith didn¡¯t seem happy when we stopped by, but that¡¯s because he couldn¡¯t keep working with destroyed tools. The attack had reached his workplace, no doubt the cause of the crater where his anvil and forge once rested. As he had turned over his incomplete commissions, Arce had messaged me through my communication stone.


    Saelseris wishes to speak with you. Come by when you can. Arce didn¡¯t seem shaken or nervous, but upon hearing the guild master¡¯s name, I knew that I shouldn¡¯t make her wait too long.


    As I replied, though, the dwarf handed something to Sora. ¡°If yer ever in Kohinoor, give this to the Quartermaster at the Craftsman Hub. They¡¯ll set you straight with some equipment.¡±


    ¡°Will you return to Kohinoor?¡± Sora asked him, sliding the object into the folds of her cloth dress.


    He grunted and shook his head, pushing a hand through his beard. ¡°To replace mah tools. Those damn freaks blew it up.¡± He glared at the crater.


    With that, we continued our trek through the remnants of Xadria, towards the guildhall. As we neared the building, I couldn¡¯t help but notice several armored individuals running around, carrying a variety of items. The walked around fallen walls and broken carriages, escorting civilians to and from the hall. Various eyes flickered over to us before going about their day and continuing their tasks. When one of the adventurers walked near Sora and me, I waved him down towards me. ¡°Hey, I got word that Saelseris wants to meet with me. Is she in?¡±


    Clearly, in a rush, he nodded and said, ¡°Yeah. First floor in the center of the hall. Can¡¯t miss her.¡± He then raced away, a small box held under his arm.


    We continued down the ruined path, stepping around fallen debris that still laid in the route. When we happened upon the guildhall, I saw that the building had been devastated, the top three stories gone with wooden and stone pillars pointed up and out, a tent stretched over them. People moved around, carrying rocks and stacks of wood to the side and into a pile, while others continued to move in and out of the building, carrying objects. As we approached, Arce slipped by a pair of runners and caught sight of Sora and me, waving us towards her. I led Sora and me up the damaged steps to the entrance as Arce turned to enter the guildhall.


    Upended chairs and broken tables decorated the cracked and cratered floors. The counter was cracked in two, torn from the floor and lodged into the far wall. I recognized Aspen amongst the working clerks, organizing papers and ledgers next to the remnants of the counter. Her gaze flicked up as if acknowledging my study of her, and she smiled in relief, her shoulders falling. She nodded to me before focusing back on her task.


    ¡°When I checked in, Saelseris asked if she could speak with you,¡± Arce explained as we approached a circular table near the back of the main hall, covered in maps and papers, surrounded by a people clad in scuffed and broken armor. Chatter filled the air, arguments, and debates giving the atmosphere a heady, thick feeling.


    ¡°Did she say about what?¡± I said to her as I looked around the table, searching for the elven guild master.


    Arce shook her head, not saying anything else.


    Sora grabbed my arm, causing me to turn towards her. ¡°I¡¯ll step out and do some of my investigations. See if Alba knows anything more of Variak¡¯s modus operandi.¡± I nodded to her and watched as she exited the guildhall. A brush against my leg pulled my attention downwards. Marishka prodded her nose against the side of my knee. She looked up to me, eyes twinkling with intelligence.


    Crouching down, I ruffled the fur atop her head and resumed following Arce with Marishka following closely. As we approached, I noticed that a familiar head of salt and pepper hair turned towards me. Leaf green eyes narrowed, and she turned back to the person next to her, speaking a few words, before speaking to the group. Without another word, she turned from the table and approached me, the person next to her fell into step with her. As they walked towards us, the woman next to the guild master filled me with a sense of nostalgia. Reddish-orange, sunset-colored hair, a tan complexion, and her pale green eyes narrowed as they studied me.


    Saelseris wore a set of flowing grey robes with chainmail hanging from her shoulders and a pair of bracers on her forearms. Bandages wrapped around her neck and covered her right cheek as well as dried flecks of reddish-brown peppered her robes.


    The other woman wore leather and linen topped with a formfitting chest-plate and a thigh-length chain-mail skirt. A folded staff hung from the left side of her hip along with a matching cape that fell over her left arm. She seemed¡­familiar.


    ¡°Joseph,¡± Saelseris said, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°First, allow me to thank you for your intervention earlier today.¡± She inclined her head towards me, eyes closed as she did so. ¡°Morale rose exponentially with your declaration.¡± The corners of her mouth twitched upwards as she hummed. ¡°It seemed hearing of the Fallen Hero appearing from the air to aid them pushed all of our people to fight harder.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the churn in my gut as I grimaced, shaking my head. ¡°People still died. All I could do was pull attention to me.¡±


    If anything, Saelseris¡¯ smile only widened, turning her head towards the woman next to her. ¡°It seems your estimation of his character wasn¡¯t far off.¡± The woman didn¡¯t reply, just staring at me unblinkingly. Upon getting no answer, she shook her head and continued. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s break away to a more private room. There are some things we need to speak of.¡± I nodded, and we made our way towards the broken counter. As we reached it, one of the clerks, an older man, rose to meet her gaze. ¡°If anyone needs me, I¡¯m in a meeting. Direct them towards the group up front.¡± He gave her a stern nod, and we continued.


    The rest of the building proved no less damaged from the attack, with the roof missing and the cloudy sky bearing down us. We entered one of the rooms, also affected by the attack, with a broken table and several shattered chairs. For a moment, Saelseris stared at the office, lips pursed, and curled downwards. Her brows furrowed as her lips twitched before she masked her expression and walked further inside. Arce shut the door behind us as the guild master turned to face us, the armored standing off to the side.


    ¡°The Xadria branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild will likely have to close down.¡± She started and crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯d hoped to start you on a few specialty quests, Sir Blaine, but that¡¯s not possible at the moment.¡±


    I arched a brow at her. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be favoritism? I figured the Guild master of all people would try to prevent that.¡±


    The elf rolled her eyes, her professional mask falling as she sighed. ¡°Please. Trying to keep a ¡®Hero¡¯ of all people on a standard track is asking for a skewed growth.¡± She shook her head and speared with a stern frown. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, especially with what¡¯s happened. You and your fellow ¡®students¡¯ are all extraordinary existences.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°The average adventurer has up to, at least, three years of training and combat experience, preparing them for any struggle they''re thrust into during their journey.¡± She motioned toward me. ¡°For twelve of the Heroes, they¡¯ve had approximately fourteen months to adapt to Verum. That¡¯s counting for living in a new culture and how to fight. You?¡± Saelseris pointed to me. ¡°You¡¯ve been ¡®dead¡¯ for a year, only to return recently. How? I won¡¯t ask. But, by all rights, you¡¯ve only had two, maybe three, months to grow as a ¡®Hero¡¯ on Verum.¡±


    She scoffed and lowered her hand. ¡°Someone with your age and experience born on Verum? They would die within days without the potential and intellect you¡¯ve shown, regardless of Affinity. That is a fact for all summoned Heroes.¡± She waved to the side, exhaling in disgust. ¡°Keeping any of you on the standard track for rising adventures is an act of futility. Complaints of favoritism be damned.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I can understand what you¡¯re saying. Where is this going?¡±


    Saelseris huffed through her nose, lips pursed and twitching up at my answer. ¡°This branch cannot offer the recommended accelerated track anymore, for obvious reasons.¡± She reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a blood-red stone. ¡°What we can offer, though, is a chance to open dialogue on your terms.¡± She held it out to me.


    I took it from her and allowed the smooth ruby-like gem to roll around my palm. ¡°A communication stone?¡±


    She hummed and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s keyed to connect with the nearest registered guild master.¡± She pulled at a chain wrapped around her neck, lifting a similar red stone from beneath her collar. ¡°At the moment, that is me. But when you leave, it could connect to another.¡±


    ¡°Do the others have one?¡± I asked as I studied it for a moment, before sliding it into the palm of my left glove. I¡¯d find a better place to put such an essential item later.


    Saelseris shook her head. ¡°No. Each of them is either already with an organization that serves their needs or cannot be reached. At the moment, you are the only unaffiliated, independently active Hero.¡± At my accepting grunt, she smiled faintly and turned towards the silent woman next to her. ¡°There¡¯s more we can speak on later, but there¡¯s someone who¡¯s wanted to meet you as soon as possible.¡±


    I turned to the woman, still unable to realize why she seemed so familiar. The woman stared at me for a few seconds longer before she huffed through her nose. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t changed in that way. Even when you succeed, you always see a failure, Joey. You would have made a great Knight.¡±


    The woman¡¯s words struck a chord. My eyes widened as I met her gaze, my heart quickening. Finally, I put the name to her face. ¡°Valeri?¡±


    Her stern visage crumbled as her lips curled into a kind smile, like an older sister showing pride in her younger sibling. ¡°I¡¯m honestly disappointed that you didn¡¯t remember me. Am I that forgettable?¡± Her voice cracked as she studied me, a combination of joy and grief playing in her gaze.


    I coughed out a laugh. ¡°No, never. I guess I had a lot on my mind.¡±


    ¡°I would assume so,¡± Valeri said, her voice low as she raked her gaze over me. ¡°We''ve missed you, Joey.¡± I didn¡¯t answer, trying not to fidget beneath the weight of her stare. When she closed her eyes and shook her head, I felt my shoulders fall, as if I tried to stand taller under her stare. ¡°Guild master Saelseris instructed Her Highness in commerce when she spent time in Xadria a few years prior.¡± She looked over to the elf, inclining her head in thanks. ¡°Due to that, they became friends and still communicate to this day.¡±


    Saelseris nodded to Valeri¡¯s words. ¡°I did not offer your name or identity, but when I contacted Lade Emelina, I told her of a Hero¡¯s entry into Xadria.¡±


    Valeri smiled, facing me once more. ¡°While your classmates have broken apart, Her Highness tries to keep track of all of them, if only to know if they¡¯re well.¡± Her expression fell, but she squared her shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ve lost track of a few of them, but we know of their last known locations.¡± She focused on me intently. ¡°None of them were anywhere near Xadria.¡±


    ¡°To everyone, I was dead. How did you conclude that it was me?¡±


    ¡°Several stories of ages past have legends of Heroes rising from death, greater than before.¡± Valeri smiled widely, laughter escaping her. ¡°Her Highness always proved herself able to see beyond the obvious. We had to put together the information we gathered, but she was able to realize that it could have only been you.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, Her Highness had a prior appointment she couldn¡¯t ignore, so she sent me here along with Lady Abigail¡¯s delegation. I broke from them upon arrival and came here to speak with Saelseris.¡±


    The guild master nodded. ¡°I had planned on organizing a meeting, but I learned of the sudden job that you had taken with Arce and Soralynn.¡± Her eyes narrowed as she studied me. ¡°Imagine my surprise when I had learned you fell from the sky when you were supposed to be too far from Xadria to return during the attack.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to let her know that Sora could trick the teleportation defenses protecting Xadria, so I decided to omit a few things. ¡°The homunculi that attacked, they must have teleported in with one-use artifacts, considering their numbers. When they attacked my party and me, I picked one up from the one I killed. Unfortunately, the others had been too vicious with their opponents and destroyed their tools.¡± I glanced over to Arce, smirking playfully. Arce looked away from me with a sheepish blush, fidgeting in place.


    ¡°It made you appear in the air?¡± Saelseris asked me, disbelief coloring her tone.


    I shrugged, not having to fake my disbelief. ¡°I couldn''t use it at first, but my Affinity allows me to force things like that. Had I more time to work with it? It could¡¯ve been a better result.¡±


    Saelseris frowned but nodded regardless. ¡°Still. Thank you for returning, especially with how you arrived.¡±


    Valeri chuckled as she crossed her arms. ¡°I have to admit, a part of me wasn¡¯t surprised when I heard of not only of your arrival but how you arrived.¡± She gave me an askance look, lips quirked. ¡°A kick from the skies? How did it not kill you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m awesome like that?¡± I said with a playful smile. I didn¡¯t want to talk about my abilities, especially considering I still wanted to learn more about my limits.


    The Knight¡¯s smile did not fall as she laughed, shaking your head. ¡°Keep your secrets.¡± Then she exhaled through her nose. ¡°Would you be willing to return to Veracity with me? Lady Abigail had no doubt made her wish to return with you known by now.¡±


    I kept the dread that surfaced in my stomach from showing as I nodded towards Valeri. ¡°I suppose I must. I¡¯ll have to finish some tasks in Xadria, though.¡±


    Valeri smiled at that, crossing her arms. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll approach Miss Kacee soon as well. Her company has made itself invaluable in defense of Xadria¡¯s citizens. His Majesty will want to reward all those who acted in Xadria¡¯s defense.¡±


    ¡°What will happen when we return to Veracity?¡±


    The Knight closed her eyes and considered to herself. ¡°Firstly, His Majesty will want to meet with you again. To reconnect with Miss Kacee and to ask about your revival. Afterward¡­?¡± She then shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. He¡¯d want to celebrate, of course, but I don¡¯t know how large he¡¯d make it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather it not be too big,¡± I grumbled as I rubbed the back of my head. ¡°I¡¯ve never liked being forced to mingle with people I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Saelseris snorted, lips curling into a smile. ¡°Welcome to the life of an adventurer, Joseph Blaine. To thrive, you¡¯ll have to network. It¡¯s all about your connections.¡± Her smile turned sharp, eyes narrowing into a glare. ¡°Your fame will only get you so far.¡±


    I grimaced at her deep regard. ¡°I know. I don¡¯t like the idea of having my path influenced by others.¡±


    ¡°Tis the life of an adventurer,¡± Saelseris said, her voice low but soft. ¡°You choose a life of freedom, at the cost of stability. The only thing you must do is make sure the chains you forge from your career don¡¯t hold you down.¡±


    Chains. Her words resonated with me, and I couldn¡¯t help the clench of my fist. I decided I¡¯d be free, that I¡¯d live my life the way I wished, regardless of what others thought or did. I¡¯d fight to keep the right to live how I wanted, even if it made others enemies of me. If going to meet the king made things difficult, no matter what I tried, then I¡¯d succeed at this trial too.


    ¡°What¡¯s next, then, Valeri? When do we leave? Because I¡¯m not going anywhere without my group.¡± I said sternly, meeting her gaze with defiance.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Valeri answered with a nod, just as stern. ¡°I¡¯d love to meet the rest of the group that you¡¯ve gathered.¡± She turned her gaze onto the silent Arce, who took a post at my left flank and behind me. ¡°Arce no last name, a three-year running scout employed by the Adventurers Guild. An impeccable record backed by a variety of skills that complement your profession.¡± The corner of her mouth quirked upwards as Arce offered no reaction. ¡°Our Intelligence Division has created dossiers on all notable Adventurers. Yours is one we¡¯ve paid special attention to maintaining.¡±


    Arce¡¯s stoicism did not falter as she nodded her head, posture still stiff as she stared at Valeri. ¡°I¡¯m honored by your attention, Knight-Captain.¡± Her answer caused the Knight to smile widely, taken aback by her response.


    ¡°I see.¡± She nodded and faced me once more. ¡°I look forward to meeting the rest of your party, Joseph.¡± With that, we finally decided to end the meeting and free Saelseris so she could resume her meeting. As we reached the main hall, Valeri turned towards me and smiled. ¡°Go rest for the next few hours. Abigail and I will send for you when it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡±


    I¡­did not know how to feel about that statement, regardless of her happy expression. The fact that she wanted me to wait on her to call me rubbed me so wrongly. I didn¡¯t want to be on call by these people. It contradicted everything I believed in to let them do this; otherwise, I¡¯d likely start a pointless fight with people who only want to help me. So, with that in mind, I couldn¡¯t help the forced smile that spread on my face. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll wait. Try not to take too long, though. I¡¯d rather not stay inactive for long.¡±


    Valeri chuckled, something flickering in her gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s been a tough day for us all. Nothing wrong with catching our breath.¡± She nodded and turned to follow Saelseris back to the round table.


    With Arce and Marishka in tow, I left the guildhall and began the walk back to the inn. ¡°Do you have any errands to finish in Xadria, Arce?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She said as she fell in step at my side. ¡°I¡¯m ready to leave whenever you are.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± I looked down at Marishka. She lifted her head and gave me this deadpan stare. I snorted out a laugh as a smile finally escaped me. ¡°I guess not. Let¡¯s get the others and gather our things. I want to be ready when it¡¯s time to leave.¡±

 Ignis Aurum - 13

    Hilda and Sora returned to the inn at the same time, walking through the crowd of people, also wanting a place to sleep that night. We sat at one of the only standing tables in the dining area, silently eating as we waited for a representative of the DeVere delegation to collect us. Marishka sat at my feet to the side, gnawing on the ribs I bought her. As we ate, Sora turned her gaze towards me, lifting her bowl to her face. ¡°You¡¯ll need to get a new sword. The one you stole from Variak doesn¡¯t fit you.¡± She drank from her bowl.


    I looked around, taking in the milling crowd of curious people staring at our table. Whispers and the occasional point directed towards us caused me to roll my eyes, but I focused on Sora¡¯s statement. ¡°I¡¯ll get one either from a blacksmith in Veracity or one from here, if still available. Otherwise, Kato will serve as my main weapon.¡± A snort escaped me as I shrugged, lips stretching into a playful grin. ¡°If necessary, I can use my new sword. Wielding a big ass sword has always been boyhood dream of mine.¡±


    Hilda¡¯s lips curled upwards.  ¡°That is the life of an adventurer, is it not? Fulfilling childhood dreams?¡± She expertly cut into her steak using her knife and fork, mixing her vegetable and bread with her soup. Her spear laid against the table on her left, between us, with a cloth sheath tied around the blade. Arce didn¡¯t respond but did laugh as she ate her vegetable stew, dipping her bread into the broth.


    ¡°What¡¯s on the agenda while we¡¯re in Veracity?¡± I asked as I bit in my bread.


    ¡°Arming ourselves,¡± Sora said as she sipped from her drink. ¡°You need a new sword. My dagger is damaged, so I need a new one as well.¡± She motioned towards the silently eating Arce. ¡°Arce needs to fletch new arrows and order arrowheads from a blacksmith.¡± She mused in silence as she rolled her head to the side, bangs flowing in front of her face. ¡°Provisions, as well, depending on what we do after leaving.¡± Sora faced Hilda. ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    The Valkyrie disagreed with a shake of her head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve restocked my provisions upon first entering. I¡¯ll compile a list and give it to you, Miss Sora, as you¡¯ve shown yourself to be the party¡¯s quartermaster.¡± The Witch inclined her head with a smile, before turning back to her food. Hilda, though, continued. ¡°I have a question for the party. What is our goal?¡±


    Arce and Sora turned intense stares towards her, but I met Hilda¡¯s questioning stare with a nod. ¡°Travel to each nation and gather those who are best capable of making my ambition a reality.¡± I pursed my lips and looked at the table. ¡°What my ambition is¡­it¡¯s to be free.¡± I shook my head and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve lived my entire life under the thumb of those who care nothing for the dreams and wishes of others.¡± I clenched my fist tight enough for the knuckles to crack. I met Hilda¡¯s silent, stoic gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll not be controlled, coerced, or directed against my will. I¡¯ll live unchained and uncaged. That is my goal.¡±


    At that, I allowed my gaze to roll over the three women who sat with me at the table. Sora, Hilda, Arce. ¡°With that said, I won¡¯t ignore what¡¯s in front of me. If there are people who need me, I¡¯ll act. If some are in danger, I¡¯ll act. I won¡¯t ignore the struggles of others. That includes all of you. If, at any point, you need my help, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I may still be inexperienced, but I¡¯ll use everything in my power to support you.¡±


    My companions faced me, expressing a gamut of expressions.


    Sora blinked, stoic before the corner of her mouth quirked upward. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, inclining her head once.


    Arce¡¯s face colored as her ears twitched atop her head. Her shoulders hunched as she leaned forward, lips curling into a faint smile.


    Hilda¡¯s lips parted as she smiled with her eyes sparkling with emotion. She straightened her posture, pushing her shoulders back and nodded.


    ¡°Well, look at y¡¯all.¡± Kersti approached our table, her bandaged arm and frazzled, cut honey blonde hair, smiling down at us as she held a tray full of drinks. ¡°It¡¯s good to see so many smilin¡¯ faces, even after today.¡± She lowered her plate, a subtle clench of jaw betraying her discomfort, and began to pass us refills for our drinks. ¡°I¡¯m glad that Arce here has good friends. A little time out in th¡¯ world will do her good.¡± Kersti nudged the Fox Beastkin with an elbow, causing the girl to flush even more.


    Sora hummed as she lifted her new mug, taking a sip. ¡°We¡¯re leaving soon, so she¡¯ll have her adventure.¡± She bobbed her head towards the waitress. ¡°How¡¯s the inn dealing with the damages to the city?¡±


    Kersti grimaced, ¡°We¡¯re one of the few places that didn¡¯t get hit too bad. The hole in the wall¡¯s the worst.¡± She pointed towards the tarped-up wall next to the entrance. ¡°Papa wants to check on the foundation, but we¡¯re guessin¡¯ that business will be good until people start to leave.¡±


    ¡°Are you and your family preparing to leave, too?¡± Arce asked her friend, voice soft, and full of worry.


    Kersti¡¯s brow furrowed as she looked behind her, the background cacophony of the other patrons pulling her attention elsewhere. ¡°My family¡¯s lived here for generations. This place¡¯s all we¡¯ve got.¡± She faced us once more, lips curling into a sad smile. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard, but Papa¡¯s good with his books, and he¡¯s taught me a lot. We can start elsewhere.¡± Arce looked up to her with wide eyes, brows rising and lips pursed, but her friend shook her head, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Arce. We¡¯ll deal.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to,¡± Arce said, her voice low and lips pursed. She turned towards me, dark grey eyes wide and searching.


    I exhaled through my nose; eyes closed. What could I do? I don¡¯t have anything to my name, beyond the clothing on my back and the equipment in my bag. Then again, I am a revived Hero to Veritas¡­


    ¡°Kersti.¡± I caught her attention, meeting her gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do anything to help you, but I¡¯ll try to do something. Make an opportunity, send some aid, or open up a new place for you.¡± I shrugged, picking up my new drink. ¡°I have no idea if my word means much, but I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Kersti¡¯s eyes widened, surprise filling them. Then her lips parted into a wide grin, her shoulders loosening. ¡°Well, then. A Hero¡¯s willin¡¯ to help me and my Papa. I guess I got to have hope now.¡± She crossed her arms and leaned back, about to reply, but froze as she looked past us and to the entrance of the tavern. Across from me, Arce and Sora stiffened as well, the latter frowning as she narrowed her eyes.


    I turned around to see Abigail at the entrance, Colette standing next to her. The former looked around without a care in the world before her gaze fell on me. She grinned and lifted a hand, walking towards me with my old classmate in tow. The young princess entered the inn, smiling and waving as she reached our table. Abigail faced me, flashing me her perfect, white teeth. ¡°Joey, may we sit with you?¡± Behind her, Colette offered a playful wink, the corner of her mouth quirked.


    Waving a hand to the spot next to me, I said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    She beamed, pulling out the chair and sitting next to me. ¡°Thank you, Joey. Have you managed to finish your errands?¡±


    Kersti cleared her throat. ¡°Well, I got to head back. Do you need anything, Highness? Madame Knight?¡±


    Abigail shook her head in the negative. ¡°Thank you. Please don¡¯t worry yourself over me. I¡¯ve already eaten.¡±


    My former classmate hummed, placing a finger on her chin. ¡°Some water, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Comin¡¯ right up.¡± Kersti gave me a wink and headed back to the bar.


    ¡°Well, well, well, Joey.¡± Colette giggled, pulling my attention to her. She leaned forward, resting her head on her hand. ¡°Not only are you traveling with all these women, but you¡¯re also flirting with the barmaids? You dog.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re hilarious, Colette.¡± I reclined back in my seat, crossing my arms. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, Gail? When do we leave for Veracity?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    The Princess hesitated at my question, her expression furrowing before her smile returned. ¡°We have everything ready, but Valeri is still speaking with Miss Saelseris, and Luke is helping some adventurers with a task.¡± She clasped her hands on the table. ¡°Before we leave, though, I was hoping we could talk.¡± She fidgeted beneath my questioning gaze, meeting my eyes as she lowered her head.


    I shared a look with Sora, meeting her stoic gaze, before facing Abigail once more. ¡°What about?¡±


    ¡°Why did you leave?¡± Her voice barely raised above a whisper, her expression falling as she studied me. ¡°When you woke up, you never let anyone know that you were alive. Why?¡±


    Her question elicited a blink, and I exhaled through my nose. I turned away from Abigail, facing the rest of my party. Sora rested her head on her hand, an upturned quirk of her lips betraying the amused twinkle in her eyes. Arce paid no attention, still eating her vegetarian meal with a quiet intensity. Hilda didn¡¯t make it obvious, but the downturn of her lips showed her displeasure.


    Colette cocked her head to the side, the faint firelight illuminating the tavern flickering off her metal facemask. Abigail continued to study me, nervously fidgeting as I considered my answer.


    ¡°Imagine waking up, encased in darkness, trapped on all sides by a crushing weight,¡± I said, meeting Abigail¡¯s eyes stoically. Her cheeks losing color as she listened. ¡°I climbed out of my grave, only to have an old man nearly brain me. Do you know what the first thing I saw when I wiped the dirt from my eyes? My gravestone.¡± I looked between the two of them. ¡°It said ¡®A Loyal Friend and Loving Brother.¡¯ According to the life I lead, I can¡¯t disagree.¡± I then clenched my fist tight enough for my knuckles to crack and whiten, placing it on the table. ¡°What makes me angry is the irony behind it, considering my loyalty was what got me killed.¡±


    Abigail¡¯s eyes widened at my statement, mouthing falling open before her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you mean, exactly? Didn¡¯t the horde kill you?¡±


    Colette didn¡¯t verbally reply, though her pursed lips and hunched shoulders told me that she did know something.


    I snorted, relaxing my hand to open it. I placed my other hand over my knuckles, rubbing them to get the blood flowing. ¡°Please, even with my asthma damn near crippling me, that horde offered little more than a hint of difficulty. I killed them with time to spare, though my lungs hated me for it afterward.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°No, what struck me as odd was that they stopped appearing too quickly, too soon. I couldn¡¯t fight the feeling that they had managed to slip into the village, even with everyone else standing guard.¡±


    The princess faced to the side; lips pursed. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, unfortunately. Someone did manage to sneak into Nyrill. Thankfully, Miss Haddock was there to stop them.¡± She then turned towards me, the downward curve of her lips, making her next question clear. ¡°But how does that lead to your death?¡±


    ¡°Because as I ran through the forest, heading back to the village, I ran into Luke.¡± I noticed Colette stiffening, her eyes looking everywhere but my direction. Sora¡¯s lips quirked into a smile, eyes twinkling as she studied my old classmate through narrowed eyes. ¡°Unfortunately, my asthma didn¡¯t agree with my decision to keep fighting. Luke tried to stop me, likely out of worry, but I wanted to keep going.¡± I lifted a hand and closed it as if holding a dagger. ¡°Then¡­he stabbed me in the fucking back.¡±


    Abigail¡¯s eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s¡­! What?! No. That can¡¯t be true. Even amongst your arguments, none of you struck me as the type to hurt one another so callously.¡±


    ¡°I have the scar, Gail, if you want me to show you.¡± My voice cracked, betraying the rising ember that dwelled within my chest. I tapped my chest, where I felt my heartbeat. ¡°From the back and through my heart, I felt his blade pierce me. The last thing I saw before the end was a piece of broken steel, dripping with blood, my blood.¡± I leaned forward and whispered to Abigail. ¡°It felt like going to bed, Gail, after a long day. Even with the burn in my lungs and sting of steel piercing my heart, it was as if I fell asleep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She kept shaking her head, her voice cracking and mien paling as her shoulders shook. ¡°It can¡¯t¡­¡±


    A sigh escaped me, exhaustion overtaking my burning fury in recalling and retelling the events of the night I died. ¡°If you can¡¯t believe me, then ask Colette. Kacee said that everyone else found Luke and my body that night. She¡¯d have seen something.¡± As one, the Princess and I turned towards Colette. My old classmate didn¡¯t face either of us, her lips pursed, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. ¡°What did you see, Colette?¡±


    Colette¡¯s blue eyes flickered over to me, then to Abigail. She didn¡¯t reply for the longest time before a breath escaped her. ¡°It was different, terrifying almost, seeing your body lying there, Joey. We¡¯d already seen other bodies, due to what happened at the merchant quarter, but we didn¡¯t know them.¡± She bit her lip, clenching her fists. ¡°Blood was everywhere, all over your body, on Luke¡¯s arm and broken sword, the ground. Everywhere.¡±


    Abigail stared in horror at Colette¡¯s words, her cheeks rapidly losing color. ¡°Why¡­why did none of you say anything?¡±


    I wondered that myself, but I think I know why, if only from speaking with Kacee and my thoughts on the matter. ¡°We were a class for nearly ten years, from the week we entered that island. Miraculously, even among the thousands and tens of thousands of people who also lived on the island, we managed to stay in our same class for all of those years.¡± She pursed her lips and looked to the side. ¡°We didn¡¯t always get along, but things never stayed bad for long.¡± She shook her head, eyes misting as she placed her hand on her face. ¡°What we saw, Luke standing over your body, Joey, it broke us apart. Whatever held us together, whether it was you or fear of separation, broke with your death.¡±


    As Abigail sat back in her seat, her expression crumbled while she stared at the table.


    I sighed audibly, facing the pair of them. ¡°I¡¯m willing to work with you, Gail, but not with Luke. Never again. He was my brother in every way that mattered, and he killed me. I¡¯m not giving him that chance again.¡±


    The second Princess of Veritas closed her eyes, grimacing as she placed a hand over her face. ¡°Hilda¡­ Do you¡­?¡±


    The Valkyrie exhaled through her nose. ¡°From my visions, discussing them with Joey and the others, and speaking with Luke before arriving, I¡­find myself believing Joey, Highness.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± The princess sucked in a breath and wiped her face, a reluctant smile spreading on her face. ¡°I chose a betrayer for a personal Knight.¡± She turned towards Colette. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for this, Colette.¡±


    My classmate shook her head, hand resting on the metal plate attached to her cheek. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say sorry for, Gail. It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve should¡¯ve mentioned.¡± She paused, turning to face me with a pained smile. ¡°Something we all should have mentioned.¡±


    ¡°As the wronged party,¡± Abigail spoke professionally, as the princess she was raised to be. ¡°Sir Joseph Blaine, you have the right to one concession.¡± I looked to her with a stoic gaze, meeting her eyes. ¡°I make this promise as the second Princess of Veritas, Abigail DeVere, that I will fulfill whatever it may be, regardless of difficulty or scope.¡±


    I blinked at Abigail¡¯s statement, taken by surprise at her sudden expression. I opened my mouth, paused and sucked in a breath, then exhaled and closed my eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous thing to offer, Gail. You have too much faith in my ¡®goodwill.¡¯¡± I stared hard at her.


    Abigail smiled, though her expression still appeared melancholy. ¡°You are the Hero that my sister favors, Joey, and the one that Valeri chose to mentor. The two of them have never been wrong about people for as long as I can remember. I trust you.¡±


    ¡°And yet, Luke slipped between the cracks.¡± I couldn¡¯t help the biting remark, causing Abigail to flinch and look away in shame. Colette glared at me, but I ignored her and nodded. ¡°Okay. I want to confront Luke when we return to Veracity. I want all the important people connected to his new role to know the truth. That is my request. I want justice, and I want to deliver it with my own hands.¡±


    Abigail hunched as she turned a sad gaze towards me, her brows rising. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes. ¡°I can organize a duel, an equal challenge between peers. No one would be able to revoke it, save for Father.¡± I stared at her, trying to hold back the anger that rose within me, a cold, burning cinder that ticked the bottom of my stomach. The second Princess straightened her posture, meeting my gaze with tired defiance. ¡°I believe you because I know you well enough to believe your words, especially with Colette¡¯s testimony. The same cannot be said for those who¡¯ve worked with Sir Luke Wirth this past year. The best way, the only way, for you to get the justice you want, is a duel to air your grievances. Should you win, there can be no one who will contest your wish for justice.¡±


    Might makes right. I suppose Verum is no different from Earth. The stronger you are, the more you turn the odds in your favor. Is it petty of me to feel a sense of satisfaction at the idea of breaking Luke¡¯s face with my bare hands? I honestly don¡¯t care if my Mantle is amplifying my anger because I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be just as pissed without it in a situation like this. How much has he grown in the year that¡¯s passed? How much more skilled is he with the sword compared to when we last fought?


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to Abigail, lifting my tankard and taking a swig of the sweet, tangy liquid. ¡°How are we getting back to Veracity?¡±


    ¡°My delegation arrived via a caravan of carriages and a mobile armory for the Knights traveling with me.¡± She lifted a hand and raised three fingers. ¡°Three carriages large enough for five people to sit comfortably in each, with room to stand and move. With you, your party, and Madame Kacee returning, though, I will likely have a squad of Knights remain here to help with defenses and rebuilding.¡± She waved a hand to the side. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted Lina and Lillian so that they can make preparations for our return.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to collect our horses before we leave,¡± Sora spoke into the silence, drinking the last of her beverage.


    ¡°And I, my Pegasus.¡± Hilda agreed with a nod.


    ¡°We can collect them on our way to the caravan.¡±


    With that, we finished the rest of our orders, left pay, and a tip for Kersti, then made our way to the stables. In a few hours, we¡¯d be back in Veracity, and I¡¯d face Luke one more time. Let¡¯s get this over with.

 Ignis Aurum - 14

    ¡°What will you do when you finally confront Sir Wirth?¡± Hilda asked me as we led our horses, and her Pegasus, away from the stables and towards the convoy. Her Pegasus proved skittish at my approach, but her calming presence kept her calm despite my attendance. I turned a questioning gaze towards her, and she cleared her throat. ¡°Your anger is understandable.¡± She offered me a reluctant smile, her lips curling upwards. ¡°I just¡­I wouldn¡¯t want you to lose yourself to it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer immediately, feeling a bubble of anger coil deep within my stomach. ¡°I thought I knew him. Luke. We¡¯d grown up together on that island, as friends and classmates.¡± I pursed my lips, looking to stare into the faintly cloudy sky. ¡°He was my brother, or so I thought, and he got along with my sister, too. I figured we¡¯d be friends for life.¡± I paused and turned to face Hilda, coming to a stop. She stopped as well, meeting my gaze with a concerned frown. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to think when I pulled myself out of that grave, to the point where I¡¯d just not let him come to mind¡­¡± I closed my eyes, furrowing my brow. ¡°Did you¡­have anyone you¡¯d consider family?¡±


    Hilda met my gaze with concern, but not pity. She exhaled and nodded. ¡°Rota.¡± She said. ¡°Those of us raised in the monastery are related by blood, but for some, it¡¯s so distant that it doesn¡¯t make a difference. There are some half-siblings, but mostly cousins.¡± She smiled, gaze downturned and shaky. ¡°Rota¡¯s a distant cousin, but she was my closest friend and partner in the Northern Monastery. We trained together, learned together and did so many things as a pair that leaving her proved to be the hardest decision I ever made.¡± She studied me, her eyes rolling to the side to stare into the distance. ¡°I could never imagine her betraying me, though.¡±


    ¡°I hope that never comes to pass.¡± I murmured as I faced forward. ¡°If he¡¯s willing to talk, then I¡¯ll talk. As angry as it makes me, I don¡¯t relish the thought of hurting someone I once thought of as family.¡±


    ¡°But if he doesn¡¯t?¡± Hilda¡¯s gentle prod caused me to clench my empty hand into a fist.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to be more direct in explaining how I feel then.¡± With that, we resumed our walk towards the caravan. As we walked, though, I asked her one last thing. ¡°Your sister, Rota, what is she like?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hilda gave me a surprised look, brows rising as her eyes widened.


    ¡°You spoke like you were close. I figured you¡¯d want someone to reminisce with.¡± I did want to let this go, to not burn with this anger that remembering Luke filled me. But having so many memories ruined by his pointless betrayal made me question so much about our history.


    Hilda¡¯s eyes widened as her lips parted, a smile growing on her face. ¡°Okay. The first thing that comes to mind, I suppose, is the time we managed to ¡®misplace¡¯ our Archbishop¡¯s whetstone¡­¡± From there, I listened to her reminisce about her fondest memories with her closest friend. I asked questions, laughed, and grinned when she did and lost myself in her nostalgia.


    Lost amidst Hilda¡¯s stories, we reached the caravan in record time, catching sight of the rest of our party discussing something with Abigail and Kacee. Sora spoke fervently with the pair while Arce stood at attention at her flank, her expression placid and patient. As we approached, though, one of Arce¡¯s ears twitched. She turned her head to see us in her periphery, then faced Sora and spoke up to catch her attention. The Witch broke away from her conversation with the pair and turned to face the Valkyrie and me.


    ¡°Joey, Hilda, it¡¯s good to see you¡¯ve returned so quickly,¡± She walked away from the pair without hesitation, much to Kacee¡¯s visible exasperation if her eye roll and a sigh told me anything. Her gaze rolled over us, then to the horses and Pegasus, before ending on me. ¡°Arce and I have managed to procure a carriage for just our group.¡±


    ¡°More like you forced the issue.¡± Arce demurred as she rolled her eyes, lips quirked into a small smile.


    Sora waved her hand to the side, reaching forward to touch her horse along the neck with her other hand. ¡°Semantics. Regardless, we can freely discuss whatever¡¯s necessary without fear of being overheard.¡± She afforded her horse some attention before she focused on me once more. ¡°Luke has not yet heard of your intentions. When are you planning on challenging him?¡±


    ¡°When I can make the biggest impact, of course,¡± I said with a shrug, getting a trio of disbelieving stares before a playful grin spread on my face. It helped to alleviate some of the tension in my stomach.


    Arce huffed through her nose, lips twitching upwards before she turned and started back towards Kacee and Abigail. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s the horses attached to the convoy. We¡¯re heading out as soon as everything is put together. I¡¯ll take the horses while you and the others speak with the princess.¡± With that, Arce took the reins and gently coaxed the horses to follow her, managing to do so with more ease than Hilda and I did on the way here.


    I reached Kacee and Abigail with Sora and Hilda breaking away to claim a carriage for themselves. As I approached them, my friend crossed her arms and sighed gustily. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I¡¯m glad to have someone reasonable here.¡± She shook her head, placing a hand on her forehead, fingers entwining through her bangs. ¡°Soralynn is stubborn to a fault and just as annoying when given an opportunity.¡± She turned a dark glare in my direction.


    Abigail chuckled nervously. ¡°Miss Soralynn is dedicated to her team. Were it not for my diplomacy training, I would¡¯ve been overrun by her exuberance.¡±


    I snorted and crossed my arms. ¡°I¡¯m just glad that Sora¡¯s on my side.¡± Kacee scoffed and shook her head. ¡°Where are Colette and Luke?¡± I asked the pair in front of me.


    ¡°Both are helping with tasks around the immediate area,¡± Abigail explained, her shoulders hunching as she rubbed her hands together. ¡°Sir Luke hasn¡¯t discovered your intentions, visibly at least, but he¡¯s clearly losing himself to mindless tasks. Something seems to plague his thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Guilt, maybe?¡± I couldn¡¯t help the snide remark as I glared to the side. I huffed through my nose and rubbed the bridge of my nose. ¡°Sorry. Still a bit raw.¡± I shook my head and asked, ¡°Is Sora right? Do we have our own carriage?¡± I gave her an apologetic smile, even as I noticed the princess¡¯s shaky nod. I exhaled again and crossed my arms. ¡°How long will it take for us to return?¡±


    ¡°A few hours, not counting any potential stops,¡± Abigail said, looking over to the trio of carriages that people were preparing. ¡°Father and Mother know of my return, so they¡¯ll have an entourage waiting for us as we get closer to Veracity.¡± She offered me a wide smile. ¡°We¡¯re all glad to hear of your survival, Joey. Learning of your valiant entrance to protect Xadria cemented your role as Hero to us.¡± She clapped her hands together, even as I shifted uncomfortably. ¡°He¡¯s already recalled the aristocracy to Veracity to celebrate.¡±


    Kacee grimaced, facing to the side as her lips twisted and brows furrowed.


    I grunted as I rubbed my arm with my free hand. ¡°Alright. I can handle that, I suppose¡­¡± Abigail cocked her head to the side at my statement, but I waved her questioning glance aside. ¡°Who was Amber¡¯s mentor again? The blacksmith that your family supports?¡±


    ¡°Iva? She still lives within the Keep. What about her?¡±


    ¡°I need a new sword.¡± I paused, grimaced, and laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°Again.¡±


    Kacee scoffed, ¡°I haven¡¯t needed to replace my standard ever since I received it. Repair? Yes. But replace?¡± She rolled her eyes with a smile.


    ¡°Enhanced strength and a regular sword don¡¯t exactly fit well together, you know.¡± I lifted a hand and willed a vibrant glow to encompass it, twisting it around. ¡°I¡¯m surprised I didn¡¯t break it sooner, considering how hard I fight normally.¡±


    Abigail chuckled, lips parting as she allowed her amusement to show. ¡°I¡¯m sure Iva would take it as a challenge, especially if you allow her to enchant it with the magic in the sword you stole from that monster.¡± She leaned forward, her hair flowing around her head in the gentle breeze. ¡°You still have it, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sora¡¯s carrying it.¡± I met her gaze with an arched brow, amused at her playful grin.


    ¡°Highness! We¡¯re ready to go.¡± One of the knights called out, causing the three of us to face one of the Knights that escorted her here. He motioned to the trio of carriages. ¡°At your leave, we¡¯ll depart for Veracity.¡±


    Abigail smiled widely at the Knight. ¡°Thank you. Go to your assigned are and rest your feet. I¡¯ll be sure Knight-Captain Valeri and Sir Reinhardt learn of your and your squad''s exceptional work ethic.¡± The Knight lifted his left hand and held before his chest, the cloak over his left shoulder flapping in the movement. He bowed to her and promptly turned, walking away with pep in his step. Abigail turned towards me and said, ¡°Call your team. Your carriage is the center one.¡± She then faced Kacee. ¡°You¡¯ll ride with me, yes, Kacee?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Gail. I look forward to hearing how things have changed with you.¡± She nodded towards me and followed Abigail as they approached the leading carriage.


    A brush against my leg pulled my attention down to see Marishka stop next to me. ¡°We¡¯re moving on, girl. You ready?¡± She huffed and bared her teeth at me in a grin. I laughed and leaned down, ruffling her head. ¡°Glad to hear it. Let¡¯s wait for the others. They¡¯ll know where to find us.¡± She chuffed and fell in step with me as I approached the carriage.


    Colored pale red and silver, it reminded me of a military-style hummer but forged from wood and steel. A two-door entrance on the side with a cushioned seat up front, covered by a sturdy cloth canopy, to shield from rain and sunlight. Large, wagon wheels, framed by studded iron. Three edged windows sat atop the top half of the side, framed by decorated wooden edges. I couldn¡¯t see through them because of the drawn curtains, but until I could get inside, I wouldn¡¯t know any more about it.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Sora appeared at my side, opposite from Marishka. A bag hung from her shoulder, another one held out to me. I took it and lowered my arm. ¡°All we have to do get through this, and we¡¯ll end up further from the capital than now.¡±


    Arce hummed, ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Veracity. I haven¡¯t heard many good things about Beastkin-Human relations there¡­¡± She frowned as she walked over to the entrance, hefting her bag with one hand, and opened it. Arce climbed inside and walked along the smooth, wooden floors.


    Hilda frowned as she adjusted her glasses. ¡°Now that you mention it, I didn¡¯t see many Beastkin while I was in Veracity. I never considered the implications.¡± She climbed in after Arce.


    ¡°Most never do.¡± Arce¡¯s whispered answer carried as I watched Marishka hop inside.


    Sora snorted as she climbed in next.


    Looking around one last time, I took in the remnants of Xadria around me. The destruction, the remnants of what was once beautiful and bustling, sent a rumble of discontent through me. I didn¡¯t sit right with me; this happening to innocent people. Closing my eyes, I exhaled through my nose and rolled my shoulders. I never wanted this to happen again, the pain and chaos of innocence dragged into a pointless conflict. With one last look, I averted my gaze and climbed into the carriage, shutting the door behind me.


    Surprise filled me as I took in the magically expanded area, reminding me of a bloated RV. A single, spacious room with a pair of padded benches and collapsible trays sticking out from beneath them. The floors appeared as crisp ebony lined with flawless seams of boards connected together. Lights illuminated the atmosphere of the veritable cabin, making it easy to see everyone clearly as they put down their bags and sat. A rack above and behind the bench on my right held a variety of drinks and snacks within transparent boxes.


    ¡°No expense is too much when it comes to the Royal Family of Veritas.¡± Sora mused with a sneer, eyes rolling over the cabin. ¡°I wonder what other sorts of extravagance they¡¯ve wasted resources on elsewhere.¡± She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms, shrugging as she closed her eyes.


    Hilda fidgeted as she sat down across from her, her expression twisting as she grimaced. ¡°It does¡­seem too much. I only hope their people haven¡¯t suffered because of it.¡± Sora simply grinned, remaining silent as she relaxed. The Valkyrie merely sighed at the Witch¡¯s response, placing her sheathed lance against the wall at her side. She put her bag on the ground at her feet and popped it open, reaching inside.


    Arce walked around the cabin, her brow furrowed as she studied the walls and benches. Her ears twitched as her fingers slid along the surfaces within reach. Eyes narrowed and nose twitching every so often, the Fox Beastkin studied our surroundings with deep regard. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I trust this generosity.¡± Lips curled down, she looked around one last time before taking the spot next to Sora.


    Marishka roamed around the center of the cabin, poking her muzzle beneath the benches, before pacing to the other door. She grumbled and huffed as she lifted a paw, glared at it, then the floor. She growled under her breath, licked her paw and placed it back onto the floor.


    I gave another look around the cabin before walking further inside and dropping down next to Hilda. As I sat, I felt the cabin jerk forward before it seeing the sights outside begin move by us. Facing the rest of my party, I noticed Marishka hop onto the seat next to me and sit on her haunches. ¡°We¡¯re on our way back. Have we figured out our goals in Veracity?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll study the library¡¯s contents,¡± Sora said as she half-opened her amber eyes with a sleepy smile. ¡°A chance to peek into the works kept by the scholars employed by the Royal Family? I¡¯d be a fool to miss that.¡±


    ¡°There should be some secrets hidden in the Keep. I¡¯ll try to find a few things to liberate for our journey. Potions, artifacts, maybe some weapons.¡± Arce placed a hand on her chin, eyes narrowed in thought. Upon noticing my surprised blink and stare, her cheeks gained a healthy red hue. ¡°What?¡± She said meekly.


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d hear you support the adventurer¡¯s pastime,¡± I said with a snort, grinning despite myself. ¡°I¡¯m learning so many great things about my party.¡± Arce blushed even more, unable to meet my gaze anymore as she looked away from me.


    Hilda laughed at the byplay, resting her hands on her lap as she sat primly. ¡°While I¡¯m not sure about thievery in the DeVere Royal palace, it¡¯s always good to see others connecting over shared interests.¡± She slowly calmed and offered a smile. ¡°I shall act as Joey¡¯s escort during our stay. We¡¯ll be the focus of everyone¡¯s attention, so it¡¯s best if we act together.¡±


    I inclined my head in gratitude towards her. ¡°Thanks. In the meantime, I need to visit the blacksmith and have a new sword forged. Preferably one that won¡¯t break.¡± That caused Sora¡¯s smile to widen but say nothing.


    Hilda hummed, narrowing her eyes. ¡°From my memory of the fight, the strength you exhibit would indeed put undue force on the average weapon.¡± She paused and focused on me. ¡°Where is the sword you took from Variak? Perhaps the enchantment in it could be recycled into your new weapon. What was the enchantment? Something explosive?¡±


    ¡°Inertia Denial,¡± I said, even as Hilda¡¯s nonplussed stare told me that she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°It¡¯s like this. Motion and stillness. Everything is either one or the other. The enchantment forces one to change, but refuses to acknowledge that.¡± I shrugged as she and Arce stared at me with deadpan gazes. ¡°My Affinity told how it worked in a way I¡¯d understand.¡±


    ¡°The blacksmith will likely know,¡± Arce said with finality. ¡°It¡¯s a long ride, so we should rest until we return.¡± She focused on me. ¡°You do have your duel, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I exhaled and reached to the side, wrapping an arm around Marishka. She leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± I reveled in the warmth of her soft fur. ¡°Wake me when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Rest, milord,¡± Hilda said as I closed my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch over as you rest.¡± Her gentle voice soothed the simmering anger from remembering what was next.


    <hr>


    ¡°Rise, Joseph Blaine and Kacee Fitzgerald. It is heartening to have you both return here.¡± Frederick DeVere declared as Kacee, and I rose from a kneel. We stood within the main chamber where our class had first met the King and Queen. The illuminated hall was filled with Knights on either side of us, standing at the ready. Kacee and I were flanked by the escort that had returned with Abigail. Valeri and Luke were at attention at our sides respectively, with Abigail standing behind Hilda and us next to her in a protective formation.


    He hadn¡¯t changed in appearance from when I last saw him. The King still appeared healthy and unmoved by age. He stared down at us with a stern visage, faded silver eyes focused intently upon us, before softening as they reached Abigail. ¡°I did not expect such misfortune to occur in Xadria. Had I an inkling, I would¡¯ve had more Knights stationed there.¡± He sighed heavily, his age becoming more apparent as he closed his eyes. ¡°We were dealt a heavy blow with Xadria¡¯s destruction.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Majesty, it would¡¯ve changed nothing.¡± I declared confidently and crossed my arms, leaning on a single foot. Intense silver eyes honed in on me, demanding an explanation. I shrugged, ignoring the squeeze in my chest from the weight of his stare. ¡°A force of four assaulted my party as we left Xadria for a job. We defeated them and from an impromptu interrogation that this was an attack several months in the making.¡± I cocked my head to the side, keeping my expression blank as I spun my half-story. ¡°We were ignorant of it because that was their intent. Had you more Knights in Xadria, it would¡¯ve just increased the number of deaths.¡± I decided to not mention that I had seen more Knights fleeing than Adventurers and mercenaries. That wouldn¡¯t have made many friends here.


    Frederick didn¡¯t reply, studying me closer than he did when I first appeared before him. His regard weighed on my shoulders like an invisible pressure, pushing me to kneel once more, in supplication. My heart pounded as I weathered the gaze of not only the King of Veritas but also a mighty warrior if the sword that rested at his hand meant anything. He shifted in his seat, narrowing his eyes in thought. ¡°You have grown, Joseph Blaine.¡± I arched a brow at his remark, getting a quirk of his lips. ¡°The fragility I saw within you a year ago has disappeared. Gone. But I cannot yet see what has taken its place.¡± He narrowed his eyes.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Death has a habit has a habit of weaning out weakness, Majesty.¡± I allowed myself a smirk, shrugging. An unsettling atmosphere settled within the throne room, the clinking of metal and shuffling of chainmail from our silent observers dancing in my ears. Lady Regina frowned noticeably in her throne next to Frederick. Even the King himself stiffened as he stared down at me, the intensity of his stare increasing the pressure upon my shoulders.


    I did not buckle.


    ¡°You admit that you died in Nyrill,¡± Regina said, her voice soft and mournful as she stared towards with motherly concern. Her lips curled downwards and hand resting on her cheek.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered succinctly, nodding respectfully towards the Queen of Veritas. ¡°I faced the seemingly unending horde of mad beasts, monsters with no rationality, and struck them down without mercy.¡± I placed a hand on my chest and squeezed the lapel of my jacket. ¡°My body nearly gave out on me, but I knew what would happen if I stopped. The lives that would be lost if I fell.¡± My lips spread as I bared my teeth in a confident grin. ¡°So, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Frederick huffed, smiling despite the amusement in his gaze, even as I noticed the somber joy in Regina¡¯s light brown eyes. ¡°A Hero¡¯s resolve, I¡¯ve heard, is a potent trait. One that all of you carry.¡± He shook his head as he huffed. ¡°Though, I am curious. If the beasts were not what took your life, what did?¡±


    In my periphery, I noticed Kacee, Abigail, and Colette stiffen. I kept my smile, my confident demeanor as I raised my shoulders. ¡°As I¡¯m sure every Knight here has experienced, including yourself, Majesty, but the battle felt like it had taken hours, days, with the exhaustion that damn near crippled me afterward.¡± I huffed through my nose and shook my head, eyes closed. ¡°When it finally ended, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that was it. If I was missing something. That couldn¡¯t have been it; what Rudy told us and what Valeri and Kara showed us on the map, the numbers I faced could not have been the end.¡±


    I lowered my hand from my chest, lifting my head to meet Frederick¡¯s gaze directly. ¡°In your opinion, what¡¯s the best way to hide the dagger in your hand, Your Majesty?¡± I asked the King.


    He narrowed his eyes. I could see the thoughts racing through his silver gaze. After a few short moments, his eyes widened. ¡°Show the sword in your other hand.¡± Frederick grit his teeth, squeezing the arm of his throat.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. That was the conclusion I reached when my last foe fell.¡± Not really. Penemue¡¯s attempt to kill me to end that burning agony made me hysterical. I fled from her to survive. Thing is, no one else knew that, except maybe Luke, and if he wanted to dispute me, he¡¯d have to out himself as my killer. ¡°I wondered why. Why did it end? I understood that I was skilled back then. But with my inexperience and physical weakness, I had no illusions that it would¡¯ve ended that easily.¡±


    ¡°The evacuation.¡± Regina gasped, realization filling her.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said breathlessly, exhaling through my nose. My heart pounded. Would everyone believe me? Or would my next set of lies to bridge the gap between the end of my fight to Luke¡¯s betrayal end up disproven? Go big or go home. ¡°We had scattered to the outskirts of Nyrill. Far enough to spare it from the damage of our battles, but close enough in case we needed support.¡± I shook my head, rubbing the side of my face as I stared at the floor. ¡°I could barely stand, barely breathe, at the end of it. I didn¡¯t know if anyone else had reached the same conclusion as me, or even if they had time to think. What else should I have done?¡±


    ¡°You tried to return to Nyrill?¡± Abigail said, her voice carrying from behind me. She knew where I was going, but didn¡¯t see the path that led to it.


    ¡°What else was there to do?¡± I asked her, turning to look towards her while still facing Frederick. ¡°The majority of our forces were at the chokepoints, fighting. Amber and a handful of Knights were all that stayed behind. Each of us had only a few short months of combat experience and Affinities that could close the gap. Amber? No offense to her, but her Affinity is more for utility than outright battle.¡± I felt my shoulders fall as I stared at the ground. ¡°Even knowing that she had Knights to help her, could I do anything but go and support her? Even with my asthma, I couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing.¡± I waved a hand to the side, grunting in frustration. ¡°Sure, if I stayed, I could¡¯ve stopped anyone else who entered the clearing, but I have been separated from my escorts. I probably would¡¯ve collapsed among the bodies. At least, if I had returned to the village, I would¡¯ve fought until my body gave out and I¡¯d have allies nearby to cover me.¡±


    ¡°Amber did say that someone attacked her group.¡± Kacee unknowingly corroborated my deception, frowning as she stared at the alabaster floor. ¡°A cloaked scimitar wielder and a group of shadow monsters.¡± She raised her head, eyes intently focusing on me. ¡°What stopped you from reaching them?¡±


    It took all of my self-control to grin at her leading question. She knew exactly where I was going with this, but the intensity of her unblinking stare told me that she was taking this seriously.


    ¡°I ran into someone.¡± I fully turned around to face Luke. He stared down at me with a stoic mien. ¡°I suppose I was arrogant, thinking that despite my clear weakness, I could make a difference. Luke stopped me on the way back. Why he was there, I don¡¯t know, but he stood in my path.¡± I looked into his eyes, feeling the ember of my anger tickled deep in my gut. ¡°He caught me as I collapsed. Then he said something, words that escape me even now.¡±


    ¡°Joey¡­¡± Luke¡¯s voice echoed in the throne room, gentle but warning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you call me by that name,¡± I said to him, unable to hold back the growl that came forward. Red flickered in my periphery, the ember in my gut flaring at the sound of his voice. ¡°Of all the people here, you have the least right to speak to me so casually!¡± I walked towards him; my steps strangely light. I came to a stop in front of him, realizing that he still stood taller than me. That fact did nothing to stop me from grabbing him by the collar of his breastplate, yanking him down so we stood eye to eye with one another. ¡°The reason I died that night was not because of the monsters I fought, but because I showed my back to the one person I thought I could trust the most.¡±


    Murmurs broke out among the Knights on either side of the throne room, the lights illuminating the room almost blinding as I felt my vision sharpen amidst my glare. The weight from Frederick¡¯s stare became almost crushing as I felt his gaze bore into my back. I ignored all of it, focusing on the one I once considered a brother.


    With a shove, backed by augmented strength, I forced Luke to stagger backward. ¡°Luke Wirth stabbed me in the back and I died choking on my own blood.¡±


    A deafening silence settled in the throne room. Breathless. Unmoved. All eyes fell on Luke and me, an intense study that we both disregarded, staring at one another in mutual fury. My fury at the betrayal and his, likely at being outed.


    ¡°Is this true, Sir Wirth?¡± Frederick¡¯s voice boomed, echoing in the cavernous throne room.


    ¡°Joey is delusional, your Majesty,¡± Luke said evenly as his eyes never left me. ¡°Losing oxygen to the brain has probably twisted his memories.¡±


    ¡°My memories haven¡¯t been clearer, you traitorous bastard.¡± I snarled, stepping forward to hear a crack beneath my feet. ¡°I remember it clearly. The broken sword that stuck out from my chest. That empty stare you gave me. The hand on my shoulder, holding me still.¡± I strode forward, my hand pulled back, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. In my periphery, I noticed Valeri holding me back. ¡°I remember it all and I have since the moment I climbed out of that grave.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you, Joey. That¡¯s not what happened.¡± He didn¡¯t continue, still staring at me and giving nothing away. I knew him, though. I knew when he lied when we hid things. He had tells.


    I ignored his lies. ¡°Was that all our brotherhood was worth? You throw away a decade of friendship for what? A chance to get ahead and rise in the ranks of Knighthood? Everyone mentioned me, but not you. You noticed that; you recognized that. Was satisfying your jealousy worth it?¡±


    Luke narrowed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t kno-¡±


    ¡°People still talk about me, you know. ¡®The Fallen Hero.¡¯ ¡®The Leader of the 13¡¯. Does that frustrate you, Luke? That you just martyred me.¡± For every statement I made, his expression twitched. First his brow, then the corner of his mouth, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Well? Were you always this jealous, or did you finally snap when people began ignoring you for me? The cripple.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Luke said, growling as he clenched his fists. He furrowed his brow as his eyes narrowed and flicked with anger. ¡°Shut your damn mouth.¡±


    I grinned despite myself, feeling a vindictive pleasure in getting a reaction from him. ¡°Fitting. You never could beat me, even with my asthma holding me back. What about now? You saw the fight with Variak. You felt how he tossed you aside like garbage; where were you, Luke? Did you give up, or were you too terrified to keep fighting?¡±


    ¡°Shut. Up.¡± His voice came out as a rasp.


    ¡°A coward and a traitor. What a combination.¡± Valeri¡¯s hand slipped from my shoulder as she stepped back. Luke threw a straight punch, but I lifted a hand and parried it with my bracer. I followed up with a punch of my own. I slipped into his guard, aiming at his throa-


    ¡°Enough!¡± Frederick¡¯s voice caused us both to freeze, only the sounds of our ragged breathing echoing in the chamber. Valeri once again grabbed my shoulder but pulled me away this time. Colette did the same for Luke, pulling at his arm. The two of us never broke our stare down. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough. Aside from your words, we have no way to discern the truth. I cannot have our Heroes bickering amongst each other, thus-.¡±


    ¡°Father. I propose a way to satisfy both parties.¡± Abigail interrupted her father, confidently striding forward. Frederick must¡¯ve agreed, as Abigail continued. ¡°As you¡¯ve said, all we have are the words of our Heroes. Their personal testimonies and neither have shown themselves untrustworthy. Thus, per Veritas¡¯ old laws, I propose a test of might to prove innocence.¡±


    ¡°Such a thing is partial to the strong, Abigail,¡± Regina said to her daughter, her voice soft.


    ¡°Then it is good that both of the Heroes before us are renowned warriors already.¡± Frederick gently disagreed with his wife. He grunted audibly. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll accept this test of might. What do the Heroes think of this?¡±


    ¡°I challenge you, Luke, to a duel.¡± I declared as I squared my shoulders, grinning despite the anger that roared within me. ¡°Let¡¯s prove, once and for all, who between us is better.¡±


    Luke¡¯s lip rose as he glared at me, the beginnings of a reluctant sneer. ¡°There was never any question of that.¡± He waved a hand at me. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a weapon.¡±


    ¡°I can beat you to death with my bare hands.¡± I clenched my fists tight enough to crack my knuckles. A flicker of motion in my periphery caused me to lift my right hand. A weight landed in my open palm, sleek, slender steel thick enough for my hand to not fully wrap around it. I looked at it. Kacee¡¯s collapsible standard. I faced her, seeing her extended hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t break it. Just finish this farce quickly.¡± Kacee¡¯s slumped shoulders and exhausted expression dulled the flames in my chest, enough for my grin to fall.


    With a flick of my wrist, I flipped the standard around my arm. It fully extended in the movement as I snatched it out of the air. Turning towards Luke, I spun the standard around my arm and rested it on my shoulder. ¡°Still want to slink out of this, coward?¡±


    Luke narrowed his eyes at me, drawing his sword from the sheath behind his shoulder.


    As we stood across from each other, everyone around us walked away to put distance between us. A thud behind me caused my gaze to flicker to the side, but I refused to face away from Luke. ¡°I will officiate.¡± Frederick¡¯s booming voice echoed in the throne room. ¡°Who shall be their Seconds?¡±


    ¡°I stand with Sir Joseph,¡± Hilda replied as she walked past my periphery and stopped a few feet behind me.


    ¡°And I for Luke,¡± Colette spoke barely above a whisper and I watched she stood behind Luke on the outer edge of the ring of Knights.


    Luke and I faced each other in silence, staring at each other in anticipation. Before we could act, the King said, ¡°The duel shall start when I call it. It will only end when one cannot continue fighting, and I declare it so. Any attempts to continue after I end it will result in immediate censure from myself. Am I clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± We said in unison, our voices matching in stereo.


    ¡°Good.¡± He lifted his sheathed sword and planted the tip onto the marble floor. Frederick lifted it a few inches off the ground¡­then he suddenly struck the ground with the tip. ¡°Begin!¡±


    I leaped forward, clearing the distance between us and swung towards the top of Luke¡¯s skull. He lifted his sword and blocked, pushing my attack back. I planted my feet and twisted around, striking at his leg with a follow-up attack. He skipped to the side, dodging my counter. He followed up with a thrust, the point of his broad sword spearing towards my throat. I smacked it aside with a flip of the standard, not giving ground as I slipped forward.


    In an instant, I flashed back to the battle in Xadria, recalling Kacee and Hilda, their movements, and physical demonstration of using a polearm. The motions, the steps, the breaths they took. Every little movement became crystal clear as I felt something slot into place in the back of my mind once more. My posture shifted and my stance lowered.


    What happened next could only be described as a violent flurry of blows. Steel sand and clashed, sparks shooting outwards. Luke¡¯s accelerated perception matched my superior skill and augmented strength, but with each moment that passed, Luke continued to give ground. He grunted, his eyes flickering from side to side to track my movements, but he failed to follow all of them. Every time I struck from one side, my attacks with the standard lashed out at his blind spot.


    Blood painted the marble floor as one of the standard¡¯s ends smacked Luke across the jaw. He staggered back and grunted from the blow. He lifted a hand from his sword and touched his bloody cheek. Seeing his shock, I continued my assault and aimed for the base of his skull. Luke¡¯s eyes widened and mustered his defenses, lifting his sword to guard. At the last possible moment, I twisted around and pulled the standard back, flipping it around my shoulder. It spun around my arm, and I caught it on the last parts of the rotation, swinging up to his bent knee.


    Luke grunted and slid his leg backward, evading my counter and retaliating with an overhead slash. I lifted the standard and held it at an angle, bleeding off the force of the slash. I turned to attack again, but Luke seemed to be waiting for another opening in my guard. I stepped back and deflected his strike, but his superior reflexes allowed to attack again and again. Forced on the defensive, I had to give ground when forced to weather his counterattack. I twisted and jerked from side to side, pushing away the sword. I grimaced as he managed to force me into a kneel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re planning, but it won¡¯t work,¡± Luke said through gritted teeth, pushing down on me.


    I didn¡¯t reply, allowing my lips to part as I bared my teeth. ¡°You don¡¯t get it.¡± He furrowed his brow at my reaction. ¡°You¡¯re not relevant anymore. After this? I¡¯m putting you out my mind.¡± My Affinity has shown me many things that would escape me in the heat of the moment. Many simple ideas that are easy to forget when lost amid a battle. Like, say, using a collapsible standard.


    With a flick of my wrist, I watched as the seam of the polearm pulled back and folded under Luke¡¯s weight. I slid to the side as Luke stumbled forward, his weapon falling from the lack of resistance. My former friend managed to catch himself in a crouch, with his leading foot forward and his other leg bent. Before he could recover, I reared back the standard and flicked my wrist, stepping to the side and swinging at the back of his head. The standard snapped back into place just as the metal pole viscerally crashed into the back of Luke¡¯s skull.


    Luke grunted and gasped from the impact, staggering forward as his sword clattered to the ground. A shaky gurgle escaped him as he shook his head; as his hand shakily reached for his sword, I grabbed the back collar of his armor and willed a surge of ki through my body. With a grunt, I bodily lifted him off the ground and smashed his front onto the marble floor. Cracks echoed in the spacious chamber as the floor splintered beneath him. Releasing his collar, I stood and walked over to his sword. With a kick, I sent it spiraling away.


    Turning my attention to Luke as he put his arms beneath him, I hooked a foot beneath his body and flipped him over. His bloodied nose and busted lip greeted me as his bleary-eyes gaze blinked. I dropped a knee on his chest, the steel of his armor bending beneath my strength and weight. ¡°Yield.¡±


    He hacked and coughed, blood painting his chin. ¡°Go¡­to hell¡­¡± He blinked and grunted, lifting his hand.


    I smashed the end of the standard into his wrist hard enough to feel steel and bone give. Luke cried out in pain, clarity returning to his blurry gaze as he glared at me. Breaths came out quickly for me, my heart pounding in my chest as I stared down at him. Anticipation filled me as I opened and closed my left hand, knuckles cracking as I clenched my fist. ¡°Yield,¡± I repeated, my voice coming out in a growl.


    Luke did not reply, only glaring up at me with a sharp gaze.


    With a clang, I released the standard and reared back my fist. Knee on his chest, I threw a punch forward. Bone creaked beneath my fist as Luke¡¯s face jerked from the impact. He grimaced and spat to the side, blood painting the ground. He met my narrow-eyed gaze with a bloody grin. ¡°Gonna have to hit har-¡±


    I hit him again, feeling flesh bruise and bone break. Not giving him a moment breathe, I punched him again. And again. And again. I reared back my fist and struck. No beauty, no skill, just everyday brutality and catharsis. I let it out, the resentment, the anger that built when I remembered the betrayal. My jaw gave a twinge as I clenched my teeth; my knuckles bled as they scraped teeth and struck bone. No words escaped me, save for primal growls that escaped me with every impact. Every bit of anger that plagued me since climbing out of the grave in Nyrill flowed freely; the catharsis that I needed, that I wanted, finally came within reach.


    My body twisted, and shoulders rolled with every punch. The robotic motion of every punch flowed from one to the next, a never-ending sequence of inflicting as much pain as possible. The world around me vanished from my perception, no longer relevant to me as I finally released my fury.


    As I pulled my fist back for another punch, a hand caught me by my arm, stopping me. I jerked forward in the grip, growling as I stared down at Luke. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Hilda''s soothing voice was like ice-cold water pouring down my back, shocking me back into the moment. As I stared down at Luke¡¯s bruised, bloody and broken face, I felt her arm wrap around my chest and pull me back. ¡°The duel is over. You¡¯ve won.¡± She said, whispering to me as she pulled me to my feet. Breathless, I watched Luke¡¯s raspy breaths, his shattered nose reminding me¡­of me.


    ¡°Breathe, Joey.¡± Hilda¡¯s voice pulled my gaze from Luke¡¯s bloody visage, turning towards her. Her concerned mien lessened the crushing guilt that wrapped around my heart like a squeezing hand. ¡°It¡¯s over. Catch your breath.¡± Her hand, her warm, soft hand, brushed against my cheek. I looked into her gentle pale grey eyes, seeing nothing but patience and understanding. I quickly turned away and pulled myself free, closing my eyes and exhaling through my nose.


    Clanging steps echoed in front of me as the King spoke into the silence. ¡°Call for the healers. Sir Wirth requires assistance.¡±  I distantly heard assent as a smattering of footsteps echoed around me. ¡°You¡¯ve proven your truth, Joseph Blaine. I will ensure that justice will be swift.¡±


    I got what I wanted. I made everyone hear and listen to the truth, my truth. All it took¡­was beating my old friend¡¯s face into a bloody mess. I fought back the bile that rose in my throat, grimacing as I turned to the side.


    I wanted this¡­so why does it feel like I still lost?


    ¡°Your Majesty. Am I free to leave?¡± I said, my voice rough as I tried not to vomit.


    ¡°Yes. Take the rest of the day, Sir Blaine. It has been trying for all of you.¡± With his dismissal, I left. I ignored the world around me as I stared forward. I didn¡¯t choose a destination, only allowing my feet to carry me wherever. I walked through the crown of Knights, through the open doors into the antechamber; into the low light courtyard, where lit lanterns slowly flicked to life. Beneath the cloudy, late afternoon sky, I walked without a destination in mind, wanting to get away. To get away from the duel, from Luke, the King, from everyone.


    What the hell is wrong with me? Angry, furious, lost in the red mist that once clouded my vision. I wanted justice; I wanted others to learn that I¡¯d been killed, that I¡¯d been betrayed by someone I once trusted. But is this the end that I wanted? Is this where I wanted my journey to go? Standing over the beaten and bloody body of someone I once thought a brother? Am I any better than him? Or does that not mean anything?


    I don¡¯t know.


    I don¡¯t know.


    I don¡¯t know.


    I don¡¯t know!


    ¡°Joseph?¡± Hilda¡¯s voice pulled me from my mental spiral, a ragged breath escaping me as I turned towards her. She furrowed her brow and stepped up to me, taking me by my arm. ¡°Come. We need to sit. Getting you off your feet can only help.¡± She then led me down a pathway, framed on either side by immaculately cut shrubbery. We walked for a bit longer until we reached a stone bench near a gated garden. ¡°Sit.¡± I followed her gentle command, dropping down on the seat with an exhale. She sat next to me, taking my hand with one of hers. She entwined our fingers and clasped her other hand around it. ¡°Breathe. Don¡¯t think. Don¡¯t worry. Just breathe.¡±


    I did as she asked, breathing in as deeply as I could while emptying my thoughts. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing, exhaling, and inhaling in turn. The only thing in mind was the warmth that held my hand. The tenseness in my shoulders lessened as they dropped; the tightness in my chest became bearable.


    ¡°Still want to follow me?¡± I asked her as my racing heart slowed. ¡°After I nearly beat a man to death?¡±


    Hilda didn¡¯t answer immediately, just squeezing the hand she held. ¡°No one is perfect. No one is a paragon of sound judgment and belief.¡± She said her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°We are all flawed, each with our vice and sins. Some carry excessive pride and self-belief. Others hold back anger, caused by witnessing, experiencing, injustice before them.¡± She moved her hand from mine before I felt her warm fingers rest on my cheek. Gently, but firmly, she lifted my head and turned it towards her. I opened my eyes to meet hers, seeing a hint of my misty blue eyes reflected in her glasses, but still meeting her pale grey. ¡°A Valkyrie does not follow a perfect lord, but one who does their best despite their imperfections.¡± Her lips quirked up, eyes narrowing faintly. ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing to shake my faith; all you¡¯ve shown me is what makes you human, not a monster.¡±


    Her words felt like a balm to my soul, a soothing aura that chilled the uncomfortable swell in my stomach. I exhaled shakily, blinking back the tears that threatened to pour freely. ¡°How¡­¡± Words escaped me, trapped in the ball that settled in the back of my throat. ¡°What can¡­¡±


    Hilda shook her head, pulling her hand from mine and wrapping her arms around my head. She pulled me against her, resting my head against her chest. The sound of her heartbeat lulling me. ¡°Don¡¯t speak. Rest. I¡¯ll watch over you, Joey. None will wake you while I am here.¡± As she spoke, I felt my eyelids become heavy, my breaths deepen. The tiredness I had no idea I had came to the fore. ¡°You¡¯ll know what to do when you wake. Just rest. Let us take care of you for once.¡±


    With a relief that I never felt since coming here, I fell asleep in Hilda¡¯s arms, content to let this day finally end.


    <hr>


    Ignis Aurum - Fin

 Acta non Verba - 1

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you up and about, Sir Joseph. Amber was beside herself with sadness when we heard of your death.¡± Iva, the Royal Blacksmith, smiled as I entered her workshop with Hilda in tow. The older woman leaned against the counter before us. Chin length hair, the color of the setting sun, with a pale green forelock in her bangs, was tied into a short ponytail framed a surprisingly lightly tanned face. Pointed ears stuck out from her hair, far more pronounced than what I¡¯ve seen from Relona or Saelseris. She wore a set of formfitting, protective cloth-leathers with a lowered hood and mask at her collar.


    I grimaced but managed to offer her a smile. ¡°Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. How have you been, Iva?¡± I approached the counter with Hilda.


    The elven blacksmith¡¯s smile widened at my response, standing up from her counter. ¡°His Majesty keeps me busy with supplying the Knights and the occasional commission.¡± She waved a hand to the side, motioning to the wall of weapons and shields, of all types. ¡°I¡¯ve made quite a bit of progress in the year you¡¯ve been away, Sir Joseph.¡±


    I studied the wall with an appraising gaze, searching for a potential weapon. ¡°Pretty good work. I haven¡¯t seen much in the way of metalwork, but all of this seems exceptional.¡±


    She laughed, lips parting into a wide smile. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the same from Frederick, so I¡¯ll take your ends favorably.¡± Her verdant gaze rolled onto the silently observing Hilda, who carefully studied the various lances and spears hanging on the wall. ¡°I see you¡¯ve returned, Lady Hilda. I suppose you¡¯ve found what you were searching for?¡±


    Hilda looked up upon being greeted. ¡°Yes. I have.¡±


    Iva¡¯s smile widened as she rested an elbow on the counter. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. With greetings out of the way, what brings a Hero and his Valkyrie to my modest workshop?¡± I looked over to Hilda as she opened the bag she had slung over her shoulder. Reaching inside, up to her wrist, she pulled out the oversized sword I had taken from Variak. She grasped in by the hilt and the cloth that I had wrapped around the blade, pulling it out of Sora¡¯s bag and held it out to me. I took it from her and hefted it onto the counter. Iva blinked as she furrowed her brow. ¡°What is this abomination, and why did you give it to me?¡±


    ¡°This is the sword I stole from the one who led the attack on Xadria. He managed to make it explode, which hurt like hell.¡± I said to her as I watched the blacksmith begin to study the massive sword, lips curling down. She placed a hand onto the pommel and another on the flat of the blade. A dim glow showed from her palm as she slid back and forth. ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a powerful enchantment, but fragile. It won¡¯t last too many more extractions.¡± She mumbled with a stern expression, pursed lips, a furrowed brow, and narrowed eyes. As she studied it, Iva began to speak again. ¡°Sir Joseph, do you know how enchantments are made? Or rather, what they are?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, wondering why she asked me that.


    ¡°Crystalized Affinities,¡± Iva said. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve learned, everyone gains an Affinity when they come of age, an expression of their greatest desire and way to accomplish it.¡± She lifted her head and studied Hilda and me. ¡°Crystalized Affinities are gems harvested from the recently deceased, who cultivated their Affinities during life. Some are utility based, used in daily life to make their chosen jobs simpler, like manipulating soil to till their fields or perceiving and controlling impurities in the metal. They are the predominate Affinities on Verum, found in the average person.¡± She then motioned to me. ¡°There are also Combat Affinities, developed in those like yourself. While they can be used in everyday life, their use is best shown in conflict.¡± She tapped the sword on her counter.


    I stared at her in slowly dawning horror. ¡°How are ¡®Crystalized Affinities¡¯ harvested?¡±


    Iva hummed as she grasped the sword by the hilt, grunting as she lifted it. ¡°Hopefully, the person volunteers before their death and allows their Affinity to be harvested.¡± She motioned to the sword. ¡°Such weapons are amongst the strongest forged because of their unique compositions. They gain traits that increase their lethality or utility, only limited by the wielder.¡±


    ¡°For a man like Variak to have one, then¡­¡± Hilda and I shared an uneasy stare, and my stomach churned.


    ¡°Either he had a subordinate with a unique Affinity that willingly sacrificed himself or¡­¡± Iva¡¯s expression darkened, brows knitting together and lips pursing as she glared at the sword. ¡°He kidnapped a poor soul and ripped it out of their fresh corpse. He has an alchemist in his employ according to the bodies you and yours fought, as no self-respecting blacksmith would dare forge this poor excuse of steel and iron.¡±


    ¡°Alchemists can forge weapons too?¡± Hilda asked her, a morbid curiosity in her tone as she studied Iva.


    Iva¡¯s lips curled as she turned a narrow-eyed stare at the Valkyrie. ¡°You¡¯re not informed of the difference, so I¡¯ll forgive that heinous remark.¡± Hilda grimaced, but Iva waved her off. ¡°No. Alchemists do not forge but shape metal through impersonal mystical hand-waving. There is heart, no soul in how they form their weapons.¡± She shook her head and placed her palm on the flat of the blade. An ethereal, iridescent glow emanated from her hand as it sunk into the metal; her fingers curved into the weapon. They dived into the weapon, reaching farther into the blade than what seemed possible, before she ripped her hand free, a pulsating gem in her hand. Then, before our very eyes, cracks and seams grew along the length of the weapon, stretching along the entirety of it before it crumbled into dust. ¡°Weapons formed from alchemy are only held together by the enchantment held within them. There is more freedom in using the Affinity, but it leaves the weapon more fragile.¡±


    Iva lifted the hand with the gem, opening it to reveal a multifaceted gem that glowed bright enough to illuminate the dim lighting of her workshop. She frowned as she studied it, cocking her head to the side. ¡°It¡¯ll survive one more use before it disperses.¡± Iva faced me, lowering her hand, her lips spreading into a knowing smile. ¡°Am I right in assuming you¡¯re here to ask me to forge you a new weapon?¡±


    ¡°Considering Variak shattered my weapon, it would be helpful.¡± I grinned at her.


    The Royal Blacksmith nodded to me, placing the gem on the counter. ¡°Then it is good that I still have Amber¡¯s notes. She refined and copied them in another notebook so that I can forge you a sword to your specifications.¡± She tapped the gem with a finger. ¡°With my experience, the new weapon will bring out another aspect of the Affinity in the gem.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I inclined my head to her, getting a smile and a nod. ¡°How long will it take you?¡±


    Iva cocked her head to the side, looking up and to the side. Her lips twitched as she furrowed her brow. Then she nodded. ¡°Two days, at the most.¡± She smiled widely, eyes twinkling. ¡°Just in time to miss His Majesty¡¯s banquet.¡±


    Hilda giggled as my expression twisted into a grimace. ¡°Joey, you can¡¯t escape the trials of a Hero. You have yet¡­no. We have yet to meet the nobility of Veritas.¡± She smiled playfully, placing her hands on her hips. ¡°There are a lot of people who wish to meet you, the Fallen Hero.¡±


    ¡°Am I still the Fallen Hero now that I¡¯m alive?¡± I tried to ignore the laughter from Iva as I focused on Hilda. ¡°That seems like a pretty obvious misnomer.¡±


    The Valkyrie shook her head, a smile still in place. ¡°It is your moniker; the title that tells everyone we meet of you and your station.¡±


    I pinched the bridge of my nose, holding back the exasperated sigh that threatened to come forward. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one more thing that¡¯s stuck.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to leave you to it, Iva. You¡¯ve probably got other jobs to get to with that.¡±


    The elven blacksmith inclined her head. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised, Sir Joseph. I¡¯ve recently fulfilled commissions from His Majesty, so it¡¯s been slow.¡± She tapped her counter. ¡°Still, I¡¯m happy for your consideration. Take care of yourselves.¡±


    ¡°We will.¡± Hilda bowed to the blacksmith as we left the workshop, stepping out into the bright sunny day. The sight of gardeners fulfilling their tasks in maintaining the lawn in the Keep and Knights marching about greeted Hilda and me. The Valkyrie looked to the sky, then to the ground, as if measuring something, then she nodded. ¡°Still plenty of time until we meet with Soralynn and Arce. Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t eaten yet. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s on the menu.¡± With that, I led us along a paved, framed path towards the mess. Hilda fell into step with me, arm resting on her shoulder-slung bag. ¡°What are you in the mood for today?¡±


    Hilda placed a finger on her chin, looking towards the clear, cloudless sky. ¡°I suppose I hope they have lamb. I haven¡¯t had it since I left the monastery.¡± We strode down the path, a wall of stone from the keep on our right with the open field on our left.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Hilda hummed in affirmation. ¡°Yes. The farmers that lived nearby reared them and grew an assortment of fruits and vegetables.¡± Her cheeks darkened as she faced forward in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯m fond of strawberries. When our older sisters were still there, they¡¯d always sneak us the sweetest snacks. Rota and I would compete to see who¡¯d get the most strawberries.¡±


    I smiled at her answer and her bashful response. ¡°Reminds me of my sister, though she prefers bitter and sour flavors.¡± That response shook Hilda from her nostalgia, giving me a disbelieving stare. A laugh escaped me. ¡°Yeah, it shocked me, too. Maggie can¡¯t stand sweet foods; always said they make her teeth throb.¡± I grinned and crossed my arms, shaking my head. ¡°Nothings too sour for her; eats them like chips, one after another.¡±


    The Valkyrie stared at me, gaze softening as her lips curled. ¡°I see.¡± Her shoulder brushed against mine. ¡°Rota always looked after me, like an older sister. Doesn¡¯t stop her from teasing me whenever she found the chance.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Like when?¡± I grinned as I looked over to her.


    Her cheeks darkened as she narrowed her eyes, frowning cutely. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that look, Joey. Rota had that same smile when the mood struck her.¡± She huffed through her nose, further narrowing her eyes and furrowing her brow. ¡°She never held back either, always making me want to climb under a rock to get away from her teasing. You wouldn¡¯t do the same to me, would you, Milord?¡± A mix of a silent demand and the hints of a pout greeted me as I cocked my head to the side in mock-contemplation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I tapped my chin as I stared upwards, humming faintly.


    ¡°Joey¡­¡± Hilda¡¯s pleading tone caused my grin to widen as playful laughter filled me. She poked me on the arm, her pout becoming pronounced.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s the mess hall.¡± I pointedly did not respond to Hilda¡¯s warning tone, looking upon the building we reached. Men and women in a variety of armored appearances milled about the area, all armed. Words echoed throughout the air into a familiar atmosphere that reminded me of my old school¡¯s cafeteria. As Hilda and I approached, eyes honed in on us, and a deafening silence settled. I ignored all of that as I focused on both the mess hall and Hilda¡¯s welcome pout. ¡°Let¡¯s see if they have that lamb you wanted.¡± I grinned at her as we walked through the open double doors.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t remember this, Joey.¡± Hilda pouted as we reached the counter to pick up some food. We reached the opening, and I peered inside just as one of the cooks caught sight of us.


    A young woman in a clean, white full-body smock and elbow-length gloves smiled as she walked up to us. She had her reddish-brown hair tied into a tight ponytail and a rag tied over her head. ¡°Sir Joseph, Lady Hilda, it¡¯s a great honor to see that you¡¯ve both returned. Is there anything I can get for you?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s on the menu?¡± I asked her as I leaned on one foot.


    ¡°We¡¯ve recently obtained some beef and pork from the farmers outside the Keep, as well some freshly picked vegetables and fruits. We¡¯ve also recently finished bread and a new batch of soup.¡± She motioned to the left, to show others washing and preparing them for serving. ¡°Do you have any preferences?¡±


    ¡°No lamb?¡± I asked for Hilda¡¯s sake.


    The woman grimaced and shook her head sadly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir Joseph. We won¡¯t have any for two more days.¡± She paused, her shoulders twitching as her lips curled. ¡°If you wish, I can request to have one prepared for you in the hour? It won¡¯t be fully grown, but¡­¡±


    I shook my head, offering her a kind smile. ¡°No need. Just idle curiosity.¡± I tried not to notice Hilda¡¯s study as I gave my order, with her following after me. It didn¡¯t take long until we each carried a tray full of meat, vegetables, bread, and a bowl of soup. Hilda and walked through the mess hall, less than half full of people. We walked over to an empty table of the far side of the building, sitting across from each other. Hilda placed her bag on her left and broke her loaf in half. I picked up my fork and stabbed a piece of broccoli, taking a bite.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Hilda said as she dipped her bread into the soup. I looked up to her with an arched brow. ¡°For asking about lamb. I did want some, but I can understand it not being prepared.¡±


    I swallowed and lifted the metal and wood mug, taking a swig. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I know what it¡¯s like being away from¡­home. Good memories are always in short supply when separated from your family.¡± Hilda didn¡¯t answer, just giving me a sad smile. ¡°Alright, enough moping. Any ideas about itineraries or schedules for later?¡± I tore apart my bread and mixed it with beef.


    The Valkyrie smiled as she studied me before nodding her head to my question. ¡°Tomorrow is when the banquet begins. We¡¯ve been given today to rest and prepare for meeting with Veritas¡¯ aristocracy.¡± She continued with her meal, wiping crumbs from her chin with a napkin. ¡°Once our affairs are in order, we can speak with the King on what we¡¯ve earned from our deeds.¡±


    ¡°Our affairs. There¡¯s commissioning a new sword, gathering supplies, and¡­?¡±


    ¡°Meeting new people,¡± Hilda said, tapping the table on the left side of her tray. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve proclaimed your survival, people will want to know you.¡± She noticed my frown and offered an apologetic smile. ¡°As of right now, you¡¯re powerless. We have no home base, no replenishing resources, and very little influence.¡± The Valkyrie placed the flat of her hand on the wooden table. ¡°We¡¯ll have to work carefully and not alienate potential allies.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense.¡± I still frowned as I ate my food, considering what Hilda had told me. As we are now, we do indeed have to play things close to chest, working with others, and potentially making allies. Depending on what Frederick gives me, I may have to pay lip service to the Kingdom if I wanted to remain independent.


    Hilda caught my attention by tapping my hand. I met her gaze and watched as she motioned behind me. Nodding to her, I casually turned and caught sight of someone I haven¡¯t seen since Nyrill, Princess Emelina. She had changed over the year. Her long golden hair appeared cut to her shoulders, curled and wavy as if recently cleaned and done. She wore a functional dress with a knee-length blue dress and black stockings. The First Princess stared at me with wide eyes and a tumultuous expression, before she quickly schooled her mien. Silver eyes narrowed as her lips curled upwards; Emelina turned and spoke with her escort, Valeri, before the Knight nodded and walked towards the chefs.


    Emelina paused as she faced my direction again before she steeled her expression and walked to our table. All eyes fell on her and me as she approached us. Not a few moments later, Emelina came to a stop in front of our table. Hilda and I stood out of respect to her and said, ¡°Long time no see, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Please, Joseph, call me by name.¡± Her voice cracked as she spoke to me, eyes glistening as she blinked back tears. When I nodded, her lips parted into a wet smile, bringing a hand to her eye and wiping away a tear. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve returned.¡± Emelina¡¯s soulful voice barely went above a whisper.


    I motioned to the table. ¡°Sit with us. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be more comfortable than standing.¡±


    Her smile widened as her silver eyes brightened. ¡°Thank you.¡± Emelina took a few seconds to look from the seats next to Hilda and me, then nodded as she took the spot next to me. The two of us sat back down as Emelina turned towards the Valkyrie. ¡°Abigail tells me that you fought to protect Xadria, Lady Brynhildr. Thank you.¡±


    Hilda shook her head. ¡°I only did what I felt was right. I had a duty to defend the innocent.¡±


    Emelina¡¯s smile widened, head cocked to the side. ¡°A Valkyrie follows her Lord, if I¡¯m not wrong. At that time, you had no such thing. So please, accept my thanks.¡± The Princess inclined her head to the blushing Valkyrie.


    ¡°If you insist, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done too much for my home to be so distant. I implore that you to use my name.¡± Hilda fidgeted underneath Emelina¡¯s gentle smile but gave a jerking nod. The First Princess then rolled her gaze from her, then to me. ¡°A Hero and a Valkyrie, like the stories of old. Was Joseph the Hero you were searching for?¡± She asked Hilda, her eyes slowly shifting to me.


    Cheeks still a healthy red, Hilda adjusted her glasses. ¡°Yes. Rumors of the Thirteen Heroes summoned by Veritas reached the Monasteries in Holien. They were the source of so many stories and wonders from my cousins and sisters.¡±


    Pride filled Emelina¡¯s smile as she nodded. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re all exceptional.¡± Then her smile fell, shoulders dropping. ¡°At least¡­until I heard of Sir Luke¡¯s actions.¡± She turned to me and said, ¡°Joseph, I am so-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize.¡± I cut her off with a shake of my head. ¡°As long as I¡¯d known him, if I didn¡¯t know, then there¡¯s no way you could have either, Affinity or not.¡±


    Emelina¡¯s expression didn¡¯t falter, the remorse in her bright silver eyes, causing my stomach to churn in discomfort. Then she closed her eyes and sighed through her nose. After a moment of silence, she faced us once more. ¡°What do you want to do next? If you¡¯re not staying here.¡±


    ¡°I still want to travel. To see Verum for myself.¡± I stared at my tray; lips curled into a frown. ¡°I¡¯ve seen so little of both my world and this one. I¡¯ve already lost my chance to see Earth, but I won¡¯t for Verum.¡±


    The Princess inclined her head, a smile spreading on her face. ¡°Not unlike my Father. He traveled Verum with Reinhardt and my Mother in his early years. He said that it gave him the wisdom to be a better King.¡± At that, Hilda turned a subtle, yet faint, smile towards me, lifting her bowl for a drink. Her eyes twinkled as she turned her gaze to her bowl.


    ¡°He did, huh?¡± I lifted my tankard. As I tilted my head back, a presence sitting next to me caused me to gulp down my drink in surprise. I glanced to the side to see Arce place her tray next to mine, an assortment of vegetables and fruits. A book rested on her opposite side. Across from her and next to Hilda, Sora sat next to Hilda with her food tray, taking the bag that Hilda had and putting it on the floor at her feet. ¡°Arce, Sora. Good to have you with us. Did you enjoy yourselves?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Sora said with exuberance, smiling with narrowed eyes as she broke her bread into pieces, sprinkling it over her meat, potato, and vegetables. She turned to face Emelina. ¡°You have an expansive library, Highness. So many tomes that I¡¯ve never seen before.¡±


    Pride filled Emelina¡¯s expression as her eyes brightened, and her smile widened. ¡°Of course. Lilian has always been exceptionally thorough with gathering and repairing old tomes from ruins.¡± As she said that, Valeri approached our table and put a tray in front of Emelina. ¡°Ah! Thank you, Valeri.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Your Highness,¡± Valeri said with a nod as she sat down on Hilda¡¯s other side. As she started eating, she turned a gaze onto me, her lips curling into a smile. ¡°I saw you leaving Iva¡¯s workshop. I trust you won¡¯t break this one?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at her playful question. ¡°I doubt this one will break.¡±


    Hilda hummed. ¡°If my understanding is correct, then the enchantment should take care of that.¡±


    Relief filled Sora as her shoulders dropped. ¡°You have no idea how glad I am not to have that slab of steel in my bag anymore.¡± She placed a hand on her cheek, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ll still have to scrub my bag clean.¡± Arce laughed silently as she drank her coup.


    With that, the six of us spoke of anything and everything around us, with no specific topics. In the meantime, I waited until I could talk with my team alone.