《The Heart of Alastair》


 Chapter One: The Maiden and the Knight

    Originally called Valarion after the founding and ruling family, Alastair¡¯s Heart was renamed to such after the royal line died out. The city was given a new name, though some have stated its succeeding ruler might have been trying to erase the old family from history altogether...


    A light drizzle pattered onto the cobblestones, mixing with scattered droplets of blood. The crimson marks traced up along the path of a stranger as they closed the clasp onto a large bag on their back. With shaking footsteps, they collapsed out from an alleyway and rested on the slick street for a moment, eyes closed. When they found the strength to move again, their eyes locked onto a sign they could just barely make out in the dim light.


    They lifted themselves up to their knees and looked at the sky, letting rain fall onto the wrappings that covered their face. The strands of blonde hair stuck between the cloth hung loosely out. When they finally started moving again, it was directly for the building ahead, which frightened a rat trying to find shelter from the rain. A harsh wind blew between the buildings and made them shiver as the cold bit into them. One foot followed the other and the wind died down for a moment as they headed toward respite from the weather.


    Within the building, two people moved about during the rain. The barkeep was tending to some of the cups, wiping them down with a rag in one hand. His only patron for the evening, a man dressed in engraved plate-mail with a cloak covering it, checked the fastenings on the sheath to his blade. He glanced out a closed window. Rain droplets smacked against the warped glass, further obscuring the dark street outside.


    A thump hit against the door before it shot open. The girl from the alley collapsed inward, a bundle of soaked cloth. They crawled forward, leading a trail of water in with her, which the armored man was quick to close.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± the barkeep asked, lifting his gaze to the disturbance.


    They tried to mutter a reply, but their voice was too thin. The man nearest to them kneeled down and put an arm around their shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t... touch my sheath...¡± she said, spitting out some blood at the end.


    The man curled his lip upward at the statement and sighed. He helped move her to one of the chairs, letting her flop down into the seat. A rumble came from her stomach and he went to the bar, ordering a piece of bread and some drink. When he returned, with the food offered out, she sprang to life. The bread was yanked from his grip and she quickly tore into it, forcing away the wrappings from her face as she did.


    Her entire face was lined with shallow wounds, and blood mixed with rainwater over every inch of her complexion. He took the seat next to her and kept watching as she ate like a starved dog before grabbing for the water. In the same time it took to grab it, she glanced at him. Her bright grey eyes shimmered softly in the candlelight. Unlike his own dull brown irises, hers stood out almost as soon as he saw them.


    Both of them were locked with the other, watching carefully for the first move. Only when a thick towel was thrown on the table did they snap out of it. The barkeep laughed at their reaction and rubbed the cloth into her hair.


    ¡°Did you have a brawl or something, stranger? You look all scratched up, so I can¡¯t imagine wandering the streets was a good idea. Why were you fighting outside at a time like this?¡±


    ¡°...Wasn¡¯t much of a fight. I just got unlucky and had to run before I could do what I was trying to.¡±


    The barkeep smacked her back, and the weakened woman coughed violently as he shook his head slowly. He pointed to the window with a thick finger at the same time.


    ¡°Well try not to bring any unwanted attention to my business, will you? I can already bet I¡¯m going to be seeing more of those mercs passing through here. They all stay here for one night and then move out together, leaving the rooms a mess.¡± He said before he returned to the counter.


    She rolled her eyes at the innkeeper before looking back to the other man with a furious glare, her hand reaching under the towel and towards her back. The man lifted a hand and pulled his sword out with the offhand. Before she could leap from the chair, he laid it down on the table and leaned closer to her.


    ¡°He won¡¯t know about the eyes, but I do. I¡¯ve got a lot of questions for you, but I doubt you¡¯d be willing to answer them. Care to humor an old man?¡± He asked, scratching his light black beard with one hand.


    The woman took another bite of bread, easing the swallow with some of the drink she¡¯d been given. While polishing off the last of her food, she nodded at him to continue.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°What¡¯s someone like you doing out here starting fights? You¡¯ve got the eyes, and you can¡¯t forge those.¡±


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t¡ª¡± she started to ask before choking on her drink. After smacking her chest, she lifted the wrappings back over her face. ¡°I¡¯m Icara.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, I¡¯m Gwindon.¡± He offered a hand to shake. She pushed it aside and grabbed the mug once again, taking a few heavy gulps as Gwindon let out a sigh. ¡°Guess that¡¯s another thing to ask. You don¡¯t look like look like it, but you''ve got the eyes. So who are you, exactly?¡±


    She slowly lowered the mug and looked at him with renewed interest. Though she had covered her face again, her eyes could still barely be made out through a slit in the wrappings. Her glare was more intense than before, almost cutting the air between them. A fierce wind rattled the roof-tiles, followed by a smashing of ceramic outside and a curse from the barkeep.


    ¡°I already told you, I am Icara. If that name doesn¡¯t mean anything to you, then telling you what I am won¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Great way to dodge the question. I bought you some food and drink, the least you could do is show some hospitality. Didn¡¯t your parents ever teach you that?¡±


    Icara hesitated in her chewing, looking down at the table and through it. Her eyes were unfocused for a moment until another gust of wind roused her attention and brought back the furious glare.


    ¡°They did, but it isn¡¯t worth anything to someone like me. Not as if those rules apply anywhere else outside of noble houses.¡±


    ¡°Rules? Hospitality isn¡¯t a rule, it¡¯s just common sense,¡± Gwindon told her, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°Ah, forget it. The barman makes a point though, do we have to worry about some guards busting the door down? I can only guess you stole from someone important with a load that big,¡± he finished, gesturing to the thing on her back.


    ¡°It¡¯s something I took from slavers a few years ago when I escaped. Don¡¯t call me a thief either, you barely know me!¡±


    Gwindon shook his head slowly before smacking the back of the woman¡¯s head. She coughed on the bread in her mouth and turned to him. Her hand rubbed the mark while she growled like a stray dog.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke about something like that. Karkh¡¯ala are at least twice your size, girl. If you talk like that, one of them might actually cart you off. Those eyes won¡¯t keep you safe out in Korrem, you know, they¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Make you dig worms out of the dirt, ankles bound with rope cords, for the entire day?¡± she interrupted, gaze locked on the table. ¡°I¡¯m not that lucky. The Karkh¡¯ala flavor those same worms with blood. Human blood is rusty but better than a Toriyo¡¯s, and royal blood is the best there is.¡±


    She shook like the wind still rolled over her, but her eyes were dry. When she finally lifted her head to the man, he had to pull back. It was a dry sorrow that bled from her look, the kind carried from a life¡¯s worth of pain being given in a moment. He didn¡¯t pull back from fear, but from the shock of deja vu.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me what would happen, it happened already.¡±


    Gwindon narrowed his eyes, focusing within the halos in her eyes. Another slam of the shutters drew his attention and broke the stare. He looked back down at the table after it and rubbed his forehead, sliding over the mug he had for himself towards her.


    ¡°Fine, you¡¯ve got some tragedy in your past. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, leaning back in the seat. ¡°But I hate seeing kids like you escaping one type of nightmare and chasing after another. You¡¯re going to end up dead thinking you¡¯re one step away from peace. The best thing to do is to just...¡± he drifted off and rested his head in one hand.


    ¡°Forget the past and move on?¡±


    ¡°No. Your past, especially the worst of it, is something that stays with you forever. Trying to run away from that is idiotic. Some people just spend their whole lives chasing after something in their past and die. I¡¯d hate to see a young woman cling to their tragedies and drown.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, nor your business, if people throw their lives away. The best thing to do is just ignore me. Just because I¡¯m not as old as you, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m any less aware of what I¡¯m doing with my life.¡±


    She put the last piece of bread in her mouth and chewed angrily, folding her arms across her chest and turning away from him. The equipment on her back awkwardly forced itself into her body and against the chair. The rain outside filled the silence, and a single drop forced its way through the ceiling towards the inn-keep. He set about drying the spot with another curse and left a bucket for more to fall into. As he moved away, Gwindon leaned forward again and put both hands on the table, pushing himself upright.


    ¡°You know, a statement like that should usually be followed with a defiant stride back outside or into a room. For someone with your angst, I¡¯m surprised you kept your composure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not completely devoid of such things, obviously,¡± she said as her eyes locked onto the table again. ¡°Of course my legs feel like they¡¯re made of soggy leather, but that¡¯s besides the point.¡±


    Gwindon went to take his cup, but she quickly put a hand over it and pulled it towards her.


    ¡°I... might be here a while. Could use something to drink.¡±


    ¡°Are you expecting to just get this for free? Someone as stubborn as you should try to get by without handouts.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s not for free, I¡¯ll pay you back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t steal money to pay your debts.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to¡ª!¡±


    The words caught in her throat. Her fingers slowly retracted and she rested her head against the wood as he pulled it towards himself. The wind whipped against the window for a few rhythms before settling down again. Gwindon closed his eyes and sighed, pushing the mug back towards her. She turned onto her side and looked up at him in confusion as he held up on finger.


    ¡°Just owe me a favor. Deal?¡±


    ¡°...Deal.¡± Icara replied, taking the mug and sipping it lightly. ¡°Just don¡¯t expect me to accept any request you make.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just retroactively¡ª¡± he started to complain before shaking his head and moving towards one of the rooms on the right side of the inn. ¡°Sleep well.¡±


    The door shut and a thud sounded as he locked it with a bar of wood. Icara took another drink from the cup before looking deep into it. From the gentle light shining above and behind her, she saw a faint outline of her reflection in the drink. Clumps of hair stuck out from the wrappings on her head, but they¡¯d dried into awkward positions. As she saw the light in her eyes, she lowered some of the bandages to try and hide them.


    She closed her eyes and rest back down on the table, staring towards the window to her right. The rain pattering against it was somehow comforting now, a constant even has she slowed her breathing. Her eyes closed slowly as she decided a nap wouldn¡¯t hurt.

 Chapter Two: Crossing Paths Amongst Foes

    ...but the many cracks and spaces between the buildings are evidence of human construction.


    Alistair¡¯s Heart lacks the pressed together towers of the Toriyo, and the elegant webbed buildings of a Theren city.


    For those of us who travel outside the greatfield, it is good to spot familiar construction such as this.


    The night passed and the overcast sky with it. Streams of water petered out into broken lengths of puddles resting on uneven stones, slowly rising off of the road in the sun. Inside the inn, Gwindon arose to the sound of a crowd. He sat on the bed in his simple tabard and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. After he put on his armor, tabard, and his sword sheath, he left the room.


    The space that had been empty the night before was filled with ugly men dressed for battle. They mostly wore a variety of leathers, others chainmail, and a few even had poor-man¡¯s plate metal. Gwindon cocked an eyebrow at the aggressive bustle and tried to move around them as a shout for attention made him pause.


    The innkeeper was holding both of his arms in the air, doing his best to make his voice boom in the crowded room. His display promptly settled all the ruckus in the room and everyone¡¯s attention immediately shifted to the owner.


    ¡°I already told you bums, get outta my business unless you¡¯re paying!¡± he bellowed.


    ¡°We¡¯re here for work from the crown, just tell us if you saw her and we¡¯ll leave you alone!¡± a skinny man near Gwindon retorted.


    ¡°All of you are working for the crown, huh?¡± His eyes narrowed on the first row, taking in their mud-splattered and crestless outfits. "Strangely enough, you all don''t strike me as the military type."


    An uproar went over the men at the comment and they pushed towards the bar as the barkeep leaned on it with a sigh. Gwindon moved towards the back of the mass and tapped the shoulder of one of the men. The man was wearing simple leather gear, with two daggers on either side of him.


    ¡°Who are you all looking for?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? A massive bounty came through this place and everyone¡¯s looking to collect on it.¡± He looked over Gwindon¡¯s equipment and looked away. ¡°Course it¡¯s probably not wise if you¡¯re gonna join in. Even if you¡¯re wearing something like that, you¡¯ll need a good number of men before you can fight her.¡±


    Gwindon nodded to the man and moved for the door. He took one last look at the rabble before he shook his head and left. His eyes rose to the sky, watching a few birds fly over the cloudless expanse. A messenger boy dashed in front of him, splashing some water in his wake and drawing the Gwindon¡¯s attention back down to the ground. Amongst the mix of earthen colored stones, he spotted a splotch of blood stuck to one closest to the road. He knelt down and felt along it before searching for similar signs. One trail led off in the direction of an alley opposite the door, marked by a larger splotch hidden in the shadow of the buildings.


    He looked up and down the street before noticing another mark further north. It only took a few steps after the trace before he paused and shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose in thought.


    ¡°Berkahn''s breath, what am I doing...?¡±


    Gwindon continued down the path a few steps before a splash drew his attention once more. The alley it came from was dim, but the outline was too familiar to be obscured. Icara stood with half a loaf of bread in one hand and a knife in the other. She cocked an eyebrow at the armored figure and started off towards him. Just as she did, the doors of the inn swung open and a large number of disgruntled mercenaries poured into the street.


    ¡°What¡¯re you¡ª?¡± Icara was cut off as Gwindon moved forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, hurriedly guiding her back down the alley.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down, dammit.¡±


    Both of them struggled down the alleyway a few steps until they passed to the other side. Gwindon looked back and watched the armed men move down the road until she yanked his arm away. Icara dusted herself off and forced the man against the wall.


    ¡°What exactly was that for?¡± She demanded, one eye shining through the mess of cloth on her head.


    ¡°You drew a large crowd to the inn you know. I wasn¡¯t aware you were so popular. Anything to do with those wounds you got last night?¡±


    Icara lowered her head and pressed him tighter against the building. She growled in frustration and looked back up at him before stepping back.


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°About two dozen or so. I¡¯ve never seen that many mercenaries before in one place... I guess the news of them folding captured military forces into royal mercenaries have added weight to their numbers. Would¡¯ve thought they¡¯d just go back to farms in their own countries.¡±


    ¡°Twenty four...¡± She said, rubbing her chin. ¡°Fine, I suppose I¡¯ll have to stay lower than I thought. I¡¯m already living in the streets like a vagrant just twiddling my thumbs and¡ª¡± she caught herself and glared at him.


    ¡°Given how many people are after you, you must¡¯ve done something wrong to someone pretty powerful. Think you can tell me what exactly you did? I¡¯d hate to hear I gave bread to some highborn thief...¡± he said before narrowing his eyes on the bread in her hand.


    ¡°Well, a thief who steals more than food, at least.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°I bought this!¡±


    Gwindon held out one hand.


    ¡°Then pay me back for the food and drink from yesterday.¡±


    Icara looked off to the side and took a bite of bread. She placed it in his hand and began walking up the street while she dusted crumbs off on her right leg. Gwindon squeezed the chunk of food in his hand and hurried after her, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around to face him.


    ¡°I meant money, kid.¡±


    ¡°Well I spent the last of my money on that bread.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you¡ª?!¡± Gwindon started to yell before catching himself and looking around for any of the mercenaries. ¡°Fine, back to the question then. What exactly did a moocher like you do to get in so much trouble? Run away from some noble suitor¡¯s home or something?¡±


    She knocked his hand away, grabbed the bread and began moving down the street once more. ¡°I survived. When you¡¯re good at that, people take it as some unspoken challenge.¡±


    ¡°Do you plan on ever answering my questions directly without trying to be obnoxious?¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment, no. I don¡¯t need some washed up bandit sticking close to me. Why do you even care?¡±


    ¡°Bandit? I¡¯m a former knight. Not one of those mercenary drop-outs from foreign legions either, I was royally annointed with the title,¡± he said, keeping pace with her down the road.


    ¡°As for caring, if you don¡¯t want to count the fact you owe me money, I¡¯d hate to see you get chopped to pieces just for being a stubborn street-rat of a noble.¡±


    She immediately stopped walking, causing Gwindon to collide into her back. Icara stumbled from the blow and refused to turn back towards him. Gwindon stepped forward once more and squeezed her shoulder. He pulled her around to face him with one hand raised dismissively. Instead of a defiant greeting, her halo-filled eyes were brimmed with tears and held in a deathly glare.


    Icara forced him away from her and ran off down an alleyway without a word. Gwindon stood in shock for a moment until he ran an armored hand through his mess of hair.


    ¡°Berkahn preserve me, she¡¯s just like Lilith was at her age...¡± he muttered to himself.


    As he mentioned the name, his annoyed expression turned to stone. The lone knight turned on the spot and started walking back towards the inn with. The street had cleared of the mercenaries from before, but was filled instead with the bustle of citizens going about businesses. Gwindon watched a few of them pass, some with smiles, but all seemed to travel in pairs. A heavy sigh escaped his lips and he turned back to the alley marked with blood. He set off after Icara at a determined walking pace.


    Icara meanwhile was barreling through the streets as her vision rapidly began to blur. Only when her eyes needed to be wiped did she pause momentarily. She leaned against a wall and used one of the wrappings on her head to clear her face. Her fist flew against the wall beside her; the hard lines of her jaw squeezed tight in frustration. The color had drained from her face, but a dull pink grew on her cheeks as she breathed harder. Once she had collected herself again, she found herself lost in another space between buildings. She lifted her eyes up, but a string of clothes fluttering in the wind blocked most of the sky from there. The sound of footsteps ahead drew her attention and she followed after them.


    Icara didn¡¯t bother to check around the corner as it opened into a different alley, secluded from the sight of the street. A group of men in worn, leather armor argued at the other end of the alley, positioned right at the exit into the street. She adjusted the wrappings on her face to better obscure her features and leaned on a wall, listening in as they bickered.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we ought to just head north! Even the south would be better than this wild goose chase. There¡¯s already a shipload of other men looking for her, not to mention the crew with Lilith is here, so why are we even bothering?¡± One of them shouted and threw up his arms at the end.


    ¡°Because we were already here when someone said she might be hiding out. You saw how high the bounty on her is, this is the smartest thing we¡¯ve got. We don¡¯t even need to collect both, just help the guards get her and maybe the royals will let¡ª¡± the other man paused and looked at Icara.


    ¡°Hey, who¡¯re you?¡±


    Icara noticed them start off towards her and a vindictive grin spread over her face. She closed her eyes tight and looked down at the ground. Both arms folded over her chest while their footsteps grew louder. Once they were close enough, she raised one hand over her head to reach for her bag. To her surprise, it was caught at the wrist before she could open it. Her eyes snapped open and open to the hand on her arm. Gwindon was standing between her and the other wall, his eyes fixed on her face with a disapproving glare. He pulled her hand down and wagged a finger in her face before winking with the eye farthest from the bounty hunters.


    ¡°What did I tell you about running off, young lady?¡± He turned to the men and placed a hand over his chest.


    ¡°I hope she didn¡¯t cause you men any trouble. She¡¯s just too excited about seeing these damp city streets again.¡±


    The men looked amongst each other cautiously for a moment before they relaxed their posture. One of the men stepped forward and nodded to Icara. ¡°Odd apparel she¡¯s got there. Why¡¯s her face wrapped up like that?¡± he asked as his eyes narrowed to both of them in turn.


    ¡°Terrible burns on her face. It¡¯s all healed, but the scars tend to make her a little self-conscious¡± Gwindon said as Icara yanked her wrist free.


    Silence passed over them as Icara folded her arms again and looked down. Her only exposed eye drifted over to their feet. All of the men were wearing plain shoes that were still wet on the edge of the soles. It was clear they¡¯d been checking the alleys like this for her. She reached again for the bag on her back, fumbling with the latch with some fingers until one of the men clapped.


    ¡°Alright, alright. We¡¯ve got better things to do anyway,¡± said the speaker.


    ¡°Come on, she¡¯s probably heading down this way anyhow.¡±


    They quickly departed, but Icara kept her hand just above the opening on her back. She lifted her head up as soon as they were out of sight and glared at Gwindon.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing? I was going to get some information out of them on the others. Are you just going to ruin my plans out of spite for that piece of false charity?¡±


    ¡°Will you just calm down? I came back because I wanted to apologize.Besides, there was three of them against one of you. Think you actually had a chance?¡± Gwindon asked back at her.


    ¡°How many do you think were there last night?¡±


    Gwindon grabbed her wrist again and glared down at her.


    ¡°You could barely walk after that fight! Are you just intentionally trying to throw your life away?!¡±


    ¡°No! Why do you even care?¡± She growled back as she yanked her hand free and shoved him back against the wall.


    He stumbled from the force of the push and felt where her hands had landed. Even with platemail on, he felt the strength in her anger. Gwindon narrowed his gaze and took a step closer. Icara crouched down with a furrowed brow, her hand finally unclasping the bag on her back as she gripped something within. Both of them stared daggers to the other until someone¡¯s approach broke their silent duel.


    ¡°Hey... I remember you!¡± a jovial voice sounded.


    The man before them wore loose robes that ended just above his ankles. He wore a hat that was a brilliant blue color and hung crooked to the right, covering his messy, chestnut hair. Counter to his apparel, he had a very shallow look to his body and muted pale skin. His eyes stuck out from the pale of his face, being bright blue enough to shine through their sunken sockets. He held out a slender hand from the right sleeve and gave a warm smile to Icara as he placed the left one over his chest.


    ¡°You are the violent vagabond that got blood all over my doorstep, right? I thought I recognized the sound of your yelling,¡± he asked, the voice taking on a rich and melodic tone.


    Gwindon turned back to Icara and folded his arms. ¡°Do you meet everyone you know being covered in horrible wounds?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my blood, as far as I can remember...¡± she muttered while her eyes darted to the ground.


    ¡°That makes it worse!¡± he said, throwing his hands up.


    The man next to them chuckled briefly, politely covering his mouth with one hand as he did. Once they noticed his outburst, he coughed to hide it and turned his pleasantries to Gwindon.


    ¡°Forgive me, I do not think we have met. Are you the girl¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Both of them countered in unison.


    He smiled at them and nodded his head. ¡°Ah, that is to be expected after all. In earnest, I would like to get to know the both of you a little better. Would you bother coming with me to my shop? It¡¯s not very far from here.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve got to find somewhere a little further from the town¡¯s center to sleep tonight. If you¡¯ll just¡ª¡± Icara began to excuse herself.


    ¡°Oh? Could it have something to do with this?¡± From the top fold of his robes, the man extracted a piece of parchment. He unrolled it and held it up for both of them to see clearly. Icara¡¯s face grew cold and her body straightened upright as she reached for the page. Emblazoned on it with fine calligraphy were the words ¡°ROYAL BOUNTY: 10,000 SHEN UPON CAPTURE¡± at the top. Beneath the lettering was a crude drawing of a figure with a face obscured in cloth, only a slit where the eyes should be, with two halos peering out.


    At the very bottom the text continued, labelling the portrait as ¡°ICARA VALARUS (IMPOSTER)¡±.

 Chapter Three: A Test of Mental Might

    What began as an exclusive practice by trained professionals has been modernized to a simple test. Lo, for I remember the days of old, in which the man who performed the trial of blood was a revered gentlemen of the court! Now, it is a practice performed by any wandering alchemist. Surely this explains the false security befalling us all...


    The shop was some kind of herbal storehouse, with a variety of plants hanging from the shelves with pots beneath them. Icara and Gwindon sat at a small wooden table hidden away in a corner near the back, the heat and humidity of the building bearing down on them. Neither was terribly off put by the environment itself, but the pretense for its arrival had them sweating.


    ¡°I do hope you both won¡¯t mind if I chose a tea of my own liking. Given your appearances, I cannot say for sure I¡¯d have what you like in store,¡± the man called from a room in the back.


    Icara hit her fist against the table and grit her teeth, leaning forward with a snarl. ¡°What¡¯re we even doing here?!¡± she hissed at him. ¡°If he¡¯s going to turn me in, he should¡¯ve done it already, why bother toying with us?¡±


    ¡°What I want to know is why I got dragged into all of this...¡± Gwindon muttered in response while the chair creaked as he leaned back.


    ¡°Because you seem to be attached to me for some reason,¡± Icara said as she kicked his shin.


    She winced and retracted her foot, the metal plate on his leg having hurt her toe more than she intended. Gwindon rolled his eyes at her minor fit and watched as the mysterious stranger returned with three cups of tea balanced on a tray. He set one down in front of each of them before taking a seat of his own. Gwindon lifted his up and took a slow sip, watching Icara out of the corner of his eye. She was far less graceful, and lifted the cup to inspect its bottom before setting it back down.


    ¡°There¡¯s poison in this, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    The man put a finger to his chin and tapped it in thought. ¡°Maybe?¡±


    Gwindon set his cup down and pushed it away before he leaned forward. He tried to stare down the stranger, but whenever their eyes met, he shut it down with a large smile. He gave up on intimidation and tried to smile back, but the man had already shifted his attention to Icara.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s quite strange to me that someone of your stature hasn¡¯t exchanged names yet. I thought it was common for genuine royals to get etiquette training these days.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to try and push that lying filth Koshchei¡¯s rumor that I¡¯m just an imposter, you can forget it.¡± Icara said and rested an arm on the table. ¡°When you¡¯re hunted, you don¡¯t exactly keep up appearances.¡±


    The man lifted his own tea and took a sip. ¡°Which is another matter of contention, you do seem to have the eyes of someone befitting the rank of princess. I¡¯m a man of science, so I¡¯m not willing to take information for granted right away. Why do you have those eyes?¡±


    ¡°Because I AM Icara Valarus!¡± She shouted, slamming her hands on the table and shooting upright.


    He looked up at her and winked with his right eye, giving Icara pause. The man chuckled before she could fully register his action, and he gestured for her to resume sitting.


    ¡°Very well then, let¡¯s continue from there. You may call me Cherno Cantrips.¡± He said and nodded his head towards Gwindon. ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°Gwindon.¡±


    Both Icara and Cherno turned to each other and waited for him to continue, but nothing followed it. Gwindon rubbed the back of his head before he explained further.


    ¡°I abandoned my family name, alright?¡±


    ¡°Odd behavior for a supposed knight...¡± Icara said, looking up to hide her smirk.


    ¡°If you¡¯re implying I was disgraced, you¡¯re wrong. I kept my honor to the end of my kingdom. My home was destroyed by a monster while I was away. Can¡¯t exactly carry a name that¡¯s been marred with blood.¡±


    He stared down into the cup before him with a stony expression. Icara lost her grin and leaned forward as well, mimicking his actions. Her own cup was still close enough for the steam to wash over her face. The scent had hints of apples in it, the sour kind, and made her smile nostalgically. Cherno clapped his hands and both of them were brought out of their memory trips.


    ¡°Well then, you certainly seem to be genuine people. What are you goals for being in this city?¡±


    ¡°Why would I tell you that?¡± Icara countered, taking a drink from the tea.


    Cherno waited for her to place the cup down before folding his hands. ¡°So I¡¯ll give you the antidote, obviously.¡±


    Gwindon and Icara froze in place at what he told them. They looked into their cups with confusion for a moment as it sunk in. Icara acted first and launched over the table before she grabbed the collar of his robe. She smashed him against the floor and tried to continue the assault, only stopped by Gwindon holding her back. Cherno pushed himself up on his elbows and rubbed his head, laughing with a small wince.


    ¡°You cannot say I didn¡¯t warn you,¡± he said with another wink to the struggling duo. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m doing this to turn you in or anything. Money is far from my mind in this instance, in fact, but I want information. The last time we met you refused to give anything of the sort, and slipped away without telling me anything. I could hardly pass the opportunity this time, could I?¡±


    ¡°Did you really have to jump to poisoning?¡± Gwindon asked.


    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve met the young lady? This is just about the only way I could actually get anything more than non-answers from her.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The both of them stopped fighting and Gwindon looked away to hide his nod of agreement. Icara growled in fury before folding her arms and glaring down at Cherno.


    ¡°Fine then, get on with your questions before I show you how much noble etiquette I¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°None, would be my assumption.¡± Gwindon said, which earned him a smack to his chestplate.


    Cherno shifted to a sitting position on his knees and looked up at both of them. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve already asked the first one. Why are you both here in Alastair¡¯s heart?¡±


    ¡°Because this is my home,¡± Icara answered as she stared daggers at the alchemist.


    ¡°Hm, a fine answer if it weren¡¯t for your extreme circumstances. Homesickness is usually weaker than one¡¯s sense of self-preservation, you know. I believe I can take a guess at your real purpose, but let¡¯s hear your friend¡¯s response first.¡±


    Gwindon shifted awkwardly in his footing. ¡°I¡¯ve resigned myself to wandering for the most part, but... I¡¯d heard that one of the conscripted mercenaries is from my homeland. More than that, I think it might¡¯ve been someone I fought with. I want to find out if it¡¯s true and meet them. To make sure the monster didn¡¯t claim the whole of the life I had before.¡±


    Both of them were taken aback by the knight¡¯s actions once again. Icara lowered her hostile stance for a moment and reached a hand out to his arm. The moment it touched, he snapped his gaze to her with a cold determination. It was a silent acknowledgement of her pity, and an open rejection of it. She retracted the touch and firmly nodded before she looked back at Cherno. He had watched the exchange with rapt attention, and gave another wink of his right eye as he stood up.


    ¡°Now that is something I can believe. He spoke not only with conviction, but without hostility. Icara, why don¡¯t you try and take another try?¡±


    ¡°You want me to try beating the antidote out of you?¡± Icara growled at him.


    ¡°Fine, then I shall guess myself,¡± he said as he dusted off his backside and moved closer. ¡°Despite your claim of home here, you spoke in rather vague terms. You didn¡¯t say ¡®this country¡¯ or ¡®this city¡¯ you spoke as if they were all apart of what you considered your home. Going by reports of some mercenaries and other... choice profilers, you¡¯ve been on the run for quite some time. Carving a path where needed, and running like a whisper through the ones who put up no fight. That would mean you¡¯d have been on the run for about a decade. Correct so far?¡±


    ¡°H-How did you¡ª?¡± Her eyes widened as he spoke.


    Cherno lifted a finger to her lips as his eyes lit up like emeralds in sunlight. ¡°What I can tell from this is that you are looking to lay low, but not above performing violence. At least, that is what I would have claimed until your actions within this city. You seem to have gotten into two fights so far, an unusual characteristic for someone on the run, but lending credence to your claim of homesickness. The most odd thing is that you make no effort to conceal your own actions, a trait claimed as clumsiness by your trackers. But you¡¯re smarter than that aren¡¯t you? You knew better than to drink tea from a stranger at first in any case, so I¡¯m waging that your actual intent is to make your name solidified in this area. Why? Why would you bother with something so counterproductive when you¡¯re so good at surviving? What made you drink that tea?¡±


    His eyes consumed everything in the room around her. The melodic tones twisted into a heartstring song that muffled her ears to anything but the beating of her own heart. Cherno¡¯s expression had also turned from distant to focused. His very essence poured over her like a flood and washed away the anger she had. Icara tried to take a step back, but Cherno caught her by the wrist tight. Sweat began to rise from her temples as he asked why and she squeezed her eyes shut.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± She shouted and flung herself backwards into a wall, covering her torso as if awaiting a sword strike.


    Cherno broke the intensity for a moment and flashed a wicked grin.


    ¡°Ah, forgive me. I often get caught up in the moment of such things, and can tend to overwhelm others with a lot of nonsense. Perhaps I should rephrase again, and offer you a more simple out to this interrogation...¡± he paused to let her relax. ¡°What are you doing in this city, Icara?¡±


    Icara swallowed hard and looked up at Gwindon. He looked between the two, showing that Cherno¡¯s intensity had truly been zeroed in on her alone. After collecting herself, she relaxed back a little and looked away from him. With her eyes closed, she took a deep breath to speak, inhaling the mint flavor of the store.


    ¡°I¡¯m here... for revenge. On the man who murdered my parents and sent me away as a child. Is that a good enough answer for you?¡±


    Cherno nodded and straightened out his back, lessening the grin into the same smile as before. Only his eyes betrayed the fire he had shown just moments before.


    ¡°More than enough. You¡¯ve told me a great deal with such little information, but I think I¡¯ll have to cross reference a few more things before I can fully understand the situation. Given you¡¯ve been so... helpful, is there anything you¡¯d like to know about me?¡±


    Icara stood back up and puffed out her chest. ¡°I¡¯d like to know what a man like you wants to know that stuff for? Anything I should be worried about?¡±


    ¡°As I told you before, I just want information on your matters. Like it or not, the amount of money on your head has caused quite a stir in the whole of the kingdom. Especially since this country isn¡¯t in a position to be tossing ludicrous funds for random vagabonds, no matter how large their body count.¡± Cherno explained with a dismissive roll of his hand.


    ¡°It was an oddly massive sum, I just figured she stole something from a fellow noble...¡± Gwindon muttered to himself. ¡°Hey wait, how high is her body count?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean she hasn¡¯t...?¡± Cherno began, but looked to Icara¡¯s snarling expression and chuckled to soothe her. ¡°Nevermind, I¡¯m sure a knight can understand self defence.¡±


    Gwindon narrowed his eyes between the both of them but remained silent.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Icara cut in. ¡°What exactly do you mean not in a position? Alastair isn¡¯t the largest kingdom, but it was never a poor one when I was a child.¡±


    ¡°Well the great expanse of the nation certainly brought a toll on the land, but not a non refundable one. You can¡¯t expect to have appropriated 11 whole territories through diplomacy without a great deal of money exchange after all. Especially since Koshchei¡ª¡±


    ¡°Koshchei?!¡± Icara burst out as she balled her fists in an instant and dashed towards Cherno. ¡°That scoundrel is still anywhere near power?! Who would even listen to that monster...¡± she spat out.


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t? A country follows the lead of her king,¡± Gwindon interjected, raising an eyebrow.


    Icara turned back to the knight and shocked him once more. Her face was pale and frozen, as if the words had punched a hole in her gut. She stumbled back from them and her eyes sprung to life first. They dashed over the floorboards in a panic as she muttered things to herself.


    ¡°No, no, no... I knew they had crowned someone but not him... why him...?!¡±


    ¡°So you do have something related to the king?¡± Cherno asked, a smirk puncturing the calm demeanor. ¡°Is he the person you¡¯re so afraid of?¡±


    Icara had clasped her hands over her face as Cherno spoke. Only after a brief pause did she pull them back to reveal a face full of color again. It was red with rage, the bright halos of her eyes burning back at him. He lost his smirk in the intensity, but she refused to relent as she bounded forward and grabbed him by the collar. Her breath was slow and determined as she lifted him off the ground and closer to her face.


    ¡°Afraid?! I hate him! He¡¯s the man who ruined my life all those years ago!¡± She fumed, letting Cherno drop to the floor. ¡°He¡¯s the man I came back here to murder!¡±


    The fury in her voice left the second the plan was outed. She covered her mouth too late. Both the men looked at her in awe for the threat, but Cherno was the one to first regain composure. He stood up, watching Icara¡¯s paranoid gaze settle on him, and moves as slowly as he could as not to alert her.


    ¡°Steady your mind, you¡¯re panicking right now and probably planning something irrational, like trying to run out of the shop,¡± he waited until she glared at him to confirm the idea. ¡°Well don¡¯t. For one thing, there¡¯s still the mercenary bands outside that¡¯d be too much to deal with in public like this. You¡¯d make too much of a scene, even for someone of your undoubted skill. Secondly, I don¡¯t think either of us here would turn you in for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak for me,¡± Gwindon cut him off.


    Icara looked at his stoic expression as he passed by, heading for the door.


    ¡°If you¡¯re planning on committing regicide, I¡¯ll have no business with you. I¡¯m not here to get caught in the blood feud of someone I just met,¡± he briskly explained, pausing in front of Icara to give her a cold look. ¡°Especially not someone with such a childish fixation. I¡¯ll be leaving now. Oh, and Icara, the poison was likely just a lie.¡±


    ¡°Heh, what a perceptive fellow...¡± Cherno remarked quietly.


    Icara ignored the news, and took hold of Gwindon¡¯s shoulder. He shrugged off the first attempt, but she followed with a stronger grip and spun him around. He stumbled, but pushed her away, refusing to hold eye contact for more than a glance.


    ¡°Look me in the eyes, old man.¡± She demanded, her voice shaking like a storm.


    Gwindon gave her one last, pitying glance before he moved for the door once again. He placed a hand on the doorknob when he heard a familiar buckle unfasten behind him. Gwindon opened the door but looked back just in time to dodge the blur of mass aimed for his shoulder. It pierced into the floor with a thunk as he stumbled into the building again.


    Icara yanked her weapon from the floor, a massive sword easily the length of her torso. The blade was composed of some dull, stony material and had a jagged edge formed along a clearly eastern design. He remembered her statement in the bar, and instantly realized she was wielding a weapon from the desert Korrem, home of the Karkh¡¯ala. She moved to the entrance and closed the door, shouldering the weapon as she did. The exit blocked with her body, she glared down at him.


    ¡°We¡¯re not finished talking, Gwindon.¡±

 Chapter Four: Keep Your Footing, Stay On your Toes

    The primary weapon of a Karkh¡¯ala warrior would likely be his khopesh. It is a curved sword that is almost comically large in the hands of an average human. They construct it from a material made of very lightweight Korrem slug secretions, hardened in a furnace once poured in the proper shape. It can¡¯t quite match the quality of modern steel, but old iron armaments might be challenged. In either case, the large size and sharpness of these weapons is something to be very wary of.


    The halos of her eyes were wide and clear, reflecting light through a window above her head. Gwindon pushed himself up onto his knees and swallowed hard, trying to judge her weapon first. The way it was slung on her left shoulder meant the material was lighter than steel, but heavy enough to deal damage. Its dull, blue blade was straight at the base, and turned into a sharp curve with a pointed tip at the end.


    The turquoise mass flashed in front of him and swung down to his leg. He rolled away just in time to not be hit by the move. Icara once more yanked the blade free and readied to strike again, but first pointed a finger to the knight instead.


    ¡°You dare to judge my purpose in life as a childish fixation...?¡± Icara asked, her voice sounding strange and unlucid.


    Gwindon quickly realized the light had tricked him, her irises hid the glazed look of an experienced killer ready to fight. ¡°Looking for justice could be a noble goal, but you¡¯re plan is irrational and impossible. You can¡¯t fight a kingdom by yourself, Icara.¡±


    When he finished, he reached for his blade with his right hand. She noticed the gesture immediately and swung for the side of his body his sword was away from. He managed to draw his own weapon fast enough to stop the sword with its flat side, gripping the top of the sword with his off hand. Even with the double grip, she showed off incredible strength as he barely managed to hold it back. The sharp tip of the weapon teased along the exposed section of his neck.


    He shot a leg out towards her right foot and she leapt back to dodge it, pulling her sword with her as she did. He used the space to move to his knees and level the blade towards her with one hand, keeping the other behind his back. On his feet, he got a much better read of his opponent.


    Icara stood with her back slouched, and the blade rested at an angle with the ground. Her posture was animalistic in nature, and gave her little option in how to strike first. It was a drawback of the weapon she was using, clearly balanced for someone much larger than her. Still, he had found her strength more than enough to use the weapon in an adapted style. His eyes shot to the side, looking for something to aid him if she tried for another hit.


    Gwindon shifted his feet and shot the free hand out to the side, Icara watched him, but remained frozen in place. His fingers wrapped around one of the potted plants on a shelf next to him, and he flung it at her head. Gwindon readied to parry a blind blow she¡¯d use to defend from the strike. Breaking her savage posture a moment, Icara crouched down and avoided the pot entirely, letting it smash against the wall behind her. With the projectile gone, she swung her blade horizontally again. It scratched against his chest plate just as he slammed into the wall to avoid it. She had misjudged the move and found her weapon lodged within the wood.


    Before the sword could be freed, Gwindon brought his own down towards its handle, forcing her to release it and move away. Icara acted as he predicted this time, and he gripped his sword with both hands as he stepped onto her blade. Gwindon breathed slowly and his heart threatened to leap from his chest before the ferocity he faced. Icara crouched down and stared up at him. The bandages on her face came loose and revealed more of her feminine features. He remarked how skilled she was for someone as young as her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got no weapon, back down. What little padding you¡¯ve got is no match for my sword I can assure you, and you¡¯re in no shape to take the kind of wounds I¡¯d have to inflict on you,¡± he warned her.


    Icara broke eye contact with Gwindon for a moment, brushing some dirt on the floor together with her sword hand. ¡°How can I back down when I¡¯ve been insulted so thoroughly? You¡¯re the one who started this, so don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re getting cold feet just because I¡¯m not some helpless runt in a fight.¡±


    ¡°Pity isn¡¯t why I don¡¯t want to murder you. Let¡¯s call it sentimentality in my old age, but I don¡¯t think cutting down someone like you is really the behavior fitting a knight. Don¡¯t make me change my mind on that point, Icara.¡±


    Icara finished brushing up some of the dirt and looked up to the knight with a smirk, the dullness starting to fade from her gaze. ¡°Someone like me? Is that a woman, a criminal, or a weakling to you? All three?¡±


    His eyes shifted to the pile of dirt and he glared. ¡°Don¡¯t try it.¡±


    She shook her head and blew the dirt away, standing upright. Gwindon sighed and lowered his blade a little until he saw her other hand. The one she¡¯d been keeping behind her was tightly clenched, and a distinct trailed of dirt was behind the other pile. His eyes met with her¡¯s for one moment before it shot upward and flung the concealed soil into his face.


    Gwindon recklessly sliced down at the throwing arm, but it was pulled away as he was blinded. Icara grabbed his left arm in the swing and forced him to follow through the motion completely. Despite being weighed down by his armor, Gwindon flipped heavily onto his back and landed hard onto the floor. The moment his body reached the ground, Icara was quick to twist his wrist into releasing the sword from the hand still holding it. The weapon gone, she placed a foot on his throat. He waited for a slam or twist, something to kill him quickly, but no further violence came.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Go on, still not worth killing?¡± Icara said to him, smiling at him.


    ¡°Was that all a game to you?! You could¡¯ve been killed!¡± Gwindon shouted, strained for breath under her heel.


    ¡°I already told you I¡¯m good at surviving. Are you going to tell me the way I fought wasn¡¯t honorable now? Don¡¯t act like more of a sore loser than¡ª¡± she continued to boast.


    ¡°Honor is merely fairness in all things, combat especially. Given what Cherno had said, and what I¡¯d seen of your recovery, I had no doubt you were a competent fighter. Anything I could do against you wouldn¡¯t be shameful. You won despite that.¡±


    Icara hesitated, unsure of how to handle the compliment. Her grip on him eased and she took the foot from his neck. Gwindon followed with a cough and sat upright, rubbing where she had him pinned. Both went quiet for a moment as she retrieved her sword and Gwindon leaned on his knee while seated. Cherno had begun sweeping the mess of dirt from their fight, keeping a careful ear on their exchange all the while.


    ¡°If... if you really thought that, than why did you provoke me?¡± She asked, holding the handle of her weapon close to her chest.


    ¡°Because I stand by what I said. I never doubted your fighting prowess, only your goals. You can¡¯t simply kill Koshchei, even if you wanted to or somehow were able. A country needs leadership, especially when in trying times like now. I¡¯m not particularly privy to this land¡¯s politics, but I know for a fact that even a despot provides stability to a nation-state that anarchy cannot allow.¡± Gwindon said and looked up at her. ¡°Would you really doom this land and her people for your own selfish desires?¡±


    She stomped her foot down. ¡°What are you talking about?! I am the rightful heir to this country, when he¡¯s dead, I¡¯ll take the mantle of leadership and return this country to a land of fairness!¡±


    ¡°What are your qualifications? Do you know who Alastair is at war with? Her alliances? How about just listing who her neighbors are after recent border skirmishes?¡± Gwindon stood up as Icara¡¯s eyes scanned the floor frantically. ¡°You think Koshchei is a cruel man who murdered your parents, sure. Let¡¯s say he is. But at least he did not try and tear the country down. I would rather a power-hungry king than a queen raised on blood and violence... and I think the people of this country would agree.¡±


    Icara closed her eyes and clenched her fingers over the handle as Gwindon stood up. He shook his head and looked back towards the door. A chill had drawn over the room, suffocating the energy that flared just moments prior. A heavy thump summoned a spark from it, making Gwindon turn back towards Icara. She had dropped the large blade to the floor and was moving quickly towards him. He didn¡¯t lift his sword to stop her, the fist she held out colliding directly to the plate metal of his chest. The sound alone would make most men cringe, the actual pain of the blow was substantially worse. She dug her knuckles deeper against the metal, making him stumble back a bit and having her fist slip off. After a deep intake of breath, she lifted her head to meet the knight¡¯s eyes.


    The backlit gaze staring at him was brimmed with tears. They didn¡¯t teeter like before, but flowed from her face in streams. Despite this, she held a fire in her gaze that shook the hardened warrior with a nostalgic feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯ll learn,¡± she said, her voice cracked from strain. ¡°I don¡¯t care how hard it will be, but I¡¯ll learn. I¡¯m going to make things better, I promised I would! He won¡¯t get away with murder.... He can¡¯t...¡±


    The emotions nearly overwhelmed Icara, her torso wracked with every sobbing breath. Gwindon¡¯s hands relaxed at his side and he took in the display with earnestness. When she finally began to weep outright, he moved forward and embraced her. Despite the bulk of his breastplate, he held her in the closest thing to comfort he could manage. She was stiff at first, but soon returned the hug.


    ¡°Just breathe, we¡¯re not fighting anymore,¡± he told her, patting her back as he closed his own eyes. ¡°If you want to learn, I¡¯ll help you. You¡¯ve got a fire to lead others, but it¡¯s reckless and dangerous. All you need to is learn and you¡¯ll make a fine queen. Then you can take your revenge. If you agree, I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    Icara held him a moment longer, but pulled away in the end. She retrieved her sword and inspected its handle in silence. The tears continued to drip from her chin for a time, but she wiped them away and looked back to Gwindon. Her eyes showed the signs of wear that crying leaves, but the circles of light within them continued to burn bright.


    ¡°Learn what?¡±


    ¡°Patience, for starters. Maybe some manners and how to make some money for yourself that doesn¡¯t involve murdering...¡± Gwindon said with a half smile.


    Icara rolled her eyes and sniffed her nose. ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m tired of you making me get teary eyed every time you talk to me. Promise not to do that, and I think we can start working together,¡± she said, offering him a hand.


    Gwindon clasped her hand firmly with his own and they shook on it, meeting each other¡¯s eyes fondly. Once they let go, both retrieved their weapons and put them back in their respective sheaths. Only once they had gathered themselves together did they notice Cherno sitting back at the table, his legs obviously crossed beneath the folds of his robe. He raised a teacup towards them.


    ¡°Ah yes, finally done bonding over there? I¡¯m glad you decided to do it without murdering each other, would¡¯ve made things a lot more complicated for me. Disposing a body is always such a bother...¡±


    ¡°Sorry for making a mess of your shop, I kind of got...¡± Icara began, hesitating as she rubbed the back of her head and glanced at the various puncture marks in the wood floor. ¡°Caught up in the moment, I guess.¡±


    ¡°You are the moment itself, Icara,¡± Cherno commented with the same facade of a smile. ¡°But even so, I¡¯m intrigued by this idea of learning how to be a ruler. Especially considering you¡¯re a wanted criminal, among other things, in the public eye. You¡¯ll be needing some way to change that, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Icara nodded and Cherno set his cup down. He moved to a nearby cupboard and pulled out one of the shelves. The sound of parchment shuffling filled the room as he searched for a certain document. Eventually, he extracted one and returned to Icara, handing her a faded document. It had a list of names with a heading that read ¡°Matters of Church and State officials¡± at the top in incredibly elaborate calligraphy.


    ¡°That¡¯s a list of people who work with the church and state on matters about the other. Given their typically neutral stance on things, you could find the one residing in this city and use him to get information on the political climate.¡± Cherno explained before he gestured to Gwindon. ¡°Just have Gwindon explain his knighthood and they should be willing to help you with this much at least.¡±


    Gwindon hesitated for an instant, but ultimately nodded. Icara was still looking at the parchment, but gave a quick acknowledgement of Cherno¡¯s words before she turned to leave. She paused at the door and yanked away the bindings from her face. Taking the thinnest of them, she wrapped it over her eyes and ruffled her hair. The dirty blonde mess was almost alien to the knight, and made him laugh from the almost burned style of it. Icara knocked on his chest plate once more and tossed the door open, stumbling a bit as she adjusted to the dimmed vision.


    Cherno watched them leave and turned back to the drawer, pulling out another parchment that he had left on top. There was a symbol on the heading of a man wielding a sword with his back to a woman holding a scarf filled with wheat. It was the emblem of the major church, depicting both Berkahn and Helera, the deities most humans worshipped at the time. Beneath it was a stylized depiction of Icara, like the one on the bounty poster, but with more exaggerated appearance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how Koshchei deals with this one...¡± Cherno muttered to himself, pulling the sheet out completely.


    On the bottom of the page were the words ¡°POSSIBLE DEMON AFFILIATE, REPORT IMMEDIATELY¡± in the same calligraphy as the sheet he had given Icara.

 Chapter Five: New Friends

    Alastair apples are a botanical anomaly, so it might be more apt to describe them as something else. They grow in the normally very wet and loose soil of Alastair, but have the curious ability of harenening the swampy texture around them into something firm enough to even build upon. Perhaps this is why the crest of the country bears one of the fruits as a headed symbol?


    The street they walked on was clear for the moment. Traffic had surged to the center of town as the markets opened. A few birds were all that came to the street to cover the sound of Icara and Gwindon¡¯s footsteps. Partway away from Cherno¡¯s shop, Gwindon pulled on Icara¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Wait a minute, are you sure that disguise is enough? Maybe we should think of something else to do for now.¡±


    ¡°Well the poster seemed to focus on my eyes, for obvious reasons. Like Cherno said, I wasn¡¯t exactly hiding myself or using a variety of outfits this whole time. It won¡¯t last forever, but it should be enough to weave through a crowd like the markets will have. Once we get to wherever this official is, we¡¯ll keep it up as long as we have to.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve still got the demeanor of the person they¡¯re after. Maybe we should wait until the crowd thins out?¡± He questioned, rubbing his chin.


    Icara moved back and grabbed his wrist, pulling the knight forward. ¡°Lucky for both of us, you¡¯ve already given us a pretty good alibi if we get caught. Just pretend to be my father like you did for those other hires and we¡¯ll faze through the crowd. No place better to hide than in plain sight, right?¡±


    He tried to protest further, but knew the futility in it. After she realized she didn¡¯t have to hold his wrist, she let him go and put both hands in her pockets. Gwindon watched the way she walked the uphill streets toward the town center. There was an inelegance to every motion, but every little thing felt practiced. Even in a casual manner, he wondered how focused she was on her outward appearance. Compared to his own walk, a heavy march in its own right that was clearly drilled in by training, it was hard to imagine them travelling together.


    At the final street junction, they crossed over a large bridge with a fast river roaring beneath it. Even louder than the rapids were the sounds of market trading. People and carriages moved around each other in fluid patterns, stopping and starting at the various stalls and money changing partitions. Icara paused at the top of the bridge¡¯s arc and admired the crowd for a moment. Inside her pockets, both hands flexed and unflexed, unsure of how to enter the tangle of bodies without drawing attention.


    Gwindon lead them this time, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pushing her into the mass. Icara struggled at first from the rude assistance, but soon followed him as best she could, if only to avoid being swept away by the bustle of business. The crowd was a mix of pleasant and pungent odors, the products and people filling the air as tightly as the traffic. One stall caught Icara¡¯s eye, forcing her to slip away from Gwindon¡¯s grip to inspect closer.


    It was a banal fruit stand carrying an arrangement of foods ready to eat and a listing of prices above them. She approached one of the boxes first and kneeled down with wide-eyes. They resembled oranges, but had a deep orange color like a fresh sunset. The old man working the stand noticed her enchantment and grinned, leaning forward with a grin to pick one up and hold it out to her.


    ¡°Did the smell catch you, miss? Alastair apples are the beauty of my wares, you must have a knowledgeable palate,¡± he said, stroking his beard with his off-hand.


    Gwindon pushed his way back and found her as she took the offered fruit. Icara brought it close to her nose and deeply inhaled, closing her eyes as she did. He watched her face tense for an instant, but relax as she sighed out the scent. A smile warmed over her expression as she stared at the food.


    ¡°I remember having these as a kid. My mother always used to ask that they cut the skin off of them, and I fought to make them keep it on. The insides are the same as other apples, so I always felt cheated when they didn¡¯t have the skin.¡± Icara explained, rolling it around in her hand before turning to Gwindon. ¡°Funny, this is the only thing native to Alastair only. They were always rare when I was a kid though, I¡¯m shocked to see a merchant on the street selling them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite right about their rarity in the past, miss. Thankfully for me, these are from the border expansions. Colorful little borders with trees entice people to come in and buy these delicacies,¡± he said, picking up another and wiping it. ¡°I personally don¡¯t care much for planting trees to tell you that stuff, but it helps ward off invasions from the northern and southern countries. Everyone¡¯s been so busy with war these days...¡± he mused to himself.


    Gwindon moved next to Icara and handed the man enough money for an apple. ¡°We¡¯re in a little hurry, Icara, eat it on the way.¡±


    ¡°Where do you get all this money from, exactly?¡± Icara asked, standing up.


    ¡°I¡¯m still a former knight, you know. Not like I was poorly paid for my services. I¡¯ve been surviving off of the rest of my money for a while, keeping it in a few places as I travel. Trade cities make it easy to store things these years, and you can get credit from the guild houses in major cities like this one.¡± He answered, leading them back into the crowd. ¡°Not all of us need to mooch off of others because we lack money of our own, you know.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Icara rolled her eyes and took a bite from the apple. The moment the piece entered her mouth, she spat it out on the floor and coughed. People in the crowd moved away from the rude gesture and Gwindon turned around to grab her arm.


    ¡°Hey! You wanted that thing in the first place!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a real Alastair apple... it¡¯s dehydrated or something. That merchant must¡¯ve stolen a sapling and is trying to pass it off as a real thing,¡± she turned around with a glare on her face, but Gwindon caught her. ¡°I¡¯m going to make him label those things properly as faulty!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to get into a fight with some merchant or whatever guild he might be in over the flavor of a fruit!¡± Gwindon said in a low voice, yanking her closer to him.


    She pouted in response and took another bite of the apple. Her face contorted in exaggeration, but she moved with the former knight. The crowds eventually thinned as the passed the main trading area. Most of the traders here had more stable shops established, selling clothes and tools instead of perishables.


    From in front of one of the stalls, a group of men dressed in padded armors walked in the opposite direction of Icara and Gwindon. Their leader sported a metal helmet, and a few flashes around his neck showed off the chainmail he wore beneath it. Icara clung tighter to the knight as they passed, but the head soldier held out his arm to stop them.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you doing walking around in full armor like that for? You working for the crown as well?¡± he asked in a gruff voice before he looked at Icara suspiciously. ¡°Hey wait... that girl looks familiar.¡±


    A pale faced man from the back of the group moved forward with some parchment in his hand. He flipped through a couple of them and occasionally glanced up to Icara. Gwindon pulled the man¡¯s arm off of him and moved out of the way of the group. They all turned together and gripped for their weapons, but he only glanced at them disappointedly.


    ¡°Alastair must be on hard times to actually hire rabble like you. We¡¯re going to be on our way, go and decide if you need to chase us down at your own pace,¡± he said, pulling Icara away from the group with him.


    The leader drew his sword while Icara watched and chewed another bite of apple. He grabbed her other arm and yanked back hard enough to make Gwindon lose his grip. He brought his face dangerously close to her own before grabbing at the wrappings around her face. Gwindon took a step forward, but hesitated as he saw Icara drop the arm with the apple down.


    She tossed it into the air, distracting the man a moment as he watched it fly up. The apple didn¡¯t even manage to reach its peak before she yanked her arm free and moved to the man¡¯s side. He tried to grab her again, but the apple came down and hit him square on the head. Icara forced her heel against the back of his knee and put one hand on his chest, slamming him into the ground just as she caught the apple.


    Both Gwindon and the other mercenaries were shocked at the blaze of a takedown they had seen, but Gwindon reacted first. He bolted towards an alley ahead of them, waving for Icara to follow.


    The leader stumbled onto his stomach as the others tried to help him. ¡°What¡¯re you standing here for?! Get them!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Alph, they don¡¯t really match any of the listings we have... well, aside from one of the female leads. But she¡¯s supposed to be travelling alone. They might be petty thieves of something, not really a big profit,¡± the pale one responded, putting a hand close to his mouth and whispering the next part. ¡°Plus, you know, you got taken down kinda easily there. I think we should keep looking for easier ones. With all the people looking for that one girl, we can¡¯t really afford to slack off on finding an easier grab.¡±


    Icara had only managed to reach the entrance of the alleyway as the leader got back on his feet. Their eyes met for an instant before she rounded the corner away from them. He looked down at his hand before grabbing his sword off the ground and turning towards the way Gwindon had run.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go look for her then. You go and look for some other score,¡± he said, looking over his shoulder as he sheathed his blade again. ¡°Or would one of you lot like the tell Lilith that we didn¡¯t find anyone again?¡±


    The men shivered in place and shifted awkwardly on their feet before heading back around the market place. Once he was alone, the leader set off after the pair.


    Gwindon and Icara had meanwhile resumed a walking pace after gaining some distance. These streets were also empty as the ones around Cherno¡¯s shop had been, but they were far larger. Every building had a few glass windows and showed signs of life from them. Almost all of them had some sign denoting the name of the establishment hung somewhere on the outside. The streets themselves seemed to bend out of their normally straight lines just to accommodate the structures. At the end of the road they found one more such building, but with a distinctly plain outside. Only the ornate columns on the outside denoted any sort of creative flair in design.


    ¡°State and sanctity?¡± Icara read the sign out front, written in blocky, gold text.


    ¡°That sounds like the place we¡¯re looking for,¡± Gwindon responded. ¡°How did you want to go about this, exactly? I doubt we¡¯d get far if we just head in and ask for information about the political climate.¡±


    Icara took a bite of her apple and chewed in thought. ¡°Hmm... well, you¡¯re still an official knight most likely. We can just tell them that you¡¯re looking for someone from your homeland. Would be easy to imply they might be hiding out in the region or something, and ask about the neighboring nations at the moment.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect them to have records on things like that, Icara. The most they¡¯d have is things on local knights and nobles, not anyone from as far away as I am, even if my kingdom wasn¡¯t dead,¡± he reminded her.


    ¡°But it¡¯s the only thing we can really do, right?¡± Icara said, shrugging as she moved towards the door.


    Gwindon looked up at the sign a final time and sighed before he followed after her. The entryway was a plain wooden door with no visible lock. Icara pushed it open with a surprising ease for its size and entered. There was only a door to the right and a desk with two people at it. One was a young woman seated behind it, writing down notes on a large parchment with a worried look on her face.


    Beside her was a larger man, even taller than Gwindon, but clearly younger. His armor was full plate metal, with the helmet resting on the desk he leaned against. All of his clothes were polished incredibly well, and the few pieces of cloth were of high quality. Icara narrowed her eyes to see through the bandages on her head better while they approach. She jumped when the man pounded his fist against the woman¡¯s workplace.


    ¡°Berkahn preserve me! Where are we supposed to find her? It¡¯s a mockery that this new bastard king can¡¯t keep the monsters from the city. Does he have any clue the kind of danger we¡¯re all in if there¡¯s one of those things living here?!¡±


    ¡°A-Archpriest Daylon, I understand your concern, b-but we can¡¯t exactly mount a full assault just for someone possibly affiliated with a demon...¡± the woman meekly responded to him.


    He stood upright and grunted. ¡°Fine. Not the intermediaries fault that Koshchei is doing his best to muck things up for the vanguard. He¡¯s too consumed with politics and human conflict, can¡¯t see the demons at our doorsteps. I¡¯ll join the hunt myself if I have to.¡±


    ¡°The hunt? Are you looking for someone?¡± Icara asked, moving forward but staring at the ground to avoid showing her eyes. She also managed to make her voice sound higher and more effeminate to disguise herself further.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m looking for someone pretending to be a former princess of Alastair, who was killed by a demon a long time ago. That and another woman from a southern kingdom. Keep an eye out for one with large scar on her left eye, she¡¯s been seen talking to mercs from¡ª¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Icara cut him off. ¡°But... what was the name of the first woman?¡±


    ¡°Icara Valarus,¡± he answered before looking between him and Gwindon. ¡°...why do you want to know?¡±

 Chapter Six: Buried the Moment You Fall

    The church has lost a significant amount of power since it began its crusade against all forms of demonic influence. It has been over one hundred and fifty years since Jacob the Brave led the charge for reformation of the cloth and steel leading to the decline of power we see now...


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s something to be concerned about, isn¡¯t it?¡± she replied with a small laugh.


    Gwindon tensed up behind her. His eyes transfixed onto Icara and was stunned to find her maintain the deception of before without fail. Daylon moved a little closer, shifting his head from side to side at her. When Icara refused to lift her head, he turned to Gwindon with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, uh, she had her eyes damaged a few days ago. Just some minor burns on the outside, but she can hardly see right now,¡± he explained, stepping forward.


    ¡°How unfortunate. I¡¯ve had skin burns before and had to deal with them a lot during my time in the holy cloth. Let me take a look at them and I could see if anything could improve her comfort,¡± he offered, extending a hand to Icara¡¯s face.


    She stepped away suddenly and put both hands to her temples. ¡°Ah, forgive me sir, but I don¡¯t wish to appear ugly before someone of your rank. Forgive my vanity,¡± she replied in a dainty tone.


    Daylon paused his hand in the air, but refused to retract it. ¡°I¡¯m a man of the church, miss, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Just move your hand and I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°A-Archpriest!¡± the meek woman interrupted him. ¡°Please just let her be. Y-You¡¯re not exactly the most tact about this sort of thing...¡±


    He turned back towards her and opened his mouth to protest, but stopped. Icara relaxed her posture and bowed slightly to the priest. She turned her back and moved back towards Gwindon, tugging on his arm before they moved for the doorway.


    ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you have some business here? Can¡¯t imagine you stopped by just to look at the scenery.¡±


    Both of them froze in place at the entrance, unsure of where to head. Gwindon was the first to act, turning around and approaching the desk. His mind struggled to find a reason as he approached the woman. When he finally reached the looming desk, he put one hand on it and leaned forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering if... this place would have any records of my knighthood?¡±


    The woman cocked an eyebrow, but nodded. She turned towards the wall and wrote a short request down before filing it away. Various footsteps sounded off from the other room and a silence took hold of the space. Daylon¡¯s eyes seemed glued to Gwindon, making the older man flex his hands unconsciously. Icara watched carefully, pretending to rest her hands behind her head and placing them ready to draw her sword.


    ¡°So,¡± Daylon said, startling everyone with his deep voice. ¡°You¡¯re a knight? If you¡¯d been travelling, shouldn¡¯t you have gotten some sort of emblem before you left your home country?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, I had to leave it behind a while ago. My exit from my kingdom was fairly sudden, so I couldn¡¯t bring anything like that with me. I¡¯ve gotten along without it for a long while, but I might be meeting some officials soon, and could use a way to signify my rank.¡±


    Daylon shook his head and leaned back. ¡°I¡¯ve heard they used to engrave armors with the emblem of their home country before Jacob¡¯s crusade. After that, there seemed to be some stigma against wearing iconography outside the church. What land are you from anyhow?¡±


    ¡°Drahsan, the Desert Rose. It¡¯s an obscure place, I doubt many people in the plains would know about¡ª¡±


    ¡°That country sounds familiar to me...¡± Daylon muttered to himself. ¡°Wait a minute, I remember, their capital was destroyed by some monster. We had investigated that place a few years ago, looking into whether a demon had done it. There wasn¡¯t any evidence one had been there, but it was a tragedy all the same. I hadn¡¯t seen such brutal gore in a long time, and it sickens me that something like that can be caused by a creature out there.¡±


    Gwindon continued to stare at the desk, his mind as glazed and distant as his eyes. Icara tried to take a step closer to him, but reminded herself not to draw Daylon¡¯s attention. The room feel quiet after his description and time seemed to slow down until a gentle clink sounded off for the room. Gwindon lifted his head from the daze and the assistant unfolded an envelope.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t think we have any records on that country. Or, um, w-well... we do. But there aren¡¯t many on people who survived. There¡¯s only one recorded instance of someone coming from that region, but...¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The woman yelped as Gwindon slammed his hands onto the desk. ¡°Wait, someone from my homeland survived?! From the capital?!¡±


    She nodded with her eyes closed before handing him the page. Gwindon took it quickly and turned around to read it. His eyes frantically darted over the page before the froze on a single line. The paleness in his face returned and slowly he continued to read more and more. Icara moved forward, ignoring Daylon for an instant and put a hand one Gwindon¡¯s shoulder. He looked up at her with his eyes heavy and unfocused. She recoiled a bit from the sight, his stoic features openly emotional for once.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Daylon asked empathetically. ¡°Do you know who that person is?¡±


    ¡°She... she is my wife,¡± he answered, turning back and returning the parchment. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go looking for her now. Though I¡¯d heard someone had survived the Rose¡¯s fall, I never even imagined it might be her...¡±


    Gwindon turned on his heel and started off for the door, with Icara following closely behind. Daylon narrowed his eyes a moment before he grabbed the page and looked over it himself. His eyes scanned over the page before fixating on the same spot Gwindon had.


    ¡°Wait... what exactly is your name?¡± Daylon asked.


    ¡°Oh, my name is Gwindon. Thank you for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not you,¡± Daylon responded, drawing his weapon. ¡°Her name. Now.¡±


    He wielded a massive warhammer covered in calligraphy engravings. It seemed to radiate a dull glow, showing off its bare enchantment. Weapons were often imbued with innocuous magical enhancements when used to fight demons. The energy required to maintain enchantments siphons from the creatures when they connect. It was an incredibly expensive process that required a rare metal to perform accurately. He readied the weapon in his hands and glared at them both.


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡ª¡± Gwindon began, but Icara held up a hand to stop him.


    ¡°Before I tell you sir, let me ask you... would the old man here be in trouble as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few questions for him, I¡¯ll see how guilty he is from that. Why? Are you going to try and claim he wasn¡¯t involved with your actions, Lilith?¡±


    Icara paused a moment before lifting her head up completely and cocking it to the side. ¡°Who¡¯s Lilith?¡±


    ¡°You! Don¡¯t try and play dumb, you¡¯re using that bandage to hide the scar on your face, but it¡¯s clear what you¡¯re doing. Hoping to come here and see how much of a threat the church would be? You¡¯re going to be brought down for what you¡¯ve¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! I¡¯m not Lilith!¡± Icara interrupted, lifting her hands up defensively.


    Daylon leveled towards her and took another step forward. ¡°Oh? Then why are you travelling with him then?¡±


    ¡°He bought me food,¡± she answered, holding up the apple she had finished in her left hand.


    A great stillness passed over the room, abruptly cut by a stifled laugh from the meek assistant at the desk. Daylon rolled his eyes and maintained the grip on his hammer. Gwindon put one hand on the door, darting his eyes between Icara and Daylon. Though the bandages on her face were still holding, the various grabbing attempts and sweat was starting to weigh it down.


    ¡°Show your eyes then. If you don¡¯t have a scar, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Daylon ordered.


    Icara swallowed hard, but nodded. She reached behind her head slowly and turned to face Gwindon for a second. His eyes locked onto hers, and for a quick moment, he saw a wink pass under the fabric. They both turned back to Daylon and she flung the apple at his head. He swung at the sudden gesture, giving them enough time to force open the door and bolt out into the street.


    Daylon charged after them, pulling his hammer up to swing. They all ran ahead into up the streets, the priest managing to gain more ground by the second despite his late start. He took a swing with his hammer, but the blow just barely missed them as they rounded out of an alley and back towards the marketplace.


    Though the crowds had thinned, there was still a sizeable part of people moving around. Gwindon and Icara weaved into the masses, but found them scatter as the archpriest shouted. Icara reached for a basket of nails and spilled them onto the ground in front of Daylon. His armor feet crunched over them, threatening to stumble him for a moment as he regained his footing. In the spacing, Daylon grabbed a handful from the ground and chucked them at the fleeing woman as he ran.


    She dodged away from them, but slammed into a stranger, which stunned her as Daylon charged up. Gwindon managed to get closer to her and offer a hand to help, but she froze as she looked over his shoulder. Amidst the ruckus of the chase, a carriage had gone out of control and began barreling through the street. In a panicked rush, she grabbed the offered hand and flips him out of the way of the carriage. The motion took too long for her to get out of the way on her own, forcing her to drop into a foetal position and let it speed over her.


    The floor and wheels just barely managed to brush against her, landing rough hits to her body. She suffered the blows and struggled back to her feet, watching as Daylon merely moved to the side to avoid the damage. He paused the chase to order some other to help stop the vehicle, giving Icara enough time to get a head start. She bolted through the crowd, barely noticing the damage she¡¯d taken from the cart. After breaking the busy streetline, she jumped into the nearest alley and hid in a seated position, gathering her breathf.


    It took her a moment to realize she¡¯d left Gwindon with Daylon behind, and she shot upward. She hesitated before even taking one step, remembering the image of the priest¡¯s warhammer at the ready. Her eyes scanned the ground in front of her, struggling to figure out what to do. Only when she felt her face did she realize the wrapping was gone, lost in the chase to get here.


    ¡°See? I told you they were together! That¡¯s gotta be her, why else would that priest be chasing her like a mad dog?¡± Came the familiar voice of the mercenary from earlier.


    Icara sighed, closing her eyes and turning around slowly, where the sound of the footsteps were coming from. She could hear them getting closer, and brought a hand about for her sword.


    ¡°Looking to draw a weapon? Afraid you¡¯re not going to be much of a match for me, sweetie.¡± came a beautiful and clear woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Better than just letting some low-life take me in. Look, I¡¯m kind of in the middle of something and would rather not have to kill you idiots. I need to go back and get Gwindon before that priest captures him.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, little girl. Who is Gwindon?¡± The woman asked, making the footsteps stop.


    Icara tilted her head to the side in confusion before slowly opening her eyes. Blurriness covered everything, making her blink to adjust. As it did, she made out more and more of the prominent figure before her.


    The woman was as tall as Gwindon, with a fitting match of armor that looked compiled from various random pieces. She had two swords and a shield on her person, with only the one in her right hand being drawn. As she drew closer, Icara could also make out bright green eyes and long blonde hair with a streak of white in it. Along her face, over the left eye, was a massive a jagged scar. Icara took a step back in shock and blinked once more to confirm the sight.


    ¡°Are you... Lilith?¡±


    She held up the sword to Icara. ¡°Answer me first, who is Gwindon?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a friend of mine from the country of the Desert Rose.¡±


    The woman smiled and kept her blade drawn. ¡°Oh good, then you can help me find him. I¡¯m guessing you already know he¡¯s my husband?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and he¡¯s out there being chased by a priest because the church is looking for you,¡± Icara explained and then paused. ¡°What I don¡¯t know is why.¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± the woman answered. ¡°Because Gwindon murdered me six years ago.¡±

 Chapter Seven: From the Soil with Older Kinship

    Mercenary work is available! Experienced in combat, but unable to find good employment on your own? Visit a local Alastair recruitment center and you yourself can become a member of the peace-keeping force for the people! Pay is based on performance.


    Icara skeptically raised an eyebrow at what Lilith had just told her. ¡°I¡¯m something of an expert on murders, and you don¡¯t look very murdered to me.


    ¡°You mean he never told you about the destruction of the Desert Rose? The official report is that a terrible monster tore through my homeland, killing the entirety of the capital in a stunning display of gore,¡± she answered before leaning forward. ¡°Truth is, that¡¯s only partially right. Gwindon was taken over by the monster... a demon, and killed the people himself. He¡¯s a swordsman beyond measure, and was of some renown for it. That¡¯s probably how he wasn¡¯t swarmed by too many at once. Our people scattered into the desert, but didn¡¯t fare much better out there. I was one of the last people he attacked, and just barely managed to survive myself.¡±


    She tapped the large scar above her eyes and stood straight up again. Icara took a moment to think about what she said. Lilith tried to approach, but Icara only held up a hand to stop her. The halos of her eyes transfixed onto the other woman.


    ¡°Gwindon has been trying to avoid conflict the entire time he¡¯s been with me, what makes you think I¡¯d believe he could kill an entire city by himself? If you¡¯re really going to say a demon somehow took control of his mind, you¡¯re insane. Why would he be acting the way he has so far if he was a demon?¡±


    ¡°What, you expect me to spill everything I know just cause you¡¯ve got a scary look on your face?¡± Lilith asked with a laugh. ¡°Come on, now that I know he¡¯s here, I¡¯m going to go pay him a visit. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Captured by the¡ª¡± she started. ¡°Wait, I thought you said he tried to kill you, why would you want to meet him again?!¡±


    Lilith paused in her approach and gave her a baffled look. ¡°He¡¯s still my husband, little girl. If he¡¯s been captured by another merc, I¡¯m going to flay the bastards and let them soak in baths of seawater...¡± she muttered as she flexed her fists.


    Icara considered for a moment before she turned in the other direction and began walking. The leader from before held up his sword to stop her and she just glared. To her surprise, he looked at Lilith and finally lowered his weapon with a grumble. She looked back to the older woman in confusion, but Lilith just smiled. Icara hung her head low and grit her teeth before pushing him out of the way.


    ¡°Fine! Come on, I¡¯ve got an idea where they took him...¡± Icara muttered before pointing a finger at Lilith. ¡°But you¡¯re going to explain what happened along the way, I¡¯m not going to let you claim something like that about Gwindon without merit.¡±


    The older woman approached with her arms folded. ¡°What, did you fall for him or something? That¡¯s adorable.¡±


    ¡°He bought me food twice now, and hasn¡¯t tried to actively murder me yet, so he¡¯s on the road to sainthood,¡± she said before leaning against a wall and looking down. ¡°Well... aside from that one time I swung at him because I thought he was going to turn me over to the city guard.¡±


    Lilith sent the mercenary accompanying her out to get a hood for Icara. The both of them waited in the alley for his return, but lacked a need for conversation. Both looked over the other for any sign of a past. Lilith read the various nicks and tears on Icara¡¯s clothes like a storybook, casually picking out how she got each. Icara was less observant on the past, and focused on assessing the taller woman¡¯s abilities. The combo of two swords and a shield gave off a sense of diverse training.


    By the time the man had returned, both women were openly scanning over the other¡¯s body. His entrance drew both their sudden attention, the predatory instinct they¡¯d been building soothed by his jump. He grumbled at his own response, but gave Icara the covering she¡¯d need to move unimpeded. Unlike her previous works, this one was much better at covering her features, the hood even offering a bit of shade to obscure the reflection of her irises. With the disguise taken care of, she led them down the alley ways with a quick stride.


    Lilith managed to keep pace with ease and leaned over to her. ¡°You seem pretty well versed in the back alleys of this city. Has Gwindon been helping strays like you a lot these past few years?¡±


    ¡°This is my home, of course I¡¯d know where I¡¯m going... or at least, I¡¯m fairly certain of how to get there. Haven¡¯t been home in many years, and the city is far larger than I ever remember it being. All this building must¡¯ve taken a lot of work and money,¡± she commented, pausing to look up and down a street they came to. ¡°I feel both pride, and shame at the idea of it.¡±


    ¡°For a girl who¡¯s been on the run for a decade, you sure have a strong sense of home, don¡¯t you?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Icara looked back bewildered as she entered the empty road. ¡°Where do you think I¡¯ve been searching for all of these years? I¡¯ve had to kill to get back here, of course I would feel an attachment to it. The only trouble is I remember this place as a pleasant town with a wooden wall. All this brick and mortar, the winding roads and industry, it feels... foreign. I spent all this time trying to get home, and even that has been taken from me while I was away...¡±


    She paused at the next alley, holding a hand against one of the buildings and looking up at its imposing height. Lilith shook her hand and leant over to the man still with them. He gave a quick nod to her whispered command and shot Icara a cautious glare before hurrying away. The older woman moved forward and put a hand on Icara¡¯s shoulder, making her jump. Lilith didn¡¯t retract her hand, despite Icara¡¯s eyes locking onto it.


    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling disconnected from the place, try not to think of it as your home anymore. The places we remember are always different when we get back to them, so don¡¯t try and chase the past. Does that make sense?¡±


    Icara¡¯s eyes softened and became distant. ¡°All I have left are memories, it¡¯s impossible for me to let go of them that easily.¡±


    ¡°No one said anything about letting go, just recognizing things are different now,¡± Lilith explained, pulling her hand away. ¡°I¡¯ve had my home destroyed multiple times now, different circumstances for each. I can do all the remembering I want of those times, but it¡¯s not going to bring them back. Best you can do is pick up the pieces and carry them with you to somewhere new.¡±


    Icara turned her head down to a puddle at her feet. The light was low as evening approached, but she could still see a faint outline of herself in the murky water. Its image shifter and distorted rapidly, making it hard to be sure it was actually her. She tried to recall the memories of her childhood, but could only pick up fragments in that moment. There were feelings and smells, trivia about her parents at best, but nothing that felt as if it mattered to this mimicry of her hometown. She felt a touch on her head and looked up at Lilith with a faded glare, met with a large grin.


    ¡°Heh, you remind me of myself when I was your age. Couple of tragedies in your life and the whole world starts looking like nothing. You go on living, struggling by any means you can, but you never bother to think of why. Spite, revenge, hatred, they start feeling like the only things in your life that really matter. Why not, right? They¡¯re just as real as love or sadness, but at least they make you do something about it.¡±


    Icara didn¡¯t say anything, but turned and continued down the path. Lilith quickly caught up to her and put an arm over her shoulder. The younger girl tried to struggle, but Lilith kept her grip firm as she wagged a finger in front of Icara¡¯s face.


    ¡°Listen, you can¡¯t just let those emotions sit in the back of your head. Sure it¡¯s good to hate things, but you¡¯ve got to balance it out with love as well. You have to have both or you¡¯ll start to do things you regret, and hurt people close to you...¡± Lilith drifted off before lowering her finger and stepping away. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s just stay quiet for a bit and keep moving, alright?¡±


    She moved ahead of Icara without looking back. The streets were slowly gaining in traffic as the day wound down, people returning to their homes or passing to the gates of the city. Icara remembered the shock of discovering the city again some time ago, at the sight that it had grown so fast. They rounded another bend before Lilith grabbed onto her shoulder to stop.


    ¡°We¡¯re close to the place now, if you were¡ª¡± she began to explain.


    Lilith rubbed the scar on her face, giving a worried look to Icara. ¡°Has... has Gwindon ever mentioned me before? I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ve known him for very long, but still.¡±


    ¡°Back when we were at the office for the church and state, he found out you were the only survivor of your country¡¯s fall. Didn¡¯t get a good look at his face, but he did say that you were his wife then. He seemed surprised you had lived, actually.¡± Icara mentioned before turning herself completely around and looking up to Lilith. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ever try and contact him before this?¡±


    ¡°I did tell you we tried to kill each other last time we met, right?¡± Lilith asked with a sigh. ¡°Truth is, I forgave him a long time ago. The whole situation was just a big mistake when the kingdom fell. Once I figured everything out, I wanted to go and tell him what happened, but I was... scared.¡±


    ¡°Scared of him? I suppose that makes sense if he was taken over by a demon like you claim. Far as I can tell there¡¯s nothing to fear though. Gwindon has stopped me from getting into fights at every chance he can get. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for the time I attacked him, I would¡¯ve said he was a pacifist.¡±


    ¡°What I was scared of was that he wouldn¡¯t see things the way I do. I... look, I¡¯m going to sound terrible here, I know, but I attacked him first. When I woke up, he was surrounded by bodies. Some of them were knights, and some were soldiers... but there were also noblemen and women littered in the halls. There was so much death, and he was just there at the center of it, panting like a wild animal. I wanted some kind of justice, some kind of logic to cling to, so I lashed out and attacked him. I took a blow to the face, a glancing one but still a hit, and would¡¯ve died had it not been for the¡ª¡± Lilith caught herself and looked away.


    Icara stepped back and crossed her arms. ¡°Look, it¡¯d be better for the both of us if you just told me the whole story at this point. You¡¯ve painted Gwindon in a bad position this whole time and I¡¯m getting a little sick of it. Whatever secret you¡¯re hiding that makes you look bad, just spill it.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know... you¡¯re just a kid though, I¡¯m not sure it¡¯d be wise for me to start spouting off personal stuff like that,¡± she explained with a laugh. ¡°Besides, you haven¡¯t told me anything about yourself. I¡¯ve already gotten some intelligence on you from some of the mercs under my wing, but I don¡¯t know how much of it to rely on. Frankly, I assumed you¡¯d murder me the second we locked eyes from what I¡¯d heard.¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d trust a mercenary with my life story,¡± Icara said with a turn on her heel.


    ¡°You¡¯re helping me to save Gwindon, right? That means I trust you. The old fool is stubborn as a rock, but he at least recognizes a good person when he sees them. Fell in love with me, after all!¡± she said, poking a thumb at her chest. ¡°Course he¡¯s always a brick wall when it comes to new folks. He¡¯s got a good sword arm and tactical mind, but its hard for him to not consider that. Always acts like he can get out of any situation, so he doesn¡¯t really consider how the other person feels when he¡¯s talking to you... point is, if I trust you, then you should trust me back.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t trust me then. Gwindon only got caught because I brought him to that office. Damned archpriest would¡¯ve never known who he was if I didn¡¯t bring him along with me...¡±


    Lilith moved back into Icara¡¯s line of sight and held her arms out. ¡°Hey, not all bad, right? The church is only looking for you, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll just question him a bit and let him go before they keep hunting for you. He might get held in an inquisition cell for a few days though, but a blood trial would prove¡ª¡± she caught herself as the color drained from her face. ¡°We need to rescue him now. Icara, you need to take me to where they¡¯re holding him as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Why the sudden rush? What would a blood trial prove?¡±


    She grabbed Icara by the shoulders. ¡°He was possessed before, what if the demon¡¯s presence still left trace amounts inside of him?! If the crusade finds a positive test, they¡¯ll condemn him to death on the spot!¡±


    The realization swept over Icara, her own face turning pale before she nodded. The two of them rushed off, hiding the guilt they felt from the other.

 Chapter Eight: Doing Your Best to Stand Tall

    The rank of archpriest is obtainable to members of both the sect of cloth and the sect of steel. Rather than being a symbol of the highest rank, it is moreso used as a status symbol to denote figures within the church that are trusted by the leaders of their respective sect. This does not grant them much actual authority, but does convey a sense of freedom for their actions in pursuit of objectives for the church.


    The room was dark but for the smallest rays of golden light filtering through the few windows, more giving an impression of the time than making it easier to see. Despite this, Gwindon sat relaxed in his seat, staring forward at the spot he knew Daylon would enter from. He had been stripped of his armor and weapons voluntarily, and they laid off to the side in a pile.


    He had captured the knight in the market and brought him to the city church. It had surprised him that it was located away from the center of the city and closer to the entrance. Daylon had explained that the church was left behind as the heart grew outward. Koshchei convinced the priests it was for the better, but he had never turned the archpriest¡¯s opinion. When the figure finally emerged from the darkness, Gwindon tugged on the chains around his wrists.


    ¡°An apothecary will arrive shortly to perform a blood trial on you. If you¡¯d like to confess anything before then, my ears are open.¡±


    ¡°You want me to incriminate myself? Definitely not making it a very appealing offer to do so. I already told you I have nothing to do with the people you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Daylon moved closer, his warhammer still strapped to his back. ¡°Fine then. I¡¯m not particularly interested in forcing words out of your mouth yet. The blood trial will prove my suspicions or not, and if it fails, then we can move to interrogation.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re you here for then?¡±


    ¡°The same reason we wanted to capture Lilith. The country of the Desert Rose... the name was even a bad omen from the start. The neighboring city-states knew that it wouldn¡¯t last long, but the fact the city fell in just one night is particularly bizarre, isn¡¯t it? If you¡¯re a knight from there, you¡¯ll know what happened.¡±


    Gwindon stared down at the floor with half-lidded eyes. The light continued to drain from the room in the silence. Daylon stared at the crestfallen warrior, a frown swallowing his calm expression with each passing second. Eventually he strode forward and forced him to look up.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about a monster here, possibly a demon! Don¡¯t you care if it¡¯s still running free?!¡±


    ¡°I know it is. Don¡¯t try and preach to me about the greater safety of humankind, or the good of the church. The fact is our kingdom fell by its own hand, something we did to ourselves that destroyed everything.¡±


    ¡°So is that what you¡¯ll confess then? I¡¯m surprised the information we have on your kingdom is so small. An expanding power branching out from the desert that lasted a mere three generations before it fell. Even after an investigation from the church, albeit distracted at the time, turned little back from within the city itself. Have anything we could add, knight?¡±


    Gwindon closed his eyes completely and let out a deep sigh. The posture of his body relaxed as he went into thought, but was still too stiff for rest. Daylon cocked an eyebrow at the move and stepped forward again, pushing on the man¡¯s shoulder to force his head upward. The knight¡¯s eyes opened completely and he glared back at the paladin.


    ¡°What are you after, exactly?¡± Gwindon asked him.


    ¡°This kingdom has been a hub of activity as of late, and I¡¯m growing suspicious of it all. First Koshchei moves the church as he expands the town, and now we¡¯re getting less and less political power in the areas he governs. Can¡¯t even make a fuss about it with how he¡¯s absorbing the warring states and putting them to peace, either...¡± Daylon said, folding his arms over his chest. ¡°Of course we have to bear the burden of this damned eternal crusade as well. Might as well put it to use and try and find out how Koshchei is gaining so much traction so soon, and why he¡¯d take a secular path in doing so.¡±


    ¡°Is it really hard to believe anyone would want to distance themselves from the church in this day and age? The collapse that started the crusade tore the fields apart and broke us back down into city state aside from a few kingdoms. If Koshchei¡¯s been able to do it himself, I can see why he¡¯d not want a flimsy alliance like that again...¡± Gwindon muttered in response.


    ¡°What, and become another desert rose? If I remember correctly, separation from the church alliance was what formed that place as well.¡±


    Daylon glared down at the knight as he spoke, but Gwindon merely looked to the side. A shower of dust particles moved through the light from the window. It was faint but enough to make him reminisce. Little memories flittered through his head, but failed to shift the expression on his face. After a number of them had passed, he looked back to Daylon.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Without confessing anything on my own behalf... I suppose I could rectify some of the information you¡¯re lacking. Not like I¡¯ve got much longer to live anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wonder what could take you down later. First, tell me whether or not it was a demon that killed all those people.¡±


    Gwindon closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°Not exactly. The truth is that the knights of the queen had killed the royal guard, slaughtering most of the royalty as well as a decent portion of the servants. Only I survived the onslaught to my knowledge...¡±


    ¡°You and your wife, you mean.¡±


    Once more, the knight paused, turning from the light. ¡°The cause of that slaughter was the after effects of a deal with a demon. Unbeknownst to the guard, the queen had been approached by a demon and arranged to fuse the creature into her knights to give them unnatural strength and power. I can¡¯t imagine how she enticed the demon to do it, but the number of knights was obviously too much for it. While the creature was able to infuse some of us, the strain on its spirit caused it to snap back into the bodies of all the knights, lashing into their minds and driving them into a primal fury. In their rage and enhanced physical prowess, they managed to do the damage you had found...¡±


    ¡°A likely story, but it leaves something out. Considering what you said, all of the knights would have been made into mindless killing machines, so you should be foaming at the mouth right now... unless you were lying about your rank.¡±


    ¡°I was, and still am, a knight of the rose court!¡± Gwindon proudly declared. ¡°All I did was my duty to the kingdom, I went against my oath to protect the people from the monsters of the court. There would have been countless deaths had I not intervened when I did!¡±


    ¡°How were you even able to do it then? You¡¯re just telling me that nonsense to distract me from whatever the truth is. I¡¯m sure once we capture and bring in that mercenary woman, we¡¯ll get a solid¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get even less out of her. She doesn¡¯t know anything about what happened, so leave her alone,¡± Gwindon warned him, his voice softening from the last outburst. ¡°I don¡¯t want to... no, I can¡¯t incriminate myself. At least not until I¡¯ve had the blood test, I need to see something about this for myself. Been putting it off for ages now and I suppose this is the will of Berkahn that I get it now...¡±


    Daylon cocked an eyebrow at the night. With a heavy sigh, the armored archpriest paced the room and crossed the beams of fading sunlight. The golden rays illuminated the engravings of his gear in a near holy sheen. Only when the paladin was directly behind Gwindon did he start to speak again, both hands clasped behind his back.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll leave the question of the desert rose till then. In the meantime, I want to know more about Icara, that girl you were with.¡±


    ¡°I hardly know anything about her. As far as I can tell she¡¯s just some wandering vagabond that¡¯s accrued a bad reputation. No surprise someone so narrow-minded could get a bounty on her head, but I¡¯m shocked the church has taken an interest in her at all.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t know about the incident ten years ago? It was fairly large news, but never spread much because Alastair was only a trifling city-state back then. Supposedly, a demon had somehow snuck inside of the city and attempted to kill the king and queen in a bid to replace them or their child at the time. Something happened and the demon was thought to be destroyed.... Along with the entirety of the royal family at the time.¡±


    Gwindon only half listened until the end, his ears twitching at the information. A slew of things moved through his head, but he couldn¡¯t focus on any thoughts. Both men within the chamber were silent, and the sun outside gently faded into moonlight. When the knight did find his voice again, it was cold and foreign.


    ¡°Icara told me her parents were murdered by... someone in power. Have you done any blood trials amongst the royals in¡ª¡±


    ¡°Every time someone is sworn in we perform one. The successor to the throne especially passed for someone of his stature. We thought for a long time that the demon was merely in hiding, after all it doesn¡¯t make sense for them to try something so dangerous without a guarantee that they¡¯ll succeed, right?¡±


    ¡°So you think my story, if true, corroborates that theory?¡±


    ¡°The king, queen, and princess Icara were all reported as dead, killed in the explosion where the demon died. How else do you explain someone that¡¯s supposed to be dead wandering back here from some distant desert? If she was just a princess, explain how she survived. Explain how she managed to find her way here all on her own. Explain the body count!¡± Daylon shouted, moving quickly in front of the stunned knight. ¡°Can you even answer one of those?!¡±


    He shut his eyes and thought over the information. Something was off, but it took a moment for his mind to catch it. When he finally did, Gwindon lifted his head and subdued a grin in his confident realization.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s odd how they died in an explosion? Tell me, when the famous eternal crusade you¡¯re on started, how did the false prophet die?¡±


    ¡°He rotted in an instant before the holy gardens after Jacob crushed his head with a single blow from his hammer. It¡¯s what secured undoubtable proof for the other church leaders of what he was. The fact the demon died in an explosion is not proof otherwise, however, considering a demon unhidden or undisguised can wreck havoc. Obviously, this one was discovered and died soon after being revealed.¡±


    ¡°Then how did the demon get into the court itself? Shouldn¡¯t someone have noticed it, or at least felt the unnatural presence? From what I can recall, demons don¡¯t tread very lightly in their natural forms.¡±


    Daylon hesitated, revealing the hole in one breath of silence. Both of the men glared at each other intensely before the paladin moved for the door again. Slowly opening it, he turned back towards the knight. The chamber was now wholly illuminated by moonlight, casting deep shadows over the bound figure of Gwindon. His eyes, normally very bright and distinct, were all but consumed by the darkness around him. The archpriest shook his head and left, closing the door behind him before rubbing the bridge of his nose with one gauntleted hand.


    The priest from before approached him, a hand with the beads of his rank clasped in them. Daylon took them back and silently slid them over his neck, shaking a bit so that he could comfortably rest them beneath his armor. Once resting on his skin again, he looked at the younger man with a cocked eyebrow, finding him staring up at him.


    ¡°What is it, brother?¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, brother Daylon, but I was curious as to why you discarded the beads midway through the confession. Did you think you might do something unfit for the rank...?¡±


    Daylon shook his head and pulled the beads on the back of his neck so that the brother could see them. Through the dim torchlight, he could clearly see every one had a detailed iconography upon its surface, a different legend from the church¡¯s stories.


    ¡°I thought he might be more comfortable or off-center if I was to return with only the signifiers of my combat capabilities. Men like him often see combat as something to bond over, as if perchance for violence is a brotherly trait. He¡¯s got a look on his face like he¡¯s on death row either way, it¡¯s almost harrowing...¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m relieved, brother Daylon. We will send out for the apothecary to arrive and perform the blood trial in the morning. There¡¯s only one currently in town with the skills required, a man by the name of Cherno.¡±


    The archpriest nodded and sent the younger man away, looking to the door once more. His logic had been sound, and Daylon knew it, but there was too much information he was lacking to see the truth. His fists balled at his side, irritation burning inside him at the thought of having another demon interfering with humans. He slammed his hand into the brick to his side and stormed off for the pews, hoping the air of the church¡¯s center would calm his mind.

 Chapter Nine: Stalking Quietly Through the Night

    Where is the outrage over the church of Alastair¡¯s Heart being left behind in her sacreligious expansion? Has this damned city become a behemoth of myth, swallowing the land with its looming walls and turrets, safeguarding it from unknown adversaries?! I demand and answer from the king on this subject, and shall post this request wherever a beam shall support my demands, something not even the blasted priests would do!


    ¡°Do you know for sure he¡¯s held there?¡± Lilith asked Icara, the older woman peering past the edge of a building.


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s the most logical place for him to be. Unless Gwindon chopped his way through the arch priest or did something else crazy, he¡¯ll be in the church. Considering they want information out of him, I doubt they¡¯ll let the guard haul him in.¡±


    Lilith paused, moving back into hiding and looking up at the dimming sky as she folded her arms. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s alright? If they think he¡¯s connected to me, or gods forbid they find out his connection to the fall of the Desert Rose...¡±


    Icara peered out from the street once again as she spoke. The roads had quieted down while they waited, and the day had faded with it. Sunlight turned to moonlight, and it was just past dusk when she moved out from the alleyway. She looked back to Lilith and waved her forward.


    ¡°He¡¯s not getting any better, that¡¯s for sure. I doubt he¡¯ll have an entourage of people guarding him there, it will just be the six father and sister of the church, as well as Daylon himself.¡± Icara warned her before standing upright. ¡°Looks like the church hasn¡¯t changed much despite how long I¡¯ve been away. It almost feels out of place with all that we¡¯ve passed by on the way here now.¡±


    ¡°Look, we can¡¯t both reminisce here, let¡¯s try and focus on what we¡¯re here for. Ideally, I¡¯d rather not kill anyone by the way, so I¡¯d prefer it if you followed my lead,¡± Lilith responded, gathering some confidence and moving past Icara.


    ¡°Why would I attack anyone? I have the least stake in this, I¡¯m not going to be murdering any innocents over this whole thing. Worst comes to worst and I¡¯ll have to defend myself from that warhammer Daylon has. I can¡¯t say for sure, but it might actually be enchanted.¡±


    ¡°The church can¡¯t afford any really fanciful armaments since the crusade declined, I¡¯d be shocked if that thing does more than just glow.¡± Lilith said with a roll of her eyes as she hoped the stone border wall of the church. ¡°Don¡¯t try and play the innocent girl wrapped up in all of this either, Icara, I¡¯ve heard about you. You¡¯ve been killing people for a long time now, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve had a problem doing it either, by the look of that sword.¡±


    Icara paused at the comment, but couldn¡¯t refute it either. The both of them kept low and moved through the hewn sections of grass encircling the church. A soft rustle followed their movements around the stone architecture. Towards the back of the building they found a rear entrance that connected to an outhouse for the priests and priestess. Lilith was the first to try it, only to find the door locked. She lifted the crude iron lump that kept the door¡¯s latch tight and sighed.


    ¡°Damn, looks like we¡¯ll have to find another way in. Think we could climb in through one of the windows? We¡¯d have to find one without bars and without glass, but it should be doable if I get on your¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s just a lock,¡± Icara said, moving the other woman away.


    She drew her sword and carefully wedged the handle in between the lock and the latch itself. With a grunt of effort, the wood of the latch creaked and snapped out of place. Icara huffed a little and heaved twice more, finally breaking the door open with a subdued snap of the wood. The door groaned inside of the building and Icara sheathed her blade once more as Lilith watched stunned. She took a step inside and waved for Lilith to follow, drawing a grin from her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know much about subtlety, do you, girl?¡± Lilith asked in a low whisper, catching up to her partner.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to be coming back or anything, who cares about damages?¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right, but it¡¯s still a pretty reckless thing to do. If you break into somewhere, always try and opt for ways that won¡¯t leave a permanent piece of property broken. Makes it harder to track you and less likely to summon unwanted attention.¡± Lilith explained before stopping behind Icara as the hallway split into two paths. ¡°Makes mama less worried and all, kid.¡±


    Icara turned her head back and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Mama?¡±


    ¡°Ah... force of habit, sorry,¡± Lilith replied, rubbing the back of her head with one hand and clearing her throat. ¡°More used to telling that kind of stuff to my crew of men. You¡¯re lucky you¡¯ve never crossed one of my boys, they¡¯d have killed you, or I¡¯d have done you in myself,¡± she added with soft laugh, covering her mouth to quiet it down.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    They both moved down the hall to the right, trying to stick for the back of the building and look for any more protected rooms. As they moved, only moonlight was guiding their steady steps. Only when they rounded the corner that marked the far side of the building did they find a spot of artificial lighting. A candle was illuminating from out of their sight, and both women slowed down in their approach, straining their ears to pick up anything.


    Icara was the first to hear the gentle sound of the flame¡¯s flickering, as well as the intermediate pattern of pages being turned. She turned to Lilith and held up a single finger before poking it around the corner, making a motion of book reading on top of it. The mercenary nodded and thought for a moment until she drew a small coin from her pouch and signaled for Icara to stay quiet, pushing her to the back. With a flick of her thumb, she tossed the coin past the corner. It landed with an unnaturally loud ring amongst the silence laden corridor.


    The page turning abruptly stopped and were followed by the sound of footsteps. From behind the wall, a man dressed in plain robes bent down to grab the coin with his right hand. Lilith moved like a blur with both hands, one moving to cover his mouth and the other pinching his nose shut. She hoisted him out of the candle-light as his eyes frantically moved in tandem with his struggling limbs. Icara caught the holy book out of his hands before it could fall and Lilith moved closer to his ear.


    ¡°Sorry about this, father, just doing the most efficient thing. You¡¯re not gonna die, just relax...¡± she cooed into the man¡¯s ear.


    His struggling slowed to a stop and he slumped into her grip. Lilith held him for a few more seconds in the prone state before laying him down on the floor. She took the book from Icara and propped his head on it so it wasn¡¯t resting on the bare stone and dusted herself off. Both of them peered around the corner and found it clear of anyone else, with only a single door with a locking bar across it.


    ¡°Lucky us, they must not be expecting the two of us to be here,¡± Lilith said, cracking her knuckles and speaking a little above a whisper.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get confident, Daylon might still be here. Something feels... off about this,¡± Icara said, moving forward despite her words.


    They finally got to the door and Lilith put a hand on the bar. Icara watched the hand shake some on the hunk of wood but stayed silent. Lilith eyes became unfocused and a chill ran up her spine. She swallowed down her fear and put on a smirk, turning to the younger outlaw.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re right about Daylon not being here. I think you should go in first and I¡¯ll keep an eye out here. He¡¯s probably chained up or something, right? You can get him out of that mess and we¡¯ll get out of here!¡±


    Icara moved to lift the bar in silence before tossing a dull stare at Lilith. ¡°He¡¯s nothing to be nervous about, you know. Gwindon¡¯s got a level head on his shoulders, even if he did that stuff you say he did. When I took a swing at him with my sword, he only warned me and kept dodging or parrying.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s just... when you¡¯re married for as long as he and I were, shifting to downright murdering each other makes things more than just awkward, kid. I know that I¡¯ll have to face him eventually, but it¡¯s well within my right to fuss over it,¡± she replied, giving a half-hearted laugh.


    Lilith shook her head and leaned against one the wall beside the door, nodding for Icara to move in first. She raised the bar locking it and opened it slowly. Her eyes fell upon Gwindon, resting with his chin on his chest in a deep sleep. The light was hardly shining in from the windows, the candle from the hall illuminating most of it. Icara¡¯ long shadow stretched over his bound body, but she still could make out his face. Unlike when he was awake, Gwindon seemed pained in his rest, and Icara felt a pang of sympathy for his troubled sleep.


    It only took a few steps inside before he lifted his head and blinked his eyes awake again. ¡°Nnn... what? Icara?¡± He mumbled, slowly waking up.


    ¡°Can¡¯t see any blood... are you alright, Gwindon? Did they make you confess to anything at all?¡±


    ¡°Nothing incriminating at least... you¡¯re lucky I barely know anything about you,¡± he said as the memories of Daylon¡¯s recount of Icara¡¯s past came to him. ¡°Look, just get out of here before anyone catches you, alright? I don¡¯t know why you thought it would be a good idea to sneak into the church on your own and bust me out, but it¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not alone,¡± Icara said, looking for a key to Gwindon¡¯s chains.


    She found the ring of keys on the wall and moved behind him. The knight¡¯s voice was strangely absent as she walked back and began to try the different keys into the slot. Only the faint jingle of metal took over the room as she worked. She finally found the right one, turning it with a satisfying clink before she let the mess of metal bindings fall to the ground. Gwindon moved his hands in front of him and rubbed his wrists, eyes locked on the doorway.


    ¡°Icara... given what I know about you, I can¡¯t imagine anyone calling themselves your friend. Even less likely is that you''d find someone to aide you in something tantamount to sacrilege.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence...¡± Icara said with a roll of her eyes.


    ¡°What I¡¯m asking is who is the person that helped you? Are they here now, or did you send them off somewhere?¡±


    ¡°They should be right¡ª¡± Icara said, moving in the doorframe. ¡°...here?¡±


    No one except the unconscious priest were in the hall, in either direction. Her eyes had adjusted to the candle¡¯s light, making the distant ends of the hall too dark to see clearly. Straining her ears, Icara still couldn¡¯t catch any footsteps beyond Gwindon¡¯s. She turned back inside and shrugged her shoulders, making the knight shake his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s just scouting ahead to make sure the way back out is¡ª¡±


    ¡°The person with you was my wife, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Icara moved out into the hallways and folded her arms with a sigh. ¡°Why do I have to get wrapped up in your domestic affair... yes, it was Lilith. I thought she was going to muster up the courage herself and come in here, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s going to kill Daylon. Let¡¯s move,¡± he said, brushing past her shoulder and moving down the hall away from the sleeping priest. ¡°We need to get my armor and weapons first, they¡¯re in a storeroom, follow me.¡±


    ¡°Hey! She was nervous about even coming here, told me not to kill anyone myself, what makes you think that she¡¯d do that?¡±


    ¡°Well she¡¯s either going to try and kill the arch priest to cover her tracks, or because of some misguided sense of justice on my part. I don¡¯t know how or why you came into contact with her, but you clearly don¡¯t know her very well.¡±


    Gwindon continued down the hall and to the left, Icara quickly catching up and grabbing his shoulder. He paused and and raised a hand, cutting her off before she could even start to speak. A light ahead of them flickered and faded down another corridor, signalling movement. Icara narrowed her eyes and cursed the mess of a situation before she took her hand off his shoulder and whispered.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen her in decades! We¡¯ll get your stuff back, but we¡¯re not going to find her wandering around here.¡±


    ¡°Icara, I think you can understand holding onto a memory of injustice for a long time, maybe not like mine but something close. I was the one who made a mistake all those years ago, and I intend to make things right. At least before I die in any case.¡±


    Both of them fell quiet, but Icara felt the silence more. The fired faded completely and Gwindon strode forward, waving her to follow him as they went. In the darkness of the hall, Icara kept her eyes fixed on Gwindon¡¯s back the whole walk.

 Chapter Ten: Where the Ghosts of the Past Roam

    The charge for consorting or binding with a demon is universally execution. Though this is the case, it is not usually the landowner or civic forces that are required to do so. Often it is the call of crusaders from the church to dole out the punishment at hand, given a trial has proven them guilty. In rare cases, knights will be dispatched to act as executioner, should the country or target be too much of a hassle for the officials to handle.


    Their footsteps followed a rhythmic pattern in the halls, helping to mask each other as they walked. Once they got close to the corner where the candle faded, Gwindon peered around it first. A few doors on either side, but no further sign of the light. He focused his gaze to the floor and finally noticed a wedge of yellow bleeding from under one of the doors.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s the door opposite to where my things are being held.¡± Gwindon explained to her in a whisper.


    ¡°I saw Lilith knock out of the priests earlier, can¡¯t we draw this one out and do something similar with him?¡±


    ¡°No, that priest was just meant to maintain guard duty. He might not have had anyone coming for a long while, but this priest might have woken up another, or be under orders to report something to Daylon. In fact, that might even be the arch priest himself in there.¡±


    Icara thought to herself for a moment before drawing her sword. ¡°Wait, we could just wedge the door until you¡¯ve gotten yourself completely armed. If its one of the priests, we¡¯ll just intimidate him or lock him in the store room, the same with Daylon but we might have to fight. The benefit being he¡¯ll likely have taken off his armor now that it¡¯s night.¡±


    Gwindon considered it for a moment and nodded, sneaking forward. The sound of movement drifted towards them as they got closer to the door, and blood rushed through both of their ears. Gwindon reached the opposite door first and turned back to Icara as she grabbed onto the door¡¯s handle. She pushed it back with both hands, preventing it from opening. After a brief pause with no sudden change inside the lit room, Gwindon headed into the storage room and began to search for his belongings.


    It was only an instant once he started that Icara¡¯s mind drifted. With the rush of movement ever since the chase from Daylon, she hadn¡¯t been able to think about his accusation very much. It was obvious that Koshchei had fabricated the facts to hide his usurpation of the throne, but something unnerved her about it. The lengths he went to were excessive by any measure. He would have had to prove a demon attack much harder than he would have to if he simply murdered them with poison or staged an accident. Her brow furrowed in thought, as if trying to force the pieces to come together in her mind.


    A gentle shove from the door broke her concentration, and the shove that followed made her heart race. The person behind the door shoved hard for a few seconds, but Icara¡¯s weight kept it in place. When the effort failed, the stranger stopped and a knock could be heard.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Came Lilith¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± Icara whispered a little too loudly, turning back to the room Gwindon was searching. ¡°What are you doing in there? We saw a candle light go into that room and thought it was one of the priests.¡±


    ¡°I was walking ahead and the woman of the church passed by and caught sight of me. She was either preparing to replace the guard for Gwindon, or was doing some prayer duty for the night. Either way, I¡¯ve knocked her out, open the door and let me out of here!¡±


    Icara turned back towards the room Gwindon was in and shook her head. It was inevitable they¡¯d meet, in her mind, so she felt not betrayal when she opened the door. Lilith pushed the door open and ran a hand over her hair with a smile. The inside of the room was some kind of study, with a woman lying on the ground behind her. Unlike the other candle, the woman¡¯s was a crimson color. It was spilled over her torso, looking like a deep wound had cut into it.


    ¡°Thanks for that, Icara. Hey, why¡¯s that room opened?¡± Lilith asked as she stepped into the hall.


    They both moved out of the door together, letting the candle light flow into the room. Gwindon only had his sword free from a small pile of his belongings. The armor shook as he drew it out and leveled his gaze at his wife. Both of them stared each other down, eyes distant for different reasons. Gwindon was the first to look away, finding the body of the unconscious priestess.


    ¡°Look, Gwindon, I know this isn¡¯t exactly the best place to meet or the one I think I would have preferred, but¡ª¡± Lilith began to speak.


    ¡°Enough. Icara, step away from her.¡± Gwindon interrupted, leveling his sword and taking a deep breath.


    Both the women were thrown off, but Icara did as he asked. Lilith turned to her in confusion, and just barely missed as the knight lunged at her. She tilted her body towards the ground and let gravity make her dodge the hit, twisting in the fall and catching herself before rolling away. His blade had stuck into the door with his attack and he yanked it free with one hand, inspecting the tip for any damage.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°W-What are you doing?!¡± Lilith shouted before covering her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m finishing what I did in Drahven all those years ago. There¡¯s no point in talking beyond this, draw your weapon or you¡¯ll die in the next three seconds.¡± Gwindon¡¯s voice was strained but determined.


    Lilith grit her teeth and drew two of her sword, brandishing them at either side and starting to breathe faster already. The low lighting made it hard to see, but Icara could tell that her hands were shaking. Icara thought to flee from the scene, or to try and knock Gwindon out, but something kept her grounded. At first she thought it was fear, but it soon became clear that the same feeling of unease was keeping her in place. She put a hand to her head and blinked a few time, noticing the sweat clear on her skin.


    A harsh clang drew her attention up as Lilith caught Gwindon¡¯s sword with one of her own. She raised it to strike at his stomach, but Gwindon was faster, his sword turn on its flat and forcing back at her. The sword smacked painfully into her forehead, but didn¡¯t cut from the placement. He lifted the blade to hit it down again and Lilith kicked out at his legs, forcing him back.


    ¡°Stop! Why are you doing this?!¡± Lilith shouted, her care for subtlety lost in the combat.


    Gwindon was silent, but went for another lunge. Lilith tried to parry the blow, but got cut on her shoulder. A swift kick to his stomach sent Gwindon reeling back into Icara¡¯s arms, who caught him out of reflex. Once there, she locked her grip and he looked up at her in confusion.


    ¡°Icara, let me go.¡± He asked her in the same strained tone.


    ¡°I think you should at least answer Lilith about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Gwindon snapped at her, his face twisting in a scowl.


    He jammed his elbow into her side, forcing her back as he gathered his footing and moved towards his target again. Icara collapsed to one knee with a growl as pain rolled over her sides. She watched him move in for another strike against Lilith with one hand covering her sore area. Turning to pick up her blade, she was shocked to find a pair of eyes staring back. A frightened priest, drawn by the sound of conflicted, yelped as he was discovered and bolted back down the hall. Icara looked back and the married duelists were now in full swing, weapons singing through the air as they raged further down the hall.


    Icara held a hand out and gather her breath again. ¡°Gwindon! Lilith! They know we¡¯re here, we need to leave!¡±


    ¡°Get out of here yourself! Doesn¡¯t matter if they catch me, just go!¡± Gwindon shouted back at her.


    She braced herself to run, but sweat was slick on her cold skin. Both Gwindon and Lilith were barely managing to not hit the other, and one was sure to break first. Fear and anger came over her and brought her into action finally, drawing her sword and charging forward. With the blunt end down, she swung for Gwindon¡¯s back. He managed to avoid the strike¡¯s intended location, but took a staggering blow to his arm. Lilith struggled up to her feet and looked to the younger woman in shock.


    ¡°Thanks...¡± She offered between panting breaths. ¡°Gwindon... I thought that madness from the city had left you! Why are you still attacking me?!¡±


    ¡°It has, for the most part. All I have left are the baser instincts of the demon that caused that mess, as well as a part of the physical abilities it should have given me. That¡¯s all that I¡¯ve got left... but there¡¯s more of it left in you, Lilith.¡±


    ¡°What? I would never! Gwindon, I only attacked you because I thought you¡¯d come down with that curse and were going to slaughter everyone. I wanted to stop you myself before you hurt anyone. That¡¯s not really what happened, I get that now, but it was all I could piece together when I saw those bodies!¡±


    ¡°Lilith, I have no memories from when I was under the curse, my mind was something malleable and didn¡¯t retain anything. It¡¯s only because I was aware of the curse happening that I¡¯m able to patch the two halves of memories together, the before and after.¡± Gwindon raised his blade and narrowed his gaze. ¡°Tell me... what were you doing before that fight? Why¡¯d you have your weapon on you and drawn in the royal court?¡±


    Both the women froze in place. Lilith opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out of her mouth. Her eyes frantically scattered about, like she was dreaming. A million lies were flying through her head, but she wanted the truth. Nothing came to her as her weapon lowered to the ground. Only a blur of thought, nothing as concrete as the fight with her husband itself. Her hands shook and she struggled to keep her footing. Icara moved between them with her sword at the ready.


    ¡°All this fighting is irritating me, especially when we¡¯re running out of time as it is. We¡¯re all getting out of here, Gwindon. If you¡¯re not happy with that, I¡¯m going to fight you myself right here and now.¡± She declared, her voice strong and royal in tone.


    ¡°Irritating you? Then leave, you have no reason to stay here any¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wrong! You¡¯re the reason I even came here!¡± Icara snapped at him. ¡°Just because you¡¯re acting like a starved dog doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to change that desire to get you out of here. I¡¯ll have to leave your armor behind, but I¡¯m more than willing to drag you out of here myself.¡±


    A rattling sound of armor drew their attention as they looked down the hall with the storage room in it. Daylon stood in his full armor, with his warhammer resting on one shoulder as he glared the intruders down. The priest¡¯s peered from behind him and held candles up. Shadows cast over his face and gave the armored paladin an even more intimidating aura.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be leaving this place at all.¡± He warned them before he rushed to attack Icara.


    In a hasty move, she grabbed Lilith and threw her over to Gwindon¡¯s side when the knight was distracted. She lacked the time to dodge the hit and swung with her sword instead. The hammer¡¯s head flashed on contact and the sword shattered in the blow. Once more Lilith was grabbed as the upper curve of the sword was sent flying in their direction. Gwindon took the blow to his face, the blade of her weapon glancing over his right eye and tearing a gash open. Lilith looked up at him in awe and fear coursed through her as some blood dripped onto her cheek.


    Daylon went for another swing, but Icara lashed out with her broken sword, aiming for the paladin¡¯s neck. He managed to lower his helmet and turn the fatal cut to a stunning strike. Icara took advantage of the instant and dashed towards her companions. She grabbed Lilith and Gwindon by the neck and yanked them along before letting go and breaking into a sprint.


    The knight hesitated in his movements and paid dearly. Daylon struck his back hard with a holy book as he closed the distance. Lilith grit her teeth in rage and flung one of her swords at the approach archpriest. The distance recovered, Lilith put one of the knight¡¯s arms around him and followed off after Icara. Daylon turned to take a shorter route to cut them off, the priests following behind out of fear. Everyone broke out into the main section of the church at the same time, with Gwindon and Lilith on one entrance and Daylon at the other side. In the middle of the pews was Icara, frozen in place. At the exit to the church were some men in uniform carrying weapons.


    All of their outfits were blazoned with the royal crest of Alastair, denoting them as the king¡¯s personal guard.

 Chapter Eleven: A Twisted Sense of Fight or Flight

    There is an old legend about the founding of Alastair. It was said that Helera herself saw the people of Valarion struggling to survive on the swampy ground, and gave her one of the fruits from her bounty to secure the soil and make it fit for building on. This story, of course, contradicts records from the Saerthellis and other tomes, but is still often told to young children within the country. Though the details of the founding aren¡¯t specific, perhaps the truth lies somewhere between the story and the records?


    The hall grew hushed, the pews resuming the volume of a normal nighttime. Lilith held Gwindon on the floor, blood pouring over his right eye from the blow to his head. From the one unobscured vision, he could see the guards slowly marching into the church and clearing a path at the door. From the midnight sky, moonlight dimly illuminated an imposing figure from the road. He strode inside, slowly adding definition to his character until he had fully entered the room.


    Daylon held the priests behind him protectively, the warhammer still in his hand as he stared at the approaching form. A scowl carved into his face as he quickly recognized the intruder. He wasn¡¯t the first to do so however, a mere second behind Icara.


    Her sword smashed to the hilt, she flung it to the side and stared at him with a glazed expression. The posture of a confident warrior woman was replaced with an animalistic stance. She looked ready to pounce, not strike, but held her position with a cold glare. Only when her lips curled back to snarl at him did the room once again fill with noise from the power of her shout.


    ¡°Koshchei...!¡±


    The man dusted off his plain white robe with intricate inlays of gold embroidery. It was clearly something more fitting for a common noble than a king. His face was clear and sharp, with the same bright halos in his eyes that Icara had. With one hand, he swept back the pitch black hair on his head and cleared his throat.


    ¡°I had hoped to capture you myself to avoid some embarrassment on behalf of the kingdom...¡± he explained without question, turning to the wounded knight and paladin in the back. ¡°But it seems this has gone beyond that at this point. Just how many people have you killed tonight?¡±


    Her eyes hungrily scanned over the guards of the king. Men trained for years at their task, and outfitted with weapons of the finest steel, shivered at the look. The well disciplined guard remained at the ready for their king. She turned her head back to the paladin and frightened the small congregation behind him.


    ¡°You... give me that weapon, if you would. I need to kill him... I must get revenge now...¡± she said, her voice distant and strange.


    Daylon tightened his grip on the hammer and glared back at her, hefting it to strike if she came near. His resolve was enough to resist the stare alone, so Icara instinctively turned towards the knight and mercenary.


    ¡°I need a weapon... need to kill him. Could steal one of the halberds... break a pew and use the wood...¡± she muttered, eyes rapidly dashing back and forth, as if she was sleepwalking.


    ¡°Enough of this. Daylon, is it? Has the creature caused anyone in the congregation harm? I would loathe to find any innocent blood had been shed because of my own carelessness...¡±


    Icara snapped her attention back and the men there flinched, aside from Koshchei himself. He pulled a blade out from his coat and showed it to her. The room fell quiet as her eyes locked onto the weapon, like a dog about to fetch a stick. To the surprised gathering, he dropped it on the ground and folded his arms.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t, your highness. Not that I am aware, nor fatally at least,¡± Daylon responded, watching the scene play out.


    ¡°Good. All it will take is a matter of explaining our history to clean this mess up then, I presume,¡± he said before taking a step closer to Icara.


    She growled and the guards lowered the blades and halberds they held with them. Koshchei raised a hand to ease them and stood his ground.


    ¡°Our history?¡± Icara said in the distant voice, her face making an alien imitation of sarcastic joy. ¡°You mean about how you stole the throne from my family through murder? How you sold me off to the Karkh¡¯ala in Korrem as seasoning for worms? All you deserve is to be put in the ground like my parents!¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d be so stupid as to keep a child alive if I usurped the throne? Why sell you off to begin with? Your story is littered with holes and abnormalities, and I believe I know the reason why,¡± he said, gesturing out to her. ¡°Because you yourself are the one who murdered King and Queen Valarus ten years ago.¡±


    The room tensed and Icara charged at the king in a mad fury. All the guards, stunned by her near inhuman speed, failed to react in time. Koshchei himself defended this time, lifting his foot in a flash. The hit to her chest stunned and broke her animalistic sprint. Icara wheezed the air from her lungs and gasped heavily, trying to gather any breath she could.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°The hell are you saying?!¡± Gwindon cut in from the back, struggling to his feet. ¡°If she was the one who murdered the king and queen, why does she want to get back here so bad?! Are you really going to tell me she¡¯s a demon in disguise, trying to scheme her way back to the top after pulling off a stunt like that?¡±


    ¡°Far from it. You¡¯ve seen it, she¡¯s incredibly wild in her behavior, but seemingly only under a set circumstance. It¡¯s as if two souls have been thrust into one body...¡± He glanced to Gwindon and Lilith. ¡°She¡¯s a creature born from a misfortunate circumstance. The matters of which are rather delicate to discuss, so I would have preferred they stayed hidden.¡±


    Icara clawed her way back to her feet, eyes wild once more. She grabbed the hem of Koshchei¡¯s robe, only for him to spin in place quickly and land a dizzying blow to her head. Confusion wracked her brain in the stunning hit, each strike felt faster and harder than any that had managed to come her way before. The fighter knew something was wrong, but it couldn¡¯t explain it. The whole room suddenly felt as if it weighed down on her, like she was growing weaker just from being in it.


    ¡°I¡¯m swearing all of you to secrecy on this matter, given its embarrassing nature. About ten years ago, when the Valarus family still ruled Alastair, the only heir to their throne became deathly ill. Her skin was pale, and the lights in her eyes would not grow as they should have been during her age. Worried about losing their only heir, the royal family was met with an... immoral offer,¡± Koshchei said, glancing back down at Icara as she struggled onto her elbows for support. ¡°A demon approached the family and offered to bond with the child, ensuring she¡¯d be strong enough to survive the sickness.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Daylon erupted, pushing the priests away and stepping forward. ¡°You believe the church could have missed something like that happening again? We have thorough methods of ensuring the purity of noble blood!¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to find them out, considering they died shortly after arranging the matter. The demon didn¡¯t survive the exchange either, I discovered. They had attempted to seal the demon inside of the princess, but the demon had tricked them, trying to overtake her body completely. Such was her constitution that the demon failed to do this, shattering and leaving the signs of an attack I was left to report. What I did not tell anyone but one other, was that the attempt did not completely fail...¡±


    ¡°A partial bond?¡± Lilith asked. ¡°I¡¯d always figured something like that could be possible... it¡¯s like what Gwindon and I went through. A child that young being able to survive that, however...¡± she drifted off, lost in the possibilities.


    ¡°He¡¯s LYING!¡± Icara shouted, having regained some of her breath.


    ¡°I had planned to send her away to the church by anonymous protection, but the caravan holding her was attacked by the Karkh¡¯ala as they passed through. They must¡¯ve found the papers explaining her noble birth and decided to keep her as... whatever Icara remembers of back then,¡± Koshchei explained, walking over to the dagger and picking it up off the ground. ¡°Rest assured, whatever this creature is, she is not the lady Icara. I¡¯ve studied the matter a little on my own, and made some preparations for her return. Sadly, I¡¯ve been away on diplomatic duties until recently, leading to this... unfortunate circumstance.¡±


    Silence tried to take hold of the room once more, the information surging through the minds of all but two within the room. Icara got to her feet again and returned to the animalistic posture from before. Noticing he had the knife again, she bounded clumsily over the pews towards Gwindon and Lilith. Collapsing on the floor in front of them, she held out a hand hungrily, her wild eyes darting between the two of them.


    ¡°Gwindon... Lilith... give me something to fight with! Don¡¯t you see that he¡¯s going to kill me?! I need something to protect myself with!¡± She pleaded.


    His eyes locked onto hers and then moved to Koshchei. The king was silent in his approach, the dagger held ominously in his right hand. Light from the windows reflected off of the small blade. In the movement, he noticed a subtle shimmer on its surface. Icara slammed her fist down on the ground in front of him and his attention was brought back. There were tears streaming down her cheeks, contrasting harshly with the furious glare she was giving them both.


    ¡°Your sword!¡± She repeated. ¡°He¡¯s going to¡ª!¡±


    The blade flashed out from his side and slit open the side of her neck. Icara¡¯s eyes went wide for a second and she quickly grasped the wound, collapsing to her knees as she stared at the ground. All the fury in her heart seeped out with the blood and she looked over the audience once more. Lilith closed her eyes, unable to bear the pain of watching the young girl fall. Gwindon met her head on, staring back as Icara¡¯s eyes dilated and closed the halos of her irises.


    ¡°Gwin... don... please...¡± she muttered before falling forward in a heap, one hand still stretching out to him.


    Koshchei inspected his dagger and gave it a flick, expelling some ointment on the weapon. He reached down and felt her neck, nodding after a few seconds. All the room listened carefully for his voice to follow, but he merely nodded to one of the soldiers. Two with swords sheathed their blades and approached, hefting Icara up off the ground.


    ¡°She¡¯s been sedated with a poison for now. Given her inhuman resilience, I expect she¡¯ll awaken far short of the normal day long period, but it will be enough to bring her to a cell and restrain her.¡± Koshchei explained before turning his gaze to the knight and mercenary. ¡°I¡¯ll also be bringing the both of you into custody, but not for very long I¡¯d imagine. Given your part in all this, it should be a simple matter to pardon you for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯d be fine. I¡¯ve got my boys waiting for me back at camp. We can go and meet them together, Gwindon. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll love you there!¡± Lilith said, her mood growing a little brighter with each word. She turned back to the knight and cocked an eyebrow at his limp form. ¡°...Gwindon?¡±


    ¡°No...¡± he muttered, a single tear falling to the ground and mixing with his blood. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be released. After all I¡¯ve done and suffered, there¡¯s nothing left for me here anymore...¡±


    Lilith moved to help him, but Gwindon raised his sword at her. The room paused as he lifted up his body once more, the moonlight shifting and revealing his tear streaked face of determination. He turned towards the paladin with the sword at his side, shambling towards him. Daylon watched in astonishment at the fortitude on display, readying his weapon when the knight finally stopped a few feet from him.


    ¡°High priest under Berkahn, paladin of the fields and protector of the flock...¡± Gwindon said, wiping some tears from his face and replacing it with a smear of drying blood. ¡°Arrest me, and take me to trial. I admit to working with demons, to the slaughter of the desert rose¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gwindon, no!¡± Lilith said, running up towards him. She skid to a halt as he turned, leveling the blade at her again. His eyes were glazed and distant, like a corpse had been animated in parody of his image.


    ¡°...and for attempting to corrupt, and later murder, my own wife.¡±


    ¡°You sure you want to admit that crime, knight?¡± Daylon asked. ¡°That confession might as well sign your death warrant. I¡¯ll have to bring you to trial and you¡¯ll be executed in the holy city.¡±


    Lilith pleaded with her eyes, but Gwindon did not waver. With a heavy movement of his arm, he tossed the blade and caught it above the hilt, holding it out to her.


    ¡°Take it. You deserve it more than me now.¡±


    She flashed from fear to anger, squeezing his gauntleted hand onto the blade and yanking him closer. ¡°I¡¯m going to hold onto this... that¡¯s it! Your sword is yours, dammit, don¡¯t you ever tell me otherwise...¡± her voice trembled with every word as she took it from him and stormed out of the church.


    Gwindon was grabbed lightly on either side by members of the cloth. Their faces were clear with worry over the situation, but he made sure not to frighten them further. As Koshchei and the guards left with Icara, the king stopped and gave a curious glance at him.

 Chapter Twelve: Which Always Leads You Back Home

    Dreams are perhaps the most magical moments within a human life, particularly because the odd nature of our dreams is fairly unique! They are both elusive and nonsensical all at once. But imagine if your dreams could be ordered. Perhaps there is more to our sleeptime theatre shows than we think?


    Icara awoke with a start in a plush bed. Fineries were draped on every inch of her grand room. There was a subtle sweet scent in the air, carried by a row of flowers lined along the window to her left. She turned to the colored plants and sighed heavily, watching the morning light reflect some water off their petals. After letting her mind drift for a little while, she rolled back the sleeve of her night gown and found a clear sheen of alabaster skin.


    ¡°Another dream. I can¡¯t be surprised about this anymore either...¡± she spoke to herself, falling back on the bed.


    Where she fell, a wet spot grew over her right arm. She turned to face it with a casual glare, the spot soaked with blood already. Further from the mattress was another Icara, dressed in the clothes she wore with Lilith. The sword in her hand was broken in the same place Daylon did it, but there was now blood dripping from the blade. Icara stared at her copy for a bit until she lifted up to a seated position, matching its stare.


    ¡°Reoccurring dreams, facing a copy of myself, this all just makes his theory sound more credible, doesn¡¯t it? What utter nonsense. This is just a nightmare, I¡¯ll get killed and wake up, or it¡¯ll struggle back to this like always...¡±


    ¡°Killed?¡± The copy asked, cocking its head to one side. ¡°This is just a manifestation of your own split soul. You heard what Koshchei said, you¡¯re not even a real human. All you are is a copy, wearing a mask of skin and memories.¡±


    She felt a chill run down her spine as the copy spoke. Its voice was younger than Icara¡¯s, like a child, but had a strange depth to it. The peaceful atmosphere became warped and foreign. Nothing changed on the surface, but it was readily apparent that something was wrong. The copy strode towards the bed and Icara leapt off of it in turn. Landing on her backside, she crawled back from it.


    ¡°W-What is this?¡± She stuttered out, feeling herself grow dizzy and nauseous.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a dream, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering. Given the opportunity, the mind can generate its own illusions. You might be sleeping, Icara, but this is more of a drug induced hallucination. All that you were is fractured now, irreparable damage that has left you torn between us. What do you think is the difference between us?¡±


    She thought for a moment, but a sudden pain hurt her arm. Lifting it up, the scars of her slavery opened into fresh wounds and oozed blood. Places where the Karkh¡¯ala had drained her for seasoning on their food. Oddly, the blood soothed her stomach some. The pain summoned new courage from Icara and she stood upright.


    ¡°Obviously I am weakness, and you are strength. Everything I remember about myself that was unable or unwilling to fight, the times when I was a victim, that¡¯s what I am.¡± Icara answered, raising one of the bleeding arms.


    ¡°Are we really so simple that this duality can be explained like that? We should be happy to have ourselves at peace. Sure that might mean getting married off for a land deal, or doing nothing with grander aspirations, but at the very least more people should be alive than if we did nothing. Is your weakness really unappealing to you?¡±


    She gazed at the flood, pooled in her own blood. There was a puddle that grew from her own wounds and another; the one made by the copy¡¯s sword. Both of the ponds swirled together in an unnatural way, but didn¡¯t mix.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want it, but it¡¯s still a weakness on my part. How can I be expected to view the world from a larger perspective when I¡¯d be so inept. Strength is born of need for it, the fact I grew so strong was only a sign of how horrible my life has been. If being that powerful means I have to suffer, is it really worth having?¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Maybe I am suffering, and you are peace?¡± The copy replied, taking a step to her right.


    Icara mirrored her copy and they circled to the other side. Both stared in confusion at the other when it hit them.


    ¡°Can we both be the real Icara? Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°It has to be, otherwise neither of us are her. You can¡¯t honestly have a sense of identity that¡¯s rigid, so it¡¯s possible we¡¯re just both extremes of her, our, personality. The same parchment, with ink on both sides.¡±


    ¡°But how can that be? Having a varying sense of self isn¡¯t the same as a completely fractured one!¡±


    ¡°Do you have a better explanation for how this is happening?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dream, is that really so complicated to get behind?¡±


    Both of the clones looked at each other in silence, forgetting themselves who was speaking either point. The sound of blood dripping into the puddles at their feet grew louder and more incessant. Icara closed her eyes tight and grit her teeth as the infuriating cacophony shook her out of focus.


    The dream crumbled away and Icara blinked her eyes a few time, shaking the confusion from her head. Cold beads of sweat were rolling over her skin, many of which shook free as she rocketed upright. She was on a loose linen mattress inside of a dark room with brick walls and only iron bars in front of her. Rust covered huge splotches of the gate and she couldn¡¯t see very much past it.


    She swung her legs over the bedside and rubbed her forehead, what she saw in her dream still scarily clear to her. Blinking so her eyes could adjust to the darkness, she realized she was in a cell. In a panic, she reach for where her throat had been cut and found a bandage. Her heart relaxed a little, but more questions filled her head. The image of Koshchei came to her mind and anger coursed through her again, making her shoot to the gate. She gripped the bars tight, flinching a little as the rust scraped the surface of her skin. Letting go, the orange-black splotches on her hands made her groan in disgust.


    ¡°Everything feels like a blur...¡± Icara muttered to herself, wiping the rust off onto her clothes.


    The bed creaked a little as she flopped back onto it and folded her arms. Even the air seemed putrid now, mold growing around the brickwork. Casting her eyes outside of the cell, she tried to peer for any other signs of people. There was obviously the little torches down the hall that showed some sort of guard keeping watch. From her vantage though, there didn¡¯t see any kind of other cell.


    She idly rubbed the bandage on her neck while she searched over her surroundings. The wrapping was soft and high-quality, not the type of thing she was used to. When she swallowed, the wound would flex and little and sting, but she could easily bear it. The more irritating part of it all is that it gave her a solid case for being alive. Given the last of what she remembered, that meant she was probably a prisoner of Koshchei¡¯s.


    It took most of her willpower to not growl like an animal at the idea. The instant she didn¡¯t, a sharp pain went through her stomach and she doubled forward in her seat. Her breath quickly turned ragged for a few seconds. After gathering herself, she felt one of her cheeks and let out a confused sigh. She considered the wound might be infected, or that whatever poison Koshchei had used was reacting  poorly with her body, but the sickness felt too sudden to be from those. It faded quickly and she stood upright again, balling up her fists to test the alertness of her muscles.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the guard? I demand to see someone!¡± Icara shouted, her voice echoing a little in the tight space.


    Only her own voice answered her back. Fury filled her veins and she lifted her leg, bashing the gate with her foot once. The metal rattled and a little pebble of stone move from the blow. She tried a few more times, but not even something that small was repeated from her strikes. Frustrated over the bars¡¯ solid structure, she paced her cell like a wild animal, eyes on the floor and her head deep in thought.


    While the dream was fresh in her mind, what came before she fell asleep was still much of a blur. She could easily recall running from Daylon and breaking her weapon, but once she saw Koshchei, her vision seemed to blur. The anger welled inside of her easily, but something else was in those memories. It was impossible for her to place properly, but she remembered feeling something else when he was near her. She sat down on the bed and scratched her scalp, struggling to figure out what the emotion was.


    Time passed slowly within the cell, grinding on her own confusion. She kept herself busy with looking for other things to bash against. When she finally settled down into a stupor, she couldn¡¯t find any urge to sleep. All she did was stare at the ceiling and sigh, the energy drained from her erratic struggling. Just as she laid back down on the mattress of her cell, a subtle door creaking made her ears twitch. Not wanting to rouse attention, she pretended to ignore the footsteps coming down the hall. Only when they stopped directly by the gate did she let out a sigh and respond.


    ¡°You here to serve me a meal, or let me out?¡± she said, opening one eye.


    ¡°Actually, I came here to check in on you... as well as make an offer for your release.¡± Koshchei said, hands clasped behind his back.


    That same sickening anger grew inside her, but she tempered it and sat up in bed. Her eyes affixed to the floor, she spat onto a wet splotch of brickwork.


    ¡°Just execute me, I¡¯m not going to speak to someone like you. If you open that door, I¡¯m strangling the life out of you myself, usurper.¡± Icara warned him, hatred seething through her teeth.


    ¡°The offer is to make sure you¡¯re who you say you are, Icara. All you have to do is listen to me and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be curious enough to try it.¡±


    ¡°Spit it out already then! Only cowards dance around what they want.¡±


    ¡°I want to take you to the graves of the former king and queen of Alastair... as well as their only child, Icara Valarus.¡±

 Chapter Thirteen: Locked Within a Cage of Your Making

    Trials within the holy city are conducted in a very mechanical manner. First the accused had a blood trial taken, or the results of one earlier are provided. After that, representatives from the sect of cloth and steel are both sent to arbitrate and determine the person¡¯s innocence with a tribunal. Should they be found guilty, a day of further deliberation is performed by the tribunal after the accused is sent to his or her cell. If they are innocent, they are returned to their home country with paper¡¯s proving such. If they are guilty, however, they are immediately executed by beheading.


    The day rose without much consequence compared to the drama of the night. Gwindon sat inside the room he¡¯d been broken out of, stripped of his armor again and chained to the chair itself. The light fell on his sleeping body, but the warmth didn¡¯t manage to rouse him. Only when the door opened did he jump some in his seat, looking around with narrowed eyes. He found Daylon towering in the entrance with a pair of chains in one hand, giving the night and firm nod.


    ¡°Can¡¯t imagine you had a very peaceful rest like that. Are you fit to walk on your own, knight?¡± He asked him, stepping into the room.


    ¡°I slept fine enough. After you¡¯ve slept on wooden floor and the dirt for a few nights, you tend grow a tolerance for stiff beds. Can¡¯t imagine you¡¯ll have summoned much a procession on such short notice. Are we supposed to walk there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the cart I came to town with. Though it was sent with the intent of having to capture your wife, it looks like we won¡¯t have to do that anymore.¡± Daylon responded before pausing to look down in thought. ¡°You really intend on being a martyr? There¡¯s something more to this whole thing and I plan on finding it out once we get to the holy city. For now though, I¡¯m tired of this secular state.¡±


    ¡°What about Icara? Are you going to pursue her as well now?¡±


    Daylon moved behind the knight and began to undo the chains that bound him in place to the floor. ¡°The claim of demonhood came from Koshchei and officially ends with him as well. It stink of collusion and I hate everything about it. Bastard has too much political power for us to challenge him directly, not with our mission services stretched thin to the border disputes.¡±


    The metal rattled as it pooled onto the floor and Daylon helped lift the knight up to bring him out of the room. Unlike Gwindon expected, his movements weren¡¯t harsh or aggravated as he guided him out to the front of the building. The knight felt some sense of disappoint for the lack of harshness, but it passed quickly. As he climbed into the back of the gated carriage, melancholy claimed him. Daylon mounted the front beside a driver wearing a church symbol on one sleeve. With one gesture, they started for the closest gate and exited the city.


    For a long time after, there was nothing but the bumpy sounds of travel as they moved to the east. Not only would it have been inconvenient to speak to one another, but they lacked a piece for conversation. Gwindon¡¯s stomach gently grumbled in the back, but he paid it no heed. His hunger did remind him of Icara, and he tossed his eyes back to the city as it retreated down the road. It seemed monolithic in appearance from the outside, towering walls with turrets that rolled over the lands around it. He realized it reminded him of some forts he had seen, but the walls of the city were somehow more solidly built than ones meant for continuous defense.


    Before its mass could completely slip from view, the vehicle stopped abruptly and he nearly fell onto the base of the cart. Moving forward some, he peered through a small slit blocked by bars. In the road was a lone figure, holding her arms up in the air in surrender. Daylon stood up and blocked his view, but Gwindon closed his eyes as he knew full well who had stopped them.


    ¡°Lilith, was it?¡± Daylon asked, drawing his warhammer immediately. ¡°We don¡¯t have need of you anymore, at least not for now, so get out of the road.¡±


    ¡°Listen, I need to talk to you and Gwindon about something really important. I... kind of froze up last night after he confessed to all that stuff. He¡¯s my husband, alright? Just let me speak to him, you can even watch me the whole time. Take my swords if you¡¯d like!¡± She said, holding out one of her blades.


    Daylon stepped off of the cart and peered around the area cautiously. The road was raised and packed into the dirt, something to keep wheels from sticking into moist soil of Alastair as they exited. Still, there were no trees or outcroppings for a long ways, meaning no easy place to hide others. He approached her with his weapon at the ready and nodded for her to put them down on the ground. Kneeling over, she placed her swords on the ground and kicked them over at the paladin before putting her hands on her hips.


    ¡°There! Now will you let me speak to him already?¡± Lilith asked in an impatient tone.


    Daylon bent over and picked up the weapons before moving back to the guard and handing them to the driver. He turned back towards her and eyed her carefully. Not relaxing his hammer, nodded for her to come closer. She approached the cart with confidence until she got to the point where she¡¯d be passing into view of the back entrance. She looked to the thick wooden side and put a hand gently on it before continuing.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Gwindon¡¯s eyes were glued to the opposite wall, not turning to look at her even as she came into view. Lilith cleared her throat but he only moved his eyes down to the floor of the cart. She grit her teeth a bit and sighed. Silence swallowed the scene while she waited on her husband¡¯s acknowledgement. Daylon moved beside them and waited for the conversation to strike, keeping himself ready to fight if either made a motion to escape or break out.


    ¡°Will you please look at me? I know you might be angry I did this, but I really had to get something off of my chest, Gwindon...¡± Lilith finally said, gripping the iron bars and making Daylon flex his grip.


    ¡°Then say it and get out of here. You¡¯ve already done enough damage by trying to break me out of there last night...¡± His voice was harsh but he never wavered in his expression.


    ¡°I was trying to save you from this! Of course you have to go and try to play the savior for this whole thing... I never asked you to even do that, you know!¡±


    He finally looked up, glaring at Lilith and moving closer, lifting his chained hands. ¡°It¡¯s because you never asked that all of this even happened in the first place! You just had to stick your nose into all of this and complicate things.¡±


    ¡°Would you rather I have just let you fail the trial and get carted off in secret to be put to death?¡±


    ¡°I spent a lot of time looking for you, Lilith. For the longest time I thought I¡¯d have to kill you myself, thought you¡¯d be a menace. I found out you became a mercenary leader and my heart sank. That was all that was left of our nation? If I¡¯d just been a little stronger, I could¡¯ve prevented that?¡± Lilith tried to speak but Gwindon cut her off with a wave of his hand. ¡°Enough, there¡¯s nothing either of us can do at this point. I can¡¯t even defend myself or what I¡¯ve done. Why¡¯d you even both coming here?¡±


    ¡°Because I know that you¡¯re not actually affected by that curse and everything. We got all swept up in the heat of the moment last night and I never... got to apologize. I don¡¯t know why I lashed out at you like that when I saw you. Maybe it was me that was driven mad, maybe both of us were.¡± Lilith paused and letting go of the cage and wiping her nose with a sniff.


    Gwindon closed his eyes for a few seconds and looked to her once more. The daylight showed her features better than he could see last night. Her face was scarred from where he¡¯d cut it, and there was clear signs of age elsewhere. Even if he didn¡¯t know all of the details, he knew her life had been anything but easy in their time apart. A chill ran along his heart and he sighed. One hand slipped out of the bars towards her. He couldn¡¯t reach out very far because of the chains, but it was enough for Lilith to squeeze between both of her own hands.


    Daylon moved beside them and put one hand on Lilith¡¯s shoulder, pulling her back a little and inspecting her hands. Once he¡¯d made her let go, he turned over Gwindon¡¯s hand and made sure she didn¡¯t slip him anything. Satisfied at the lack of deceit, he moved back away and shook his head.


    ¡°You really came out all this way just to have a conversation with him? It¡¯s odd to see such sentimentality coming from a mercenary band leader. Strange as it is, I¡¯m not one to let you stay and cause problems for me. If you don¡¯t have any more business with your husband, say your goodbyes and get on with it.¡±


    Lilith shot the paladin a glare before looking back to Gwindon. ¡°I¡¯ve caused you a lot of trouble in the time we¡¯ve spent together, I know that. Gave you hell when you first trained me, ruined a few fancy dinners, and... well, all of the other stuff. Can you forgive me for all of that?¡±


    ¡°Well of course I did, you saw me confess right? You¡¯re the one that should get an apology, dammit. When we first met, when the kingdom fell, and last night, I keep acting on blind impulse with you. My emotions take control of me and I just act on impulse, and you¡¯re always the one to take the hits. You deserve better than that, Lilith.¡± Gwindon said before letting out a single laugh. ¡°Old age must be sitting in, I¡¯m getting all sentimental just because I¡¯m back to being near death. That, or I¡¯m just mad at the fact I¡¯m only saying this stuff right before I¡¯m executed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, about that¡ª¡± Lilith said and moved closer. ¡°Can you actually forgive me for one more thing? It¡¯s kind of why I asked in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Lilith?¡± Gwindon asked, his eyes narrowed onto hers.


    His wife sighed and moved back, putting two fingers into her mouth. With a mighty blow, she let loose a high-pitched whistle that rolled over the surrounding area. Daylon moved back at the sudden sound and fumbled in his grip of the warhammer. In the instant he wasn¡¯t ready, a dozen men rose from mossy coverings beside the road. They all held weapons of their own.


    All of them were clearly mercenaries, judging from the patchwork assemblage of gear. They approached the cart and Daylon turned to face them with his weapon at the ready and a glare. Rather than continue to approach him, they stood by with their swords and maces casually hanging from their sides. Gwindon watches their hesitation and turns back to Lilith with a glare.


    ¡°You planned to break me out from the beginning? Again?!¡±


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s different this time! Before we just broke you out because we didn¡¯t know what to do, me or Icara. But there¡¯s something weird going on, I can tell from that church ordeal. I don¡¯t care if the guy is the one that decrees the stuff that gets me paid, I liked Icara and he slit her neck without any hesitation! Don¡¯t you think its weird all of this stuff happened around her?¡±


    ¡°What are you even talking about? You met yesterday! I only met her two days ago in a storm, all of this is a rush at best, and I¡¯m not willing to have the church hunting me just for some hunch you¡¯ve got!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s more than that! Look, all this talk of demons and casually waving it off isn¡¯t right. Of course I¡¯m not exactly speaking from a altruistic point of view or anything, but I want to do something about this. The guy who was supposed to do your blood trial found me and explained everything about Icara and Koshchei.¡±


    ¡°But who would¡ª¡± Gwindon started before sighing. ¡°Cherno. Fine, but you barely know the girl as well, are you really going to go along with her plan just because you feel some passing sympathy for her?¡±


    Lilith hesitated and looked to the men standing by around them. Where she looked, they smiled warmly at her and she returned it with a serious look. None of them minded her expression, but resumed their own determined appearance once she looked to someone else. Finally she moved back to Gwindon and gripped the bars of his cage confidently.


    ¡°Because I want you to be a knight again. I want you to feel like you¡¯re doing something good instead of just fixing your old mistakes or trying to hunt me down. I know we¡¯ve got a bit of a messed up situation between the both of us, but I want to be by your side again...¡± Lilith says, drifting off as she gets closer to him.


    Daylon moves his hammer and all the men flinch, drawing Lilith¡¯s attention. The paladin glares at their quick motion but says nothing to them. Instead, he focuses his gaze on Lilith directly.


    ¡°Has this man gotten any evidence of demon work? Proof that Koshchei has been lying to us, or at least did so last night?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Daylon had up a set of iron keys. ¡°Because I think we can strike a deal if that¡¯s the case. If you¡¯re willing, obviously.¡±

 Chapter Fourteen: From a Poison Inside Your Soul

    Given the loose texture of most soil in Alastair, the people tend to pave and reinforce every space they can. This is not the case for the royal grounds, however, which seem to sprawl a massive amount and thanks to the concentration of Alastair trees on the property. Assuming they are the reason the land can be built on, how is it that the king¡¯s plot has so much open space with only a small number of trees? It¡¯s entirely possible the first king hoarded the only good land to himself.


    ¡°So you made a fake grave for me and my parents? Is that supposed to frighten me?¡±  Icara asked him angrily. ¡°What exactly did you think you could get out of something like that?¡±


    ¡°Well in all honesty, I¡¯m curious about how you¡¯ll react to it. This is a rare circumstance where we can actually challenge your preconceptions of self. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve lived a very focused life up to this point, possibly on killing me for revenge?¡±


    Icara didn¡¯t say anything, just glared at the king as he smiled back. Koshchei revealed a key he had with him and held it up for her. It was old, matching the door it was meant to unlock, but still glinted a little in the torchlight. A guard approached from down the hall with a set of chains in his hand. The princess sneered at the implication, but Koshchei ignored it as he resumed speaking.


    ¡°Before the king and queen died, I was a very learned man, Icara. What you are is something of a unique curiosity. I want to study you as much as I can, to see how you¡¯ve survived, why your memories seem to match the princess.¡± Koshchei unlocked the cell and opened it for the guard. ¡°Surely you have felt some kind of drifting sense of self? Some feeling that you¡¯re not who you think you are? At the very least, seeing the graves of your parents should shed a little light on that aspect of yourself.¡±


    ¡°All I am is an experiment to you, huh? How would you like it if I used those chains to snap your neck?¡± Icara threatened, cold eyes locked onto the regal figure.


    ¡°The only one who would die would be you, Icara. More than that, you would never really know for sure what you are.¡±


    Icara stood up and turned around so the guard could bring the cuffs over her wrists. The guard had to check with Koshchei for support, and the king offered it with a gentle smile the whole time. When she was securely bound, the guard walked her out of the cell and closed the gate behind them, moving with Koshchei out of the derelict hall.


    Past a long corridor and up some stairs, the trio exited out of a large wooden door and into a brightly lit court. Icara shielded her eyes from the sudden light, and they took a moment to pause. Faint memories came back to her as her vision settled back to normal. The high walls of the castle garden, the loose feeling of the sodden grounds. As they moved through, she felt confused by the scenery. It hit her that the alien sensation was her own height, not something that had changed with her absence.


    The Alastair apple trees filled the air with a sweet scent that drove her to lick her lips unconsciously. Her body relaxed even under the cuffs on her and the stress of the situation. Nostalgia drove a wedge into her confusion, and she felt oddly powerful as they moved through the garden path. When they did come to a stop, it was before another door that led down. This one had a much more ornate entrance to it, with a figure of Helera engraved above it.


    It creaked open slowly and they descended once more, Koshchei holding the torch to light the way himself. Passing by a number of labelled crypts and paths, they eventually found the furthest back occupants. A set of three stone coffers raised from the ground beneath them, and with a healthy amount of moss growing on them. Koshchei sighed from the sight while Icara looked in silence.


    ¡°These kind of things should be expected with how wet Alastair soil can get, but it¡¯s always such a bother for maintenance. You, um, Ryan was it? Would you mind clearing the moss off of the coffers for us? Namely just the engravings on the front for now, I feel it would help define things for Icara here.¡±


    Their aide nodded at the request and let go of the captive for a moment, kneeling in front of the furthest left coffer first and scraping away some of the green buildup. Icara could vaguely remember this place, the mausoleum of her lineage. All of those who ruled the Alastair castle ground were entombed here. She remembered her father explaining the Valarus did not always control the land, but the family lineage could be traced down to her through marriage. It had seemed so trivial to her then, but the weight of this moment was stealing her breath all the same.


    His hand scraped over the first name, revealing it to be her mother¡¯s name, Faye Valarus. Icara¡¯s hands flexed into fists behind her back as she recalled how her mother would pet her head during dinner. How she would serve her apples when she asked for them, and would hold her tightly at night when she was scared. The feelings made Icara¡¯s eye twitch, and Koshchei watched with the same placid smile from before while she struggled to stay silent.


    The next name appeared slowly, but Icara¡¯s mind was faster. She knew the tradition of the father being at the center instantly, and so the name Bavarius might as well have been shown already. Icara¡¯s eyes twitched harder, but not nearly as many memories came to her now. Most of the time in her youth, her father had been busy with work as king. She could recall getting her head pat a few times, but that was only the strongest recollection she could manage. Her knees grew weak and she collapsed on the ground.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    She squeezed her eyes tight to avoid looking at the last name, even if it shouldn¡¯t draw up any memories. That feeling from the cell, the primal pain in her gut, came back in full force. Icara let out a groan of pain and fell on her side. Koshchei had the guard stop and he crouched beside her, putting on hand on Icara¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Tell me, are you feeling uncomfortable from this, Icara? I can understand if you¡¯re pained by remembering your parents deaths... but is that why you¡¯re really doubled over right now?¡± Koshchei asked in a smooth tone.


    Icara glared up at him, tears welling in her eyes while she struggling to pick herself back up again. ¡°What are you talking about...?¡± She asked, voice steeped in rage but strained by her efforts.


    ¡°I think you might be experiencing a kind of... mental battle. Core aspects of who you are have come into conflict, and your body can¡¯t properly handle the strain it¡¯s putting on your mind. Tell me, it¡¯s some kind of intense pain coursing through you right now, isn¡¯t it? Not just some sudden case of sorrow, right?¡±


    ¡°So what if it is?! Are you really trying to say that¡¯s enough to make me seem like a demon hybrid or whatever it is you called me? This is probably just something that poison of yours is doing to me...¡± Icara muttered at the end.


    Pushing the guard aside, Koshchei wiped the last name plate off with one movement, revealing Icara¡¯s own name on the plate. She looked at it and instantly felt another pang in her stomach, sweat beading on her skin all over while she convulsed on the stone floor. Her face pressed into the stone as she tried to flip over and look away from them. Before she was even on her back, Koshchei was behind her and lifted her up to see it.


    ¡°Focus, Icara! This is making you hurt, right? Just seeing your name, no matter what justification you have in your head, it¡¯s filling you with hurt!¡± Koshchei said, his voice rising above its normally collected rhythm.


    ¡°Stop talking and let me go!¡± She shouted, tears falling over her cheeks at the point, her muscles spasming in an attempt to flee the terror.


    He held her like that for a few seconds more until he nodded to the guard. Both of the lifted her up into the air and carried her out of the mausoleum, albeit with a good amount of difficult at the stairs and doorway. Once outside, they let Icara down onto her feet and Koshchei wiped the tears from her eyes. She glared up at him, but could barely maintain a defiant stature.


    ¡°They... you... you killed them!¡± Icara said to him, breath still ragged from the ordeal before.


    ¡°That is just something you invented to explain the lack of memories from then, Icara. Your twisted mental state is driving you to acts of violence and thoughts of revenge, it¡¯s an ultimately destructive path that you¡¯ve locked yourself on. Surely you¡¯ve come to realize how hopeless your original plans were. Did you even think past when your base desires were?¡±


    ¡°I was going to learn¡ª¡± Icara started before coughing and leaning forward a bit, trying to reclaim her footing and calm her muscles. ¡°To be taught in how to rule. I¡¯m the rightful heir to the throne, and I deserve what you stole.¡±


    Koshchei shook his head disappointedly and put a hand on her shoulder, which she stared at with burning resentment. ¡°Tell me this, Icara, from where does a king or queen draw their right to rule? Is it the eyes that give you right? How do they control the actions of your citizens, or guide you to gather their taxes?¡±


    ¡°The royal family has a divine right to things. Even if you don¡¯t agree with the faith or are a heathen, royalty is granted their power from on high!¡±


    He nodded his head in thought before placing a hand on the guard and waving him off. The armored figure looked nervously to the princess, who appeared more like a feral beast with her sweat-matted hair. Koshchei reassuringly patted him forward, sending the man off before he turned back to the princess.


    ¡°What you say is the truth known to the people, it is something easily digestible and thus easy to spread. Even as the church wanes in political power, their word of mouth and teachings have a strong effect on the common folk. But do you know the real source of royal power comes from? I¡¯ll give you a hint, the eyes are indeed a part of it.¡± Koshchei said, one hand offered out to her.


    She narrowed her eyes a second before staring down at the ground. The eyes of royals carry a special light to them, something no one is naturally born with. Even if someone has slightly grey eyes, which will happen from time to time, that¡¯s more seen as a sign of good luck. Despite having them herself, Icara could not remember ever being told of how the royal irises are formed.


    ¡°The answer, Icara,¡± he said and broke her concentration. ¡°Faith. Humans develop structures and organizes themselves along those ways naturally. It is in their nature to desire cohesion and unity, at least in the beginning. As communication between each other breaks down, human uniqueness inevitably causes their groups to break down... unless there is something above them.¡±


    ¡°You mean the god and goddess? Or the Divine in general?¡± Icara asked, the venom lost in her curiosity.


    ¡°No, caste systems. Humans may not enjoy being oppressed or conquered, but they do enjoy having some semblance of authority. No authority is greater than the king or queen of a land, of course, and so they become focal points for that faith.¡± Koshchei paused and pointed to his own colored irises. ¡°These eyes are signs that the people have faith enough to revere their leader. It is actually a little known secret that royal or noble blood appears similar to the blood of those who have bonded with a demon in some way. This is because the same thing that fuels a demon is what grants royals these colored eyes. You, if you¡¯ll indulge my theory, have a pair without being in power because you are part demon yourself. Naturally, your body would look for ways to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough! I... I can¡¯t handle much more of your rambling,¡± Icara said in a muted voice.


    ¡°Ah, right, the pain must be bothering you a bit. Care to follow me back inside? I¡¯ve not changed the interior of the castle much from your, or rather Icara¡¯s, youth. Perhaps there¡¯s somewhere else you would like to see?¡±


    Icara¡¯s eyes were distant and shaking. Despite the rejection in her voice, she has felt herself nearly accept his theory as fact when he slipped it in the conversation. The moment she had, her body almost felt lighter and more relaxed. She hated the dreamy feeling, her stomach grumbling. At first she thought that might have been the sickness again, but a gentler noise escaped her belly a second time and she coughed to cover it. Lifting herself upright, she moved past Koshchei a few paces and paused.


    ¡°Before we eat... I¡¯d like to see my old room. I had a dream last night that was there, and it felt strangely peaceful there.¡±


    Nodding out of polite reflex, Koshchei moved forward and waved her on confidently, guiding the bound woman into a door on the side of the building. Though her eyes were too low to see it, he was wearing a grin as she stepped inside of the looming structure.

 Chapter Fifteen: Let Out Just for Someone鈥檚 Taking

    ...most people would assume the church would act with impunity towards all crimes against humanity from demons. However, there are a few notable exceptions in which planned dealings, and possibly even hybrids, have been ignored by the state in order to pursue more important leads. To admit this, however, would likely be tantamount to heresy.


    ¡°So what, you¡¯ll let him go if we give you some evidence against Koshchei or something? Are you saying you¡¯ll walk back to the city and throw the king in there instead of my husband?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°No, my offer is much more sane. What I want is some proof that Koshchei was willingly affiliating with demons and in return I can offer some amnesty to you and Gwindon.¡± Daylon said, pulling aside the key to Gwindon¡¯s cage.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re still missing the part where you tell us why you want the proof. Do you think you have the power to take him on directly?¡±


    Daylon glanced over to the group of men watching the three of them and took a step closer to her. Putting his weapon aside, he beckoned for her to get closer. She kept her feet firm and pointed to the cage Gwindon was pressed against. The paladin gave a grumble of malcontent before her moved their and lowered his voice to a whisper, enough that the two of them had to strain to hear.


    ¡°He¡¯s obviously got some scheme cooked up with that companion of yours, the one pretending to be a dead princess. What I¡¯m hoping for is a way to pin him before he gets any stronger and keep him from pushing the church out of his sphere of influence any longer. I can already tell he has some secular goal of removing us entirely, and I want to keep that from happening.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to try and blackmail him? I feel like that would give him a stronger reason to resent you and the church if you tried that.¡± Gwindon said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t act so underhanded or passive. Instead, we¡¯d invite him to the holy city for diplomatic reasons and give him a shot at defense with the high council. He¡¯s got too much power to outright kill, so the church will likely demand some kind of tribute or they¡¯ll denounce his claim to the throne as illegitimate. If he were a legacy heir, that¡¯s next to meaningless, but since his unusual rise to power¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll look like he used some demonic method to steal it all.¡± Lilith finished for him, nodding at the plan. ¡°Seems too realistic for a priest though, I¡¯m amazed you came up with that plan on the spot. I was all prepared to go into hiding with Gwindon and my men.¡±


    Daylon shares a glance at the caged knight and Gwindon sighed at the suggestion of imprisonment. She took the keys from Daylon and set to unlocking the cage to Gwindon¡¯s cart and chains. Once he was freed, Gwindon took a shaking step out onto the ground and rubbed his head.


    ¡°Get me some evidence by the time I come back or I¡¯ll be hauling the both of you out of here next time. If it comes to that, I¡¯ll probably have to break your legs as well.¡± Daylon warned them in a casual tone.


    Lilith snapped her fingers and waved one of the men closer. As he approached, he moved a sheath off of his back and handed it off to her with a grin. She gave the mercenary a motherly pat on his head and took the weapon. Lilith held it out for Gwindon to take, but his eyes seemed transfixed on the sword enough to keep him from moving.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel right, taking it back up again after having handed it off to you.¡±


    She grit her teeth and forced it at his chest, making him reflexively catch it when she pulled her arms back to cross them over her chest. ¡°I told you I was only going to keep it safe for you! Now put it on and let¡¯s get out of here already.¡±


    He ran one hand over the sheath itself before slinging it over his shoulder. The weight felt natural to him, nostalgically tugging into his shoulder. The knight moved to Daylon and stuck out a hand to him, one the paladin took quickly. Both of them flexed their grip onto the other with stoic stares, sharing a moment of appreciation. With the shake ended, he turned down the road and headed back down the long path towards the city. Lilith chased after him and caught up, followed by her men in a small band.


    Daylon moved back to the front of the cart and climbed in before nodding for the driver to keep moving. He cracked the reigns and kept silent for the bizarre transaction that had occurred, the arch-priest beside him staring up into the sky while the passed down the road.


    Gwindon and the others walked side by side in little pairs, weapons lazily swinging with their movements. He felt nostalgic again, remembering the times when he went to war with newer soldiers. The way their weapons would bounce and shake with every unbalanced step. More than just lacking experience with marching with the weapons, they likely savored the feeling of having one at the ready. Squeezing the handle of his own sword in its sheath, he couldn¡¯t deny the safety. Any smile that might have creeped over his face then was cut down by a shout from Lilith.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Oi, shape up! You¡¯re looking like common thugs again. Just because you did good at hiding doesn¡¯t mean you have to the right to stagger your way back home like you¡¯re draped in gold.¡± She shouted at them, waving a fist around.


    The men responded with a few muttered lines of complaint, but they still followed her command and straightened their backs. Gwindon looked to his wife with surprise and she grinned proudly before wrapping an arm around his shoulder.


    ¡°Oh right, you haven¡¯t been properly introduced to my men yet. With the burst of newcomers scrambling around with weapons looking to fulfill the job of mercs, I stepped in and took care of the youngest bunch of them! Had to rescue the little pups before they got their heads split open. We used an abandoned manor from the last Alastair expansion as a base pretty well. Whole place has been ransacked, but there¡¯s a lot of good spaces for beds, not to mention it keeps in the heat during winter.¡±


    All of their followers waved their hands in response to the explanation, smiling warmly at the knight while they moved. He looked at Lilith once again as she beamed with pride and confidence. A single laugh managed to escape him and she quickly frowned.


    ¡°What? Sure it¡¯s not the castle grounds we used to live in, but it¡¯s definitely not bed living.¡± Lilith said, folding her arms.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, I was just thinking you looked like a proud parent there. Never really thought of you as the motherly type.¡±


    ¡°You know, that sounds a bit offensive considering I¡¯m your wife.¡± Lilith said and punched his shoulder lightly. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I rescued them all as kids or something. Just took them under my wing after all the recent expansions of Alastair. One of the reasons I came here was because of that, actually.¡±


    ¡°To join the war effort?¡± Gwindon asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Lilith shook her head and jutted one thumb to a pair on her right. ¡°Mercenary work is pretty thin in other countries, but Koshchei has a weird system about them. After he encompasses a poverty or rebel strewn area, he cuts the military presence in the region down a lot. After that, he sets about hiring in mercs to maintain the piece and go after convicted criminals. It¡¯s real nice for me, considering I can just ride on these border expansions and get reliable amounts of work.¡±


    The knight paused in thought for a second, his eyes locked on the movement of his own feet. With frequent expansions, the building of a massive wall for defense around the city seems more logical. On the other hand, Alastair seemed a popular enough trading hub, but he couldn¡¯t recall seeing massive amounts of arms deals going on. When he finally did regain his focus, he looked over to Lilith¡¯s men on either side of him.


    ¡°So wait, are all of you conscripts from expansions then? Don¡¯t you feel odd serving the country that took over your land?¡±


    ¡°Hardly call it taking over.¡± One of them replied with a shrug. ¡°Wasn¡¯t long after they grew that border of Alastair apples that things got hectic in my homeland. Crops starting drying up, people got into fights all the time, so the land owners got all panicked about revolt and... well, things didn¡¯t go well after that.¡±


    ¡°Same for me. Feels like once that border of trees are in place, that¡¯s all it takes for the other land owners to get spooked into making crazy decisions. Maybe it¡¯s got something to do with being able to see your neighbors lining up outside your home?¡± Another man added.


    He looked at Lilith with a serious expression and she put the pieces together herself. There was definitely some kind of foreign element to these expansions, and it couldn¡¯t just be explained by political intimidation by any measure. Something that was consistent enough to form a trend was more than just good governance. With what they knew about Koshchei, there was bound to be some sort of foul play in all of it.


    A few more of the men shared their stories of how they joined the profession, but they all held a consistent theme of Alastair coming in as a savior of some kind. Whether the land was doing poorly financially, rebelling, or there was some sort of continuous land dispute going on, Alastair seemed to always find its neighbors afflicted with something that their king could quickly remedy. All it would cost is being folded into his growing sphere of influence. By the time they arrived back at the gates, they were both in silent agreement to figure out what he was doing.


    The second they got past the entrance, they found Cherno sitting on the side of the street. He stood up as the group entered and dusted himself off, offering a hand out to Gwindon when he got there.


    ¡°Any trouble in getting him back here, Lilith?¡± Cherno asked.


    ¡°Nothing we didn¡¯t expect. We¡¯ve even got a way to secure both of our names forever if we can just get some dirt you-know-who. Have you actually got something like that handy, or...?¡±


    ¡°What, physical evidence? No. He¡¯s obviously a very calculating foe we¡¯re dealing with here, so we¡¯ll have to tread carefully. Having said that, I might actually be misspeaking a little... what we need to do is very simple. Get him in a position where he can¡¯t refuse to take a blood trial.¡± Cherno said and folded his arms.


    ¡°He had to pass one when he first got the throne, right? Surely if he could cheat the system then, or if something was off about his results, you¡¯d have some kind of evidence of it from that.¡± Gwindon said.


    Cherno gave a grin and opened one palm upwards. ¡°That is the case, but not in the way you¡¯d normally suspect. When he first took the trial, there was no traces of energy inside his blood.¡±


    ¡°So he really didn¡¯t consort with demons...?¡± Lilith asked, looking a little disappointed.


    ¡°Just wait, I said no traces. As in, nothing at all. Humans normally have some small amount of the stuff as a baseline, but nowhere near the visible amount you¡¯d get from royals or people in pacts with demons. He was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, almost like the energy was sucked straight out of him not long ago. If he still has no energy inside of himself, that means there¡¯s definitely something fishy going on.¡±


    A guard broke their conversation before Gwindon could ask another question and held a piece of parchment in his hand. He checked it once more and nodded before a few other men stepped forward, politely pushing Cherno away.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir and miss, I was told to bring you to the castle directly if we found you in the city near this entrance. The king, Koshchei, has summoned you for an audience and has put us under orders to bring you there immediately.¡± The guard explained, stepping to the side and gesturing up the road with one arm.


    Gwindon looked back at Cherno as the alchemist gave him a thumbs up. He sighed and nodded to the escorts, following after them as they were told. A slight chill ran over his skin when he passed the church, and he remembered his betrayal to Icara. On top of that, the obvious mystery of how Koshchei knew he and Lilith would come back is odd. He balled his feets in stride, mentally prepared to get to the bottom of it as fast as possible.

 Chapter Sixteen: While You Struggle to Find a New Whole

    Given the smells which might accumulate outside of a noble¡¯s window, it is often the case that flowers are planted outside. Recently, botany has become widespread enough for even commoners to participate in this odor alleviating habit. Should you be among them, remember this! The mother and father shall have a bed of Hyacinth, and the young ladies and lads must have Lavender. To confuse these, or to invent your own combinations is a sign of classlessness and carelessness.


    It took some navigation from the courtyard to reach Icara¡¯s room, moreso from the princess frequently pausing in her journey. Her eyes would lock onto pieces from when she was a child, and the memories would make her hesitate. Even as the servants gave her odd looks, she¡¯d twitch her eyes and mutter in thought from seeing them. In the end, it took nearly an hour to make it there.


    Koshchei opened the door and allowed her in first while he remained at the doorway. Before she entered, he made sure to unlock the chains on her wrists so she could inspect the room properly. She stepped into the room slowly and looked around. The dream from earlier creeped into her head, and she found it still fresh in her memory.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed it at all?¡± She asked, looking back to Koshchei.


    ¡°I thought it might¡¯ve been a bit distasteful after the death of... well, you. Aside from that, we¡¯ve just never had a need to expand it. I don¡¯t have a wife yet, nor a child, so I don¡¯t expect that to change anytime soon. Why, did you want to sleep here for the night or something?¡±


    Her feet carried her over to the window and she placed her hand on the open window sill. Staring for a moment, the dream from last night passed over her as well. The sickness plaguing her stomach started to fade and she turned back towards the king with a focused glare. He cocked an eyebrow from her sudden fortitude as she spoke.


    ¡°No changes at all? Then where are the flowers?¡± Icara asked, running her hand along the unobstructed wood. ¡°There was a row of wonderfully scented flowers right along the window here. I remember because the scent they made helped wake me up every morning. They were lavender, inside of a small row right here.¡±


    She leaned against the wall beside the window confidently. A note of his deception gave her a moment of pride, self-assured that he may have lied even more. Upon noticing his muted reaction, her confidence faltered slightly, and she folded her arms as a nervous habit. Koshchei entered and offered out one hand. Icara felt in the instant before he spoke that something happened when he lifted his hand. A spark of static energy snapped faster than she could see. Her heart raced a little faster and she narrowed her eyes to focus on his words.


    ¡°Are you completely sure about that, Icara? You¡¯ve been away for over ten years and all, perhaps you¡¯re confusing it with another room...?¡± Koshchei asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m absolutely sure of it! I had a dream last night that took place in this room and it had the flowers there. The only thing to consider now is why you would remove them. Too hard to maintain? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice a detail like that?¡±


    ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s indulge this idea of yours a little. Maybe I purposefully removed them recently to see if your memories of this room are accurate? Though it is also equally likely that I had them removed to see if you had an unnatural amount of memory for the room itself. Which do you think it is, Icara?¡±


    She hesitated as the words broke her swell of confidence. Eyes locked onto the floor, she struggled to pick one of the options. Both had a solid chance for accuracy, but she couldn¡¯t be sure of it. Her hands sweat a little from where they were tucked under her arms and her brow furrowed more and more. The dream came back to her memory, and an idea with it.


    ¡°Neither. The real reason was as you stated at the beginning, but now that you¡¯ve brought me here, you just wanted to see my reaction to it. You want to see if I¡¯ll act differently to how you predict I would act so you can judge for yourself how easily you can control me while I¡¯m here.¡±


    Koshchei nodded his head a few times. ¡°That¡¯s quite a good guess. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯d be falling right into the trap then, even if you were to figure it out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but obviously I¡¯d have to make a reaction to that if I noticed it. The odd part is the fact you were so confident in being able to know that I¡¯d notice something like that. Even if it was something that woke me up every morning, how would you know that?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly spawn into the world the moment your parents died you know. Before your parents died, I was your god father and an advisor to the throne. How else do you think I claimed the throne so quickly?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    She closed her eyes a second and tried to recall any memories of Koshchei she could. All she could think of was his face in other events. Things like getting her breakfast, sitting in her father¡¯s lap while Koshchei spoke. It was only after a little tremor passed over her mind that she realized a more worrying idea. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t remember how she knew Koshchei killed her parents. Though she could remember him being there, she had blank space where the actual deaths happened. Koshchei sensed her fear and took a step forward once more.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a terrible thought haven¡¯t you? Did a bad memory work its way into your head, Icara? Maybe something about your parents¡¯ deaths?¡±


    ¡°Like how you killed them?¡± Icara asked back, her voice sharpening out of fear. ¡°Stop acting like you can read my mind, you¡¯ve barely done anything like that! That dumb theory of yours is just a convenient explanation for all of the trouble I¡¯m having. Don¡¯t challenge my state of mind with things like this like I¡¯m some sort of experiment!¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯d like me to indulge your fantasy again? Well let me ask you something again, Icara. Do you believe the murder of your parents was for the better, or worse of the king¡ª¡±


    Before he finished, Icara surged forward and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground and growling animalistically. She held him at her mercy for a few seconds until she realized he was only looking at her out of pity. With a lurch, she threw him down onto the floor, where he landed in a semi-sitting position while she loomed overhead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say their murder could be justified. Who cares if it improved things for the state, you can¡¯t sacrifice people just to fulfill your own deranged delusions!¡± Icara shouted, pointing a finger at him while tears welled at the sides of her eyes.


    ¡°Your hypocrisy is almost astounding, Icara... I love it dearly.¡± Koshchei said with an eerily warm smile. ¡°How can you, with a blood streak as long as the distance you¡¯ve walked here, claim that murder is unjustified? Surely you¡¯ve thought at one moment or another that a man or woman you¡¯ve killed had a family at home. Do you think your justifications are any better than mine?¡±


    ¡°I killed out of self defense! Of course it¡¯s fair to fight for your own survival, no one would deny that as a legitimate justification!¡±


    ¡°But how far does that claim go? Have you taken steps at every turn to avoid people? Have you sought not to harm them fatally, knowing you could outclass someone? Did you once ever offer them the chance to surrender or run in earnest?¡± Koshchei asked, the smile dropping to a somber look.


    Icara reeled slightly at the questions. As each resounded in her ears, she remembered some of the lives she had taken. Though they all fought her first, she could remember some were never warned of her strength, they looked surprised by her fighting ability. She wondered how many could have been spared if she aimed lower, or had disarmed them first. The memories seemed to blur together as she thought about the deaths she wrought. In the end, Icara collapsed to her knees in front of Koshchei and tear dripped from her face onto the floor. He stood up and dusted himself off, letting her wallow in the emotions for a few seconds.


    ¡°While I wasn¡¯t the one who killed the king and queen of Alastair, I can tell you that it wasn¡¯t an entirely unjust situation. The old king had no goals for his kingdom, having grown in a life without much want, he had no drive to achieve anything in his life...¡± Koshchei drifted off before he knelt down and helped Icara upright on her knees as well. ¡°But then again, I suppose it¡¯s unfair to judge someone for their circumstances. Icara, would care to play a game of chess with me? I believe we might be getting some guests soon and we should pass the time for their arrival together.¡±


    She brushed his hands off of her but stayed still. Her breathing was steady and the tears had slowed to a stop on her face. It was all she could do to not think about her own actions, and she lamented showing him any vulnerability. With a silent nod, she stood up again and clutched at her stomach, a nauseous feeling moving over her. It kept coming when she felt at odds with herself, she knew that clearly. The horrible fact, to her, was that even if she knew that, it changed nothing.


    ¡°Why chess?¡± Icara asked, trying to steel her voice and only partially succeeding.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s a game of strategy. Despite your troubles since you arrived here, I think there¡¯s a very strong urge to win locked away inside of your mind. If at all possible, I¡¯m interested in seeing if that desire can manifest in more... safe ways.¡± Koshchei said.


    ¡°This is all just some sort of sick joke to you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Icara asked, her head hung low with fists balled at her sides.


    ¡°Who said anything about this being a joke? What I want and what you want is the same here, Icara. Do you plan on resisting me the whole way? You delusions of revenge won¡¯t lead to anything other than more suffering, for you and for everyone around you that has to deal with the consequences.¡±


    ¡°Delusions?! My parents bodies are buried out there, that¡¯s proof enough that my revenge is more than just a fantasy!¡±


    ¡°Icara Valarus is also buried beside them. Does that mean you already failed?¡±


    Pain shot through her stomach and made her seize up again, falling to one knee and groaning in agony. Koshchei moved his hands behind his back and watched. Left alone to suffer, Icara struggled back to her feet after a few more minutes. Her stance was shaken, but she oozed an intimidating air around her. The deathly stare failed to faze Koshchei as he turned his back on her and started slowly for the door.


    Time slowed down for her as soon as he stepped away. It hit her that she could reach her hands out and wring his neck right now, or snap it. Even if she was weakened from the strange sickness, nothing stood in the way. Her heart beat faster and she raised her hands towards him with purpose. Not two steps forward, Gwindon¡¯s demands on her to first learn how to rule passed through her mind. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to kill him when she knew that it would destroy thousands of lives. Biting her tongue in frustration, she resorted to the only option she had left. Koshchei reached the door and turned around, curious to find Icara standing in place with her fists balled.


    ¡°Koshchei... will this game prove I¡¯m a capable leader? Can it show that I¡¯m not just some monster like you say?¡±


    He thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Victory, both the desire to take it and the skills to do so, are admirable traits for a royal to have. Though... why would someone like you care about that?¡± Koshchei asked.


    ¡°Because I made a promise to someone, and I won¡¯t let him down no matter what. That¡¯s the least I can do to prove I¡¯m not mindless right now.¡± She said and moved past him and out into the hall.


    Once she passed his side, Koshchei grinned out of her line of sight. He turned and dropped the malicious smile for a more pleasant one, following after Icara with a confident stride in his steps.

 Chapter Seventeen: Playing a Part in His Game

    Fairy chess, or just chess in more official settings, is a game developed by emerginging gatherings of nobles. Few rules are very consistent between the game of nobles and its more common or prototypal versions, but it is preferred that one defaults to official chess structure when one is in doubt. Be wary of those who attempt to invent new rules over the course of a match by keeping a ruling official at hand. Should that prove too expensive, a blunt weapon or stern warning should prove sufficient.


    Icara forced open the door to the lounge room with determination. It had changed very little in her time away, but she had no urge to reminisce over it. She found the chess table first and began to arrange the pieces herself while Koshchei entered from behind. He watched her hands neatly arrange the game before turning back towards him.


    ¡°White goes first, right? I suppose as the king it would be proper form for me to take that place then. Any objection?¡± Koshchei asked her, moving to the seat already.


    ¡°Go ahead. The first move advantage won¡¯t be able to save you. On top of that, being able to react to things is often more important that initiating them.¡± Icara said and took her seat on the black side of the table.


    Koshchei cocked an eyebrow at her odd remark as he looked down at the row of pieces in front of him. They were all carved by hand, leading to small imperfections from each one, but none terribly noticeable. Icara¡¯s eyes were locked onto the board itself, waiting for the sign of his first move. After a momentary hesitation, Koshchei took the second pawn from the right and pushed it forward one square. Icara countered by moving her own pawn, one blocking her bishop.


    ¡°Would you be interested in telling me why you would promise to someone that you¡¯d become a good ruler, Icara? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t see the chances of me ceeding the throne to you being very good. Unless you plan on becoming a bandit leader, or some sort of military commander?¡± Koshchei asked, lifting the pawn he had moved off of the board.


    ¡°What does it matter why I said it? I only told you because I want you to take this game seriously. After playing your mind games, I¡¯m going to prove to myself that I¡¯m not breaking that promise I made. No matter what you say or show me, that will prove I¡¯m who I say I am.¡± Icara said and looked him in the eyes. ¡°Now make your move.¡±


    He sighed and placed the piece back on its original square before pushing it forward again. Once he did, Icara shook her head and moved the bishop across the board, taking the pawn he had moved. As she lifted the pawn off to her side, she looked at Koshchei with a glance, hoping to see a reaction. Instead, he seemed bored as she placed it down to the side. Her brow furrowed at the lack of emotion as Koshchei moved a pawn forward and next to the bishop she had used.


    ¡°What are you even doing...?¡± Icara asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m playing the game, like you wanted me to, Icara. Come on, don¡¯t get cocky just because you stole one piece in a few moves.¡± Koshchei said with a small laugh at the end.


    She clenched her jaw and stared down at the board. After a momentary analyzation of the pieces, she had figured he was making a shot at the long game. Rather than play into his hands again, Icara chose to force him into action. Her queen boldly moved to the frontlines. Koshchei watched her move with a slight nod of appreciation before he moved his rook up one square. Her fists were clenched, his actions seemed to just be tailing behind her. After moving back her bishop again, the final strike was within her grasp.


    Only when the obvious blow came to her did she realize something was off about this situation. She had only remembered the rules of the game from many years ago when she was taught by her father. The memory did not make her stomach hurt again, but it hit her that the rules were fairly simply for an average game. Even in spite of this, Koshchei acted like he barely understood those rules. Each move seemed sudden and callous at the same time.


    ¡°Koshchei...¡± Icara muttered while his hand readied to move another piece.


    ¡°Yes, Icara?¡±


    ¡°I told you to take this seriously. You¡¯re not even challenging my plays at all, you¡¯re just barely attempting to move your pieces! Are you trying to play dumb so I can¡¯t prove anything to myself?!¡±


    Koshchei brought his hand back and folded it into his other, placing both in his lap with a smile. ¡°Would you like to give me any advice on how to play then? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve never been very good at the game.¡±


    ¡°Liar! I¡¯ve heard about your border expansions, all this growth in territory in such a short time can¡¯t possibly be because of chance. You¡¯ve planned it all out, which means you¡¯ve got a tactical mind, now tell me why you¡¯re letting me win!¡± Icara demanded, slamming her fist into the table.


    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯d be good at chess then?  I don¡¯t see how those things are necessarily relevant, Icara.¡± Koshchei countered, bringing his attention back to the board.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    She joined his gaze and looked over the board with him. Her mind raced at how she could be winning, how he didn¡¯t take a single motion to save himself from the one move she can perform to win. As she slowed her breathing down, she realized he must¡¯ve been playing with her head before he brought it down.


    Just then, however, he moved the knight piece in front of one of his pawns. She stared in awe at the move, unable to understand it at first. It held no special tactical advantage, it did nothing to shield even a single pawn from any of her pieces. Her hand moved to the queen slowly, but she refused to move it. A furious fire roared behind her halo-lit eyes.


    ¡°Why did you do that?!¡±


    Koshchei cocked his head to the side. ¡°What do you mean? Have I made a mistake?¡±


    ¡°What benefit does moving the knight there do?! I thought you might be toying with me at first, just pretending to play dumb, but this is just blatant idiocy! You¡¯ve got to know how the pieces can move because you haven¡¯t asked, so why would you just let me win like this?!¡± Her voice rose higher with her body, leaving her standing upright at the end.


    Koshchei looked over the board in confusion for a moment until Icara yanked the pawn away and replaced it with her queen. Even if he moved his piece, it would be taken by the bishop she had moved earlier. He nodded his head solemnly and pushed out of the chair, dusting his robe off.


    ¡°That was the quickest match I¡¯ve ever had. You¡¯re quite good at this game, Icara!¡± He said with a warm smile.


    ¡°Answer my question, don¡¯t try and pretend like you could have done that on accident! You¡¯ve been scheming for a decade now, how could you have let something so obvious slip past you?!¡±


    ¡°Icara, what were your goals during this game?¡±


    ¡°To show I can be a leader, I already told you that! If you¡¯re asking to be pedantic, my objective was to capture your king. Feels pointless when you just let me do it though...¡±


    He went back to the chess table and picked up Icara¡¯s queen. After he inspected it a few times over, he handed it to her. She palmed the piece and squinted her eyes. Almost immediately she noted that one of the crown pieces was thinner than the others.


    ¡°Tell me, Icara, who in a kingdom does that piece represent?¡±


    ¡°What are you... it¡¯s the queen piece.¡±


    ¡°So queens often stride about the battlefield, readily slaying knights and kings with ease, flying as fast as a raven?¡±


    Icara frowned and put the piece back onto the table. ¡°Then fine, there is no equivalent to such a piece. Maybe Berkahn, but he¡¯s not one to be controlled for the use of a mortal army.¡±


    ¡°You won because of that piece, right? That means you won with something that has no equal within an army or civic unit. Do you think that means anything to politics? Does this game, or any pieces within it, reflect the nature of reality?¡±


    She cocked her head to the side and looked back at the board. At first she considered the pawns might be soldiers, but found the idea too demeaning. Knights could act like knight, but the real ones were often more heralded for their leadership abilities. Similarly, a bishop would always be more relevant as a religious guide than any sort of directly political or military figure. Piece after piece, none of them seemed to align with themselves in any manner. Even worse, the board itself was nothing like a real battlefield.


    ¡°No...¡± Icara finally muttered before glaring at him again. ¡°You knew that this would mean nothing from the beginning, didn¡¯t you? Of course you¡¯d let me win, you just wanted to show how fruitless this was from the beginning...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one possibility. You aren¡¯t likely to accept the truth, that I¡¯m just rather bad at games like this altogether, would you?¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve done so much for the kingdom! Even if you¡¯re an immoral monster, you have to have a tactical mind to do what you¡¯ve done, some ability to control and lead others!¡±


    ¡°With people, yes, I can often be very charismatic. Not to brag, obviously. The issue is really with the game of chess itself, in a way. It is by its nature a game that requires a set of rules in order to be fair to both parties. However, that is never the case in reality. Poor, cripple, sickly, foolish, weak-willed, there are countless hindrances to people everywhere in the world. On top of that, you can¡¯t ever find specific rules for how to deal with other people. You can¡¯t assume that life operates like pieces of chess, Icara, all you¡¯ll do is end up losing a game where you¡¯re the only player.¡±


    ¡°So all of this... none of it really mattered in leadership? There was no point in that game at all then, I was tricked again...¡± Icara said, her voice dropping quietly towards the end.


    ¡°Nonsense, there was something to be learned. You revealed your true nature as a tactical thinker, someone who can accurately assess fights from a logistical standard act on those analyses. Your fighting all this time has left you quite well acclimated to being in combat, and you¡¯ve clearly got a good head to match your body. It¡¯s a shame then, that you¡¯re a demon hybrid.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with this?!¡± She demanded, accidentally conceding the theory for once.


    Koshchei opened the door to the game room and waved over a nearby servant. As he explained a simple order, Icara tapped her foot impatiently. Her anger was momentarily broken by the nature of his request. An order for two Alastair apples, one peeled, and the other unpeeled. He closed the door and waited for the footsteps to fade before he began again.


    ¡°Icara, demons are not like mortal races, so a hybrid of them means something very different. If you take a male donkey and a female horse, for example, their generate an offspring of a mule. Demons cannot mate at all in the natural sense, so they hybridize with something else entirely... they fuse with the soul of a mortal. If you would like to be less romantic about it, their thoughts mingle with one another and form a new whole. However, the demon and the host are not necessarily one and the same. A perfect hybrid doesn¡¯t exist, so only malformed creations that are weaker than both can be created.¡±


    ¡°What... what are you...¡± Icara tried to reply, but her mind raced too fast for her lips to keep up.


    ¡°Why do you think you¡¯ve been struggling so much recently since actually coming back here? Your mind is in a dangerous state of flux from the demon that died, it¡¯s trying to take over the last scraps of your mentality by tricking you into a no-win scenario. All you¡¯ve done for the past ten years has been the result of a maddened state of mind, Icara. Whatever goal you were working towards is impossible, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Icara collapsed to her knees again, but without pain. Where she had expected the agony to swell, she instead found a deep emptiness. One hand rested on her stomach as it spread around her core. Her breathing grew shallow and slow, like she was dying just from hearing the news. It felt like foreign thoughts were forced into her head now exposing the horrible nature of her real mind to the forefront. No tears fell from her face, but as she rose up to her feet, she didn¡¯t say anything.


    The door opened again, a servant girl intruding to speak to Koshchei. As she entered, she gave a glace to Icara in the middle of the room and pulled back slightly. The girl leaned into his ear and gave him the message she was sent to before quickly exiting the room. Koshchei put a hand on Icara¡¯s shoulder, drawing her attention up to him again.


    ¡°Our guests have arrived, Icara. They¡¯re the old friends of yours, actually. Gwindon and Lilith was it? Let¡¯s go and meet them now, maybe they can help console you after that terrible news.¡± Koshchei said with a gentle smile.


    Icara only nodded in response and both of them exited the room together.

 Chapter Eighteen: The Old and New are Kept Apart

    Castles throughout the ages have changed in construction very little, born of practicality first. In more recent years, as troop warfare falls from style, and our borders become more stagnant, fashion begins to take hold. This is not as negative as one might imagine it to be, both form and function can easily be melted together with modern construction methods. Appearances, after all, are everything for the current lord and lady. Make sure yours is one of power AND purpose.


    Koshchei¡¯s stride was as confident as ever as he moved down the hall, contrasted by Icara¡¯s slouched and slower walk. Icara barely registered the looks from others as they moved down together. Some guard were confused at her free movement, and some servants looked at her with deep pity. It wasn¡¯t long before they reached the entrance room of the castle and stood at the opposite front gate.


    Unlike most of the castle, this one had far more luxuries plastered inside. It had been spartan during Icara¡¯s childhood, and she could remember often finding it intimidating in appearance. This newer design had tile floors and massive paintings hung on the walls that depicted scenes from historical texts. It had been constructed by Koshchei following a growing trend among royalty to give envoys and visiting nobles the impression of your wealth.


    The doors leading outside opened quickly and a servant stretched his arms inside. Gwindon and Lilith stepped through, both admiring the work put into the entrance. As soon as the latter saw Icara¡¯s state, however, she rushed forward.


    ¡°Icara! What happened? Looks like they patched that wound on your neck, but...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s had a bit of a reawakening just a few minutes ago. You¡¯ll have to forgive her quiet disposition.¡± Koshchei said. ¡°Now, I assume you didn¡¯t have to be forced to come here. Are you alright? No challenges with a certain religious authority?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡ª¡± Lilith said before Gwindon caught up and put a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Nothing we couldn¡¯t handle, obviously. I¡¯m more curious as to why the king himself brought us here.¡± He asked before glancing over to Icara. ¡°You get enough sleep? Doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    Breaking the dullness within her for a second, she glared at the knight. Koshchei turned towards her as well and she resumed staring at the floor. After a brief pause, he smiled once again and clapped his hands together.


    ¡°Now that the greetings are done, I suppose it¡¯s only fair that I invite you both to join us for a meal. It won¡¯t be a proper feat or anything, but it should be sufficient enough for a small visit between friends. Given we¡¯re in the company of a knight, I¡¯m sure that must disappoint, you, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer a smaller ordeal, actually...¡± Gwindon said, drifting off as he looked between Icara and Koshchei. ¡°Are you going to explain what exactly happened between the both of you? I expected to find Icara in chains.¡±


    ¡°You should have arrived a little earlier then. Icara did have to be restrained when she first awoke, that was just for safety¡¯s sake. Now that she¡¯s more aware of her situation, I don¡¯t think any restraints are really necessary.¡±


    He took a step forward, but Gwindon stopped him again. ¡°What exactly is her situation, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    ¡°The one of her nature. She¡¯s a demon hybrid, of course, so she¡¯s had a rather conflicted and mentally unsound existence for most of her life... or all of it, depending on whether you consider Icara who she even says she is.¡± Koshchei said with a shrug.


    Icara convulsed as if she¡¯d been hit in the gut from hearing the words. Both Lilith and Gwindon watched her with the eyes of worried parents. Lilith moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her, pulling the disillusioned girl to her side. At the same instant, Gwindon moved beside Koshchei and pointed a finger threateningly towards his face.


    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± He asked firmly.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I ask the same thing about you? For some reason, she seemed especially fixated on some promise she made about learning how to be a ruler. I thought it gave her a little sense of false hope, just enough to shatter her down to her current reclusive state. Maybe if she had come to the castle directly as I would have hoped, we could have handled this more delicately, and without the soul-wrenching sense of betrayal.¡±


    ¡°She... are you trying to blame this one me?!¡± Gwindon said, raising his voice so it echoed in the hall.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A pair of guards shifted their gaze to the ground and put hands on their swords, Gwindon glared back at them but refused to back away from their king. Koshchei let out a laugh and gently lowered Gwindon¡¯s hand himself.


    ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t do something like that! But it¡¯s not my fault either. No one can really be blamed for her chaotic nature finally coming to an end. She was mentally unstable and willing to kill without remorse. Didn¡¯t you ever consider that such a violent life wasn¡¯t fitting for a princess, even one sent away?¡±


    ¡°People handle stress differently. You have no right to judge if she¡ª¡±


    ¡°Quite the contrary.¡± Koshchei cut him off with a solemn look as he spoke. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one with no right to speak in this situation. The demon that fused with her body killed two close friends of mine, the former king and queen, as well as their child. You, on the other hand, just met her not... a day ago? Two? By any measure, you¡¯re not her parent in the slightest. By legal rights, however, if you consider her Icara Valarus, I am her godfather.¡±


    Gwindon took a step back and turned towards Icara. Her eyes were pointed down to the floor, but he could still see the bright circles in them. For a moment, he stared and wondered if they seemed duller than they had before. Before he could ask, Icara looked up at him with a fearful expression. It wasn¡¯t a sudden panic, but rather an expression of dull anxiety over his conversation. He could barely recognize it as her¡¯s, and moved his focus back to Koshchei instead.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll move on to the more prevalent question then. Why would you bother summoning us up here? You should have known they¡¯d be carrying me off to the holy city for trial if you really looked into getting us here.¡±


    ¡°Oh the idea just came to me this morning and I sent word out to the guards. I had assumed that you and Lilith might¡¯ve planned a... less than agreeable means of escape from the church¡¯s control. You ran to the gates, presumably thinking about hiding out after reclaiming your armor, but were stopped by the gate and hurried here. Am I wrong?¡±


    Koshchei looked between Gwindon and Lilith with a now satisfied smirk, confident in his own guesswork. Lilith furrowed her brow and clung to Icara a little harder, as if it comforted her to have the younger woman by her side. Gwindon folded his arms and put on a fake sense of indignity.


    ¡°...You must be quite happy about that situation then. Regardless of your prediction, it still doesn¡¯t explain why you brought us here at all. Are you actually just trying to infuriate the church?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I just wanted to check in on the both of you and make sure you were aware of Icara¡¯s current standing. I had actually planned to have you help me calm her down, but it looks like that won¡¯t be needed.¡± Koshchei said and extended his arm down the hall once more. ¡°Now, as for that meal, it¡¯s likely waiting for us by now.¡±


    Gwindon moved back to Lilith and put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Actually, like you said, we¡¯d need to go looking for my armor. Do you mind if we got that stuff first?¡±


    ¡°I do, actually.¡± Koshchei said with a maintained hospitable voice. ¡°Surely you understand the gracious invitation of a sitting king is nothing to take lightly. You can retrieve your things after I have had my say, they¡¯ll still be there come the evening.¡±


    Lilith stepped forward this time, finally letting go of Icara. ¡°Come now, your highness, what if he goes and I stay here? I¡¯d love to get some royal food after having been away for a few years. Not to mention I¡¯ve never tried proper fielder cooking!¡± She said with an infectious smile.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not as if I¡¯m luring you in there to gobble you up or something. This castle is quite well protected and there will be guards posted right outside of the doors! I¡¯d have them stay inside the room as usual, but...¡± He leaned forward and lowered his voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all can understand the delicate nature of what our conversations might entail, right?¡±


    Both Lilith and Icara nodded, but Gwindon hesitated. He clenched his fist and checked his wife¡¯s posture at the statement. Though she had a tenser stance than normal, it was probably just nerves more than anything. Himself on the other hand, he had to focus hard not to become rigid as a board or entering a fighting pose. His breathing naturally leveled out slow and steady. By all his accounts, his body felt a strong urge to fight or run away, and he couldn¡¯t tell what from. What he had first thought might be Koshchei, he was starting to feel from Icara as well.


    He repeated the same gesture as the others and turned back around. Leading them back down the hall he and Icara had entered, Koshchei led them back further into the castle and towards a room in the back. There was a window along the wall, another extravagant sign of wealth, with the clear glass overlooking the garden. He took his seat at the head of a small table fit for six people and instructed them to do the same.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the banquet hall or anything, if you were put off by the small size. I had this table built so that I could have more intimate meals with guests, visiting dignitaries and the like. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s odd how most kings and queens will flaunt their wealth with the size of what they eat on?¡± Koshchei asked with a gentle laugh.


    Lilith was the only one that partially joined in, and she relaxed in her seat more once she did. Gwindon still had to grip the loose pants he¡¯d been forced to wear, struggling to place the energy he felt in the room. Before he could hone in much, the door opened and a servant entered with a small plate. She moved beside Koschei and placed it down in front of him, a slice apple with skin on it. Beside it is another apple, one with the skin peeled off of it, which he holds out to Icara.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably hungry after the ordeals today. This is an Alastair apple, one grown within the garden here. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll taste exactly like you remembering it tasting.¡±


    Her hand reached out for the fruit slowly, but stopped when the apple was stolen out of Koshchei¡¯s palm. Gwindon pulled it back towards himself and looked down at it with a glare before handing it back to him.


    ¡°This has been peeled. She only likes the ones with the skin on them.¡± He told him.


    Icara¡¯s ears perk at hearing him say that clearly and she nodded in agreement slowly, as if it was something she just now realized as well. The servant took the peeled apple back and exited the room, shortly returning with a freshly picked one that Icara happily took a bite out of. For the first time since he had arrived, Gwindon saw her smile, albeit briefly.


    ¡°Well now I feel rather terrible for forgetting something like that. Of course it has been a while since I knew her. She must have confided a number of things to you if she could passingly share a preference like that. Would you mind sharing something with me then, Gwindon? Lilith as well, if you liked to join in.¡±


    Both of them exchanged curious glances while he chewed on one of the apple pieces. By the time he had finished, he leaned forward and rested his head on one hand. The bright halos of his eyes seemed to flicker a little in the morning light.


    ¡°Do you two know what the punishment for treason is, or aiding the actions of a traitor to the king? I¡¯m wondering if you do, because both of you seem to have helped Icara here on her journey to assassinate me, and did absolutely nothing to surrender her to the authorities.¡± His smile widened a little at their shocked expressions and he took another slice of the apple into his mouth.

 Chapter Nineteen: For the Good of All in Name

    Legally speaking, I have seen the case often that humanity is lacking compared to our other talking neighbors. Perhaps our rule of the king and lordship might be harsh to some, but can it really be deemed worse than the anarchy of Korrem? Can it be heralded as tragic compared to the tribal councils of the Shek? A few of the lower class may have to suffer from this system, it is not perfect, but it is still the best we have.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the real reason you brought us here then...¡± Gwindon said, slouched forward with his elbows on the table.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s what she was here to do?!¡± Lilith asked in plain shock. ¡°I mean, with the weapon and everything I kind of assumed she was here with a vengeance, but still! All I knew was that she wanted to get Gwindon away from the church just like me. I¡¯m sure Gwindon was in the same situation, right?¡±


    Even as she spoke, his eyes were locked onto the table in front of him. Icara started to eat her fruit as well, watching the others at the table cautiously. That tension Gwindon felt came back even stronger now, and drove him to slam a fist down into the table. He turned to look at Koshchei with a focused stare as he spoke.


    ¡°What evidence do you have against us, exactly? It doesn¡¯t really matter to a king whether or not he can convince others of it, but I have a feeling you¡¯ve got some major card against us you¡¯d like to reveal.¡±


    ¡°Do I really come off as that dramatic?¡± Koshchei asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid all I have to go on is the fact you were definitely there at the church with Icara. Not to mention you didn¡¯t exactly look like you were all there just for prayer. That and the fact you and Icara caused that ruckus in town together when you got chased by that archpriest.¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have to prove that I can be a good leader... that was what you said, right Icara?¡± Koshchei suddenly asked her, turning his focus from Gwindon.


    Her dull eyes flashed a little but she meekly nodded her head. Gwindon couldn¡¯t help but stare in confusion. There was almost a feeling of loyalty or closeness between her and Koshchei now. He remembered the fearful look in her eyes right before he had slight her throat with the dagger. It was possible the poison from then was the source of this, but he couldn¡¯t imagine any kind of toxin that could mute that kind of raw hatred.


    ¡°You had already admitted as well to making a promise with her, right? If you¡¯ll indulge my fantasy a moment, but I believe what happened was she confided in you that she wished to kill me. Even if you had disagreed initially, she pushed the matter that she needed your help or acceptance, so you told her that you would serve her needs were she someone you thought was worthy of usurping my role. How accurate am I?¡±


    Gwindon managed to maintain a determined look despite the thoughts racing through his mind. ¡°That¡¯s... does it even really matter how accurate it is?¡±


    ¡°Your life is riding on the line here you know. Aren¡¯t you even going to try and lie to me? It must be a rather obvious solution to this issue, right? Unless you¡¯re thinking that whatever lie you come up with I¡¯ll have some counter to it?¡± Koshchei asked with a hint of excitement in his tone.


    A silence fell between them with Gwindon struggling to maintain a stare down against him. His eyes, though they were relaxed and happy, felt like bows cranked back and notched with arrows. His heart moved up to his throat from the suspense and he found himself at a loss for a proper retort. Rather than fearful, he knew the urge to spring into combat rose within him. It took all his concentration not to make a threatening gesture, lest he draw Lilith into a suicide attack.


    ¡°H-Hey, Icara!¡± Lilith¡¯¡¯s voice broke the tension suddenly. ¡°I just remembered something! As we were headed up here from the castle gate, we managed to pass somebody that knew Gwindon! He said he wanted to do a test or something on you a blood trial thing!¡±


    Lilith wrapped an arm around the younger woman and pulled her tight to her side, looking at the men at the table with a plastered smile. Gwindon couldn¡¯t help but relax somewhat with the easy out, but he was worried to find Koshchei still smiling.


    ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t think Gwindon had any friends here in the capital. Was it a visiting alchemist he had blabbed to about Icara¡¯s unfortunate state? Hard to believe, considering he was in chains for most of last night. You wouldn¡¯t be lying to cover for your husband¡¯s treason would you, Lilith?¡±


    ¡°No! This guy, he met Gwindon before the whole church thing, he said that! He lived here, and had already met Icara in the past or something. Said his name was Cherno.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Gwindon had been watching Koshchei carefully, transfixed by the placid smile on his face. He noticed the instant that Cherno¡¯s name was mention, it vanished off of his face and was replaced with a darker expression than he had ever seen the king wear.


    ¡°Cherno, huh...?¡± Koshchei said. ¡°I suppose I can postpone my questioning of Gwindon then. Now tell me exactly what Cherno wanted and why. I¡¯d also like to know how he contacted you and if you did it first or not.¡±


    Everyone, even Icara, shifted in their seat from the massive personality changed that had happened. Koshchei was cool and collected now, eyes piercingly focused on Lilith exactly and with a posture like he was going to jump from the table any second. Icara finished the last bites of her apple and looked up at Lilith, her appearance growing imperceptibly healthier when she did.


    ¡°Oh, well... he said he¡¯d wanted to visit Icara again and run a trial on her. It was to test something about all the demon hybrid stuff. Maybe he was just trying to get some money out of you or something, but he did say it would prove what you¡¯re saying to be accurate!¡± Lilith said with a fake smile.


    Gwindon raised an eyebrow, equally as impressed and worried about his wife¡¯s ability to lie on the spot. Koshchei nodded slowly on hearing the explanation and offered out a hand.


    ¡°So he did mention me then? He was the alchemist in charge of the blood trial when I was sworn in about ten years ago, you see. I always thought he was a strange man, always gave me strange looks, like he thought I was trying to trick him. Of course, they stopped the moment my tests came back as completely normal, however.¡± Koshchei said and relaxed his body and voice back to normal. ¡°Well if he¡¯d like to give my new guest a similar treatment, I¡¯ve no strict objections to it.¡±


    Lilith cocked an eyebrow and looked to Gwindon, where she immediately dropped it before the king noticed. Both of them had taken note by then, that Cherno had lied to Koshchei about his results, or that Koshchei had lied to them just now. The larger issue was how they¡¯d explain this to Cherno, and how they¡¯d get Koshchei tested as well.


    ¡°Considering he¡¯s the one who supposedly knows him, Gwindon, you should be the one to go get him. I¡¯d send a guard, but that might be a bit threatening to the poor man.¡±


    At first they relaxed, but Lilith caught a flash of a smirk across Koshchei¡¯s face as Gwindon rose to his feet. Once more thinking fast, she shot up first, pushing Icara aside for a second.


    ¡°W-Wait, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Any particular reason why? I did say that Gwindon was the one that knew him better, so it¡¯d be more likely for them to understand each other, don¡¯t you think? There¡¯s not a single reason you should feel the need to go in his stead, Lilith.¡±


    She swallowed hard and thought fast. A hand went to the back of her head and scratched, an old trick she learned to try and buy time in a conversation. The gears clicked in her mind as she pieced together why her instincts leapt out. He must not know the exact connection Icara and Gwindon, so he¡¯s hoping to interrogate her on it when Gwindon isn¡¯t here to defend or interrupt. He¡¯d also already stated very clearly that Gwindon is turning traitor, so he might just try to have him arrested or killed while they¡¯re outside.


    ¡°Well why not have both of us go then? You know, we¡¯ve been apart from each other for so long, and I¡¯d hate to be seperated from my husband now that we¡¯re together again!¡±


    ¡°If I recall correctly, didn¡¯t he try to murder you last night?¡± Koshchei asked with a bored look.


    ¡°That was a misunderstanding, but I¡¯ll be honest anyway. I want to make sure Gwindon stays safe and out of trouble. All this talk of treason and demons is making me have bad memories back to the fall of the desert rose. Can¡¯t we just take a break from this for now? You know we can¡¯t leave the city or anything like that, I just want some time to talk with him and adjust to all of this.¡±


    ¡°Leaving the city isn¡¯t really my concern, Lilith. Think of it like this, Gwindon has just realized he¡¯s going to get a trial for treason, and here is an opportunity where someone has to leave and get Cherno.¡± Koshchei said, leaning back in his seat. ¡°So why exactly did you first offer to replace him, and then change it to going with him?¡±


    She froze, caught in her own desperate moves.


    ¡°If you had pressed one case, it would have been more believable, and even greater a case if you had focused on the suggestion of sending a guard to do it. Since you seem transfixed on the idea of one of you two doing it, you must have something you want to discuss with him.¡± Koshchei narrowed his eyes to daggers once more. ¡°Care to tell me what you would need from him that¡¯s so important, Lilith...?¡±


    Her heart was stuck in her throat, blocking her from being able to speak. Before she could open her mouth again, the sound of wood scraping filled the room as Gwindon shot up as well. His eyes were fixed on the spot in front of him, and all eyes moved to his face. He took a deep breath in through his nose before turning to Koshchei.


    ¡°She wants... to test me or her. The same thing as Icara, a blood trial. Both of us are possibly still carrying trace amounts of the demon that caused the knights in our kingdom to go mad.¡± Gwindon turned to Lilith. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if you¡¯re not going to admit it, I¡¯ll do it for you. You know for a fact that trying to kill you was odd behavior, and your freak out isn¡¯t explainable either. Both of us might just relapse into it, and we¡¯ll never know unless we actually have a trial for it.¡±


    ¡°Gwindon...¡± Lilith muttered, her body nearly going limp from relief.


    Koshchei relaxed his face once more and rubbed his cheek with a sigh. ¡°Ah... here I was expecting something more villainous of you. Forgive me for my misconceptions, you both must have suffered similar to Icara here then. Well, go on and ask him about all of that if you¡¯d like, we¡¯re in no terrible rush to have her put on trial.¡±


    ¡°You mean we¡¯re both free to go?¡± Lilith asked.


    Koshchei nodded and gave a brief smile as he waved his hand away. Gwindon and Lilith moved to one of the doors together and opened it, exiting back into the hall they entered. Before he was completely gone, he looked back into the room. Icara stared at them as they left, and her eyes met with Gwindon¡¯s as he watched.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon, Icara. Just wait for us.¡± He said with a nod.


    She gave a faint smile and nodded back, another portion of color returning to her face. Once they had started further down the hall, Lilith looked around in a panic and clutched a hand to her chest, breathing out forcefully.


    ¡°Thank Helera we got out of there!¡± She said in a huff. ¡°I choked so hard on that last part, Gwindon. You really saved us both there with that little lie you came up with. Now we just need to figure out how to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a lie, Lilith.¡±


    She hesitated and regained her breath again at his side. ¡°So... you really do still doubt either of us could be like that? You can¡¯t just take it on faith that I¡¯m me, and you¡¯re you?¡±


    ¡°No, because if I really did think I was myself, I would never have attacked you as fast as I did last night.¡± Gwindon turned towards her and took her hand in his. ¡°I want to be sure, Lilith, and this is the only way I think I can be.¡±


    Lilith squeezed his hand tight and moved for the door, with him pulled behind. ¡°Well then, if that¡¯s what it takes, we¡¯ll do it!¡±

 Chapter Twenty: Never Lacking in Their Heart

    The blood trial is a recent technology, and something of a marvel. The property of the blood powder is quite remarkable, and was discovered by sheer accident when an assistant¡¯s hand was cut on a broken jar of the material. It seems to crystalize in the most unique and largest patterns when exposed to the blood of talking races. Because of this, be wary of allowing it to touch any open wounds on your body. The material will crystallize within the veins of your body.


    Both of them exited the castle with only minor attention from the staff. The sun had risen high into the sky by then, and the clouds slowly gathered for a heavy rain. Foot traffic had grown to the peak once more, meaning each road had at least one person moving in both directions. All through the massive network of buildings, the chatter of the market place could be heard.


    Gwindon and Lilith kept to the back roads to avoid much of the crowd. In the end, Lilith had to be the one to guide them most of the time. She greeted a man on their way to Cherno¡¯s shop and sent him back to her followers with a little message about their current situation. Once he succuried off, she waved for Gwindon to follow again.


    ¡°Come on, it can¡¯t be that far off now. We¡¯re towards where the more... aromatic businesses hang out.¡±


    Once they actually entered the district, the word aromatic might have been too weak for it. They had nothing to cover their noses with, so opted instead to just hurry through the area like most others. In short notice, they found Cherno¡¯s shop at the very end of the area. Gwindon sniffed the air and found his shop was far more bland smelling than the shops surrounding it.


    They pushed the door open and found him resting at his table with a cup of tea in hand, turning his attention towards them with a smile. ¡°Well, you certainly got back faster than I had expected.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever have customers in here? It seems like you¡¯re the only one who hangs out in this shop.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more of an on-demand type of service. Blood trials and home delivered remedies, that sort of thing. Considering I don¡¯t see our king with you, can I presume I¡¯m supposed to be delivering one right now?¡±


    Lilith looked down and sighed. ¡°Yes, but... there was a complication. Koshchei started accusing us of being traitors, so we had to distract him. I told him that you had wanted to perform a test on Icara, not him. I¡¯m sorry, but we need to come up with a plan on how to get him to do one as well now.¡±


    Cherno took a drink of his tea before setting the cup back down. He stood up and went into a back room, moving some things around in silence before he returned with a strange looking apparatus. There was a thin needle suspended over a length of parchment on the main bulk of it. On either side of it was a vial of red powder with a cap attached to a hinge. He placed it down onto the table and took a small brush, cleaning off the parchment and needle.


    ¡°That might not actually be necessary, in all honesty. His results should be tied to Icara¡¯s, at least in terms of unusual quality.¡±


    ¡°When we brought it up, he actually made a note to mention his results were perfectly normal. Did you lie to him, or did he lie to us?¡± Gwindon asked, approaching the device carefully.


    ¡°Just randomly mentioned it, huh? Must be something to try and make you doubt me or this situation in general. He¡¯s rather good at it as well, so you two should be careful.¡± Cherno replied. ¡°On that topic, however, how has Icara been faring? I can only imagine he¡¯s got her strapped up in some cell.¡±


    ¡°Actually... he said he removed some chains shortly before we arrived. Icara was acting completely different than when we had both met her. She seemed sick and weak, as well as acting completely meek and unresponsive.¡±


    Cherno nodded his head a few times and moved to the doorway, gesturing for Gwindon to lift the device. ¡°Well that¡¯s all we¡¯ll need to confirm some things going on between the two of them. I¡¯d carry it myself, but it¡¯s actually rather cumbersome.¡±


    ¡°Wait, before we head out, there¡¯s a reason that we¡¯re specifically here to begin with. This device can both tell if someone is royal blooded as well as if they¡¯ve made a pact with a demon, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s actually nothing very complicated, it just detects abnormal amounts of aether material within your blood. Why?¡±


    Gwindon put a hand on the device, more of an ornate casing for the needle and vials now that he looked at it carefully. He turned back to Lilith and she moved closer to it as well, though her arms folded along the way. She stared at the needle itself while Gwindon looked to Cherno.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°We would like you to test us first. Though I didn¡¯t say it properly when we first met, there¡¯s a chance me and Lilith... could have made a contract with a demon. It wasn¡¯t voluntary, our king forced it on the knights of our kingdom while we slept, and it backfired in a horrible manner. I¡¯ve lived in doubt with myself for ages, and I want to know for sure if I really am who I think that I am.¡±


    Cherno moved back to him with a cocked eyebrow. ¡°Really? Neither of you seem like you¡¯ve got the signs of it. One can never be too sure of anything, of course. It¡¯ll be easy to test the both of you right now, if you¡¯d like. Before I do though, would you mind telling me what you¡¯ll do if you find out you do show signs of it still?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. Even if I feel fine as I am, if I¡¯ve become something part demon, can I really say my desire to stay alive past that information is something I would say on my own?¡± He looked to Lilith. ¡°But... I just have to know, for both of us. Even if it doesn¡¯t change anything in our actual lives, I want to know for sure.¡±


    Lilith took Gwindon¡¯s hand in both of hers and squeezed it tight, giving him a kind smile. He couldn¡¯t manage to return the gesture, but he gripped onto her fingers tight. Cherno took the unoccupied hand and brought it down to the instrument, suddenly pricking his finger on the long needle before pressing it down on the parchment below.


    After holding the finger there for a few seconds, he pulled the paper away and revealed it was actually drawn from a roll buried within the instrument. He tore off a portion of the parchment and wrapped it around the finger Gwindon had pricked like a bandage. After that, he placed the finger on top of the device and opened one of the vials. He took a pinch off of the top and slowly scattered it across the bloodstain.


    They watched carefully for some change to occur, but nothing seemed to change from the small pile accumulating on top of the wound. They waited with bated breath until Cherno brushed some of the power off the wrapping and into a small hole in the device, using a copy of the one he had cleaned the needle with. On top of the bandage, stuck to the spot of blood, was a small patch of solid crystal the color of blood. Cherno peeled it off of the bandage carefully and held it up for both of them to see.


    ¡°This is what happens when you expose this material to blood. Of course the effect isn¡¯t nearly as strong in less intelligent creatures or anything. We test this sample for a few things and that should let us know if you¡¯re still mixed with a demon.¡±


    ¡°Well then how can you tell the difference between royal blood and normal blood? Is there some other metric being measured?¡± Lilith asked.


    Cherno held a finger to his lips and winked. ¡°Trade secret, I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯d be inclined to tell you that, but it¡¯s not exactly pertinent to this discussion. I can set that aside for now, if you¡¯d like to go, Lilith.¡±


    She took her hands off of Gwindon¡¯s and rubbed them both together, staring at the needle once more. Closing her eyes tight, she let one hand down for him to take and Cherno pressed the ring finger into the needle. He repeated the same motions as last time and resulted in a similar disc to Gwindon¡¯s. Cherno held the both up for each other before moving into a back room to test them properly.


    Lilith suddenly moved to Gwindon and embraced him tightly. She buried her face in his shoulder for a few seconds until he pat her back in return. They both held each other as cherno continued testing, Lilith eventually pulling away again and folding her arms under her chest.


    ¡°I never really got to say what I¡¯d do when I found out, but... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be doing anything different either. Even if we drifted apart, I want to think that all the stuff just bled out of our system. I¡¯m fine with you having hated me for all those years because I just did something stupid. I really deserved it.¡± She said.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I never hated you, Lilith. Even when you attacked me, I never thought to myself that I stopped loving you. The only question was whether or not you were actually who you said you were, or even if I was who I thought I was. You deserve Gwindon, not some twisted mockery of him, and I...¡±


    She moved forward in his hesitation and slugged him in the shoulder. Even though she smiled, he could see tears brimming in her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll take whatever Lilith you can get. I¡¯m going to have to work with whatever you are, so you¡¯re going to settle for me as well. Got it?¡± She told him.


    Gwindon genuinely smiled at her for the first time in ages. He took a step forward this time and squeezed her hand with his own. Neither of them spoke for the rest of the time it took for Cherno to get the results. When he came back, the discs were gone, and the only sign he had worked at all were a pair of crimson-stained gloves he took off.


    ¡°Honestly the both of you should have expected a result like this, but I can only find minimal amounts of the material inside your blood. You seem perfectly normal for both tests, just in case you were curious about possibly being royalty as well.¡± He said with a grin.


    ¡°Seem normal?¡± Gwindon asked, narrowing his eyes.


    ¡°Well if I had taken your sample there directly, we¡¯d know for sure whether or not you had been affected. The way a hybridization works is that the original demon feeds energy into the host over time, which the human then supplies back to the demon at the same rate. Sorry, it¡¯s a bit complicated and we don¡¯t have absolute facts on any of this. What we do know though, is that the demon or human dying results in the other becoming weaker over time until they return to their original strength.¡±


    ¡°You mean that even with this test, we¡¯ll never really know for sure if either of us are the real thing? Not just some mentally similar copy?¡±


    Cherno moved forward and put a hand on Gwindon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°None of us are really the same person we were years ago. What matters is who we are now. All I can tell you is that you¡¯re not possessed or anything of the sort right now.¡±


    He looked down at the floor in silence, confusion raged within him. There was no satisfaction in the answer he got, and he knew now that there never would be. His own thoughts felt foreign to him. Before despair could take control of him, a slap struck across his face. Lilith glared at him as he rubbed the cheek and she pointed to the blood trial device.


    ¡°I can see that look in your eyes, Gwindon. You¡¯re not going to let this little bit of doubt take over right now, not when we¡¯re supposed to be doing something. Even if you have to settle for me, not knowing if I was someone else a bunch of years ago, you¡¯re going to do it!¡±


    Gwindon stepped forward and put a hand on her cheek. ¡°Lilith... I¡¯d never call it settling with you. I¡¯m the one that¡¯s made mistakes, so you¡¯ve got no reason to think you deserve any of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... that¡¯s why I slapped you, idiot. Stop messing around and let¡¯s get going already!¡±


    Cherno shook his head at the simple resolution to such a complex issue. He knew that neither wanted to face the intricacies of the issue, probably to protect the feeling of having the other with them. Gwindon lifted the instrument and they made their way back to the castle. As they walked, Lilith made sure to hold Gwindon¡¯s free hand along the way.

 Chapter Twenty-One: Faced With the Past by Force

    The exact nature of a demon hybrid is not entirely known. From what interrogations and repenting sessions have revealed, we have never actually encountered a true hybrid. Instead, the demon more uses human hosts as a sort of symbiotic parasite, with the power of both increasing over time. Does this mean that we have never encountered one because it would not benefit the demon? Perhaps it is simply not possible for one to exist.


    The door closed as Gwindon and Lilith left, and a great silence followed. Koshchei looked to Icara at the table and inspected her health with a glance. She had a slight color to her skin, but still kept a shallow breath. A glance down at his wrist showed an almost visible pulse on his own hand. With a small smile, he pushed the plate aside and stood up from his seat.


    ¡°Well, they should be out for a good while. No sense in wasting our time here waiting for them of course. Would you be interested in seeing more of the castle, Icara? I have an idea of somewhere else to take you, and I think it might be able to help with the pains you¡¯ve been suffering from.¡± Koshchei said.


    She lifted her head up at his suggestion and nodded before joining him on her feet. He moved to another door leading into the room and opened it, gesturing for her to enter first. Icara stopped just before leaving the room and turned to him.


    ¡°Where exactly are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°The room where the king and queen of Alastair died. Your parents, if you still believe yourself to be their child.¡± Koshchei said with a serious look.


    ¡°W-Why would I want to go there?!¡± Icara asked, recoiling back at his statement.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been feeling sick since the grave, haven¡¯t you? Something gnawing at your core for an unknown reason, and it only grows stronger whenever you see some evidence of your past life getting forced into your mind, right?¡±


    She quietly glanced at the floor and nodded, rubbing her stomach.


    ¡°If you actually visit the room, you might have another attack, but it¡¯d put you in a position to actually cure these pains. You want that, right?¡±


    Once more she nodded and pushed into the hallway ahead. Koshchei smiled at her acceptance and closed the door behind him. They wound their way up some stairs and to the far end of the castle itself. They came to a set of large doors with two men guarding it, whom Koshchei ordered to open the room and return to the entrance hall.


    They entered and immediately Icara remembered the day itself. Nothing abnormal of foreboding had occurred prior to the actual death, it had been a day like any other in her life before then. The room itself was a large gathering hall with a long table at the center, seated at the end by a proper pair of thrones. Icara slowly moved to the ornate seats and place a hand on the armrest where her father sat in her childhood.


    It was from this room that the king would perform his civic duties to the kingdom, listing or agreeing to laws for the people to follow, measuring the value of his lands for the year, discussing politics with his advisors. Though Icara had been too young to really understand what they spoke about, she could feel a small sense of nostalgia pass through her. Then came the memories of their deaths again.


    The reminiscing was replaced with agony as she doubled over onto the floor while Koshchei casually approached her from behind. He knelt beside her tormented body and placed a hand on her shoulder. All she could do was gaze up at him in fear and rage, the memory of their deaths suddenly mixing with her present feelings of pain.


    ¡°You see, Icara, you¡¯re the hybrid of a demon and a human child. It¡¯s an exceptionally rare thing for something like that to happen, so there¡¯s no doubt you have a very mixed mental state. This pain that you¡¯re feeling? That¡¯s the child Icara raging against the the adult Icara that you are now. The human part of you is refusing to accept that fact that you lived, and is making you suffer from the conflict.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not dead! I¡¯m me!¡± She pleaded.


    Koshchei shook his head slowly. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the issue, Icara. The demon portion of your mind has only grown stronger and stronger as you aged. Unfortunately, I think something must¡¯ve gone wrong with your creation. You¡¯ve ended up with only partial retention of your memories from before the conversion, and your body has taken to the assumption the old Icara is dead. Luckily, I think I know of a way for you to get better!¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    She struggled up to her knees while he spoke and looked up at him. Despite the intense hatred for him from the old memories, the pained part of her welcomed the chance at relief. Even though she couldn¡¯t speak, Koshchei nodded confidently as if he understood clearly that she would accept his help.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening is a conflict inside of your mind, so it should be as simple as accepting one side of that conflict in order to keep moving forward. You obviously shouldn¡¯t agree with the more human side of you, the one that wants you to be dead, so why not try to accept your demonic origins instead?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m Icara Valarus, not some aether child!¡± She shouted back at him, wincing as she spoke. ¡°How can I accept that fact that I¡¯m not who I say I am, the person who I have memories of being?¡±


    ¡°Well you don¡¯t have to completely reject your past self in order to accept who you are now, Icara, that¡¯s why I feel completely safe using that name for you. The conflict is whether or not Icara is dead. Considering you are wholly alive yourself, you simply must own up to how you survived at all.¡± Koshchei explained, moving over to one of the thrones and sitting down in it. ¡°Being a hybrid is how you lived past not only that attack, but every trial you¡¯ve endured beyond that.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? There was never an instance I don¡¯t have an explanation for how I got through it. I¡¯ve had help before, like when I first escaped the camp, are you trying to tell me that was all a lie?!¡±


    ¡°No, but the very basis for your survival hinged on the hybridization. Think about it, your blood was prized as seasoning because it was royal blood, right? If you had been a normal royal, the taste would dull and return to normal with time. Because of your nature, you were abel to fool them long enough to escape. How many times past that point did you benefit from the increased vitality? The unparalleled drive to victory or survival?¡±


    She shut her eyes tight, unable to ignore what he said. Her life as he explained it was flashed before her eyes. The times she struggled in a fight, and felt some unnatural instinct to win, the manner in which she felt the drive to kill at a moments notice. Thoughts she had always assumed were the product of a difficult life were forced to the forefront of her mind and put into doubt. She could have died the moment the slavers got her, or the moment she tried to escape. Mercenaries and soldiers all had their chance to fight her and lost their lives for trying.


    ¡°How... how can I accept such a violent part of me. If what you¡¯re saying is true, than I could shoulder off the blame on that part of my mind and accept the other half. Maybe I would die, but at least that chaotic element would be gone!¡±


    ¡°But it need not be a bad thing, Icara!¡± Koshchei snapped at her. ¡°We have soldiers on the wall and patrol, there are knight for every kingdom, even the church has a sect for combat. It is not because humans are a warrior race or anything of the sort, but it¡¯s because conflict is inevitable. You can embrace the chaotic side of yours and use it to ensure the conflict remains free of one more confusing jumble.¡±


    ¡°I can...?¡± Icara asked, the pain in her gut lifting for a moment.


    ¡°Think about what would happen if you put those instincts and abilities of yours to use. Sure you would become more like a demon, but as you shape yourself, you will shape that half of yourself in turn! That power and ability can be put to use for doing what you want with it.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing I want now. For the past few years, all I could think about was getting revenge. I didn¡¯t even realize it meant having to rule afterward. My entire drive just feels like an arrow prepared to get lodged in some distant target, but never stray from that path. There¡¯s nothing I even want!¡±


    Koshchei moved from the throne and stood above her. He offered out his hand to her and she took it, rising up to her feet once again.


    ¡°Icara, do you remember what I said in the game room? About how I could take so much land, yet lacked a tactical mind?¡± He asked her. ¡°Well the case will not always be the same. Sometimes combat is needed, and I¡¯ve thus far had to rely on human commanders and the like to do things for me. Even in cases where overt force is not needed, I can¡¯t trust everyone to blindly follow my orders. But what if I didn¡¯t need them to at all?¡±


    Icara moved to the queen¡¯s throne and rubbed one of the handrests idly. She remembered once as a child that she was allowed to rest on her mother¡¯s lap during a meeting if she stayed quiet. Though the politics went far above her head, it felt good just to be held by her. After a moment of silence, she turned back to Koshchei, feeling the hatred whither in her heart but not blink out completely.


    ¡°Tell me what I¡¯d do clearly. No tricks.¡±


    Koschei grinned at the response and nodded his head. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t dream of it now. You¡¯d be a special character all in to yourself amongst my armed forces. Deployed both as commander and agent. With your ability, we could easily maintain the state without oppressive measures. Perhaps we could, with time, find other failed hybrids like yourself and save them from their destructive paths. Even if it does seem a bit... hedonistic, you could sate your desire for destruction and survival without fear of repercussion.¡±


    ¡°Yet all I would have to do is accept this... demon side of me. To become more like the thing that made me like this in the first place?¡±


    ¡°In a way, yes. You¡¯d also be securing your own independence from the demon. Taking a power he might never have intended for you to have, and using it for your own means rather than what he wanted.¡±


    Once more Icara closed her eyes and calmed the thoughts that raced through her mind. The depth of despair she had just escaped still lingered on the edge of her mind, as well as the pain in her stomach. She willed the both of them out of her thoughts and a new sensation coursed through her body. It was neither pleasure nor pain, but she fell from the throne in a heap and panted in distress. Her bones creaked and muscles flexed tightly, every inch of her felt the change.


    Koshchei watched with the same grin as earlier while she twitched in place on the ground. He pulled a seat from the table and sat down in it, folding his arms as he watched his handiwork at play. The movements of her body were slowly, but strange noises seeped out in little flashes to mark the changes with her body. At the same instant they occurred, the pulse from before surged across his wrist and up his arm. His breath grew deep and slow while he watched, feeling his own vitality magnify from the scene.


    ¡°Well done, Icara! I¡¯m sure nothing will stand in your way for a long time.¡± He said, clapping his hands together.

 Chapter Twenty-Two: Where it Crumbles on the Ground

    The effects of excessive blood powder exposure aren¡¯t known on humans. Given the small amount that can build up in the veins, we know that it can be fatal, but we have never had a chance to see what an excessive amount of them could do to someone.  The reactions will likely be fatal, as is the case for all animals we¡¯ve tested on, but there¡¯s a chance of survival and possible adaptation...


    Cherno and the others arrived back to the castle gates and were welcomed back inside. He paused at the grand hall and let out a low whisper while he looked over the many paintings present. After the quick inspection, he noticed two guards nervously standing beside a staircase to the left of the door Koshchei had first greeted them at. The group approached and the men straightened up.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to perform a blood trial on Icara. Do you happen to know where she is?¡± Cherno asked them.


    They glanced nervously between each other before one gestured up the stairs. ¡°Icara is the one he brought in last night, right? She seemed like she was one foot in the grave when she walked into the room. We wouldn¡¯t really deem to question the king, but I hope that trial thing isn¡¯t too hard on the girl.¡±


    Gwindon shared glances with the others and moved quickly up the staircase they pointed to. Fortunately directions weren¡¯t really needed to find the room after that. The hall was barren of other paths until a set of massive door, still slightly ajar, appeared at the end of them. He stopped and found Lilith and Cherno short behind him. They all passed through the door together.


    ¡°Ah, there you all are!¡± Koshchei said, his arms folded down in his lap as he sat on the king¡¯s throne. ¡°I presume you¡¯ve come to give Icara the blood trial? Long time no see, Cherno! She¡¯s a bit distracted at the moment, but things will move along shortly, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    They moved around the table and finally spotted Icara in a heap on the floor. Though they couldn¡¯t hear anything from her, she was visibly shaking. Her skin had taken on a much healthier tone than before, but now little red protrusions grew from her skull around the temples. As if made of blood, the protrusions seemed to pulse in rhythm with her heart rate. Gwindon set the device down and got closer with the others.


    ¡°What is happening to her...?¡± Gwindon asked, fists balled at his sides.


    ¡°Acceptance. The physical changes are bit stunning to me as well, but I suppose that¡¯s normal for someone as unique as her. She is a hybrid that has been fostered and nurtured for a long time, evidently. To more directly answer your question, she has decided to accept the part of her mind that has grown thanks to being a hybrid. Rather than reject her demonic origin, she is embracing it. Rather simple, to do when I put it like that, but it has been quite the struggle for her.¡±


    Icara lifted her head to Gwindon with a pained smile on her face. The halos in her eyes flashed and winked, shifting from near luminescence to a dull glint. With obviously great effort, she lifted herself to one knee and raised one hand in greeting. Lilith stood beside Gwindon and moved closer to him as Icara moved.


    ¡°H-Hello again, Gwindon. I¡¯m finally feeling better!¡± She said through labored breath.


    ¡°Are you sure about that, dear? You don¡¯t look alright... you¡¯re starting to not look human either.¡± Lilith said, looking Over Icara¡¯s body.


    ¡°I feel fine. Maybe better than fine, but I can¡¯t exactly tell right now. There¡¯s a weird energy running across my skin, it feels a bit like static. Strangest of all is that the sensation is going into my head as well. I can sort of feel something pushing in around my temples, if that makes sense.¡±


    Cherno arranged the machine in silence for a moment before circling past Gwindon and Lilith. He walked right up to Icara and knelt down in front of her, holding his hand just an inch away from her forehead. She didn¡¯t move to take his head away, carefully watching it instead.


    ¡°Mhmm, I hardly think a test is needed at this point. These horns are made from the same material I¡¯d perform the test with. There¡¯s no doubt about it, she has an excessive amount of aether content. Technically speaking, she should be dead already.¡± Cherno explained as he stood back up.


    ¡°Horns?¡± Icara asked, a shaky hand rose to her head and felt one of the pulsing growths. ¡°What the... Koshchei, this is too obvious! They¡¯ll know I¡¯m mostly a demon now.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll only have rumors amongst the losers. Power breeds righteousness, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll look past your qualities in time. Even if the church decides to condemn you, I¡¯ll be by your side to defend you, Icara.¡± Koshchei offered with a smile.


    ¡°This is insane!¡± Gwindon interrupted them both. ¡°You¡¯ve been toying with her mind since you got here, and now even her body and soul are warped! I don¡¯t care what your reasons are, this is wrong.¡±


    ¡°You seem to think I considered your opinion when I decided this.¡± Koshchei said with a smirk.


    Icara shingly rose to her feet and glanced down at her hands. The veins in her wrists surged with blood and flexed in smooth pulses. As her breathing settled, her vision felt ever clearer than it had before. She flexed her fingers out and watched the veins steele down into her skin with a smile. Her attention lifted back to Gwindon.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong. I can feel myself stronger now, and it feels like my head is calmed down as well. Even if there¡¯s still a slight struggle, I can feel it growing weaker by the second.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking like your humanity is going to die, Icara. Is that really something you want to happen? Just become some mindless killing machine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than trying to reject the power you¡¯re given. Even when you could have fought and escaped or killed Daylon, you just let him capture you. Don¡¯t you remember the feeling of being a hybrid yourself? The raw power in hard to describe, but it just feels like every function in my body is stronger. Why didn¡¯t you keep this power, Gwindon? Were you just scared because your kingdom fell from grace with it?¡±


    ¡°My kingdom fell because the demon died, Icara. The shock of trying to control so many people drove all of us mad, it wasn¡¯t anything to do with power at all. What do you think that means for the fact your demonic half has been this strong?¡±


    She took a step back and grasped one of the horns in her hand. A slight tremor rattled her grip for a second before she stared at the floor. No rebuttal came to her mind, too clouded with doubt to think of something like that. Koshchei watched him with a glare until Cherno slid the machine forward on the table.


    ¡°Well I¡¯d hate to have wasted the trip here. Since Icara is a guaranteed pass on the test, why don¡¯t you try it out, Koshchei? I¡¯m sure you could use some evidence of your humanity to dissuade naysayers to your use of Icara as a field commander and warrior, don¡¯t you agree?¡± He suggested with one hand on the device.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think such a measure will be needed, alchemist. Compared to Icara, my appearance must be rather dull, don¡¯t you think? If I do happen to attract some negative rumors in the future, I¡¯ll be sure to enlist your aid then. For now, I¡¯m terribly sorry about the wasted trip, and will happily offer you a modicum of money. You do have to leave immediately, however.¡±


    ¡°Are you scared of the needle or something? Don¡¯t tell me the king is frightened of just a little prick on his royal finger! Take a step down from the throne and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Would you like to be thrown from the castle, Cherno? I can easily arrange your business be burned as well. Get out of here immediately or I will lose my temper entirely and do something very unfitting of my station.¡±


    Gwindon looked at Cherno, amazed at the cool face he could maintain after a threat like that. He moved beside him and put a hand on his sword, glaring back at the king. Koshchei let out a sigh and stood up, but froze in place as he watched Icara move between them and him.


    ¡°What kind of king threatens someone so easily like that? You¡¯re losing your head if you can so casually say things like that. If I¡¯m supposed to be working with you to better the kingdom of Alastair, I don¡¯t want you making idle use of that power.¡± She confidently questioned him.


    His fist clenched tight to his side, and at the same moment, Icara faltered. She felt her head get lighter and her limbs weak, driving her down to the floor. He moved down from the throne and stood in front of her, looking over the others with a focused stare devoid of the civility he had kept up before. Moving away from Icara, he approached the door to the hall and gripped onto the knocker.


    Despite the impressive size of the door, he slowly closed it shut before turning back towards them. ¡°Cherno, can I ask why you¡¯re so determined to get a sample of my blood? You should know full well that I¡¯m just your average royal at this point. Don¡¯t you remember testing me a while ago?¡±


    Gwindon swallowed hard, the atmosphere growing oppressively dark. He pulled back to Lilith¡¯s side and stood between Koshchei and her, his hand gripping onto one of hers. Both of their hearts were racing fast as they watched Cherno place a finger casually to his chin and then bring the hand back down on the device itself.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m terribly sorry, I must have misspoken all those years ago. Your trial actually had a very bizarre quality to it. When I applied the powder to your wound, it didn¡¯t cling at all to the blood you had, which is what should happen to when it comes in contact with blood. At least, that¡¯s what would happen to the blood of a normal living creature. It just seemed so silly to me at the time, how could you produce results impossible for any living creature?¡±


    Koshchei slowly walked around the table towards Cherno, a cold and piercing gaze focused on him the whole way. A few feet before meeting him, Icara once more came to their defense and stood in front of him. The quick move was astoundingly quick, but she was out of breath by the time she stopped.


    ¡°W-Wait a minute, Koshchei... let him speak some more. I don¡¯t know entirely what¡¯s going on, but I feel like something is wrong here. Shouldn¡¯t the demon have died in that accident when I was created? But then, how can I...¡± Her voice drifted off and she yelped suddenly.


    Icara collapsed to the floor and gripped one of her horns in pain. Koshchei tilted his head to the side and watched as she struggled to stand up right. Silence nearly claimed the room except for the sounds of her rises and falls. After he watched the fourth such attempt, he let out a contemptful sigh and strode next to her. His hand flashed to her wrist and gripped it tight.


    She lost most of the color in her eyes and her body went limp on the floor. Cherno finally showed a sign of fear and stepped back from the display. Koshchei looked from Gwindon and Lilith back to him before holding up Icara¡¯s body from the ground with only a slight hint of effort.


    ¡°I believe she was right about one thing, a king should have to make threats in order to get what he wants. This deserves special attention from me, and I won¡¯t shoulder the responsibility to my guards.¡± Koshchei said before he lifted a fist to accentuate his point, a grin spread across his face. ¡°Not to mention I haven¡¯t really felt this strong in over a decade, so I¡¯m itching to use it on someone.¡±


    Gwindon drew his sword and leveled it at him while Lilith pushed back and brought out two of her own swords. Cherno moved down the table and towards the throne, his eyes narrowed onto Icara¡¯s limp form as he pulled back. Koshchei let Icara fall to the floor before he raised both his fists to fight.

 Chapter Twenty-Three: Returned Back to its Source

    Could someone you know have consorted with a demon, and possibly become a hybrid themselves? Check for these symptoms before reporting them to the proper authorities in secret: Does the person display abnormal agility, strength or reflexes? Do the produce a sinister aura of unholiness, giving you a sudden urge to run away? Are they suddenly more confident in their mannerisms? Be warned, do not attempt to apprehend or confront them if you do suspect them. Should they already be a hybrid, they will easily be able to overpower a normal human under most circumstances.


    The air stilled in anticipation of their moves. Koshchei stepped towards them slowly while Gwindon took a step away from the door. He nodded to Lilith once and she followed the silent order. In a copy of his move, she traced closer to the door, her weapons readied to fight. Against his prediction, Koshchei fell for the bait easily; his eyes switched between both targets quickly.


    Once they¡¯re on opposite ends of his body, where he can no longer keep an eye on both at the same time, he glanced down at the floor and opened his robe. From an inner pocket, he drew a fancifully hilted dagger and held it up towards Gwindon.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m so used to having to deal with others though guile and charm, planning four steps ahead just to survive. It¡¯s a struggle to maintain an empire like mine so readily, you know. But this?¡± He asked, flipping his weapon into the air and catching it again with a laugh. ¡°I feel rather liberated. You¡¯re using tactics and still have no chance to beat me. Even when I can¡¯t for the life of me think of who to strike first, I know full well I¡¯ll survive the encounter with the both of you.¡±


    Gwindon grit his teeth and looked for Cherno. He had moved underneath the table while they readied to fight. Pushing himself down, he dragged Icara out from the other side, holding a hand to Gwindon to signal him not to watch. Without even a nod, he turned his attention back to Koshchei.


    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± He asked sternly.


    ¡°You mean you can¡¯t tell? I¡¯ll explain with an analogy then, I¡¯m thoroughly enjoying this suspense.¡± Koshchei said, bringing the dagger towards his other hand. ¡°Imagine that a river rolls a large rock or a series of them up onto one path, cutting off the flow of water for a small space. The water would only flow around it, right? They might even form a smaller river that would pool somewhere else entirely. If you forced the rocks away, however, that second river might start to feed back into the main one.¡±


    ¡°What the... you mean you¡¯re the source of Icara changes? You¡¯re the demon that killed her parents?!¡±


    ¡°Well done!¡± Koshchei said, tossing his arms to the side. ¡°While I had originally planted myself as a nobleman in this country to gain power naturally, I had a curious thought to myself as I watched the people live their lives. Why bother forcing them to worship me when I can provide them the means to come to that conclusion naturally?¡±


    ¡°So this was all just to get worshiped?¡± Lilith asked, moving forward with a glare. ¡°You put that girl through so much suffering and pain, murdered the king and queen of this country, all just to satisfy your own hunger?! Who would worship someone like that?!¡±


    Rather than answer, he surged towards Lilith at a sudden speed. She barely had time to raise her swords and block his dagger. The blow rattled her arms and forced her back a solid foot even with just one hand. She lifted her leg to kick him, but he knocked it away, making her spin and fall to the floor. Before he could stab down at her, Gwindon charged forward and hacked down at him. Once more, Koshchei caught the weapon with his own, heavily knicking the blade as he did.


    ¡°Do you get it now?¡± Koshchei asked as he swung at Gwindon¡¯s torso.


    He managed to dodge away from the punch, but could feel the wind brush over his tunic when he did. Without proper armor on, he could only guess what one of Koshchei¡¯s strikes would do against him. With a hard swallow, he made a horizontal chop at his body and hoped the awkward to block angle would force him away. Instead, Koshchei used the guard of his handle catch his sword and parried it over himself.


    ¡°This is, of course, what I plan to use Icara for. Should she survive, I suppose, since that is now something of a gamble. Humans see other humans as equals, as they rightfully should, but it means that they¡¯ll always think they have a chance to win. You think there will be some window, an opportunity to snatch victory as the opponent ages in the worst of all cases. What if that never happened, however?¡±


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    Koshchei raised his foot and shot it towards Gwindon, the latter only catching it with the flat of his blade. The firm steel didn¡¯t bend from the strike, but he was sent tumbling backwards and onto the floor. As he gathered himself back up, the dagger suddenly ripped across his upper arm and made him shout in pain. He looked up and saw Koshchei admiring his own arm, empty handed.


    ¡°Simple physical intimidation? That was all you planned? Only an idiot would base an empire off of something like that. You need more than just the ability to win fights in order to govern.¡±


    ¡°Have I shown myself before now to have brute force alone? You¡¯ve probably pieced together how I used the Alastair apples to sow dissent and poverty to my neighboring countries, right? They suck up far more water than most plants, and absolutely kill the soil for things around them. Once I take the territory, often with minimal challenge, I have them chopped down and fertilize the land again while the apples are carted off to be sold.¡± He explained with a small laugh at the end. ¡°Forgive me, I was prepared to explain these things to Icara only, but now that I¡¯m unsure I¡¯ll get the opportunity, I¡¯m indulging myself a bit before I murder you all.¡±


    Gwindon tossed the dagger behind him, further away from Koshchei. As the motion flexed his arm, more blood rose from the wound. Lilith was on her feet now and look in horror at the rapid, red coloring of his tunic. She glared at Koshchei and charged forward with both her swords, hacking down at him from two sides at once.


    Before the swords hit, Koshchei dropped down into a crouch. Using the full power of his legs, he leapt up into the air, well above her head. He landed on his feet behind her and rushed forward with a punch, one that landed firmly on her shoulder and nearly dislocated it. As she fell, Gwindon sheathed his sword and moved up again, catching her before she reached the floor.


    ¡°Lilith! Is your arm alright?¡± He asked fast, eyes locked on Koshchei.


    ¡°Definitely bruised, not broken. Let go of me though, your arm is bleeding! We need to get you out of here and patched up.¡± Lilith said, standing up on her and keeping her swords in a more defensive posture.


    They circled around the table to gain some distance, but Koshchei leapt up onto it with ease. Crouching down again, he picked up one of the high-backed chairs and flung it at them full force. Throwing themselves both forward, with Gwindon shielding Lilith out of reflex, they managed to avoid it. The chair instead shattered to pieces on the tiled floor as they scrambled back to their feet. Koshchei followed their path to the door until he spotted Cherno already there. He had Icara besides him and was pulling hard on the knocker, trying to force it open but barely making headway.


    Koshchei glared at him and turned around, rushing for his dagger on the other side of the room. Gwindon and Lilith managed to catch up to him before they started to help open the door as well. Once it budged, it slid more easily than it did the start. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Koshchei rushing forward again.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming, dodge!¡± Gwindon shouted to the other two.


    Lilith grabbed Icara from the ground and jumped to the side in one motion. Cherno dropped the knocked and ran in the opposite direction of the both of them. Gwindon drew his sword, aware that Koshchei would have to jump again to strike him. As he pulled it out from the sheath, his eyes widened and time slowed for him.


    Koshchei had proved to be faster than he thought, already falling by the time his sword had left the holder. Both his arms held onto the sword, he could only flex his core and press himself back into the door in an attempt to escape. All he managed to do was lodge himself into the opening of the doorway. Propped up in the entrance, Koshchei¡¯s blade dug straight into his ribcage, brushing against one of the bones as it entered.


    His muscles seized up around the weapon and he felt Koshchei¡¯s body slam harshly into his own. The doors opened a little from the blow, but not enough for him to fully slip through. Gwindon¡¯s vision shook, he could feel the blood seep out of his skin and his care wrench from the pain. No sound escaped his lips by a subtle gasp of breath, too shocked to even scream.


    ¡°Odd, the first time I killed, it was much more sudden than this. The king and queen were crushed almost instantaneously, so I didn¡¯t actually get to speak to them much before it happened.¡± He said in a quiet voice to him.


    Lilith looked up from the floor where she landed and immediately saw the knife buried in his chest. ¡°Gwindon!¡± She screamed.


    At her yell, he latched onto Koshchei tight, unintentionally digging the knife even deeper into his side. The blood on his arm poured out a little more, and he could feel a burning sensation pass over him. It took only a few more seconds of struggling before the pain faded, and with it he finally felt panicked. Koshchei let go of the dagger and forced himself away from Gwindon, looking over the stains on his clothes.


    Lilith reckless moved back to the doorway and threw a sword at Koshchei as tear flowed out of her eyes. The blade managed to his hand as he went to deflect it, cutting it open slightly and making him wince in pain. As he prepared for another strike, he watched Lilith instead pull Gwindon from the door frame and into her lap. She rolled him onto his front and cut off some of his tunic to apply pressure to the wound. All the while, her hands shook like leaves in the wind, and heavy sobs wracked her body. Cherno and Koshchei both watched in silence as she worked.


    ¡°Stay alive! Dammit, have to keep the pressure on. Please, Gwindon, please stay with me! I-I can¡¯t see straight, Gwindon!¡± She cried at him, tear mixing with his blood on the floor.


    His body already deep into shock, Gwindon could have easily responded to her, but he had nothing to say. All he could do was place his hand over hers and help apply pressure as he felt himself getting lightheaded from blood loss. Her skin felt warm, but he knew that just meant his own was already growing cold. As he turned up to face Lilith¡¯s crying eyes, he could see the panic and fear in her eyes. Some of the tear dripped onto his face, and Gwindon raised one hand to wipe her cheeks off, accidentally smearing some blood over it instead.


    He waited for Koshchei to come back and finish the attack, turning his face from Lilith so he didn¡¯t have to watch her when she knew he was dead. Instead, his attention landed on the distant and blurry shape of Icara. Even through the shaking as he bounced from the attempts to plug his knife would, he could see her moving little by little.


    ¡°What the...?¡± Koshchei asked, looking down at his own hands as the veins bulged in them once more.


    Cherno moved to get a better look at what was on the other side of the table, and grew wide eyed as well. Lilith followed her husband¡¯s eyesight and turned to where she had jumped from. She swallowed hard and looked in confusion as Icara stood back on her feet once more and stared at Koshchei.

 Chapter Twenty-Four: Left behind while safe and sound

    The power of royals is something beyond just the divine mandate of their control. Rather, power is given to them by their power. They own the land, but also must have the power to defend that claim should it arise. With the claim of land staked, the people can prosper in peace because of it. A royal must be strong, stronger than the average man, to bear the burden of their immense power.


    The second his hand gripped her wrist, Icara felt her consciousness ripped away from her. Rather than a peaceful and natural way of losing it, she could almost feel the waking world torn away from her. In an instant, she appeared once more in the recreation of her old room. The dress she wore was the same, but tattered, and to her right stood the same warrior-esque copy of herself. This time, she sported a pair of pulsing red horns and a confident smirk on her face.


    ¡°So we¡¯re back here again, and you¡¯ve changed.¡± She said before rubbing her wrist. ¡°Did the stomach pains slow you down much?¡±


    ¡°They did what you wanted, I¡¯d say.¡± The horned Icara said. ¡°Tell me though, since we can¡¯t exactly act independent of the other when we¡¯re awake... what does it feel like for you? Do you feel like you¡¯re dying? I¡¯m only curious because I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°It felt more like I was losing my memories and sensations all at once. No, maybe it¡¯s more like I was falling back in time. Everything in the past felt more real, but I knew I wasn¡¯t there anymore. I wanted us to be dead because I didn¡¯t feel like we belonged in this time. Does that make sense?¡±


    Her counterpart nodded a few times and sat down on the bed beside her. There wasn¡¯t blood pouring from either anymore, only a ripple over their arms. A dull shaking rattled the room and both Icaras looked up to the ceiling together. When the noise stopped a minute later, the Icara in a dress got out of the the bed and moved to the window again.


    ¡°Are you really happy with what we¡¯ll be? What you will be? He¡¯s just tricking us, he killed our parents and now he¡¯s planning on doing the same to us. Probably set to turn us over to the church for execution whenever he finds the time is right...¡±


    ¡°Koshchei is strong, and will give us a way to vent my tendencies. You¡¯ll get to stay alive, eat the apples you loved, and no longer have to be conflict with yourself. I already stopped you from causing those pains and all, the least you can do is stick around and experience this stuff with me.¡± Offered the other Icara as she approached from behind. ¡°I am who I am because of your ability to survive. We¡¯re both Icara now, so you have to feel the same urge to live as I do, right?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re both her, why are we separate then? There can¡¯t be two Icaras, even in the same headspace!¡± She countered and gripped onto the window sill. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that difference between us? If we¡¯re the same person, why is there such a primal distinction?¡±


    ¡°Duality is something common in many things. We were born under unusual circumstances, and thus have a greater duality than normal, but it¡¯s far from something suspicious, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    They gazed at the window of the room at together. Past the glass was nothing but a gentle light that shined back at them. She might have memories of a clear sky, a rainy cloud, or heaps of snow, but none of those existed here. The Icara in the dress pressed her palm against it to test the temperature, but couldn¡¯t make out anything special. As she watched, the horned Icara did the same and reached a similar lack of conclusion. She saw both hands on the glass, and a thought drifted into the room between them.


    ¡°Perhaps the duality exists... because we aren¡¯t the real Icara after all.¡±


    The horned Icara turned to her as she spoke and nodded. ¡°Maybe so... maybe the real Icara has long since died. We could both just be creations meant to fulfill the same role as her, or maybe we¡¯re just the shattered portions of her psyke.¡±


    ¡°No, what I mean is, maybe we¡¯ve not finished what we were supposed to. If you think about us forming two halves of one thing, we shouldn¡¯t be two different things in this place, right? It should be one Icara, with one past, forming one whole being.¡±


    ¡°Then which one of us is the real her? Which Icara should get consumed by the other in order to move forward?¡±


    Icara took her copy¡¯s hand in hers, both at once. They met their eyes and could feel the tremors in the room resume again, they rattled together for a few minutes, both embracing the other. When the shaking stopped once more, they pulled back and gave each other a determined stare.


    ¡°Neither.¡± Said the Icara in the dress.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be this Icara, or the other would just be a voice in our head.¡± Said the one with horns.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Icara who could not let go of the past, the one who couldn¡¯t see herself forward, the human.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Icara that was born from the battle, the one that couldn¡¯t look back out of pain and charged forward to her goal, the demon.¡±


    They closed their eyes and embraced once more as the greatest rumbling of the room yet occurred. It shook to the imaginary foundations, and the bed creaked and rattled along side it. As light flashed over them, with reality breaking the dream once more, Icara awoke on the floor in an uncomfortable position.


    Light flicked brighter than ever into her eyes as she sat back up. She saw the bizarre scene of Lilith tending to Gwindon¡¯s wound with heavy tears. As she rose to her feet, a great strength swelled in her spirit. More than she had even when the demon half grew, she felt secured in her own existence. Her vision was clear, and every muscle in her body felt like a forgotten ache had vanished in an instant. From dull look she now wore, it would look as if she had always known this would happen to her. She balled her fists together and glared at Koshchei as he took a step away from her.


    ¡°You... I see you woke up from whatever your dream was. You feel different, Icara, was the dream more of a nightmare?¡± Koshchei asked.


    She stepped towards him a met her eyes with Gwindon. ¡°So it was you after all, wasn''t it? The demon that killed my parents, and made me a partial hybrid.¡±


    ¡°Parital hybrid?¡± His fists lowered in confusion. ¡°You are a hybrid, Icara. It took a long time to foster your growth, to ensure that you could handle the amount of energy I would give to you over the many years. Even when you were as far away the Korrem desert, I was giving you more and more power, just enough to survive. Have you finally accepted that part of yourself completely?¡±


    ¡°No, I rejected it, along with my adherence to the past as Icara Valarus. Honestly, I feel really relaxed right now. I¡¯ve remember all the pain and suffering I¡¯ve gone through since my parent¡¯s death, but now more than ever, I feel... whole.¡±


    She walked forward and past Lilith and Gwindon. Koshchei rushed her with his dagger, but she snapped a kick from the opposite side he slash from. Her blow hit first and forced him away from her. Flipping the blade in his hand, he shot it towards her leg, but a punch to the shoulder made him fumble back onto the ground. The knife skid away from the both of them and she loomed over Koshchei with the same casual look.


    ¡°You created a hybrid in order to foster your own strength, to make yourself not only stronger, but more likely to survive in the long run. It must be terrifying then, to see the power you were given in the hands of someone new.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve lost just because I¡ª¡± Koshchei said before he doubled over in pain.


    Cherno was the only one besides Icara that watched, and he made sure to be careful attention to the scene. Koshchei¡¯s veins had not stopped the sickening pulse, and now grew up his arms and into the sleeves of his robe. His breaths was ragged, like Icara¡¯s had been before now. Sweat built up on his brow and spilled over, which he wiped away to glare up at Icara.


    ¡°I can¡¯t honestly believe my plan failed, there has to be something amiss, something I didn¡¯t notice myself.¡± One hand gripped onto her ankle. ¡°Tell me, Icara, what went wrong for me?! There were no subordinates, no grand strategy beyond my own, how could it have gone wrong?¡±


    ¡°Your plan worked, Koshchei. The only flaw was that it worked too well for your own scheming to handle.¡±


    His glare shifted into a gaze of awe as he seemed to shrink into his robe. Koshchei glanced at his weakened body and let out a lone laugh, eyes widened in shock, but lips curling into a smile. He lifted himself slightly only so he could more comfortably sit on the ground. Boths hands gripped his knees now, and he started shaking with contained laughter. Cherno watched in confusion as she turned away from him and Koshchei lifted his head, his eyes now without irises at all.


    ¡°Even through all the planning, I never expected my own hybrid to expand beyond me. The child would outgrow the parent, to grow independent and strong. You¡¯ve turned out better than I ever expected!¡± Koshchei grew a wide grin as he finished shouting. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt more proud than I do right now!¡±


    Icara retrieved the dagger from the floor while Koshchei shakingly regained his footing. Lilith raised her head to watch as he approached Icara from behind with both emaciated arms spread out. Before he could reach, she snapped around with the dagger blade out, nearly slicing his throat open. The weary grin on his face barely faltered from the threat, but his arms fell to the side.


    ¡°A tactical mind unlike any other, but without the berserking quality to slaughter the moment the urge came to her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be turning you over to the church, they¡¯ll decide your fate once this is done.¡± Icara told him before lowering the blade.


    She approached Lilith, who watched her through red and puffy eyes as she knelt down beside both her and Gwindon. The blood had seeped through most of his clothes at this point and his skin was noticably paler. His breath was shallow as he lazily lifted his head up towards her. Icara clasped one of his hands in hers, feeling the warm blood sticking to her own skin as she did. The casual facade broke and she looked down with sorrow on her face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see where you got hit, Gwindon, I¡¯m sorry...¡± she muttered to him.


    Gwindon shook his head. ¡°Ignore the damn wounds. Are you back to your old self or not? I¡¯m sick of all these long speeches.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s... hard to explain. I¡¯m not what Koshchei was going to make me, but I¡¯m not really the woman you knew either.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m going to hold you to that debt from the inn. You be a good leader, don¡¯t just become a pawn to somebody, and don¡¯t get arrogant.¡± He said, and she nodded in silent reply. Gwindon closed his eyes and slumped a little more in his posture. ¡°Damn, why do I have to feel so tired at a time like this...¡±


    Lilith shook him a little in her lap and pressed the scrap of blood-soaked cloth against his wound harder. ¡°Don¡¯t say that! W-We¡¯re right in the middle of a castle, dammit, we just need to call for a doctor, o-or somebody to help¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop, Lilith.¡± Gwindon cut her off and pulled one of her hands away from the bandages. ¡°Just keep me warm, I want you with me when I go...¡±


    She grit her teeth and tried forcing it back, but he firmly held it away. Blood was covering both their hands and Lilith¡¯s crying began anew. He finally laced his fingers into hers and squeezed the hand tight while she pulled him into her arms tightly. Icara placed a hand on his unwounded shoulder and stroked it gently.


    Gwindon died just a few seconds later, and Lilith couldn¡¯t help but wail in grief, feeling his hand go limp in hers. Cherno finally rose from his spot and moved to Icara¡¯s side, pulling her attention away from the corpse and leading her back to the machine. As a safety measure, he tested Icara¡¯s blood the same as any soon-to-be crowned ruler would. He poured the powder onto the wound, but noticed some drips onto her upper arm. As he looked up for the wrappings, he saw Icara stare at Lilith and Gwindon together. Silent tears streamed down her face.


    ¡°Icara, do you want to take this later? You could probably do with a bit of grieving.¡±


    She glanced at him and wiped her eyes before shaking her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d like for me to cling to him, after all I only knew him for a day or two. What he¡¯d want is to be alone with Lilith for a while.¡±


    ¡°That might be true. What do you want though?¡±


    Icara lifted her head for a bit, and touched the horns with her unwounded fingers. After a brief silence, Cherno removed the impressively sized chunk of solidified powder from her bandage. He held it up and noticed it had a stark resemblance to a depiction of a sun. Finally, she brought her gaze back down to him and spoke in a solid voice, fingers still pressed against the crimson protrusion.


    ¡°A crown, for starters.¡±