《Invasion by Fire and Thunder》 1- Fire at the dark side of the Moon The sky is cloudy, the moon is at its highest point. No stars can be observed besides the most shinning ones. A girl in a coat is walking down the street, the fires along it shining on her, casting shadows left and right. One of the fires is constantly attacked by a droplet and evaporated even before reaching it. Amelia surely is going to kill me for this. Laughs reach her ears. Raising her eyes, Tomoe catches a group of people down the street, gathered around a dog. The dog barks, and one of the group raises a leg and kicks in retaliation. A whine can be heard. ¡°Wa¡¯s up you ol¡¯ dog!? Not so tough now eh!?¡± Multiple ¡°yeah!¡± can be heard from the others. Tomoe reaches them, raises her hand and grabs the kicker by the shoulder. At the same time, she reaches for the badge hanging around her neck. ¡°Uh!?¡± starts saying the man, as he stumbles while turning around, revealing an almost complete red face, ¡°Wa? Wa do-¡± he continues, but then stops, once he set his sight on the badge that Tomoe brought out. ¡°Crap, a Beheader¡­¡± The man mumbles. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t want any problems, I suggest that you scram.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ sure, sure¡± says the man, raising his hands ¡°Don¡¯ wana trouble our fea¡¯less Beheader¡¯ nigh. You hear the lady! Les go.¡± He says while turning back again, only to find himself all alone. ¡°Wha!?¡± ¡°Such loyalty, uh?¡± ¡°Those bastards!¡± says the man, as he continues down the street, losing himself in the night. A whine can be heard. Tomoe, casting down her eyes, meets the eyes of the dog, now sitting looking at her. Kneeling, she reaches to his head, as the dog continues to whine. ¡°What a softy. Why Oscar named you Brutus is way beyond me.¡± Another whine, as Brutus actively seeks Tomoe¡¯s hands. ¡°Did Oscar send you out to get me?¡± Silence. Tomoe knew that dogs couldn¡¯t talk like people do, but to her, this silence felt like he just caught Brutus red-handed¡­ Even so, it is not like she can blame him. There she was, alone, again, in the death of the night, The light of the moon shrouded by the clouds. It is about to rain. She tried to take another breath of air, but her chest suddenly tightened, her breath turned heavy. Biting her lips, she raises her eyes, only to see a long dark road ahead, shadowy figures of the Aquamarines walking up and down the street, Tomoe unable to make the faces of any of them. Her heart, beating fast. Should I wait for Amelia after all? but she wouldn¡¯t end that thought without her ears being invaded by the sound of rain and thunders. A sudden pressure creeps over her back. Her shoulders stiffen, her mouth opened slightly. Turning her eyes back, she sees the street she just came from, but the end covered in darkness. From the corners of the shadows surrounding her, shining eyes open in pairs, appearing more and more and looking at her back. She turns back to face forward, but she casts her eyes down. Brutus, who is still in front of her, has been whining the whole time and resorted to a loud bark. Startled, Tomoe falls into a sitting position. Raising her eyes, she snorts and continues to caress him. Dry, of course, everything is always dry. Making a wry smile, Tomoe says ¡°You dumb dog, why are you out here all alone?¡± Then she adds ¡°Gotta have a talk with your owner about this, he will hear a couple of words from that¡¯s for sure.¡± Raising her eyes to the clouds, she says ¡°go back in first, it is about to rain. Stand beside your owner, I can¡¯t guarantee things will go smoothly, but I¡¯ll give it my all.¡± Brutus barks and stand on its four, and goes back with some trouble. After walking for a bit, he enters to a pub on its right. Tomoe takes a deep breath again, ¡°I will not drown¡± she whispers, and then resumes her walking. Rain starts to pour down, a light drizzle that covers the street. Fires left and right start to go out, all but one. This fire is left up, by someone, also in a coat, that is keeping it alight. Besides it, there¡¯s only another source of light left on the street. From each droplet that falls on Tomoe, a dim blue light joins it, just before falling back into the ground. Tomoe stops for a moment in front of the pub that Brutus entered before. Raising her head, the name of the pub greets her back: The One-Eyed Wolf. A snort escapes Tomoe, moments before she enters the pub. The smell of the wet dirt mixed with the smell of beer and vomit reach Tomoe¡¯s nose. Dim light reaches Tomoe¡¯s eyes. Right now the pub is in its busiest moment of the day. From the door many customers can be seen sitting on the tables, a group starting to cause a ruckus, another one in the middle of one, and another one with everyone on the ground, sitting, unable to stand. A pub made of pure wood, with tables of wood, chairs of wood, a pretty cranky place, and a slight bit dangerous with all the little flickering fires that are being used to light up the place. She directs her eyes across the room to the One-Eyed Wolf¡¯s bar, and its owner, currently there, is looking at her back. From all the people in the pub, the owner stands out as the tallest person, wearing a wool brown shirt with black bottoms. As the owner sighs, he signs her to come. The girl smiles at the taste of the old times, and with long steps crosses the room and reaches the bar. As she reaches the bar, she catches Brutus already besides it. ¡°What are you doing here alone?¡± asks Oscar. ¡°It is nice to see you, master. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°It is good to see you too, but you know what would have been even better? Seeing you with your partner.¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m here. It has the right mix of inky and shabby for this area.¡± ¡°Not as shabby as your judgment it seems.¡± ¡°Come on, master¡­¡± Tomoe says as she slouches herself over the bar ¡°all the work I have done recently has been well done. It has been going like that for months now. Have a tiny bit more of faith in me.¡± ¡°What I see is that you should have more humility. Stop taking your work from granted.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know that I was that untrustworthy.¡± Oscar turns to the bottles behind him, and stares at them silently. Then, he finally says ¡°it is not about trust. No matter what, each of us have our limits. We can¡¯t handle everything alone.¡± As he turns back to her, Tomoe brings out one golden strand of hair from inside the hood and starts playing with it as she says ¡°You shouldn¡¯t send Brutus outside alone.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Oscar replies as he looks at Brutus who is alongside the bar, sleeping. Tomoe sees Oscar going towards Brutus, then kneeling, disappearing from her sight, and moments later he comes back, with a hand to his mouth. ¡°Thank you¡± he says. ¡°What do you say? Can you repay the favor then?¡± Raising an eyebrow, Oscar stares at her for a moment, then says ¡°It is way beyond me why you can¡¯t understand the dangers you are exposing others and yourself to.¡± ¡°Please?¡± Letting a snicker escape, Oscar answers ¡°Remember girl, I¡¯m not a Beheader anymore. You are here alone.¡± Tomoe nods, and then asks ¡°So, are they here?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡± he nods to her left, ¡°table eight. They arrived early and have sit there since then. Drank some beers, but as the night goes on, instead of loosing off they have been more and more tense. It is clear as day, though¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know why they are tensing up?¡± ¡°Yes. Something is off. For the many times I have seen this happening around here since little, all the people involved never get this worked up.¡± ¡°If you say so, then I can do nothing but agree, but maybe we can take this into our advantage. Can you give me five beers? On the house please.¡± ¡°What can you do with five beers? Don¡¯t be naive, wait for Amelia.¡± ¡°What can I do with five beers? Ending your little spice trafficking problems, that is, and I can do it right now. Do you want to wait to see the transaction take place and then see them leave like that?¡± Oscar ponders the situation, and gives her the five beers, ¡°Show me what are you going to do. You¡¯re in my business after all.¡± ¡°The thing is master, your entire life you have been approaching the problematic situation that had raised head on, and that is well and good, but this situation, where I¡¯m surpassed five to one¡­ requires more nuance.¡± as she says this, she grabs the beers, and little dim blue lights start coming out of her hands and to the beers ¡°With this, I¡¯ll be able to put the situation in my favor.¡± Says as she smiles to the Oscar. He stays in silence for a moment. After pondering for a bit, he says ¡°You women and the nasty sneaky ways you come up with.¡± ¡°Nothing like that at all¡± says Tomoe, with a slight blush in her face ¡°this is only an application of your teachings that I came up with.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that passing the torch would look like this.¡± ¡°Neither did I.¡± ¡°You will still go in alone aren¡¯t you?.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And knowing you, nothing will change your mind.¡± After a slight pause, Tomoe answers ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡± ¡°Girl¡­ You should leave what happened behind. Look what it has done to you.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Another silence. Oscar rubs the back of his neck, an uncomfortable look in his face. Then, finally, he adds ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself killed, girl. Even monsters can die.¡± ¡°Thanks for your understanding¡± says Tomoe, with a smirk in her face. ¡°Keep in mind, you can¡¯t go on like this. Someday, you will face something that is so out of your control that you¡¯ll not be able to handle alone. In fact, you already had one of those terrible days.¡± ¡°That is why master, I must do this alone, so those days don¡¯t come back¡± Tomoe answers back. Then, she adds ¡°Well, I¡¯m going in.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.¡°May Lord Hazuki guide your actions to safe port.¡± Tomoe proceeds to take off her coat, in order to reveal the figure of a slender woman with wavy blond hair. A single one-piece dress wraps around her, with a leather belt tied to her waist and visible leather boots. At the light of the candles her silhouette can be devised, only to reveal some sort of leather pants and two short swords, one to each side. Then she takes the beers, and goes to table eight, right behind her. As she turns back with the beers, she notices that some heads have turned, including some of the guys in table eight. ¡°Well, this is going to make it a bit easier at the very least¡± She whispers. As she comes closer to table eight, she uses shorter steps, accentuates the curvature of her waist, pushes her breasts together, and focuses on waving her hips, all of this with a smile on her face. ¡°Hi there guys!¡± she says as she gets to the table. ¡°Hi there precious¡± the rough muscular one speaks ¡°what¡¯s a babe like you here for?¡± ¡°You see, I¡¯m friends with the owner, and he told me how the night was going great for the One-Eyed Wolf until you guys in this table turned into a funerary. So serious and stiff, in fact so much that it is starting to affect the other customers.¡± ¡°Did we really look like that?¡± the thin one spoke this time. ¡°Yeah, ¡± answered Tomoe with a smile on her face ¡°That¡¯s why he asked me if I could do him the favor of lightening you up with my company! And here: five beers for each one of you.¡± Says as she elevates them at the height of her breasts, between them. ¡°Hohoho, then we may very well enjoy it then! come, come, sit down!¡± spoke the rough muscular one. ¡°We might need more beers, five won¡¯t be enough!¡± spoke this time the one with the strange teeth and big ears. ¡°Oh please, get as many beers as you want, that would make the owner feel very satisfied¡± Tomoe said. ¡°We will, we will! As thanks for sending us his friend to keep the lonely us company.¡± Spoke the thing one. ¡°Let me get one chair and we will get to drinking and forget the stress of daily life¡± Said Tomoe. As she was about to search for a chair, a man in the table next to the eight gave one of its chairs to her while saying ¡°Please, light these gals up. I haven¡¯t started drinking yet and they are already ruining the taste of the beer!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave ¡®em to me.¡± Tomoe says, as she glances at his table and sees seven empty jars of beer on the table. As Tomoe sits at table eight, the guys each take a beer, and suddenly notice something ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to have a beer too?¡± ¡°These beers are for you guys, you¡¯re the ones that look that are in a graveyard¡± ¡°Maybe we are, maybe we are¡± said the rough muscular one, then he added ¡°bottoms up?¡± ¡°You got it!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± they said, as the give beers streaked with each other in the air, and each one proceeded to gulp down the beer the faster they could. As they were doing this, a smug was drawn on Tomoe¡¯s face, that was sitting there, supporting her head with her right hand. ¡°Guys?¡± The thin one was the first one that gave up, unable to gulp the beer in one go, ¡°Yeah?¡± he answered. ¡°We need to talk.¡± As she said this, suddenly, the five of them tensed up. A thin trail of blood came out of their mouths. ¡°You will only speak when I tell you so, and only the one I give permission to do so. Other than that, stay shut. Nod¡­ gently, if you understand.¡± And there were the five nods that she wanted. ¡°Good. So¡­¡± Tomoe said as she saw each of the five-man that where there ¡°The thing is guys, I¡¯m a Beheader, and we got told by a little birdie that tonight, here in the One-Eyed Wolf, an illegal transaction concerning trafficking of spices was going down. We have already identified that everyone here in this table is involved in with it. So¡­ who is the leader? Point him to me.¡± The thin guy was shaking, the rough muscular one raised his arm, and pointed to the short black one, the one that was holding a big sealed bag. ¡°You¡¯re the leader eh? Open your mouth.¡± As he did, everyone in the table got to see what they had in their mouth: Somehow, a ball of frozen beer had formed inside their mouths, with a lot of needles pointing outward, hurting the short black guy. Tomoe raised her hand, and with a little twist of her wrist, the ball turned back into a liquid. ¡°You¡¯re the brains of this little operation?¡± ¡°The gal you have girl, you bitch. A Beheader and a Water tamer on top of that.¡± ¡°Good to finally see your true colors, but I asked you a question.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, it is me, madam¡± adding the last word with sarcasm. ¡°Good. I assume you already know that trafficking of spices is illegal here in Aquamarine Port City. Every process of buying and selling must be done at the Merchants Guild, for the proper follow-up procedures to take place. The fact that you have gone all the way to make this happens means two things: one, you are going to get a far better price than what you would get in the Merchant¡¯s Guild, and two, the buyer doesn¡¯t want to be seen buying a large quantities of spices.¡± ¡°For a bitch, you have some brains inside there, what a surprise.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment. Since you haven¡¯t denied anything, why don¡¯t we jump ahead many steps and tell me what I want to know?¡± The small black man sees at the other four, with a slight bit of blood still coming out of their mouths. After some moments of thinking, he answers ¡°fire ahead.¡± ¡°In the cases of illegal trafficking of spice, the ones that do the selling always do so because of the opportunity for a large profit, more than what they can get at the Merchant¡¯s Guild. In the records that go all the way to the time that cold war started, in every crime of illegal trafficking, the seller has noted to have this motive.¡± She stops, sees the five men in front of her, and then continues ¡°I feel the case this time around isn¡¯t different. But there¡¯s always the other side of this crime, the one that buys. Motives vary from revenge to destabilize the economy of Aquamarine Port City, the buyer in these cases have always varied.¡± She made silence. ¡°You want to know who is our buyer then?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± The short black man went deep in thought, then sighed ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± Tomoe visibly reacted, then breathed in, then out, slowly ¡°How so? Remember that this may well be the difference from jail to beheading.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t need to take out the whip, girl¡± answered back the short black man ¡°He never told us his name, and I have honestly never seen him around here, nor in the lower slums of the city.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s puzzling.¡± Tomoe went deep in thought, then asked ¡°Any hint from where he could be? Man? Woman? Color of his skin? Clothes?¡± ¡°He was a man, his skin was oddly brown, but it was really dark where we met so I can be sure. His clothes¡­ were weird.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure girl, they didn¡¯t look like the clothes us Aquamarines use here.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s weird. Anything else? What about a name?¡± Once again, the short man went into deep thought, ¡°it was something weird too¡± putting a hand on his chin, he sat there. ¡°So?¡± ¡°It is weird as I told you, ¡± said the short man after thinking it through ¡°the only thing he told us, right there, right now, and strangely enough to me right now, is that he told us that we could call him ¡®Fire tamer¡¯¡± A strange sensation ran through Tomoe¡¯s stomach, making pressure inward ¡°Fire tamer? Like, Water tamer, but instead of water, fire?¡± ¡°Beats me girl, we just got a way to call him, and a deal that if we did this, we would gain a lot of power in some day, nothing else. We didn¡¯t see any of the fancy use of Aura like you Beheaders are giving the chance to have.¡± At this very moment, a figure in a coat reaches for the back of the man. The hood covered this person¡¯s eyes. An uneasiness took hold of Tomoe, this figure came right out of nowhere. A rough voice came out of the figure¡¯s mouth, revealing him to be a man ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have eavesdropped you right now, but I have heard something really interesting and had to come close.¡± The short man looked upward, the hooded figure was standing up next to him, ¡°Wait a moment, aren¡¯t yo-¡± but the hooded figure put his hand on the short man¡¯s mouth, and said ¡°Woman, I was going by and happened to hear something about a ¡®Fire tamer¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡­¡± Said Tomoe, as she was starting to get up. The hooded man made a pause, then he added ¡°Have you ever seen a wildfire in action?¡­¡± From the usual lively atmosphere in the pub, Tomoe went silent, feeling the sweats starting to appear in her forehead. A smug appeared in the hooded man¡¯s face, and he added ¡°Sorry woman, can¡¯t let you go now.¡± Tomoe was so occupied looking at the man¡¯s face, that she didn¡¯t notice that he reached for the big bag full of spice, and turned all of them into flames. A sudden increase in temperature happened, and an expansive wave of flames and hot air-launched everyone to the walls, catching the pub on fire. Tomoe was still there, with her defense up. Blue light was in front of her, having acted as a defense against the flames. The hooded man stepped back, with the bodies of the five-man now roasted and burning out beside him ¡°A blue aura?!¡± he said, as he started to gather the flames that were burning the pub down, now between his hands. ¡°Take the bastard out of here!¡± Tomoe heard Oscar yell from behind him. ¡°As you wish!¡± She said as she started to manifest more Blue Aura out of her body. 2- Jaws of water and flames At this very moment, many people that where in the pub started to flee, scared for the sudden flames that came from nowhere. Some jumped through the windows, others used the door, and some stood there, too drunk or beat to move. The flames on the hooded figure¡¯s hands came forward, to which Tomoe jumped sideways, under the table that was to her left. Kicking it on one side, Tomoe stood up and used the table as a shield, in order to block the next attack. She gathered more of the blue Aura, this time into her entire body lest the head, entered into position, and pushed the table against the hooded man, table which went out suddenly flying. The hooded man concentrated his flames on the middle, cutting the table in two before it hit him, with the intent to actually keep the laser concentrated enough to continue firing through. Tomoe jumped to her right, with the laser coming closer and closer behind her. She went alongside some tables, flipping them over to use as a shield, and sending them to him as projectiles. Chairs also went flying, but the concentrated flames cut through them all long before they reached him. Many bottles of wine and beer exploded, and some columns that kept the two floor pub on foot were cut too, making the pub emit a cracking sound, indicating that it started to be crushed down by its own weight. Tomoe lunged forward, and with the laser at the level of her head coming from her left, she concentrated even more blue light on her body, ducked and rolled to her left, and then jumped forward with new strength that she hasn¡¯t revealed in the fight before hand. The hooded man reacted, trying to move the laser again back in the course of the girl that was coming right at him. But he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do so, his mind may be able to process the information fast enough, but he can¡¯t react to it as fast as he wants, so, he dissipates the laser instead, turning it back into a flamethrower. The girl concentrates the blue Aura once more, this time in front of her, as the flames hit the light and moves sideways, being completely deflected. She reaches to where the hooded man is, just in front of him, takes his hands with her left hand, points them down in order to make him duck, and with the blue Aura concentrated in her right arm, delivers a punch directly to the jaw. In the fraction of the moment that the man is about to take the punch, the man manifests a red Aura, and perhaps by instinct, concentrates it on the front of his jaw, and takes the hit. When the hit connects, the red Aura that had formed some sort of shield in front of the man¡¯s jaw shattered completely. The hooded man drops to the floor, without being able to stand up. The One-Eyed Wolf is burning down and there is still people inside, unable to escape due to the absurd levels of beers they have drank all that night. Oscar comes to the front and grabs two people that are lying on the ground, ¡°what are you waiting for? Pick them up, we need to take everyone out of here¡­ And yes, take the bastard out of here too.¡± After some moments, once the remaining customers are finally out, Tomoe and Oscar stand outside, with the drizzle coming down on them, as the One-Eyed Wolf keeps burning down in front of them, with the rescued passed out people surrounding them. ¡°Maybe I can still save it¡± she says. ¡°Don¡¯t bother girl, you alone will only put you in unnecessary risk, I can always rebuild it later¡± Oscar answers, then adds ¡°rather, why don¡¯t we talk with our buddy that is too fond of fire for his own good?¡± The hooded man is lying down there, right next to him. He went limbless with the hit Tomoe delivered, but he is still breathing, and moves ever so slightly. ¡°Had to be my luck I guess¡­¡± he says ¡°to face a monster like you girl. It was supposed to be an easy¡­ transaction. Go in, and go out.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t supposed to be any fire tamers in this city,¡± says Tomoe, as she takes the man by the neck, taking out the hood and revealing the man to be a red head with thin features ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°It had to be my luck¡­ really¡­ being born with this useless red Aura, there was never a chance for me to beat a blue Aura like you.¡± ¡°Answer my question.¡± ¡°Sweetheart, you little monster, let me save you a little bit of time: I¡¯m ready to die here. I¡¯ll say you nothing.¡± Tomoe starts collecting blue Aura in her hand while saying ¡°Let¡¯s see if you continue to be so cooperative and brave, oh mister bad luck.¡± But Oscar puts a hand on her shoulder and interjects, saying ¡°Girl, leave him to me. I¡¯ll take him away and make him talk.¡± ¡°But, master, I remember well enough yo-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you do girl, but these¡­ kinds of things, I don¡¯t like seeing younger people doing them. Leave him to me, I¡¯ll make sure he speaks, after all, it is because him that now I don¡¯t have a business.¡± Tomoe stares at Oscar for a moment, then chuckles and says ¡°Thought that you didn¡¯t work anymore as a Beheader.¡± ¡°For everyone else, that is true, but your mother¡­ can be quite convincing.¡± ¡°The word you want is scary.¡± Oscar snorts ¡°Who knows? Either way, I¡¯ll take him back. Try helping these drunkards on the ground, wait for Amelia and go back together.¡± He says, as he grabs the hooded man in order to take him away, and Tomoe ends up alone with a lot of people passed out at her feet. Then, she looks at the other side of the street, the one where she came from before, to get to the One-Eyed Wolf. As the rain continues, a fire is still alight down the street, and a column of vapor is starting to get very tall. Still¡­ Something is not right. Tomoe tries to wipe her eyes and protect them from the rain, and sees again. Shadows are moving, and it becomes more clear that the rain is bouncing off said shadows. The shadows are coming closer, and the light of the burning down One-Eyed Wolf finally hits the shadow, revealing to be another person in a coat, with a hood. ¡°What happened here?¡± The hooded person asks. Tomoe stares at her, and then raises her hand, answering ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is a matter of the state and is now under control.¡± ¡°Control? This?¡± says the person pointing towards the pub in flames. The shadows at the chest reveal that this person is a woman. ¡°Well, yes, it could¡¯ve gone better, but it is under control now¡­ the lunatic who did this is under control.¡± ¡°Under control? Are you sure? He seems dangerous if he was able to this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once he gets to the Beheader barracks, an ant will be more dangerous than him.¡± ¡°The barracks uh? I see. Thanks for telling me¡­ Now I feel safer.¡± The woman says, and after a giggle, she adds ¡°Good Beheader¡­ you and I never met.¡± From the end of the street the flames rise in the rain, taking the shape of a serpent, a serpent that lunges forward towards Tomoe at high speed. Tomoe recognizes this behavior. Another one!? For a moment, her eyesight lowers to the floor, seeing the people around her still passed out. She then raises both of her hands, and a bright blue Aura appears in front of her. The serpent strikes against it with strength, starting to push Tomoe backwards. Looking around her once more, she whispers to herself ¡°never again, never again. I¡¯ve swore that I¡¯ll always be prepared for everything.¡± She brings her right hand down, and with a slight twist of her wrist, the water that is in the floor moves. The hooded woman is still with both of her hands together, focusing the fiery serpent into Tomoe, when she feels the water moving at her feet, and some cuts happen. Again, an Aura appears, this time yellow, to block the attack at her feet, but forcing her to stop her attack and move to her right. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.Tomoe takes the chance, and starts moving all the water in the floor, forming her own serpent, but made of water. The water serpent forms, floats a bit in the air, and then jumps forward towards the hooded woman. She runs towards the One-Eyed Wolf, and her yellow Aura moves into the flames that are eating the pub down to ashes. With these, the flame serpent comes back. The flame serpent and the water serpent face each other and hit head on, liberating a large quantity of steam into the street. The street falls into silence. The rain is setting off, and the steam has lowered the vision to a minimum. Tomoe has her Aura down to half thanks to the little water serpent trick, and she is wearing off fast. Cold sweat dropping from her forehead, her heart overworking, and the silence, the sudden silence. She starts calling the water of the street that she still has to herself, and surrounds the people on the floor with it. She reaches for the people on the floor, and Aura comes from her hands towards their faces. Tomoe hears screams from outside of the mist, surely people that are watching, maybe pointing fingers. The sounds of people running, the cavalry will get here, although maybe a bit late. Tomoe feels how her breath is getting heavier, how the mist embraces and warms up her face. Now¡­ from where will she attack? What is the best approach against me?¡­ that would be¡­ Then, from her back, a laser comes through. Tomoe reacts, having expected this, and rises a water wall big enough in order to contain the laser for some moments, enough to put herself in front of it. ¡°Amelia is truly going to kill me for this!¡± Tomoe says, this time out loud. Focusing her Aura in front of her, a barrier of blue Aura is formed, and she starts walking forward, towards the point from where the laser is coming from. Little sparkles of light are shipped off constantly, dropping like dust that is leaved to the wind. Tomoe bites her lower lips, as she faces the overwhelming power that fire taming can give even to the less powerful Auras. Focus! Then, as the mist is moved away by the wind, she finally has the point of origin of the laser on sight. Once she raises her sight though, her heart jumps, and her guts contract, as she tries to understand what she is seeing but to no avail: The laser is coming from a little ball of light, that is shrinking fast. The hooded woman is nowhere to be seen. ¡°Seems like I win, girl¡± Tomoe hears, as a cold sensation runs down her back while she turns to the people on the floor behind her. The hooded woman is there, standing besides them, knife in hand, right next to the throat of one of the woman in the floor. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal sweetheart, ¡± says the hooded woman, while catching her breath ¡°you will let me go, and I¡¯ll not kill this poor soul on the floor. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll kill as many as I can before you take me out. Of course, until I¡¯m sure I can be free from you, this poor soul will be my hostage. What do you say?¡± Tomoe is standing there, shoulders raised, falling down to her knees. She tries to move the last water that is around her that she still controls, something that the hooded woman notices. ¡°Drop the water now! Or do you want to have this woman¡¯s blood paint the street and your hands?!¡± ¡°Please¡­ ¡± says Tomoe, as she drops the water, and but raises her hands to her anyway ¡°please, don¡¯t do this.¡± Tomoe starts to breath more heavy, tears start flowing down her face. ¡°Don¡¯t wanna see her blood all over the street and mud? Then hear my demand! I¡¯ll take this woman with me, and you will not follow me. Once I¡¯m sure I have disappeared, I¡¯ll leave her, but if I see even the slightest hint that I¡¯m being followed, I¡¯ll slice her throat!¡± A strong sound is heard in the distance, making the woman raise her head. Taking advantage of this small opportunity, from the hostages¡¯ faces Tomoe raises their sweat into multiple small needles against the hooded woman. Realizing this, the hooded woman swings her coat, blocking all the needles. She then raises her knife and goes for the first hostage¡¯s life. ¡°No!¡± Tomoe screams, as her mind goes blank. In this very moment, a blur goes pass her, and reaches the woman in an instant. A petite girl, with reddish hair that reaches her waist, manages to stand in front of the hooded woman. ¡°Wha-¡± says the hooded woman, but the petite girl concentrates her large yellow Aura in her body, and with short sword in hand, still sheathed, swings the sword right to the hooded woman¡¯s chest, sending her flying down the street, breaking the barrier the hooded woman had made with the little Aura she had left. The petite girl sighs in relief. Checks on the people passed out the the floor, and then moves towards Tomoe. ¡°You look horrible¡± says the girl, as she tends her hand to Tomoe with a smile. Tomoe sat there, without words. The rain had already stopped, Tomoe knew that, but its sound still haven¡¯t leaved her ears. She can clearly see the petite girl¡¯s face, right now in front of her, and as she sees around, every hostage is overall unscathed. A soothing-like feeling runs through her body, but she doesn¡¯t stop hearing the rain, with every droplet stinging her skin like little thorns. After of some moments of being stunt, she smiles back and says ¡°I must be¡± while taking the girl¡¯s hand to stand up. Then, she adds ¡°thanks¡­ thanks for your help, Amelia¡­ if you didn¡¯t make it on time¡­ I don¡¯t know how I would be able to handle the guilt. You saved all of us.¡± All while chewing her insides of her lips a little bit. ¡°Seriously Cotton, how is it that you are able to clearly understand the situation, yet continue to expose yourself alone to danger?¡± Tomoe keeps herself silent for a moment, and then says ¡°I promise that what happened today will not happen again.¡± ¡°Cotton¡­¡± says Amelia, as she closes the distance between them and puts her face right in front of Tomoe¡¯s ¡°don¡¯t make promises you know you won¡¯t be able to fulfill.¡± ¡°Wha-¡± ¡°I mean!¡± Amelia interrupts ¡°as long as we continue paired, I¡¯ll not let you out of my sight ever again. That little trick you pulled today will not fly, not anymore!¡± she says, as she backs up towards the hooded woman laying on the floor a couple of meters away, adding ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her. You take care of the civilians on the floor.¡± While Tomoe moves the civilians further away from the burning One-eyed Wolf, she whispers ¡°Sorry you had to put on with my selfishness.¡± Looking at Amelia, now surrounded by other Beheaders that are taking away the hooded woman, she can¡¯t avoid thinking that, even for a really petite body, her mere figure truly inspires safety and confidence to her. Putting a hand on her chest, Tomoe lets sink the guilt she already has for how the situation has developed, right now. ¡°I truly wasn¡¯t prepared for this¡­ I have to do better.¡± Tomoe whispers again. A smile is drawn on her face. Yes¡­ this is good. Never forget this feeling. Further down to the other side of the street, from inside of one of the houses, someone is watching within the shadows. Sighing, and with a palm on his face, he says ¡°Those morons¡­ Gotta go back, they will not be pleased with this.¡± One moment he is there, and the next one, he¡¯s gone. 3- In the deep blue There¡¯s a large circular room, about twenty meters in diameter. Sun enters through the roof, and at its center, a large tree, Aquamarine in color, like if it were made of a single, large, pure precious Aquamarine stone. At the tree¡¯s feet, there is a woman of slender and voluptuous figure, wearing a single white dress, arms, shoulders and neck open, tending to the tree, bucket in hand, giving it water and humming along the way. Suddenly, a high-pitched sound reaches the woman¡¯s ears. Raising her eyes, she sees how, from the branches of the tree, a new Aquamarine fruit suddenly grows up, to the size of two fists put together. Another one?¡­ What is it happening out there? The sound of a heavy door moving fills the room. From the shadows, a large door enters into the reach of the light and the voice of an old man can be heard ¡°My Lady.¡± ¡°Are they here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. I have already finished tending to the Lord Tree, so lets go.¡± The woman stands up and exits the room, followed by the old man. Outside of the room, a woman wearing a maid outfit is waiting. The woman in white gives her the bucket ¡°take it away and close the door.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡± Even if the room with the Lord Tree is full of light, this isn¡¯t the case with the rest of the mansion. The woman walks fast through corridors and some rooms, everything under an almost constant dusk. The sound of her steps making echo in the hallways. ¡°William.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady?¡± ¡°After this briefing call Ray in. This month is about to finish and I want to hear what his findings are. I also need him to pick another Beheader from the barracks and bring this newbie to me.¡± ¡°Did it happen again, My Lady?¡± ¡°It did. Another Beheader was killed just moments ago. His or her Aquamarine fruit has just appeared back on the Lord tree.¡± ¡°It is the fifth one this week, My Lady.¡± ¡°And since the last time I spoke to Ray, only one have been found.¡± The woman says. Stopping for a moment, she looks at the floor, and adds ¡°What am I missing, William?¡± ¡°Maybe after hearing what Ray has to say you will see the situation more clearly, My Lady.¡± ¡°I hope so, William. I hope so.¡± She says as she starts walking again. After some turns and some corridors, they get to a door where two maids are at both sides of the door. ¡°This is important, so don¡¯t let anyone else enter.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡± ¡°Lets go, William.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡± The Lady of the house opens the door, and enters into a large rectangular room, divided by a large cloth made of silk at the middle into two squares. The Lady sits at the center of the square at her side, over a large floor level chair with many cushions, while William stays by the door. At the other side, three people are present: A petite girl wearing a single simple sky blue gown to the knee and a leather belt to the waist, a tall brown skinned woman wearing leather pants and a white, loose shirt, and a slender girl with blond wavy hair wearing a sleeveless white gown to the knee and an open dark blue shirt. ¡°Good morning everyone.¡± ¡°Good morning, my Lady¡± can be heard from the three girls. ¡°Is the room safe, William?¡± ¡°It is, Lady Aquamarine.¡± A smile it is drawn on Lady Aquamarine face ¡°Good.¡± Looking at the girls, she says ¡°You can come to me now.¡± Tomoe then proceeds to cross the silk, crawling through the middle, all the way into Lady Aquamarine open arms. ¡°Hi mom.¡± She says as she sinks into Lady Aquamarine arms. ¡°Glad to see you safe¡± answers Lady Aquamarine with a smile. A giggle can be heard from the other side. Amelia had her right hand covering her mouth. While caressing Tomoe¡¯s head, Lady Aquamarine says ¡°Well, let¡¯s get right to business and hear it: What happened yesterday at night?¡± The tall brown skinned girl raises her hand and says ¡°Excuse me, my Lady, but I wasn¡¯t there last night. Is it alright that I¡¯m here to hear this information?¡± ¡°Usually no, Priscilla, but the matter at hand has turned¡­ more troublesome that I initially expected.¡± ¡°If I may: How so, my Lady?¡± ¡°Well, it has gone from a¡­ closed particular incident, to something that could affect the entire city, all of us.¡± Priscilla raises both eyebrows, and is about to speak, but Lady Aquamarine catches her and speaks first ¡°Mind that this is me making some conclusions, the information that we are managing right now is scarce. The painting that it paints is quite grim, but I feel we are seeing the corner of the painting instead of the entire canvas.¡± ¡°Then, my Lady, why I¡¯m here?¡± Priscilla then says. ¡°Because I might be right, and if this is the case, I want every one of the my Beheaders to be ready.¡± Looking at Tomoe, she then says ¡°But that is enough of that. Let me hear what you have to report of what happened last night. Amelia?¡± ¡°It will be my pleasure¡­ if only I knew more of what happened, my Lady.¡± Raising an eyebrow, Lady Aquamarine asks ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s say Tomoe is the more knowledgeable of this incident this time around¡­¡± Taking Tomoe¡¯s cheeks and raising her face, she says ¡°Care to start, sweetheart?¡± Tomoe nods, as she starts to recount the happenings of last night. A couple of times Lady Aquamarine stopped Tomoe and asked some questions before letting her continue, and regarding the fire tamers, she asked question after question before letting Tomoe continue. Before the recount finished, Lady Aquamarine stops Tomoe once more and then looks towards Amelia, and asks ¡°Amelia, I¡¯m sorry that I have to ask this to you, but I have a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°What is it, my Lady?¡± ¡°You¡­ you weren¡¯t there with Tomoe, right?¡± Amelia makes silence as she tries to evade Lady Aquamarine¡¯s sight, but Lady Aquamarine just says ¡°Your silence is deafening. Thank you.¡± With a really marked frown between her eyebrows, she turns to Tomoe, who already has sit up and sunk between her shoulders. Raising her right hand, Lady Aquamarine releases a large quantity of blue Aura, infuses her entire arm with it which causes a slight tremble on the room, and with a swing, she brings it down against Tomoe¡¯s face, stopping just moments before the slap connects. In its place, Lady Aquamarine instead caresses Tomoe¡¯s left cheek while saying ¡°Until when are you going to keep with the foolishness?¡± with her voice clearly cracking. She opens once more her mouth, but words don¡¯t come out right away. After thinking for a moment, she says instead ¡°You surely like to make your mother worry.¡± Tomoe only whispers ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡± without being able to make eye contact. ¡°You said that last time, yet here we are again¡­ You are no longer a child Tomoe. You wanted to be a Beheader, and now you are, so well, take responsibility for your choice, not only for those you put at risk, but¡­ also for yourself.¡± Tomoe silently nods. Turning to Amelia, she says ¡°Amelia, dear¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Lady, I¡¯ll cover her back even if you didn¡¯t ask me to.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not the only one.¡± Priscilla interjects. Lady Aquamarine chuckles, softening her expression, and then says ¡°What a bunch of good friends you have, sweetheart.¡± Tomoe only nods. A sound of knocking from Lady Aquamarine¡¯s side can be heard, and after making a gesture of silence to the three girls, Lady Aquamarine nods to William, and he opens the door just a bit. Some exchange happens, and the door is soon after closed again. ¡°What is it, William?¡± Lady Aquamarine asks. ¡°My Lady¡­ Daisy is here.¡± Lady Aquamarine felt a chill go through her entire back and forehead, and her breathing turned more deep. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.¡°She, here, when the month is ending and the Styx is about to visit our shores once again¡­.¡± ¡°Does that means¡­¡± Amelia speaks this time. ¡°It only means one thing.¡± Priscilla says. ¡°Girls¡­ It seems we will have a couple of completely occupied days ahead of us. Let¡¯s end the meeting here¡­ After all, you already have to be at another place.¡± Looking at Tomoe, she puts both of her hands this time around on her cheeks, and says ¡°Take care of yourself, sweetheart, don¡¯t make me worry¡­ and don¡¯t make me find a reason to kick you out of the Beheader Corps either. After all, you worked really hard to enter.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, mom, don¡¯t worry.¡± Tomoe replies, as she crosses back to the other side. Priscilla opens the door on their side, and then the three of them say goodbye to Lady Aquamarine. ¡°Goodbye girls, take care.¡± She says, as gives a single wave of hand at them. Once the door is closed, Lady Aquamarine stands up and says to William ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going too.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡± William says as he opens the door on their side. Lady Aquamarine exits through the door she entered, followed by William. Other many corridors, and some squeak of the wooden floor there and there, and she gets to the living room that connects to a garden, where a tall woman, of ivory skin, fine features, yellow eyes and straight black hair, is waiting for her. She¡¯s wearing a brown coat, and under it a single sky blue dress with flower ornaments, of the same type than Lady Aquamarine¡¯s, with a belt to her waist and sandals. The coat is bulky, and it comes with a hood that she has on right now. ¡°Daisy.¡± ¡°Hi there, my Lady.¡± ¡°You here, is it what I¡¯m expecting?¡± ¡°I fear so¡± says the tall woman. Lady Aquamarine lifts a hand to her face, while with the other she crosses it. A deep breath, followed by the shoulders being relaxed. ¡°Please Daisy, lets sit, and take the coat off, you must be having a hard time with it.¡± ¡°Thanks my Lady.¡± Both girls go to the round wooden table, and before sitting, Daisy takes her coat off, showing her unnatural appearance: she is a woman, with the ears of a fox, and with nine tails coming off of her back, about the level of the hips. Lady Aquamarine sits, and crosses her legs. ¡°Ever since becoming a priest and gaining these, I truly struggle with these days full of heat. I don¡¯t know how the animals with this much fur and more can survive them so easily.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already ordered some tea. You can stay here for the morning, until the midday goes by.¡± ¡°Thanks my Lady.¡± ¡°We have known each other since a long time ago, I told you you can drop the ¡®my Lady¡¯ thing with me.¡± ¡°I remember well, but you know, the tease kinda never gets old¡± answer Daisy with a smile. A silence then gets hold of the place. William knocks on the door, delivers directly the tea to the table, and then excuses himself. The wind enters through the garden. This is one of the few rooms in the Aquamarine mansion that has access to the light of the sun, and an area that is open to the exterior. Lady Aquamarine looks at her tea. Takes it to her mouth and takes a sip. ¡°So¡­ It is Polsen, right?¡± ¡°It is indeed. Tomorrow he will appear, and you know what that means.¡± ¡°Yes, with him, many Cinders will come too out of the waters of the Styx sea,¡± she takes another sip, then continues ¡°as if him alone isn¡¯t enough danger.¡± ¡°If Cinders only where capable of thought¡± says Daisy, sighing while taking a sip of her own tea. ¡°That would be fantastic¡± adds Lady Aquamarine ¡°but I can¡¯t see myself talking with walking corpses about reason.¡± ¡°Too many have already stubbornly tried¡­¡± says Daisy. Lady Aquamarine hasn¡¯t stopped moving her legs even after crossing them, catching Daisy¡¯s attention as she sees the dress constantly moving. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, my Lady?¡± ¡°Uh? What do you mean?¡± Daisy points towards the dancing legs ¡°I doubt you want to dance while sitting.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± casting her eyes down, she realizes that even now her legs are still moving. ¡°Every time something has bothered you beyond normal, your legs start moving without control, my Lady.¡± Lady Aquamarine doesn¡¯t answer. ¡°Come on, talk to me. You know you don¡¯t have to keep everything to yourself. Don¡¯t be stubborn.¡± Lady Aquamarine takes a deep breath, and replies ¡°It is¡­ just, you see, this morning¡­ just this morning, another Beheader died.¡± Daisy opened wide her eyes ¡°How many have been this last week?¡± ¡°Five, with this one. I already called Ray in to hear his findings. And now, we have fire tamers here too¡­ Why? This country¡¯ states has been in a cold war since all the way back then. Our borders are closed, there shouldn¡¯t be any fire tamers here. And with Polsen on the horizon¡­¡± Lady Aquamarine says, while biting her lower lip ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t know¡­¡± Hearing this, Daisy puts down her tea. Hunching forward, she reaches for Lady Aquamarine¡¯s hand that is on the table. Grabbing it with both her hands, she says ¡°I know that our fearless Lady will make the correct decisions. I¡¯ll be here to support you in whatever you choose, as always.¡± Meeting Daisy eyes, a snort escapes Lady Aquamarine, followed with a smile. Raising her hand to massage her eyes, she adds ¡°Thanks. All these strange events really unsettle me, but I¡¯m not going to let them get the best of me¡­ I¡¯ll protect everyone to the best of my abilities.¡± Lowering her eyes again, Daisy sees how Lady Aquamarine legs have stopped moving. Smiling, Daisy regains her posture, picks her tea, and finishes it. After finishing the tea, she asks ¡°So¡­ fire tamers¡­ are you sure it wasn¡¯t some spice induced Aura effect?¡± ¡°I have heard the descriptions. It fits, there¡¯s no mistake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s is worrisome.¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°It could be nothing though. Maybe Ruby State fell and the remains have been moving around the country.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­ ¡± answer Lady Aquamarine ¡°I can¡¯t stop feeling bothered by it.¡± ¡°Well, then why not follow you gut then? If it isn¡¯t nothing, then nothing is. There is enough time to prepare for Polsen tomorrow, and I have already put all the priests in the cathedral in motion, so there¡¯s only the Beheaders left to start the preparations.¡± ¡°Trusty as always I see¡± Lady Aquamarine says. ¡°You can count on it¡± answers Daisy with a smug on her face. Then, she adds ¡°I¡¯ll laid myself back here in the couch until midday goes by.¡± ¡°Feel free to feel at home.¡± ¡°Will do¡± says Daisy, as she drops herself on the couch alongside the garden¡¯s entrance and exclaims ¡°ahhh, the wind sure feels nice¡± as another breeze comes in. Lady Aquamarine lets escape a little chuckle at this image, something that she has seen many, many times before with the years. ¡°William, please enter.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lady?¡± answers the butler as he crosses the door. ¡°Two things: one, send word to the five heads of the Beheader Corps, we need to prepare, Polsen is coming, and he isn¡¯t alone.¡± ¡°Will do, my Lady. And the other one?¡± ¡°Call in Sophia, I need to give a direct task myself.¡± ¡°Consider it done, my Lady.¡± ¡°Good¡± says Lady Aquamarine. She starts getting up, and walks to the door, but before leaving, she adds ¡°I¡¯ll busy for a while Daisy, so until tomorrow, bye.¡± Looking straight at her eyes, Daisy says ¡°The late Lord Aquamarine would be proud.¡± At these words, Lady Aquamarine raises both eyebrows and opens wide her eyes, but it is unable to reply. Only a slight smile is drawn in her face. ¡°Take good care of yourself¡± Daisy adds, with a drowsy voice. Regaining her soft expression, Lady Aquamarine answers ¡°Will do¡± as she goes out of the room. 4- The crimson moon and the pale sun The sky is clear, with some white clouds there and there. Blue as far as the eye can see, and the sun is rising little by little to its highest point. In a prairie somewhere, surrounded by tall blades grass, a tent is set up. Inside the tent, carpets and couches and a bed are put, in order to establish a certain level of comfort. On the bed, a woman lays down, wearing a one-piece long white gown with simple patterns. Her skin is pale, her hair is silver, and she has pointed ears. A man enters the tent. He too has pointed ears, and has a muscular buildup. Right now he is only wearing brown leather pants, a belt to the waist and brown boots. He sees the woman, and with long steps crosses the tent, reaching for her hand. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asks the man, with a worried look in his face. The woman takes a deep breath, and with difficulty answers ¡°not really well¡­ ¡± and after another deep breath ¡°my head, I feel it lighter¡­¡± The man takes her hand with both of his. Another deep breath ¡°Alexander¡­ ¡± deep breath ¡°I don¡¯t think I have much time left.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡± says Alexander, as he reaches for her cheek and caresses it ¡°I have seen it many times, there is still time left.¡± Silence. The man seems unable to stay put, bitting his lip, while he sees the woman taking deep breaths. ¡°Dear¡­ ¡± says the woman ¡°are you sure this is the only way?¡± ¡°It is¡± answers Alexander, taking again her hands with both of his ¡°I¡¯ll bet everything on it Gwynevere. I¡¯ll save you.¡± After a moment of pause, the woman takes another deep breath ¡°It is like we haven¡¯t learned anything in these last three hundred years¡­¡± another deep breath ¡°It is really sad¡± she adds, with her voice breaking a little in the end. At this, the expression of Alexander turns from sweet to stern. He takes the hand of Gwynevere and takes it to his forehead, and closing his eyes, he answers ¡°As always, you talk with words of wisdom, but Gwynevere, my dear sun, there is just no option left¡­¡± a moment of pause, then, opening his eyes, he adds ¡°This will show him too, and everyone else still alive, how wrong he was from the beginning.¡± ¡°I¡­ I understand, my dear moon, but I just¡­ I just can¡¯t feel well with this, seeing you doing the same thing again.¡± Deep breath ¡°I can¡¯t stop feeling that you are making the same mistakes again.¡± ¡°Not this time around, my dear sun. That time, I fought for nothing else than pride, this time though, I fight for you¡­ for us.¡± Gwynevere raises her hand from the hands of Alexander, and caresses his cheek in return ¡°Just¡­ be careful my dear. I just don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± At this very moment, the ring of a bell sounded. ¡°What is it?¡± asks Alexander, turning to the entrance. A man in full body armor, silver and blue in color, was kneeling there, ¡°Excuse me, my Lord, but we have a situation. Lord Falco waits for you at his tent for the details.¡± Alexander, turning to Gwynevere, says ¡°It seems I¡¯m needed elsewhere.¡± ¡°Go, my dear. I¡¯ll be fine right here. Not like I can move much anyway.¡± Alexander nods, then stands up, and slowly starts walking towards the entrance. Once he crosses it, he directs himself to the two guards that are at both sides of the entrance ¡°Keep her safe, you heard me? We have many ravenous rats around here.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord¡± answer both guards, while putting their fists directly to their hearts. ¡°Good¡± and Alexander continues his way. The way is made of dirt, and the tent is in a secluded place, over a hill into a glade, with a fountain and the sound of the water coming off towards the pond at its feet. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.Continuing the way, more and more tents start appearing, along the prairie, all the way disappearing into the entrance of the forest. The way made of dirt didn¡¯t went that way though, but it went towards another tent, a large red one this time. Coming close to the tent, both guards in full body armor, silver and red this time around, at both sides of the entrance announced the arrival ¡°Here he is, Lord Alexander of house Lapis.¡± From the inside, another voice came, answering ¡°Let him in.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord, you can pass now Lord Alexander.¡± Alexander then continued, entering the red tent. Like his, this one is also a rectangle, but bigger in size. Carpets with repetitive patterns are covering the floor, with some couches, tables and chairs arranged around, for strategy meetings and other uses. At the end of the tent, there was another figure: A man, red haired, wearing full crimson armor, with only one arm, his left one. ¡°Here I am Lord Falco.¡± ¡°Indeed you¡¯re, Lord Alexander¡± says Falco, as he turns around to reveal a scar in the place where his left eye should be. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I was with my wife.¡± ¡°Sorry for interrupting your time with Lady Gwynevere¡± answered Falco, adding ¡°but something concerning came about early this morning.¡± ¡°So,¡± says Alexander, as he starts coming down to where Falco is ¡°what is the matter then?¡± ¡°It has come to my ears that we have been discovered.¡± Alexander went silent, making him loose his balance for a bit. Regaining his footing, he asks ¡°how did it happen?¡± ¡°It seems that one of our transactions was discovered, and two of my fire tamers were taken out.¡± ¡°Are they dead?¡± ¡°Taken alive, it seems.¡± A silence felt between them. Then, Alexander took a deep breath, and said ¡°This is just great. I can only think of one solution to this problem.¡± ¡°We fasten our march. Get there before they have time to react.¡± Putting a hand on Falco¡¯s shoulder, Alexander answered ¡°Took the words out of my mouth.¡± Letting a chuckle come out, Falco adds ¡°Well, I was growing impatient by the day with this approach. I mean, only Aquamarine state is left after all.¡± And after making a small pause, he adds ¡°Soon the entirety of Aeris will be under my reign¡­ and maybe we can take whatever is happening here to revitalize the nature in the other states in the process.¡± ¡°Glad to see that we are in an agreement.¡± Said Alexander, later adding ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go back to my side of the camp in order to put everything in motion and get ready.¡± As Alexander started walking back, Falco turns to him and says ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy for this happening? You look like a kid with a new toy.¡± ¡°Maybe I am, maybe I am¡± answers Alexander. As Alexander is walking back to his tent, the corner of his lips raise ever so slightly. Finally they are moving again. It may not have been under the best conditions, but the planned course of action will make sure that they stomp every opposing force swiftly. He stops for a moment to take a deep breath. A breeze caresses his face. He can feel his heart¡¯s beating strong and vigorously. Its been a long while since the last time that he personally went to battle, but he can still remember the smell of blood and steel and sweat and rot and burnt as if it were yesterday. Even when he is overcome with these sensations and emotions, he raises his right hand, only to reveal a steady hand not swayed for what is to come. He will crush them. Open a path to save his wife, crushing everyone in the middle, and to reclaim that what belongs to him by nature. He will prove that fool of a King wrong, once and for all. 5- Aquamarine port City - Day ¡°Well, have a good day girls¡± says one of the maids, as it closes the front door of the Aquamarine mansion with a heavy sound. I¡¯ll never get used to the door being this big, thinks Amelia. ¡°The door is really big¡± says Tomoe. Amelia lets a slight smile escape ¡°Lets go, we are going late, Lacus surely is waiting for us¡±. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± says Priscilla. The girls start going down the street, with many Aquamarines going forth and back into it. The sun is still high in the sky, about to reach its highest point. Amelia comments ¡°Its been years, and I¡¯m still not used to see these many people out at this hour.¡± ¡°Been in this part of the city for longer, and I¡¯m still not used to it either¡± says Priscilla. The street they are going down on are made of cobblestones, put together really close one to another, their steps making sounds against it along the way. They are walking in one of the streets connected to the main street of the city. This street cuts all the way from east to west, crossing many water channels that people can go over by thanks to wooden bridges. Houses are to the sides, made of simple blocks, a combination of rocks and stones, that have stood the test of time for more than a thousand years, some even say more. ¡°It is incredible¡± says Amelia. ¡°What is it?¡± asks Tomoe. ¡°Well, history is.¡± ¡°Ehmm¡­ I¡¯m not following. That¡¯s a bit vague.¡± ¡°Kinda is¡± says Amelia, as she chuckles in embarrassment. ¡°I think she is talking about the city¡± Intervenes Priscilla. ¡°Oh, but if so, how the city is incredible?¡± ¡°Care to enlighten us Amelia?¡± ¡°Well, what you said was true. The thing is, I was reading a bit more about the city this week, and was a bit impressed when I stopped to consider the facts that the book presented. It seems that this city has existed long before the Great Wolf tore asunder the world, and in inspecting these buildings, they have speculated that the city was not only made of¡­ dirt and stones, but there was also a supernatural element added to its construction, so it would resist the pass of time.¡± As Amelia said this, the three of them stopped to see one of the houses, now being chipped away, with its colors being faded enough that it may very well that the entire wall was painted brown before. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be working anymore, eh?¡± says Tomoe. ¡°Well, when the Great Wolf tore the world apart, many things where said to be lost, so maybe the magic holding the houses together also did¡± adds Priscilla. ¡°But still, look¡± says Amelia, as she puts her arms up ¡°It is still holding up, and that in itself is amazing isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Kinda is, although it is also a shame to see the entire city like this, falling little by little apart¡± answers Tomoe, as the group starts walking again. ¡°You¡¯re focusing to much on the details!¡± answers back Amelia ¡°Think, if this city wasn¡¯t here three hundred years ago when the cold war started, where would have our ancestors have gone?¡± ¡°¡­ there are the other two cities further into land, passing the forest corridor.¡± ¡°But they weren¡¯t proper places to have people live there. Instead, our grandfathers and grandmothers came here, and initial estimations claim that only a less than half of the city was occupied, but yet¡­¡± ¡°Yet?¡± ¡°In a couple of years, the city right now will be occupied completely. Think about that, about two million right now. And we all have a home thanks to coming here in the first place. Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± finally says Amelia. As they are crossing the third water channel and take the main street of the city, the wall of houses and nature that was to their left finally gives space to reveal the view of the sea, and one of the best views in the entire of the old Aquamarine Port City, with the main plaza down the road, where everyday except Sunday it turns into a marketplace, and right now its raging on. The old cathedral further to the left. The many water channels that the city have, natural of being placed over a forming delta long ago. The many rooftops of the buildings in the city. Further down below the main plaza, another plaza known as the bay plaza, known because it connects to the lower plains that flood every night when the moon is starting to reach its highest point in the sky. Well into the lower plains, the old great citadel, known because of its size and actually being an acropolis, with its Grand Castle sitting on top. Further beyond, the sea, and well into the sea, now only seen as a point in the horizon, a red tinge, showing the looming Styx sea. After a moment silence, Tomoe brings her hand to her chin, and answers ¡°Maybe it is, it is as amazing as this view is¡± as a feeling of release runs through her body. ¡°I love this place¡± adds Priscilla ¡°even before starting at the Beheader Corps, I remember coming here to take in this very particular view.¡± ¡°Is there something special about it for you?¡± Amelia asks. ¡°Well, yeah¡± answers Priscilla, looking at her and at the view once again ¡°This is the main street of the city, so usually it is flooded with Aquamarines left and right, but for some reason, every time I am here, I feel like all my worries go away¡­ They seems so meaningless¡­¡± She stops for a second, and adds ¡°it is like the gentle waves of the sea, it fills me with such serenity that any worries get washed away.¡± After taking some moments in, Tomoe says ¡°lets keep moving, they are waiting for us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡± answers Amelia, as the girls start going down the main street, towards the main plaza. ¡°This is really an old city¡± suddenly says Tomoe. ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Why would you say was the reason that it was build here in the first place?¡± asks Priscilla. ¡°Well, as I read in the book, they aren¡¯t sure, all thanks to the Great jerk who tore the world apart, but the main guess is that is should be that this city and the grand castle at the top of the citadel are somehow related.¡± ¡°I see, so something like a kingdom, with the king living at the castle?¡± ¡°That is the main idea, yeah.¡± ¡°But how come they don¡¯t know by now? Can¡¯t they go to the citadel and search for more clues there?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That is what I thought, but after asking William, he told me that only those authorized by Lady Aquamarine can go there. It seems that they need her approval for the entrance to the citadel to open, the same thing with the castle.¡± ¡°Eh? How the Aquamarines living there can know if Lady Aquamarine gave some her approval?¡± ¡°Well¡­ ¡± starts saying Amelia, before starting to think again. ¡°Wait, what?¡± asks Priscilla. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how much of this is true, but it seems that there is no one living there.¡± ¡°No way¡­ ¡± says Priscilla, opening her eyes quite a bit, then adding ¡°Then, how? Please don¡¯t tell me ghosts.¡± ¡°It seems tied to the supernatural, the old magic of this world some may say. Either way, it is through magic that the citadel seems to know if someone has the approval of Lady Aquamarine or not.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ this is quite something¡­ It is giving me the chills¡­¡± says Priscilla, as she starts hugging herself ¡°What do you think Tomoe?¡± ¡°I believe what she said is right. I have heard something similar from my mother, although it was a long time ago¡± Tomoe answers, while she keeps going on walking. Amelia feels that her throat ties a knot itself, her chest tightens and her cheeks fluster in red. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.As they go through the marketplace, evading the people and stalls full of fruits, clothes, tools, dishware and even hunting weapons, they take another path, to their right, another street connection with cobblestones. Only the important and most used streets have cobblestones, all the others that aren¡¯t essential to the main functions of the city are streets of only dirt. ¡°Ahoy girl!¡± they hear. Tomoe turns to her right, and sees an old man, with a stall of fruits to the side. ¡°Oh, it is you sir¡± she says, as she comes closer. While she moves closer, both Amelia and Priscilla are left behind a bit. And again, reality was sinking into Amelia. Again and again reality has sunk into her, and this time wasn¡¯t the exception. The bitter reality that makes her shake with a combination of shame, sadness and rage, at her inability to cross this huge wall all the way to the other side. Why? She has asked herself a thousand times. Why? She wanted to ask her a thousand times too, yet, she can¡¯t. She knows why, and because of the very reason that she was able to cross this wall like it didn¡¯t exist before, it is right now the very reason reason why she is unable to cross it right now. Or maybe because of this very same reason, she is holding back too. If both of them continued like this, how would things end between them? Are they going to end as complete strangers? These mere questions made Amelia¡¯s head spin, and sometimes would keep her up at night. Would the first true friendship Amelia managed to get end up like this, end up in such a pathetic whimper? Amelia felt completely flustered, her face keeping the red tinge. Feeling a bit embarrassed and frustrated about this, she lowered her head, and casted her eyes to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you¡± says Priscilla, putting a hand to her shoulder. ¡°Its been three years, three years like this¡± answers Amelia. ¡°I know, I know.¡± ¡°Yet¡­ why can¡¯t we talk like we used to?¡± Priscilla moves her hand to the other shoulder, giving Amelia a sideway hug ¡°You know the answer to that¡± she adds. ¡°¡­ ¡± Amelia goes silent, then takes a deep breath, and adds ¡°Stupid Cotton.¡± ¡°Now there is something I haven¡¯t heard in a while¡± says Priscilla as she giggles. Amelia snorts, and answers with a slight smile. ¡°Now, lets go and take Tomoe away. We are still with good time, but I would like to take on the good winds while they still are blowing.¡± As they get closer, they started to hear clearly the exchange between Tomoe and the old man. In his stall, only one apple remained, while there are many Pineapples left. ¡°Sir, how are you doing with your daughter?¡± they hear Tomoe say. ¡°Oh girl,¡± the old man says while letting a chuckle escape ¡°nothing has changed, really¡± a pause, while the man cast his eyes down and a smirk is drawn in his face ¡°sadly¡± he adds. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being nosy, but I¡¯m sure if you keep trying, you will reach her.¡± ¡°No need to apologize girl, I know you mean well. And maybe¡­ someday I can reach her, to make her stop throwing her life away¡­ that fool girl.¡± ¡°Ehmm, excuse me sir¡± interrupts Priscilla ¡°We need to keep going, and we need to drag Tomoe with us¡± she says, putting both of her hands in Tomoe¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We still have some time don¡¯t we?¡± asks Tomoe. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for us¡± answers Amelia. ¡°If I may be nosy in return, where are you going?¡± asks the Old Man. ¡°We need to get to the shore of Quenching sir¡± answers Amelia. ¡°Yeah, the mother of a friend passed away, and we are going to send her off.¡± ¡°I see, I see, then please don¡¯t let me take more of your time. I assume you have some time left, but better be on the safe side¡± and seeing Tomoe to the eyes, he adds ¡°Those who died need to go and find peace, lest their cinders come back for us.¡± Tomoe closed her eyes and felt silent ¡°I¡­ I agree¡± she then answered. ¡°Good¡± said the Old Man ¡°here, take this apple, its better to have something easy on your stomach when sending them off¡± while giving Tomoe the apple that was left ¡°and for you girls, since I don¡¯t have anymore apples, please take one pineapple each.¡± ¡°Wow what? Please, we can¡¯t. I mean, this is your merchandise¡± asks Priscilla. ¡°Yeah, I mean, thank you for the gesture but I wouldn¡¯t feel well taking this.¡± Says Amelia. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it girls, I¡¯m about to close for the day anyway.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± asks Amelia. ¡°You girls are too mindful. I¡¯m the owner, I can do with my fruits whatever I want.¡± Priscilla takes one, and, smiling, Amelia takes another one ¡°Thank you sir.¡± ¡°Your welcome¡± says the Old Man, flashing a smile full of teeth right back. Then, looking back at Tomoe, he adds ¡°I¡¯ll try once more¡­ I wonder, how much could have she changed?¡± ¡°Only one way to find out¡± she answers ¡°goodbye.¡± She adds, as the Old Man starts picking up his stall. ¡°Goodbye sir, and thanks for the fruits!¡± say Amelia and Priscilla, at unison. ¡°Take care¡± answers the Old Man, as the girls hit the road again to the shore of Quenching. After walking for a while, out of the city and over the ridge, they get to the floating piers that are beyond the lower plains, well into the sea. The sounds of the waves crashing into the shore, the caresses of the wind blowing, the rays of the sun shining without mercy, and the smell of the salt water, all of this invaded the girls as they started to come closer and closer to the shore. At the end of the pier, there where a group of people reunited. A guy, about to enter its twenties, with a slim build, an angular face, and wearing a dark green shirt, leather brown pants and leather boots, came to the girls as they where drawing closer. ¡°There you are.¡± ¡°Sorry if we took our time¡± says Priscilla. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we couldn¡¯t have started anyway¡­ we have an issue here too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asks Tomoe. ¡°Its Lacus¡± the guy says, as he takes his right hand to his face ¡°he went to try and make his father come.¡± ¡°What?¡± exclaims Amelia ¡°doesn¡¯t he knows better than anybody that his father will not come?¡± ¡°Quite stubborn he is uh?¡± adds Priscilla. ¡°Bran!¡± a girl wearing a black sleeveless gown to the neck and with white hair, yells, as she is coming closer ¡°Oh, hi there, thank Hazuki that you came in time.¡± ¡°No need to yell Titania, what¡¯s the matter?¡± asks Bran. ¡°The problem is bigger than what we expected.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°The priest, Sonoko, just confirmed that Lacus¡¯ mom has more than twenty four hours of being dead.¡± Even with the sun¡¯s ray shining without mercy over them, a chill was suddenly felt by everyone present, while cold sweat fell down Bran¡¯s forehead. ¡°We will start with the parting right away¡± he says. ¡°But-¡± ¡°No ¡®buts¡¯ Titania!¡± he interrupts her ¡°We already suspected that this was the case and Lacus knew this. He still went away anyway knowing very well himself that he will fail again in convincing his father to come¡± and runs towards the end of the pier, to where the boat of parting is, and the priest alongside it. ¡°Sonoko-¡± he started to call the priest, and she turned to him, but then he suddenly stopped on his tracks. From the boat of parting where Lacus¡¯ mother body laid down, decorated with flowers and various objects, a mist started to form. It came out of the boat, to the ground. In just seconds, Tomoe, Amelia and Bran ran to Sonoko, while from the boat, a sudden surge of mist came out, much like an explosion, covering them all. 6- Gluttons in the Mist There¡¯s mist, mist as far as the eye can see. The blonde wavy hair girl has been walking, for some minutes now, with her hands in front of her, crouching a bit. She moves her hands wildly in front of her. The visibility is no good. Tension runs through Tomoe¡¯s body, all the muscles engaged. Besides every step she takes, she can only hear the beat of her heart, going faster and faster. This one isn¡¯t of the lesser ones. No other source of light, not even other colors can be distinguished. ¡°Ugh¡± She lets escape, as her mind is losing orientation, and her stomach is reacting. ¡°Kinda hoped that I would never be trapped on one of these again for the rest of my life.¡± She can feel her stomach reacting in a violent way, as if it suddenly turned into stone. Her shoulders reacted as if a really heavy stone was suddenly dropped to her back. Droplets of sweat start falling out of her forehead. Each breath of air she takes in turning heavier and heavier. Calm down Tomoe, calm down. But to not avail. The rain hadn¡¯t already come to her because she was taken completely by surprise, but if this keeps going¡­ ¡°I will not be useless¡± she whispers ¡°not again.¡± A slight wind caressed her. What usually would make her relax, this time around tenses her more. She crouches a bit more. Then, a voice that she knows comes to her ears ¡°Is anyone near me?!¡±. That voice! ¡°Bran!¡± She yells. ¡°Tomoe!?¡±. ¡°Yes!¡± She answers again, and then asks ¡°Where are you!?¡±. ¡°Good Lord! Stay where you are!¡± Bran says back. Tomoe is looking around, and hears some clicks, and the sound of something igniting ¡°Can you see us now?¡± Tomoe searches around her. A dim light suddenly appeared to her left, way into the mist. Finally¡­ someone. ¡°Coming to you!¡±. ¡°Good!¡±. As Tomoe comes closer, she manages to distinguish Bran, and with him Sonoko, the short brown haired priest, wearing her ritual gown with many complicated patterns. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°Yeah, we have been just wandering around.¡± ¡°Glad to hear you didn¡¯t run into her¡± Tomoe says, letting a sigh escape. Then she adds ¡°I too haven¡¯t run into her. Do you have any idea where she may be?¡±. ¡°Lacus¡¯ mother?¡± Asks Bran. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Nothing still. It seems that distortion zone is bigger than expected.¡± At this very moment, a rush is heard, and from one side to the other, the entire place is flooded with water, all the way to their waists. ¡°Now this is weird¡­ Unexpected¡± remarks Bran. ¡°As if the high humidity by itself wasn¡¯t enough!¡± Adds Sonoko, exasperated. ¡°Don¡¯t lose it¡± says Bran, putting a hand to her shoulder ¡°This is a dire situation, but we are many here, so we can handle it.¡± ¡°Agreed¡± Says Tomoe, then adds ¡°But still, we need to be careful, and go find the others.¡± ¡°No¡± Says Bran. ¡°What? What are you talking about? Of course we need to find the others to see if they are safe¡± answers Tomoe back. ¡°Tomoe, look at the situation. We have barely any visibility, and now barely any mobility thanks to this water. If a Cinder is able to pull out the distortion zone, you know very well what we must do.¡± ¡°I-¡± started to say Tomoe, before cutting herself off. ¡°Relax, we can deal with this.¡± After taking a deep breath, Tomoe answers ¡°You¡¯re right. Lets take formation.¡± ¡°Yes, exactly¡± says Bran. ¡°What is the formation?¡± asks Sonoko. ¡°It is pretty simple, we are going to put out backs facing each other, and walk that way, while slowly moving to our left. We will do that while we assess the situation more clearly.¡± ¡°I see, easy enough I think.¡± ¡°It is¡± Answers Bran ¡°Keep Ash branch at hand, we are going to need it to subdue the Cinder¡± he adds. ¡°Right here¡± Shows Sonoko, shaking the branch between her hands. ¡°Now, lets go¡± and as soon as Bran says this, the three of them take position and start walking. Then, suddenly, from far away, a gust of wind comes through, cutting the water in two with force. The three of them stood there, frozen for a couple of seconds. ¡°That¡­¡± starts Bran. ¡°It is Amelia alright¡± completes Tomoe. ¡°She almost hit us¡­¡± Remarks Sonoko, trembling. ¡°Yes, she¡­ doesn¡¯t like the distortion zone either¡± says Tomoe, still feeling the chill of almost being hit with such force ¡°Still, we have an idea of where she is, lets move that way.¡± ¡°Agreed¡± adds Bran. And the group started to move in that direction. After walking for a minute, Tomoe asks ¡°Seen anything?¡± ¡°Nothing still¡± Answers Bran. ¡°Nothing¡± Answers Sonoko. Little by little, one step at a time, they thread under the silence. Ripples coming from their movement. ¡°Hope everyone is fine¡± Says Tomoe. ¡°They will be¡± Says Bran. Shocked a bit at how assured Bran was, she asked ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°Because Cinders are attracted to the most powerful Aura.¡± ¡°¡­ Well, that doesn¡¯t give any assurance.¡± ¡°It should, haven¡¯t you opened a book about Cinders a couple of times yourself?¡± says Bran. ¡°Red, Yellow, Blue and then White¡± says Sonoko. ¡°The scale of power of the Auras¡± answers Tomoe. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So,¡± Interjects Bran ¡°knowing this, I myself have a Yellow Aura.¡± ¡°I have a Red one¡± says Sonoko. ¡°I¡¯m a Blue¡± says Tomoe. ¡°¡­ And, Amelia is Yellow, and Titania is a Yellow too.¡± ¡°This means-¡± says Tomoe. ¡°Yes¡± answers Bran, then adding ¡±Since there hasn¡¯t been any screams, first, come closer you two, we are going to prepare for it.¡± The three of them come closer, and Bran explains his plan. Tomoe then stops, and engages her Blue Aura. Light starts coming off Tomoe, and gathering around her, into a formation that is crystal-like, shining. And then¡­ they wait. The zone has gone quiet. Ripples start coming to them. Bran pulls Sonoko closer, and both stand back to back with Tomoe. Wind starts to pick up, and the water start to become more wild, with little but higher and higher waves coming to them. A sudden scream echoes through the distortion zone. Mist start to move in circles around the three of them. As fast as everything happening, everything went silent again. The water stops moving, the mist went back to normal, the echoes faded into the distance. ¡°Bran¡­¡± says Tomoe. ¡°Shhh¡­¡± answers Bran, and lowering his voice, he adds ¡°keep on the lookout, Cinders can be really fast.¡± ¡°Yes¡± says Tomoe. She looks forward, but there is nothing else than mist. Turns to her left, and nothing else than mist. To her right, as far as the eyes can see, still nothing. Where is she? Her heart starts pounding more and more, and her arms stiffen more and more. She then notices the water. Can¡¯t enchant it for some reason, but looking at it, it has gone completely still. Wonder why, but this water, is truly repulsive. Looking closer, she notices one more thing, since the water has gone still, it has turned like a really big mirror. She sees the light of her Blue Aura being reflected on the water, and the shadow of her image, especially her arms, extended in front her. But something bothers her, stiffening her shoulders. She looks even closer, something isn¡¯t right with the reflection. What is it? she inquiries as she comes closer. Then, she starts feeling something little causing slight burns over her head, and in an instant, her heart goes stone cold. She slowly turns, to look up, at the place the moving mist in her reflection is, and she comes to see it: A face, hovering over her, without expressing any kind of emotion, but crying. The face¡¯s skin being a bit pale, and it being a face that has lost some weight. The tears of this face fall into a stiffened Tomoe, trasspasing her Blue Aura, right into her own face, and as the tears touch her, they burn her skin, leaving marks like if Tomoe was burnt by fire that are right after healed. Tomoe was right in front of her, Lacus¡¯ mother turned into a Cinder, as the Cinder started to materialize its entire body. Many, many times, she has seen this scene. Lacus¡¯ mother was a really gentle woman, and liked physical interactions, with hugs and such, maybe a bit too much. Just like many times before, she is right in front of her, again, extending her arms, like the gentle woman she always was. ¡°Tomoe!¡± At Bran¡¯s scream, Tomoe comes out of the trance-like state she was. Not only her though, the Cinder too, it was calm and now is contorting in the air, with her hands to her face. Suddenly, it plunges downward towards Tomoe, while letting escape another scream. In the split of a second, Tomoe brings her Blue Aura into her, and moves sideways with all of her strength. As the Cinder lost its target, it slows down before hitting the water, but to not avail: the lower part of its body touches the water, and turns instantly into mist. ¡°Hey!¡± yells Bran, at which the Cinder turns, but that split second is what they needed: Sonoko, with the branch of Ash Tree, touches the Cinder right in the face. At this, the Cinder stiffens, like if it were trapped and tied down by rope, and screams in a very high pitch tone. Stolen story; please report.Tomoe feels like if a sword were trying to stab her in her ears, but holds her balance. Sonoko is having trouble though, and in order to finish the Cinder, she goes to Sonoko and helps her stay in her feet. As the seconds continue to pass, the Cinder starts going silent, until it is no longer screaming. The Cinder has curled up in the air, covering her face, crying. ¡°It is finally over¡± says Sonoko, as she reaches for the Cinder. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t touch it!¡± says Tomoe, while holding a hand forward ¡°touching it is going to suck your life and diminish your Aura really fast.¡± Sonoko turned around suddenly, clearly startled by this, but then she relaxes, answering ¡°Thank you, but you see, this is my job.¡± Then, turning back to the Cinder, she says ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not having send you off faster. Please, forgive me¡± as she touches the Cinder and brings it closer. The moment Sonoko touches it, flames start coming off of her hands ¡°look how much you¡¯re suffering, and still, you¡¯re a glutton for life, what a strangely greedy woman.¡± While Sonoko takes cares of the Cinder, Bran puts a hand to Tomoe¡¯s shoulder. This startles her, letting a little scream escape. ¡°Geez! Wanna turn me into a Cinder too?!¡± ¡°Sorry¡± answers Bran, first startled, then chuckling. Then, he adds ¡°But¡­ we still aren¡¯t out of trouble. Look¡± he says, as he points out into the mist. ¡°What are you-¡± starts Tomoe, but then it hits her. Mist to her left, mist to her right, water to her waist down ¡°Wait¡­ why hasn¡¯t the zone dissipated?¡± ¡°I hoped to be wrong,¡± says Bran ¡°but this confirms what I thought: There¡¯s another Cinder in here with us.¡± Tomoe can only open wide her eyes. ¡°Surely this person died and was brought here without anyone noticing, maybe in the night.¡± Tomoe brings a hand to her face, then says ¡°The¡­ underside of the city maybe?¡± ¡°Maybe¡± answers Bran, then adding ¡°but that isn¡¯t our major problem right now, we need to go and deal with the other one.¡± As their ears were starting to get adjusted, suddenly, a voice started to reach them. ¡°Everyone!¡± a continuous unison screaming was coming through the zone. ¡°That¡¯s Amelia and Titania!¡± Tomoe says, and as she and Bran turns around, in the distance a wall appears before them. A light is coming to them from the distance, this one being more powerful than the one Bran¡¯s lantern, and this light threw some light into two figures in movement, Amelia and Titania, and behind them, a wall of about five meters tall, a wave made of water coming towards them. ¡°Tomoe, with me!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As soon as Bran says this, both of them run towards Sonoko, and put themselves between her and the giant wave. ¡°Leaving it to you.¡± ¡°No other choice¡± answers Tomoe, as Bran takes Sonoko and the defeated Cinder and hide behind Tomoe. Tomoe then engages her Aura once more, and recalls it into herself, and takes position, something that Bran and Sonoko also do. As Amelia and Titania see this, they do the same, enhancing their physical capabilities even more with their Auras to reach her fast enough, and takes both of Tomoe¡¯s sides. To lessen the hit of the giant wave, everyone combine their Auras into a single dome shape Aura, just in time before the wave comes and hits them. While they are underwater, it is almost pitch black. Everyone has taken everyone¡¯s else arms and are standing right there, facing the raging water go by. Almost right away the dome is broken. In the dark, Tomoe sees a weak light coming towards them. It is a human figure, this time a man, with beard, a slim build, pale skin, a Cinder coming towards them, but this one has something different to the one they have just captured: His eyes, they are completely black. The water going by gains intensity. As the second Cinder plunges forward, Tomoe¡¯s legs are trembling, her Aura is being used fast, really fast, not only for her, but for everyone that she is keeping in place. She starts having trouble holding her breath. The Cinder is coming closer, closer, closer, and fast. The expressionless face of the man starting to sear itself into Tomoe¡¯s mind. Not another one. Sixty meters, fifty meters, forty meters, thirty meters, twenty. Is this as far as I can go?, Tomoe thinks, as the Cinders gets into ten meters right at her. Then, the Cinder is right on her, with both of its arms grabbing Tomoe¡¯s, bursting into flames, as Tomoe is swung away, with everyone else still grabbing her, not letting her go. As they follow the current and the Cinder is sucking Tomoe¡¯s Aura, many faces come through her head, remembering. Tomoe¡¯s stomach starts creating chaos, and she has lost all sense of place, closing more and more on herself. Then, she feels that the force that was grabbing her suddenly turned weaker. Coming back to herself, she sees that from behind her, a branch of Ash Tree is on the Cinder¡¯s face. Can¡¯t let you drift away!, she thinks, as she embraces her Cinder with her arms, keeping it in place, while it retorts and contorts at the contact of the branch of Ash Tree. As she embraces the Cinder, flames start pouring all over her arms and face. ¡°Resist¡­ Resist¡­¡± She tells herself, as she is being damaged by the contact, losing Aura in the process. But she reached her limit: the air in her lungs has run out, and opening her mouth on reflexes, water starts invading inside her body. Resist¡­ she still thinks, as her consciousness fades away. Suddenly, Tomoe feels that she is floating in the middle of nothing¡­ How long has it been since I was here? No sense of time could be established: Minutes were hours, hours were minutes. Then, from the inside, she feels a surge. She can¡¯t keep it inside her, and rolling to her side, spews all the water that she had inside her. A deep breath, a blurry vision, but everything is coming together little by little. Sounds start coming to her, and they start forming words. She recognizes the voices. As she blinks a couple of times, the image is being adjusted, and to her eyes, the people that she knows gained form. Bran, to her left, had a hand on her shoulder. Amelia, to her right, kneeling and crying. Titania and Priscilla, coming into vision. ¡°Give her space¡± says Bran. ¡°You don¡¯t know by how little I barely escaped the distortion zone¡± Tomoe hears Priscilla say. ¡°Lucky you, it was really rough¡± Titania says, and turning to Tomoe, she then asks ¡°How are you feeling?¡± After some moments, Tomoe turns back up, takes a deep breath, and says ¡°Feel like those old days when Amelia went all out against me in training.¡± Some giggles escape, and Amelia, wiping the tears of her face adds ¡°Well, we can go and do it again, wherever you want¡±, letting some chuckles escape. Tomoe turns to her and answers ¡°Maybe¡­ Where¡¯s that Cinder again? I think I¡¯m better off with it.¡± Amelia opens wide her eyes, and says ¡°Cotton, how mean!¡± while pouting. She then pushes Tomoe a bit, and lets some slight chuckles escape. As Tomoe sits, Sonoko comes closer, and Bran turns to her ¡°Is everything done?¡± ¡°Yes¡± she answers with a wry smile ¡°Their help made it everything really fast.¡± As she says this, Tomoe turns around, and sees a couple of more priests present ¡°Where did they came from?¡± ¡°They were coming here in order to perform another parting for someone else that died today. Priscilla was running back to seek for help when she stumbled upon them. Look.¡± As Sonoko pointed, Tomoe saw into the sea, four boats, all going in direction to the Styx sea, the red dot at the distance¡­ an image she¡¯s really familiar with. As she sighed, she said ¡°You really saved us back there, thanks Sonoko.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t, if I have done better my duty we could have avoided everything in the first place.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try¡± Sonoko says, and then, bowing, she adds ¡°We have to part ways here, I need to go back and report on everything that happened.¡± ¡°Yes¡± says Bran. ¡°Until then, may Lord Hazuki always guide your steps¡± Sonoko says, as she waves and goes to the group of priests that where waiting for her. ¡°Let us go back too¡± says Bran ¡°we could get a good rest for the rest of the day. Good thing that this was our day off.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± says Priscilla ¡°it would have been really tough to go back patrolling, and then go drinking in the night. I mean, I can¡¯t drink alone can I?¡± ¡°Will go and check on my grandma, see you guys later at the usual place¡± says Titania, as she starts walking away. ¡°Will go with you part of the way¡± says Priscilla, following her. ¡°Lets go¡± says Bran. ¡°Yes¡± says Amelia. ¡°Agreed¡± answers Tomoe, with slight downcast look on her face. A chuckle escapes her, seeing how she has trouble getting on foot. Bran and Amelia notice this, and grabbing on arm each, they help Tomoe walk back to the city while she recovers. 7- At the Eyes in the Wild ¡°The sun has started going down¡±. A woman of twirling black hair and long, slender arms says, while walking right besides a lake. She is accompanied by two men, the three wearing standard light hunter gear: leather boots, leather armor, leather hood and cape, and under it, leather bottoms and shirts that ranged from made of silk to made wool. The lake is big and has the shape of a butterfly. At the other side of the lake, there¡¯s a big statue, holding what looks like a giant cooper disk, that is hanging from its hands. The statue itself seems to have had a human form, but it has lost part of it with the constant erosion of many, many years. ¡°We are close by¡± says the slim bearded man. ¡°Sophia, any idea of what we should look for?¡± asks the other man, the dark skinned bald one. ¡°Not sure myself. Something that is out of place maybe. Lady Aquamarine said to work with the Aquamarines in the outpost looking over the forest corridor, and if nothing comes up, keep a watch over it for a while.¡± ¡°Weird, why would she want us to look over the forest corridor?¡± ¡°Maybe Partus wants to invade?¡± ¡°Those morons? They don¡¯t have the strength!¡± ¡°Maybe they joined forces with Ophelia?¡± ¡°Still not enough¡± says the dark skinned man ¡°they don¡¯t have the manpower to takes us on.¡± As they keep walking, the wind goes by with some speed. The sounds of their feet, constantly hitting the rocky ground, as they go by, and with those, all the noises of the forest and the animals that live there. Birds singing, wolves howling, and the wind, again, howling too, like if it didn¡¯t wanted to be defeated by the wolves. ¡°Noise as always¡± says Sophia. ¡°It is frantic place¡± said the slim bearded man. ¡°And strangely so, a pacific one¡± added the dark skinned man. ¡°Pacific? The forest? With things like the grim wolves going around? Are you crazy Lorian?¡± says the slim bearded man. ¡°He is just a man of the hunt¡± says Sophia. ¡°What can I say Peter? I love being out here¡± says Lorian. As they are leaving behind the lake, the way only keeps going slightly upward, following the dirt road again into the forest. ¡°To think that that Lake is what provides all the water that we have down there.¡± ¡°It is pretty big.¡± ¡°How is it that it never runs out of water?¡± ¡°I-¡± starts saying Lorian, before stopping and bringing a hand to his chin, then saying ¡°I actually don¡¯t know. Do you know Sophia?¡± ¡°How can I know more than you, Lorian? You basically live out here.¡± Lorian chuckles ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a man of the beasts, that is what I know about.¡± Then he adds ¡°So, do you know?¡± Sophia snorts ¡°Only what others have told me.¡± ¡°Just like you like it eh?¡± says Peter, chuckling. ¡°Yeah, nothing more reliable than that I guess.¡± ¡°So? What did they told you?¡±. ¡°That the water on the Lake Butterfly comes from underground channels, or something like that.¡± ¡°Underground?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Now that is crazy. Does that means that the ground isn¡¯t pure dirt?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How weird. Do you believe what they have told you?¡± ¡°Kinda.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s a first¡± says Lorian ¡°why do you believe in it?¡± As they are entering the forest, another sounds that they haven¡¯t heard before crosses from the right to the left. ¡°Wait, lets not move¡± says Lorian. The way through the forest is marked by the constant use, now covered in leaves by the sides. The trees cover both sides of the road, in an almost straight line. Further beyond, a tortoise-like creature appears from the right side of the road, moving to its left. ¡°C¡¯mon!¡± says Peter, slapping Lorian¡¯s right shoulder from behind ¡°thought it would be something dangerous like a grim wolf, it is only a rain tortoise.¡± ¡°Wait, don¡¯t move still, a grim wolf may be close by¡± replies Lorian, coming forward to put himself in front of them and raising both arms to the sides. And the three of them stood there, crouching, while the rain tortoise, slowly, but surely, kept moving to the left, and eventually out of the road. ¡°And this is why-¡± starts saying Peter ¡°I hate magic animals.¡± ¡°Let me go and check ahead¡± says Lorian, while moving forward, still crouching, along the road. Reaching the part where the rain tortoise went by, Lorian leaned right and left, passed his hand through the ground where the rain tortoise went by, and stood still. After some moments, he stood, turned and signaled for them to come. ¡°No grim wolves?¡± asks Sophia. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. No animal is coming from where the tortoise came, no animal is in the opposite direction. The tortoise wasn¡¯t bleeding, and I didn¡¯t heard any sound of a struggle happening right now. Seems like the tortoise is preparing itself for a coming rain.¡± The three of them looked up. A clear sky, without any clouds present waved back at them. ¡°Summary: A waste of time¡± concludes Peter. ¡°Pretty much¡± says Lorian ¡°but better be safe than sorry¡± he adds. ¡°And this is why I hate magic animals. Why can¡¯t they be normal like any other?¡± answers Peter ¡°what do you think?¡± he asks, turning to Sophia. With the unexpected question, she gets a bit off balance. Putting her hand to her chin, then she answers ¡°I¡­ at least don¡¯t hate all of them?¡± Peter stood there, baffled a bit by the unexpected response ¡°Interesting¡± he says ¡°which one you don¡¯t like?¡± ¡°Well, it is only a bit of common sense, but I don¡¯t like grim wolves for example.¡± ¡°I get it¡± interjects Lorian ¡°I personally don¡¯t like them, neither can I hate them. I can only feel respect and fear when faced with such monster¡±. ¡°Yeah, can¡¯t feel at ease when I¡¯m at the Red district thanks to them¡± says Peter ¡°Do you have any other magic animal that you don¡¯t like?¡± ¡°It is a bit impressive how you went so causally talking about sluts back to magic animals¡± retorts Sophia, then adding ¡°well, another one I truly don¡¯t like¡­ That would have to be the Hydra.¡± A silence took over them. Sophia added ¡°Specially since that time, of what happened with two of my girls who where stupid enough to get close to it.¡± Turning forward to see further up the road, then she finally adds ¡°Come on, we have been standing here more than what we needed, lets continue.¡± As Sophia starts to move again, Peter and Lorian look at each other, and Peter says ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t like the Hydra.¡± ¡°Me neither man, me neither¡± and both start moving again. As they continue down the road, the trees exhibit many kinds of happenings that happen in the forest: marks of claws on one, entire trees brought down in the others. Trees covered in moss, and trees covered in wild plants, and just some covered in flowers. At the distance a pillar of smoke rises ¡°There it is, the rain tortoise is setting up¡± Lorian says, but no one adds anything else. As they are reaching the outpost, this time Sophia stops. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± says Peter. ¡°Something isn¡¯t quite right¡± answer Lorian. ¡°That is correct¡± says Sophia, then, moving to the side of the road, she enters the forest ¡°If I remember well what I was told, it should be around here¡­ aha!¡± she says, stopping a couple of meters away, besides a fallen old tree ¡°Come here¡± she adds, turning to her companions. ¡°What is the matter?¡± asks Lorian. ¡°Did you wanted to know why I believe what the others told me about the underground rivers? Here it is¡± she says, as she points towards the ground. As both men come closer, the old tree stops blocking the vision to where Sophia is pointing, all in order to reveal a hole in the ground. ¡°What in the-¡± says both Lorian and Peter. ¡°You can hear water rushing through, if you kneel that is. Although I can¡¯t safely say if this is a proper underground river, I haven¡¯t rode it yet¡­ the prospect of how dark it is down there sends chills down my spine.¡± Says Sophia as she embraces herself with both arms. Lorian then kneels, and effectively, the sound of a rush comes through to his ears. ¡°It is true then¡± says Peter. ¡°Indeed¡± says Lorian, but his expression still doesn¡¯t change ¡°but this doesn¡¯t change the matter that something weird is going on¡± he adds, while standing up and turning to Sophia. ¡°It is just a safety measure¡± Sophia says ¡°do you have your Switch objects?¡± ¡°Yes¡± answers Peter. ¡°Right here¡± answers Lorian, while showing a hunting knife, the size of his big hands. ¡°Very well,¡± Sophia says while she takes off her collar ¡°this underground river supposedly feeds Lake Butterfly, or at least that is what my source claims, so-¡± she says, as she drops the collar into the river. When the collar drops, it makes a heavy sound, and some droplets come from the hole all the way to the surface ¡°drop your Switch objects here.¡± Lorian and Peter look at each other, then look at Sophia, and Peter says ¡°Do you believe that it is necessary? Besides, I haven¡¯t ever ride these undergrounds rivers before either!¡± ¡°I hope not, but better safe than sorry.¡± Stolen novel; please report.¡°I think I agree with Peter here, Sophia. Things are sketchy, but I don¡¯t think the situation merits this kind of escape.¡± ¡°I know it kinda is a long shot, but I can¡¯t stop feeling bothered by it.¡± Both man went silent. Then, Lorian walks to a tree nearby, and stabs it with his hunting knife ¡°can¡¯t agree, but I would agree that it is better safe than sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the situation calls for this¡± says Peter ¡°Will keep mine with me. You are all overacting.¡± ¡°Hope we are¡± says Sophia. ¡°Lets go¡± says Lorian. And the three of them go back and hit the road. As the three continue walking, soon they leave again part of the forest and are faced with a forked path, two ways to go: one goes up, and the other continues on to their left. The three of them go up, silence around them getting thicker and thicker. Soon enough, they reach the outpost: An old temple, abandoned, with a tower that rises over the trees, and has a bell on the top. The temple looks made the same way Aquamarine Port City was made with: Rocks and Bricks put together in an unknown way. On the ground, a fireplace, some empty tents, and the building itself. ¡°I knew it¡± Sophia says. ¡°Yeah¡± Lorian says. ¡°There isn¡¯t supposed to be some Beheaders stationed here?¡± says Peter. ¡°Not only here¡± says Sophia ¡°there should have been at least one Beheader down below¡± says Lorian. ¡°So that was what was bothering me¡± says Sophia. ¡°Yeah, it is weird. I have come close around here a couple of times, and I know some of the guys that are stationed here¡± says Lorian. ¡°Seeing the fireplace, some smoke is still coming off of it, so, maybe they are inside the temple?¡± says Peter. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± says Lorian. ¡°I don¡¯t like this¡± says Sophia ¡°Prepare yourselves, we are going in.¡± The three people enter the old abandoned temple. They are greeted by a large rectangular room, with some vegetation on the sides and along the walls. ¡°Four doors¡± says Sophia, pointing to one directly in front of them, other at the end of the rectangular room, another one besides it, and another in the opposite side, right besides them. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we call for them?¡± ¡°If something truly happened, that would alert anyone here of our presence¡± answers Sophia ¡°we still don¡¯t know if the situation is safe or not. Until we can confirm it, don¡¯t raise your voices.¡± ¡°But maybe we are just over thinking the situation at hand¡± says Peter again. ¡°I hope so, but it is best if we confirm first the situation. Better taken on being on guard than not being on it.¡± Peter went silent for a moment, stroking his beard. Then, bringing his hand to his lips, he points to one of the doors by the end ¡°Why don¡¯t we try one of the doors at the end of the room?¡± Sophia looks at Lorian, and then back at Peter ¡°I don¡¯t see why not¡± she says. ¡°Agreed. In the end we will have to check it anyway¡± says Lorian. The three start moving in a triangle formation towards the end of the room. As they are moving closer, Sophia says ¡°Engage your Auras guys.¡± From Sophia, a Yellow light comes forward, same with Lorian, but in lesser quantity. From Peter, a Red light came forward, in about the same quantity than Lorian¡¯s. ¡°It is too silent¡± Lorian remarks. ¡°Agree¡± says Peter, with his voice breaking a little. ¡°Pull yourself together Peter¡± says Sophia. Taking a deep breath, Peter then answers ¡°Will do.¡± Reaching both doors, they stop, then Sophia points first to one door, then to the other, and turns to look at them, showing the palm of her hand. Lorian looks at her, shaking slightly his shoulders, while Peter stays silent, and then points to the one of the right. Both agree, and Sophia reaches for the door. In this very moment, some sudden sounds come forward. Flapping that goes from low to intense in the matter of seconds. They turn to verify what was happening, only to see a bird, on the top of the room, having just entered the room. Taking a deep breath, the three of them go back to the door, only to see a small butterfly on the doorknob. Lorian takes it by the wings and moves it aside, and as he open his hand again, the butterfly flies away. Sophia grabs again the door, and opens it slowly. It lets to another room. This one smaller in size, and also rectangular. Two beds are here, and the room has evidence of being taken care off, with no vegetations coming through, almost no dust, and two desks with some books. Sophia enters the room, and gives hand signs to indicate that it is clear. Lorian sees Peter, and he indicates back that Lorian can go first. As they enter in the room, more of it gets more visible: The door that was on the left also connects to this room. Lorian moves around, looking over. He gets closer to one of the desks ¡°Sophia, come here¡± he says. ¡°What do you have?¡± ¡°Look¡± he says, as he points towards a plate, with food. She reaches for the food, and touches it ¡°It has some warm still.¡± ¡°But they aren¡¯t around. Why?¡± says Lorian. ¡°Hey, come over and see this¡± says Peter, at the other side of the room. ¡°What is it?¡± says Sophia, as she comes closer to where Peter is. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­ strange?¡± says Peter, as he points a weird statue on the top of another desk. The statue is made of wood, and has a human figure, but it is no one she recognizes. The human has some armor that she has never seen before too. Sophia takes it. ¡°What i-¡± she starts to say, as suddenly, from the strange statue, a Yellow light comes forward. In this light, the statue disappeared from her hand, and with the Yellow light growing larger, another human figure appears. In this split of a second, the woman that appeared extended her arms towards Sophia, and a sudden rush can be heard, like if the air was being ripped apart, coming through Sophia¡¯s Aura and pushing her to the ground. Still, the surge didn¡¯t stop, and from her woman¡¯s arms sudden arcs of little lightings went down all the way to Sophia¡¯s body. While she was being electrocuted with a lot of strength, she tried to look back, to where Lorian was, only to see a man that wasn¡¯t there before, making fire dance and attack Lorian in a flash. Then, Sophia passed out. As muffled sounds reach her ears, Sophia wakes up, feeling the dust of the ground of the temple. Lorian is besides her, without being able to move, and having burns all over his body. Her head is in a lot of pain, and she can¡¯t figure how much time has passed. Sounds start getting to Sophia¡¯s ears, first mumbles, then disconnected words, and then, her heart sunk at this realization, while Peter moved to her field of vision. Peter was talking with the woman that took her down, a really lean woman, wearing a single simple armor without shoulder plates, crimson in color, with ashen hair, clearly not being taken care off. She spoke with a really harsh accent, like she never completely learned how to speak, but Sophia could understand her. ¡°We have to get rid of them.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t what you promised me!¡± yells Peter. The woman comes closer, and grabbing him by the bear, pulls him closer ¡°Did you truly believe that you had any power to begin with?¡± Peter goes silent, and the woman, coming closer, says ¡°You, a poor Red Aura, what could you do? Only with the ability to feel less pain, you don¡¯t have any options but to obey!¡± and pushes him away. Sophia couldn¡¯t believe it, yet reality struck her like a thunder on a stormy day: She isn¡¯t from the Aquamarine State. The face of her father, her friends, her coworkers, all ran through her mind. From the bottom of her heart, for the first time in her life, an unexpected thought surfaced in her mind: the face of her mother, and she couldn¡¯t stop blushing out of the shame of feeling grateful that she was long gone out of this world, that her dear mother wouldn¡¯t have to live what was about to come. Her entire life was about to change forever, and right now she wasn¡¯t even sure that she would be able to live long enough to see that change. How? Is the question that surfaced in her mind. How? How? How? She could feel the beats of her heart almost breaking through her chest. She can¡¯t afford to die right now. Not now. Not with so much at risk. A slight movement in Lorian¡¯s face caught Sophia¡¯s attention. Wondering what was that about, she looked more closely at Lorian. He barely opened his eyes, but barely could move his face. With a great deal of visible effort, he moves his lips, towards his neck, without saying anything. Sophia looks at it, while Lorian repeats it, again, again. Then, it hit her. The woman started to pass currents of electricity through her arms, and walks towards Sophia and Lorian. At this very moment, Sophia releases the Aura she had left that went without use after she passed out. In the split of a second, the woman opened her eyes wide, and plunged forward, but too little too late: The light enveloped Sophia, and in its place, inside this light her collar appeared, making a heavy sound when hitting the floor. 8- Aquamarine port City - Night Uneasiness. A strong force crushes Tomoe¡¯s stomach. A great pressure constrains her chest. She is on the floor, stiffened to her limit, without being able to react. Her eyes wide open alongside her mouth. He is back against a wall, feeling the wet dirt of the ground in her hands. At her feet, three people are visible: a girl facing down the ground, a guy against a tree, without the lower half of his body, and another guy, this one nailed against another tree. A great roar agitates the air, shakes the trees. The guy nailed to one of the trees falls down. Rain continues to fall, now with more strength than before. In front of her, a sound of something sliding through the ground can be heard. Trees cracking, being shaken, and falling can be seen from her right. In front of her, the figure of a snake appears, a really big snake. Then two, then tree. A thunder comes down, throwing light to the heads. Scales, scales everywhere, and a train of teeth can be seen, sharp, with two greater fangs on the front, one at each side. A liquid that looks green drops from them. The heads retreat, Tomoe¡¯s heart continues to pound with desperation. The earth itself starts to tremble, more and more. Waves come crashing to the cliff, the ocean is going wild. And then, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen¡­ The shadow of the hydra appears before her, each of the heads¡¯ eyes burning like little stars. The heads take position. Tomoe knows what this means. Not going to be eaten right away, no. Mercy is for those that aren¡¯t fools. ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡± she tries to let escape a scream¡­ or a plea¡­ or something¡­ what did she wanted to say, she couldn¡¯t known. The hydra¡¯s eyes burnt brighter, and Tomoe closed her eyes. A loud sound, accompanied with a strong gust. Then, silence. Tomoe had curled in fetal position. Was she screaming? Was she crying? She opened her eyes, and saw it, a petite girl in front of her, white light surrounding her. She looked back at Tomoe. She had dirt all over the place. Some parts had dangerous bruises, and she was bleeding. Still, she looked at Tomoe, and an expression of relief ran through her face. Her lips moved, and then smiled. What did she said? Tomoe couldn¡¯t make it. Then the petite girl, standing her ground, faced the hydra again, and plunged ahead. Tomoe sees her, that flash of white light, going against that beast, alone. She raises her hand, trying to reach her. Suddenly, everything becomes more unclear. Tomoe can¡¯t move. The image disappears, other sounds start coming to her ears. She then, finally, opens her eyes. Tomoe wakes up, finding herself sitting in a place full of stones. These stones, all made to the same shape, are placed in an orderly fashion, names inscribed on them. In front of her, other types of stones, made of obsidian, sit, at equal distance of each other. One stone is directly in front of her, a black semblance, stabbing the image of the sun, going down beyond the Styx sea. Donning a sky blue shirt, blue bottoms and simple sandals, her hand is still up, in the direction of the obsidian stone. Through her cheeks, flowing rivers continue to fall down. Her chest is tightened, her back in pain for the position she is in. The Aquamarine ring in her finger shines blue between the light of the sun and the obsidian, accompanying the shine of her ruby earrings. Tomoe reaches to the stone, passing her hand through the names in it. She stops at a name, and stays there, accompanied by the song of the seagulls that sometimes rest there right at this cliff. A woman appears at the entrance of this place, wearing a white shirt, dark brown shorts and also simple sandals. She enters, while the light of the sunset gives her brown hair a red tinge. She gets to where Tomoe is, and crouches, putting a hand to her shoulder. ¡°Thought you would be here.¡± ¡°Priscilla¡± says Tomoe, speaking like if she was taken out of a daze. As Priscilla takes her hand back, she says ¡°still thinking about that day, uh?¡± ¡°I dreamed about it right now.¡± ¡°Tomoe-¡± ¡°I promised that day,¡± cuts Tomoe ¡°never again, never again¡± she says, as she takes her hand back and makes a fist. Both stayed there, crouched, as the wind caressed their faces, and made their hair slightly dance. After some moments, Priscilla says ¡°Come, we are going to be late if we stay any more time here¡­ soon will be dark.¡± ¡°Right.¡± As both stand up, they leave the Memorial Graveyard. They continue down the streets, alongside the Old Cathedral. The plaza in front of the cathedral is full of people still, with families and their kids playing around the two old wells that are stationed there, throwing water at each other. Many others are getting up and go back, taking other streets, saying goodbye for the day. Priests and Beheaders are gathering ashen branches, to prepare for the high tide tomorrow. As they continue, they get to the main plaza, where just earlier today was a busy marketplace, with now people starting to pick up the stalls, and safekeeping their wares. Everyone is picking up, some are already leaving. People say goodbye to one another. Some carriages are there, to help those that have too many wares to carry them by themselves. A silence is starting to conquer the city, as the busy life is starting to settle down. Going down the street, passing over some water channels, and making some turns, before the bay plaza, a breeze comes through. Pubs, Taverns, are opening right now, some are open even before the sun starts going down. Light comes out of the establishments, and by the sounds of it, some are already drunk, with laughter that can already be heard from the outside. A dim smile is drawn on Tomoe¡¯s face. Priscilla notices this, and smiles too. As the sun finally sunks into the sea, the poles that are on the street light up, giving light to the otherwise dark city. Stardust stones are a really rare resource, but once night sets up, they bring light to the streets all night long. Tomoe then hears it clearly: the gentle crash of the waves, and looking up a bit more, she notices the same thing that happens every night: the lower plains have been flooded. As she looks at this, she turns up a bit more, to her back, to see the moon coming up, waving back. ¡°Almost there¡± Priscilla says, as they have taken the left a bit before the bay plaza, following the dirt street. Men and women are walking this street, ones going out, others going in, no children on sight. A little ahead of them, a long silver haired woman, wearing a single sleveless dark dress and more detailed sandals, is walking alongside a slim man with fluffy hair, wearing a tight dark blue shirt, brown bottoms and leather boots. ¡°Speak of the Wolf¡± says Tomoe. ¡°Lets not be too hard on him ok?¡± says Priscilla. ¡°But-¡± was about to say Tomoe, but Priscilla, putting a finger to Tomoe¡¯s lips, interrupts her. ¡°We aren¡¯t the ones that lost a mother¡± Priscilla says, with a gentle tone of voice. Tomoe¡¯s shoulders came down, and the pressure that was starting to brew inside her came back down ¡°You¡¯re right¡± she says, looking at him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that he doesn¡¯t have to apologize though¡± says Priscilla, then adding ¡°You know what that means?¡± ¡°With you, that only means one thing: alcohol, loads of free alcohol.¡± As Priscilla¡¯s lips twirl into a smug, she throttles to where the man and the woman are, with Tomoe following. Getting closer, Priscilla calls ¡°Lacus! Lorelei!¡± Both turn back. Lorelei, the lean silver haired woman, reveals eyes color crimson. ¡°Ah!¡± says Lorelei, waving back to her ¡°Hey there, thought you guys would be there already.¡± ¡°Hello¡± mutters Lacus. ¡°Of course!¡± says Priscilla, as she and Tomoe gets to where both Lacus and Lorelei where standing. Tomoe looks at Lacus, and Priscilla was about to intervene, when Tomoe says ¡°free?¡± Lacus answers ¡°The least I could do.¡± ¡°She gets it¡± says Lorelei, then adding ¡°Lets go, I¡¯m sure everyone is already there.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Priscilla says. And the girls and the guy start walking again, very deep into the street. After about ten minutes of walking, and passing some taverns to the left and right, they get to their destination: The Muscle Squid, a pub in the zone of the city where the middle class live. The pub was clearly different from the other old buildings in the city. It is clearly more recent, and was made with rocks mostly, but given a beautiful finishing with the water tamers ability to control water with precision, giving the rocks a smooth surface. Floor made of wooden planks, two floors, a great chandelier hanging in the ceiling, and many more, little ones, in each table. The Sun has just sunk and this place was almost full. ¡°People, we are here!¡± says Lorelei, flashing a big smile as she enters first into the pub and waving with her hand. Oscar, wearing a loose blue shirt, dark brown bottoms and boots, at the bar, talking to the owner of the Muscle Squid. Bran, wearing a dim yellow vest, blue bottoms and boots, and Amelia, wearing a single sleveless large loose sky blue dress and sandals, in a table, already with two jars empty of beer. Titania, wearing a tight shirt, dark bottoms and leather boots, getting to the table with another couple of jars. When Lorelei enters and announces herself, Amelia turns around, with the face having a tinge of red, stands up, and comes running at a speed not needed for such a short distance, tackling Lorelei back to the outside. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.Outside, Priscilla, Lacus and Tomoe were a both sides of the door. ¡°There it is¡± says Tomoe. ¡°Why don¡¯t we enter, and you help her out?¡± says Priscilla, as Lacus nods and they both enter the Muscle Squid. Getting closer, Tomoe kneels and puts her arms around Amelia, getting her off Lorelei. ¡°Thanks¡± says Lorelei. ¡°One would believe that you would be prepared for this at least once.¡± ¡°Guilty as charged. At the end of a day of work, I can only think of getting rid of the stress. Always forget about this when she is present¡± she says as she incorporates herself with a relaxed expression. ¡°Come on, pull yourself together¡± says Tomoe, pulling Amelia up. ¡°Sorry¡± answers Amelia. ¡°How did you get like this? You usually can take more than four jars of beer¡± asks Lorelei. ¡°Well¡­ I was insulted¡­ Bran said that I couldn¡¯t take drinks with true strength, and¡­ I couldn¡¯t let that stand¡± says Amelia, as she stumbles a bit, before being able to stand up. Then she adds ¡°Now this is embarrassing¡±, taking her hands to her face. Lorelei lets a laugh escape, then puts a hand to Amelia¡¯s shoulder, and says ¡°I¡¯ll take part of the challenge too!¡±, to which she looks at Tomoe, and adds ¡°You¡¯ll be joining, right?¡± Tomoe is taken by surprise. She lets some mumbles escape, but at the sight of an earnest Lorelei and the sight of an embarrassed Amelia, she sighs, and says ¡°Well, why not?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± says out loud Lorelei, putting both of her arms behind Tomoe¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s heads ¡°lets show that Bran what are we made off!¡± ¡°Thanks¡± whispers Amelia, looking at Tomoe ¡°Don¡¯t mind¡± she replies, while letting escape a smug, a smug that is nothing more than a front, a reaction to what awaits her inside. As the girls enter, Bran and Lacus are sitting on the table, together with Titania. Lorelei yells ¡°Bran! We are going to take part in the contest and beat you into a pulp!¡± Bran stands and answers ¡°Lacus will pay for everything, and himself will participate too!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± says Lorelei, as they get to the table, and Oscar brings them more chairs. ¡°So¡­ Amelia already told me you weren¡¯t drinking beer. What are we going to drink tonight?¡± Bran¡¯s face lets escape a smug smile, and says ¡°In this contest, we are going to drink Burning Hydras.¡± Lorelei¡¯s eyes open wide, a smug appears on her face, and she says ¡°Oooh¡­ playing tough are we, Tomato boy?¡± Bran¡¯s Red Aura comes out, and he says ¡°You¡¯re on, blue witch¡±, and from Lorelei¡¯s a Blue Aura comes out. The waitress comes around, a red headed girl with a lean body and freckles. Puts a hand on Bran¡¯s shoulder, and says ¡°Ready to go?¡± ¡°Bring them on¡± says Bran, with a smug on his face. ¡°You¡¯re trying to act tough tomato boy!¡± says Lorelei, then adding ¡°but you aren¡¯t tough enough, I can see you¡¯re breaking a sweat already.¡± And leaning a bit to her left, she adds ¡°Are your knees already failing?¡± The waitress chuckles, and leaning to Bran, she whispers to his ear ¡°All well and good, but don¡¯t forget your promise to me later.¡± Then, standing up and turning to the owner of the Muscle Squid, she says ¡°seven burning hydras! We have a competition tonight!¡± ¡°Coming right up!¡± the owner says, then turning to Oscar and adding ¡°Your boys always bring good fortune here.¡± ¡°If they knew how to handle a drink, they would bring even more¡± he answers. As the night goes on, jars and jars start coming to the table. Every other customer that was there came around to see the competition, and yells of ¡°drink, drink, drink, drink!¡± could be heard all night long, at the rhythm of the steps against the floor. ¡°Bottom¡¯s up!¡± says Lorelei, as she takes her third jar, and drinks like if she were bathing under a waterfall. ¡°Ugh!¡± Titania lets escape, and almost spills a jar of burning hydra while hitting his face against the table ¡°More for the take!¡± says Lorelei, taking her jar and drinking it too. At the fifth jar, Lacus starts mumbling around, and falls asleep while sitting. While asleep, tears comes from his eyes, and he constantly lets escape ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°This is for getting my cute junior into your trap, tomato boy!¡± Lorelei says, as she picks up her seventh jar. ¡°I¡¯ll show you how much I have grown up!¡± yells Amelia, now completely red, sustaining herself too with her Yellow Aura. ¡°Bring it on blue witch!¡± Bran says, now completely red too, sustaining himself with his Red Aura. As the moon is reaching its highest point, and the tenth jar comes by, Amelia says ¡°I¡¯m sorry master¡­ I¡­ can¡¯t go on¡­¡± as she falls to the ground. ¡°We have a victim!¡± yells Priscilla. Crouching alongside Amelia, Tomoe yells ¡°Noooooooooooooo!¡± The public, that has been following the competition through the night, and some even joined, fell silent. Grabbing Amelia¡¯s jar, Lorelei suddenly draws a serious expression ¡°Don¡¯t worry my cute junior, from now on, I¡¯ll carry your share too¡±, then, looking at Bran, she says ¡°now y¡¯ve done it! This is my vengeance! Hear my war cry: Bottom¡¯s up!¡±, as she drinks Amelia¡¯s jar. ¡°For Amelia! Bottom¡¯s up!¡± cry Priscilla and Tomoe, as a new round of burning hydras comes to the table and Oscar picks up Amelia from the ground, putting her in another table where Titania and Lacus are already. From outside of the Muscle Squid, another yell could be heard ¡°Oooooooh!¡± With the moon starting to go down, the Muscle Squid had gone silent. Inside, Priscilla was at the other table, and many bodies were on the ground. On the table, more than one hundred empty jars, and Bran, Lorelei an Tomoe still stood. Lorelei was sipping one jar of burning hydra, now in silence, ears now red, and swinging ever so slightly side to side. Tomoe had both of her arms against the table, trying to not fall face flat on it. Bran had his arm over the arm chair, trying to hold himself too. The waitress comes around and crosses her arms with Bran¡¯s ¡°Don¡¯t you think its time?¡± says, as she smiles to him. Bran lets more Red Aura come out, at which Lorelei retorts ¡°look at you, needing help to make a move¡±, then adding ¡°I call you tomato boy, but aren¡¯t you a bit too green for this?¡± Bran then makes his Red Aura come inside him, answers with a smug back, stands up, and says ¡°we will need to postpone the conclusion of our battle for another night.¡± Lorelei chuckles ¡°Don mai, donmai¡± she says. ¡°Well, everyone, good night¡± says Bran, and around the establishment a ¡°g¡¯nigh!¡± could be heard, while Bran moves upstairs with the waitress. ¡°First time he put a good fight, that tomato boy. Trying its hardest to impress¡­¡± says Lorelei, letting another chuckle escape ¡°still too earnest, and too naive¡± she adds, while smiling, and drinking a bit more. ¡°Uh?¡± says Tomoe, finally being able to incorporate herself ¡°Didn¡¯t I have a jar full in front of me moments ago?¡± ¡°An hour ago¡± Lorelei answers ¡°and not anymore.¡± She says as she puts a hand over an empty jar in front of her. ¡°Yeah¡­ well, I¡¯m not surprised¡± Tomoe says, as she chuckles ¡°not when drinking with you.¡± ¡°You went above and beyond tonight.¡± A smirk is drawn on Tomoe¡¯s face ¡°Not enough.¡± A smug is drawn on Lorelei¡¯s face ¡°Maybe.¡± Tomoe stands up, and moving to the stairs, she asks the owner ¡°Is there any room free?¡± ¡°Room twenty nine girl, go get a rest there.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Lets drink together another day¡± says Lorelei. Tomoe chuckles ¡°Sure¡±, and goes upstairs too, stumbling side to side. As Tomoe goes down the hallway, she reaches room twenty nine, and enters in it. ¡°Thank Hazuki those two weren¡¯t here¡± she thinks, as she takes her earrings while closing the door behind. Then, someone knocks the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Tomoe says. ¡°Its me.¡± ¡°Ah¡± says Tomoe ¡°Priscilla, come in¡±. As Priscilla enters the room, Tomoe says ¡°Something the matter?¡± ¡°Just checking on you¡± she says, as she closes the door behind and sits on the bed ¡°come¡± she says, while tapping her tights with her palms. Tomoe drops instantly on them, and Priscilla starts playing with her hair. She looks, and sees that Tomoe doesn¡¯t have the Ruby earrings. ¡°And the earrings?¡± ¡°Here¡± Tomoe says, opening the palm of her right hand. ¡°Don¡¯t go around pointing those toward people. In fact, watch out and you stab me.¡± Tomoe chuckles ¡°So mean.¡± Priscilla then says ¡°You really went beyond tonight.¡± ¡°I-¡± starts saying Tomoe, but Priscilla puts a finger on her lips and whispers ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± There she was again, enveloped in darkness, her heart throbbing pounding harder and harder on her chest and her head. Unable to think clearly enough, she sets her eyes in one corner of the moon-lit room, engulfed in darkness. Her breathing turned heavy, her head spinning in the shadows. The sound of rain little by little reached her ears, which startled her a little bit. ¡°Is it raining?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Priscilla raises her eyes to look out of the window, then looks back at Tomoe. Pulling her hair out of her face, Priscilla smiles warmly and says ¡°Not outside.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Tomoe says, as she sees Priscilla¡¯s hand taking the teardrops away from her face. ¡°I see.¡± Tomoe whispers, as a knot ties itself in her throat ¡°Yes. It is indeed raining.¡± and more teardrops fall from her eyes. Priscilla starts to hum, as Tomoe trembles on her lap, fighting the tears that keep piercing her heart. 9- The shadow of a flame As the night goes on, inside the big crimson Tent, a tall man with red hair is standing in front of a painting of another man, red haired too, this with large sideburns. The man lacks a right arm, and has a scar in his left eye. In his left arm, he is holding a large practice spear, and he is clothed in leather armor. There he was, about to stand above all of Aeris. Many years he has gone through to reach to this point, and tomorrow, everything will end. The course of action is already decided, their take-over must be swift. The city they are falling upon is naturally well fortified, and any mistakes or any delayed action could hinder his conquest and extend the time it will take for him to finally see the end of his path. But he will not rest until Aeris is under his rule, for the sake of the people in the Ruby state, so they can have lives that are worthy of human beings and not pigs nor monkeys. ¡°I will join Aeris once more.¡± Falco mutters, then adding ¡°Are you looking, father?¡± Memories of everything he has gone through until now come to his head. The alliance he formed, his warpath going through Amethyst, Emerald, Sapphire, and most of the other states. The bleak world outside of never-ending snow and cold, a frozen hell-scape wherever he saw. To his right, to his left, at his back and even front, bandits, cults, magic beasts, ruins¡­ and Cinders, Cinders everywhere. Those states where there was still a government were in a situation like his. A few of the other states where just large graveyards, overflowing with Cinders. His heart was beating fast and hard, as if his chest was about to burst open. What is this about? He couldn¡¯t stop wondering. Falco was about to finally end his years of war, yet he has never felt like this before. He was there, standing in front of this painting, wondering with surprise and a tinge of contempt. Was he truly afraid of the battle tomorrow? He has fought many times before, even against monsters out of this world, yet, what is it that is keeping now him up at night, unable to sleep? Hasn¡¯t this been his dream for a long time now, of seeing all the people in this country together as one? ¡°My Lord?¡± A girl, also in leather armor, comes forward. She also is a red haired, with blue eyes. ¡°General, is something the matter?¡± replies Falco without turning. ¡°You¡¯re just there, standing still, and I wondered what could have you so absorbed.¡± Falco falls back into silence, stabbing the spear into the ground and putting a hand to his chin. Then, he says ¡°I believe you¡¯re new here no? Pretty young too.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± ¡°Do you know who this is?¡± Falco says, pointing at the painting. ¡°Yes, My Lord. This, in the painting, is the late Lord Ruby, your father.¡± ¡°Exactly¡± Falco says, and turning to the girl, he adds ¡°he¡¯s the one that made me lost my dominant arm, and my left eye.¡± The general takes her hands to her mouth, open wide her eyes, raising her shoulders. ¡°Didn¡¯t you heard anything?¡± ¡°I¡­ I did, but I¡­ just couldn¡¯t believe such thing.¡± ¡°Why?¡± says Falco, seeing her directly to her eyes. ¡°Ehm-I-I¡­¡± The general falls into silence, and casting her eyes downward, she adds ¡°Do I have permission to be honest with you?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°It is¡­ a father shouldn¡¯t never do such cruel things to his children.¡± Silence, once more, takes presence between the two. Falco then turns to the painting, and says ¡°I¡­ agree.¡± Turning back to her, he adds ¡°You can relax¡± flashing a slight smile. While the general¡¯s body relaxed, her expression turning back to soft, Falco continues: ¡°My house, one of the fifteen houses that Lord Hazuki established about eight hundred years ago, has a long history of hostility and violence, of chaos and freedom, of overbearing pleasure and duty. My father, late Lord Rasmus, was a man that was a warrior, and valued more than everything else¡­ these sets of skills. He didn¡¯t have a match during many, many years, and was given at a young age the position of leader, thanks to his capacity and charisma.¡± ¡°Yes, I have heard many, many stories of how outstanding as a warrior was late Lord Rasmus, with the one where he came out victorious against thirty men, all Fire tamers being the one story that was the most times told.¡± ¡°And it is true, since I was there, watching from a safe point while everything was happening, together with my mother.¡± ¡°Oh wow¡± the general said, as she drew closer to Falco. ¡°But, as with every person that I have met during that time, my father had a dark side to him. Maybe one that grew to strong once he got the position of leader and head of house Ruby.¡± ¡°The assault at Fort Frost?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°If I may inquire, why did you, his son, staged a coup against him in the first place? For all that I have heard, I have never heard anything concrete about late Lord Rasmus, only that he was evil and such.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.¡°Well-¡± starts saying Falco. He stops, clears his throat, and continue ¡°making the long story short: Having absolute power as the head of house Ruby for so long made him go¡­ mad. He was a warrior, not a politician, and since I can remember, he always questioned why he couldn¡¯t do exactly like he wanted. The needs of the Ruby state grew everyday, and many hands made the solution slow to come. One day though, he suddenly threw a coup, to wipe out the many hands that slowed the solutions, and once he was successful he¡­ I guess grew would be the right word¡­ his liking to his ideals grew a bit too much¡­ or maybe he forgot himself. The fact is that he started to get concubine after concubine, formed a harem, and ruled the Ruby state with an iron grip.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good doesn¡¯t it? This would mean that his word was the last, and had all power in order to help everyone.¡± ¡°If he never had lost the sight of that ideal¡­¡± said Falco, as he sighed. The general felt silent, feeling herself like he was just hit with a really large blunt object on the head. ¡°He had to be removed, and I took charge of that. This is the result today¡± says, as he taps to his right shoulder with his left hand. After a moment of silence, the General inquires ¡°Did you ever met eye to eye?¡± ¡°Not like I would¡¯ve liked to¡± says Falco, then adding, ¡°but that is enough of that general. Why don¡¯t we go back to training? I¡¯m sure you had more than enough rest.¡± Now looking at him to the eyes, she answers ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± Walking out of the tent, a rectangular area was marked in the ground. Falco went to one side, and the general to the other. Taking a hold of his spear, Falco says ¡°I still need to make my left my dominant side, so come with all your strength and don¡¯t have mercy!¡± Taking a grip to the training sword, the general takes a stance, and says ¡°Yes, My Lord!¡± The General plunges forward at the same time that she draws out her Yellow Aura. Falco draws a Yellow Aura too, and takes some steps back in the split of a second, keeping the distance between them. The General stops on her tracks, and puts the sword between her and the tip of the spear, evading and deflecting the coming trusts. Falco then charges forward, at which the general deflects the trust of the spear, making it point upward, at which she also changes direction and plunges forward. At this, Falco draws his Aura in, with his feet steady on ground, and turns around, taking advantage of gravity, in order to bring down the spear at high speeds while moving away from the General by just a bit. The General sees the spear coming, and tries to duck, but not fast enough: the spear has hit the training sword, making it go flying outside of the training grounds. The General raises her head, only to find the tip of the spear right in her face, and see a Falco that is surrounded by a blue light. ¡°It is my win¡± Falco says, smiling. ¡°Can¡¯t fight against your Blue Aura, My Lord.¡± ¡°That is just an excuse general.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°You were a bit sloppy this time, why?¡± ¡°Thought that you would only use a Yellow Aura, so¡­ maybe I had a chance.¡± ¡°You know what is the difference between us general?¡± ¡°No, My Lord.¡± ¡°I believe I always have a chance. If I wouldn¡¯t have believed this, I couldn¡¯t ever had come out alive facing off my father¡­ that had a White Aura.¡± The general opens her eyes wide, and her mouth dropped open. ¡°It seems to be easy to surprise you General. How old are you exactly?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m usually not concerned by things like age regarding people.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m sixteen My Lord¡± The general says, as she is again looking directly at Falco¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sixteen?!¡± says Falco out loud. The general takes a hand to her mouth while she chuckles ¡°It seems I¡¯m not the only that can be surprised, My Lord.¡± ¡°I concede to that, general¡± he says, as he looks her back, right to the eyes ¡°Lets end the training right here, general. Go get some sleep.¡± ¡°My Lord?¡± ¡°Early bird gets the worm general, or so the saying goes¡± says Falco, as he is turning away back to his tent ¡±Before the sun reaches the sky, we will do a full on march and reach the forest corridor hopefully by midday. You¡¯ll need all the rest you can get.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord¡± and as she is getting up, she adds ¡°My Lord?¡± ¡°General?¡± he turns his head to her. ¡°I apologize in advance for this, but¡­¡± ¡°Go ahead, general¡± Falco says, as he extends his left arm with his palm upward. The General smiles, and looking back, directly at his eyes, she says ¡°I think you¡¯re a fine warrior My Lord, late Lord Rasmus would be proud.¡± Falco¡¯s eyes open wide, and a sudden sensation, like a release, ran through his body. ¡°With your permission, My Lord.¡± And with that, the General goes back, crossing through the tent, leaving Falco standing there in the middle of the night, pondering those words. ¡°¡­ I wonder about that¡­¡± Falco whispers. 10- Dark clouds As the moon reaches its highest point in the sky, torches are lit in an open air courtyard of the Aquamarine mansion. On the ground, a woman is bent over, leather pants and a white shirt with blood on it. She is being restrained by chains infused with Aura. Two men, Beheaders in common light weight armor, are at both sides of the woman, and inside the Aquamarine mansion, separated by a curtain, there are two more Beheaders, with decorated light weight armor and three yellow stripes going down from their necks to their chest, the head Butler of the Aquamarine mansion, and Lady Aquamarine, wearing a waist high ankle deep form fitting single dark dress with golden patterns, high heels, and a silver necklace which holds something now deep between her large breasts. ¡°I have reached a conclusion,¡± says Lady Aquamarine after a moment of silence ¡°for the crime of murder of six people¡­ I sentence you to death.¡± ¡°Tch!¡± says the woman on the ground ¡°You there, looking all high and mighty, believing that you have the right to judge people¡¯s lives! Get down of your high-horse bitch! You can¡¯t judge me!¡± Silence. ¡°What?¡± says the woman on the ground, while chuckling ¡°Did you realized the error of your ways?! Free me at once you royal bitch!¡± ¡°You,¡± starts Lady Aquamarine ¡°You are a mother aren¡¯t you?¡± The woman on the ground suddenly felt silent, opening her eyes wide ¡°wh-what do you mean?¡± ¡°I understand completely,¡± continues Lady Aquamarine ¡°the pains of being a mother. I am one too.¡± Silence. The woman on the ground has opened her mouth, and started to tremble, unable to say anything. ¡°My daughter, she is one of a kind. As a mother, I have left much to be desired, that¡­ is a least what I believe. But even so, my daughter, she has turned into quite the woman, a functional adult in society¡± she stops for a moment, looks at the criminal, and then continues ¡°I could have been a better model for her, and I truly regret not being able to do more, to not even realize that I could have done more¡± suddenly, she stands, letting the shadow of her figure come through the curtain ¡°One day, when my doubts were whirling in my head, she came to me by herself and said to me that she loved me, that I didn¡¯t need to worry about her, that I could rest assured that I raised a good kid¡± a chuckle could be heard ¡°Fool, as if a mother, as if I would never be able to stop worrying about you.¡± ¡°What¡­ what is your point? Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡± says Lady Aquamarine ¡°I¡¯m here wondering if your boys would be as well mannered members of society, having being raised by such a skunk they had for a mother, such a low life that just because she had a Yellow Aura, she went on killing other fellow Aquamarine with Red Auras under the cover of the night, all in a pitiful attempt have some form of control of your life that it amounts to nothing more than a grown up throwing temper tantrums. You¡¯re disgusting to look at.¡± With the face red, the woman on the ground wriggles, trying to get up, while the guards at both sides keep her on her knees ¡°You mon-¡± ¡°And this is why¡± Lady Aquamarine interrupts, elevating the tone of her voice ¡°I¡¯ll add to your judgment, the death of you, the death of your two boys, and it will be done by beheading.¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± starts yelling the woman on her knees, with tears coming of her face ¡°leave my boys alone! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± while the guards start taking her off to the prison, outside of the city, deep inside the Stardust forest. As silence falls back in the Aquamarine mansion, William comes close to Lady Aquamarine ¡°Madam?¡± Lady Aquamarine sat back, and putting her fingers to her temples, she says ¡°It is all for the future of my baby, William. Her future¡­ and the future of everyone in this city. Can¡¯t let the criminals go lightly, lest the lawful people see it and decide to turn into criminals themselves wanting to get more¡­ of everything.¡± ¡°Yes, madam¡± says William ¡°but it isn¡¯t that madam: Ray and Olga are here.¡± Lady Aquamarine sits there for a moment, sighs, and says ¡°so it has come to this¡± as she gets up, and leaves the courtyard. Before getting back into the mansion, William lits up a candle to light up the dark. Lady Aquamarine follows William in the dark. It is night, so the barely little light that the mansion has during the day is gone, and so the mansion is almost in complete darkness. Still, having lived in the mansion for so long, Lady Aquamarine knows it like the palm of her hand, but only William knows where Ray and Olga are waiting for her. They cross over to the other side of the mansion, passing through many maids and butlers in the process who at the sight of Lady Aquamarine and William they move aside and bow. As they get to the other side, they make a turn and face a long corridor, with many sliding doors at both sides. They walk at about half the length of said corridor, and William stops by a door with a number in it and opens it. ¡°We are here, my Lady.¡± ¡°Yes, we are.¡± As Lady Aquamarine enters the room, a chandelier that is hanging on the ceiling is lit up, revealing two people already inside the room. ¡°If you need me, I¡¯ll right besides the door.¡± ¡°Thank you William.¡± While William closes the door, the two people already inside the room stand up, a man and a woman. The man has silver hair with crimson eyes and a good build, while the woman has brown hair, yellow eyes and brown skin. ¡°My Lady¡± both of them say at the same time. They both were wearing the decorated light weight armor, but this time with five yellow stripes going from their neck to their chest. ¡°Ray, Olga, good to see you in good health. Please, lets sit¡± Lady Aquamarine says, as she sits on one chair, while the others follow suit ¡°Guess it is something important the reason you¡¯re here, otherwise I would have seen you here in the morning.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lady¡± starts saying Olga ¡°something isn¡¯t quite right.¡± ¡°I fear I agree, My Lady¡± speaks Ray. ¡°Must be serious if you get right to the point, but well, tell me: Why would you say that? What isn¡¯t quite right?¡± Lady Aquamarine says, while making emphasis on ¡®quite right¡¯. ¡°Sophia¡¯s team.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t got any contact with it since they went to the outpost, My Lady.¡± ¡°What¡­ I see¡± says Lady Aquamarine, while putting a hand to her chin ¡°and we should have already received reports from her.¡± ¡°Indeed. Ray and I suspect that something unexpected is coming toward us, really fast.¡± ¡°There are too many things, happenings, that have been out of place last month or so, and with the discovery and capture of the Fire tamers last night, I can¡¯t stop thinking about it.¡± ¡°Outside of this state, the cold war went hot once again¡± says Lady Aquamarine. ¡°Well¡­ it is a bit soon to tell for sure, My Lady, Sophia¡¯s group may have faced a harsh encounter in the Stardust forest¡± says Olga. ¡°But with this, we can¡¯t discard it either¡± says Ray. ¡°We still lack information¡± concludes Lady Aquamarine. ¡°My thoughts exactly, My Lady¡± says Ray ¡°that is why I and Olga have been discussing an hour or so ago.¡± ¡°A solution?¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady. We have been thinking of sending another group, in order to complete the mission and search for Sophia¡¯s group.¡± ¡°At this moment, I agree is the best solution, but who do we send?¡± Silence has now fallen on the room. Lady Aquamarine looks to one, and then to the other, a bit perplexed by this. ¡°What is suddenly gotten into you? Speak¡± Lady Aquamarine says, as a chilling sensation starts making rounds on her skin. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.¡°Please, My Lady, consider that we know how hard this is going to be for us to, saying this to you¡± says Olga. ¡°What?¡­ What is it so hard that you have to make such grave expressions and be all so secretive and¡­ such¡± says Lady Aquamarine, starting little by little to raise her voice ¡°Ray, tell it to me straight.¡± Ray, who had crossed his arms and closed his eyes, sighs, and opening himself, he says ¡°straight it is, My Lady. We, Olga and me, came to the conclusion that the best solution would be to send another group, with your own daughter at its head.¡± Silence fell again, but not for long. Lady Aquamarine gets up from her chair, with her arms and fingers crushing the table were she had them resting moments ago. The room started trembling, the chandelier causing a ruckus. Olga backed away from the table as the trembling went stronger and stronger. Lady Aquamarine¡¯s face went red, her neck joined her face turning red, and her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. ¡°Please, My Lady, you know she is our best option right now!¡± says Ray, starting to get pale himself. ¡°You want me, her mother, to send my own daughter, to danger¡­¡± replies Lady Aquamarine, containing her own voice, while the tremblings get worse and worse. ¡°I know My Lady, but please, I know that you already know the reason why: She is the best river rider we have. Anything that happens, she can switch away into a river and come back to the city in an instant!¡± Tears start coming off Lady Aquamarine¡¯s face. ¡°Please understand My Lady, anyone else would have less chances of survival¡± says Olga. ¡°Wasn¡¯t for moments like this that she volunteered to enter the Beheader Corps?¡± says Ray. And to her memory came that very moment, of that very day. Her little girl, that day came home together with Daisy, a rarity of both of them appearing together. Donned in her aspiring priestess clothes, unable to look eye to eye, she was a bit troubled trying to talk to Lady Aquamarine. After being slightly pushed by Daisy, Tomoe came clear with what she wanted. Mother, I want to be in the Beheader Corps! That was the very first time that she wanted anything at all, that she decided for herself. With a trembling voice, but now pushing herself, she told her reasons, of how while performing her priestess duties she has seen some people getting killed in front of her and how she couldn¡¯t do anything to protect them, and how she felt when she did stepped in to save a little boy from some thugs afterward. Tomoe, her shy, silent daughter, she said many things that evening¡­ it was the first time that she talked so much without stop. Anxiety creep in her. She understood very well how her daughter felt, and thus, with her blessing, she allowed Tomoe to turn and join the Beheader Corps instead. My child¡­ as your mother, how could I ignore your own noble desires? Yet she couldn¡¯t be still. Lady Aquamarine vowed to protect her daughter, so she could be safe protecting the weak and the righteous law abiding Aquamarines. I want to be in the Beheader Corps! The voice of her daughter still echoed in her head, together with that determined look in her eyes. Yet now she heard another thing, as clear as a trumpet blasting at her ears: The call of duty. Lady Aquamarine thought about the woman she has just sent moments before to her death by beheading. A tinge of shame invaded her face at the thought of them not being that different after all. The time for her daughter to step forward has just came, however vexing it is. After some more moments of trembling, they start to get less and less severe. As the room goes back into silence, Lady Aquamarine sits back, with her hands covering her eyes, and biting her lips. ¡°Pardon my intrusion, My Lady¡± says William, having opened the door ¡°Do I bring you something?¡± ¡°No¡± says Lady Aquamarine, while also dismissing the request with her hand ¡°no need. Everything¡­ everything is fine.¡± ¡°I understand, My Lady¡± says William, as he closes back the door. ¡°My Lady?¡± says Ray ¡°please-¡± ¡°No need Ray, I understand were are you coming from¡± says Lady Aquamarine, interrupting Ray ¡°It is¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t easy¡± says Olga. ¡°It isn¡¯t easy, it is completely vexing¡± says Lady Aquamarine ¡°but, she can¡¯t be the only that doesn¡¯t contribute to the well being of the city, no matter how much I would like that.¡± ¡°Thank you, My Lady¡± says Ray. ¡°Please Ray, and Olga, I apologize for the needless little show I just made.¡± ¡°No need My Lady¡± says Olga ¡°so, having decided this, where is Tomoe? We need to relay the message to her.¡± ¡°I believe she is in the Muscle Squid. It is her off-duty day, and it coincided with the people she knows the most¡­¡± ¡°Oh dear¡± says Ray, letting a chuckle escape ¡°that migraine is going to be a bitch I can tell ya. Nothing that a good old Aura can¡¯t heal though.¡± ¡°She has a Blue Aura, and plenty of it at that. She will be fine for the morning¡± says Olga. ¡°Lets conclude the meeting then¡± says Ray. ¡°Wait¡­¡± says Lady Aquamarine. ¡°Yes, My Lady?¡± ¡°How are the preparations for the coming of Polsen tomorrow?¡± Both Ray and Olga looked at each other, and Olga answers ¡°Everything is going on course, My Lady. Some problems there and there, but it wont affect the grand scheme. We will be ready for him.¡± ¡°I see¡± says Lady Aquamarine ¡°You¡¯ll go for Tomoe at the Muscle Squid, right Olga?¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady. After that, I planned to go back to continue helping the Priests and the Beheaders that are there with the preparations for Polsen.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m going to impose on the preparations additional stress, but Ray¡­¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady?¡± ¡°I want the entire city, for when the sun rises, in a state of alert.¡± ¡°Excuse me, my Lady?¡± says Ray, as his eyes gained a stern look. ¡°I don¡¯t like how things are going Ray. If I¡¯m honest, I find strange that Sophia¡¯s group hasn¡¯t come back, I agree with you there. Call it a hunch if you will, but everything is really strange¡± says Lady Aquamarine, as she brings a her thumbs to her mouth and starts biting her nail ¡°Thinking about it, if everything actually comes true, and we are getting invaded, I just don¡¯t want to find us between the sword and the wall, the invading army and Polsen with the Cinders. I want all the Beheaders and the reserve leave the barracks and come here.¡± ¡°It would be really bad indeed, My Lady, between the sword and the wall, or between two swords¡± says Ray, as he puts his hand on his chin ¡°better safe than sorry it is. I¡¯ll call them all and put everyone into good use.¡± ¡°Lets be on a high alert then, at least until the day tomorrow ends¡± says Olga. ¡°Yes¡± says Lady Aquamarine ¡°lets end the meeting right here, we have our work cut out for us.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Get the most rest you can get. We will need it¡± says Lady Aquamarine, as both Olga and Ray start leaving the room ¡°please William, accompany them all the way to the exit.¡± ¡°Will do, My Lady. Please, Sir Ray, Lady Olga, follow me¡± William says, as he starts going down the corridor. ¡°Did ya hear that ¡®Lady Olga¡¯?¡± says Ray. ¡°Can¡¯t deny it sounds good¡± says Olga, as she lets a snort get away as they walk away. Staying behind, Lady Aquamarine brings out of the silver necklace, revealing an Aquamarine ring tied to it. As she looks at it, she whispers ¡°Dear¡­ what you feared would be the worst situation¡­ it may come to happen. And yet-¡± she stops, and bringing the ring close to her face, she embraces it tightly between her hands. 11- The forests embrace Alongside the streets that are parallel to the old cathedral, only some cats walk down the street. The moon is going down, about to sink into the sea. Some bats fly from one point to another, and some people are lying down against the dirt, having failed to get back home the night before. In a house like the others in the same, silent street, sound can be heard. It is the home of a girl with white hair, and she is currently home. ¡°Ugh¡± Titania says, sitting on a chair at the dinning table at the first floor. ¡°Is something the matter sweety?¡± an old woman comes closer, putting her hand on Titania¡¯s forehead. ¡°Nothing serious mom¡± Titania says, as she leans towards her mother¡¯s hand ¡°I just went a bit overboard with the drinks.¡± ¡°Oh sweety, and you still have to go? Why don¡¯t stay and recover? I¡¯m sure they can send someone else.¡± ¡°Its ok mom. I¡¯m already using my Aura to process the obscene amount of alcohol in me. Besides, no one else is in better conditions since I fell pretty early in the night¡± Titania answers, letting a chuckle escape. As Titania¡¯s mother looks at her in silence, another sounds comes by ¡°Sis?¡± can be heard, from the top of the stairs that lead to the second floor. A boy is standing there, rubbing his eyes. ¡°Why are you awake so early Sis?¡± ¡°Joseph, I can ask you the same thing¡± says Titania¡¯s and Joseph¡¯s mother. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± starts saying Joseph, with one of his fingers on his chin ¡°there¡­ there is just too much noise coming from outside.¡± Titania¡¯s mother looks at her, and says ¡°So it is true?¡± ¡°Yes¡± she answers ¡°the entire city has been put in a state of alert. You can take the day off from work¡± Titania adds, smiling. ¡°Oh sweety, if I wanted a day off, I would have taken it in a normal day, not this¡­ stormy day.¡± ¡°Are you going somewhere Sis?¡± says Joseph, as he starts coming down the stairs, each step creaking a bit under the kid¡¯s weight, showing the old age of the wood. Titania waits until Joseph is in front of her, then kneels, and looking him at the eyes, she says ¡°I¡¯ve been given a mission, and must go out of the city. I may stay some days outside, so Joseph, little bro, I¡¯m counting on you to take care of mom.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± says Joseph, as he lets a yawn escape, and then adds ¡°Don¡¯t understand well what are you trying to say Sis, but sure, you can count on me to protect mom.¡± ¡°Thanks little bro, as always I know can count on you¡± says Titania, as she stands up and faces her mother, now crossing her arms ¡°I have to go mom, please¡­ take it easy today.¡± ¡°Sure sweety, and please, take care of yourself, you very well know that you don¡¯t recover Aura as fast as the others.¡± ¡°I will¡± Titania answers, then, after a silent moment, she adds ¡°I love you.¡± Titania¡¯s mother opens her arms, and hugging her, she answers ¡°I love you too, my sweety.¡± Picking up the bag with the bare necessities that she came to pick up, Titania goes to the door, waves back, and says ¡°I¡¯m counting on you little bro.¡± ¡°Yeees!¡± answers Joseph, still with a sleepy voice, giving a thumbs up. Titania stands there, with the door open, looking inside the house. Then, looking at her mother once again, she smiles, and steps outside, closing the door behind her. As she comes down the steps that connect the house to the street, she turns to her right to find a really tall man, slender, with scars all over his body. The man is silent, with his arms crossed. ¡°Sven¡­¡± Titania says, calling him. Sven looks up at her. Titania looks back at him, and says ¡°No matter how many times I see this, I can¡¯t get used to you being the only one in my life that can¡¯t talk.¡± Sven takes a more leisure position, and his shoulders lower a bit. ¡°Funny thing that I can somewhat still understand you¡­ it is like I can still hear your voice¡­¡± As Titania hits the ground, she says in a more serious voice ¡°I leave them in your care Sven.¡± Looking at Sven, Titania sees that Sven is looking at her too. Sven elevates his right hand, and makes a circular motion with it. This is his way of saying ¡®yes¡¯. Titania smiles, and says ¡°No matter how much my little brother want me to trust in him, he is still a tad young. He needs a bit of help in protecting mother, so¡­ Thanks.¡± Another circular motion with his hand. Titania then starts walking, going towards one of the main streets in the city. Passing alongside the old cathedral, she gets to the main plaza, where the main source of noise is coming from: At this time of the day, usually there is silence, and maybe some people are starting to set up their stands to sell their wares, but now, there are a lot of people here, mostly Beheaders, stationed here and waiting for instructions. The ones that already have instructions are seen going down streets, over water channels, coming and going, and setting up defenses. At the border of the main plaza, Titania recognizes two figures: A guy with fluffy hair, and a girl with wavy blonde hair. Coming closer to them, she says ¡°I¡¯m here. Did you waited long?¡± ¡°No¡± says Lacus ¡°we just got here too.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± says Tomoe ¡°we were just seeing how the Beheaders are moving up and down the city.¡± ¡°Seems like I¡¯m not the only one that the sleepiness is attacking right now.¡± ¡°Can count on that¡± says Tomoe. ¡°At least Tomoe is already free from the migraine off last night.¡± ¡°Already?¡± says Titania, a bit surprised. ¡°That¡¯s a Blue Aura for you¡± says Lacus, words at which Tomoe draws a smile on her face. ¡°Lets get going¡± Tomoe says. ¡°Right¡± Lacus answers. ¡°Right behind you¡± Titania says. And the three start moving up the main street of the city, the one that connects the main plaza to the main entrance. As they are moving up, they can see unusual things happening. Beheaders are easily recognizable for their uniform, but there are another unusual amount of common people outside in the city as well. ¡°What is with this?¡± wonders Tomoe ¡°why are so many Aquamarines out by this hour?¡± ¡°Maybe it is just my common sense, maybe my common sense is wrong, but is it weird that this many Aquamarines are out at this hour?¡± says Titania ¡°Aren¡¯t hunters usually up by now?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± says Tomoe ¡°but there aren¡¯t these many hunters in the city.¡± ¡°Weird¡± says Lacus ¡°any idea on why all of them are carrying bags and moving carriages?¡± As the three turn to each side of the main street, many Aquamarines pass. The ones going to the main entrance of the city had clearly empty bags, empty carriages, and the ones coming from the outside, back inside, had bags that clearly were holding stuff, and carriages with objects covered by blankets. ¡°It seems that, whatever happened, it happened outside of the city, so lets go¡± says Titania. As they cross the main intersection that connects the main street to the street were the entrance to the Aquamarine mansion is, Tomoe stops. She looks at her right, then back, looking over the city. ¡°Something the matter?¡± Lacus asks. ¡°Taking in the view. Nothing more¡± says Tomoe. As Lacus and Titania stop and turn back, a wind caresses the usually asleep city, with the flooding of the lower plains starting to go back to the sea. ¡°Today is going to be a busy day¡± says Tomoe. ¡°You can say that again¡± says Lacus ¡°Only Polsen is more than enough, and we have this state of alert.¡± ¡°Come on, lets continue¡± says Titania ¡°I would like to stay and help with Polsen, but honestly I think we may be in luck.¡± ¡°Hope that we are sent over there to the outpost for something meaningful¡± says Lacus. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.¡°I hope not¡± says Tomoe. As the group reaches the main entrance of the city, they cross under the arch and to the other side of the drawbridge. The walk is still ever so slightly upward, as they hit the natural road, starting to walk across the farmlands that are to the sides. Vegetables, fruits, rice, and many more fields that go all the way to almost the feet of the Stardust forest. Many Aquamarines are here, bent over in groups along the road, but strangely so also even on the fields. Then, Titania, looking at the ground, notices something. ¡°Wait¡± she says, as she puts an arm up to stop the group from moving forward. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asks Lacus. ¡°Look¡± Titania answers, pointing to the ground: A small skull, like one of a squirrel, or a cat, laid on the ground. Little bones were scattered around it. ¡°What the actual-¡± says Tomoe, not finishing, while looking back at the groups of Aquamarines that are together in groups, and then to the ground further down the road. An Aquamarine that is going back to the city comes by, with a bag clearly holding stuff. Lacus steps a moment in the way. ¡°Ehmm¡­ excuse me man, can I ask you something?¡± The man, in about his thirties and still asleep, clearly startled, regained a bit of composure ¡°Don¡¯t come at me like that! At this hour on top of things, only to ask a question. What is it?¡± he says, as he starts rubbing his moustache. ¡°Why there are so many Aquamarines outside here at this hour?¡± ¡°Ah. Weird, thought that it may already be spread all over the city.¡± ¡°What is it spread all over the city?¡± Titania comes closer, asking this time. ¡°Well lady, that for some reason, animals are abandoning the Stardust forest, and are coming out on this side of the forest.¡± ¡°What?!¡± says Lacus ¡°and you are out here hunting them?! Don¡¯t you know how dangerous the animals of the forest can be?¡± ¡°That is what I thought at first too!¡± says the man, letting a chuckle escape ¡°but, for some reason, they were all injured, almost dead. Heck man, some already were dead, and those were pretty big ones!¡± ¡°What?¡± says Titania ¡°so, these little bones, and all those humps the Aquamarines are around off, all of them¡­¡± ¡°All dead animals, missy. We even have dead magic beasts too!¡± ¡°So,¡± says Lacus ¡°someone came outside early on, found the corpses of the dead animals, ran back in, advised everyone, and thus we have the situation at hand right now?¡± ¡°Pretty much lad. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go take care of this¡± says the man, giving a tap to his bag and then continuing his way. As the three kept walking, the smell of roting corpses and blood started to reach their noses. ¡°Indeed. The winds kept the smell away, but now it is pretty clear¡­ ugh, this smell, disgusting.¡± Says Titania, as she covers her nose. ¡°This doesn¡¯t combine well with a hangover¡± says Lacus. ¡°Glad I got over it by now¡± says Tomoe. ¡°Oooh, look who decided to be smug right now¡± says Lacus, as Titania chuckles. ¡°Look¡± Tomoe says, as she points towards the Stardust forest entrance. An old lady, pretty short, is standing there, trying to get the attention of a group of Aquamarines working on the side. Titania says ¡°on it¡± as she pases Tomoe and comes forward. She then extends her arms and tap the old lady on the shoulder, saying ¡°hi there.¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± the old lady says, turning, clearly beyond her prime years ¡°A Weiss! You are really beautiful sweetheart¡± says the old lady, as she puts her hands on Titania¡¯s cheeks ¡°Looking closer, you¡¯re a half aren¡¯t you? Oh it doesn¡¯t matter, you¡¯re still beautiful.¡± ¡°Look at that, Titania is truly incapable against compliments eh?¡± says Lacus, as Titania froze in place, with the face now red. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± now Tomoe comes forward. ¡°Oh, look at you dear, blonde hair, what a rare sight¡± says the old lady, as she leaves Titania¡¯s face, and stretches her hands towards Tomoe. ¡°Thank you very much¡± says Tomoe, as she takes a step backward, then adding ¡°is there something you need help with?¡± ¡°Oh, true true, very true¡± says the old lady ¡°were are my manners? My name is Averna, and I indeed need help.¡± ¡°My name is Tomoe¡± then, pointing towards Titania, she continues ¡°This half-weiss¡¯ name is Titania¡± and then, points towards Lacus ¡°This fluffy one is Lacus. We are Beheaders, and we can help you.¡± ¡°Oh my, look at you¡± says Averna, giving each one a good look ¡°so young, and they are Beheaders! Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Averna¡± says Tomoe ¡°now, what is the trouble you are having right now?¡± ¡°Oh yes, my trouble. The thing is dear, I¡¯m very, very worried, right now. My husband, the old fool, when he heard about this rare happening of the animals leaving the forest almost dead, he talked to me, and said he had an excellent idea. Can you guess what was his foolish idea?¡± ¡°No idea Averna, what did your husband wanted to do?¡± ¡°He said to me: ¡®If there are animals leaving the forest almost dead, then, what if there are already dead animals inside the forest, corpses there and there, littered all around? I¡¯ll go and get them all!¡¯¡± Averna says, as she sighs ¡°can you believe him?¡± ¡°The logic is sound at the very least¡± Lacus says. ¡°As sound as it might be, I¡¯m worried for that knuckle head that went in, thinking only in the sound of coins falling over coins in his ears, and I want help to search for him, to bring him back.¡± Tomoe looks at Lacus, then Titania, who was standing besides her. Having regained composure, Titania comes forward, and says ¡°well, we are now supposed to enter the Stardust forest on a mission. We will help you search for your husband while we are at it.¡± ¡°Oh my, thank you, my dear. I only hope that that knuckle head is ok¡± says Averna, as she starts walking into the Stardust forest together with the group. As they enter the forest, the silence that embraces them makes Titania clearly hear her heart, pounding unusually hard in her chest. Now, now, calm down. There¡¯s no need for this. Even with these words, Titania couldn¡¯t shake the odd feeling. As they enter the Stardust forest, she turns to see back, to give the city a good look again before continuing into the forest. This is nothing. A fluke, a false alarm. Yet she was biting her lips without realizing, her attention in keeping her legs steady. This was so unnatural of her. In the face of danger she is always steady, ready to act and react accordingly in order to contain or eliminate danger. She couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate if she wanted to return home that night or the next day. Many times facing danger like this have made it so that it sweep into her personality, making her feel at ease in the most dangerous situations. But¡­ this wasn¡¯t like all the other times. Breathe Titania, breathe. Putting a hand on her chest, she tries to calm herself. This annoyed her immensely. Since when was she like a child facing a really large dog for the first time? All of this is because of the rumors. Titania, get it into your head: They are rumors, unconfirmed information. She looked at the light that is filtering through the leaves of the trees, yet a thought floated in her head. If it is all true¡­ I must go back as soon as possible. I sure pray to Hazuki that it isn¡¯t the case though. A tinge of red ran fast through Titania¡¯s face, surprising even herself, yet she couldn¡¯t figure what was she feeling shame about: is it because of putting duty first or her family first? Lost in thoughts, Titania didn¡¯t realize that the city was no longer visible, having walked right into the forest¡¯s embrace. 12- Looking forward The sun is already high in the sky. In Aquamarine Port City, Beheaders are moving up and down in its streets. A petite girl wearing standard Beheader leather armor with a fitting shirt, leather bottoms and boots is alone, on a gondola, moving through its water channels. For those who have a gondola, the water channels stop being a wall and turn into another set of streets to move up and down the city. Besides her, there can be seen other Beheaders on their own gondolas in the channels too. Amelia is now on the other side of the city, the side that opposes the old cathedral. Moving through the channels, she gets to the brewery district, were the fruits and everything else that is involved in creating alcoholic drinks are gathered, where drinks and special ingredients are made. As she gets to the first street of the brewery district, Amelia hears a loud, sudden explosion. She looks around startled, and sees a group of Beheaders running beyond the first street, passing the first row of breweries, further into the district. Ducking close enough to the gondola, she moves in that direction by pushing the gondola with the water she just tamed. One, two, three streets go by, following the sounds of Beheaders and what can only be a fire. Looking up, she starts seeing pillars of smoke raising into the sky. As she keeps moving forward, she finally sees the destination of the Beheaders: A big brewery, at one of the ends of a street, with a bunch of Beheaders clamming outside its big doors. Out of nowhere, another sudden explosion can be heard. The front doors suddenly open, letting a stream of flames come through and sending flying down the stairs the Beheaders that were close. The Beheaders behind group together in order to combine their Auras into a more effective barrier, with a bunch of Red Auras and some Yellow Auras being engaged, as other visibly tired Beheaders remove their peers that just fell of the stairs. Raising her eyes, she sees that it is from this brewery were the pillars of smoke she saw appear just before comes from. ¡°You bastards! Die!¡± can be heard from the inside. ¡°The flames are too hot! We don¡¯t have a visual of the enemy!¡± one of the Beheaders yells. ¡°Resist! Stand on your ground and start moving forward, one step at a time!¡± says the captain of the Beheaders, the one in charge right in the middle of the front row. As Amelia sees the Beheaders moving in, she stands up, moves the gondola besides the brewery, engages her Yellow Aura, and with it, climbs the house from the water channel. ¡°No windows uh? Fear of the competition maybe?¡± she says to herself. Reaching the ceiling, she searches and finds one of the few windows that are set in order to let the light enter the brewery, which isn¡¯t already covered completely by a pillar of smoke. From there, she can see the one doing the damage, without any particular kind of equipment, but there was no doubt about it: A Fire tamer, who has her hands forward, sending the constant flames that are born from the burning hydras being burned forward towards the Beheaders. She sees the rest of the room, and is able to asses five Beheaders, all on the ground, and half of the brewery already on flames. ¡°Another one¡­¡± Amelia remarks. Giving the room another look, she decides to enter, using the window on the ceiling as the entrance point, enhancing her body with her Yellow Aura in the process. As she lands on the floor, the Fire tamer hears the fall, and turns, meeting Amelia eye to eye. The Fire tamer then turns her body, with her right arm pointing at Amelia, in order to move the flames to attack her, but a bit too late for her: Still being enhanced by her Aura, Amelia plunged forward and closed the distance of about ten steps in three seconds. Being at her arms reach, the Red Aura of the Fire tamer came up, common reaction for when someone with Aura is taken by surprise together with fear. Amelia then puts her right hand forward on her belly, andmaking a concentration of Yellow Aura inside the Fire tamer¡¯s Red Aura in an instant, and then releasing said concentration of Aura, dispersing the Fire tamer¡¯s Red Aura completely and making the Fire tamer lose balance. With no defense left, Amelia takes her sword, still in its sheath, and hits the Fire tamer right on the stomach, sending her flying outside of the brewery. As the flames disappear, Amelia walks outside, only to see the Beheaders taking the numb Fire tamer in custody. The captain comes closer to Amelia and says: ¡°Hey there! Thanks for the help.¡± ¡°It is my pleasure captain¡± says Amelia, with a smile on her face as she gives another look to the two yellow stripes that hang from his neck. ¡°Was it easy?¡± ¡°Kinda. A bit extreme for my taste. Decided to disperse her Aura so I could finish it with one clean blow.¡± ¡°And what a blow!¡± says the captain, letting a chuckle escape ¡°doubt she will be able to regain her senses for at least two days.¡± ¡°I hope so¡± says Amelia. Getting a more serious tone of voice, she then asks ¡°With this, how many it makes?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be sure the total, but for my squad, it makes the sixth one.¡± Amelia takes a hand to her chin, then adding ¡°Can I ask your opinion about it captain?¡± ¡°My opinion? Girl¡­¡± he says, now him being the one taking his hand to his face, this time his nose, with his eyes turning more somber ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe in it, but I guess we can¡¯t deny it, not anymore with this.¡± ¡°Right¡± says Amelia, casting her eyes down to the ground. ¡°Still though¡± adds the captain, at which Amelia rises her eyes once again ¡°I think we are prepared for any kind of invasion. We aren¡¯t a small city or anything like that. We can handle our own.¡± A slight smile appears again on Amelia¡¯s face ¡°If it happens to come true, I¡¯m ready to deliver a world of pain.¡± A loud laugh comes now from the captain, hitting Amelia¡¯s shoulder lightly ¡°If it is you, then I believe it little girl!¡± Amelia lets a laugh come out too, and then says as she is getting back to her gondola ¡°I need to go captain, need to report in the main plaza.¡± ¡°Sure little girl! Take care!¡± the captain says as he waves to Amelia, already moving away. Amelia continues moving down the channels, back to the main plaza, where the main center of operations is set up. Turning left, then turning right, then right again, there are many, many water channels in the city, that it would be a labyrinth to move using them if they were to be the main streets of the city instead. Getting to the main plaza, Amelia again comes off hergondolaand crosses the camp to one of the buildings that are to the sides. As she enters, she says with the most loud voice she can muster ¡°Beheader Amelia reporting in!¡± She steps to the side, and lets the Beheaders and Aquamarines that are going in and out go on their way. Some people are handling paper work, others are distributing weaponry and supplies to the Beheaders that are going out on the streets. Others are attending the questions that many wondering Aquamarines have. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.From deep the building, loud steps can be heard. Amelia, raising her eyes, can see a familiar figure to her coming forward: Oscar, wearing standard light weight armor with four yellow stripes hanging from his neck. ¡°Follow me Amelia, lets go outside.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± she answers. As both leave the building, they cross the camp and base of operations, and start moving up the main street of the city. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be there inside master?¡± ¡°Need a breather. Been there from before the sun went up, and now it has done half the way to the top¡± they stop, and Oscar looks up, further beyond the farmlands, all the way to the Stardust forest, to the dark clouds that are on the horizon ¡°please tell me that you have better news than the clouds that are gathering all the way over there.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say if the clouds brought the news, or the news brought the clouds.¡± ¡°For everything that is sacred¡± Oscar answers, taking a hand to cover his face ¡°how bad it is?¡± ¡°Helped three squads with the rise of the sun until this point-¡±. ¡°Give me the total number girl.¡± ¡°Yes. In my search around the city, The total number of Fire tamers caught or killed is about sixty six.¡± Silence. For someone who is usually reseved and calm, for a moment Amelia found him too calm, almost too stern. Looking at his face, she could notice his face turning a bit pale. ¡°Every second that passes, the supposition of Lady Aquamarine is coming more and more possible.¡± ¡°You believe so too?¡± ¡°Yes. The only thing that can disprove now the assumption of an invasion is Tomoe¡¯s group.¡± A knot ties itself on Amelia¡¯s throat. ¡°Wipe that face of concern Amelia, look around¡± says Oscar, moving his hand pointing around her. As Amelia pays more attention to her surroundings, she can see a couple of feet away, many Aquamarines paying attention to her. ¡°We don¡¯t want to make them feel worried¡± Oscar says, coming closer to her ears ¡°If we are going to face a large scale battletoday, we need all the Beheaders and Aquamarines in their highest spirits, so wipe that concern out of your face and put a face that tells them that not even one hundred hydras could destroy all of us.¡± Amelia brings both of her hands to her face, and pushing against it, she says ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just worried for Cotton and the others. But you¡¯re right.¡± Then, she brings her hands back down, having put her expression of confidence on her face¡­ some may say she was being smug about it. ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it. That smug face that you had when we meet for the first time will work wonders.¡± ¡°Thank you, master¡± Amelia answers, letting a chuckle escape. At this moment, one of the Aquamarines comes closer. An old man, small, with a large white beard, with a cane in his right hand, wearing a blue vest, leather bottoms and sandals. He says ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Oscar turns to him, and answers ¡°yes? How can I help you?¡± ¡°I was wondering, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Sure, tell me¡± Oscar says, as he puts his right hand on the old man¡¯s shoulder. A moment of silence. The old man keeps touching his nose, while Oscar says ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Be honest with me lad: are we ready?¡± Oscar and Amelia are taken aback, Amelia opening wide her eyes and her cheeks turning a bit pale. ¡°Don¡¯t try to deceive me lad, I have far to many years over you, and I am a historian too, worked as a butler in the Aquamarine mansion for a time in my younger days. Tell me it straight: Are we ready?¡± Recollectinghimself, Oscar sees the old man to the eyes, and answers ¡°We¡­ we will be, for when the moment comes.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± lets the old man escape, having delved deep in thought ¡°how can you be so sure? Look at this mess around us.¡± ¡°I apologize for that, but don¡¯t let your critical eye deceive you, all the Beheaders here are more than ready to fight, and if that isn¡¯t enough, we have our secret card right here¡± Oscar says, as he puts his left hand on Amelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I see¡­¡± says the old man, taking a closer look of Amelia ¡°thought that it may be another person at first, but it is indeed you, girl.¡± ¡°She can handle about five hundred by herself and still be on time for dinner.¡± The old man lets a chuckle escape, and says ¡°maybe so, maybe so. It is a bit hard to tell since she is so petite and small, but looks can be deceiving, especially in this era of Aura that Lord Hazuki established more than eight hundred years ago¡± then, looking at Amelia, directly to her eyes, he adds ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, girl¡± and walks away. ¡°Please, all third age personnel and Beheaders must move back towards the lower plains. Go there and wait for further orders!¡± Oscar yells, as the old man waves back at him, without turning his body. ¡°Master-¡± starts saying Amelia. ¡°Wanna know why I said all that about you?¡± ¡°I mean, Master, it has been years¡­¡± ¡°It all comes down to the spirit Amelia, what I told you before. No one knows that you can¡¯t go all out like you used to anymore, so, we are going to use that fact to our advantage, and keep the spirits high. We all have a role to play, and this is yours.¡± My role, uh?¡­ Kinda sleazy if you ask me. But she couldn¡¯t deny those words. For how much she would like to continue helping around, she has to keep in mind that she is the last line of defense. She has to keep her eyes looking forward into the future, so she can be the best of use to everyone around her. Putting her hands over her ears, she pushes against herself. She can¡¯t keep running around, she needs to trust her colleagues. Don¡¯t hear. Look forward. Yes, they are capable enough. Amelia has seen them, almost all of them are reliable. She can be at ease, it is part of her job after all. She knows that she can¡¯t save everyone, and trying would only in the end make her unable to save most of the people she could save and protect in her entire life. I don¡¯t do this job alone. Remember that. A breeze went through from behind, cooling the ruthless heat that the sun is constantly delivering for a moment. Taking a deep breath, Amelia says ¡°I understand, master.¡± ¡°Now, go back and rest at the camp. Recover all the Aura you can, you¡­ we will need it.¡± ¡°And you, master?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Aquamarine mansion. Need to clear some things with Lady Aquamarine about the state of alert, before coming back.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll go back then.¡± ¡°Go rest, take the chance and eat something too.¡± Smiling, Amelia answers ¡°will do.¡± As Amelia starts going back to the camp, the view of the now militarized Aquamarine Port City greets her together with another gentle breeze. Looking back once more, she looks towards the Stardust forest, to the gathering of dark clouds, and says ¡°Keep yourself safe, Cotton, Titania, Lacus.¡± Then, the petite girl starts her walk back into the camp. 13- Ashes to Ashes The sound of the dry leaves being crushed as they go by fill their ears. The smell of dirt reaching their noses. The shadows of trees and leaves cover them. A blonde-wavy haired girl, and white-haired slim girl, a fluffy haired slim guy, all in standard lightweight armor, with form-fitting mail, shirt, bottoms, boots and bags, and an old lady wearing a single purple gown tied to the waist and simple sandals walk through the Stardust forest. ¡°Now this is weird¡± says Aversa. ¡°Something is indeed not right¡± says Tomoe. ¡°What is the matter?¡± says Titania. ¡°I¡¯m not the only that was feeling bothered eh?¡± says Lacus. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡± says Titania, turning to each other ¡°what is not right?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡± says Tomoe. ¡°Sweety, don¡¯t you hear?¡± Titania stops walking, takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes, taking her hair out of the way of her ears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t hear a thing.¡± ¡°That is exactly the issue sweety¡± says Aversa, as she puts her hands together ¡°This is a forest, it is supposed to be alive, noisy, but¡­¡± ¡°It is silent as a grave¡± says Tomoe. ¡°So that what was bothering me¡± murmurs Lacus aside, putting a hand to his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is as silent as something as a grave though¡± says Aversa, bringing a hand to her mouth ¡°but it is strange.¡± As they continue the road, they notice that many trees have been uprooted and put aside the road. Other trees have been burned, and the ones still in place have the marks of claws and burns on them. ¡°For the time of the year, there are too many leaves in the ground¡± remarks Tomoe. ¡°Did the animals and magic beasts had a fight with each other?¡± wonders Lacus. ¡°Can¡¯t be. They fight all the time yes, but not at this level¡± says Tomoe. ¡°You seem familiar with the forest, sweety¡± remarks Aversa. ¡°I¡¯ve been here a couple of times in my life. I¡¯m just familiar with it¡± says Tomoe, with a smirk on her face. ¡°Forest, eh?¡± says Titania. ¡°Something the matter?¡± asks Lacus. ¡°Ah, no, I was just wondering things.¡± ¡°The road may be large sweety, why don¡¯t share what is troubling your mind? As long as your fine with it that is.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it is nothing serious, really.¡± Says Titania, as she rubs the back of her neck with her right hand ¡°I was just wondering about something I was told a long time ago, about my¡­ ancestors. It just came up to my mind right now.¡± ¡°Oh, history? I have a brother in the city, the old rascal, he wanted to study the history of our world even when everyone told him to not go for it and dedicate himself to more useful things.¡± ¡°Really now? But being a historian doesn¡¯t pay very well¡± says Lacus. ¡°It is his passion sweety, certainly he has a lot for it, especially if it concerns the history before the Wolf of the End, you know, that giant wolf appeared in our world, eating half of the world, taking even memories away. But look at me, babbling and rambling along. This isn¡¯t about me, what were you saying sweety?¡± says Aversa, as she giggles a bit and they resume walking. ¡°No, well. I was just wondering if the Weiss people had a connection to nature since times long past. Someone told me that this was the case¡­ a long time ago.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t know if it is true, right sweety?¡± ¡°Pretty much¡± says Titania, while sinking in her shoulders ¡°since I was told this, I have always watched the Stardust forest from home, and paid attention to the plants around me, but¡­ I kinda don¡¯t feel any kind of special connection with them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret sweety, you aren¡¯t the only one that has asked herself those questions I can assure you that. Many, many people have always wondered what was life like before the Wolf of the End appeared in the world, but it is a useless enterprise to search for it¡± says Aversa. Taking a stop, she sighs and looks at Titania ¡°half of the world, half of history, almost all of the old magic, our very memories, and records. The Wolf took all of that. Have you ever seen a book of the old times? If you open it, if time hasn¡¯t turned it into dust, you will find it completely blank. No secrecy there, no invisible ink. The Wolf took it, and we can¡¯t do a thing about what we lost.¡± ¡°To think that our very history was wiped out from the face of the world¡± says Tomoe. ¡°It is indeed something to fear¡± says Aversa ¡°What kind of being has such power? Of robbing our own identity from us without we being able to do anything, at all. But, and this is something I personally think, I don¡¯t think it was a completely bad thing.¡± ¡°How so?¡± says Titania, blinking repeatedly and they resume walking, once more. ¡°Sweety, history is history for a reason, isn¡¯t it? It is in the past, and look at us, we have been living well enough in the present without it. You can¡¯t do anything for what was lost, so the only thing you could do is living life now, you being you. What matters if the Weiss people had a connection with nature before? Even if this were true, you would be still you, and I would still be me. Don¡¯t let the past put you shackles sweety, and don¡¯t trouble yourself for it.¡± ¡°That-¡± Titania starts saying, Lacus interjects and completes the sentence ¡°was a good advice that no one asked for.¡± ¡°Not saying that knowing your roots is bad or anything¡± Aversa says, giggling ¡°but I believe it is better if you focus on the now, to be a person of good heart. Also, if even Lord Hazuki couldn¡¯t restore the old world, we may as well not even try.¡± ¡°A person of good heart uh?¡± says Tomoe. The forest road starts to open, and the group enters a wide space without trees. Walking a bit further, they get to the Butterfly lake. Looking up, Tomoe sees the gray clouds that are gathering on top of them, trying to prevent the sunlight to reach the forest. As they get to the shore of the lake, Lacus¡¯ eyes catches a figure, sitting by the shore a bit further from where they were. ¡°Who¡­ who is that?¡± Lacus says. ¡°Uh?¡± says Tomoe, as she and Titania turn to the direction Lacus is pointing. ¡°You old senile!¡± says Aversa, letting a loud voice escape her, as she goes to were the figure is. ¡°Will go with her¡± says Lacus, following. Tomoe and Titania stand there, looking at how Aversa gets to the figure by the shore, and the ensuing yelling starts. Looking at the end of the lake, by the side of the road that continues onward, they see the old statue sitting there, with a giant old disk. Tomoe touches the bag she is carrying, feeling the bong that her mother entrusted her with. ¡°Wonder what will happen if we sound the disk with the bong¡± says Titania. ¡°If it happens that we are being invaded¡­ somehow, I guess we will find out then¡±. ¡°Any idea on how it could help us?¡± ¡°No, but my mother told me that it would.¡± ¡°Lady Aquamarine eh? She certainly seems to know more than one might think at first.¡± ¡°Since I have memory, she has been always like this, and always being right about everything¡± says Tomoe ¡°Come on, we need to keep going.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.¡°Right.¡± The girls move along the shore, to where Lacus and the old couple is. The sound of the breeze disrupting the mirror like surface of the lake. ¡°Is everything ok?¡± says Titania, as the girls get close enough. ¡°Oh sweety, there you are.¡± ¡°Lacus?¡± says Tomoe. ¡°Nothing severe, but the old man has almost run out of Aura, so he was in a tight spot. He can¡¯t even muster the strength to talk.¡± ¡°What to do? I can¡¯t take him by myself all the way back. I know you are on a mission, but could you spare more time to help us?¡± says Aversa. Putting a hand to her chin, Tomoe gives it a thought. While she meditates, Lacus says: ¡°I¡¯ll stay back and give the old man first aid.¡± ¡°What?¡± says Tomoe, leaving the thinking pose ¡°do you know that we may actually need you further down the line?¡± ¡°I know, but-¡± says Lacus, looking at the old couple ¡°I just can¡¯t leave them here.¡± ¡°Wait a mi-¡± starts saying Tomoe, before Titania puts a hand on her left shoulder, and interrupts ¡°Lets leave him here.¡± ¡°What are you talking about Titania?¡± ¡°I know it bothers you, but the old couple are also Aquamarines, and we have the duty to protect them too¡± looking at Lacus, then looking back to Tomoe, she adds, whispering ¡°he may need it too.¡± Tomoe turns back, rubbing her eyes with her fingers. Titania adds ¡°besides, if we are two, we can move better than being three, and if this a mission of speed, wouldn¡¯t that be better?¡± Tomoe lets a sigh escape, and says ¡°that just depends on the situation¡±, then, turning back once again facing Lacus, she says ¡°But it is true, our mission is to protect the lives of the Aquamarines, our fellow citizens, our family.¡± Hearing this, Lacus¡¯ eyes widen, and a smile is drawn on his face ¡°thank you.¡± Aversa comes closer, and also says ¡°Thank you sweety.¡± ¡°No need ma¡¯am, it is our job¡± says Titania. ¡°Still, once again, let me thank you, from the bottom of my heart.¡± ¡°Titania, since we are going with one less, let''s engage our Auras and reach the outpost faster.¡± ¡°Roger that¡± says Titania, with a smile in her face too. ¡°Come on Aversa, I¡¯ll need a bit of help from you¡± says Lacus, while he crouches again besides the old man. ¡°Sure sweety, anything.¡± ¡°Lacus¡± says Tomoe, coming closer to his ear and whispering ¡°if anything happens, be on guard, I¡¯ll either sound the bell at the outpost or I¡¯ll let a sign made with embers flare in the sky. If either of those things happens, be on your guard.¡± Walking back to Titania¡¯s side, they engage their Auras. A blue light envelops Tomoe, while a yellow one envelops Titania. Absorbing the light inside their own bodies, mostly in their legs, they start moving with a sprint forward. Leaving behind the lake at high speeds, they move further down the road. Trees on the ground, bashed, with claw marks, with burnt marks, a carpet of leaves covering the road. Many corpses of animals, natural and magic alike. As they reach the bifurcation, Tomoe stops, to which Titania stops too ¡°Something the matter?¡± asks Titania, while Tomoe goes by the side of the road, searching for something. After walking for a bit, she finds it, besides a tree that is down on the floor. ¡°Come.¡± As Titania comes closer, she manages to see what Tomoe was searching: A hole in the ground. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A hole in the ground that connects to the underground rivers that feed lake butterfly.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Titania says, being baffled for a bit at the encounter, and kneeling, only to hear the river going by further in the shadows. ¡°It is indeed true¡± Titania says, standing back up ¡°But what are we going to do with this? Wait¡­ oh, you want to Throw in our switch objects in case that we need an escape?¡± Tomoe opens her eyes wide, and says ¡°Indeed, that is exactly what are we going to do¡± while she brings out her switch object: a cube, that she throws inside the hole. ¡°Who told you about this hole?¡± says Titania, as she throws her own object: A really big knife. A loud noise comes from the hole, followed by a lower one, of objects hitting a body of water. ¡°That cube¡­ it was pretty heavy eh?¡± ¡°It is, and the one that told me about this hole was a teacher from my days at the Beheaders barracks.¡± ¡°I see. Well, shall we continue?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Coming back to the road, they take the right, and in a couple of minutes they get to the outpost. Tomoe stops, while putting an arm to sign Titania to stop too. She looks at the sky, almost completely covered in grey and dark clouds. ¡°What an ominous sight¡± says Titania. ¡°Indeed. And I can¡¯t see anyone out here¡± answers Tomoe, around. Walking into the outpost, Tomoe signs to Titania, with her hand, to follow her. No, a sole soul can be heard, besides the footsteps of the girls as they enter the abandoned temple. Inside the big rectangular room, Titania says: ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°I was thinking the same question too¡± says Tomoe, whispering ¡°as Sophia¡¯s group is, by now, disappeared, I was wondering if the enemy was here when they got here, and took them out.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Sounds plausible, at least it would explain this strong smell of burnt flesh that is in the air¡± says Titania. ¡°We are only two, and still, we haven¡¯t been attacked yet, by anyone. And they could have seen us coming from a distance, no matter how fast we closed it.¡± ¡°True.¡± ¡°Which makes me think that maybe the enemy isn¡¯t here anymore.¡± ¡°Now you are reaching into it,¡± says Titania. ¡°But you can¡¯t disprove it either.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that you aren¡¯t reaching,¡± says Titania, adding ¡°that still doesn¡¯t answer the question: What should we do first?¡± ¡°I was thinking into checking over the Forest corridor first, that is our mission after all. We will be in a better position having the high ground and only needing to cover two sides instead of more, in case of an ambush.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± says Titania, as they both start moving towards the belfry. They open the door at their left, walk down a corridor, and find the stairs by the end. As they are going up, Tomoe reaches first the top of the belfry. As Tomoe steps up, she is greeted with a large bell, so large that she and Titania could easily fit inside it. Then, she turns to see over the valley of the forest corridor¡­ and the sight stuns her, robbing her breath. Rain. The dark clouds, and the sound of rain. The only thought that runs through Tomoe mind right now is that right now it must be raining. The droplets are falling, but the sound they make when hitting the ground shakes Tomoe¡¯s heart: Many fall without rhyme nor reason, but many others like if it were an orchestra. Please, tell me it is raining. Fall upon me, sting me, drench me¡­ tell me it is raining. An army, far more than what Tomoe expected, than anyone back at the city expected, has already crossed half of the forest corridor. Their march resounding across the valley, they carry banners of war. 14- Waking up As far as the eye can see, a sea of heads, a tsunami of bodies, walking down the forest corridor, banners in the air. There were white and black people, white, blond, black and mostly red hairs. A part of the army had on one type of armor, and the other part, other type. Weapons varied, with most of the front army not having a weapon at all. What can I do? thinks Tomoe, in front of this army marching in direction of Aquamarine Port City ¡°What can I do?¡± she whispers. Mind is drawn blank, the arms start to tremble ¡°the rivers that cross the Forest corridor?¡­ no, there are too many to kill them all, or avoid them all in order to hit on their commander¡± Tomoe starts to duck, breath starts to get heavy ¡°Something with the trees? No use! They are already too into the Forest corridor for this to work!¡± Tomoe starts to feel the cold sweat on her forehead, the legs start to tremble, the stomach turns heavy ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe¡­ causing an avalanche? N-n-no! Too late for that too!¡± she falls to the ground, curling her legs towards her chest and embracing them. The surroundings start to vanish. Everything starts to lose color, meld into a lifeless gray. Images start to appear on Tomoe¡¯s mind: A dark night, with clouds covering the stars. A pale moon, a merciless rain, fleeting thunders, and the shadow of many large heads, towering over her. ¡°What can I do?¡­ what¡­¡± tears join her face, like if the rain on her memories leaked out by her eyes. A sudden sensation reaches her, a deafening touch. Everything loses focus, the heads turns more into shadows. Another deafening touch. The rain stops, turns into mist. Another one. A sound, like if it were distant, reaches Tomoe¡¯s ears. Suddenly, a burst of pain crosses Tomoe¡¯s cheeks. Everything around her comes back, leaving the world of her mind behind. ¡°What are you doing you fool!¡± Tomoe hears, as she sees a girl with white hair and frowned expression in front of her coming into focus. ¡°Titania?¡± Tomoe whispers. ¡°Finally you idiot!¡± Titania whispers back. Her hands pinching Tomoe¡¯s cheeks with all her strength. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t time for you to drop down and have an attack you know?!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ What an embarrassing show.¡± Says Tomoe, still breathing heavily. ¡°Indeed. Though it isn¡¯t that I can¡¯t understand¡­ but I need you to pull through.¡± Titania says, as she rises her head over to see at the forest corridor. ¡°The army!¡± Titania puts a finger on Tomoe¡¯s lips ¡°sshhh, silence.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the invading army?! How long was I out?¡± whispers Tomoe. ¡°Still crossing the Forest corridor, you were only some seconds out.¡± As Tomoe composes herself, Titania adds ¡°Keep it down, we can be definitively seen here now, and maybe heard.¡± ¡°What do we do? Should we wait for them to pass and jump attack their chain of command?¡± Titania looks at Tomoe, eyes wide open ¡°Moron¡± she whispers ¡°Did you saw clearly that army? Did you see how large it is?! For the moment we have the chance to jump on the commander half of the army will be already at the city! What about Lacus too?!¡± Tomoe sinks between her shoulders ¡°It is true¡­ a large army like that will need us to ring the bell about ten times.¡± She leans over, to catch another glimpse of the army. ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°How then about this? We ring the bell half the times needed, and run back to tell everyone about the true dimension of the problem at hand?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Titania bites her lower lips ¡°for how much I would love to run back right now, it would be impossible for only us to inform everyone properly of the problem at hand. Think about it, we run back, and by the time we tell Ray or Olga, they would have reached the city¡­ we will just not be ready. Every Beheader understands the language of the bell though, if we ring it enough times everyone back at the city will receive the same information, no matter where they are.¡± Tomoe could only agree, with some shame flowing through her face for having proposed such thoughts ¡°There¡¯s only one thing to do.¡± Titania says ¡°Our mission, and we need to work together.¡± ¡°I think I can handle the ringing to the bell alone. It will be dangerous, so go back, Titania.¡± ¡°Alone we can¡¯t do everything Tomoe!¡± says Titania, raising her voice ¡°I now that is your thing these last years, but we can¡¯t, not against that¡± she says as she flings her right hand in the invading army direction. Tomoe falls into silence. She raises her eyes towards the ceiling, were the giant bell is, takes a deep breath, while some tears escape her eyes, and says ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Thank you¡± says Titania, giving a wry smile. She then takes another glimpse of the army, now having crossed the middle of the forest corridor, and proposes ¡°You have a stronger Aura than me Tomoe, so, I was thinking-¡± ¡°You sound the bell while I defend against any incoming attack?¡± Tomoe cuts Titania. ¡°Exactly¡± says Titania. Tomoe snorts ¡°Sounds fun¡± she says, as a smirk appears on her face. ¡°It will be¡± Titania gives a smirk back ¡°Ready?¡± she adds, as her yellow Aura envelops her. ¡°When you are¡± says Tomoe, as her blue Aura envelops her. Titania, infusing her own body with her Aura, throws herself against the giant rope, and with visibly great effort, rings the bell for the first time. Tomoe stays hidden, looking at the army, waiting, making her best to stay on her foot against the powerful vibrations of the bell. Titania struggles too with the vibrations, dropping the rope, but stays on her feet, and as she picks up the heavy rope again, she swings it, with all of her strength and yelling, ringing the bell a second time. An echo could be heard all across the forest corridor, the echo of the bell, and after it, the echo of multiple voices yelling ¡°attack!¡± Tomoe¡¯s heart jumps, as she sees the fire balls coming in direction of the tower. She steps out of hiding into the perch, Aura engaged, water drawn out. Tomoe engages her Aura in front of her, putting out a defense, while with the water, she rises it in the air, serpents flying like birds, to meet the coming fire projectiles. She hits the first one, then the second one, then a third one coming, throwing them to the sides. A volley of arrows are fired, but Tomoe¡¯s Aura blocks them. Still, the arrows were shoot with such force that they stick to the Aura, instead of bouncing off. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.So far, so good The bell is ringed the third time. Another volley. More arrows are stuck into the Aura, while the water deflects the coming fire projectiles. The bell is rung the fourth time. ¡°How are you hanging Titania?!¡± Tomoe yells, but she gets no reply. If we keep going like this, we should make it. Another volley comes around, with the same results as before. The fifth ring can be heard. A horn can be heard, followed by a collective yell coming from the invading army. ¡°Keep it coming, I¡¯ll stop all of your attacks!¡± Tomoe yells. Another volley is shot, this time though, it is far more vast than the ones before: A cloud of arrows obscure the sky, and the many more fireballs take the place of stars. Tomoe¡¯s heart sink, as the sixth ring can be heard. Tomoe expands her Aura to cover all of her surroundings, one arm extra in all directions around her, as her water serpents rises once more into the sky. One, two, three fireballs deflected, but it is too little: a fireball hits the top of the tower, another one hits below, while three more hit the surrounding area, sending the temple and its surroundings into a sea of flames. The arrows still stick into Tomoe¡¯s Aura. As the rumble of the attacks shakes the tower, Tomoe can hear something hitting the floor. Turning around, she can see Titania on the floor. ¡°Titania!¡± she yells, as more arrows stuck into her Aura ¡°stand up! We need four more!¡± As she says this, something takes away her attention: A strange light reaches her eyes, coming in the direction of the attackers. A couple of arrows start shining in yellow and red hues. ¡°No way-¡± says Tomoe, as the arrows disappear in the light, being replaced with people wearing foreign, angular armor, lightweight like hers but with red, black and golden colors. Tomoe takes out more of her Aura, as the woman of ashen hair in front of her yells ¡°Go!¡± Tomoe can hear some heavy footsteps behind her, running towards Titania, having now managed to stand up, with the rope about to be swing. She crouches, covering her ears, as Titania does too, while the seventh ring can be heard, shaking now the tower itself with its vibrations. The woman in front of her tumbles, as electrical arcs run along her arms. Tomoe infuses her arms, and takes the chance, stepping forward and hitting her in the right knee. Falling into the ground, the tower shakes again. The fireballs! bastards! Risking losing men of their own! As the woman stands up, the other two get between them, having being sent flying by Titania. ¡°Cover your ears!¡± she yells with all of her lungs, as she swings the rope again, ringing the bell an eight time. As Tomoe is standing up, her ground shakes, ¡°This perch is¡­¡± Tomoe thinks, and moving into the tower, with the water she has left, she cuts the pillars that are holding the perch, and hits it, sending the three woman down the tower, before the only yellow one and a red one envelop themselves in their Aura and switch away. No more water and another volley comes. Tomoe extends her Aura once again, now struggling to stand up, and turns to Tatiana, as the tower takes another couple of hits, shakes, and the floor twists, making it uneven, while the ninth ring can be heard. Tomoe catches Titania, as another horn can be heard. One short, a second one large, the third, fourth, and fifth short ones, accompanied by a war cry. Tomoe sees the front of the army, now besides the outpost, starts to run forward, in direction of Aquamarine Port City. ¡°Titania, stand up, we need to ring the bell the last time!¡± Tomoe says, as Titania struggles to stand up, and pukes against a column. Suddenly, multiple flashes reach Tomoe¡¯s eyes. From the end of the army, now in the middle of the forest corridor, multiple electrical arcs start appearing, converging in one, bright point, one person. Many times she has seen this sight before. She knows it very well, since it has always given her tranquility and has allowed her to feel secure even at the face of the most perilous danger. Even in her darkest night, this sight is what allowed her to not lose consciousness, which gave her the minimal hope that everything would be ok. Yet, this time this very sight now assaults her with the most anxiety and fear that she could imagine. She understood at that moment how dire the situation both of them were in right now. For the first time in years, Tomoe was overcome with sudden honesty, being brought up by her own basic instincts reacting in a violent way, as a sudden, pure, unadulterated fear got hold of her mind: She wasn¡¯t enough to handle this situation, not anymore. Tomoe¡¯s eyes open wide, her mouth following suit ¡°A white Aura¡± she says. ¡°What?!¡± says Titania, as smoke starts collecting inside the belfry. Tomoe takes Titania¡¯s arm, taking away her blue Aura and infusing herself with it. She catches another glimpse, as from that bright point, a thick white thunder raises to the clouds, making the tower started to crumble by the vibrations. ¡°We need to get outa here!¡± she screams, as she runs towards the perch at the other side and jumps with all her strength, Titania between her arms. ¡°Switch now!¡± she yells to Titania. As they start to fall, enough to turn in the air and let Tomoe see, the thick white thunder falling on top of the tower, the power of the impact sending them flying away, as the tower is completely obliterated, reduced to ashes¡­ and the girls envelop themselves in their Auras, switching positions with their respective switch objects, getting away. 15- The end of a Blue Dream A roar like no other traveled the air. The Aquamarine mansion itself felt its vibrations, and with them, Lady Aquamarine¡¯s heart fights them back, pounding ever so faster. Still, Lady Aquamarine sinks between her shoulders, a pressure affecting her chest. William is with her, both being at one of the few gardens in the mansion. Even the smallest flowers trembled at the frightening roar. William comes closer, and putting a hand to Lady Aquamarine¡¯s shoulder, he asks ¡°Are you ok My Lady?¡± Breathing heavily, Lady Aquamarine answers ¡°William¡­ did you think¡­¡± she starts to tremble ¡°My daughter¡± she adds, as she lets some tears escape her eyes. ¡°My Lady. If even the hydra couldn¡¯t kill her, I doubt anything can. For a woman, you daughter can be pretty tough.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Please My Lady, focus. We can¡¯t have you now come apart for what may have not happened, the entire Aquamarine Port City needs you.¡± Focusing in her breath, Lady Aquamarine closes her eyes. One deep breath, two, now three. She can feel how her body relaxes a bit, and opening her eyes, she finds that she has dropped to the ground. ¡°William, help me.¡± ¡°My pleasure, My Lady¡± says William, as he offers his hand in order to help Lady Aquamarine stand. Having composed herself, now on her feet, she says ¡°I can¡¯t stop worrying William.¡± ¡°It is only natural, My Lady, you¡¯re her mother.¡± ¡°Never thought that I would love that child as if it were my own.¡± ¡°Indeed, it has been quite the sight to behold.¡± Turning back, Lady Aquamarine enters the room inside the mansion, moving in direction towards a door ¡°It seems William, my estimation was correct.¡± ¡°Indeed, but maybe-¡± ¡°Felt short, right?¡± she says, as she enters one of the many corridors in almost complete darkness, their steps against the wooden floor forming echoes. ¡°That thunder wasn¡¯t natural, My Lady.¡± ¡°So you also think that whatever that were, it was some sort of thunder.¡± ¡°Indeed. Having been here for a long time, I¡¯m quite used to¡­ the sound of things.¡± ¡°Not good¡± Lady Aquamarine says, as she starts climbing some stairs to the second floor. ¡°Why, My Lady?¡± ¡°That would mean that we have fire and electric tamers between us.¡± Opening a sliding door, the light of a large, glowing, floating Aquamarine rock illuminates her. ¡°We are about to be invaded William. Has the conditions of my freedom from this blasted mansion been met?¡± says Lady Aquamarine, as she comes closer to the glowing Aquamarine. Giving a smile, William moves closer to the Aquamarine, and putting a hand on it, he says ¡°There was ever only two independent conditions, My Lady. The first is as long as your life isn¡¯t at risk, you can¡¯t leave. The second one¡­ it really doesn¡¯t matter at this point. The first one is already met.¡± A surge of emotions start taking hold of Lady Aquamarine. The corner of her lips twirl up. Taking the lead, anticipation of finally being able to step outside after so long being held in a mansion almost completely in shadows. Happiness, of finally being able to be between her people, of being able to accompany her daughter in the streets of the city, of being able to go to places instead of waiting for people to come to her. And especially duty, now more than ever in the face of the looming danger that is about to befall them all. She can¡¯t direct from the mansion, it will not work, the distance to cover is too much. She feels the need to be on the ground, alongside her Beheaders Corps, fighting back and leading all efforts to save as many lives as possible, and somehow win this fight in the long run. She can¡¯t waste any more time being trapped here, within the dark. It is time, to be freed from this fancy cage. Turning to the Aquamarine rock in front of them, William says ¡°I¡¯m William, head butler for Lady Aquamarine. In accordance to the will of the late Lord Aquamarine, the conditions have met. I can testify to that. In the name of the late Lord Aquamarine, authority given to me by the man himself, I revoke the spell binding Lady Aquamarine to the Aquamarine mansion.¡± The Aquamarine rock starts glowing, and many lines pop up, lines glowing Aquamarine in color. The lines cover the entirety of the room, and run outside, covering the entirety of the mansion. Finally, the lines come back into the room and jump to Lady Aquamarine¡¯s body, covering her wrists and ankles. Then, the Aquamarine rock loses its glow, being set gently on the ground as the rock loses more and more of its light. The lines start glowing less and less, and as they glow less, they start to lift themselves from the walls, ceiling, floor, and Lady Aquamarine herself, disintegrating in the process. ¡°That fool¡± Lady Aquamarine murmurs, as the lines of the room disappear completely. ¡°You can go out now, My Lady.¡± Lady Aquamarine lets a smile escape on her face, as she lift her arms and try to wipe said smile with her fingers, and says ¡°I¡¯m kinda troubled that I feel this happy in such a terrible moment¡­ William, lets go to the main plaza I hear so much about.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± As they are leaving the room, a loud sound can be heard. They feel the vibrations on their feet, and a maid appears by the end of the corridor, falling into her knees. Coming closer to her, Lady Aquamarine says ¡°You there, what happened? Who did this to you?¡± Breathing heavily, she answers ¡°Watch out, My Lady¡­ by some reason, people outside are invading the Aquamarine mansion.¡± William kneels to her level, and asks ¡°Who did this marks?¡± pointing towards the burnt marks on her uniform, skin and her burnt hair. ¡°The invaders, Sir.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure¡± having catch her breath, she looks towards William, and says ¡°but it would seem as if they were taming fire, like we tame water. Managed to finish two, but there were more with them¡­ I¡¯m sorry to have leaved them be, I couldn¡¯t fight them all. Don¡¯t know were they went.¡± ¡°You did well, though I¡¯m afraid that if what you say is true, then you can¡¯t have a moment of rest. Can you stand up? I need your help in order to protect Lady Aquamarine.¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡± the maid says, as Lady Aquamarine moves to the corridor the maid just came from, leaning from the column, only to see one person on the ground. ¡°He¡¯s death?¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady. I made sure about it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Another sound, followed by multiple others, coming in from all directions. Windows breaking, wood being torn apart, and many, many steps and screams. ¡°Seems like we have a party in our hands.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady¡± says the maid. ¡°I would suggest that we ring the emergency bell on the top of the mansion, My Lady¡± says William. ¡°I agree. But- we don¡¯t have much time¡± says Lady Aquamarine. Looking at the maid, she grabs her by the shoulders, and says ¡°Look, I need you to go to the main plaza and relay a message from me to Ray and Olga, who are stationed there.¡± ¡°What?! But, my Lady, what about your security? I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I agree with this too, My Lady.¡± ¡°And I appreciate it, both of you, but, if you don¡¯t relay this message to them, a worse fate may befall Aquamarine Port City, to everyone living here¡± Lady Aquamarine says, holding the maid closer, looking her directly to her eyes. The maid fell into silence, and only says ¡°I will do it, My Lady. What should I tell Ray and Olga?¡± Smiling to her, Lady Aquamarine says ¡°Come closer, for the sake of time I¡¯ll only said it once.¡± As William and Lady Aquamarine moves towards the third floor, flashes of light can be seen lighting up the shadows. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°It looks that we have some in the way, My Lady.¡± ¡°Can we push through?¡± ¡°If they aren¡¯t that many, we should be able to. Otherwise I advice avoiding them.¡± ¡°Speed is most important right now. There¡¯s no enough time William, so we will go through.¡± Getting to the third floor, by the end of the corridor they landed on, a man fire taming a little ball of fire appears. William and Lady Aquamarine engage their Auras, Red and Yellow respectively, and move forward, running towards him. Hearing the running, the man makes the little fire ball bigger, trying to lit a bit more of the corridor, only to be met in an instant with William pushing his entire body towards him, sending him flying away. Taking a turn, William and Lady Aquamarine see another invader, showing off his electricity taming with multiple electrical arcs coming off of him. William reaches for the door that is the closest to his right, opens it slowly, and makes signs to Lady Aquamarine in order to enter. ¡°Lets cross this room, and use the remaining rooms to get to the bell.¡± ¡°Right behind you.¡± As they cross the room, they come out to the corridor that connects to the corridor they were just in, and they take the door in front of them. Crossing through multiple rooms that each one connects to the other, they evade two more invaders, and crossing it, get to the room with the bell: Another open air room, with its own garden, the biggest one yet. The garden is crossed multiple times by an irrigation system that makes it easier to water all the plants and flowers. The bell is big, and it is at the center of the garden. As both start moving closer to the bell, a couple of Maids and some butlers come out and one of them starts ringing it. ¡°Good job everyone¡± William says. ¡°We were waiting for you, sir, My Lady¡± one of the maids said. ¡°Ah, Clara, good to see you here.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir¡± answered Clara, the older maid, around her sixties, with glasses and brown straight hair with some straight whites showing. Turning back to Lady Aquamarine, William says ¡°Please, from now on, until help comes by, don¡¯t leave Clara¡¯s side, My Lady.¡± ¡°I understand William. If they are here for my life, they will come here.¡± ¡°Indeed, My Lady.¡± As other thunders roar in the distance, and the clouds start to cover Aquamarine Port City, from one of the doors, a stream of fire comes through, sending the door flying. Two woman and a man come out of it, all of them wearing everyday clothing and some light armor, some under the clothes, others over it. Three maids, having cutting off the length of their skirts, go and meet the invading force. From the irrigation system the maids elevate streams of water in order fight against the invaders. From the door in the front, a man comes out, the one playing with electricity that Lady Aquamarine saw when she reached the third floor. Another maid gets up, and goes to fight him. Behind him, two more people, both men, enter. This time both are fire tamers. Two butlers get up and go fight them both. From her right, another door opens, and six people enter, a mix between fire tamers and electric tamers. At the sight of this, William yells ¡°Turtle formation!¡±, at which all the maids and butlers come back and form a circle around Lady Aquamarine, all but one, having lost to the electric tamer that entered through the front door. As the attacks come, a combination of red, yellow, and one blue Aura, coming from the maids and butlers is brought up, defending like if they were a shield against the fire and electric attacks. While they do this, everyone in the turtle formation infuse the water that is in all of the channels in this garden, then they bring all of it towards them, and start attacking with the water, as if they were a squid with spears and lances instead of tentacles. More invaders keep coming, and the attacks become more relentless. Two maids pass out ¡°Those must have been the red Auras uh?¡± murmurs Lady Aquamarine. With these two, their attacks become more slow, and William yells ¡°Resist! Focus on defense and disruption!¡± ¡°How do you see it Clara?¡± ¡°Now gonna lie, My Lady, it looks pretty tough.¡± Lady Aquamarine lets a smirk come out of her face, and says ¡°If we are going to die, I would like to go having tried to do a thing to defend myself.¡± As she says this, she starts walking to the line of defense. Engaging her blue Aura, she expands it to the combination of Auras defending them, and infuses it too into the water, helping maintain form and attack. ¡°Everyone, show me what you can do!¡± ¡°Will be my pleasure, My Lady¡± She can hear in unison, which makes the smirk linger on as the garden starts to burn alive from all the heat that is being thrown around. ¡°Focus!¡± yells William, as even more enemies keep entering the garden. From behind, his voice can be heard loud and clear ¡°Coming from the right!¡± as everyone raises their water spears and attack in a straight line in front of the right flank. ¡°Left!¡± and many more spears come through, now in front of the left flank. An invader with blue Aura infuses his own body with it, and jumps forward, just in front of Lady Aquamarine, just as Lady Aquamarine raises a spear in front of him and throws it, getting him right in the head and only managing to crash his limp body to the barrier ¡°Didn¡¯t need your direction for that William!¡± Lady Aquamarine yells. The fight continues, as the fire becomes more and more savage and out of control. A group of fire tamers join, in order to take all the flames, raise it towards the sky, making a giant serpent of flames, and throws it towards the turtle formation. The attack pushes the line of defense back, and three maids pass out, at which William yells ¡°Pull back, we need to close the perimeter!¡± and everyone starts moving back. And now, the electric tamers join too, focusing their electricity in one single electrical arc ¡°Focus!¡± yells William ¡°Another attack incoming!¡± yells Lady Aquamarine, feeling now the heats of the constant flames being thrown at her. ¡°Whatever happens My Lady, it has been an honor¡± Clara says. ¡°It has been my pleasure Clara¡± says Lady Aquamarine with the very same smirk still on her face, which only softens as she says ¡°if this is th end, I only wish to have seen my daughter once more.¡± Clara replies with a smirk on kind ¡°Were is the electrical attack though?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Lady Aquamarine says, as if she suddenly noticed something obvious ¡°The flames¡­ are getting weaker.¡± A few seconds after those words came out of her mouth, the flames stopped all together, in order to reveal the other side of the battlefield: fifteen Beheaders are in place, together with some maids and butlers. All the invaders are on the ground. A silver haired man with crimson eyes comes closer while a sense of release runs through Lady Aquamarine¡¯s body. ¡°It is good to see you, Ray¡± she says. ¡°It is good to see you manage to hold up!¡± Ray says, offering a hand to stand up. She takes it, giving now her a hand to Clara, to help her get up ¡°It seems we are going to keep rolling.¡± ¡°Indeed, My Lady¡± says Clara, as she is standing up, with tears starting to flow from her eyes. ¡°We need to go, My Lady¡± says Ray. ¡°Inde-¡± starts saying Lady Aquamarine, but the sound of a huge explosion interrupts her while a gust of wind makes the flowers of the garden lose all of their petals, and everyone instinctively crouch. As they start getting up, Ray exclaims ¡°What in the world was that?!¡± 16- Large Shadow As the infiltration of the Aquamarine mansion starts¡­ At the drawbridge of the city many civilians are being pushed into the city by the Beheaders, taking them out of the farmlands. An old man with silver hair and crimson eyes is giving orders, covering the principal street with many defenses and choke points. A bell sound reaches the place, and the old man points towards a couple of Beheaders, and takes them with him, running in direction of the Aquamarine mansion. Before parting, Ray comes closer to Bran, and says ¡°You¡¯re in charge until I come back. Keep the work rolling.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Bran answers. As Ray leaves, Bran continues the work: More defenses, three big ditches between the drawbridge and the main plaza. Hope the preparation for the invasion is going well at other parts in the city¡­ who would have thought we would have to fight such a large army¡­ ¡°Hey, you!¡± he says as he comes closer to a Beheader, black hair and skin, that just got there ¡°we need people stationed in this building¡± he says, as he points towards one of the buildings on the side, having three stories. ¡°What should I do sir?¡± ¡°Get there, and if the invading army manages to get into the city, once they are in position, you cut the columns of the building, throwing the entire building on top of them.¡± ¡°I understand sir, but how should I cut the columns so it falls on top of the invading army?¡± ¡°Get there, I already sent another beheader there. He is going to explain to you how.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Good, now go and get in position.¡± As the Beheader goes, many wooden and metal planks and spikes are being put on the road. ¡°Who would have thought that we would use the spikes used to hunt the big magic beasts to fight a war¡± a female Beheader, ashen hair, lean body, comes by Bran¡¯s side. ¡°If they come with horses, it may prove useful¡± Bran answers. Then he turns to the Beheader and asks ¡°Is everything done by your side?¡± ¡°Almost sir, we are about to finish.¡± ¡°Then, why are you here if you haven¡¯t finished?¡± ¡°Well, someone asked me a favor¡± she says, pointing towards the end of the street: A short red haired girl stood there, hands crossed, sunk between her shoulders. ¡°Oh¡± says Bran, at which the female Beheader giggles and says ¡°So few words to say so much¡­¡± The last Beheader enters the city with the last couple of civilians, at which one of the Beheaders besides the turning wheel yells ¡°No more civilians outside!¡± Bran turns again, seeing that it is true, and then says to the ashen haired Beheader ¡°Well, if you are almost done with your side, then go help close the drawbridge!¡± ¡°Yes sir! And sir¡± she says, as she is leaving ¡°good luck.¡± As Bran sees the Beheader go to the turning wheel, he turns once again, walking towards the short red haired girl ¡°No respect for authority eh?¡± he says, as he sighs. Before realizing though, the girl had walked herself towards him, covering half the distance already. ¡°Hi there¡± Bran says, as he is jolted by the surprise, while the girl hugs him. ¡°Hi there¡± The girl answers. Seeing how she is keeping silent, Bran proposes ¡°Everything right? Celine¡± as he puts one of his hands on Celine¡¯s head. The girl raises her face to meet the boy ¡°I¡¯m just a bit embarrassed, that¡¯s all¡± Celine says, as she reveals a red face to accompany her hair. Bran¡¯s face gets red too. ¡°Thinking of something interesting that happened lately?¡± Celine says, as a smug smile draws itself on her face ¡°perhaps¡­ last night?¡± Bran¡¯s shoulders jolt ¡°you¡¯re saying this on purpose aren¡¯t you?¡± as he tries to look away. Celine suddenly jumps, and her lips meet with Bran¡¯s, in a sweet, fleeting kiss. ¡°What are-¡± starts saying Bran, having been taken again by surprise, but stops himself as he looks at Celine¡¯s face: A tear rolls on her cheeks. Bran pulls her again, against himself, and kisses her, not a fleeting kiss, but as if he would carry Celine¡¯s lips for all his life. ¡°Get a room you two!¡± can be heard from afar, followed by ¡°Ah, love blooming in times of crisis!¡± Celine gets back on her feet, and giggles start to come out without control. She is still holding Bran¡¯s hand tight. ¡°Come with me Celine, I still need to make sure that everything is done¡± he says, as he takes Celine by the hand she is holding tight, and comes closer to the drawbridge. As they come close, Bran feels that Celine stopped and is pulling him instead, and turning to face her, he asks ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Celine has her eyes cast down. She looks to the side, and says, pointing towards a couple of chairs that were put there, at a corner connecting the main street with one of the other many streets it connects with ¡°I want to sit.¡± ¡°Oh, sure then.¡± Celine sits, and adds ¡°You were just a savage last night.¡± ¡°Wait, wh-¡± ¡°But¡± interrupts Celine ¡°it was still wonderful¡± she says, as another couple of tears roll on her cheeks. ¡°Glad you liked it¡± he says, unable to look at her face directly. ¡°Thanks for keeping your promise to me.¡± ¡°No need¡­ I had fun too.¡± ¡°Good to hear that you had fun on your first time.¡± Bran turns to face her, face now like a tomato, a million words trying to leave his mouth, unable to say none. Celine starts laughing ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t why Lorelei called you a tomato boy!¡± tears keep falling on her face. Bran turns back again, looking around to see how the proceedings are going, unable to face Celine. As he does this, he catches a strange sight: A couple of civilians are reuniting at the drawbridge. Celine finally stops laughing ¡°You were so¡­ earnest.¡± Bran turns to her at the same time she pulls his hand, losing equilibrium for a moment and falling to his knees, meeting Celine¡¯s eyes once more. ¡°When I came here almost a month ago¡± Celine starts saying ¡°I didn¡¯t know what I would do. Fear was with me every step of the way¡± she gives him another kiss ¡°I¡¯m so glad that you stopped by and took the time to guide me into the city, and even got me the job at the Muscle Squid!¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.¡°Celine?¡± Bran says, as many more tears start running of her eyes. Celine takes a deep breath, and with her hands she takes all of the tears off her face ¡°sorry, sorry, I just got a bit¡­ emotional.¡± ¡°No, no need for apologies¡± says Bran ¡°But, what has you like this?¡± he adds, as he puts one of his hands on Celine¡¯s cheeks. She takes his hand with both of hers, and rests on it a bit, closing her eyes ¡°You surely have big hands, even if compared to other hands of other men yours are small.¡± Bran snorts ¡°Sorry for that.¡± Celine giggles ¡°Don¡¯t take me wrong, I just observed them¡± after taking a moment of silence, she opens her eyes again ¡°I guess, it is just that until now, I have only know how bad in an instant can your life go to ruins. I have been carrying that weight inside my heart¡­ for a while now.¡± ¡°Celine¡­¡± Putting one of her fingers on Bran¡¯s lips, she adds ¡°but now, now I know how happiness can enter your life and turn it, in an instant, from said ruins to¡­ well, paradise¡­ or at least, having a little piece of said paradise¡­ that happiness.¡± A smile comes forward on Bran¡¯s face. Another sound comes into Bran¡¯s ears, and he turns around again, only to see a multitude of civilians now on the drawbridge, Beheaders yelling them to go back. As Bran stands up, another pull comes forward that stops him. He turns again to Celine, who¡¯s eyes are again looking to the ground. ¡°Sorry Celine, I need to take care of this before people end injured.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit here, and I go on your place then?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± He says, as Celine pushes Bran to the chair. ¡°You¡¯re tired, you been awake for a while now, let me help you a bit¡± she says, as she raises her face, to reveal a smile and her crystal like eyes. Something is pulled in Bran¡¯s stomach, yet he can¡¯t be sure what is causing this in him ¡°Su-sure.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Celine says, and then, looking Bran at the eyes, she kisses him once more. She murmurs something, but the sound of the multitude drowns her words. ¡°Be right back!¡± says Celine, turning fast and walking away. ¡°Sure¡± says Bran, with a pressure on his chest, as he murmurs to himself ¡°What is happening to her?¡± Bran tumbles, and curls in place. Paying attention to his hands for the first time in the day, he notices them trembling. Taking deep breaths, Bran realizes how his heart is pounding his chest hard. Come on¡­ we haven¡¯t even started, you can¡¯t fall down before and become a burden, not like this, the fight hasn¡¯t even started. As he makes fists of his hands, his legs start to reflect the anxiety flooding his body. Pushing both his hands against his legs, he then raises his sight to the Stardust Forest. The trees of the forest are pretty thick, tall and with abundant leaves, which ends up creating a lot of shadows even in the middle of the day. Anyone who is looking from the outside could say that entering the forest is entering into another, darker world, and even when this isn¡¯t correct, the feeling it gives certainly gives weight to those words. Now, counting with the clouds starting to cover the sky, it almost look pitch black. Is the enemy army already there? Bran couldn¡¯t stop wondering, squinting without realizing, trying to pierce the darkness. They enemy army will appear anytime soon, right? Bran could feel the weight of the enemy army pushing down his back, all the while he breathes pitch darkness. The multitude of civilians, around the sixties in numbers, are getting closer to the drawbridge. The female ashen haired Beheader from before comes running by, and tells Bran ¡°What are you doing?! We need help there! Stand up now!¡± Snapping at these words, Bran incorporates himself and asks ¡°Help? How?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized yet?! There might be fire tamers there! Wake up!¡± she yells. As Bran hears this, his eyes wide open, and turns to see the mob, a couple of Beheaders taking civilians and throwing them to the sides, and Celine, already there, looking back. Realizing she has been seen, she waves back, as rivers of tears comes flowing from her eyes. Suddenly, someone in the mob yells, with the others, including Celine following suit ¡°Glory to Lord Falco, true king of Aeris!¡± What followed, Bran could understand little. A sudden flash of light, a strong wind pushing him many meters away, a sudden burst of sound and heat. With the world in his eyes still shaking, unable to form a thought, he lies against the floor feeling its hardness. How long has he been there? The ashen haired Female Beheader that was with him is by his side, blood coming off her head, bruises all over her body, in a sitting position. Without noticing, he is now being carried away by two Beheaders, one taking him from the shoulders, the other from the legs. He can see Ray on the scene, besides a woman of strange clothing and voluptuous body, who is she? He wonders. At her side, it is William, the head butler of the Aquamarine mansion. ¡°The issue at the mansion must be solved then¡± he murmurs, as he is taken away ¡°good¡­ good¡­¡± he keeps mumbling. The shadows that are carrying him are telling him things, but he can¡¯t make anything out of it. As Bran is carried over the main plaza, he catches a glimpse of the principal street: Many people are getting into position, running up and down, the defenses seem intact ¡°good¡­ good¡­¡± he mumbles. Looking up, he sees the entrance of the city, the drawbridge nowhere to be seen, and burnt marks on the pillars on the side ¡°good¡­¡± he mumbles. To his minds comes a voice ¡°be right back!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ who?¡± he mumbles. Nothing comes to him. ¡°Who?¡± he mumbles again, as a tear rolls from his eyes. Before he is taken into one of the buildings, he catches another glimpse, one that makes him feel cold to the bone: As the clouds cover the city, one last ray of the sun, now at its highest point, comes through, shinning over the entrance of the Stardust forest: People stood there, without moving, people he didn¡¯t recognize, and at the front of this group of people, a banner stands, with a ruby set on fire. 17- To ride a butterfly A little god ray catches her eye. The sound of a river rushes to her ears. The smell of wet rock and dirt reaches her nose. In her mind, everything is blank. Feeling like she is floating on the surface of the lake Butterfly one moment, next moment like she is sinking into its waters. How long has it been since she has felt like this, sleeping like a child without worry, she did not know. Worry? Tomoe searches in her mind, but it comes completely blank. What is there to think about? To worry about? Wouldn¡¯t be better to slip back into the darkness, lulled by song of the flowing river? Water¡­ flowing water¡­ maybe after this nap, I¡¯ll take Amelia and Titania and Bran and Lacus, and the five of us will have a nice evening riding the rivers¡­ yeah, that sounds nice. I hope it doesn¡¯t rain¡­ Tomoe stays in this thought. Rain. Yet the flowing river is everything she can hear. Something is not right. Then, like a thunderbolt, the memories of everything that has just happened these last two days came back to her. Starting to fight the sinking waters of the lake, she struggles to stay on top. Delivering a jolt to her brain is also the fact that her throat feels completely dry, that she is unable to make a sound. Pushing with both her hands, she grabs the shore of the lake, and immediately coughs up water that was still in her lungs. Opening her eyes, she is greeted again by the little god ray, as little and thin as a thread of silk, hitting her in the eye. The girl with the blonde-wavy hair tries to move her body, only to find that it is as if the ground started to embrace her, sinking into its arms. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re awake.¡± Tomoe turns her eyes in the direction that these words came from, only to find a familiar figure covered by a light shadow: Sophia, on her knees, and in front of her, Titania, also on the ground. A rush of emotion raises through Tomoe throat, a tear starts overflowing her left eye, but when she tries to speak a word it only sends her into a coughing fit. ¡°Good to see you too¡± Sophia says, as a smile is drawn on her face. The shadow reveals that she doesn¡¯t have any type of armor on. Tomoe opens her mouth, only to find that incoherent mumbles came out of it. ¡°Don¡¯t force it. Your body is numb now. You were struck by a force that far exceeded your Aura, and faster than your Aura could react. Whatever happened to you up there¡­ I could feel it even way down here.¡± Tomoe¡¯s eyes open wide. Sophia raises a hand ¡°No, you¡¯re not in danger, but take one step at a time. You have a blue Aura, bring out what is left and move little by little.¡± It is true. I need to remember what I have. Tomoe starts taking deep breaths and focusing only on the sound of the river going by. Closing her eyes, she brings her attention to her right hand, to her fingers. Deep breaths, deep breaths, and now, my Aura. Her blue Aura comes out, surrounding her body. She then retracts it, infusing her own body with it. Focus¡­ focus¡­ as she keeps the fingers of her right hand on her mind feels the movements of my body, work with it. The fingers of her right-hand twitch. I see. I¡¯m sunk a bit into the ground, it is making it harder for me to move. Tomoe focuses on her left hand, and soon enough she liberates both. She then takes a couple more deep breaths and starts saying ¡°H-ho-ho¡­¡± Sophia answers with a chuckle ¡°weird time to start laughing, and whoever laughs like that?¡± Tomoe lets a chuckle escape too, and taking another deep breath, she slowly says ¡°how¡­ is¡­ Titania?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ seen better days for sure.¡± Tomoe can hear, although very faintly. ¡°You heard her¡± says Sophia. ¡°Good¡± says Tomoe, followed by a chuckle. Need to be on my feet, right now. She starts moving her entire body, imitating every time she has seen Brutus brace himself against the floor, although she still doesn¡¯t know why he does that and has never bothered to ask. I can feel my entire body now. Stopping moving, she says ¡°One, two¡­ and!¡± as she struggles to escape the ground, in its entirety. She falls back. Again! She once again tries to get up. She fails again. ¡°Good, good, don¡¯t stop now¡± She can hear Sophia say. Again! And finally breaks free from the floor, managing to move to the side and sit. ¡°Well done¡± says Sophia, seeing her and then turning to the spot where she was a moment ago, adding ¡°Woah, look at that space were you butt was! Did it grow again?!¡± Tomoe lets a slight chuckle escape, and then, recovering the serious expression on her face, she asks ¡°how long has it been?¡± ¡°Since I found you? I would wager around an hour.¡± Casting down her eyes, Tomoe says ¡°So long¡± as a chilling feeling runs through her body. ¡°We need to go¡± Titania says. ¡°We? I can barely breathe, and you can barely move. Your Aura is just right now coming back¡± says Sophia. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡± says Titania, as she incorporates herself in position, and sits ¡°we need to ring the disk that the statue is holding at lake Butterfly. Tomoe, do you have the bong?¡± As she searches for it on her attire, Sophia brings the bong out, having had it on her side all along. ¡°Thought it was important, so I took it right away so it wouldn¡¯t be taken away by the river.¡± Titania sighs, and says ¡°Thanks, it would have been a problem for everyone if we lost it.¡± ¡°Can you move Titania?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°I can, but I can¡¯t ride the river down to lake Butterfly. I have barely enough to make a bubble around me, it is going to be impossible for me right now to actually move the waters, the consumption of Aura is just too high.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need to carry you then¡± says Tomoe. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°That will not be a problem for you, our best river rider¡± Titania says with a smirk on her face. ¡°You girls will have to go ahead¡± says Sophia. ¡°Not enough Aura?¡± says Titania. ¡°Can barely breath. I had enough to forcefully engage your Aura Titania, so you would recover it faster and heal, but I¡¯ll take a long while before actually being able to move again¡± as she says this, she puts herself against the wall, facing both girls, revealing her stomach, were a lot of dried blood can be seen, and the traces of a savage injury. Titania and Tomoe¡¯s eyes open wide, and Tomoe says ¡°Are you holding well? This injury¡­ was it a magic beast?¡± ¡°No, no. We were¡­¡± says Sophia, as she takes a moment to stop, take a deep breath, and continues ¡°we were ambushed by the enemy inside the temple. They swapped in an instant and got the drop on us.¡± ¡°Is your life still in danger?¡± says Tomoe. ¡°I¡¯m finally out of danger girl, but the state is delicate, I¡¯m recovering Aura at a slower pace thanks to this, and getting the entirety of what I recover focused into healing. I¡¯ll be fine, but I can¡¯t move from here.¡± Tomoe stands and stretches her right arm towards Sophia. At that moment, Titania also manages to stand, stumbling a bit and reaches Tomoe¡¯s hand first. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What?, but-¡± Starts saying Tomoe. ¡°She¡¯s right Tomoe¡± Sophia says, interrupting her ¡°my life isn¡¯t on danger, not anymore.¡± ¡°We need every ounce of your Aura in order to get back¡± says Titania ¡°I can fight, but I can¡¯t ride the river towards the lake. Think of the big picture here Tomoe¡± she adds while breathing heavily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. You have the bong, you need to sound the disk, that is your mission, the best for all of us¡­ I may find Lady Aquamarine to be a strange woman, but at least she is one on which I can put my faith on. If she says to sound the disk, go and do exactly that.¡± Tomoe¡¯s hand flinches, then stops. Sophia handles the bong to her, and says ¡°though, if we get technical, I have the bong.¡± Tomoe gives a wry smile and takes it, saying ¡°Take good care of yourself, master.¡± ¡°I will. Now, go¡± Sophia says. Turning to Titania, she sees her holding her hand forward, and Titania says ¡°Come on, I need your help here.¡± Taking her hand, Titania says ¡°Thanks¡± as both come closer to the river. Both engaging their Auras, Titania infuses the water of the river, forming a stationary water bubble around her. Tomoe infuses the water too and tames the water of the river into giving her space to enter without the risk of being taken away by it. Titania enters too in this dried space, still holding Tomoe¡¯s hand. ¡°Good luck girls!¡± Sophia says, waving at both of them. ¡°Good luck to you too¡± says Tomoe, as Titania embraces her by the waist and both enter into the underground river. Shadows cover her eyes. The lake isn¡¯t far, but my head isn''t still working well... better to take it slow and sure. Using her own Aura and Water Taming, she rides the underground river slowly, letting the light of her Aura uncover her way. The rush of water pushes her, and with Water Taming, she lets the excess go by, around the bubble that Titania is holding up. Moss covers the walls of the underground river. No fish on sight. "Need to avoid those¡± She whispers, as she sees the edged edges of the walls. Sooner than she expected, a rush suddenly pushes them both forward. This is it, the final stretch, the end of this river! The bubble is getting smaller and smaller. Tomoe notices that she is breathing heavily, and Titania¡¯s embrace is getting lose. She holds both of her arms tightly. ¡°Need to get soon out of here¡± she murmurs, as sweat comes falling from her forehead, while she keeps navigating the intricate cave the river runs through, going faster before they both end up without air. She makes another turn and sees what she wanted to see, a sight that she has seen many times before: Light, at the end of the tunnel. Taking speed, she jumps right at it, finally getting to lake Butterfly. As Tomoe swims at the bottom of the lake, the light comes through from the surface. She can see that the clouds from before have already covered the entire place, coming to the conclusion that they should be also covering the city below. Seeing how the bubble is getting smaller, reaching their bodies, and Titania keeps loosing strength, Tomoe water tames a hole from the surface all the way to their position, letting air get through. ¡°Aaaah, sweet, sweet air¡± Titania says, as she takes a couple of deep breaths, and strength comes back to her arms. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± ¡°For a moment I thought I was a goner. Thanks for holding me back there¡± Titania says, as she rests her head in Tomoe¡¯s stomach for a moment, adding ¡°What the, how did you get these abs?!¡± Tomoe chuckles, replying ¡°I awakened my Aura late in my teens, guess that had to do with me having more muscle than the average.¡± Titania snickers. She looks up, and suddenly she puts a hand on Tomoe¡¯s shoulder, whispering ¡°Close the hole, fast!¡± Tomoe does so, and after that, Titania points towards the surface. Looking in that direction, Tomoe sees the shore of the lake, and a couple of figures shadowed by the light coming in. ¡°As expected¡± says Titania. ¡°The army we saw from the belfry.¡± Titania, looking to the sides, then points to another direction, and says ¡°We need to still ring that disk, so we better stay around instead of taking the river back to the city.¡± Tomoe turns, seeing the space from was the second river goes off into the forest. ¡°Let''s go¡± she says, pointing towards it. ¡°Keep it to the ground, the closer we are to the shadows of the deep, the better¡± Titania says as she nods and both move into a better position. 18- Soundwave Kneeling behind trees and some bushes, Tomoe and Titania watch over lake Butterfly and how the invading army has occupied it. Men and women, from all races, form their ranks, wearing leather to metal armor, making rounds along the shore of the lake, while the others are resting, some inside their tents, some outside of them, waiting for them to be called to the battlefield that is further bellow. Further bellow, multiple pillars of smoke rose over the horizon. ¡°That¡¯s gotta be the city¡± says Titania. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Well, seeing how they are stationed here, I would wage that the battle is going on right now.¡± Tomoe bites her lower lip ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Titania says, as she points in the direction of the river that supplies the city with its water channels ¡°look.¡± Tomoe looks in that direction, only to discover two banners, each at one side of the road, with people that are wearing more distinct armor are beside them. A banner has a Ruby on fire, and the other has a bluish rock, enveloped in white angular arcs. ¡°I¡¯m sure they are watching over the attack.¡± ¡°I see. We were and are still on time then.¡± ¡°Fortunately. I would wage that if¡­ if the fight would have been over by now, those soldiers wouldn¡¯t be stationed there.¡± Out of the blue, Tomoe takes Titania by the shoulders and pulls her down. Titania¡¯s face almost meets the ground. Looking at Tomoe, she is about to say something, when Tomoe puts a finger to her mouth, indicating to keep silence. Footsteps can be heard from the other side of the bushes. Two men of the invading army pass through, yawning. ¡°So tired¡± says one of the men. ¡°A rush towards the city. Full speed non-stop. Can¡¯t understand why Lord Falco is so apprehensive about this.¡± ¡°Is the last state standing¡± answers back the man ¡°once this state falls, he will have unified the entire country once again.¡± ¡°So, it is about the glory? Like they say I guess, the fruit never falls far from the tree.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a poet¡± Titania and Tomoe can hear, as the two men leave the area. ¡°So, how are we going to ring that disk?¡± wonders Titania, as she incorporates herself, pushing Tomoe away, into a crouching position. Standing enough to see over the bush, Tomoe gives the lake another look ¡°I think I can be fast enough for that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous¡± says Titania ¡°No matter how fast we are in the water, they are camping right in front of the statue. Once you¡¯re on the ground, you will get found.¡± ¡°What do you suggest then?¡± ¡°A distraction.¡± ¡°A distraction? A distraction with what? I can make it Titania.¡± ¡°Stop thinking of acting alone!¡± Titania lashes to Tomoe ¡°Don¡¯t you see? This isn¡¯t anymore the life in the city as we used to know it, where you could go everywhere and kinda handle everything on your own. This far surpasses our own experience¡­¡± Titania makes a stop, takes a deep breath, and adds ¡°You could make it, yeah, I agree, but there are too many eyes and is in the day, and you would have to carry the bong with you, so if you get caught we would lose it. We can¡¯t have that, we can¡¯t lose any more time too¡­¡± clenching her fist against her chest, she adds ¡°Please Tomoe, it is not only about you anymore. I want to give everyone back at the city a chance, I want to give my family a chance so I can see them again¡­ please, let¡¯s work together.¡± ¡°Titania¡­¡± A sudden gust runs through the forest, the trees dance at its invitations, while the bushes shake in fear. A fruit falls from a tree beside them, all the way into a bush. They can hear how this fruit hits something hard, and the sound that comes afterward. ¡°What in the actual styx!¡± the voice claims, making its best to whisper instead of yelling. Titania, still ducking, moves to the bush, and calls him ¡°Lacus? Is that you?¡± ¡°Titania?¡± the voice can be heard, replying. From inside the bush, the head of Lacus pops up, looking first at Titania, then at Tomoe ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± Lacus says while chuckling at the prospect. ¡°You managed to escape¡± Tomoe says while smiling back at him. ¡°Barely though. One moment the bell started ringing, and the next, this swarm of people came and occupied the lake.¡± ¡°It¡­ it is good to see you¡± Says Titania as she gives Lacus a hug. Then, she asks ¡°What about Aversa and her husband?¡± Lacus¡¯ stops. Looking down and to the side, he says ¡°They¡­ both are gone.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Tomoe says, raising her voice. Grabbing Lacus by the collar, she says ¡°Why!? Isn¡¯t your job to protect innocent lives!?¡± ¡°Tomoe, lower your voice!¡± whispers Titania, as she grabs Tomoe¡¯s right arm ¡°let him go too!¡± she adds. Tomoe releases Lacus, and he falls into the ground. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a red Aura, Tomoe¡± Lacus says, coughing ¡°I¡¯m not as strong as you are. I couldn¡¯t carry both Aversa and her husband with me and enter the lake fast enough to guarantee them not seeing us! The expenditure would have been too much!¡­ I couldn¡¯t risk it¡­¡± ¡°Say it like it is! In the face of danger, you just ducked your tail between your legs and ran away!... You coward...¡± Lacus downcasts his eyes to the ground. He doesn¡¯t answer back. ¡°Tomoe, come on¡± Titania interrupts ¡°focus with me. Focus on what we can do and change right now, and we need all the help we can get.¡± Tomoe takes a couple of deep breaths to try and calm the fury that is shaking her entire body, then says ¡°Ok¡± As she drops her shoulders and walks back into seeing over the lake. ¡°So, what are we going to do now?¡± ¡°Lacus¡± starts saying Titania, putting a hand to his shoulder ¡°we are now planning how to sound the disk at the statue.¡± ¡°Oh right, you have the bong¡­ but how in styx you¡¯re planning to do that? You know that the statue is surrounded by tents and soldiers right?¡± ¡°I was thinking of a distraction.¡± ¡°Distraction¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But¡­ you have any ideas on what could work?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lacus lets escape, as he rubs his chin with his hand ¡°Why don¡¯t we use the magic beasts?¡± ¡°Use them?¡± says Titania, as her eyes wide open ¡°but how? Doubt I can go to any of them and ask for support.¡± ¡°Here nearby we have a bunch of bolgasts. I¡­ saw them when taking this river all the way into the forest. There is a bunch of them.¡± Tomoe says, still with an aggressive tone in her voice ¡°How so? They usually are found in rocky environments, always by the mountains at both sides that form the forest corridor.¡± ¡°Surely they were displaced by this army, trying to secure a safe path into our city. It is like you say, the forest provides little food for them.¡± ¡°Well, it sounds more like an opportunity to me! We could make use of them, and raise a ruckus. But how? We can end as skeletons in an instant if we aren¡¯t careful.¡± Says Titania. ¡°Why not make them run here to the lake?¡± Proposes Lacus. ¡°Why don¡¯t I go to a grim wolf instead and try to pet him?¡± Replies Titania. ¡°Ehmm¡­¡± Tomoe interrupts the exchange, adding ¡°actually, if it is about bolgasts, if you flash light at them, they get scared and try to get away.¡± Titania looks at her, snickers, and says ¡°the bolgasts, being so big, get scared with¡­ just some light?¡± ¡°They run and hide all the time when a day with this weather comes by, once the thunders start coming down, even if the flash is from far away.¡± ¡°That¡­ I like the idea¡± says Lacus ¡°but how are we going to make this flash for light? I guess we can¡¯t wait for this weather to give us one or two thunders to work with.¡± ¡°A torch works just fine¡± says Tomoe, as she crouches completely to the ground ¡°just lit it with your Aura and Cinnamon, and move it fast from one side to the other, really close to them. That ought to do the trick.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Silence comes by, as another gust shakes again the bushes and makes many trees dance. Titania, standing up, then says ¡°Come with me Lacus. They are really dangerous¡­ I don¡¯t want to scare them alone.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± asks Tomoe, standing up too. ¡°Well, what you said before is true actually, you¡¯re the fastest under the water¡± says Titania, with a smile on her face ¡°Besides, you¡¯re the one in the best conditions right now. Go underwater and wait for the distraction.¡± Titania and Lacus disappear into the forest, as Tomoe comes closer to the river, and dives upward back into the bedside of the lake. Hugging the floor, Tomoe swims between algae and rocks. The lake is surprisingly deep, yet it doesn¡¯t have any fish for some unknown reason. She comes closer to the statue. From the bottom of the lake, she can observe the shore. Light comes through the surface, and the shadows of people can be seen, coming in and out of the lake. Some are even taking a dip into the lake on the other side. Tomoe stands on the bottom of the lake, within a bubble made by water taming. The bubble is perfectly still and only reduces in size as Tomoe breathes the air contained. Nothing can be heard. From where she is at the bottom of the lake, she can see the place from where one of the underground rivers ends feeding the lake. The people in the surface continue moving, in and out of her sight. She can hear the muffled sounds of the people speaking closer to the side of the shore she is in, but she can¡¯t make what they are saying. The underwater zone is mostly serene, with the light that continues to grace the surface and the wind that rises some waves. This feeling of silence. She closes her eyes and felt her gut kicking in. She knows this feeling, but she can¡¯t pinpoint were has she felt this before. Nothing comes up in her memory, only pure, pure darkness. How much time has gone by? Tomoe opens her eyes back. The shores look the same, the shadows coming in and out. A different shadow comes forward to the shore, wearing some type of regal clothing, and stretches his arms towards Tomoe. Being taken by surprise, she rubs her eyes, only to find that the shadow is gone. TK Should I go? I¡¯m sure I can make it. But still, Titania isn¡¯t wrong. If I¡¯m caught, it will take far longer to sound the disk that if we go her way. She looks to her bubble, the space turning so small that she has problems to freely move her arms. Opening a hole like before to the surface, smaller this time, she lets air come through. As the air comes through, the voices of the soldiers of the invading army can be heard more clearly, as well as the wind, that is getting more and more serious. Some laughs can be heard. Those bastards, don¡¯t they know what they are doing? I may lose everything, and you still laugh¡­ May Cinders eat your Soul. Tomoe bites her lower lip, bringing her hands to her face. Calm down girl... calm down... She raises her eyes, still nothing, nothing has changed. Maybe I should give it a go? If I succeed, It would be faster than with Titania¡¯s method¡­ Titania¡¯s face comes to her mind. That smile, those eyes, that petition. Tomoe would be betraying her trust if she goes like that. But will she be able to lure the bolgasts here? she could push herself with a long jump using the water pressure, maybe covering half of the way¡­ She takes a couple of steps back, keeping the hole open, making it now a diagonal path connecting the hole in the surface and her in the bottom. As she kneels, water starts entering the bubble. Tomoe casts her eyes to the ground, her heart pounding, the words of Titania rumbling on her mind. She clutches her fists¡­ A scream tears the quietness of the camp, making Tomoe lose balance for some moments. Rising her eyes, she manages to catch many shadows pointing towards on direction, getting up, and running towards it. She turns, trying to distinguish what is happening in that direction, but the light makes it so hard to distinguish the shadows of the people and the ones from the forest. Suddenly, an arm reaches her, getting her startled and letting a little scream escape. Entering her bubble, Lacus and Titania appear. ¡°I¡¯ll never understand how you can tame water this way¡± says Titania, then, looking at Tomoe¡¯s face, she adds ¡°Uh? What¡¯s with you?¡­ oooh, bet you were about to jump alone right?¡± With her heart still pounding fast, Tomoe asks ¡°How it went?¡± A smug is drawn on Lacus¡¯ and Titania¡¯s faces, as she points towards the forest, seeing now how from the shadows of the trees, bright green liquid is shot with enough pressure to reach ten meters away, followed by a couple of big shadows, noticeable enough to even identify them from their point of view. ¡°They are now distracted, go!¡± says Titania. ¡°Right!¡± says Tomoe, as Titania and Lacus step out of the bubble. Making the hole just large enough for her to pass, Tomoe fills the bubble in an instant with water, combining the natural pressure with the pressure she can inflict with her water taming skills, and pushing through. Coming bursting out of the lake, she flies well above the tents, covering about half the space. Before falling to the ground, she engages her Aura, and envelops herself in it, shielding herself from the damage taken from the fall. Standing up again, she now enhances her body and runs towards the statue. Getting to it, she takes the bong, and seeing how no soldier has realized that she is there, and the bolgasts, large beasts that are a lot like Elephants but with many more protrusions coming off their heads and sides, are causing the ruckus, now controlling one side of the shore, With all of her might, she swings the bong, hitting the disk with all of her strength. The vibrations that come off are strong, enough to make Tomoe lose equilibrium and fall from the statue. Part of the soldiers manages to realize that the disk has been pounded, but are still too focused on fighting the wild bolgasts. The lake starts vibrating too and starts to fill with light. The surface starts going wild, creating multiple upward spikes, as if the water were boiling. Suddenly, the lake lights completely. The water rises about twenty meters into the air and stays like that. A wall of water and light. Running back to the lake, stumbling a bit along the way, Tomoe sees Lacus and Titania from inside, reaching her out. Taking their hand, she enters into this wall. ¡°When your mother gave us the mission to ring the disk that the ugly statue was holding at lake Butterfly, I didn¡¯t guess that something like this is what would happen¡± says Lacus. ¡°What the¡­ aren¡¯t we under the water? I can clearly hear you speak!¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised for that too!¡± joins Titania. She points towards the direction of the soldiers fighting the bolgasts and adds ¡°look, it seems that they can¡¯t enter now into the water¡± as the foreign soldiers try to run to the water, a futile attempt, and then they are turned into skeletons by the bright green liquid the bolgasts spew. ¡°And look at that too!¡± says Lacus, as he points toward the river that goes and feeds the water channels of the city: The water wall, rose up by the disk, keeps going downward, in direction to the city. A sensation of calmness ran through Tomoe¡¯s body ¡°I hope that this brings enough help.¡± ¡°We can bring down our sorry asses too, you know¡± says Titania. ¡°Let''s go¡± says Lacus. ¡°Yes¡± Tomoe says, as the three of them get at the level of the river, moving in the direction towards the city. 19- Silverback At the entrance of the Stardust forest, Alexander stood, musing about how the invasion was going, no armor neither shirt on, only boots, belts and leather pants. A hand to his chin, chest push out, he has been seeing the push that the large army has managed to accomplish. The stern expression on his face betrayed his thoughts. The attack is going smoothly. Even so, never thought that they would be so prepared against an invasion like this one¡­ This is odd. We are pushing in, but it is going a bit too slow for my liking. Seeing over the city, the push through the main street was going well until a building fell over the leading soldiers in the attack, blocking the access in the process. It took some time, but they had already found another route, while there¡¯s a team working on breaking through the fallen building to restore the most direct access to the main plaza of the city. ¡°Lord Alexander, Sir!¡± on soldier clad in steel armor comes closer. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord. We managed to find other access points through which we could squeeze some extra soldiers, and proceeded to do so.¡± ¡°Good. Flood every street with them, focusing on a perimeter around their command camp. A pincer attack should do it.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord¡± the soldier says, as he goes back down the farmlands. Still¡­ They are really well prepared. Can we, at this point, be able to stop them before the hole themselves in the citadel?, that would make the conquer of the Aquamarine state way harder than it should be¡­ maybe we should use more bombs to push them back. As Alexander is thinking this, from the river to his left that comes down to the city bordering the farmlands, light comes out, followed by the water rising about thirty meters up in the air. Alexander¡¯s arms fall to his sides, surprise being drawn on his face. A particular sensation he knows too well ran through his body. Old magic?... How? You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.He gives the city another look, only to see how, in the city itself, multiple water walls rise from the many water channels the city has, creating multiple barriers all over the place, stopping the forward momentum the invasion had into a halt. Who¡­ who could have known about Old magic at this age? No one alive should know how to use the old broken magic system¡­ but, what about¡­ Alexander takes another hand to his chin, thinking more deeply. Yes, it would be possible if we assume that the woman has the blessings of Lionheart. That would make sense of this land full of life. Living three hundred years is also possible¡­ Have I met her before? Coming from his back, Alexander hears someone running, full speed ahead. ¡°Lord Alexander, sir!¡± Turning to the soldiers, he says ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord. We have a problem back at the camp beside the lake. Some magic beasts have come out of the forest and started attacking the soldiers. There are too many magic beasts and we don¡¯t have enough strength to face them. Please, My Lord, assist us.¡± Taking a moment to think, seeing how suddenly things have turned, feeling anxious, he closes his eyes. Now that this water wall is here, the attack is going to be delayed by a lot, enough that the Aquamarines can have enough time to reach the citadel and hole themselves up there. If this is so¡­ I know exactly what to do. Opening his eyes, he directs ¡°Let us go back. We can¡¯t have any more deaths on us right now, we might need them later on.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± As Alexander starts to go back, he gives the city another look. Somewhere in there, Falco is fighting, trying to push further down the line. Don¡¯t worry Falco, even if you happen to fall, your dream of a united Aeris will come true¡­ everything will be as it should have been three hundred years ago. With these thoughts, Alexander enters back into the forest, his back towering over the city, foes and allies alike. 20- At the top, at the bottom The three-person team: Tomoe, Titania and Lacus, come down the river that feeds Aquamarine Port City. Passing under the drawbridge, they enter through one of the many channels that the water enters through to the city, feeding its water channels. Being now in the outer ring of the city, Tomoe turns back and points upward to Lacus and Titania. Lacus, who is towing Titania holding her arms as she has wrapped around him, turns to her and Titania nods back. The three of them swim upward the water wall, all the way to the top, to determine the state of the city. Pillars of smoke rise towards the sky. Buildings are burning. The streets are almost empty, besides the bodies of enemies and allies alike. Blood runs through the floor, forming puddles along the way, with flies starting to get to them and some beasts from the Stardust forest managing to get into the city, normal and magical alike. The conflict is in a stalemate at the moment. No sound of clashing of any kind can be heard. From where they are, they can see from time to time, soldiers of the invading army being sent flying along the water walls, many more meters into the air before the landing finish their lives. Only one or two can be seen using their flames in a way that slows down their fall, not before running out of Aura and fall to their knees, unable to move and completely out of combat. Coming out of the water wall to the roof of the building beside them, Tomoe says ¡°I¡¯m glad we managed to sound the disk back there.¡± ¡°Yeah. The city doesn¡¯t look good, doubt we could¡¯ve won if we didn¡¯t sound the disk back there.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the next move?¡± ¡°That would be¡± Lacus replies ¡°to get to command camp.¡± Entering the water wall again, Tomoe goes to the top of it. Having been there for a moment, she then comes back down, getting out of the water wall. ¡°Tried to see, but it seems the command camp isn¡¯t set on the main plaza.¡± ¡°Then¡± Lacus answers ¡°the next place should be the bay plaza.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°That is just the standard procedure. Come on, we learn about it back in the Beheaders induction.¡± Sinking her head between her shoulders, Titania says ¡°Oh, I remember that day very well¡­ By very personal reasons I was unable to move from my bed, couldn¡¯t attend.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I think I remember learning about it at some point¡± says Tomoe. Lacus snorts as his palm meets his face. ¡°Any idea on how to get to the bay plaza?¡± asks Tomoe. ¡°Follow me, I know the water channels pretty well. I will guide us all the way there¡± Lacus answers. ¡°Since when did you turn out the reliable one?¡± Titania asks. Tomoe snorts, as they enter back into the water wall. Getting back into the water channel, Lacus takes Titania in order to keep towing her. Once she is secure, Lacus gives a nod to Tomoe, and goes forward, with Tomoe following back. The clouds cover the entire city, and as they get darker and darker, the visibility gets lesser and lesser. Following Lacus, Tomoe catches sight of many things: Many bodies, now in the water channels. Blood, darkening the little visibility they had. Many rocks and debris. Looking up, the little light that manages to get through turns everything almost into a shadow, even when she is really close to them. Buildings, animals, more pillars of smoke. Lacus turns left, then right, then right again. Then passes through many turns going instead straight. Turns left, but the road is blocked, the debris of a fallen building blocks the water channel. Lacus makes a sign with his hand, to turn around a seek another route. He turns back and takes the next right. Three more times they find water channels being completely blocked, and three more times Lacus finds another route, after all, in these blocked channels the Water Wall doesn¡¯t go across. Gotta give it to him, he seems to really know the water channels of the city. As they keep going, the shadowy silhouettes of people catch Tomoe¡¯s eyes. Swimming the water channels is really complicated by itself, and they end passing through pockets of the invading army soldiers trapped between the intersections were a couple of water channels meet, and besides some larger ones too. While they keep going, Lacus turns and signs Tomoe to get closer. As she does this, Lacus creates a hole to the surface, in order to create a bubble where they can speak. ¡°We kinda have a problem.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°Well, it is easy to explain: The most direct routes towards the bay plaza have been blocked, followed by the next ones. We could take the longer routes, but don¡¯t know how long it will take us to get to the bay plaza.¡± ¡°So? What is the problem with the longer route? Let''s take it and be safe¡± Titania says. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know the state of the longer route, and we might not have a clear idea right now because of the clouds, but I believe the sun has started to go down from its highest point.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m failing to see why it is a problem. The styx sea comes again today, yes, but we can handle some¡­ oh¡± says Titania, putting her right hand to her mouth. ¡°Polsen¡± Tomoe completes for her. ¡°That is the problem indeed. We need to make haste.¡± ¡°How could I forget about Polsen¡± Titania says ¡°the bastard is tougher than fifty beheaders together.¡± ¡°And we don¡¯t want to get late to the bay plaza. They may need our help to face it¡­ or we might be left behind, only to find we are alone against him.¡± ¡°What do you mean with being left behind?¡± asks Tomoe, as her head sinks a little bit between her shoulders. ¡°Just a hunch this time, but I believe it is better if we get to the bay plaza quickly.¡± ¡°Let''s take the risk¡± says Titania. ¡°Very well, guide on¡± answers Tomoe. As she says this, Lacus nods and takes the lead, this time going back in the previous channel. Tomoe followed him, as he takes a left turn, a right one, a left one again. The shadowy silhouette of the soldiers invading the city can be seen, as Tomoe passes through besides them. Getting to a corner, Lacus stop, turns to Tomoe, signs her with both of his hands, to swim hugging the floor. Tomoe nods, at which Lacus turns, and takes the channel on his left. Following suit, Tomoe sees that the channel is almost a straight line to the bay plaza. Blood and debris are on the way, but they can swim through. As they swim with precaution, suddenly, Tomoe realizes something: Something isn¡¯t quite right. Hugging the floor more closely, she starts seeing to her sides, to the front, top, front again, to each of her sides. I¡­ I don¡¯t like this. What is¡­ As they get half of the way, another intersection comes up, and suddenly, it hit her like a thunder: Looking up, there were no shadowy silhouettes on top of the channel. The channel borders are clear of enemy soldiers. Why? She slows down, seeing how Lacus starts to leave her behind. Titania looks at her, being worried at Tomoe¡¯s expression. Before they get to the intersection, Tomoe¡¯s suspicions prove true: Multiple shadowy silhouettes appear at once, besides both sides of the channel, in a coordinated fashion, and with fire taming, they attack directly the water channel. Seeing Tomoe that Lacus hasn¡¯t realized what is happening, she water tames to give Lacus a boost forward, in order to let him escape the attack. A building from one of the sides fall down into the channel, telling Tomoe clearly that everything was an ambush, but the speed Lacus gained led him out swim the falling building with Titania, both safely. Seeing her way cut out, and with the fire tamers already throwing their second attack in her direction, she swims and takes the channel towards the left, full speed ahead, leaving the ambush behind. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.Taking herself some turns, she then realizes she doesn¡¯t know exactly where she is. Grabbing herself to a border, she climbs slowly out of the water channel, paying attention in all directions¡­ But nothing. The area seems to be clear, without any kinds of enemies at sight. Laying her forehead on the border, many thoughts started to rush in her mind. She was separated from everyone. She is alone. For the bare grasp they managed to get a bit before, it seems that thanks to the water walls, the battle has successfully being brought into a stall, but just like went through moments before, that doesn¡¯t mean danger is completely out of the question. What could she do then? If every channel surrounding the bay plaza guarded just like this one, crossing alone could spell her end. Can she risk it? Raising her eyes, she looks at the street in front of her again. Then, a sudden realization crossed her mind. This street, she has been here many times before. Lately, she had stopped passing through here because of a change of her patrol duties as a Beheader, but if memory served her, further down this street there should be the Red District. The District of the night, its street is long enough to connect with the lower plains. Raising her eyes to the sky, images of everyone she knows go through her mind. Her mother, Amelia, Bran, Titania, Oscar, William, Lorelei, everyone¡­ even Lacus. Tomoe snorted at this, but she understood why almost immediately. Then, another idea shakes her. What if, because she wasn¡¯t there with the rest, one of these people she cares so much for dies? She puts her forehead again against the border. Biting the nail of her right thumb, she takes a couple of deep breaths. I can¡¯t dawdle anymore. I have to go back. With the sound of the drizzle being made by the water walls on her ears, Tomoe gets herself on the ground, taming all the water out that is still on her clothes, she starts walking down the street, taking cover with everything that can be used as a cover that is left on said street. The burnt marks, the local multiple fires there and there tells Tomoe that while the area is clear, the invading soldiers already went down this street. It is not safe. As she keeps going down the street, a sound reaches her ears. A groaning, heavy breathing. Following it, she enters into one home, slowly. Walking in, the sounds turn louder and louder, especially when being near the kitchen. Entering it, she sees multiple bodies in there, wearing foreign soldier armor, and a couple of beheaders, all in a pool of blood. Of the pile of bodies present, one of it, a Beheader, still breathes. ¡°What happened here?¡± asks Tomoe, as she comes closer to the beheader male on top of the pile of bodies, as cascades of blood continue to feed the lake below. The man, turning, starts talking, being interrupted by constants heavy breathing ¡°Ah, good to see a friend alive¡­ in the middle of the bloody battle¡± he takes another breath ¡°What happened? Sure you can piece together that girl.¡± ¡°I can, but only you would know the truth, why are you here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hard-headed one eh? Don¡¯t worry, I-¡± He takes another breath ¡°Well, I was about to tell you anyway, since I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m coming out of this one alive¡± another breath, this time a deep one ¡°Hear me girl: We have, under direct orders of Lady Aquamarine, sent as strike teams all over the city, in order to rescue the most Aquamarines possible and bring them back to the bay plaza¡±. As the man takes another deep breath, Tomoe asks ¡°What about Polsen?¡± ¡°Polsen? We have little time for Polsen today girl. See, Lady Aquamarine already confided that once the time comes, we will fall back to the citadel, and let our unwanted guests deal with Polsen themselves.¡± Tomoe falls into silence, eyes wide open, and whispers ¡°that is actually a great idea.¡± Another deep breath and the man continues ¡°It is, it is! Sadly, I don¡¯t think I will be able to see the face of the bastards when they meet Polsen face to face¡± says the man, while giggling with anticipation, a giggle that soon turned into a cough. ¡°Keep it together!¡± murmurs Tomoe, as her hands reach for the man¡¯s chest. The man catches her hands, stopping her, and adds ¡°Don¡¯t bother girl. I¡¯m already gone. Save your Aura, you will need it for what I¡¯m about to ask from you.¡± ¡°Ask from me?¡± wonders Tomoe, as her lips curves with sadness. ¡°Yes. You see¡­¡± another deep breath, followed by a series of coughs ¡°we, we, my mates and I, managed to find three Aquamarines. They are on the second floor, hiding. Please, girl, take them to safety.¡± A heavyweight fell under Tomoe¡¯s stomach, while her thoughts started to race, clouding her mind. The image of everyone on her side, waiting for her return and fighting for their lives appeared once again. Now, she would need to escort three more civilians with her too, all the way back. Her breathing is suddenly cut short, as she lingers in that thought for a moment. With a slight curl at the end of her lips, now there, now gone, and taking a deep breath herself, she puts a hand on the man¡¯s chest and says ¡°May Lord Hazuki guide you to the next life. May you leave without regrets, having burnt your life in its entirety, leaving nothing behind, not even Cinders.¡± A smile is drawn on the man¡¯s face, and a tear drops from his eyes, running upward through his hair all the way to the floor ¡°Funny. I¡¯ve never ever been the religious one. Can ask anyone here and you would know, but¡± he continues as he snorts, and another tear falls through his hair ¡°forget about it¡­ just¡­ what was it? Oh yeah, ¡®Let it be that way, let it be that way. Until the end¡¯. Now, go.¡± Nodding, Tomoe gets up, exits the kitchen, and climbs up the stairs. Standing at the top of it, she exclaims ¡°I¡¯m a beheader, my name is Tomoe. My colleague back down in the kitchen sent me here for you to guide you all the way back to the bay plaza, where Lady Aquamarine had ordered everyone to gather.¡± Some sounds can be heard. From one of the three doors that are on the second floor, sounds of people speaking can be heard, although Tomoe can¡¯t make what they are saying. Opening the left-most door, a man comes out, followed by a woman and a young child. ¡°She¡¯s a beheader alright¡± says the man, looking Tomoe¡¯s beheader gear. ¡°Is it only you?¡± the woman asks. ¡°It is. Can¡¯t say that we will have back up.¡± ¡°She will have to suffice¡± says the man. ¡°I agree¡± Tomoe says ¡°now, let''s get moving, we can¡¯t be sure for how long this area will remain empty. Follow me.¡± ¡°Yes¡± replies the man. 21- At the edge At the bay plaza, many Aquamarines are waiting. In one of the buildings right before the plaza, Beheaders come in and out. The way towards the plaza has four water walls across it, this being the shortest number of water walls to get to the bay plaza, with access from the sides having from six to seven water walls. The building itself has a couple of floors. In the highest floor, the fourth one, Lady Aquamarine is overseeing over the battlefield. She sees the invading army, only four water walls away. Beheaders and Aquamarines crossing the water walls like they were nothing, while the same walls reject everyone else. She sees the way that connects to the bay plaza, full of Beheaders, in position, swords out, shields up, Auras engaged, in a colorful mismatch of yellow and red. Ray and Daisy enter the fourth floor, filled not only with Lady Aquamarine, but the highest figures of authority of the Beheader Corps, directing and controlling the battlefield. ¡°Did you called for us, My Lady?¡± ¡°I indeed did Ray¡± answers Lady Aquamarine. Turning to him, she asks ¡°any new reports of the strike teams?¡± ¡°Out of the thirty teams we sent, eighteen already have come back, with more than one hundred Aquamarines with them. They said have slain pockets of enemies that ended isolated thanks to the water walls too, apparently, they found many cases were this had happened.¡± ¡°Estimation?¡± ¡°Around three hundred, apparently. It seems they took advantage of the water wall itself, pushing them against them and letting the wall and gravity do the rest.¡± ¡°Good¡± says Lady Aquamarine. Turning to Daisy that is sitting by a table, she asks ¡°Are all the members of the old Cathedral here?¡± ¡°They indeed are, My Lady¡± says Daisy with a playful tone as she stands up ¡°We have some injuries between them, but sweet Lorelei¡¯s strike team managed to get us all here safely.¡± Turning back towards the battlefield, Lady Aquamarine overlooks the Beheaders present on the bay plaza all the way to the surrounding area ¡°Can¡¯t see her around. Did she went out again?¡± she asks, as she turns to the lower plains ¡°Time is running out.¡± ¡°Did you wanted to ask something of her, My Lady?¡±, says Daisy, as she walks to Lady Aquamarine¡¯s side. ¡°Yes. Not so long ago¡­ part of the team we sent at the outlook came back.¡± ¡°That should be great news, why aren¡¯t you so happy about it?¡± Casting her eyes downward, she says ¡°My daughter wasn¡¯t with them. It seems she is in the city now, but she was separated after escaping an ambush.¡± Putting a hand to Lady Aquamarine¡¯s shoulder, Daisy says ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Tomoe is a tough cookie. She got that from you.¡± Raising an eyebrow, Lady Aquamarine looks at Daisy, and answers ¡°A cookie would crumble in the water channels.¡± Daisy snorts ¡°I would tell you to stop being a worrywart¡­ but you are her mother, after all.¡± Lady Aquamarine answers with a wry smile. Sweety¡­ hurry up. Stop making your mother die of worry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, My Lady. I already told Lorelei about it¡± can be heard from behind. Turning, they see Amelia standing on the stairs. As she enters the floor, all of the authority figures turn to her, sharing a sign of respect, then turning back to what they were doing. ¡°Amelia¡­¡± ¡°You called for me, My Lady. I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I can see that. Welcome¡± says Lady Aquamarine, as a warm smile is drawn on her face ¡°But how Lorelei would know where to look?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, My Lady. Titania and Lacus told her about the ambush, and based on that information she said Tomoe may be moving in the direction to the Red District. She will try looking around there.¡± Lady Aquamarine stays a moment in silence. This is the best I will have right now, uh? After a moment of silence, she says ¡°Amelia. I need you to prepare. Soon the water will rise, the lower plains will be flooded, and the styx sea will soon follow. The flood this time will be even higher than the usual.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.¡°How so, My Lady?¡± ¡°Look at the sky, Amelia. Those dark clouds. It is about to rain, and when clouds are as dark as these, the rain that follows is merciless. The bay plaza surely will be flooded this time around, way before the natural flood reaches its usual levels.¡± ¡°Ugh¡± says Amelia, as she overlooks the lower plains ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine that. It would be like actually walking under lake Butterfly, but with the water being savage.¡± ¡°That is why I need you to go and prepare. You will be by my side, but prepare to tame water out of the way if they become too wild.¡± ¡°Will do, My Lady¡± As Amelia says this, a flash of light catches Lady Aquamarine eyes, followed by a loud noise. Turning back to watch over the battlefield, fear and worry strike her heart, as she sees that one of the four water walls is gone. ¡°Someone tell me, what happened!?¡± Olga answers ¡°Isn¡¯t this what they used to destroy the chains that were holding the drawbridge closed!? Fire taming can be such a terrible thing.¡± Seeing over the battlefield, the Beheaders covering the way towards the bay plaza tighten, their Auras flaring their colors strongly. From beside the bay plaza, new two more teams come to the plaza, carrying more Aquamarines. She looks towards the lower plains, seeing how they are starting to flood, and looks upwards, only for her face to meet with the first droplets of the coming rain. With them, Lady Aquamarine felt within herself rip apart. Her daughter or the people under her? But as soon as this thought crossed her mind, shame ran across her face. She already knows the answer, one of the many answers she made sure to drill into Tomoe even since she was little. ¡°Sweety¡± Lady Aquamarine whispers ¡°come back soon¡­ Make me proud.¡± ¡°Amelia¡± Lady Aquamarine calls to, turning to her as another explosion can be heard ¡°Ready yourself, it seems neither nature nor violence waits for no one.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady¡± Amelia answers, with a wry smile on her face. ¡°Olga!¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady!?¡±. ¡°Get the men ready. We are going to need to fight our way to the citadel. The flooding has started already, and its level is soon going to be higher than usual, so put the men in position. We will need to start sooner than expected.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady¡± says Olga, as she runs towards the stairs. ¡°Daisy.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Prepare the Aquamarines, and we will need help with the injured, especially with the boy that was screaming endlessly until an hour ago. We soon will need to go. Also, prepare the priests, just in case.¡± ¡°Will do¡± she answers, as she goes down the stairs too. The rain that just started, now got stronger, fuzzing sights even more. ¡°Ray.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady?¡± Silence. Lady Aquamarine looks towards the water walls, with now two being left up, and the light of the flames shining from behind it. ¡°You heard Amelia, My Lady. She told Lorelei about Tomoe. I¡¯m sure she will be able to find her.¡± After a deep breath, she answers ¡°Thanks, Ray. Now, go and organize everyone, also, set the strike teams along the plains. We will use them in order to do surprise attacks from the sides, beyond the water walls, from where the invading army can¡¯t predict where they are coming from.¡± ¡°Will do, My Lady.¡± As Ray goes down the stairs, Lady Aquamarine looks up into the sky. Keep yourself safe dear¡­ I¡¯m too old to lose anyone else. Hearing steps coming up, Amelia appears again in the fourth floor ¡°My Lady, preparations are underway. Please come, we need to abandon the building.¡± ¡°Will do¡±. As Lady Aquamarine starts going down the stairs, Amelia adds ¡°Don¡¯t worry, My Lady, I know Cotton, she will be here.¡± A smile crosses Lady Aquamarine¡¯s face ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°I just know it. I mean, she is stubborn as a mule!¡± Lady Aquamarine felt that she just had heard these words moments ago, but a third explosion changes her focus, leaving said thoughts on the side. 22- Empty Love An explosion can be heard in the distance. Tomoe, with the family of three, are walking down a street, taking cover in each place that is possible. The last hour or so, they have been hearing steps and voices around them, and the spur of flames being tamed into burning houses and bodies. Enemy soldiers are in the area, and they seem to be a large group, although somehow Tomoe and the family managed to avoid them without even encountering them in some form. Even so, looking up Tomoe can see multiple light balls floating around high in the sky, those like she saw two days before while fighting against a fire tamer for the first time. She didn¡¯t even need to think what to do with those, as she focuses to keep the group to the shadows and cover that they can find in the street. If they take the drop on us, we may as well be dead. The sound of another explosion in the distance startles her, turning to watch side to side to see if the enemy soldiers found them. Nothing. Sighing in relief, Tomoe gives a signal with her hand, and the family comes out behind the body of a horse, to her position, behind doors that were clearly taken apart with fire taming, seeing the burnt marks on them, and now lay on the street. Putting a hand to her nose, Tomoe plans her next move. Time is running out, they can¡¯t afford to keep taking the long route. ¡°Barras¡± says Tomoe, as she turns to see the man to the face ¡°time is running out. If we don¡¯t move now, we may be left out of the citadel, here with the Cinders, Polsen, and the invading army.¡± ¡°For how tempting that company sounds like, I would love to be between my people more¡± says Barras. ¡°Don¡¯t know how you can joke while we are in this situation Barras¡± whispers the woman, clearly bruised and trembling ¡°I only hope that the styx eats them all. Bastards.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± the kid looks at her mom, worry clearly marking his face. She hugs her son between her arms. ¡°Jolyne¡­¡± Barras starts saying, but cuts himself, instead putting a hand to her shoulder, and the other caressing her face. He then says ¡°Tomoe, what do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Yes¡± replies Tomoe ¡°I think we should risk it, and go through the red district, that is just at the other side of that wall¡± she says, pointing towards the water wall that is by the end of the street. ¡°Will that route get us faster to the bay plaza?¡± ¡°It will. The red district goes all the way to the lower plains.¡± Caressing the head of his son, Barras answers ¡°I¡¯ll trust your judgment then.¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know if there are soldiers in that district though, it would be my guess that there aren¡¯t, but just in case, follow my lead.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± As the group closes on the water wall, sounds can be heard from the other side of the street. While the family crosses across the wall, Tomoe enters the firing range of one of the light balls, to which she manages to deflect the attack with her aura, but some fire tamers catch sight of this and soon enough of Tomoe, running up the street, launching soon after an attack. Plunging into the wall, the attack arrives late, as Tomoe crosses to the other side. Finding themselves at the beginning of the red district, just like in other places, bodies of Aquamarines can be seen everywhere. Guess they did come here too. Giving the family a signal, she starts walking in the lead, while Barras, his wife and their son followed. Thoughts start racing Tomoe¡¯s mind, as the smell of blood, rot and dirt reaches her nose. The red district, the district of pleasure in this city, she had had to come here some times in the patrolling of the area, doing her job as a Beheader. She could see in those times, many Aquamarines, mostly men, but also some women, coming in and out of the district, in and out of the establishments. A place for gentlemen, for ladies, for all kinds of fetishes too, and those that Tomoe couldn¡¯t even imagine, at least according to what someone said to her when she asked a woman leaving this area during a night that she had to take care of this area. That night she learned that she didn¡¯t know enough about people and her loved city. Even with the dubious nature of the red district, one thing was certain: once the night struck, it was like a completely different world. People used their Auras and spices to create the most strange kinds of spectacles. Men and women being well dressed. And even the courtesans that waited outside of some establishments, that she knew very well because more than once they grabbed to her arms, even them smelled really well. Perfumes that she didn¡¯t expect, from sweet smells to salty ones, if she didn¡¯t have snapped out of it before long she would have known the ins and outs of their¡­ dedication, and would have experienced it a bit too vividly. That fancy place, with the fancy Aquamarines and their sweet, salty perfumes, now laid in ruins and flames before her: The image of the bodies on the floor, some buildings burning still, with most of them being made of wood taken from the Stardust forest. Not a soul could be heard as they crossed the streets. Getting to a corner, a large tall building catches everyone¡¯s eyes: ¡°The mistresses love.¡± They never tried to hide the purpose eh?. ¡°Uh? Mom?¡± says the boy, as he tugs her mother dress, pointing towards the mistresses love. Turning to her son, Jolyne asks ¡°What is it Reyson?¡± wear showing in her eyes. ¡°That story you told me about mom, didn¡¯t happen here?¡± ¡°What are you talking about dear?¡± says Jolyne, crouching beside him, a smile coming off her face. Now that¡¯s a mother for you. Tomoe¡¯s heart constraints a little bit, and the image of Lady Aquamarine appears in her mind. ¡°You know, that one, uhmm¡­¡± says the kid, putting a finger to his lips. ¡°The White Miracle of the Red District?¡± says Barras, coming closer to his son too. Another person crosses Tomoe¡¯s mind, a chill running down her spine, while she keeps on the lookout, watching by the end of the next street the wooden tire of a cart burning out. At this moment, the ominous clouds over the city start a downpour, extinguishing the flames. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Barras comes towards Tomoe, his son on his arms ¡°Sorry for that, the White Miracle is one of his favorite stories. If he wasn¡¯t this tired, he would probably run inside the building trying to see the spot were the White Aura awoke between us.¡± A wry smile appears on Tomoe¡¯s face, and she nods back to Barras. At this very moment, an explosion can be heard from the direction they came from. Turning to see what is happening, they see the water wall going down, behind the houses that cover now the entrance to the Red District. Sounds can be heard coming from that direction, a lot of of people, running. The sound of splashes also can be heard from the direction directly at the other side, multiple splashes. The sounds of metal armor accompany. Being trapped in the middle, Tomoe takes Barras and points towards The mistresses love. Barras nods takes Jolyne and their son by the hand, one hand each, and they enter. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Now in the lounge, they cross it towards one of the many corridors the building has. Crossing it, they end in a room with stairs going up to the second floor. Once they are there, they can hear voices, many of them. ¡°We saw her. She should be around here, search of her!¡± ¡°What are we going to do Barras?¡± wonders Jolyne, as she starts to tremble again. ¡°Any ideas Beheader?¡± ¡°Actually¡± Tomoe replies, as she puts a hand to her chin ¡°I do have an idea. This building takes almost the entire street, up to an intersection. Let''s move within the building for now.¡± ¡°Well, it is better than going back to face the bastards, that¡¯s for sure¡± says Barras. ¡°Will that work?¡± Jolyne asks. ¡°As long as we move now, fast and silent- it will work.¡± ¡°Let''s go Jolyne. I¡¯ll hold Reyson close to me¡± says Barras, as he takes Jolyne¡¯s hand. ¡°Good. Let''s go, oh, and stay the furthest away you can from the windows.¡± ¡°Will do¡± Barras says. With this, Tomoe and the family start crossing the long corridors of the mistresses love. Being in preparations to open when the night came, the mistresses love is half-lit, only to reveal the red carpets that appear to continue forever, and the continuous scarlet doors that they pass again and again. Bright crimson seems to be the key color of the place, now been added to with the blood and bodies of the dead Aquamarines present. Opening the next door, Tomoe sees something unexpected: Between the Aquamarines, there is a body of a soldier of the enemy army. Blood covers her. Even so, we all still bleed red it seems¡­ Why would you do this?. Keeping the momentum going, Tomoe enters to the back of the mistresses love, that part that holds all the rooms and bathrooms, the place were the sluts that worked there lived. Looking at the windows, the downpour continues, now stronger than before, and that gray seems to seep into the mistresses love too, as there too can be seen bodies, this time most women. There¡¯s no time, not even for a single prayer¡­ Even with the strong opinion Tomoe hold against these types of women, in this very moment her heart sank with the thought that there wouldn¡¯t no one for them, that could direct a prayer to Lord Hazuki on their behalf. She was a bit surprised by this, didn¡¯t thought there could be sympathy for them in her heart, but maybe that is the effect of adversity and death, turning brothers and sisters with those that before we would even hate. Still, with carrying with this frustration in her heart, she couldn¡¯t stop. Between the sluts, there were also some men too, and strange enough, more enemy soldiers thrown into the mix. The back of the mistresses love was also as crimson as the front is, but with more toned-down colors thrown in this extravagant bizarre combination. They get to the hidden garden that is only available for the sluts and all the people that worked there. The Garden is open to the sky, so the downpour strikes them cleanly. Even so, they keep going, but not without Tomoe noticing the smoke that comes from one of the trees: A cherry tree, in bloom, missed more than half of its flowers. Such a shame. As they exit the hidden garden, Tomoe gives a signal to the family to stop. She comes near a window, crouching, and peeks outside. The intersection is near, but another thing catches her attention, something that stiffens her entire body: Enemy soldiers, standing outside, waiting around the area, under the merciless downpour. Looking at the other side, she can see the lights of the soldiers that are walking in the direction they came from, as well some lights in the buildings around the streets. ¡°You been doing well, Jolyne, Reyson. Let''s keep going just like that¡± Barras says. ¡°Yes¡± says Jolyne, trying to keep her balance. Clearly, she is tired. Reyson just nods. Getting far away from the window, she signals the family to keep following her. She finds another stair and goes down back to the first level of the building. While they are crossing another corridor, they enter into another room, only for Tomoe to stop suddenly, cold sweat coming off her forehead: A body laid in the floor. A man, this old man¡­ Tomoe punches her legs, slaps her own face. Soon she stops though, crossing her fingers together and cover her mouth with them. The rain suddenly becomes more audible to her, the steps the soldiers are taking just outside under the rain clearly audible to her, now taking various steps, now stopping completely. Can¡¯t stay like this! As Barras puts a hand to her shoulder, he says ¡°Everything ok?¡±. ¡°Yes¡­ no, no¡­ I just- I just¡­ knew him. Didn¡¯t expected to find him here¡± Tomoe answers, while putting a hand to her mouth and pointing towards the body of the old man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss, but we can¡¯t stand here, we need to keep moving¡± Barras says while telling Jolyne with his hand that he will hand Tomoe. ¡°I¡¯m-I¡¯m sorry, it is true. Let''s continue.¡± ¡°Good. Any idea on how we will cross the intersection?¡± ¡°You¡­ you there¡± A voice reaches from behind, almost as whispers. Tomoe turns to her left, only to see that one of the bodies that were on the floor, a really young woman, actually turned out that she was alive. She is looking at Tomoe, right at her eyes, as she tries to incorporate in her naked body, bruised, bloody, trembling, tears coming out of her eyes. A mark between her breasts shines, showing that she, like many women here in the red district, is also a slut. This mark will always shine when approached by people and will only go away once the woman met her death. ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± says Tomoe, as she comes closer to the slut that is still alive. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re¡­ a Beheader¡± whispers the slut, now sitting on the floor. Her right arm clearly broken beyond repair, her legs twisted, with her feet pointing towards unnatural directions. Even when she was like this, she started to laugh. ¡°Wa-wai-wait!, don-¡± starts Tomoe, before being interrupted by the biggest scare she will be put in yet in her life. The slut suddenly becomes silent. Stabbing her sight on Tomoe¡¯s eyes, a burst of despair pours out. ¡°Saveme!¡± the sluts screams her lungs out ¡°Saveme!¡± she screams, as she tugs Tomoe, grabbing her by her clothes ¡°Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme! Saveme!-¡±. Tomoe is frozen but unable to hear what the slut is saying. What has anchoring her is that very face bloodied face, of unnatural shapes and unnatural mouth positions. In her eyes she can see that night once more, the rain stabbing her skin and those eyes that have never ever left her ever since. 23- Fangs and Strength What followed, not even Tomoe could¡¯ve expected. A burly arm, right in front of her face, around the slut¡¯s neck. The slut, choked, not moving anymore. Barras, from behind, pressing against her neck with all of her strength, pushing back all the way against the floor. The screams stopped. The room fell into silence. Leaving the lifeless body, Barras stands up and gives Tomoe a hand. She takes it, still without words. Barras looks at her, and only says ¡°Better her than my family.¡± Tomoe¡¯s eyes open wide, but any words that were starting to bubble inside her stomach went back down. Would have her acted differently in that situation? A sound comes from outside. Tomoe clumsily crouches behind the counter, signaling the family to hide behind it too. Peeking over the top, she catches a glimpse of the outside, seeing something that sends her heart racing again: The shadows of the enemy soldiers that were outside, now peeking themselves into the room filled with darkness. Footsteps can be heard from where they came from too, coming closer and closer. ¡°We are surrounded¡± whispers Tomoe, getting back down behind the counter. ¡°Can¡¯t you do something!? It is your fault that we are in this predicament!¡± whispers Jolyne, almost yelling. ¡°Jolyne¡± says Barras, putting his arm across, between them ¡°pointing blame won¡¯t help.¡± ¡°But-!¡± ¡°Keep. It. Down.¡± Whispers Barras while looking directly at Jolyne¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. She is right.¡± ¡°Instead of losing time thinking in the past, better think in the now. Can you handle them?¡± Tomoe nods to the sides ¡°They are too many. Even with the water of the rain, I will run out of Aura too quickly. There are too many angles to take into account, and I don¡¯t even know how many of them there are¡­¡± ¡°Any ideas then?¡± whispers Jolyne. Tomoe falls into silence, as the footsteps of the soldiers can be heard, having entered the brothel, accompanied by the drops of water from the rain. ¡°What are you falling into silence for!?¡± whispers Jolyne once more, desperation showing in her eyes. Tomoe flinches and looks towards Barras. She opens her mouth, but no words come out. ¡°A distraction, right?¡± Barras whispers while closing his eyes. ¡°Uh? And why in the world she would be hung up on that? Making us lose time¡± Jolyne whispers, taking one of her hands to her face. ¡°Jolyne, hear me¡± Barras whispers, taking both of her hands ¡°No matter what, keep following her ok? Take our son to safety.¡± ¡°Uh? What are you talking ab-?¡± Jolyne whispers, clear worry on her voice, but she¡¯s cut by Barras, who kisses her on her lips, then on her forehead, and adds ¡°Remember, you must protect our son¡­ I love you.¡± As Barras says this, he comes out behind the counter, passing behind the soldiers and jumping through the window, into the downpour on the outside. The soldiers catch a glimpse of him, and follow him through the window, throwing flames in his direction, flames that are weakened by the rain. Tomoe grabs Jolyne from behind, putting a hand to her mouth. Even when no word is audible, the muffled screams shake Tomoe to the very core. Tears start coming off her face, as she sees Jolyne contorting, and Reyson besides her, with his face, clearly showing that he didn¡¯t understand what happened¡­ or what is happening to his mother. ¡°Put yourself together!¡± says Tomoe, shaking with her own arms Jolyne ¡°Think of why your husband went and did this!¡± pointing towards Reyson. Jolyne sees him, red-faced, tears on his face. Crouching beside him, Jolyne hugs him, bitting her own lips, and holding his hand, she says ¡°Don¡¯t let go.¡± Reyson just nods. Moving towards the door, they get out of the brothel, crossing the intersection under the rain that seems to have been going forever. Tomoe engages her Aura, and infuses the water at her feet, bringing it with her. As they keep going down the street though, from one of the buildings, a soldier comes out flying, crossing the street from one side to another. Taking cover, Tomoe enters into another building, followed by Jolyne and Reyson, as many more soldiers appear from down the street, entering the building from where the soldier came out flying. Many lights can be seen from the otherwise dark interior. Something hasn¡¯t settled inside Tomoe yet. For some reason, she feels she is forgetting something really important. As she signals the mother and her son to come out again, they keep moving, only to face another intersection. A group of soldiers is stationed there, guarding it. Tomoe signals again and the three of them enter another building, forcing herself to not lose focus, to not lose herself, against the merciless rain. From the inside, Tomoe peeks from the window, only to see the soldiers pointing towards the building they are in, making Tomoe¡¯s heart jump, but then staying there, without moving at all. Suddenly, some thunders can be heard, and see, from the distance. The powerful sounds conquer everyone¡¯s ears, what didn¡¯t allow Tomoe to put attention into the other, more subtle sounds reaching her ears too. Slow, heavy steps, coming from inside the building itself. The wooden floor, creaking. The smell of rain suddenly being replaced by the steel-like smell of blood. The cold winds suddenly turning heavy warmth. And, still not realizing it, she fills a slight push towards her. Realizing something isn¡¯t right, she turns, only to find Reyson in her arms, blood all over him. Touching him around the neck and the head though, don¡¯t reveal any injury, and then, and only then, she could hear it clearly, the growl of something not human. Elevating her eyes, she covered Reyson¡¯s eyes, keeping him towards her, so he wouldn¡¯t see the image that was in front of her, the image of Reyson¡¯s mother, without her head, and behind her, a giant shadow, at which a thunder threw light, revealing to Tomoe the reality of the situation, what was bothering her since the beginning when they entered the Red District: Twice as big as a horse, white fur and eyes like the starlight night. ¡°A Grim Wolf¡± Tomoe murmured. The Grim Wolf howled, a howl that managed to make the building tremble, and proceeded to finish eating Jolyne¡¯s body. From the outside of the building, flames came pouring, breaking the door and windows. The Grim Wolf recoiled, only seemed bothered with the spectacle, and jumped outside of the building, in the direction that the enemy soldiers were stationed, and breaking the entire wall behind Tomoe in the process. Still, with her hand on Reyson¡¯s eyes, Tomoe grabs him, and using water taming, she comes outside of the building before it falls forward into the street. Thunders roar the sky, throwing some light into the otherwise dark alleys and shadowy figures that are still alive in the area. Taking now her hand off Reyson eyes, she puts him to her shoulder, infusing her own body with Aura in order to resist the added weight. Light can be seen from some of the buildings first, second and even third floors. Some flames can be seen coming from shadowy human figures on the street, pointing towards other buildings on the sides. Running past them, straight as an arrow, leaving everyone behind, until she reaches the last intersection, splashes of water she is making reaching her knees. After this one, there¡¯s only another street left and they can get to the lower plains that should be flooded by now. In this intersection though, there are the shadowy figures of the enemy soldiers, that put another guard post. A thunder roars once more, throwing light into the street, and the soldiers see her coming. Being faced with five streams of flames, unable to get out of the way on time, she gets to the ground instead, gathering all the water tamed around her and Reyson, and using it as some sort of slider, which allows her to reach and pass the guard post at high speeds. A group of soldiers was still a bit farther after the guard post, and seeing Tomoe moving at high speeds, one of the soldiers yells, pointing towards the ground. The flame snakes come off, hitting the ground around and in front of Tomoe, trying to take her out of balance. Tomoe manages to survive the first barrage, but at the second one, that came exactly when she was beside this group of soldiers, takes her out of balance, sending her rolling about ten meters away, still Reyson within her arms. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.The enemy soldiers walk slowly towards her, their shadowy figure coming clearer with the distance. Tomoe engaged her Aura around her, but mostly in front of her, so Reyson didn¡¯t take any hits. While she struggles to catch a breath, she sees and confirms that Reyson is out cold. Turning to the soldiers that are now about two meters away, another thunder flashes, accompanied by a howl that made everyone look upward, to the roof of the building that Tomoe had right in front of her: A Grim Wolf was standing there, looking down on everyone present. Howling again from where it is, two more Grim Wolves appear, like if they were made out of thin air, and following them, six more appeared. Five went to the soldiers that were stationed at the intersection that Tomoe passed back not so long ago, while four dropped on them. The soldiers started to panic, throwing their flames towards the wolves, but to no avail. Standing up while the soldiers start fighting the wolves, she picks up Reyson and starts tumbling once more, trying to run the fastest she can while she recovers her body with her Aura. A soldier comes flying into her field of vision, landing further below the street to her right. She knew very well what this meant, as she stopped, put the slumbering Reyson to the side, and turned around, only to see the Grim Wolf already running towards her. She infused herself with her Aura and brought it forward too. Wolves, no matter which, all are known for one thing girl: They fascinate on the act of eating, and thus, they eat everything they can, and Grim Wolves eat the most. With the words of Lorian in his mind, she takes the Grim Wolf head-on, as it plunges against Tomoe. Taking the Wolves by the jaws, the moment it comes into contact with, Aura starts being absorbed, fast, into the grim wolf¡¯s mouth. Planting her feet into the ground, she holds the jaw, while the grim wolf starts going savage against her, pushing her more and more. Infusing herself with more Aura, she takes the correct posture, and taking advantage of the grim wolf weight, throws the grim wolf to her right, away from Reyson. As it lands, Tomoe plunges forward, with water tamed following her, and with said water, she directs a hit towards the head, shot that she misses, with the grim wolf already standing up, but not before delivering a sharp hit to its frontal legs. Wimping, the grim wolf puts space between them, space that Tomoe closes again in an instant, to not give it time to summon more grim wolves, but in that instant, Tomoe is hit with something heavy from her right, and she is sent flying down the street. Good thing I had the Aura already engaged. She tries to stand up, taking aside what hit her, only to find it was a body: The body of one of the soldiers that were facing her moments before, without a head, arms nor legs. Turning towards the direction that this body came from, the sight she catches stiffens her body: The grim wolf that she managed to hit, standing there, and besides it, two more grim wolves joined the fray. The flames that were alive before in the background were now extinguished, smoke visible rising behind. I¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡­ Tomoe notices her thinking. I¡¯m out¡­ I, I don¡¯t have enough¡­ She takes two steps back. At the sight of the Grim Wolves, Tomoe can¡¯t help it as her mind starts to race. A struggle raises within her. If she runs now, will she be able to actually escape? While she asks herself this, she sees that an extra Grim Wolf appears, this time, walking in direction of the little boy. No¡­ No matter what, she must stand her ground. But how could she win? She takes another step back, and slips in the muddy street she is in. Managing to not completely fall to the ground, she raises her sights again, and the memories strike her again. That night that many years ago, an horror like no other. Yet, something is different, more visceral than before. She looks to her right, she looks to her left. Where? Where? And a realization struck her: She was completely alone. Looking at the Grim Wolves in front of her, she suddenly felt really small. Like a child, with really short legs, really short arms, and really small hands. In her mind, her thoughts jumbled up, coming out as senseless mumbles. Fragile, fragile, that is the word that crossed Tomoe¡¯s mind, as she realizes that, with how she is right now, she can¡¯t escape, and she can¡¯t win either. The only sensible thing for her is to kneel and wait for her death, like the ant she is, at the mighty strength of the Grim Wolves in comparison. How did things get here? Where did she go wrong? No, she knew exactly where she went wrong, the reason why she is here, alone. She opened her mouth, but no voice came out. There¡¯s no way someone is nearby after all, not when they are about to cross to the Citadel. In the end, I wasn¡¯t strong enough. Strength, how much she wishes for strength right now, to oppose the Grim Wolves and save the little boy, right now. To save what little of herself there is too. The shame of having lost the father and the mother shakes her with rage and hate, for being so headstrong that she couldn¡¯t recognize her own weaknesses. How can be she is so weak? How is it that until now she hasn¡¯t realized it? If she had known she was this weak, she would¡¯ve put into getting even more strength. After all, that little girl she was before, she swore will never be, not anymore. Tomoe takes another step back. Then, she snorts and shaking her head, she says ¡°I doubt I have enough Aura for the three of you, big boys¡± as she flashes a wry smile, while tears join now the droplets that come from the clouds. I¡¯ll not go down as a coward¡­ Mom, Amelia, Titania, Bran, Lacus¡­ Everyone¡­ A water spear is thrown against the Grim Wolf that is stalking the boy. Getting its attention, Tomoe manages to buy the boy sometime. But this attack has also sent the other three running against her. With tears flowing, more and more, the grim wolves come closer, covering ground at a fast rate. The grim wolves already know what she is capable off, and will take her out right out. Tomoe can¡¯t stop the tears, passing her arm again and again. Ah¡­ yes¡­ when it counts... useless again¡­ A heavy sound reaches her ear, and with another thunder, a group of shadowy figures comes from behind the grim wolves. They mount at the top of them, many, many shadowy figures joining the fray. Then, with water taming, every shadowy figure raised a spear of water into the air, and stabbed the grim wolves, killing two there, and making the other run away, disappearing into the air. Falling to her knees, Tomoe sees how one of the shadowy figures comes towards her and lends her a hand. Looking at her eyes, she would recognize those crimson eyes everywhere. ¡°Are you alright Tomoe!?¡± Lorelei¡¯s voice reaches her ears. Taking her hand, Tomoe stands up, and point towards Reyson, saying ¡°There¡¯s a boy there, was¡­ getting him to safety.¡± Making some signals, one of the shadowy figures behind Lorelei reach for the boy, and takes him. Putting her hands in Tomoe¡¯s cheeks, Lorelei comes closer, gives a warm smile, and says ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you alright. So glad we came on time.¡± Tomoe nods ¡°It is great to see you, Lor-¡± but she is cut short. Feeling the tears overflowing once again, Lorelei puts a finger to her nose and says ¡°Stop it right there, emotions for later, with need to go, now!¡± Tomoe takes a deep breath, and wiping the tears once more, she nods. The group starts now running down the street, now with the lower plains on sight. 24- Embracing the Dream The downpour continues, flooding the lower plains at an even faster pace. With the water reaching knee-deep by now, the two armies are moving in direction towards the citadel: The Aquamarines at the head and the invading army following. The dark waters make it so that the Auras shine like stars. At the head, Beheaders are placed, using water taming in order to clear the way and give the civilians a way to walk over. The Beheaders extend all the way to their backline, taking the water off their own troops, so they have safe footing, and sending the water against the invading army, hindering their movements. To the sides, the Beheaders also are raising two water walls of about three meters, that cover their sides from any attack. The invading army is flaring, raising a big circular firewall around them, and using fire taming, many soldiers manage to get to the safe area of the Beheaders, in which the battle is going on. The Beheaders are in a defensive formation, shields raised and taking care of every soldier that comes close enough, to the best of their abilities. At the middle, between the civilians and the Beheaders, Amelia is with Lady Aquamarine, watching over the battlefield. Didn¡¯t expect to see the waters this high¡­ Hand on the hilt of her sword, she turns to see every area of the battlefield. The formation is holding up, and thanks to the walls, they have to come in a frontal assault, unable to do attacks from the sides. To those enemy soldiers that are giving trouble, some Beheaders jump into the front in order to put them down for good. The situation is barely under control¡­ Amelia tightens her grip on the hilt of her sword. Looking forward, she can catch Lacus jumping forward, and Oscar already on the other side, dealing with some troublemakers. To her side, Titania is helping with the water wall duty. Even if her Aura is as low as it is, she is still helping somehow. Back with the front line, it seems the injured aren¡¯t making any trouble, Amelia could only hope that Bran fell asleep¡­ It would be best that way for everyone. To her side, Lady Aquamarine is pointing and giving orders. Olga is by her side, while Ray went back to the defensive formation, and starts pointing things out, keeping even his movements small in order to conserve as much stamina as he can. Amelia can¡¯t make what Lady Aquamarine is saying, the sound of the rain is flooding her ears. Suddenly, the side of the invading army flares up in unison, and a large chunk of water in front of it is instantly evaporated. Heading the group of the invading army, a girl can be seen, red-haired with blue eyes. The water that is sent to their way is evaporated even before it can touch them, but even so, Amelia can see how Lady Aquamarine is making signals to keep the water flowing. To make them use their Aura as much as they can¡­ hope they run out before we do. Either so, a large group of soldiers, headed by this really young girl, enter soon to the safe ground for Beheaders and use their flames in order to make themselves a way through the defenses, making themselves a path right on the middle. As they keep running, Beheaders in the defensive position turn to face the soldiers that are infiltrating their formation. The enemy soldiers that are behind the girl take advantage of this, and with fire taming, they blast away the next three rows at each side of the open path in the middle, widening the path even more. As Amelia sees this, clearly she comes to the conclusion that they truly don¡¯t have experience employing these tactics and looking at Lady Aquamarine, wonders how did she know that one day they would apply these tactics. As far as I remember, she was credited with the inclusion of these tactics back at the barracks. The Beheaders behind the defensive position engage in the fight, headed by the girl who comes running full speed ahead. Beheader that tries to stop her, Beheader that just goes out flying or is immobilized. Her focus clearly isn¡¯t our Beheaders¡­ Impressive power of a yellow Aura. When she is about ten meters away, she jumps, and with fire taming, she gets herself over the rest of the Beheaders that are between her and Lady Aquamarine. Amelia reacts, being taken a bit by surprise that the girl managed to understand that Lady Aquamarine is the head of the army, and puts herself between the girl and Lady Aquamarine, taking the strong hit with her own Aura instead. The girl falls back, and the Beheaders are about to get over her, but Amelia signals them to not do so. Drawing her own sword, she gets into posture, putting the sword to her side. It is between you and me. The girl, being surprised by this, a wry smile is drawn on her face, as she also enters into posture, elevating the point of the sword skyward, the hilt about her right shoulder. The lips of the girl move, just before plunging forward into an attack. Amelia couldn¡¯t make what she said, but that didn¡¯t matter. The girl closed the ten meters in four steps, and her sword came out with the heaviness of many tons of stones. Even so, Amelia didn¡¯t flinch. The dirt, the clash of swords, the senses and feelings of her body, of the tons of training she has done in her life, all came rushing in an instant. This frontal assault, she has suffered it and felt it a thousand times, and almost without thinking, she took a step forward, enhancing her own body strength, aiming towards her left shoulder, a fast thrust came out of her, hitting the left shoulder, breaking through the girl¡¯s yellow Aura like if nothing was ever there, and making a gash on the process. The girl, feeling this, drop the two-handed grip, but still swung downward. Seeing this, Amelia just takes a step to her right in order to avoid it. Seeing herself miss, the girl steps to her right, trying to put distance between them, but Amelia once again steps forward, and swings three thrusts in her direction. The girl guards against the first one, but the next two hit directly one on her leg and the other on her belly. The girl falls to her knees, dropping the sword because of the pain. Heavy breathing and contortion dominate her expression. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.Amelia comes forward, meeting the girl¡¯s blue eyes from above. The girl flinched at Amelia¡¯s expression, and asked ¡°W-why? Such sadness¡­¡± Caressing her cheek, Amelia answers ¡°Such beautiful eyes¡­ I feel that we could¡¯ve been good friends if we didn¡¯t meet like this.¡± The girl opened her eyes wide at this statement. Amelia then raised her sword, the girl closed her eyes, and in one swing, the head of the girl came apart from its body. Amelia then tamed the waters and moved the body to the side, to be embraced by the dark. Sprinting to Lady Aquamarine¡¯s side, Amelia says ¡°Sorry for taking so long, My Lady.¡± ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°Thank you, My Lady¡± Amelia says, as she turns again towards the battlefield. The battle has turned into a full-on skirmish, with the Beheaders trying to regroup behind the battleground by their side to regain their defensive wall. To the sides, she can see Lacus changing places with Titania, sending her with the civilians. Oscar is in the middle of the skirmish, his red Aura going little by little dimmer. He is fighting with what he is known for: his water needles. He tames water into droplets, using pressure to throw them at high speeds. These needles get into the objective body, and once there, he tames the blood of the objective, killing it from inside, a place Aura can¡¯t so easily reach. Even so, if these needles don¡¯t reach a critical place in the target¡¯s body, at most it causes an injury that will rob said target from its mobility. From the other side of the skirmish, something shakes Amelia¡¯s heart: A blue Aura flares brightly, standing between the sea of red and yellow Auras. A man, without the right arm, and a scar on the left side of his face, over his eye, walk forward, with a spear on his left arm. He not only has a blue Aura but has plenty of Aura to use too The man, wearing crimson armor, swings the spear from side to side, getting allies and Beheaders alike, sending them flying over the dark waters. As this is happening, Amelia turns to Lady Aquamarine, and says ¡°My Lady, if I don¡¯t go now, they may reach to us before we reach the citadel¡±, while also giving a look towards the citadel, which is now closer. ¡°Wait¡± says Lady Aquamarine, visible troubled by such words ¡°there¡¯s no need for you to go ahead. He¡¯s fierce yes, but we-¡± ¡°He is a blue Aura! And has a bunch of it left! Please My Lady, order me to go.¡± ¡°I-¡± starts Lady Aquamarine, but she bites her lower lips, and instead says ¡°You know very well what will happen if you go face him, even if you win¡­ you will not live enough¡­ even maybe not enough to see the end of this day.¡± A wry smile appears on Amelia¡¯s face, and she answers ¡°I know. But this is exactly why, My Lady. Ever since that day, my dream has always been able to protect those who needed protecting, who couldn¡¯t stand and defend themselves. I truly believe that this is the dream that awoke my strength¡­ And now, they need my strength.¡± Sorrow crosses Lady Aquamarine face, as she asks ¡°Even if you don¡¯t get to see everyone ever again?¡± ¡°Even so, My Lady. If even me is worth to be defended for, then I, who can protect others now, want to defend them, say to them they are worthy of being protected¡­ even if you have nothing, not even the slightest love for yourself¡± grabbing Lady Aquamarine¡¯s sleeve, she asks once more ¡°Please, My Lady, order me to go. They need help.¡± After taking a deep breath, a wry smile appears on Lady Aquamarine¡¯s face ¡°I know, between us, you are our best bet, but I would never thought of sending a little girl into battle¡­ The mere idea frustrates me to no end.¡± ¡°My Lady¡­¡±. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re right¡± Lady Aquamarine says, as she is giving the battlefield another look, seeing the man making its way forward. She then hugs Amelia and adds ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll go now and help with the way, and open the citadel so everyone can enter. In regards to you¡­ follow these instructions¡­ it is an order, get enough time for you to live¡­ at least until tomorrow.¡± Between Lady Aquamarine¡¯s arms, Amelia first flinched, but then relaxed, as she heard the instructions Lady Aquamarine was telling her. She then finished by hugging her back, starting to get tearful. She then separated. Before going, Lady Aquamarine adds ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this¡± as she waves a huge knife infused with Aura. Amelia opens her eyes wide at the surprise, and finally says ¡°please, take care of my mom too!¡± Then, she turns and goes away. How did she take it without me realizing? what a scary woman¡­ A wry smile once again is drawn in Amelia¡¯s face, this time as she enters the battlefield. ¡°Will do¡± Lady Aquamarine murmurs, as she goes to the front line, in order help opening a way and getting to the citadel faster. As Amelia enters the battlefield, Ray is about to say something, but when Amelia turns her Aura from yellow to blue, his mouth is left open. Anger crosses his face, as he starts yelling ¡°Everyone fall back into position! We are going to offer cover, but don¡¯t move from your position!¡±. Then, walking towards Amelia, he adds ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m living my dream right now¡± and giving him a smile, she adds ¡°I really love being a Beheader.¡± Ray cast down his eyes and nods ¡°You gotta be, no one is crazy as to volunteer to be a Beheader without loving the work it provides.¡± As the Beheaders get out of the way, Amelia catches full sight of the man with the blue Aura. ¡°keeping him in place uh? If only everyone knew that Lady Aquamarine was actually this soft-hearted¡± she says, as she takes another deep breath, takes posture, and readies her sword. 25- A Dance in the Dark Reaching the bay, Tomoe watches how the lower plains have been flooded, even to a higher level than the usual thanks to the downpour. From the end of the Red District, she can see the citadel doors lighting up, indicating that Lady Aquamarine has just opened the doors. A blue Aura can be seen flaring a bit before the citadel, besides the firewalls, as if it were a flame dancing, hard to make if there is actually one or two. No¡­ Lia¡­ Tomoe¡¯s heart sinks deeper into anxiety. Lorelei stands besides Tomoe, putting a hand to her shoulder. Turning, she makes a sign to her team, to get into the water already. Coming closer to Tomoe¡¯s ear, she says ¡°Come on. I can already see the styx sea from here, our time is running out.¡± Raising her eyes, she catches the red waters that a day before were a mere point in the horizon, now it is a small radiant red circle. At this sight, many muscles in Tomoe¡¯s body tense up and she bites her lower lip without realizing. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the boy with me and Priscilla. You go ahead and open a way for us. Let''s also take advantage of the water walls, soon they are going to drop them and we will lose cover, making it impossible for us to reach the citadel on time.¡± Adds Lorelei. ¡°I understand.¡± Answers Tomoe. ¡°Good. Then, let''s get going.¡± Nodding, Tomoe engages her Aura and enters into the dark waters of the flood. Diving in, the levels of the flood is so high that Tomoe¡¯s entire body entered without a problem, and still having space to spare. Looking forward, she can see the Auras of the rest of the team present in the dark, and the Auras of Lorelei and Priscilla behind her. With this, the Beheaders start swimming, moving further down the lower plains. Tomoe follows, sticking herself to the dark waters, and getting into position to enter right behind the water walls that the Beheaders by the citadel are keeping up. Looking to her right, she can see enemy soldiers, flaring their fire taming abilities in order to keep evaporating the water beside them, and in doing so keeping safe ground for the entire army. The flame walls also rise high, but Tomoe already realizes that they are getting shorter little by little. They are desperate, trying to stop us from entering the citadel¡­ Pushing off the water walls, the firewalls also become more fierce, and the battle turns more savage, throwing light into the dark. Inside the dark waters, Tomoe can see the bodies of the many soldiers and Beheaders that have fallen in the skirmish here in the lower plains. Only the ones that have fallen here. How many more are back there in the city? There in the darkness, surrounded by the Auras of Lorelei¡¯s team, the thought of everyone at the Citadel comes through Tomoe¡¯s mind. Thinking about what she just went through at the Red District, an emotion fills Tomoe¡¯s chest, something she then struggles to contain. Tomoe knows she must focus on the moment, yet the realization that she has the chance to see everyone again after that grim situation is tying her throat. My job isn¡¯t done until I come back¡­ right, mom? A tinge of shame flusters her. No matter how she looks at it, she failed back there, not only to the boy but to herself. Now that she has had the time to collect herself, the unbearable truth that she was quite useless doesn¡¯t escape her. As she swims across the dark waters, Tomoe resolves to not be completely useless and get back alive. Suddenly, a shake can be felt alongside the water wall. The water wall is losing power, losing form. It is becoming harder to swim alongside it. New light flares ahead of their destination, and with it, the water wall comes crashing down against their firewall. Tomoe is thrown by the momentum towards the safe ground, behind enemy lines. Turning, she manages to see Lorelei and Priscilla behind her, with the boy still safe. In front of her, the rest of the Beheaders are already standing up and fighting the soldiers of the enemy army. Flames and electrical arcs are thrown left and right, accompanied by some of them applying stronger lasers than what she saw two days ago. A flare of red catches the corner of her right eye. Reacting by instinct, Tomoe raises her right arm and deflects the coming surprise attack by the soldier. Taking the water that was still tamed, then she perforates the enemy soldier with it, breaking its red Aura in the process. As she turns to face the citadel, she is met with two streams of fire instead. Tomoe ducks and rolls to the side, using the water that she has tamed in order to reach the water outside of the firewall, tame it, and bring it back to her side, while she is running around the two attackers. Creating another stream of pressured water, Tomoe attacks sideways, hitting one of the enemy soldiers, while the other evade to the side. Concentrating the flames in one point, the soldier that evaded creates a laser and fires it, hitting Tomoe right at the center, sending her flying pretty close to the firewall, having taken a large chunk of the blue Aura she put up to defend herself. Seeing that soldier having lost that laser and focusing into making another one, Tomoe struggles to get up but to no avail, as the laser is about to fire again. Then, without having even thought about it, the soldier loses the laser once more and goes limp to the ground. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.You should have managed your Aura more. Getting back on feet, she catches three more soldiers coming her way, yellow and red Auras flaring, not before being taken away by a large stream of water coming from behind her. Turning, Lorelei and Priscilla reach her side. ¡°Any idea on how to get to the front?!¡± Priscilla yells. Watching over the battlefield, a smug appears on Lorelei¡¯s face ¡°I¡­ actually have one idea¡± turning to Tomoe, she directs ¡°defend our position, and be ready for a ride.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°You too Priscilla, defend my back.¡± ¡°You sure it will work?¡± ¡°It will. Don¡¯t worry. Now, stop delaying things. Move!¡± says Lorelei, as she slaps both Tomoe¡¯s and Priscilla¡¯s butts. ¡°Now you have done it!¡± says Priscilla, pointing towards Lorelei as she moves to her back ¡°wait until we are safe, it will be your downfall!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll personally ask mom to not let you get a day free for the next three months!¡± yells Tomoe, as she moves in front of Lorelei. Tomoe can only hear Lorelei¡¯s laugher at the same time twelve other soldiers come attacking in front of her, a mix of fire and electrical tamers. Taking a cue from Oscar, she rises bubbles of water into the air, from which she, using pressure, starts firing little needles of water right into the bodies of the enemy soldiers, and with infusing their blood, she starts picking them up and throwing them to the sides, to the dark waters. As always, aiming these is hard, but this works wonders against many enemies grouped together¡­ Another group comes forward, this time larger than the one before, about twenty. Tomoe does the same thing again, taking out seventeen before three manage to reach her. The fire tamer that is in front of her plunged forward, now being right in the air, and before she lands, Tomoe brings water to where she would land, making the fire tamer lose her footing, falling. Tomoe then uses water taming and throws her against the second fire tamer that was coming right after her, breaking the red Aura of both fire tamers in the process. The third one manages to reach in front of her, electrical arcs coming of her arms. Raising her arms, these electrical arcs come forward in an instant. Engaging her Aura, Tomoe blocks these electrical arcs, trying to evade them but to no avail, the electricity is faster than her reflexes. Surely Lia could¡¯ve handled this back then! Images of a time that will never come back race through her mind, while she struggles to focus on the fight and her Aura being chipped away by chunks. The electrical tamer suddenly gives a smug, and electrical arcs come running down his legs, reaching the ground, and using it to reach Tomoe by her legs. Being reached by the electrical arcs, Tomoe¡¯s body trembles violently, as she tries to endure by enhancing her own body and resisting. Gathering her focus, she gathers the water she still has tamed behind the electrical tamer, rises it in a bubble, and in one strong thrust, spears the electrical tamer¡¯s head. Falling into the ground, Tomoe can feel her entire body being numb. My Aura¡­ almost gone¡­ Tomoe struggles with, as she keeps taking deep breaths, just to not fall into the ground. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turns to see Priscilla as she hears ¡°Time to go!¡±. Grabbing Tomoe by the arms, she pulls her back, as more soldiers start getting closer to them. Tomoe fells how she is pulled into the water, and turning back, she can see, as she is entering it, a big bubble of water. Reaching the center of it, she sees Lorelei and Reyson by her side. With a smug on her face, Lorelei says ¡°be sure to tow Tomoe properly Priscilla!¡± Still a smug smile even in this situation¡­ Tomoe lets a chuckle escape. Nodding, Priscilla envelops Tomoe in a bubble of water that she is taming and replies ¡°Everything is ready!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Lorelei says as she grabs Reyson¡¯s hand ¡°also grab my leg boy, with all the force you can muster!¡±. Reyson just nods. Getting besides Lorelei, she compresses the bubble, and by ripping it apart a bit on the front, a large stream of water is thrown forward, making them cross in an instant the entire battlefield. As she is moving closer, Tomoe catches the glimpse of Amelia, fighting a large man on her own, as almost all the Beheaders have crossed the elevated bridge and entered the citadel. Passing by her side, Amelia catches a glimpse of them, giving what Tomoe could swear was a wry smile. She is wrapped in her yellow Aura. Still, Tomoe thought that from far away there were two blue Auras fighting out. Getting right behind the last Beheaders, Lorelei, Priscilla and Reyson enter the citadel. Tomoe, giving a glimpse back, stands in the doorway. Amelia runs towards the large man lacking a right arm. Putting the sword in a low posture, the large man puts his spear on the way of the strike, in order to defend from it. Amelia then enhances her own body strength, enough so that the large man is taken out of balance, something that she takes advantage of, putting a kick, sending him back, putting space between them. Taking advantage of this, Amelia envelops herself in her Aura and starts shining. Seeing this, Tomoe makes a sigh of relief, entering the citadel, finally letting the doors to close. Amelia then disappears in her own Aura, being replaced by a huge knife instead, that falls, stabbing the ground. 26- Flame Eater ¡°If you don¡¯t turn away now, you will surely die right here.¡± With these words, the little girl in front of her switched away, leaving a huge knife stabbed into the ground in her place. Nonsense! Falco raises his sights on the citadel doors and gateway. To his sides, the water level was already a couple of meters over him. The firewall that was keeping the water away kept getting smaller and smaller. But nevertheless, a door and a wall won¡¯t keep himself out of winning this battle. Turning around, another story was painted before him though. Many of his soldiers laid on the floor, unable to move, many of them already dead. Others, trying their hardest to keep the firewall going. Further back, he can see how many soldiers were running back to the city already, deserting their duties. No electrical tamer on sight either. With great heaviness on his heart, Falco yelled a retreat. Taking the front of the group that stood with him, he began to fire tame and moving forward, in direction of the bay. In his way, the bodies of his soldiers, men and women. A little more ahead, the beheaded body of his general, laid on the ground. A sense of pressure raised from his chest as he felt the rage lash out in his arms and head. His blue Aura flared vividly, and the soldiers with him gave a wry smile to one another, hope that they could get away from here. The light of the firewall lighted the water surrounding them even more so, revealing a dark blue surrounding them. While they were half the way through, something weird reached Falco¡¯s ears: A cry, as if of a newborn, could be heard all around them. Looking around, Falco could see the soldiers also looking around, searching for the source of the cry. In doing so, he didn¡¯t notice right in front of him when it happened, but when he turned again in front of him, he was greeted with an eerie sight: The dark blue waters suddenly were dark, crimson red. The sight of these waters packed a punch to the gut for Falco, but he couldn¡¯t understand why. Looking at the dark crimson waters, sweat started to build up all over his body as a tremble started to shake him in his entirety. The injury of his right shoulder, where he had his right arm, started to hurt once again, even when it has been years since the last time it brought him pain. Looking again into the dark crimson waters, the cry suddenly was inside his head, making him relive the memories of a time now passed when he stood there in front of that large man with large sideburns, his father, and his white Aura¡­ and his black flames. Now the image of them standing in front of each other, now images of the fight itself, now images of him having struck down his own father, while his father¡¯s body, now in the ground, burnt with these black flames. That image, the black flames dancing, almost as if they were happy, or mocking him. Now he sees the same black flames, forming a flowing pillar, now taking the image of a person, now that person embracing him, sending him into unspeakable pain, bringing him back into the real world. Polsen had reached him. Falco takes a couple of deep breaths, as he is trying to assess his situation, and break free from Polsen¡¯s embrace, though Polsen manages to grab his shoulder with its right hand. The flames from the contact heat to extreme temperatures the air that is entering his lungs. His heart, pounding like those times in his memories. The grasp of the Cinder in front of him keeps him in place, as he feels how the Aura is leaving him, how his body is already going numb at the black like lava flames touch. Putting attention to his ears, he can hear the sound of his soldiers screams. Putting most of his Aura outside of him at once, and enhancing himself with it, he is able to break free from Polsen¡¯s grasp, taking some steps back in the process. Is in this moment that he is able to give Polsen a good look: A humanoid-like body, with its lower half being lost in a black like lava substance, and his arms were large and thin. Wearing silver armor all the way to his gloves, he has the hilt of a two-handed sword in one hand. And in its head, wearing a helmet, from where only black smoke can be seen, and two burning fires in the shapes of eyes. Giving the hilt of the sword a swing, more of this black like lava substance comes from it, taking the shape of a two-handed sword. Taking another couple of steps back, Falco can see another Aura he recognizes at the end of the bay, accompanied by many more Auras. ¡°Everyone that can fight, around me!¡± Falco yells as Polsen starts walking slowly forward. Many soldiers come to the side of Falco, while he yells another order ¡°Three teams! The ones with me stay and fight the Cinder, the other two take the opening and escape!¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.Separating into three teams, with Falco accompanied by two other soldiers at the center, they plunge forward, taking Polsen head-on. For Falco, and anyone in the country of Aeris, Cinders are something common to deal with, all nasty poor bastards. But, he has never seen one like the one that is standing in front of him. What could make a man wish so strongly that he would be transformed to such an unnatural degree? Taking Polsen head-on, Falco steps forward, thrusting his spear into him. The spear rebounds from the armor but still makes Polsen fall back. With fire taming, the two soldiers with Falco then take one the left, the other the right, and with fire taming, throw their fire serpents against him. It was of no use. The fire, before it touched Polsen, was siphoned into his helmet, as if water escaped through a crack on a basin. Physical strength it is then! Falco throws himself against Polsen. Falco isn¡¯t strange of facing Cinders in the past. He has had his struggles with them, but once you fought three or four, you could tell that each Cinder followed a pattern, some sort of behavior¡­ and certainly, intelligent behavior isn¡¯t one of them, as taking Falco by surprise, Polsen raises his large left arm, stopping with it Falco¡¯s momentum forward, before the spear could reach him. The arms were larger than what he previously anticipated. Raising Falco into the air, Polsen smashes him a couple of times against the ground. Raising him once more into the air, Falco manages to see that the other two teams managed to get to the bay safely, alongside all the other Auras. Seeing besides him though, his face went stiff with rage: None of the soldiers of his team was there alongside him. Looking once again up, he could see them, running alongside the firewall towards the bay. The last words that his father gave to him resonated in his head. That time, he wasn¡¯t sure what he meant with them, but right now, he felt them like a curse: You and I, we aren¡¯t so different. All the people praising you now, will turn their back on you and leave you to die when you need them the most. Can¡¯t switch either¡­ why? Why?¡­ Soon, the reason didn''t matter. The burning sensation on his shoulder has grown lighter. Falco knows very well what this means: Aura depletion. Polsen has almost devoured all of his Aura. His body goes limp, as in his mind, another image comes forward: His general now beheaded a couple of meters behind him. The little time he spent with her, were like no other he has lived in a long time. What a stubborn prideful man¡­ at least I should have asked her name. A wry smile appears on Falco¡¯s face, as Polsen drives his two-handed sword right through him, impaling him. Suddenly, Falco felt like he was floating. No rage to be seen, no disappointment either, neither the rush of battle. Once again, as the memories of his life appear in his mind, he stops at one when he was a small kid. He remembers being at a hallway alongside his mother. They were waiting, although he can¡¯t remember what. Somewhat though, he remembers that his kid self did. Without warning, a door at the end of the hallway opened, smashing against the wall because of the strength with which it has been opened. From there, a man donning a full-body black armor appears, followed by other two. As the man reaches where the kid Falco was, her mother stands in front of him. He can see her mother¡¯s lips moving, but he can remember the words, nor the voice. Then, her mother moves from the black-armored man¡¯s way, to face the kid and see him from head to toes. The kid Falco trembles. The man is quite imposing to him, looking down on him. Falco downcast his eyes. A snort reaches Falco¡¯s ears, followed by feeling a large hand patting his head. ¡°I like him.¡± Falco can hear ¡°He looks healthy and shows promise.¡± Falco can feel how his entire body suddenly calmed down. His mind focusing entirely on these words. ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me, son.¡± Falco hears again, as he feels the hand leaving him and the black-armored man starts to walk away. Falco raises his eyes, only to see his large back walking further away from him. Falco is still floating. As the memory stays here, Falco snorts. Why is it that, in his death, of all the things he could remember, this is what comes to his mind most prominently. Yet, he understood completely why, why little and bigger Falco still have memories of this event in his heart, as the last vestiges of life abandon him. Black flames surround the now lifeless body of Falco, enveloping him. Moments later, the flames go away, taking the body in its entirety with them. Polsen, surrounded now by Cinders, lets a cry escape, as he turns towards the bay, and starts moving forward, while he is enveloped in the crimson waters of the styx sea. 27- Lonely in the Starry Sky With a cry that she really knows well, a cry that chills her to the bones every time she hears it, Tomoe crosses the elevated bridge at the other side of the gateway. From here, almost all of the citadel can be seen, how it elevates to form a large acropolis, with the Grand Castle at the top. Surrounding the elevated bridge, the structure of an abandoned city can be seen. Many houses are circular instead of being squares, and many, many of them, between one or two floors. The buildings that have corners seem to be few, but those few are larger than the rest. Every window is circular, in an oval shape, even in those large buildings that have corners. Each building seems to be a continuous surface from the outside, much like a bowl upside down. A really deep bowl at that. Even when the citadel has few roads, every street is pebbled, almost to perfection, and there are only a few holes here and there, where pebbles previously were and now they aren¡¯t anymore, dirt blades of grass now occupying their place. Looking over the citadel, Tomoe can see it lighted up. From various houses, a light comes out of the windows, and from at the main plaza of the citadel, a gathering of lights is happening, of lights that are moving from one side to the other. Tomoe knew very well this view and what these lights were, as a tear starts rolling on her cheeks. Getting to street level, she can see how many, many Aquamarines and Beheaders are present in the citadel streets. As Tomoe is walking down the street going to the main plaza, a sense of relief runs through her body, so much that she can see her shoulders getting loose. Stopping a bit to take in the view, she sees Aquamarines and Beheaders alike, running and walking up and down the street. To her right, she can catch a group of Aquamarines with two Beheaders, moving one survivor down the street, on a mat, and before reaching the main plaza, they enter the building on their right. To her left, a Beheader is on the floor, with clear symptoms of Aura depletion, and two little kids are trying to incorporate him into a sitting position towards the house behind him. Further down the street, she can catch two Aquamarines with a Beheader, talking about something. The Beheader stops for a moment, and putting a hand to the woman¡¯s shoulder, lowering his head, he speaks again. The woman falls into the ground, while her husband tries to catch her, as the woman starts to hyperventilate, grabbing and tugging her own clothes. Starting to walk again, she gets to the main plaza, a circular one like all the other small buildings, even the corners are curves instead of the pointed edges of a square. As she gets there, two figures she knows very well see her from the distance, and start moving towards her. Her heart starts pounding fast, her mind goes blank, as Priscilla and Oscar get to where she is standing, Priscilla giving her a strong hug. ¡°Now we are out of danger¡± Priscilla says, as she gives a hug for far longer than she is used to. For some reason, Tomoe isn¡¯t bothered by this, not like other times. ¡°Good job of keeping yourself alive¡± Oscar says, as he stands behind Priscilla. Tomoe catches her breath. This breath though, different from others as if she hasn¡¯t truly breathed in a long time, with the air filling her lungs to the max capacity. ¡°Did everyone made it?¡± Pulling back, Priscilla smiles and slowly nods ¡°Everyone is here¡­ at least of our group, that is.¡± Another deep breath, and now Tomoe gives the hug back, taking Priscilla by surprise. Pulling back, she starts looking to the sides, and let''s escape ¡°There¡¯s something nice, seeing everyone helping each other.¡± ¡°That is the nature of society¡± Oscar replies while walking forward and putting a hand to her shoulder ¡°look closer: what someone can¡¯t do alone, together with others it becomes possible.¡± At these words, Tomoe opens her eyes, widely. ¡°Wonder if this fact entered finally in that tough head of yours¡± Oscar adds, with a smug on his face ¡°come, follow us. Everyone is in the town hall¡­ or at least that is what we think that building is.¡± Turning, they start walking around the plaza, taking the street that moves upwards in the acropolis. They pass more bowl-like houses, with lights coming off from many of them, through the windows. Tomoe noticed that, unlike the city, these houses, its windows don¡¯t have any kind of glass, they are just holes, likely carved directly into the structure. As they pass one of the houses were the light of Auras is more concentrated, Lorelei comes out of the said house. ¡°Hey!¡± says Priscilla, waving her hand to Lorelei. Catching her waving, Lorelei comes closer to them, and Priscilla says ¡°did you dropped the boy here?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± says Lorelei, almost whispering. ¡°Anything wrong?¡± ¡°That boy¡­¡± Lorelei continues to whisper ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ it is just that, I know a bit too well what he is going through¡­ what he will go through.¡± Seeing Lorelei¡¯s expression, hearing the tone of her voice, Tomoe moves almost without thinking, grabbing her hand. Lorelei is taken aback a bit for this ¡°W-what?¡± Tomoe tries to think, keeping silence, but nothing comes to her mind ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just moved without thinking¡± while she lets go Lorelei¡¯s hand. Raising her eyebrows, Lorelei giggles, and says ¡°Now what has gotten into you?¡± and now she grabbing Tomoe¡¯s hand, she adds ¡°There was no need, but, you know, thanks.¡± ¡°We are getting our assess towards the town hall. Wanna come along? The strategic meeting should start soon¡± Oscar says. Lorelei just nods, and then they get underway. Taking a turn, they get to the largest building in the city. There, almost no civilians can be seen, only Beheaders. The lights that come off the town hall, a rectangle-shaped building with two floors, isn¡¯t from Auras. From the outside, many shadowy figures can be seen, of the light shadowing them from the inside. Tomoe stops for a moment and looks around her. A warm feeling embraces her as she looks again at everyone around her. They smile, laugh, pock fun at each other, and embrace each other. Heck, she herself did it, even when she isn¡¯t as accustomed to that physical level of interaction and proximity¡­ No, that¡¯s a lie. Once she was in the past, but after facing the Hydra she retracted herself, putting a veil around her, a limit that no one else but the ones that are already closest to her could cross. Looking at herself, she felt flustered at the realization that now, she can¡¯t get out of that veil, she can¡¯t cross that wall. Why does she finds it so hard, if once she was clearly comfortable being around everyone just like that, just like they are right now with each other? She couldn¡¯t avoid it, the realization that she felt strange around them right now. Like if she was physically close, yet the distance was so far. Still, looking at them, even these feelings couldn¡¯t deny the warm that was flowing through her chest. I¡¯m still missing some. Hope nothing bad has happened. As Tomoe starts to walk again, she sees how a figure comes out of a building in front of her, and starts walking in direction of the Townhall. Even in the shadows of the night, Tomoe can recognize that silhouette everywhere. Someone that no matter what, she would recognize from miles away. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Leaving the group behind, Tomoe runs towards Amelia ¡°Lia!¡± she calls to her. At hearing this, Amelia flinches, stopping and turning back. Within arms distance, Tomoe stops. Amelia starts rubbing her eyes, as tears start rolling on her cheeks too. Then, jumping forward, Amelia hugs Tomoe, putting her arms around her neck, as she starts to cry, something at which Tomoe follows suit, giving a hug back. Having come closer, Lorelei snorts at the scene ¡°Look at our most powerful¡± pointing towards the scene ¡°right now, she isn¡¯t different from a little girl¡± she adds, smiling a little bit. ¡°Ah? Why is your v-voice breaking?¡± Priscilla takes a deep breath, teasing ¡°Are you about to cry too?¡± ¡°Look who is talking about being about to cry!¡± Lorelei laughs, as she points back at Priscilla. ¡°Come on girls!¡± Oscar interrupts ¡°Let''s get into the town hall¡± he says, as he starts walking forward again. ¡°Tomoe, Amelia¡± he says, stopping for a moment ¡°the strategy reunion is about to start, don¡¯t stay here for too long¡± then, he continues walking, followed by Priscilla and Lorelei. Sitting on a tree trunk that is on the floor, by the side, both girls have finally stopped crying. ¡°Sorry about that¡± Amelia says while wiping the last remaining tears from her eyes ¡°It is just that¡­ since this morning- and I realize your managed to enter the citadel on time, but yet-¡± ¡°Lia¡± Tomoe says, interrupting and surprising Amelia a bit, again ¡°I understand.¡± Snorting, Amelia lets a smile escape, while she says ¡°Now that is surprising.¡± ¡°Uh? What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling me Lia, out of the blue¡± Amelia says, while putting both of her hands, together, over her legs. Tomoe raises her eyebrows ¡°It is true¡­¡± Amelia grins ¡°Don¡¯t you dare stop now. It¡¯s been so long¡­¡± Tomoe snorts, at which Amelia gives a slight push. ¡°So mean¡± Amelia chuckles ¡°You know¡­ it is like¡­ I finally see my best friend, face to face, after many years.¡± Sitting besides Amelia, Tomoe finally felt that she could take a good, deep breath. As she started to lose the tension in her body, a rush of emotions burst through her whole body¡­ She almost died. Back at the Red District, she almost died. Darkness surrounded her, the rain, like piercing thorns in her skin, and again, multiple glaring animal eyes. But something was different. For the many times, she was in this dark street, under the rain, formless silhouettes walked right and down beside her, but here, at that moment, a new understanding reached her: She was completely alone. What has she been doing these last years? What was it she fought so hard for? When the situation called for giving her best, it didn¡¯t amount to much. Have I always be this¡­ weak? Tomoe looks around, remembering all the Aquamarines that we''re able to be saved by the Beheaders working together. I couldn¡¯t even save a single-family¡­ only one boy and I couldn¡¯t even do it myself¡­ What was I searching for before? She felt so small. Her world was once again upside down. That there¡¯s a distance between her and everyone else. The difference between them burned her face, as if she was until now living in shadows and now for the first time in a long time she has taken a step out to the light of the sun. Reality burned her skin even when the night is well underway, making her feel thirst like she has never felt before. The glaring animal eyes were still there, but now they were even closer: Like the star-filled sky falling towards her, an even bigger fear sprouted forth. I¡­ don¡¯t want to be alone. Casting her eyes down, Tomoe finally speaks ¡°I¡­ I have been really dumb all these years, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been really stubborn¡­ Amelia¡­¡± Tomoe takes a deep breath ¡°I¡­ for all these years, I¡­¡± Tomoe puts her hands over her face and raises her face towards the starry sky. Slowly, she retires her hands, letting her see the vastness of the sky, how many stars are there ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to start¡­¡± A tight tie form in her throat ¡°I¡¯m¡­ for everything, Lia, I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡± as tears start rolling on her face. Tomoe then feels a hand on her right shoulder. Wiping away her tears, she turns to see Amelia, smiling with her teeth. Tomoe could only answer with casting her eyes down. ¡°No, don¡¯t you dare to turn this into a sad moment!¡± Amelia says, tugging Tomoe by the sleeves, picking Tomoe¡¯s cheeks with her right hand and raising her face ¡°I¡¯m really happy!¡± Tomoe raises her eyebrows again, adding a smile to her face. Joining her hands together, Tomoe says ¡°Lia¡­ for all these years¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to say¡­ only that I¡¯m sorry.¡± Amelia puts a hand to Tomoe¡¯s shoulder ¡°You took you sweet time let me tell you!¡± she spouts, surprising Tomoe a bit, but then adding ¡°say nothing more Cotton. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just glad¡­ to have you back.¡± ¡°Lia¡­¡± ¡°If only you came back earlier though¡± Amelia murmurs, incorporating back again into her sitting position. ¡°Uh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ehm¡­ Well, you have always been pretty obstinate Cotton, but I would have never guessed that an invasion is what would be needed to make you come back! And you called me knucklehead before, you now got the beat in that regard, you knucklehead!¡± Tomoe chuckles ¡°I¡¯m guilty as charged¡± she says, putting her hands up. Amelia snorts ¡°Oh really?¡± a smug appears on her face ¡°then I condemn you to a practice match with me, right here, right now.¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± Tomoe reacts, standing and starting to put distance between them ¡°right now?!¡± her body becoming tense once more remembering all those practice matches that she had with Amelia through many years. A grin appears on Amelia¡¯s face ¡°Right now!¡± as she stands too. She then starts pursuing Tomoe while she tries to escape. Laughs can be heard in the night, with the two girls playing like they used to, so long ago. Amelia manages to catch Tomoe¡¯s sleeve, only for Tomoe to move aside, and Amelia ends up falling into the ground. ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡­ It is rare to see you trip just like that.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Amelia says while rubbing her nose ¡°I guess I¡¯m just a bit tired mentally, can¡¯t focus much right now.¡± ¡°See you are having fun¡± a voice reach both girls. They turn, only to see Bran, in front of them, still standing. His body was marked with many scars that weren¡¯t there before, two marks of being heavily burnt too, and this was only what was visible to them. ¡°Hey, good to see you being ok¡± Tomoe says. ¡°I¡¯m far from being ok, thank you.¡± ¡°Uh?-¡± Tomoe was about to reply, but Amelia holds her arm, signaling her to not ask anymore by shaking her head. ¡°If you are here, this means-¡± Amelia starts saying. ¡°Yes. I was told that the strategy meeting is about to start and that I should go¡± Bran says, and starts walking towards the town hall. Turning to Amelia, Tomoe asks ¡°What happened to him?¡± Pulling Tomoe lower, so she can whisper to her ear, Amelia says ¡°Let¡¯s get to the meeting. I don¡¯t know much but I will tell you on the way.¡± 28- Ghosts of the Past Passing down the arch entrance of the building, Tomoe and Amelia enter the town hall. Being surrounded by Beheaders, almost everyone taller than them, Tomoe tries to look over everyone, managing to catch Bran, Titania and Lacus at one side of the room. At the sight of Lacus, a strong feeling of frustration surged within her mixed with a feeling of relief. In the face of this confusion, Tomoe bites her tongue, then tugs Amelia, and both walk towards them, passing behind all the Beheaders that are already gathered there. Getting to the place where the others are, Tomoe gives a hug to Titania and Lacus, then sees that Lorelei and Oscar are at the other side, and by the end of the room, surrounded by Daisy, William, Ray and Olga, there is Lady Aquamarine. At the sight of her, Tomoe¡¯s heart lost almost all weight she was carrying, something that she notices, and starts taking deep breaths, trying to stop the tears from coming. As Lady Aquamarine raises her sight, she catches Tomoe being present, taking a hand to her mouth, partly to cover her smile, partly to cover her also taking deep breaths. Tomoe snorts at the sight, noticing that she maybe took more than what she expected from her mother. Ray and Olga also catch Tomoe on their sights and take a breath of relief, smiling. ¡°I believe that all Beheaders are present¡± Ray speaks ¡°At least those that made it. My Lady, we can start.¡± Lady Aquamarine nods and then stands ¡°Many of you have been in my presence before. Still, you may have not known my appearance, only know me by my voice. Let me first present myself, formerly, to all of you: I¡¯m Lady Aquamarine, last Lord of the dishonored Aquamarine house, ruler of the Aquamarine state and the Link to the Aquamarine Lord tree, from which all of you have inherited the skill commonly known as Water taming. For reasons that are too long even in its simplified version, I was tied to the Aquamarine mansion back at the city, unable to leave its premises, unable to even reveal my face to all but a select group of individuals¡­ but said reasons no longer apply. This is why I now stand in front of you, as I personally think it should have been since the beginning. My pleasure to get to know, and see you all, finally, face to face.¡± The large group of Beheaders all start talking to each other. Tomoe sinks between her shoulders, with a little anxiety growing inside her, thinking about what could happen with this sudden development. Ray steps forward and says ¡°I¡¯ve been one of the few individuals who were granted the right to meet with our Lord face to face. For those who harbor doubts, I can assure you, this has been, and is, our very Lord that I have known, and has directed the Aquamarine Port City¡­ for a long time now.¡± Daisy stops forward too and adds ¡°I¡¯ve known our very Lord since she was a little girl. There¡¯s no need to doubt, I can give everyone my word that she is the Lord of this land¡± putting a hand to Lady Aquamarine¡¯s shoulder, she finishes ¡°And you all know how much I hold the value of my words.¡± The chatty ambiance faded a bit, but it was still on the air. Tomoe could hear low whispers between some Beheaders present, saying words that ranged from still the doubtful, to the ones that just praised the curvy slim body of Lady Aquamarine. Nevertheless, no one came forward. ¡°Thank you.¡± Says Lady Aquamarine, as she stands up ¡°Well, we surely have¡­ a fiery situation between our hands.¡± ¡°You bet!¡± could be heard said from somewhere between the Beheaders. Some chuckles followed. ¡°I have¡­ gathered information about the enemy army, and I would like to share it with all of you here, adding to that information the one I hold too, so everyone can be on the same page.¡± ¡°You heard our Lady, so, shut up!¡± yells Ray, sending the room into silence. ¡°Thank you, Ray. So, first, some basic information, information that you can find if you picked a history book back in the library or the copy in the state records. Please, hear what I¡¯m about to say all the way until the end. About three hundred years ago, a war was going on, between almost all the states, to take the position of King over our beloved country of Aeris. This came up right after the heads of the eleven houses plotted to overthrow the late King Lionheart, which they succeeded¡­ but then they were unable to come into an agreement on who would take the throne in his place. The war that came from this is known these days, at least in our books, as the War for the Lion¡¯s Den. Years later, seeing how the war ravaged the land, each house signed an armistice and went back to their respective state. Having not finished the previous war, we entered into another one, what we know now as a Cold War between the states.¡± ¡°How is it a Cold War? I don¡¯t understand, what we faced just now was far from cold.¡± A voice can be heard asking the question. ¡°We know it as a Cold War because the war itself hasn¡¯t been finished. It just came into a stalemate.¡± Lady Aquamarine answered, ¡°This stalemate has been going for about three hundred years, and, at least in my mind, until two days ago, I never thought the war would just come back, just like that.¡± ¡°So, what you mean is, we are facing one of the enemy states right now?¡± Lacus was the one asking this time. ¡°Not exactly, I¡¯m afraid. With the invasion of the enemy army, we have seen many taming abilities that here, in this state, haven¡¯t seen in these warring times. According to the information that was given to me by Ray and Olga, we have seen two taming abilities, fire taming and electric taming.¡± ¡°Basically, two houses joined forces.¡± Ray completed. ¡°That is the conclusion we came up with, but still, something didn¡¯t add up. The numbers of their army. We were outnumbered ten to one since the beginning, like two ant colonies clashing, one far outnumbering the other.¡± Raising her hand this time, Tomoe asked ¡°Ehmm¡­ Why that would be so strange?¡± ¡°Well, getting into it would be another large tale, but short of it is that, even if their respective states were doing as well as us, using our own policies, they shouldn¡¯t have been able to amass such a large army. Even if both houses applied some sort of racial-slavery system. It is not enough, there¡¯s is not enough people. And if this isn¡¯t possible, and seeing how some fire tamers were¡­ used, to put it lightly, it is in my guess that at least, these two houses have already conquered about four states around us, putting the conquered soldiers and families into slavery and pushing to fight for them today.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.At these words, the Beheaders in the room started to murmur to each other, in a murmur that could deaf the ears of the people not speaking themselves. To Tomoe¡¯s side, Bran had fallen to his knees, covering his mouth. Tomoe was about to crouch in order to help him, but Lacus crouched first, and with a hand gesture, let Tomoe know that he would take care of him. Grabbing him by the armpits, Lacus takes Bran outside of the room. ¡°Silence!¡± Ray yelled, startling Tomoe and Titania, and sending the room back into silence. ¡°Thank you, Ray. Everyone, please, there¡¯s more information still that needs to be discussed. No matter how horrible the acts we have witnessed today may be, being only disgusted will not help us survive. So, continuing, I believe that the two houses that have invaded us today are House Ruby and House Lapis. Both are states that in the map of Aeris, they are pretty far from us, but they are the ones that hold the Ruby and Lapis Lord Trees, respectively. The Ruby Lord Tree¡¯s fruit grants the ability of fire taming, while the Lapis Lord Tree¡¯s fruit grants electrical taming. So far in this invasion, we don¡¯t have witnesses to confirm if other taming abilities have been seen. After thinking about this, I have no reason to not believe these accounts, especially since House Lapis is one of the two houses invading us.¡± ¡°Why that would be, My Lady?¡± this time Lorelei raised her hand. ¡°House Lapis, as far as I remember, is a House that has always prided itself in its race. In the times of the late King Lionheart¡­ it was the House of the Elves.¡± At this, Tomoe flinches, focusing her sight on Lady Aquamarine. Lady Aquamarine put one finger to her mouth, a gesture directed to Tomoe, then continued ¡°Elves prided themselves as superior to all the other races, claiming, between other things, that their Lord Tree had the strongest and most useful taming ability. They have many other claims, from useless trifle to grandeur statements, but these are of no matter to us right now. If they conquered some states, it is surer that they would have destroyed the other Lord Trees present in said states. Why are they then working together with House Ruby is beyond me though.¡± Lady Aquamarine then makes a pause in which she looks at Ray, then at Olga, finally at Daisy, and taking a deep breath, then continues ¡°There is something that everyone must know, and pay close attention to this: in House Lapis, there is a male elf that has a white Aura.¡± Murmurs abound, echoing strongly within the room. ¡°Silence! Silence!¡± yells Ray, two, three, four times. Oscar came forward, raising his hand to about his chest, and asked ¡°What should we do now, My Lady?¡± ¡°Have some things in mind. Everything depends on how things end up tomorrow. Let us discuss said plans now, especially a countermeasure against the enemy White Aura¡± Lady Aquamarine answered. The reunion went on for the next three hours. At the end of it, Tomoe went out, with her legs being numb for all the time she was standing. Everyone else was already out of the room, with Amelia, Lacus, Bran, Titania, Lorelei and Oscar present. Tomoe turns to the town hall, but Daisy catches her by the shoulders. ¡°Tomoe, dear, can ask your help with a little something?¡± Still being taken a bit by surprise, Tomoe answers ¡°Sure. What do you need help with?¡± ¡°Some chanting. Sadly, in today¡¯s battle, some priests met their untimely end, and¡­ I need someone with experience, to accompany.¡± ¡°Eh? Tomoe chanting? Why would she know how to do that?¡± Titania said, wondering, a question that Amelia echoed too. ¡°Ah, yes, well, I guess you wouldn¡¯t know, but before becoming a Beheader, I personally taught this little sunshine the ways of priesthood.¡± Daisy says, giving a warm smile in the process that could be seen even under the robe. Bran snorted. Titania and Amelia raised her eyebrows in unison, looking straight to Tomoe¡¯s face. Turning red, Tomoe turned away, saying ¡°It was a long time ago.¡± Lacus is the one that didn¡¯t make any particular expression, instead, he only put a hand to his chin, rubbing it. ¡°So, dear, come, follow me. Everyone interested to see is welcomed too.¡± Daisy says as she starts going down the road back into the city. The group followed, crossing the city streets, between Beheader, Priests and normal Civilians, helping each other. Passing the elevated bridge, they all exited through the other side, the side that has the roads that lead to the Starlight forest. Deviating from the road, they went up the hill, through tall grass and some small crevasses ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± says Daisy ¡°for some reason, there aren¡¯t any insects around the Starlight forest.¡± Continuing going up, they get to a place that oversees the city, a small plain terrain, with some ruins, something really strange to see in the otherwise upward terrain of the acropolis. There are people here already, and a hole has been made into the ground. Coming closer, Tomoe can see that the hole is surrounded by priests, and ash trees have been planted around it. A grave. Daisy then grabs her by the wrist, and signals her to a space between priests, a gap that was large, out of place, in the formation ¡°Please little sunshine, let us help them... rest for a while longer.¡± Tomoe nods, and turning to the group, she says ¡°This shouldn¡¯t take long. Sit and enjoy the chant.¡± Taking her position, and Daisy hers, the chanting starts, singing a song, without instruments, purely on vocals, with few lyrics. While the priests and Tomoe chant, they open their arms, palms upward, uniting every priest and Tomoe, and inside the formation, little blue flames appear, blue flames that start moving into the hole in the ground. Looking into it, she can confirm what moments before she thought: Many, many bodies, laid at the bottom of the hole. The blue flames entered into the bodies, and the chanting went on. While chanting, looking upward, Tomoe could see the blood moon on the sky, that signal that says to the Aquamarines that the styx sea is on their shores. Strangely so, before, this blood moon always unsettled her since she can remember, but right now, for the first time in her life, the blood moon didn¡¯t. Strange, I wonder why. After the rite is finished, Tomoe walks towards her friends. A smile she can¡¯t contain appears on her face, and from her heart, a desire is born, like a blooming flower, that this night continues forever, to never ever face strife again, as only the waves of the ocean hitting the Citadel can be heard. 29- Looming over With the Blood Moon high in the sky shining its rays all over the city, Alexander stands at the main plaza of the Port City, at the entrance of his campaign tent, surrounded by his best soldiers and his personal guard. Turning his sights into inside the tent, he enters. There, he sees his wife, Lady Gwynevere, sits on a chair. The skin of her face, losing more and more color by the minute, and her constant taking deep breaths, pierce Alexander¡¯s heart. Coming closer, he grabs her hands over her knees, and asks ¡°How are you faring, my Sun?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I believe I still have time, my dear Moon¡± she answers while raising one of her hands to caress Alexander¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear this¡± Alexander says, imitating his wife, caressing Gwynevere¡¯s cheeks in return. He didn¡¯t need to ask though, everything that her body is telling him now more than enough to know that her time is coming closer. ¡°My dear Sun, are those Cinders that I hear outside?¡± ¡°Yes, they are. Why my dear? Are you feeling fearful of them?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be¡­ silly. As if they could go pass through you. I was thinking more of our soldiers, don¡¯t they need your help right now?¡± ¡°Worry not a thing, dear. I will go to help them right now. I just needed to see how were you faring.¡± Gwynevere smiled, but with such weakness, Alexander feared that she may break apart if he continued to slowly caress her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Go. Your men need you¡± she said while giving a gentle tap to his hand. Standing up, Alexander goes back out of the tent. At the entrance, he turns back, and says ¡°I¡¯m going to save you.¡± Gwynevere gave another gentle smile and a slow nod. Alexander this time smiled back, and then came out of the tent. Turning to the soldiers on the sides, he says ¡°Protect her with your life.¡± The soldier to his right answered ¡°Worry not, my Lord. We will protect our lives the last hope of our race.¡± The soldier to his left added ¡°With our very being, not even the worst Cinder will touch her.¡± Alexander nodded and continued walking, this time to outside of the circle of guards, to a building to the side of the main plaza. Entering, all the soldiers present stop everything they are doing, turn to face him, and greet him with this salute ¡°Long live Lord Lapis!¡± Raising his hand, Alexander orders ¡°Continue with what you were doing. Where is the general?¡± Hearing heavy steps coming his way, a soldier with a more ornamental armor appears before him ¡°You requested me, My Lord. Here I am.¡± ¡°Good. Come¡± Alexander signals the general to the outside of the building, and both go back to the main plaza. ¡°How things are going?¡± ¡°Well, My Lord. The tide came just like you said it would, and the preparations against Cinders is helping us deal with the abnormal quantities we have encountered until now.¡± ¡°What about the troops from House Ruby and the other conquered states?¡± ¡°In complete disarray, My Lord. We did just what you asked for, waiting for the Cinders to be about to kill them, then in the last minute to save them, right before they get eaten by the Cinders, and round them up back at the plaza in front of the old Cathedral.¡± ¡°Good. Any particular Cinder that is getting out of hand?¡± ¡°Well, the vast majority are rank one Cinders, nothing we can¡¯t handle with the ash tree branches. There and there we see a rank two, and until now, we have faced only a rank three, but our guys managed to break the distortion zone fast enough¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Well, My Lord. There is a rank six Cinder in the city.¡± Alexander stops, and turns to his general, looking him at the eyes with a sharp glare ¡°How are you handling him?¡± The general sinks between his shoulders, looking down into the ground ¡°I¡¯m sorry, My Lord. We are dealing with him right now by luring him all around the city.¡± ¡°Casualties?¡± ¡°Only one, My Lord.¡± ¡°What happened, general?¡± ¡°Our men saw it coming from the flooded lower plains. They didn¡¯t know and tried to face it. I came in moments later, but it was late enough for the poor fella that got caught.¡± ¡°So, you weren¡¯t right there.¡± ¡°No, My Lord. If I were there, I would¡¯ve barked at the fools, to move away from it right away.¡± ¡°I see. Then it is ok. General, we don¡¯t have many soldiers from our House right here. We need to make every one of them count.¡± ¡°I understand, My Lord¡­ Thank you.¡± Right at this moment, a Lapis soldier comes running into the main plaza, yelling ¡°General!¡±. Seeing the general, this soldier comes closer, and starts panicking ¡°General, we have a problem!¡± ¡°Soldier! Quite down! Don¡¯t you know in whose presence are you right now?¡± the general answers, pointing with his open palm towards Alexander. ¡°Oh¡­¡± says the soldier, still taking deep breaths ¡°I¡¯m sorry, My Lord. I hope you can apologize this soldier for such shameful display.¡± ¡°We can worry about that later, soldier¡± Alexander says ¡°You say there¡¯s a problem. What is it?¡± ¡°Well, My Lord, general. The rank six Cinder, the one we have been resorted to just lure it all around the city?¡± ¡°Yes, what is with it?¡± the general asks. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.¡°Is not following the lure anymore. Has set up the course towards the old cathedral.¡± ¡°Say no more¡± Alexander interrupts. Turning to the general, he orders ¡°bring me the two biggest ash tree spears we have, my helmet too, and keep the soldiers away. They will only get in the way.¡± ¡°Right away, My Lord!¡± Getting the ash trees spears and the helmet, Alexander makes way towards the old cathedral, where he can see the remnants of the house Ruby soldiers and others, all gathered in a circle at the center of the plaza. From the side of the plaza, moving through some houses, destroying them, Polsen appears sword of darkness in hand. Seeing this, Alexander engages his Aura, and blue light coming from him surrounds him, with Alexander making sure to make it really bright. Polsen moved forward, and when it entered the plaza, he noticed Alexander¡¯s Aura. Turning its head, it looks at Alexander, then at the group of soldiers in the middle of the plaza. Come on, I¡¯m right here. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Polsen turns back to the soldiers, and advances towards them, ignoring Alexander. Alexander then infuses himself with his Aura, and plunges forward, bringing both ash tree spears in front of himself. Reaching Polsen, just when he is about to hit it, Polsen raises the sword of darkness, blocking the direct hit. At the contact of the sword with the ash tree spears, the sword releases a shining light at the point of contact, rapidly vanishing, sending Polsen flying towards the old cathedral. Turning towards the soldiers, Alexander says ¡°Get behind me and don¡¯t get in the way.¡± Gotta keep in mind that that thing has far more strength than it lets conclude at simple sight. Polsen gets back up. Having the hilt of the sword in its right hand, he swings it a couple of times. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, can¡¯t take out your sword?! Come to me!¡± Alexander yells, hitting his chest twice with his closed fists, still holding the spears. Then, Polsen stops swinging the hilt, disintegrating it in a shroud of darkness. Looking towards Alexander, Polsen starts sliding forward, raising his large thin arms towards Alexander. As he comes within distance, Alexander touches both of its arms with the spears, letting two more sparks of light come out at the place of contact. Polsen slides back, letting out a chilling scream in the process. Looking around him, Alexander sees how even his soldiers have taken the knee at this scream. Can¡¯t have that, not now. Raising one of the spears, Alexander prepares to throw it against Polsen. Just a little more strength, enough to pierce the darkness. Raising the Aura infusion in his body, Alexander takes position, and throws the spear against Polsen, who still was screaming. The spear pierces Polsen through the darkness of the head, muffling Polsen¡¯s scream while letting another spark of light come out of him. Falling to the ground, Polsen puts its arms to stop going all the way to the ground. Alexander took this opportunity. Coming closer at high speed, he impales Polsen with the other spear he still had, letting another spark of light off, and paralyzing Polsen on the ground. ¡°That is what you get for underestimating me¡± Alexander says, as he pushes the freshly impaled spear further into Polsen. Turning back, some of his soldiers run to his encounter ¡°My Lord¡­ You did it.¡± ¡°Indeed I did. Keep the spear touching him, and he will curl not before long. He is a cinder after all.¡± ¡°Will do, My Lord.¡± The general comes to Alexander encounter ¡°My Lord-¡± Alexander interrupts him, asking ¡°General, what do you know about our¡­ plan, regarding the infiltration of the citadel?¡± ¡°Oh, ah¡­ yes, My Lord. While you handled down the cinder, word got to me that the little ones¡­ were set free, and they should be on their way into the citadel right now.¡± ¡°Good. That will keep them¡­ distracted, while we prepare¡­ the big entrance.¡± ¡°But, My Lord, if I may?¡± ¡°Go ahead, general.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t we went in instead of the¡­ those things you sent in?¡± ¡°That passage is too small for us, general. Worry not, I have¡­ other things in mind.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± As the general goes away, Alexander looks again around him. Clearly, the Aquamarine state never lost the King¡¯s blessing. The mere thought made him shake in anger, his frustration making a dent in his pride. One looking from the outside could see this man and think that he was completely tranquil, yet inside him, the desire to crush the late King¡¯s skull was brightly burning. You may have fooled me once, but in the end, I¡¯ll win, brother. Looking at his open palm, he could see it. His beliefs, goals, the pain and sweat and blood, everything that he has put into reaching his goal. The way to save his wife¡¯s life, and the conquering of the entire country, at last, it was at arm¡¯s length, and he certainly will not wait any longer to take what is his birthright. ¡°Now¡­¡± starts saying Alexander, as he turns to the soldiers of house Ruby ¡°time to unite the army, under the banner of house Lapis.¡± Walking towards the soldiers, Alexander starts with ¡°Please, tell me, what has happened to Lord Falco?¡± 30- Green morning At the outskirts of the city, a building, two stories tall, lays. The second floor, part of its walls and ceiling is gone, giving it a view of the ocean beyond the walls. In this room, Tomoe lays down, caressed by the ocean breeze that reaches her room, sleeping profoundly. As she got to the bed, she just plummeted into it, forgetting to get out of the standard Beheader light armor. At the sound of the water flowing, a new sound joins. Multiple steps, and the sound of the branches of the trees being rustled. Tomoe turns, laying upward. Waking up, still in a daze, she looks at the ceiling, still conserving some of its colors from its old days. Looking at the opening of the room that overlooks the ocean, she notices that the night is starting to light up. Something catches her sight, being right in front of her: A shadowy figure. Being as tall as a child, with weird body proportions, having feet and arms larger than the normal, and a small trunk for body. Seeing it, Tomoe just doesn¡¯t react to it. This is something¡­ weird. Am I still dreaming?. Rolling over again, Tomoe falls asleep, ignoring the presence. Tomoe continues to sleep, feeling each part of her body tired beyond comprehension. The breeze continues to caress her, and she continues to drift in her dreams until another sound interrupts her. Heavy hits, hitting the door of the second floor. Opening her eyes again, this time she feels out of the daze. Rubbing her eyes, she looks again at the hole of the room, only to find that the shadowy figure isn¡¯t there anymore. The hits continue, and Tomoe stands up, getting to the door ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming!¡± Opening the door, Tomoe greets a fully light armored Bran, letting a huge yawn escape. ¡°Sleeping soundly I presume?¡± ¡°You bet, at least until you woke me up. What is this about? I was sleeping really well you know.¡± ¡°We have a¡­ situation¡­¡± says Bran, giving a serious look to Tomoe. ¡°You¡­ could you even get some rest?¡± ¡°That¡­ is of no importance.¡± Answers Bran ¡°we were in the vicinity and decided to check on you, just to be sure, and to get you to help us out.¡± ¡°We?¡± Bran points down, towards the first floor, and looking down, she finds that Lacus is there too, in his full light armor. Tomoe felt the frustration starting to dwell up remembering yesterday, yet, after thinking it for a moment, Tomoe finally says ¡°Well, sure. I¡¯m already up anyway, doubt that I will be able to go back to sleep¡± Putting her frustrations in the back burner for now. ¡°Fantastic¡± answers Bran. ¡°By the way, good morning to you two.¡± Tomoe adds, as she takes her canteen and a cloak, to stave off the cold. ¡°Yeah, good morning.¡± Bran replies. ¡°Morning.¡± Answers Lacus. Getting out of the house, Bran takes the direction back into the city. Following, Tomoe finally asks ¡°So¡­ what is the situation then?¡± ¡°We have had reports that some women have gone¡­ missing.¡± ¡°Missing? Here? Since when?¡± ¡°About an hour ago. Maybe less, maybe more. And yes, we have already searched for them high and low in the city. The search is still going on.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Anything we can go by?¡± ¡°We have some testimonies: supposedly, in the middle of the night, some men and women heard some sort of muffling sounds, and the sound of heavy objects being dragged, and a couple even dropped on the floor.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ believe¡­¡± says Tomoe, putting her hands on her mouth ¡°other Aquamarines?¡± ¡°Impossible. You know that rape is almost impossible thanks to Aura, and thanks to the war, the only way it is possible should be out of hand of every Aquamarine here.¡± ¡°What about those that haven¡¯t awakened their Aura yet?¡± ¡°I thought about that, but between the kidnapped, there are already people with their Aura awakened.¡± ¡°Then, what could it be?¡± ¡°That is what we are going to investigate, find them and the reason why it is only either red Auras or those that haven¡¯t awakened them.¡± As they reach the main circular plaza, they cross over to the other side, in direction to the Starlight Forest. Lacus, letting his seventh yawn escape, asks ¡°Why over to the Starlight Forest?¡± ¡°Well, there is no one covering still that side of the acropolis, and some Aquamarines claimed that the sound went that way anyway.¡± ¡°What? But then how is so that there is no one searching there still?¡± Lacus asks again. ¡°Give it a rest. Taking into account the time, many of them weren¡¯t even sure of it.¡± Yawning again, Lacus says ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean¡­ Well, anyway, then let''s go searching for the missing women then.¡± Halfway through the road, before reaching the Starlight Forest, Bran stops, and takes a turn to the right, starting going upward ¡°This way.¡± ¡°We have to start somewhere anyway.¡± Tomoe says as she also goes that way while yawning. ¡°Why here? Shouldn¡¯t we start searching the closest to the forest?¡± Lacus asks. ¡°Assuming this is a case of kidnapping, no.¡± Bran answers. ¡°The Starlight Forest is really dangerous. Even coming close to it puts anyone at risk. If there is someone doing this, then that person should know this.¡± Tomoe adds. ¡°Dangerous? How dangerous? Like the Stardust Forest?¡± Lacus asks again. Tomoe thinks about it, but then ends up saying ¡°I¡¯ll show you later on today.¡± ¡°I¡­ see, will look forward to it.¡± As they continue the search, they find something that its quite out of place: Usually, the city is in a good state, even when there is some destruction there and there, erosion is done by time, to the buildings and the road. They look quite dated. Here though, the three stories box-shaped building has some windows destroyed, the door out of place, and some plant-like material is all over the ground outside. The building lays at the outskirts of the city. ¡°This¡­¡± Tomoe starts talking. ¡°It looks a lot like it.¡± ¡°Well, if the perpetrator has some semblance of intelligence like you guys said, he or she would choose a place far removed to kidnap people and keep them there.¡± ¡°Yeah. But something is bothering me.¡± Tomoe says, as she points towards the ground, then towards the Starlight Forest. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.¡°We are too close to the Forest. Why wouldn¡¯t they know the dangers of it?¡± Bran asks. ¡°Maybe they aren¡¯t from here?¡± Lacus asserts. Silence. Tomoe looks at Bran, then at Lacus. As she is about to open her mouth, a sound comes from inside the building, in a really low tone ¡°¡­help¡­¡± followed by some sobs. Crouching slightly, Bran says ¡°Seems like we found our objective.¡± Touching Bran¡¯s right arm, Tomoe says ¡°Let me go first.¡± Bran nods. ¡°I¡¯ll cover you.¡± Lacus says. ¡°No,¡± Tomoe rejects ¡°be here with Bran and take care nothing else comes trying to enter.¡± Engaging her Aura, she envelops herself with a barrier, really close to the body. Taking steps, Tomoe gets to the door of the building, only to see the room covered in darkness. A faraway sound of rain reaches her ears. As she enters, the light of her Aura shows that the ceiling is gone. So, there¡¯s no second floor. Continuing walking, Tomoe moves towards the center of the room. She looks back, only to see Lacus by the door. Looking forward again, she wonders for a moment if she should light up the entire room, but she shoots down the idea since it would require to concentrate her Aura at one single point to illuminate enough the first floor, leaving her vulnerable. A bit further, the light of the Aura is cast over a body hiding in the shadows. Coming a bit closer, Tomoe encounters a girl, dark-skinned, wavy brown hair, without clothes, trembling. Reaching her hand to hers, Tomoe fully kneels and asks ¡°Are you hurt?¡± The girl continues to tremble. She tries to move her mouth, but to no avail, no sound came out of it. ¡°Do you even remember how you got here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The girl¡¯s hand left Tomoe¡¯s, and with her finger, she pointed to her left. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°W¡­W¡­¡± ¡°Come on, talk to me.¡± The girl, taking a deep breath to contain herself, speaks with all of her strength, still resulting in a whisper ¡°Watch¡­ out¡­ up.¡± ¡°Up?¡± as Tomoe heard her, she turned to see upward, to the darkness that surrounds them. Up? ¡°Watch out Tomoe!¡± Lacus yells, still behind her. With a stream of water, Lacus attacks to her right in a fast move. Tomoe almost loses equilibrium ¡°What are you thinking?!¡± she yells. ¡°I¡¯m thinking this!¡± Lacus yells as he lights up the water with his Aura, casting light on what he just has attacked: A strange figure, kid-like, with abnormal large arms and legs, and a strange small trunk for a body. The water spear got him right on the head, which is also larger than usual. In a single instant, Tomoe heard wood making cracking noises as if a strong force was just applied against it. Infusing the water she has with her, Tomoe water tames an attack in all directions, as some sort of whip, covering at three heights around her. She gets seven hits, and body parts hitting her Aura barrier in return. Suddenly, a yellow light fills the room. Turning to see from where it comes, Bran has just entered, forcing his yellow Aura into casting a stronger light. Taking over the shadows, the room lights up, only to reveal a gruesome scenario: Other four girls were there together, at different parts of the floor. Their bodies bruised, in unnatural positions, blood spilled over the floor, all of them naked. The bodies that Lacus and Tomoe got, all had the same commonalities: large arms and legs, small trunks, unnatural large heads, green skin. ¡°Seems like the mystery of the kidnapping just solved itself.¡± Bran says. ¡°How?¡± Tomoe says, putting her hands to her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t Tomoe¡­ Just, let''s focus on her.¡± Lacus says, pointing towards the dark-skinned girl. Tomoe looks back at her, seeing tears rolling on her face. She is still trembling, but the expression on her face is one of relief. Taking off her cloak, Tomoe covers the girl and lifts her on her arms. With it, the rain starts to go away. ¡°But¡­ how¡­¡± starts saying Tomoe, while she takes glances of the other dead girls and woman present. ¡°Looking at her¡­¡± Lacus says ¡°Bran, aren¡¯t you thinking the same?¡± ¡°Gotta be drugs.¡± Bran replies. ¡°Drugs?¡± says Tomoe, raising her eyebrows. ¡°The effectiveness of the Aura depends on the mind. If they somehow gave drugs to the girls while they were sleeping, Aura will have trouble engaging.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°The girl in your arms. Look.¡± Bran points at her. Tomoe, seeing her, realizes the issue at hand, seeing the girl barely being able to stand awake ¡°Probably she is a red Aura, the reason the drug is having such a powerful effect on her. If these little bastards gave it to a yellow Aura they would surely have a lot more problem dealing with her.¡± ¡°Since we have rescued her, a great relief has invaded her whole body. Now she is almost unable to stay awake. Probably they gave her a smaller dose of the drug, considering how we found her, maybe to use her as a trap a get more¡­ more women.¡± ¡°Goblins¡­¡± Lacus adds ¡°that is what they are called. Not native to the Aquamarine state. Read about them a couple of times when I was a kid, barely can remember anything else about them though. I do remember that in the book, it was specified that it was a race that the last king of Aeris, Lionheart, cursed at one point in the past, and they have been with this shape since then.¡± ¡°Well, that is more than enough for goblins. Let''s get the girl out of here back to the city¡­ and tell Daisy about the bodies here. We don¡¯t want Cinders.¡± As Tomoe ends saying this, a couple of screams can be overheard, coming from in direction of the central plaza of the city. Some sounds of metal clashing, and a couple of more screams, clearly feminine, are clearly heard, and with them, the sound rain came back. Tomoe embraced the little girl. As the screams teared up her heart, she bit her lower lip. She could feel how that little peace she had the night before was being ripped apart from her. Almost no time to rest¡­ Looking at each other, Bran runs out of the building, with Tomoe and Lacus following suit. 31- Red morning As they are coming closer to the main plaza, they stop to see a barrier surrounding it. Made of Aura, with a combination of mostly yellows and reds, it is large enough to cover the main plaza, and the people that are taking refuge in it. Looking around the barrier and to the sides, Bran catches the problem at hand: multiple, little shadows, running up and down the main plaza. With the sun rising, casting its light over the city, these shadows are cast away, to reveal that many, many goblins are attacking. Entering homes, fighting Aquamarines, kidnapping the women to take them away. This doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­ attacking this in the open¡­ From outside the barrier, Beheaders and Aquamarines are working together, in order to put into safety, inside the barrier, all the women, children and old people that are still outside. For those that are taken away, Beheaders follow making groups of two for the chase. Passing by Bran, Tomoe doesn¡¯t stop, entering the barrier together with Lacus. As Tomoe is leaving the girl in the care of Olga, Bran enters the barrier, walking over the almost sea of corpses of goblins littering the ground. ¡°Ray!¡± Bran calls for. Hearing this, Ray comes closer. ¡°Good to see that you managed to rescue one, kid.¡± ¡°What is the situation?¡± ¡°Well, little after we sent you to search for the kidnapped women, these little bastards appeared out of nowhere in the city, and after a little while, started attacking. They are really weak, but their numbers are outrageous.¡± ¡°I can see that¡± says Bran, giving another look at the bodies in the ground ¡°Why are they doing this though? This is nothing more than suicide.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t care. They seem pretty stupid if you ask me, trying to kidnap our women like this. I wouldn¡¯t consider at first that they are kidnapping them only to have some twisted action, but seeing how they are coming to us, I now can¡¯t rule it out.¡± Bran¡¯s gut tightens. A weak haze hits him, but he manages to stand on his feet. The memory of her fills Bran¡¯s chest with burning chaos. ¡°Kid, take position. I want you to get ready at any moment to give chase to these little bastards if necessary. Work with the barrier meanwhile.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. I want to be out there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You are clearly not in the correct state for the front line work.¡± Standing up straight, Bran looks Ray to the eyes ¡°I can do it.¡± Ray raises his eyebrows, and putting a hand to his chin, he says ¡°You know kid? Maybe I¡¯m wrong¡­ Alright then, be out here, but you won¡¯t be on your own. Tomoe!¡± Ray yells, turning back to Tomoe as she is already at the barrier, helping. Raising her head, she looks at her sides. ¡°Over here girl!¡± Ray yells ¡°Come!¡± Standing up, Tomoe moves to were Ray is ¡°Protect the barrier from this place girl¡­ and keep an eye on him.¡± Ray says as he points towards Bran. Tomoe nods ¡°Will do.¡± Exiting the barrier, Bran engages his red Aura. Takes a jelly, creating infused water out of his Aura, and starts moving it, flowing it in the ground. Goblins plunge forward from the street he just came in, and Bran moves the infused water at high speed, cutting them by their stomachs. Some more goblins appear over the buildings to his right, jumping towards him and meeting Bran¡¯s high-pressure water blade, making some heads roll to the ground. From the street he is facing, two Beheaders appear, running towards the barrier, while one of them carry a little girl, followed by a wave of goblins. Taking two more jellies, Bran unites all the infused water in his control, yelling ¡°Watch out!¡±. The two Beheaders manage to hear him and seeing how water is swirling to Bran¡¯s sides, the one with free hands gets in front of the one with the little girl, engaging his Aura in a barrier, without stopping running. Seeing this, Bran waits until the very last moment, and throws the water against the goblins in the street, pushing them away, while the Beheader manages to fend off what water hit him, taking a chunk of his Aura. ¡°You¡¯re getting better at controlling large bodies of water¡± Bran can hear Tomoe say, from behind him. ¡°Still hit him though¡± Bran says, as the Beheaders that were running stand up again, and go past him into the barrier. Suddenly, a shadow blocks the light that was hitting Bran¡¯s face, and in an instant, Bran felt something weighting his head down, and what he recognizes are the sounds the goblins make, just that this time is right beside his ear. The goblin that just jumped on his head goes for his throat with his sharpened fingernails, but Bran covers it with his Aura. Seeing this, the goblin grabs Bran¡¯s hair and starts shaking from one side to another, with violence, enough to make Bran stumble to the ground. As he is falling though, he stills has some infused water in front of him, and taking position such that his face meets the ground, instead of landing on top of the goblin, he uses water taming and spears through the goblin¡¯s body. Bran extends his arms, stopping his falling, while the body of the goblin falls limp to his right. ¡°Stand up, fast! They have you surrounded!¡± Bran hears from Tomoe, once more yelling from behind. Getting on his feet, but before standing completely straight, Bran sees a goblin already jumping towards him. Infusing his body with Aura, he delivers an uppercut, right to the goblin¡¯s chin, making it roll over itself in the air. Taking two steps in that direction, Bran shifts the weight of his body, turning fast, using the momentum to lift his leg in the air and kick two goblins¡¯ head in the process, beheading them. A third goblin, a bit far enough that the kick didn¡¯t reach him, jumps forward, wooden knife in hand, only to be met by Bran¡¯s red Aura his left hook. Suddenly, a scream can be heard. Raising his eyes, Bran sees how a group of goblins managed to take a girl, long straight red hair, about fifteen years. Working together, the goblins climb one of the houses with the girl and escape using the roofs, in direction to the lower levels of the city and the Starlight Forest. Two Beheaders jump at the situation, and Bran, without thinking, follows through, running towards a house and using water taming to elevate himself to the roof. Having a view of most of the lower city, Bran can see that the goblins are headed to one of the other towers, circular for an unknown reason. The Beheaders that went first already are almost at the tower, water taming against the goblins that are attacking them. Jumping from roof to roof, Bran goes in a straight line, and when he is half the way, he water tames again, in order to cover terrain instantly and launch himself directly to one of the windows of the tower, only that he miscalculated a bit, engaging his Aura barrier to absorb the hit, but still managing to get a hold of the window with one hand. Looking upward, he is met by a goblin, already raising his makeshift knife. Suddenly, a deaf sound pierces the air, opening a hole in the goblin¡¯s body, right in the chest, and the goblin falls to the outside. Looking back, Bran can see Lacus and Tomoe, with one of her bubbles already raised and still gobbling, both making signs with their hands to tell him to keep going. Bran can¡¯t help but snort at the scenario. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.Pulling himself up, Bran enters into the top room of the tower, with only three more goblins, and the kidnapped girl with them. One of the goblins, seeing the situation they are in, pulls a makeshift axe to the little girl neck, screaming in a language that Bran just can¡¯t understand, but he surely could understand the situation he is in. Getting to his knees, he pulls his hands to the sides, and releases his Aura, exposing his body. The other two goblins suddenly lost the expression of fear, and gained a twisted expression with smugness, showing their yellow teeth. Bran meets the girl eyes, only to see already that she has some bruises and tears that won¡¯t stop flowing. The two goblins come close, laughing in a strange manner as if monkeys were. Taking out their makeshift daggers, they start cutting Bran at the arms. Blood, bright like a ruby, starts flowing, falling to the floor. The goblins start laughing, even more, becoming more and more savage, being joined by the one that has put his axe at the girl¡¯s neck. As they start stabbing Bran¡¯s stomach, they find it hard to penetrate besides the points of the daggers, putting more and more force with each stab and cut. Here he was, once again. Even in a dangerous situation like this one, even when he is getting hurt, even when blood is pouring out of him, even here he can¡¯t stop thinking about her. ¡°Why?¡± Is the question that he has repeated himself, one thousand times and it isn¡¯t even midday. Looking at his blood on the ground, he can¡¯t stop himself from remembering. The first time he saw her at the Muscle Squid. Showing her around the city. Playing with the children at the plaza in front of the Old Cathedral. Eating until nothing could fit any more in their stomachs. Getting together and watching the sunset at the distance, as the sky turned red and blended seamlessly with her ruby hair flowing in the wind. The first time he held her hand and the moment right next to it when he stole their first kiss. Now he can only see his red blood flowing out of him, surrounding him, tainting his clothes. Who could have known, that in such a small time frame, someone unknown could turn into someone so important, so important, that she was able to paint his entire world with a new color? Fire. The thought of her made him quiver more than the daggers and smell of the Goblins. Flames, searing into his heart the question that his mind can¡¯t answer, that it can¡¯t be answered anymore: Did he meant so little to this woman that he dearly loved so much? And it hit him. He couldn¡¯t deny it anymore. As the anguish like a million needles hitting him suddenly melted. The realization of how much space she managed to occupy in his heart and the emptiness he feels now that she is no longer with him. You¡­ You stupid, stupid idiot¡­ The room suddenly is filled with sounds of a liquid splashing. The goblins were taken out of their frenzy by this and started looking around, which provoked more sounds. Looking downward, one of the goblins saw what was making this sound: At his feet, he was surrounded by a little pool of blood. Realizing what happened, he raised his head, trying to scream and warn the others, but he was a little to slow, seeing how the other two were surrounded too by that blood, and in an instant, the bodies of the three goblins were speared, falling limp to the ground. Standing up, Bran comes closer to the girl and tends his hand to her. ¡°Glad that the plan worked out¡± he says, with a smile on his face. The girl, who was trembling in the ground, jumps towards Bran, circling his neck with her arms, sobbing. ¡°Seems you got it under control.¡± Bran turns back, only to see Lacus getting into the room by the door, followed by Tomoe, entering by the window. The other two Beheaders enter the room following Lacus, and Bran delivers the girl to them. ¡°T-t-thank you¡­¡± reaches Bran¡¯s ears, as the girl whispers these words before the Beheaders take her back, out of his sight. Getting to the other side of the window, Tomoe calls Bran, signaling him to come with her hand. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t we have to go back in order to protect the others?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need now, Ray told me. These goblins are pretty weak, and we have various sights that report goblins already are running for their lives, away from the city. Look.¡± Tomoe says as she points towards the last group of goblins leaving the main plaza, running in direction to the Starlight Forest. ¡°They aren¡¯t going to stop, right?¡± Lacus says, joining the conversation ¡°The dangers of the Starlight Forest, will I be able to see it finally?¡± ¡°That is true¡­ so, what are the dangers of the Forest?¡± Bran asks Tomoe. ¡°Better if you see it for yourself. Maybe this way it will be ingrained in a way that you will never forget¡­ Trust me.¡± Tomoe answers, making an expression that combines disgust, surprise, smug, and a bit of worry. Looking at the goblins reach the forest, Tomoe says ¡°Any moment now¡­ here it comes!¡± The Starlight Forest starts to rustle, all the trees and branches. Lights start appearing as if it were a little galaxy of stars, and the very moment the first goblin reaches the forest, its body is blown away into pieces that end flying a couple of meters away. Bran is shocked, sinking between his shoulders at the sight of such power, while Lacus lets a loud whistle escape. Tomoe is only looking with the corner of her eye. The other goblins that were escaping also meet the same fate, with each strike being accompanied by a deaf sound, reaching them. ¡°Now that is nasty¡± Lacus says. ¡°I know.¡± Tomoe answers. Then, she adds ¡°Lacus¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± After a brief silence, she says ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°How did you come to know about this forest?¡± asks Bran. ¡°Long story.¡± Replies Tomoe. ¡°Ho-¡± Bran was about to ask, but a sudden burst of air pushed the three of them almost outside of the tower, away from the Starlight forest, well into the city, followed by a sound that is unlike anything else they have heard in their life in terms of how loud it was. Sudden really large rocks went flying everywhere, bringing it down, with Bran landing into a house, crashing through the roof. Being dizzy by the sudden event, Bran stands up, only to see that an object has hit the steep featureless precipice that surrounds the Grand Castle, sticking right into it. The object, still glowing, isn¡¯t larger than six horses, in two rows of three, in groups of two. Bran turns but another sight cut his breath off while falling to his knees again. He can only muster the strength to say ¡°H-¡­ How?¡± 32- White morning Running across the lower city, Titania is with a group of Beheaders, following a group of fleeing goblins. Going past the level of the main access bridge from which they arrived into the city the first time, the terrain becomes more inclined, lowering the houses, and letting Titania see multiple bridges that connect, on the lower part, the city with the wall, and the fleeing goblins getting into one and into the wall. Stopping in front of the bridge, one of the Beheaders says ¡°We will push through, people. Still, be mindful of the surroundings once we are inside, especially of the top, since they may have the height advantage inside. Let''s not keep stalling, come one!¡± Titania nods, as so does the entire group, and they cross the bridge the goblins already crossed before. Once inside, Titania realized something that was bugging her for a while now: The walls are pretty thick. In her expectations, the walls maybe were a man arms, stretched, in length. This wall, the tunnels and walkable zones were almost three man¡¯s length to the sides. They are faced with only one stair, going up. The leader signs up with his hand, and everyone takes a circle formation, with Titania covering the rear. Titania takes two jellies, turning some of her Aura into tamed water, and they start to move. The light of the rising sun is already shining over the citadel, and its light can be seen from the entrance, but just a couple of steps forward and the light is already halved, with the tunnel having a dim atmosphere. The tunnel height is quite tall. As they reach the end of the stairs, many barrels can be seen, together with wooden boxes, and a large hallway. The Beheader in the front makes a sign, in order to start moving slowly, but Titania moves forward, putting a hand to his shoulder, and in a swift move, pierces the barrels and boxes. Two separates screams can be heard, only to reveal that two goblins were hiding, one inside a barrel, the other inside a box. Nodding, the Beheader the signals again, this time they move again. Walking down the hallway, they come across another stair to the side. They take it. As they are leaving the floor, one Beheader on the side water tames into the shadows, over the wooden beams, only to hear the sound of flesh being pierced. Calling back the water, the body of a dead goblin falls down to the floor. ¡°I¡­ just thought I saw something moving over there.¡± The Beheader says. ¡°Well done.¡± The one in the front says ¡°Let''s keep moving.¡± Another nod and they are back moving. The second floor is no different from the first, with barrels, boxes, and a great deal of dust littering the place. This time around, the one in the front called Titania forward, and pointed towards the boxes and barrels. Titania nodded and pierced them. Nothing. As they are walking, in the middle of the corridor, from the top, the rest of the group of goblins falls down from the ceiling, all landing on four Beheaders, from the group of six. As soon as the goblins landed on them, Auras engaged, protecting them from the makeshift pointed weapons the goblins have, which the goblins are attacking them with. One of the Beheaders, with four goblins on top, is stumbling, with the goblins trying to make her fall. ¡°Get down!¡± Titania yells. The Beheaders hear her and get on their knees. The goblins keep stabbing, but at the sound of rushing water, they turn, only to be met with water piercing their heads, at high speeds. The other Beheader gets two more, only to leave eight goblins, that fall to the ground, and get up, putting some distance between them. Titania shots at them again, only for the goblins to evade the attack this time, and start screaming and running away. ¡°After them!¡± one of the Beheaders barks and the group stands and gives chase. Right on the four-floor, two more goblins have been eliminated. Titania is starting to pant and enters one room to the side of the corridor. Another girl enters with her, and asks ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ok,¡± Titania says ¡°It is just that¡­ I didn¡¯t recover my Aura completely from yesterday, so I¡¯m running a bit low here.¡± ¡°I see. I¡­ I¡¯ll accompany you then.¡± ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need. I can take care of myself. If some of those ugly bastards show up, they will meet the end of my spear.¡± Titania says, smiling. The girl snorts, and answer the smile back ¡°I will make sure no goblins survive today.¡± And reaching the entrance, she adds ¡°take care!¡± while waving. ¡°You too!¡± Having the girl left the room, Titania looks at the room, being surprised because it actually has a window and a box beside it. She takes the box that is there, puts it besides the window, and sits. ¡°Wow¡­ I can see the entire of the Port City from here¡±, she muses, as a breeze comes through. Didn¡¯t know that the wall had windows like this either. Seeing the city, pillars of smoke rise from various parts of the city. The old cathedral is intact, but the Aquamarine mansion and many more buildings are down. Her house also is down. Looking down, she sees that the styx sea has already gone back, revealing the lower plains back to the sunlight. Wonder how much havoc did the Cinders caused between their ranks. Yes, she couldn¡¯t forget, that city must surely be crawling with Cinders right now, especially Polsen. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.Another breeze comes through, finally relaxing her body. The goblins have been dealt with, and they don¡¯t need her help to finish the hunt. Good, because she is running low on Aura already. Why is her Aura recovery so slow? After many years she still can¡¯t figure that out. As she thinks of the past, the image of her late father comes up. A knot instantly forms on her throat, as her eyes get teary. She had to grow up, and fast, so much so that she can¡¯t remember the time before when her father was around. Like a cloud covering the sun, those blessed days feel so far away now, the little girl she was once she can¡¯t recognize now, not anymore. At the very least, her mother is safe now. Even when the goblins are really weak, a person like her mother with so little Aura, and a red one to that, with no combat experience at all, she would have a lot of trouble. It would be really dangerous. Since the goblins went mostly for women, her little brother would probably be fine. Even when the goblins did take some boys, he is also besides Ray, with her mother close enough. Wiping some tears off, she reassures herself. She did everything she could. Her mother and little brother are safe. Everyone is safe¡­ No, she overdid it. ¡°When I will learn to be more careful with my Aura?¡± she whispers in exasperation. Anyway, enough rest for now. Time to go back. As she gives another look at the city, she spots something odd. At half way between the Port City and the Citadel, Titania catches the enemy army, coming forward towards the wall. At the front, some sort of carriage, carrying a large piece of, what it seems, a large piece of iron, or steel. Getting at a certain distance, the enemy army leaves the front alone, taking some distance, while eight people come forward. The fire tamers, four of them, suddenly start taming fire to the four corners of the open carriage, the four flames in a straight line. Then, the other four, electric tamers, started to move electrical arcs, between the four beams of fire. At this moment, eight more people joined each one supporting one tamer with their own Aura. The metallic object started to gain a bright color, and to Titania¡¯s surprise, the large object, seemingly heavy for her, started to float in the air. ¡°This is weird now¡­ just like when Tomoe water tames, being able to suspend bubbles in the air and all that¡­ is it related at all?¡± Titania lets escape. A sound reaches her ears, and she turns, raising the infused water ready to attack, only to find Sven, standing there in the entrance of the room. ¡°Oh¡­ good Lord. You scared me.¡± Says Titania, as she some deep breaths, to try and calm her pounding heart. Sven just shakes his head. Then, he points towards her, then the barrel. ¡°This? I¡¯m just taking a bit of a break. I haven¡¯t recovered completely from yesterday.¡± Looking at him, Titania adds ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Come in, take a box, come, sit and watch with me this¡­ unusual thing.¡± She says, pointing downward, out of the window. Titania looks again at the little, unusual spectacle, only to find that sixteen more people have joined the first tamers. The heavy large object of metal is now shining, suspended on the air, and is now spinning really fast. She also sees that the electrical arcs have multiplied, jumping between the fire beams. Sven comes closer and takes a look out of the window. ¡°Weird, isn¡¯t it? I wonder what are they trying to do?¡± Titania asks. Raising her eyes though, she sees something that she hasn¡¯t seen before: With sweat dropping from Sven¡¯s forehead, his arms trembling, his mouth open, grabbing the wall and window struggling to stand on feet. His expression is the most unexpected, an expression of fear, his face is like it took impossible contortions. ¡°Sven¡­ what¡¯s wrong? Are you ok? What is-¡± Titania starts saying, while she is standing and reaching Sven with her hand. Sven, without notice, takes Titania¡¯s arm, pushes her towards himself and carries her ¡°Hey! What is happening?!¡± Titania yells as Sven runs out of the room, taking the next two stairs up, to the sixth floor. Finding a room that has a window on the side that looks at the citadel. Entering the room, Titania is trying to push Sven away ¡°Hey! If something is wrong speak to me but don¡¯t carry me or do anything out of nowhere!¡± Sven pulls her down, and Titania asks ¡°Finally! What got you so riled up?¡± only to see that Sven took a couple of steps back, and in an instant, tackles her. Titania engages her Aura barrier in the last second, but the momentum is so big that she is pushed against the window. Sven, taking chance and not leaving Titania time to recover, grabs the barrier, and Titania with it, and throws her, with all of his strength, out of the window. As she is flying away, she takes a look at Sven. Only one question appears in her mind: Why? But something unexpected happens. The image of Sven, in the window, suddenly disappears in a blur, together with a large chunk of the wall. Titania feels a void to her left, and a sudden burst of air crashes against her, together with an inaudible high pitch sound. At this, Titania¡¯s barrier was completely destroyed, and the savage gust of wind picks her up, sending her all the way in the direction of the Starlight Forest, landing almost at its embrace. 33- Flowing Aquamarines A dark room. Echoes of voices. Touching the floor, this familiar wooden floor. Everything is hazy, nothing is clear. To her right, a baby cries. Two bright rubies dangling from her ears, one each. ¡°This¡­ worm.¡± How is it that she survived? After all this time, why is she starting to move again? Lady Aquamarine tries to move, but she can¡¯t. This familiar feeling of a time long past. She remembered well this feeling, as the cries of the baby by her side continue to pierce her heart. That man¡­ Why did he betray me, for you of all things? And how did he managed to save you from Lionheart¡¯s curse?¡­ you worm, parasite. You robbed everything from me. The baby continues to cry, tears that roll down her little round face. Tears start rolling down too on Lady Aquamarine¡¯s face. She extends one finger, one that the baby takes in her little right hand. Suddenly, muffled sounds start taking over. The sensation of roughness that shouldn¡¯t be possible in her position starts invading her body. Her body is stiff, her breathing is inconsistent. As if Lady Aquamarine were underwater, she starts to react, contorting upward. The sounds start to get louder. She can make voices too ¡°Lady Aquamarine, wake up!¡± while she fights for breath. Out of nowhere, a huge breath enters her body from her mouth, clearing the way. In a series of coughs, Lady Aquamarine opens her eyes, only to find herself surrounded by Olga, Daisy and Ray. Considerable dizziness assaults her, as she reaches her hand for Daisy, that is beside her. ¡°Thanks, Daisy.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t any problem. Glad you¡¯re here with us.¡± Turning to a crying Olga, who is at her left, she asks ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here. How long was I out? What is the situation? What in Styx¡¯s name happened?¡± Olga, nodding, wipes out her eyes and replies ¡°You were out for almost a minute, I would say. Ray is already gathering the surviving Aquamarines and Beheaders. The enemy army is marching, already climbing the Acropolis. About what happened¡­ better if you see it for yourself.¡± Tending Lady Aquamarine a hand, Olga and Daisy help her back into standing. She was about to ask what she should see, but she got her answers instantly: The wall was completely gone. Turning to Olga, she asks ¡°How?¡± Olga points in the opposite direction, and turning, Lady Aquamarine sees a large object, embedded in the smooth precipice that wasn¡¯t there before ¡°We believe that somehow, they were able to make¡­ that thing, crash against the wall, and¡­ honestly, I don¡¯t know. The enemy army is just climbing the remains of the wall right now.¡± ¡°I see¡± says Lady Aquamarine, and turning, she directs herself to Ray. ¡°My Lady, I¡¯m glad to see you well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad too. Ray, there¡¯s no much time left. Round everyone up and direct them to the Starlight Forest.¡± ¡°Ah? My Lady, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°We are going to the grand castle Ray.¡± Says Lady Aquamarine, pointing towards the grand castle at the top of the acropolis ¡°It is the last bastion for us. We need to cross the Starlight Forest to get to the grand castle.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.¡°My Lady¡­ do you know how to cross the forest safely?¡± ¡°I do. But you must gather everyone, fast!¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady!¡± As Ray leaves, shouting orders from the top of his lungs, Lady Aquamarine takes another look at the enemy army, now finishing crossing the last remains of the wall and start to climb up the steep terrain of the lower side of the acropolis. We don¡¯t have much time. ¡°Daisy.¡± ¡°Right here, My Lady.¡± ¡°Any idea where my daughter is?¡± ¡°I saw her fighting the goblins moments ago, and went giving chase to a group of them. Haven¡¯t seen her since.¡± Seeing Lady Aquamarine sink her head between her shoulders, Daisy reaches her to her shoulder, and adds ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your girl is a tough cookie.¡± Lady Aquamarine gives a light snort. Then, she says ¡°Olga, Daisy, come. There¡¯s no much time left, we need to get to the forest first.¡± Moments later, all the Aquamarines are at the entrance of the Starlight Forest. Lady Aquamarine is in front of it. The Aquamarines keep talking, murmurs abound. Raising a hand, Lady Aquamarine sends the murmurs to silence and speaks. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. The enemy army will reach us soon enough, and we will need to take action again. We could fight, but that would put all of you, civilians, in the crossfire, and we would end losing many of you. That is why I have decided we must move, quickly, to the last bastion where you can be safe, that is, the grand castle!¡± Murmurs start arising again, but Lady Aquamarine raises her voice even more, over the echoes that reverberated in the place. ¡°There¡¯s no other option! And this means we will cross the Starlight Forest! Many of you now know how dangerous it is, and rightfully so you are correct thinking like that, but I ask of you to give me your confidence once more. I will guide you through the Starlight Forest, and open the grand castle, for us to enter, and then close its gates. If you follow me and do just what I tell you to do, you will cross and arrive safely on the other side. And don¡¯t worry, the Beheaders around us will cover our retreat, they will not leave until the last civilian enters the Starlight Forest.¡± The Aquamarines went into silence. Seeing this, Lady Aquamarine says to Ray ¡°Please.¡± Ray steps forward and gives the instructions ¡°Lady Aquamarine, me, Olga, Daisy from the cathedral, William and Oscar will enter first into the forest. We will be followed by every Aquamarine, in a single line. Take the steps we take, take the turns we take, don¡¯t deviate in any way from where we are walking. If you do, best give yourself for death. The rest of the Beheaders will stay and defend this position. Come on now, follow us!¡± Turning back to Lady Aquamarine, Ray nods. She nods back. Putting herself first, she looks to her back, her heart crushing because she can¡¯t see her daughter. Once the Aquamarines have formed a line, Lady Aquamarine steps into the Starlight Forest, bringing out flowing water. 34- Convergence Feeling the cold touch of the ground, Tomoe wakes up, with the blue sky greeting her back and the sound of rain being replaced by a high pitch sound. Dizziness shakes her perception, as she moves to her right, getting over her shoulder, and looks around her. Bran is a little farther away, in the same room, sitting against the wall. Bran meets her eyes and points up with his hand, and following the direction, she sees Lacus, over the ceiling of the room they are in. ¡°What happened?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°The wall¡­ it was destroyed.¡± Tomoe doesn¡¯t react immediately, letting those words sink for a moment ¡°What¡­ what do you mean it was destroyed?¡± ¡°I wish I had the answers for that. I just¡­ stand up and look for yourself, there, through that window¡± Bran points towards the window that is closest to Tomoe. Struggling to stand up, Tomoe engages her Aura in order to give herself more strength and stability. Looking through the window, she catches a sign of the remains of the wall, and where it was standing before a large collection of brown-yellow blocks, now lays a giant hole that gives view to the Port City. Tomoe felt her heart sink. ¡°How?¡­ how¡­ did this happen?¡± ¡°Beats me. That is something that even Cinders can¡¯t do though.¡± ¡°You¡­ no way, but¡­ you think it was the enemy army? But how?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t tell, but it is the only explanation left¡­ at least that I can think off¡­¡± Tomoe felt a familiar sensation was running through her body, piercing and burning, making her tremble ¡°Lacus, are you alive?¡± she says, as she turns and looks towards Lacus. Lacus only raises his fist, giving a thumbs up. ¡°Can you move?¡± Another thumbs up. ¡°And you Bran?¡± Another thumbs up. Tomoe snorts ¡°What is this about? This is serious.¡± ¡°We know.¡± Bran says ¡°We need to go back and reunite with everyone.¡± ¡°Yes, we do.¡± Lacus finally speaks up. ¡°So? Come on, we need to start moving¡± Tomoe prompts the other two, ¡°So easy to say for a blue Aura¡± Bran remarks, but both stand up, engage their Auras to strengthen their bodies and start moving. ¡°I wonder how long we can go without eating¡­ I¡¯m starving right now¡± Lacus says as he crouches, grabs the border of the broken ceiling, and slowly drops into the lower floor. ¡°An orange juice would do it for me¡± Says Bran. ¡°Please, no food talk, we¡­ we can¡¯t lose focus¡± Tomoe says, then adding ¡°I would kill for a simple glass of water right now.¡± Bran snorts as Lacus says ¡°Come on, no food.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ it is true that we barely filled our stomachs last night.¡± Once there are out of the house, Bran asks ¡°Well, let¡¯s focus. First of all, do we know where are we?¡± ¡°Let me take a quick look¡± Lacus says. Jumping to get on top of some rubble and another house, Lacus gets a mostly complete view of the city. ¡°I see the Starlight Forest.¡± Lacus says ¡°we need to take that direction, and we should be there in around five minutes.¡± He says, pointing towards his right. ¡°Very well then. Let''s get moving.¡± Bran says. Tomoe nods. Moving between the rubble, ruins, vegetations and remains, Tomoe notes how different the city truly is, in comparison with the Port City. Nature has started to take over it from the outskirts, conquering some buildings and some streets for itself, and already starting to reach, little by little, the center of the city, with the many high bushes that are around there. Tomoe couldn¡¯t ignore the feeling of awe, of being in a different place in a different time. Is this what Lia was talking about two days ago? As they keep moving, Tomoe starts thinking about how unbelievable is what just happened. Looking back to Bran and Lacus, she notices that she has been hearing the sound of rain for a while now. Both are safe, but what would happen if they are able to do this again after all? What guarantee there is that one of them or both will not die from the attack then? She looks back again, now directly to Lacus. It amazes her that the rage that she was feeling just yesterday against him is now nowhere to be found. Every interaction since with him has been awkward at best. But as she opens her mouth, something muffles all sound coming out. She doesn¡¯t want to leave things as they are now, yet she is unable to muster words to try and fix things between them. Both aren¡¯t safe. Yet, she can¡¯t- no, she doesn¡¯t want to say the words. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.This realization flustered her. How prideful can she be in a moment like this? Just moments ago at the top of the tower could¡¯ve been the last moment she ever had to fix things with Lacus. She now has another chance, and here she is, unable to act on her feelings. Lia is right. I can be quite the stubborn mule¡­ ¡°Hope everyone back there are ok.¡± She whispers. A sound reaches Tomoe¡¯s ear. Taking point in the group, she raises her hand, to stop Bran and Lacus from walking. Bran crouches, and coming closer to Tomoe, he asks ¡°What is the matter?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you hear it?¡± From behind, Lacus says ¡°I do hear it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Metallic sounds. Sounds of a large group, moving.¡± They stay in silence. Putting his hands to his ears, Bran focuses, only to almost instantly say ¡°That little flight we had must have hit me harder than expected. I didn¡¯t notice until now.¡± ¡°Lets crouch and move¡± Tomoe says. The other two nods back, and crouching, they continue walking. As they move closer and closer to the sound, Lacus says ¡°Let''s keep ourselves to the shadows.¡± The other two nod. Lacus then moves forward and stops Tomoe and Bran. Leaning from a tree at the end of a street, Tomoe sees how his shoulders jolt, then how he puts his fingers on his chin, and nods. Coming back, he says ¡°No mistake about it. It is the enemy army. They are moving towards the Starlight Forest right now.¡± ¡°Really? Why? We weren¡¯t stationed there, we already passed the main plaza.¡± ¡°Then I guess we aren¡¯t there anymore. The enemy army wouldn¡¯t bother moving in the opposite direction unless we moved in that direction first.¡± Bran says. ¡°I see. Guess it is better to move to a more advantageous position than to wait and die on equal footing.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we keep moving?¡± Lacus asks. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Tomoe replies ¡°We need to go back.¡± ¡°Let''s keep us to the outskirts of the city. We will see how the situation is developing once we get to the Starlight Forest.¡± Lacus and Tomoe nod and continue their way. Entering the city, now being closer to the Starlight Forest, the group moves between empty streets, only to hear the constant stomp of the enemy army, now that it is beside them, just at the other side of a couple of buildings. Tomoe stops, turns to Bran and Lacus, and points towards a building, shaking her shoulders. Bran turns to Lacus, nods, Lacus nods back, and he too nods back at Tomoe. Tomoe finally nods, and they enter the building. Getting to the snail stairs, they reach the third floor, only to be assaulted by the complete clear cut sound of the battlefield. Keeping himself to the ground, Lacus crawls towards the window, giving a look at the fight. Signaling the other two to keep a low profile and come closer, Tomoe peeks through the window, only to see the center point of the fight: The entrance of the Starlight Forest. The enemy army has flooded the main street with soldiers, all pushing towards the forest, while a large group of Beheaders is defending it, blocking their pass, being aided by the advantage of being in a higher ground. Aquamarines are getting into the forest, one by one, with still a large group being left to enter the forest. All sorts of thing fly towards the Aquamarines, from arrows to stones and even swords, that the Beheaders deflect against, with the cooperation of some Aquamarines that have offered to help to resist the invading army. Seeing how the Aquamarines are entering the forest, some enemy soldiers try to enter the forest from other points, only to be hit out by the deafening blasts of the forest, being dismembered and thrown away by a couple of meters. ¡°So, we are getting into the Starlight Forest.¡± Lacus says. ¡°The only thing I can think off that we would accomplish by doing this¡­¡± Bran starts saying, but Tomoe completes the thought ¡°We are going to hole up in the Grand Castle. My mother is the only one that can open it.¡± ¡°So it is like that.¡± Bran says ¡°It was only a rumor before, but now we have confirmation that it is true.¡± ¡°We are holding well so far at the entrance of the forest.¡± Lacus says. ¡°By now. But look at those numbers. I don¡¯t think the Beheaders will be able to hold on the defense this long. Can¡¯t we do something to reduce the stress they are under?¡± Tomoe says. Looking around, Lacus puts his fingers on his chin, and gives a slight smug ¡°I have an idea.¡± He says as he pushes Bran and Tomoe towards the floor ¡°hear me out.¡± 35- Blood and Dust ¡°These columns are quite sturdy. Protect me while I cut them down.¡± With those words, Tomoe directed herself towards the top of the building. Leaving Bran behind to cover the lower floor entrance, she takes two jellies, cuts a hole in the roof, and goes through it, making her stand over the building, with the entire battle in her sight. Though somehow, in this grim situation, Tomoe doesn¡¯t feel anxious at all, the sound of rain almost replaced by the sound of the battle. Her heart feels light, and a strange feeling of confidence embraces her. Taking the situation seriously, she still felt a little bit like her old self of many years ago. Some memories of the old days gone by appearing in her mind. That day that changed her life forever, that day was her wish of serving and protecting the innocent from those that try to take advantage of them by force. The face of the old man that she saved, and how grateful their family was that he was still alive. Yes, how could she have forgotten? What she felt in that moment, the reason why she decided to become a Beheader instead of a Priest. That little girl that certainly didn¡¯t know what she was getting herself into, but for some reason now she doesn¡¯t regret anything from that choice. What would have been of her if she stayed in the path of Priesthood? Not that I have the time to muse about that though. The battle is right now raging right in front of her, and everyone is doing their best. She has no other choice but to do the same if she wants to see everyone that she loves again alive. With the memories of her old Priest cloak flowing against the backdrop of the sunset, she brings herself back to the present. Jumping over to the buildings to her left, she takes an overview of the battlefield: To her right, the Aquamarines, at the top of the hill, defending against the enemy army. To her left, a large number of soldiers from the enemy army, pushing against the Aquamarines, in what looks like a never-ending stream of soldiers. Something catches her sight: At the end of the stream of soldiers, a circle of bluish banner carriers encircles someone, fully clad in armor, while that someone moves his arms and points towards the Starlight Forest. Is that the one in charge? Shaking her head but keeping him in mind, she turns back to the enemy army at her feet. Lacus asked for a distraction while he worked on the columns of the building, and the only thing that occurred to her is what she is about to do: Eating two of the last tree jellies she has, Tomoe creates a large body of water, taking more than half of her Aura in the process. Compacting it enough to the size of a small pond, she makes it float over the stream of soldiers and drops it. The impact and liberation of the forces make it so that the stream of water rises over the building, and covers a large number of enemy soldiers in the process. Taking a peek to see her work, she sees the body of many soldiers, plastered against the walls of a couple of buildings and all over the street, red starting to come out of their bodies. The other soldiers look up, one point at her, and from a carnival of colors, arrows, spears, fire and electricity comes in Tomoe¡¯s direction, ripping the air. Jumping backward, and then to the side, Tomoe dodges the first volley of attacks, but the building she¡¯s on takes a lot of them. With the walls crumbling down, the building loses its second floor, while Tomoe jumps back to the building on her right, from where she came from. Three buildings left between me and the guys. Taking some of the rocks she took with her to the roof and strengthening her body, she starts throwing the rocks against the electrical tamers of the enemy army. With a sudden burst, each throw hits the enemy tamers, one in the head, two in the chest, one in the stomach, destroying all but one Aura in the process. The attacks continue to come, and the ceiling of the building caves in, sending her to the third floor proper. Standing up again, Tomoe reinforces herself again, and jumps against the wall of the next building, smashing it and getting herself to the third floor of the next building. Amid the smoke and dust, the attacks continue on the building before. Seeing this, Tomoe crouches, and taking back the water she just used before, she made a fast-moving circular water blade, with an inclination against the enemy army. A yell can be heard. Attacks suddenly focused on the building before to the one she is in. The hole in the wall surely is visible now. Moving closer to the center of the circular room, attacks start destroying the wall in front of her. Moving the circular water blade faster, she finishes slicing the columns, and compacting the water at the base column in the center, Tomoe rises and throws forward the entire third floor of the building. The crash comes down with force. Dust raises even over four stories buildings of the abandoned city. The strength of the impact shakes the ground, making Tomoe lose her balance for a brief moment. ¡°Tomoe, we are done!¡± These words reach Tomoe ears, and standing up, she reinforces herself once more, and goes through the last building, smashing through its wall, and then smashing two more, getting to the building were Bran and Lacus are, all while carrying the infused water with her. Facing Bran just as she enters, he takes her by the hand and tells her ¡°To the first floor, fast!¡± Just as they reach the first floor, facing the street, Tomoe sees Lacus, kneeling, finished with the columns. Bran leaves Tomoe besides him and goes to the door, eating his last two jellies, and starts firing water to both sides of the enemy army. They were right smack in the middle. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.¡°Wait, what the-¡± starts Tomoe to say, but Lacus interrupts her, putting a hand on her shoulder and saying ¡°He will gather every one of those bastards in the front, and then, you will help me throw this entire building over them.¡± Tomoe¡¯s chest tightened, but she still gave a nod ¡°be careful there Bran!¡± Bran just gave the thumbs up Tomoe then says ¡°Lacus¡­ I¡¯m sorry about before.¡± Tomoe can hear a snort, and Lacus saying ¡°I deserved it. I was a coward. I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I didn¡¯t do more when I could¡¯ve.¡± At these words, Tomoe felt like a knot in her chest was being undone, a pain now dissipating. Bran kept firing, but not for long, as he fell back, followed by a volley of attacks directed towards the door, where he was just moments ago. Bran puts himself besides Tomoe, and says ¡°Guess this is a good time to raise a barrier.¡± ¡°On it.¡± Says Tomoe, as the three of them raise a barrier of red, yellow and blue Aura combined, that lights up the entire room as if it were directly exposed to the sun. Enemy soldiers start appearing in the vicinity of their view. They do signals to the others, in order to get closer, and group together in front of the building, continuing the attack that they stopped moments ago. Hits start clashing with the barrier, chipping away at it in large chunks. As the attacks continue, more and more soldiers start arriving and attacking, or supporting the others in front of them, in order to make their attacks stronger. Parts of the door start to crumble under the pressure. Tomoe sees to her sides: Bran has his eye twitching, Lacus has that known expression of his that he puts when he wants to run away. A smile suddenly bursts on Tomoe¡¯s face, while drops of sweat run down her forehead. Even so, her heart was still oddly at peace, even when the enemy soldiers destroyed the entire front door, and they were exposed to all the attacks. ¡°Now!¡± Tomoe hears Bran¡¯s yell, and in an instant, they hit the sliced columns with the water, sending the building forward, and with water still, they lift the building slightly to the front. It ended in an instant. The force of the impact shook the ground in a way that Tomoe didn¡¯t expect. The pieces of the building that came out flying hit the barrier unexpectedly hard. The dust-covered the entire street on the ground and the sky. Tomoe didn¡¯t need the dust to settle to see that the plan worked: A ring of blood was now surrounding the debris, and splatters were put against the walls of the buildings around. ¡°Now, we gotta move!¡± Tomoe says, being followed by Bran and a stumbling Lacus, as she stands up and starts running towards the Aquamarines, taking advantage of the dust to provide cover for them. Killing any enemy soldier that came to be in front of her, they get to the top of the hill, when, before leaving the cover of the dust, she shouts ¡°Titania! Lorelei! It''s Tomoe!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t attack!¡± Tomoe can hear Lorelei yell, followed by ¡°Tomoe, come here fast!¡± ¡°I¡¯m with Bran and Lacus!¡± ¡°I understand, now come!¡± Coming out of the dust, Tomoe runs full speed to get past the defense circle, followed by Lacus and Bran. Tomoe runs directly towards Titania¡¯s arms, and both fall down. ¡°You get here right in time.¡± Says Titania, as giggles escape her. ¡°It is nice to see such pleasantries, but there is almost no time. Tomoe, we are about to cross the Starlight Forest, prepare.¡± Says Lorelei. ¡°I figured as much, but hear me for a moment,¡± says Tomoe, as she starts to stand up, helping Titania to get up ¡°I saw their commander.¡± ¡°You mean, Lord Lapis?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Suddenly, a sudden loud burst of wind came from behind, together with a bright flash of light. The sound of a bunch of debris could be heard, as Tomoe turned to see what happened: The building, the one that she dropped together with Bran and Lacus, that she hoped could also work as some sort of barrier, was there no more. Part of the dust that was in the air either settled or went away with the sudden explosion. In its place, just slight mist-like dust hanged in the building¡¯s place, and the same fully clad armor commander she saw a bit before, right in front of the army. ¡°It is him.¡± ¡°Seriously, these loud bursts can¡¯t be good for the heart.¡± Lorelei complaints. ¡°The last Aquamarines are about to enter, get ready.¡± Oscar comes by. Looking at Tomoe, he adds ¡°good to see you in one piece, Sparky.¡± ¡°Oscar, hear me out. Tomoe says that she has a plan to take out their commander.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± ¡°Think it can take out that Lord Lapis bastard?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see. Then, let''s hear out your plan then, but fast since we have to go.¡± A smile is drawn in Tomoe¡¯s face ¡°Thank you. It is rather simple and straightforward. We only need a few Beheaders, and we will be taking advantage of the Starlight Forest. I know how to avoid the danger it poses.¡± ¡°That woman¡­ telling you such secret. I wonder what else has she told you?¡± says Oscar, while he snorts, and puts a hand to his face. ¡°Bran, Lacus, Master, Lorelei. Please, I need your help. Gather around.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, Sparky, anything that can put us at an advantage is worth considering¡± Oscar adds. With a single nod, everyone gathered around Tomoe. Moments later, the last Aquamarines entered the Starlight Forest, and shortly after, all Beheaders followed, with the enemy army still on their toes. 36- Meteor ¡°Look at the ground. See? This slight ring of light? This is some sort of spore that surrounds the trees, and when someone steps into these circles, the tree attacks the invader in the manner you have seen them do to the Goblins and the enemy soldiers. In order to survive, take water and wash away the spores. This way, you can shrink the circle, and come closer to the trees. Don¡¯t worry though, the circle takes about a full day in order to regenerate back to how it was.¡± With these words, along the road opened by Lady Aquamarine at the head through the Starlight Forest, Tomoe and Bran located themselves to the side. Covered by high bushes, looking down over the ridge, as Beheaders finish going through the main path, going up, away from the enemy army. ¡°I wonder if the others are positioned?¡± Bran says. ¡°We haven¡¯t heard the trees attack further up, thankfully¡± Tomoe replies. ¡°What a bleak way to see it.¡± Bran snorts. A wry smile appears on Tomoe¡¯s face ¡°I¡¯m just really glad that they didn¡¯t make any mistake.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Silence then dominated the area. Bran, being at Tomoe¡¯s side, suddenly starts seeing around, and then tucks his head between his shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°Is it really true? No animals nor magic beasts live here? There is so much silence in the air.¡± ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t true, completely. Small animals and magic beast do live here. The problem lies with the big ones. Only one big magic beast lives here, it adapted somehow, but besides its race, no other big animal or magic beast lives here.¡± ¡°I see. Shouldn¡¯t we take it into account?¡± ¡°No. They move in the night. We are safe from them right now.¡± ¡°Well, I thought we could make use of them for our advantage. But tell me, what is stopping them from burning completely the Forest instead of going through it?¡± Tomoe points towards the sky. Bran follows her finger, only to discover a column of smoke visible, really, really thin. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t really work.¡± Tomoe replies ¡°The Starlight Trees are really tough, even the leaves are hard to burn down. If not only for that, the Trees regenerate too.¡± ¡°So, they do have to get through the forest.¡± ¡°If they want to end this invasion fast, yes, they have¡­ just like they are doing, right now.¡± Tomoe says, pointing downward the path. Bran follows once more her finger, in order to see the first soldiers of the enemy army appear on sight. ¡°Remember the plan?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°The others will distract the enemy army, you and I will jump against the leader, separate him, isolate him, and take him out.¡± Putting a hand to Tomoe¡¯s shoulder, Bran adds ¡°together.¡± Another wry smile, but Tomoe doesn¡¯t add anything else. They have the invading army on their eyes. As they go up, the ruffles of the leaves on the ground start to get stronger, and the sound of the armor, especially when they step forward, gets more noisy. The soldiers that are at the front pass Tomoe¡¯s and Bran¡¯s hiding spot, continuing to go up, as both of them have their eyes put on the soldiers that are coming, waves after waves of heads under helmets. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Suddenly, from behind a tree, a helmet unlike all the others appears. With garments that are like feathers that sway at each movement, Tomoe recognizes the form, the pattern, at the same time that a huge pressure hits her in her stomach. Without noticing, she took a deep breath. Without notice, enemy soldiers that were on the front yelled, and some of them suddenly appeared, on the air, as if they were thrown back down with a huge impact. Droplets splashed, reaching Tomoe¡¯s face, as a yell came from their target, ordering a push forward to Tomoe¡¯s surprise. The soldiers at the front and at the sides of the road started to tame fire and electricity, firing at the front and to the sides of the road. Flames spawned forward, electrical arcs using them to reach even further. Bran grabs again Tomoe¡¯s shoulder and pushes her against the floor, just in time before some flames reached her. Whispering, Bran says: ¡°We need to go! This has turned really dangerous.¡± Tomoe replies, whispering loudly ¡°What are you talking about?! We have him on sight! We can¡¯t back down now, not now!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have the rest of us up there risking their lives in a situation like this.¡± ¡°This is the chance to end that bastards life! We could end the invasion right here, right now!¡± ¡°If you reach him!¡± ¡°It is better than to run away, just because something unexpected happened! The plan still can work!¡± ¡°Are you going to risk the rest of us that are up there?!¡± ¡°They are there because they wanted to! If we go back, all the risks and damage would have been for naught!¡± ¡°You¡¯re losing it Tomoe!¡± These words felt heavy on her as an overwhelming burning feeling ran through her entire body. Like a thorn pushing through the skin just enough to take out blood, these flames came out bursting and bringing all the memories of every that she saw and experienced since this disgrace started. All the dead people, the blood and ash painting the streets, the bodies piled up, the Grim Wolves back at the red District, the bodies that were buried just the night before, the goblins, the wall, everything, everything came back. All this sadness, all this grief, all this sorrow, all the rage¡­ the rage and the humiliation. All their fault. Everything about it, all their fault. If they have never come¡­ nothing like this would¡¯ve happened. For the first time in what it felt like forever, Tomoe once again was taking a deep breath, but instead of feeling like she was lacking air, each breath of fresh air fanned the flames inside her, the burning fire that is getting out of control. Tomoe suddenly stops speaking. With her mouth slightly open, and her eyes glaring at him, she then says ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± While she raises her hand, pushing Bran away with water taming. Incorporating herself, she locates her target, slightly back from the position she wanted him to be. Still, gathering water under her feet, she launches herself forward, out of the high bushes, through the air at high speed. Tackling her target, she grabs him tightly, taking him with herself, all the way towards the bushes on the other side, between many Starlight trees. 37- The Moons Curtain Those moments felt to Tomoe like an eternity. Flying in the air, with the body of her target pushing against her, she could feel her heart about to blow up right off of her chest. Droplets of cold sweat formed on her forehead. All sound, like if it were muffled, making her unable to make out anything from her surroundings. She only knew one thing, a burning thought in her mind: Since she jumped against him before what was planned, the land where she is going to land wasn¡¯t prepared. The moment she lands, she might die. Feeling the sticks from the branches of the Starlight Trees, and the heat of the fire and electrical taming around her, Tomoe crosses between two Starlight Trees, landing further away from the path taken by Lady Aquamarine. Between blades of grass, the crash makes an electrical feeling run through Tomoe¡¯s back, stiffening her entire body. The push from the crash makes it so that she is separated from her target, making her go over him, and ending with her back against the ground. Her stomach tightens, and she fights the urge to vomit right back in. Turning, she sees that her target is standing up. Getting faster back on her feet, she eats the last two jellies she had a hand and throws a fast spear against him. Engaging in his Aura, revealing it to be blue, her target creates a barrier, deflecting the spear to the side, at the same time that electrical arcs shoot from his left arm, up into the air, and back down, in the split of a second, back down, forcing Tomoe to create a barrier too and step backward. In that little time, her target takes three big steps, getting right in front of the barrier, and shoots another arc into the air. This time hitting Tomoe, her barrier disappears, which her target takes advantage of, stepping forward again, sword in hand. Making a forward motion, her target aims towards her stomach, at which Tomoe engages again her barrier, a little one at that in order to meet the point of the sword. Twisting back to her left, the sword hits the barrier and keeps going forward, together with her target¡¯s entire body. Taking this chance, Tomoe calls back the water from before and fires multiple water spears towards her target¡¯s back, at which he vaults over to his right, making the spears miss in the process. Her target stands up again, and both stand there, facing each other. They stand there, looking at each other, at about five arms distance, circling each other. Tomoe watches him move: In each step, the form is conserved. The body never loses composure. A steady hand, sword hardly sways at the body¡¯s pulse. Helmet looking straight, through the open space she meets the eyes of her target, albeit between shadows. Through her mind and her body she knew it: One wrong move, and her target will be the one leaving here alive, but she couldn¡¯t continue like this, another threat was lurking, and she couldn¡¯t afford to make a wrong move. Taking her eyes down to the sides, she instantly found the point of the enemy¡¯s sword right between her eyes. Dodging right, the point pierces through the flesh of her left cheek, while she rises a water spear from below her, hitting the sword and sending it flying to the side. Landing on her knees, she rolls along the ground, evading the electrical arcs that her target is now firing at her. Surrounding her target with a ring of water while rolling, she fires more water spears, smaller than before, towards him. Hitting him in the arm, it stops the relentless electrical attack, making her target stop on his tracks. Raising a barrier, all the other spears manage to demolish it, making him get on his knees now. She has him. Tomoe knows it, but he clearly is better versed in close combat than she is, so, Tomoe reunites all the infused water that is around her right now, creating a large water spear in order to end him from distance. While the spear is almost ready, she sees something that upsets her victory: Her target is smiling. In a hand, he is holding a white spice. Seeing this, Tomoe throws the spear, but to no avail, since he eats the spice, and engaging his Aura, a burst of electricity comes forward, meeting the spear in midair and evaporating it, completely. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.Once again, he raises his arm, and a burst of electricity comes forward, stronger and faster than before, hitting Tomoe with all of his might. Feeling the uncontrollable movements that the electricity is making her body do, and the burnt smell, Tomoe falls down to the ground, surrounded by the burnt blades of grass, and the ones that started to burn in that moment. Forcing herself to face upward, she sees her target get close. He stands right in front of her, chuckling. His mouth is moving, but she can¡¯t make what he is saying. Right at the moment, he raises his arm to finish her, a light comes out of Tomoe¡¯s field of vision. A white light, that catches her target¡¯s attention for the span of a moment, makes him lower his arm. In this very moment, Tomoe reinforces her body with her Aura, and pushing with her whole body, she raises from the ground and tackles her target with all of her strength. She falls again to the ground, but raises her sight in time to use water taming and push her target all the way into falling inside one of the dust circles of a Starlight Forest, about two meters in front of her¡­ Her target is ripped apart by a deafening blast, sending his torso flying through the air. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s done¡­ As Tomoe lays down over the grass, she feels how her body, all tense up, starts to release the tension. Against Tomoe¡¯s expectations, she starts to shake, as her body fights to keep said tension going. As the release reaches her feet and hands, the quivering becomes stronger while Tomoe grabs her right hand and curls up, trying to contain the involuntary movement of her body. Starting to tearing up, she bites her lower lip and closes her eyes strongly. As the ghostly rain continues to fall over her heart, the pressure inside her reaches a critical point and comes bursting out. All the feelings of these last two days, everything that this cursed battle did to her and her city, everything came back in a sudden instant. Incorporating into her knees, she lets a scream roar out of her with all of the strength she has left, as finally multiple droplets come out and start falling off her face. She let out a long scream that no one would be able to hear, the Starlight Forest is quite thick after all, yet she herself wasn¡¯t able to hear it either, as she was under the stormy rain, for the first time the rain droplets drenching her clothes. In the distance, a sudden strong sound reached her ears, while the leaves of the trees were shaken. Breaking Tomoe from her trance-like state, she remembers that the fight isn¡¯t still over. Gotta go¡­ I gotta go¡­ They are waiting for me¡­ Trembling while incorporating herself, Tomoe raises her sight to the source of light, only to see that it is the Grand Castle, now having an Ivory color to its walls and towers, throwing light in all directions. She then comes closer to the torso, seeing it still twitching. At the sight, she thought that she would be happy, to eliminate the last man, one of the two, that was the cause of all the chaos and death in these last two days. Seeing him there now, she couldn¡¯t feel anything besides a feeling of relief going through her entire body. Her shoulders lowered, tears started to pour, and taking deep breaths, she sobbed. Defying expectations, a chuckle reaches Tomoe¡¯s ears. Wiping her tears, she can see the man still moving, chuckling. Blood pouring from everywhere, forming a lake at her feet. She can see a smile, teeth, from where she is. A sense like fire started to build up inside her, the smell of burnt flesh reaching her nose. Eyes glaring into his, she reaches to where his body is, to his helmet, and takes it away, and in the process, her heart sunk, while her eyes and mouth opened wide. This man ears, like many other Aquamarines¡¯ they were. At the sight, a bigger smile grew up in the man¡¯s face, before finally stopping moving. Her breathing turned erratic, a sensation like fire ran through the skin of her body. She stopped hearing sounds, as the anxiety that she was losing suddenly gained strength again, her body gaining tension all the way up once more. ¡°What¡­ what is happening?¡± Tomoe whispers. 38- Ivory Parting Struggling to stand, Titania can barely walk. Lacus, alongside her, gives her his arm to support her. Oscar and Lorelei are in the front, brushing the spores of the Starlight Trees from the blades of grass in the ground using water taming. A sudden sound reaches Titania¡¯s ears. Something is brushing against the vegetation, just behind them. ¡°Wait¡± Titania says. ¡°What is the matter?¡± Titania raises her right hand ¡°Oscar, Lorelei, we might have a problem.¡± Lorelei adds ¡°Someone is following us.¡± Oscar and Lorelei turn back. Titania signs them with her right hand, and both separate from each other to the sides, and take aim. Lacus brings out the water he has left too. The brushing continues and is coming closer. ¡°Wow, you Weiss people surely have incredible ears. Now I can hear it too.¡± Lacus says. A shadow, a silhouette appears behind some vegetation, and another sound reaches Titania¡¯s ears. A rush, a sound that in her life as a Beheader she has heard a million times before. ¡°Stand down. It isn¡¯t hostile.¡± Titania says, making signs with her hand to Oscar and Lorelei. Everyone relaxes their posture. From behind the vegetation, water rushing comes forward, moving against the ground, followed by Bran, with part of his face and part of his clothes now black. Titania, at this sight, felt lost for words. Lacus came forward and asked what she wanted to know ¡°What happened to you?¡± Titania can hear a laugh from behind her. That voice clearly belongs to Oscar. Lorelei accompanies with a snort and a chuckle. As Bran gets closer, Titania also says ¡°Good to see you well.¡± Then asks ¡°What about Tomoe? Is she lagging behind?¡± Bran raises both hands ¡°One question at a time, please. Let''s see: One, I¡¯m like this because of the enemy bastards, somehow managed to make the trees burn, although it didn¡¯t last long. And two, Tomoe, she¡­¡± Bran cuts himself. ¡°What? What happened? Out with it!¡± Titania insists. ¡°Well, the thing is: the situation got hairy down there. I wanted to pull out, but she insisted that even so, she would carry the plan forward, and jumped alone against the target. Don¡¯t know since then.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to jump together?¡± Lorelei said, having come closer. ¡°It turned out more dangerous than what we expected, and she went and jumped ahead alone, after pushing me away.¡± ¡°You-¡± Titania and Lorelei started to say in unison, but cutting them both, Oscar takes the word and says ¡°Well, the plan anyway was to reunite in front of the castle. That she is alone doesn¡¯t change that fact now. Come on, let''s get moving.¡± He adds while putting both of his hands on Lorelei¡¯s and Titania¡¯s shoulders. Titania nodded, relaxing her shoulders, and turning back with Lacus, everyone kept walking. Walking over blades of grass, leaves and roots, the light of the Grand Castle shines like god rays through the vegetation. ¡°I have been wondering now,¡± Lacus says ¡°wasn¡¯t the enemy army right behind us? How come you managed to get to us first?¡± ¡°Well, believe or not, while I was following the path alongside the enemy army in pursue when the Grand Castle started to shine, the enemy army stopped in their tracks, and went back¡­ It was really strange.¡± ¡°They¡­ went back? Why?¡± Titania says. ¡°Beats me, but better not having them on our butts honestly.¡± Bran says. ¡°I will have to agree to that.¡± Lorelei joins Bran¡¯s sentiment. ¡°You guys take it too easy you know?¡± ¡°I would go crazy if I didn¡¯t.¡± Lacus says. As they keep walking, the path finally starts to even out, losing its steepness. ¡°We are about to reach everyone else. Look.¡± Lorelei says, pointing towards the path ahead, a curve from where giant god rays come from. ¡°Finally. Gotta ask Daisy to give me a burst. I¡¯m tired of not having much Aura left.¡± Titania says. ¡°That actually sounds like a great idea. I¡¯ll go for it too.¡± Oscar says. ¡°Make it three.¡± Lorelei joins. ¡°Four.¡± Lacus says. ¡°Five.¡± Bran joins. Titania snorts ¡°Good, good. It is good to see that we haven¡¯t lost the ability to count.¡± While they are turning around, they face right in front of the light of the Grand Castle. Walking forward, they finally step out of the Starlight Forest, out to the large empty space in front of the Grand Castle drawbridge, which is its entrance and it is down,vright now. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.¡°This¡­ talking about eerie.¡± Lacus says. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me about it. It is so silent.¡± Titania says. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Bran remarks. Looking forward, Lorelei catches the drawbridge down ¡°The drawbridge is down, surely they are inside.¡± ¡°Let''s go.¡± Oscar says. ¡°What about Tomoe?¡± Bran says. Oscar replies ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will have someone here at the drawbridge, looking out for when she arrives.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but we better get in right now.¡± Titania says. ¡°Agreed. Working as a cane isn¡¯t that fun, not for the cane, not for the one using it.¡± Lacus says. Titania snorts. And following it, a strong sound can be heard, a sudden burst of an object moving fast, ripping the air as it flies through. Titania¡¯s mind went numb. Her eyes stared right in front, as she felt that her legs just went limp. A burning sensation started to erode in her, from the right side of her stomach. Her entire body goes stiff, and her ears can¡¯t catch what is happening around her. What¡­ what is happening? Looking to her left, she can see Lacus¡¯ expression, with eyes wide open, mouth contorted in a half-moon curving upward. To her right, Bran¡¯s hands, grabbing her right arm. Seeing the ground, she then notices that the ground is strange as if it had risen to a wall. I¡¯m falling? The white light of the Grand Castle tints everything white, gradually, making everything else meld into the white color. At this moment she notices something, something that is unique and unmistakable, following it while she turned around and put face up. That is blood¡­ a lot of¡­ Everything moves as if it were in slow motion. Lacus¡¯ and Bran¡¯s expression over her, she can distinguish the Auras out, but barely the colors. Lorelei and Oscar enter into the picture, pulling them both by the arms. She then understood the situation she was in, looking at the desperation that everyone had in their faces. They don¡¯t want to go¡­ can¡¯t have that. Making an effort to talk, her entire body starts to quiver. She can feel the blood pouring too from her mouth. Lacus'' mouth moves, but to no use, she can¡¯t make the words he is saying. ¡°G-g-g-¡± Titania tries to talk. Tears start to overflow ¡°M-my mom¡­ My lil b-br-bro¡­¡± Titania struggles. Taking a deep breath, she moves her eyes towards Lacus, and whispers ¡°Go.¡± Hearing this, Lacus¡¯ and Bran¡¯s expressions fill with sadness. For a slight moment, Titania manages to see it, but then, they are gone. Her senses start to get dull, her body going cold, and little by little she finds more difficulty with breathing. The image of her mother and her little brother appear on her mind. Titania manages to muster a small smile, but also slight regret is born like a flower sprouting in a cold barren field. The smile of her dear mother, the overflowing energy of her little brother. The embrace of both of them. Will they be safe? A memory from before she entered the Beheader Corps resurfaces in her mind, of those evenings, were Titania spends her time at home, resting, after getting back from the marketplace and helping her dear mother put everything back into its place, ready to take out for another day. Her little brother just barely learned how to walk, and through the door suddenly her father entered. Her father¡­ There hasn¡¯t been a day where she hasn¡¯t thought about him. Such a reliable man, strong, incredibly charismatic and well-loved by everyone. What she liked the most of him was his broad shoulders and his thick beard, that even as she was going through her teens somehow still managed to tickle her. Then, he was there no more. If she closes her eyes and keeps quiet, she can still hear the loud laugh of her father echoing in her ears. Father¡­ I tried everything I could¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ a bit tired¡­ Her senses continue to dull, as she is left behind, on the ground, sinking into this soundless, white world. 39- Into the Mouth of the Beast The ground under her knees, wet. The light overwhelming her eyes. Her right hand is up, covering her eyes from the strong shine of the Grand Castle. Right in front of her, a big area, empty of anything, anything except a blood trail reaching her knees, and following the blood into this white empty space, there¡¯s a body surrounded by a crimson puddle. Her hair, white, and her skin following suit turning paler and paler. Focusing her sight, Tomoe sees a slight movement of the stomach, the same area that has a noticeable wound, a gash from where blood continues to pour from. Startled by this movement, she sees again around the white, ivory-like space. There¡¯s no one around, although it is not like she can see that much anyway. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here now. Putting her hands on Titania¡¯s blood, Tomoe engages her Aura, infusing the blood all the way to her. The blood surrounding Titania starts to form bubbles, her body starts to react, and in one move, the blood rises, forms a wave-like form, and moves Titania, slowly, little by little, all the way to Tomoe. With Titania now between her hands, under the shade of a Starlight Tree, she pours even more Aura, not even thinking about the amount she has left. Tears start rolling her face, as Tomoe struggles to stop the sobbing, as her Aura surrounds and fills the gash. Blood stains Tomoe¡¯s hands. ¡°You will be ok, I swear¡­¡± Tomoe whispers. Silence reigns the place. Only Tomoe¡¯s sobs break the otherwise deafening silence that is crushing her ears. The scenery is like if it were a dream, even though Tomoe was living a nightmare. Titania¡¯s breathing comes back a bit stronger. Her shoulders jolt, and her eyes which were cold, looking nowhere, started moving again. ¡°¡­ T-Tomoe?¡± While Tomoe is happy for this development, her expression still is stiff in sadness and concentration. Titania isn¡¯t out of this yet. ¡°My throat¡­ so sore.¡± ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t carry any jellies left.¡± A slight smile appears on Titania¡¯s face. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Silence. ¡°To-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know what you are going to say. Don¡¯t.¡± Titania¡¯s expression softened a bit letting see a tinge of sadness. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. Can barely think straight. We were taken by surprise, I took the hit.¡± Titania looks Tomoe directly at the eyes, opens her mouth, but instead of words, a coughing fit came out in its place, together with more blood. ¡°Please, just stay put, don¡¯t talk.¡± Having the fit stopped, Titania takes a deep breath, and looks at Tomoe again ¡°Tomoe, I know.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°My Aura is completely gone. Can barely regenerate.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that you will die!¡± Tomoe whispers. ¡°It does if it means that there are more important things you should be doing¡­¡± Titania takes another deep breath, droplets of sweat start falling of her forehead ¡°Than wasting the little Aura you have left on me.¡± Tomoe doesn¡¯t reply. ¡°Tomoe¡­ You know that even if you heal me completely, I won¡¯t be able to engage in a fight.¡± No reply. ¡°That little Aura you have, you need to keep it to yourself, you may need it!¡± Titania says, elevating her voice and sending her into another coughing fit. She then takes another deep breath, followed by some moans. She has regained her ability to sense pain. ¡°Can¡¯t leave you here¡­¡± Tomoe says, sobbing. ¡°You must¡­¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Please, think on the larger picture. If you aren¡¯t there, someone else may meet my end too.¡± Silence. Tomoe continues to pour her Aura on Titania¡¯s gash. Titania raises her arm and puts her hand over Tomoe¡¯s. Whispering, she says ¡°Please¡­ My mom¡­ my lil bro. I can¡¯t go to help them, but you can.¡± A knot is tied in Tomoe¡¯s throat, at the same time she starts to bite her lip. Her relationship with Titania was never a close one, but even after working together a couple of times, Tomoe felt that there¡¯s was something more keeping them apart, something beyond her control that she couldn¡¯t clearly grasp, and their relationship was a bit of a rough one. Now she understood why¡­ She and Titania are more alike than she thought¡­ or would liked or dared to admit just two days before. Whispering, she asks ¡°Do you know where are the others?¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.Titania smiles. Using her hand, she points towards the entrance of the Grand Castle, right in front of them. ¡°Of course¡± Tomoe chuckles. Closing her eyes, Tomoe engages more of her Aura and thrusts it into Titania¡¯s gash, making her scream and recoil in pain. Standing up looking at Titania¡¯s eyes, Tomoe says ¡°Years ago¡­ I lost the first friends I had in my life, for a mistake I¡­ contributed to, and being so weak that I couldn¡¯t do anything to save them. I don¡¯t want to lose more people I care about. I¡¯ll go, but you gotta get out of this alive, you hear me?¡± Titania chuckles ¡°Go already¡± she answers. ¡°I already closed the gash by the way. The rest is up to you¡­¡± Tomoe looks towards the Grand Castle entrance, and then adds ¡°If you die, I¡¯ll personally take care of your Cinders¡­ after using her as a punching bag, that is.¡± This frustrates her, but she knows Titania is correct. Spreading herself thin will only end up in her being unable to offer any meaningful, significant help. She can¡¯t have that. How that would be different from that terrible night from long ago? It is not different to her not doing anything and being unable to do something important because she lacked strength. Even so, the mere thought of not knowing if Titania could make it completely stiffened her body. The only reason why she can still move though is that that same unknown can be applied to everyone else she knows, inside the Grand Castle. From the bottom of her heart a prayer raised, one that she directed to Lord Hazuki, as she remembered for a moment her days of training under Daisy to become a Priest. Please, please Lord Hazuki¡­ Save her life. Don¡¯t let her¡­ go away. Please¡­ Tomoe strengthens her body with Aura, and runs across the empty white plane, covering the ground in four large steps, reaching the entrance of the Grand Castle. Just passing the entrance, Tomoe notices something right away: The large room she just entered, is, by itself, larger than the entire city the old citadel is. Ornaments, giant columns, furniture from tapestries to tables, chairs, two giant trees with many, many green leaves. The interior itself is a combination of ivory white, with crimsons and gold and silver. The walls are too far away to make up any detail, the columns stretch so high into the sky that there are some clouds. At the mere sight of this, Tomoe loses her footing, trying to adjust. Turning back, she sees the entrance, still just as small as she saw it when she passed through. While looking at the entrance, a breeze comes through, caressing her face. Suddenly, the sound of a heavy object falling startles her. Looking back and in front of her, she sees the ground: Bodies. She recognizes the clothing, there is no mistaking it: these are Aquamarines. Weapons, arrows, shields, burnt marks. White and black skins, men and women and children and old people. Blonde, redheads, black haired and Weiss, even Weiss. And right in front of her, the ground has been pushed down, and tons of rubble are piled over it, together with a short but thick branch of one of the giant trees in place. So many Aquamarines. A feeling of being stabbed right in the stomach overwhelmed Tomoe, while she loses her footing, landing on her butt, and looks around again. Columns, trees, furniture, so much furniture, the clouds, and its many shapes, the light that comes from everywhere. Then, her sight falls again over the bodies, and finally the pile of rubble that is in front of her. The rubble starts to vibrate. Tomoe is jolted by this, stands up and takes a step back. A strong force pushes the rubble upward, but to no avail, the giant branch of one of the trees doesn¡¯t move. Then again, then again, then again. The next time, the force isn¡¯t alone, it is accompanied by a yell of a voice she is really familiar with. In one fell swoop, the force pushes really hard, and moves the giant branch to the sides, while finally coming under all that rubble that was on top of her. Tomoe jolted, but her heart jumped of a little joy in the middle of all this misery, and her face drew a big, smile at the sight of a petite girl, coming out of the rubble around her. ¡°That bastard¡­ Wait until I get my hands on him!¡± ¡°Lia?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Amelia rises her eyes, meeting with Tomoe¡¯s ¡°Cotton?¡± 40- Ruined City Standing side by side, Tomoe and Amelia look over the room right after the entrance. Further down, a large hallway at the end of the giant room lets Tomoe know that there is more space further away. ¡°Lia¡± Tomoe says ¡°any idea on what is happening with the Grand Castle? It isn¡¯t this big from the outside¡­ right?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. Just staring at it makes my head spin.¡± ¡°I can understand that.¡± Then, turning to Amelia, Tomoe asks ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Well, we were attacked by surprise, that is what happened.¡± ¡°Ah?! How?¡± says Tomoe, raising her voice without realizing it. ¡°Can¡¯t honestly say.¡± Says Amelia, as she rubs the back of her neck ¡°We were standing right out of the Grand Castle before Lady Aquamarine opened the entrance. The Grand Castle then started to shine with that strange light. When we entered, we all were really impressed by the size of this room, and, well, we were attacked. Out of nowhere. Lady Aquamarine ordered us to run and then split into two groups to lose them.¡± They split up¡­ The news of the an out of nowhere attack, and them then splitting up, both felt like rocks in Tomoe¡¯s stomach. Thinking about it, it was the better option, we have non-combatants after all, yet¡­ How can she find them in a place as large as this one? The unknowns continue to pile up against her. Once again, the glaring abyss that her limitations couldn¡¯t overcome was observing her back. Rain continues to fall, and although it doesn¡¯t drench her, she can¡¯t shake the feeling of almost being underwater. Tomoe did the only thing she could do that moment, joined her hands and a new slew of silent prayers left her heart. Then, seeing again the bodies in the floor, Tomoe asks ¡°How did they manage to enter?¡± ¡°Beats me, but I¡¯m sure of one thing: the bastards are tough.¡± Says Amelia, as she makes circles with her right shoulder. ¡°Who did it?¡± ¡°Uh? Who did what?¡± ¡°Who put you under the rubble? That one must be the most dangerous one.¡± ¡°Ah. Yes, you bet he is.¡± Turning to Tomoe, she adds ¡°It fits the description that Lady Aquamarine gave us. There is no mistaking it: The one that attacked me is the remaining leader of the enemy army. I heard his name is Alexander, Lord of House Lapis.¡± At this information, Tomoe felt that she received a punch to the gut. Biting her lower lip, she asks ¡°Aura?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­ saw blue.¡± ¡°You saw ¡®blue¡¯? Why do you sound unsure?¡± ¡°Because of the way he fought.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°It''s only my gut feeling, but¡­ he looked quite confident, smug even. Wanted to punch his teeth out and use them to make a collar.¡± ¡°Sounds rough.¡± ¡°It was.¡± Taking some steps forward, Tomoe turns to face Amelia face to face. ¡°Ready to go?¡± ¡°Sure am. Now that I¡¯m healed enough, we need to reunite with the others. They worry me, that surprise attack was savage and I saw a lot of Aquamarines running in all directions, before being buried by the rubble that is.¡± ¡°Was it a large group?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ Not that many actually, about ten thousand? All of them know how to fight though.¡± ¡°Any idea where they went?¡± Raising her hand, Amelia points towards the giant hallway ¡°That is the only passage to continue forward.¡± Then, looking at the ground, to the bodies around her, she adds ¡°We have lost so many of us¡± With a sad tinge in her voice. Putting her fists to her chest, Tomoe says ¡°Let''s go and give back the favor.¡± Amelia raises her eyebrows and then nods. Engaging both Auras, and enhancing their bodies, they start to race. Getting to the giant hallway, Tomoe can¡¯t shake the feeling that she is instead crossing a valley, a valley of ivory and marble, with thousands of full armor sets against the wall. Continuing forward and getting pass the hallway, they need to make a stop to in order to take in the view: A hall is in front of them, and in the same fashion than the first room, the hall is unnaturally large, impossible so, larger than the room they left behind. Right in front of them, there is another abandoned city, almost completely in ruins and overtaken with vegetation. Further away from the city, a huge wall rises, with a natural passageway across a normal-sized gatehouse. The wall blocks the sight from further beyond. Feeling a pull in her right arm, Tomoe turns to Amelia, and sees she is pointing to their right at the ground, were recent marks of a battle can be seen. Nodding, Tomoe and Amelia get underway, going down the stairs to get into the blades of grass of the vegetation that has conquered the city. Crossing streets, following the burnt marks, grass and trees burning out, they move through the ruins of the city. Getting to the side of a tall building still standing, Tomoe pulls Amelia into a stop and points upward. Amelia nods, and they enter the building. Going through the dense vegetation invaded the building, they start getting into the upper floors. First, a set of stairs. Second, the stairs have gone out, but they jump between the gaps. Third, a tree has grown one of its branches into the place where the stairs are and have overtaken the place. Climbing the branch, they get out of the building. Continuing to climb the tree, they get to the top, about double the size of the building they were in just before. Then, Tomoe noticed something: The city is in dead silence. ¡°Not even the sound of the fighting¡± she whispers. Tomoe overlooks the city from this vantage point. Looking towards the wall, she sees that a new fire has been just started. Turning to Amelia, Tomoe points toward the smoke and says ¡°Look. It has just started.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.Putting a hand to her chin, Amelia replies ¡°Don¡¯t know Cotton. Seeing how fast we reached this position, I would say that the fight must be, by now, further away. This a bit too close.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be that they were hiding and have been discovered?¡± Closing her eyes, Amelia ponders in silence. After some moments, she opens them again, and says ¡°Can¡¯t hear anything Cotton. No sound of arrows, fire, electricity, nothing.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Tomoe turns to the smoke, then back to Amelia, and says ¡°You¡¯re believing that it is a trap.¡± ¡°Good to see that we haven¡¯t lost an understanding of each other.¡± Amelia says, flashing a slight smile. ¡°In all honesty, that would be impossible. Too much pain to forget.¡± Tomoe snorts. ¡°And still you kept with me.¡± Amelia replies, sticking her tongue out. Tomoe snorts again, then asks ¡°What about this: Lets go, but we stay at the fringes. If we see something suspicious, we bail out.¡± Giving another look to the city in other directions, Amelia finally says ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing left for us to cling on. I don¡¯t like it but we could get really lost here, and we wouldn¡¯t want that.¡± Moving down the tree, they jump right across the street to the building in front of them and continue jumping on, moving through the buildings, towards the direction the smoke is located. Crossing the third street from building to building, Tomoe lands, and when she is about to stand, her knees falter. Amelia lands besides her, and grabs her by the arms, helping her stand up. ¡°Thanks¡± Tomoe says, with a wry smile. ¡°How much Aura do you have left?¡± ¡°Not much I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°I see. That certainly isn¡¯t favorable.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Amelia smiles slightly ¡°What are you apologizing for? Knowing you, you didn¡¯t have any other choice.¡± ¡°I¡­ could¡¯ve done better.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t focus on what could¡¯ve happened, focus on the now. You¡¯re alive, you did your job.¡± Amelia says as she gives a couple of taps on Tomoe¡¯s back. Tomoe snorts ¡°Is that a low or high standard?¡± Amelia snorts ¡°Depending on how many snorts you think are too many snorts.¡± Tomoe chuckles. Amelia continues ¡°Come on, on your feet Beheader.¡± ¡°Sir yes sir¡± Tomoe replies, as she plants her feet on the ground, and tests her knees. ¡°You good?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Not for long.¡± A voice just came to them. Out of nowhere, in front of them, with the door open, a soldier of the enemy army stood up, with two more behind her. In an instant, Auras flashed. Three yellows, two blues, and the room Tomoe and Amelia were in, filled instantly with a high-speed flamethrower. Both girls jumped down the window, getting to the street level, and started to run away, but not before Tomoe could see a column of fire, rising to the air. Moving through bushes and between many trees, Tomoe and Amelia keep running, evading the fire serpent attacks that constantly reach them. Leaving this high vegetation area, they enter a zone of the city where the buildings are build up close to one another, low on vegetation. Getting to the main street, the fire serpents crashes against a couple of buildings, taking them down. As they are running, Tomoe catches a glimpse of something shining in an alleyway. Seeing back to Amelia, who is running in front of her, and then looking up, she reaches for and stops Amelia from continuing, preventing her from being reached by multiple fire serpents who just crash into the ground in front of both of them. Grabbing Amelia by the wrist, Tomoe moves towards the alley. Being the place that is tightest, barely the two of them can pass as they continue to run. Reaching a small plaza with a well at the center and sewers following the square shape of the plaza, they stop again right before another fire serpent hits them. When the fire serpent is gone, an enemy soldier is standing in its place. ¡°Nowhere else to run.¡± Says the enemy soldier, opening both of his arms. Crouching, they turn again, only to see two other soldiers from where they just came. ¡°It was a truly bad idea coming here, princesses.¡± ¡°I hate to say this Cotton, but I agree. What happened?¡± Amelia says while struggling for air. ¡°Maybe¡­ I saw a mirage¡­¡± Tomoe says, falling to the ground, struggling for air and sweating rivers. ¡°Hey, were are the others?¡± The man alone in front of them called to the other two in the back. ¡°Dunno man, maybe they got tired and let us the grunt work.¡± ¡°Those guys¡­ Gotta grill their asses when we come back. Let''s end this here boys.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± says the other soldier, with the clear voice of a woman. As the soldiers call forward their fire taming, a yell resonates within the plaza ¡°Get down!¡± As Tomoe and Amelia duck, from the sewers, water comes out as spears at high speed. Nine spears, seven hits, three on the heads, one for each soldier. To the side of the plaza, one of the wooden doors to one of the houses open. Getting down the stairs, a limping Lorelei reveals herself to the two girls. ¡°Good to see you both are ok¡± says Lorelei with a smug smile. This time, Amelia falls to her knees, joining Tomoe on the floor. Both can¡¯t believe it. Looking at Amelia, Tomoe was grabbed a bit by surprise to see her already tearing up, because although Tomoe didn¡¯t realize exactly until now, Amelia was also wishing with all her heart to see familiar faces. At this, Tomoe can¡¯t stop herself from tearing up too. ¡°What are you doing? Leave the crying for later! stand up, we need to get to the safe house.¡± Lorelei barks, somehow without losing her usual easygoing attitude, and her voice broke a little. Even with all that, it was clear to Tomoe that the invasion has taken a large toll on her too. 41- Sundering Past Three floors under the ground, Lady Aquamarine and her group found refuge, occupying the second and third floor in its entirety of the building they are in, and blocking the entrance with camouflage and heavy rock. Each floor is really large. The first floor underground only had some Beheaders on watch, taking advantage of the vegetation, the rubble and the ruins, even so, when the entrance is already blocked. The second floor downward, is were Lady Aquamarine and a part of the large group of Aquamarine is located, and right under her, the next floor holds the rest of the many Aquamarines that ended in her group. The walls of each floor gave light, just like how the wall and the entirety of the Grand Castle is diffusing light right now. Lady Aquamarine is sitting down, at about the center of the room, surrounded by the Beheaders that followed her when she ordered the large group to divide in two. At her side, Priscilla is kneeling, holding Lady Aquamarine¡¯s left leg, which has turned purple, infusing her Aura in order to help heal the leg trauma. ¡°I hope I took the right choice.¡± Lady Aquamarine lets escape. ¡°We aren¡¯t pushovers. I know this was the right choice, My Lady.¡± Priscilla replies. ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°Well, such a large group running away in a city full of obstacles, with them having attacks that can deal easily with a large group of people at a time, I think it was correct to divide us and take different paths. Less people grouped around when running which gives each person more space, less probability that one person falls down to the ruins and vegetation, more mobility and speed, an easier time defending against attacks since their target is now way smaller, reducing the areas to cover and defend, and more importantly: Those extra seconds we took out of them when they were surprised seeing us dividing and going in on our own ways. Everything came together pretty well I must say.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I could¡¯ve ended pretty bad though.¡± ¡°My Lady,¡± Priscilla says, grabbing Lady Aquamarine¡¯s left leg and pressing the purple part a bit, making Lady Aquamarine flinch ¡°What¡¯s done is done. No matter the choice you would¡¯ve taken, there was a risk on all of them, so stop fretting over what could¡¯ve happened and focus on what is happening now.¡± Lady Aquamarine just watches Priscilla as she stares back with a glare. Priscilla sighs ¡°I can see from where Tomoe took her worrysome attitude.¡± Lady Aquamarine counters ¡°I can see from where Tomoe took her easygoing attitude.¡± Priscilla chuckles ¡°And I took it from Lorelei.¡± ¡°And Lorelei took it from me.¡± Says Daisy, who just came closer after finally checking on the civilians on the floor under them. ¡°And now I know why Priscilla reminds me of you.¡± Daisy lets a weak giggle escape, then asks ¡°How¡¯s the leg?¡± ¡°No good.¡± Priscilla shakes her head ¡°The strength of the tall one must be outlandish even by Aura standards. The damage done was severe.¡± ¡°What did you managed to do?¡± Daisy asks. ¡°Well, I managed to heal the bone and join again the muscles, but¡­ she can barely use the leg right now.¡± ¡°Forget that.¡± Interjects Lady Aquamarine ¡°Daisy, did you managed to give Burst to William?¡± ¡°I did, but it isn¡¯t much. He needs to pick well on who he will use it.¡± Lady Aquamarine takes a hand to her chin and gets deep in thought. Between the many images that run through her mind, Tomoe is the more constant one. The mere thought of her clutches her heart. Suddenly, Ray comes down from the first floor. Walking right to Lady Aquamarine, he says ¡°My Lady¡­ you need to come.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Lady Aquamarine asks. ¡°It seems, My Lady, that the leader of the enemy army is calling for your attention, and to do this, he has gotten to the bridge that connects to the gatehouse up at the wall.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ is he yelling?¡± Daisy asks. ¡°That bastard must have giant lungs to yell that loudly. After all, Aura barely helps when it comes to the lungs and holding breath.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Says Lady Aquamarine. Standing, she immediately falters to her left, letting a moan escape. Priscilla stands up to grab her, but Daisy gets there first and lets Lady Aquamarine support herself with her own body. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hand¡­ and two extra legs for that matter.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Lady Aquamarine says. Turning to Priscilla, she says ¡°Stay here. Support Olga in whatever she needs.¡± Priscilla nods and says ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± ¡°Right this way, My Lady.¡± Ray says, and the three of them move towards the stairs. Getting out to the main floor, and going up two more floors, echoes start reaching Lady Aquamarine ears. Once she goes up the third floor, with the building being one of the tallest in that area, the echoes become loud and clear. ¡°Tomoyo! I know it is you!¡± Lady Aquamarine¡¯s heart takes a jump. It''s been a long time since she has heard anyone saying her name. ¡°Ugh.¡± Daisy lets escape, and then says ¡°W-wait, that¡­¡± turning to Lady Aquamarine, she adds ¡°isn¡¯t that?¡± ¡°Yes. Now there is no doubt.¡± Lady Aquamarine says, biting her lower lip. ¡°That would explain how he knows.¡± Coming close to a window with a lot of vegetation, Lady Aquamarine leans over, and finally catches a glimpse at the gatehouse, high up the wall. A tall man is standing there, with large hair flowing slightly at the wind. ¡°It is Alexander alright.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Daisy lets escape again, taking a hand to her forehead ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Three hundred two years¡­ since before Lionheart was murdered.¡± ¡°The bastard is alive¡­ Ugh¡­¡± ¡°So¡­ My Lady, the rumors are true.¡± Ray says. ¡°What rumors Ray?¡± ¡°That you have been the only head and member of house Aquamarine since the cold war started.¡± Other memories appear in her mind, memories that she thought she already long forgotten. Shaking her head, she says ¡°Let''s focus on what Alexander is saying.¡± ¡°Tomoyo!¡± this time, the yell reached them clear cut. There¡¯s was no mistake, nor difficulty to discern the words. ¡°Right in front of me¡± Alexander continue with his clear strong yelling ¡°I have about one hundred Aquamarines, Tomoyo! All captured from our little encounter before.¡± Alexander makes a pause, then continues ¡°Come to me Tomoyo! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll kill off every one of them!¡± Alexander repeated these words about three more times, then he sits down. ¡°What are we going to do, My Lady?¡± Ray asks. Biting now the nail of the thumb of her right hand, she finally says ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Tomo¡­¡± ¡°My Lady! Please think about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go alone, Ray. I have to. I¡­ don¡¯t know if my daughter is within those hostages.¡± Ray falls into silence. ¡°Don¡¯t fret Ray. Stay here and guard the Aquamarines in there. No matter what Ray, don¡¯t come out until I come back. All of you will be safe down there.¡± Stopping for a moment to see Ray¡¯s expression, she adds ¡°I leave you in command Ray.¡± Raising his head, Ray answers ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± Daisy then says ¡°Well, time to go.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Lady Aquamarine lets escape. ¡°What?¡± Daisy asks ¡°You know that you aren¡¯t going there alone right? I can¡¯t let you go alone, Tomo. Especially if it is Alexander we are talking about.¡± Lady Aquamarine snorts, then says ¡°Time to go then.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady¡± Daisy says, with a slight smug on her face. Walking back down and to the streets, suddenly Lady Aquamarine starts remembering her old days, memories long gone by, and as she becomes unable to stop these memories from flowing, she starts thinking about her childhood and teenage years before meeting Lord Aquamarine. Before, there was always a wall: Fuzziness, being unable to bring any memory to the forefront of her mind. Now, she seems to finally have found a hole in said Wall: How long has it been since she thought about the old times? Focusing more, she thinks of herself, searching deep into her memory. A laugh is the first that comes to her, and the memory of her father raising her by the armpits into the air, as he safely makes her little daughter fly in circles around her. A little tinge of sadness hits her when she realizes that she can no longer remember his face, but she was completely sure that he had a big mustache¡­ right? Next, a dress came up. As it did, Lady Aquamarine felt shocked since she remembers well that this dress was her favorite one. The memory of her looking at herself in the mirror in this simple one-piece sky blue dress with handcrafted frills and details is a memory that, she remembers, she said herself, at that moment, she would never forget. After all, her own mother worked really hard to include all these classy frills and details on it. Lady Aquamarine can¡¯t remember the face of her mother either, yet her voice came crystal clear to her as she gave young Lady Aquamarine a bit of advice on a really important problem that was bothering her: Why are you ashamed and trying to hide them? Girls develop at a different pace from each other my little sunshine, it just happens that you are developing way sooner than the rest! You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.Lady Aquamarine can hear the giggle of her mother as she embraced her. Come here sweety. Do you know? Your mother went exactly what you are going through, right now. I can understand your¡­ insecurities. But like your late grandmother told me once ¡°You¡¯re a woman! What are you quivering around like a scared mouse? There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed about! So stop hiding and show yourself as you are!¡± Another giggle. So, don¡¯t be afraid. Yes, things will be different, things will change, but it will be worse if you reject who you are sweety. It is an undeniable part of who you are, a really beautiful developing woman. Make peace with yourself and find satisfaction in that. It will be more than worth it, I can guarantee that. Lady Aquamarine can remember the gratitude she felt with her mother, when while following her advice, she managed to catch the attention of a young noble rising in his house, and later on again at the wedding. Wisdom can be quite unexpected, as she, at that time, has never heard about a pair of ¡®round hooks¡¯ that were so effective. Then, the long night rose in her memory, covering a long stretch of her life, a period where she lost everything. She may as well be dead inside that tomb for a mansion. Yet, once again, a little ray of light shine through, piercing her darkness and bringing a bit of warmth to her life. The long wavy blonde hair of Tomoe appeared before her, and all the times she has called her mother resonated at once in her ears. Dawn started to appear from over the horizon, and she was, out of nowhere, living again. How? But right now she was moving once again, took a new goal, a new purpose from the position she found herself in. No one could replace her. Looking back, it dawned on her how much she has changed. A slight smile curls in her lips. I pray to Lord Hazuki that you aren¡¯t there, my little sunshine. To the rest, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going. Lady Aquamarine and Daisy enter the perimeter controlled by Alexander. As they keep moving, a couple of enemy soldiers comes out to receive them. ¡°Who is Tomoyo?¡± One of the enemy soldiers says while raising a hand to stop them. ¡°Tomoyo is both of us until you guarantee the safety of both of us.¡± Lady Aquamarine says. ¡°What?¡± The enemy soldier says, being a bit perplexed at the situation. ¡°I¡¯m going to put it like this: If the one here that isn¡¯t Tomoyo is going to die, then the one that is Tomoyo is going to take her life away with her own hands.¡± ¡°Is that so? What if I just tie Tomoyo and get rid of the other one?¡± another enemy soldier came closer, this one with the voice of a woman. ¡°We are water tamers, you shrimp,¡± Daisy says ¡°We can use our ability while being completely tied down.¡± Daisy then takes a bit of sweat from her body, raising it over her free shoulder ¡°we only need three droplets, and we can slice a throat without a problem.¡± ¡°Guide us to Lord Alexander already.¡± Lady Aquamarine says ¡°It will no matter in the end, once he sees us, he will let the other one stay.¡± The enemy soldiers back off a couple of steps and join the other soldiers a couple of steps further away, forming a circle. Moments later, the first one that talked to Lady Aquamarine turned, and says ¡°Come with us.¡± Walking a couple of streets more, they finally get to the elevated bridge that goes to the gatehouse. As they get closer, Lady Aquamarine and Daisy can clearly see the one hundred Aquamarines hold hostage, right there, a bit further away from them and the bridge. Lady Aquamarine searches between the hostages, but soon enough she is hit with a sense of relief, seeing how there wasn¡¯t any blonde hair between them. How strange is motherhood, really. Relief, in the middle of a thousand enemy swords? How strange. She gives the hostages another look, seeing how all of them are down on their knees. But with this second pass, a slight pain, as if it were a puncture, hit her: Fluffy hair, thin build up. There¡¯s no mistake about it: He is Lacus, one of the Aquamarines that is friends with Tomoe. He is the reason why Lady Aquamarine was able to escape Alexander¡¯s surprise attack with only the wound in her left leg. I had hoped you somehow managed to get away too¡­ ¡°Long time no see, Tomoyo.¡± At this voice reaching her ears, a chill ran on Lady Aquamarine¡¯s back, from up to down. Turning, she could only confirm what she already knew from far away: The man standing right in front of her is none other than Alexander itself. ¡°And who this may be?¡± Alexander says, raising a hand towards Daisy. At this gesture, enemy soldiers that surrounded them engaged their Auras. ¡°How cruel of you, Alexander. How could you forget about me?¡± Daisy says, all while she removed the hood of her travel attire. Alexander goes silent for some moments, but not before long he replies ¡°Aaah, yes, I remember you. I only saw you a couple of times though, and I certainly don¡¯t remember you being a celestial fox. How is it that a person with such little faith and an unnatural logical mind, for a woman that is, now works and serves under Lord Hazuki¡¯s faith?¡± ¡°Tha-¡± Daisy starts saying, but Lady Aquamarine cuts her. ¡°There are more important matters at hand, Alexander.¡± ¡°Indeed, there are, and there isn¡¯t much time left.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have much time left?¡­¡± Lady Aquamarine makes a pause, then continues ¡°Don¡¯t you mean, is Gwynevere still alive?¡± ¡°Yes, she is, Tomoyo. The curse of Lionheart still hasn¡¯t claimed her, but her time draws closer each day. And I¡¯ll take you with me, by force if necessary, in order to save her.¡± ¡°Save her? How? You know that the curse can¡¯t be dispelled. All elven women will eventually die.¡± Daisy says. ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± Lady Aquamarine says, not before her heart jumps again when the image of Tomoe appears in her mind. ¡°That is what all thought!¡± says Alexander, raising his right hand in a swiping motion ¡°but, when we were certain about our hopeless destiny as a race, something happened: I found the cure, what will dispel the curse from our noble blood!¡± says out loud, followed by a couple of roars from the enemy soldiers around the area. ¡°You just have lost it in the face of the certain prospect of losing your wife!¡± Lady Aquamarine says. ¡°And exactly how everything that has happened until now has anything to do with the curse?¡± Daisy asks. ¡°No, Tomoyo, I didn¡¯t. And good question Daisy. you see, someone actually came to me. He was someone very particular you see, and very convincing. He told me about the cure of the curse, and told me where to find it.¡± Alexander says, opening wide his arms. ¡°What are you talking about?¡­ wait¡­ Here?!¡± exclaims Lady Aquamarine. ¡°Indeed! He told me about it, Tomoyo! How, under the Grand Castle in the Aquamarine state, lied the last Lord Tree of the late Lionheart, the last Diamond Lord Tree! With one of its fruits, the curse can be dispelled.¡± Multiple more images rush through Lady Aquamarine¡¯s mind: Her memories of Lord Aquamarine, the time when Tomoe was little, her entire time locked inside the Aquamarine mansion. ¡°So, that is why you came.¡± Daisy says. ¡°Indeed.¡± Alexander says. ¡°And how do we fit into your plan?¡± Lady Aquamarine asks. ¡°I need you, Tomoyo. That mysterious man, calling himself an Empyrean, told me that I needed the last living member of house Aquamarine in order to enter the space under the Gran Castle, with the passage being right under the Throne room.¡± With her head starting to spin, Lady Aquamarine slips from Daisy¡¯s grasp and falls to the ground on her knees. Trying to stand up again with help of Daisy, Alexander remarks ¡°You surely dealt well with the ambush, but it is good that I managed to deliver that hit to your leg. It will make everything easier.¡± Having trouble to stand, Lady Aquamarine changes the subject ¡°I understand everything then. I¡¯m right here, as you requested. Let the hostages go.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play the fool, Alexander. You have always been a man of his word.¡± Lady Aquamarine remarks, with her voice starting to break. Alexander snorts ¡°Oh, yes, I remember well. I¡¯ll do on my promise then.¡± Then he snaps his fingers. A sudden loud sound and blast of air push both Lady Aquamarine and Daisy from behind, throwing them to the floor. Turning, Lady Aquamarine a scene of pure terror: One side of the hostages, the ones that are to her left, was completely black. Flames coming out of the charred bodies, with a huge black burnt mark on the ground. On the other side, the other half of hostages were down on the ground too, only with minor bruises, and at the sight of what just happened, tears and moaning started to come out. Turning again, tears in her eyes, towards Alexander, she tries to speak, but no words came out. Daisy covered her mouth, trying to control her trembling. ¡°What?¡± Alexander says ¡°I promised that I wouldn¡¯t kill everyone, right?¡± Between the many charred, blackened bodies, no traces of that fluffy hair can be seen. 42- Mission: Search and Rescue Around a circle of Beheaders, Tomoe sat there, hands supporting her head. It hasn¡¯t been more than fifteen minutes since they heard Alexander calling for Lady Aquamarine, the loud explosion, and after that, seen Lady Aquamarine and Daisy following Alexander right through the gatehouse, crossing the wall. Tomoe found herself in a really similar situation like the one she was in that many years ago, in front of the hydra, or at least that is what she felt like, with the anxiety running through her muscles and dulling them each second it passed. The rain, falling with all of its might on top of her, robbing her of her awareness and strength. In the circle, there were Bran, Lorelei, Amelia, and herself, for those who she personally knew. Just after they saw Lady Aquamarine go through the gatehouse, everyone sprung back and started to lay out a plan in order to take action. A problem arose though. And with each second it passes, Tomoe¡¯s mind started to drift away, her mind started to muffle the sounds around her. She started to move her body in a hyperactive fashion, with legs and arms constantly moving. Gotta pay attention! What are you doing? But to no avail, the control she is trying to reclaim is being lost to her, the rain dampened her clothes with sweat. Her mother was still ok, that she was sure off. Yet, nothing assured her if she might be in the close future. Her own mother, the only one she knew since she was really little. One of the few that, Tomoe felt, she could still find peace with, and certainly the only one she could embrace and be embraced by, soothing her anxiety. That person that since she was little has been a large part of her world, she willingly appeared in front of the enemy leader and now she is going with him. Can¡¯t have that¡­ she will surely be killed¡­ What could she do? What could she do? And Tomoe continued to go on back and forth. She knew what she needed to do, yet¡­ it was really hard. As if her breath was being taken away, unable to breath, or like a large, bitter pill that she needed to swallow, and was failing, choking instead with it. Suddenly, she feels a the palm of a hand against her back. Snapping out of the daze, she turns to her right, seeing Amelia right next to her. ¡°Lia¡­ Thank you.¡± Amelia nodded and smiled, saying ¡°You¡¯re not alone.¡± Tomoe nodded back. She then noticed that the sounds started to get back to her. Hearing the movement of a heavy object to the side, from the glowing wall, a piece of it moved like a door, only to reveal William coming out of it, from the room next to them. ¡°It is impressive that the Grand Castle has these hidden rooms, specially when they are really large.¡± Tomoe remarks. Lorelei stands up, and turns to William ¡°How is everybody?¡± ¡°We have a large number of civilians and Beheaders injured. Thirty-three deaths just right now.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have that many people available eh? At least we can plan with this in mind now.¡± Bran says. ¡°Strike teams? Just like before we entered the citadel.¡± Lorelei suggests. ¡°How many teams we can make?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°I would advise against that.¡± William interjects. Tomoe stands up, almost without thinking, but a gesture she has seen many times stops her from talking, the fast severe open palm gesture from William, indicating that she should stop her unreasonable behavior. ¡°We need to think of the civilians¡± William continues ¡°We can¡¯t go and leave them behind without protection.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.¡°That much is a given.¡± Amelia says. ¡°Any plan do you have in mind then?¡± Lorelei asks. ¡°Well¡­ I do.¡± Williams answers, walking towards Tomoe and giving her a small pill, a sphere in half, what William had left of the Burst he has in his hand that Daisy gave him ¡°We can¡¯t have people that are going to be a burden on the plan. Eat this, it is the only left I have.¡± Tomoe takes it and eats it. Within moments, her Aura starts to pour out of her again, as a gentle river flowing. ¡°Don¡¯t you have more?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°Was the last one. Didn¡¯t managed to get much from Daisy before splitting.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Look at you Cotton, being like this would usually take you half a day in recovery.¡± Playing with her Aura between her hands, Tomoe nods. Then, turning to William, she says ¡°Thank you, William. I¡¯ll use it well.¡± From the usual amount of Aura she has, she recovered a lot, but still, she has less of the half of the total Aura she has in total, fully recovered. William just nodded. ¡°So, what is the plan you have in mind?¡± Bran says, having stood up too. Sitting alongside the circle, William starts ¡°Since a long time ago, I have been inspecting various¡­ things, that surround the Aquamarine Port City. I did this on my own accord, while Lady Aquamarine¡­ recovered, in order to be in shape again to guide the Aquamarine State. One of the things I inspected many times is precisely the Grand Castle.¡± ¡°Wait¡± Bran says, interrupting William, and then asks ¡°How did you manage to enter the Grand Castle without anyone noticing?¡± A slight smug appears on William¡¯s face ¡°It was in the middle of the night, and many did notice the Grand Castle glowing at those times. Don¡¯t worry, we handled with them cleanly, and back then Lady Aquamarine didn¡¯t ask any questions, at all, she¡­ just gave me the permission. So, coming back to the plan,¡± William continues ¡°in one of my many visits to the Grand Castle, I found about a method of transportation that allows covering great distances within the Grand Castle, and in other of my visits¡­ that the Grand Castle can protect itself.¡± ¡°Defend itself?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°Yes. So, the plan is as follows: We take a small strike team, go to these pathways, move towards the room that controls the defenses in the Grand Castle, and use the self-defense system to our favor to rescue Lady Aquamarine and Daisy.¡± ¡°That¡­ sounds actually good.¡± Bran says. ¡°It has its risks.¡± William says ¡°the Grand Castle will not distinguish us from Alexander¡¯s troops. In the past we already have had loses thanks to this.¡± ¡°What about the civilians and¡­ everyone that are here?¡± Lorelei asks. ¡°They will be fine as long as they don¡¯t leave these secret rooms. For an unknown reason, the self-defense system never notices these secret rooms.¡± William says. ¡°So,¡± Amelia starts ¡°Small team, reach the room that moves into action this self-defense system, wakes up the Grand Castle, reach Alexander while fighting the Grand Castle itself, rescue Lady Aquamarine and Daisy, and then turn back.¡± Scratching her chin, she adds ¡°Sounds easy enough.¡± Tomoe and Bran snorts. Lorelei chuckles. ¡°For you? Maybe.¡± Lorelei adds. ¡°We agree then to carry William¡¯s plan?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°Yes.¡± She heard from everyone. ¡°Perfect. Go and prepare, I¡¯ll take care of organizing the Beheaders here. We leave in ten minutes.¡± William orders. 43- Dark Corridor Reaching the closest wall to the Grand Castle, Tomoe looks back, seeing the distance they have already covered in just minutes. ¡°Cotton! Stop standing there and come up.¡± Tomoe turns back and up, nods to Amelia, and then takes the stairs of one of the abandoned buildings to its fifth floor. These stairs are outside of the building, which allows Tomoe to see the entirety of the city from another perspective, and lets her see what is located to the other side of the wall: A large forest, with smoke coming off at some places, then another city, a beyond, what looks like another wall, and a large plain beyond that. The sheer size of the place would stop Tomoe in her tracks if only her mother wasn¡¯t taken by the enemy. Reaching the fifth floor, she sees William against the wall of the Grand Castle, touching it with his hands, and light coming off the points that he is touching. Bran, Lorelei and Amelia are to the side, taking in the view. ¡°What is William doing?¡± Tomoe asks as she comes closer to the group. ¡°He says that he needs a moment to open the passage that we are going to take.¡± Lorelei answers. ¡°So, we are waiting, taking in the sheer insanity of this place.¡± Bran says. Amelia nods a couple of times. Pointing upward, she adds ¡°they aren¡¯t particularly noticeable from below, but look.¡± The group, looking up as Amelia told them, found that closer to the ceiling, a large number of gargoyles are lined up. One after another, covering the entire space from one side to the other. ¡°What is with that? Why so many gargoyles? Not even the oldest building back in the city had this many reunited at one point¡­ and they are quite ugly.¡± Lorelei remarks. ¡°One thing is certain: They are really well kept. You can distinguish their features even from this far.¡± Bran adds. ¡°Never liked the things. Always gives me the creeps if I¡¯m honest.¡± Tomoe says. A heavy, loud sound comes from behind. The group, turning, see William besides the wall, and a hole in it, in the shape of a rectangle door. ¡°Come, the way is now open.¡± Nodding, Tomoe enters, followed by the entire group. Moving through the corridors, William leads the way. The corridors are far smaller, and still, they too are glowing with light. Touching the walls, they gave a feeling as if they were made of Ivory, and the ground had the toughness of marble. Flooded within her own emotions, Tomoe couldn¡¯t sit still. Her mother is there with that horrible person, and she will surely die if Tomoe doesn¡¯t do anything to help her, and fast. Every step resonated within her, as a thousand steps made by the rain invaded her ears. Shall she ask William and make a run for it?¡­ No, that wouldn¡¯t help. Slightly slapping her cheeks, she takes a deep breath, recognizing the absurdity of what would happen even if she indeed managed to get to her mother, alone and without backup. Even so, her feet felt lighter, a bit too willing to leave everyone behind. After turning many times in the corridors, and going up and down, Tomoe asks ¡°How much until we get to the room?¡± William answers ¡°About to get there.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Tomoe says as she runs past William and makes a turn to the right after a corner, but then, she is faced with something out of the ordinary, even more than the Grand Castle itself: The corridor in front of her is in total darkness. Even when the walls that connect all the corridors are glowing with light, it is like light doesn¡¯t enter and doesn¡¯t leave this corridor. Tomoe can¡¯t see into the corridor, nor can see the end of it. Without having noticed, William¡¯s hand was on Tomoe¡¯s shoulder. It was grabbing her shoulder with a lot of strength, which made Tomoe look again at the unusual corridor, with a chill running down her back. ¡°What in the-¡± Amelia starts saying as she too turns the corner. ¡°What is happening?¡± says Lorelei from beyond the corner. Having the group catch up, William proceeds to explain ¡°This is what we call a dark corridor.¡± ¡°Very¡­ apt name.¡± Tomoe remarks. Bran just nods. ¡°And it is really dangerous.¡± William continues ¡°One false step, and the corridor will vanish instantly the person who took said wrong step.¡± Silence. Amelia then takes the word and says ¡°Vanish?¡­ what do you mean?¡± clearly showing concern in the tone of her voice. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.¡°Exactly what I meant: Anyone taking the wrong step suddenly vanishes. And no matter where we look, scouring the entire area, the entire Grand Castle, all the people that vanish just¡­ disappear. They don¡¯t go anywhere else that we know off, they are just¡­ gone.¡± Tomoe takes the word now ¡°How are we supposed to cross this then? Is there a way?¡± ¡°There is a way. Completely reliable too, and we must cross it in order to get to the self defense room, which is too far away otherwise. Let me explain: We will form a chain of people, holding hands both with the one in front of you and the one in your back. I¡¯ll go first since I know how to navigate the dark corridor, and the one after me, holding my hand, will follow all the directions I take inside the dark corridor. Do this, and we all can cross safely and reach the other side.¡± ¡°Are you joking right now, William?¡± Lorelei asks at the same time that William stretches his hand. Then she adds ¡°I guess not.¡± Stepping forward, Tomoe grabs William¡¯s hand ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± William asks. ¡°We need to reach my mom. If you truly know how to cross this, then I¡¯ll put my faith entirely on you and decisively move forward. We can¡¯t waste any more time.¡± Stretching her own hand towards Amelia, Tomoe says ¡°And I know that Lia thinks the same.¡± A slight smug is drawn in Amelia¡¯s face, while she takes Tomoe¡¯s hand while saying ¡°And Cotton¡¯s dangerous side is finally back.¡± Finally, with everyone holding hands in a chain formation, William says ¡°Remember, follow my exact steps and direction, and we will be at the other side in no time.¡± The entire group nods and William enters the dark corridor, which causes some ripples in the dark as if William just entered in some sort of liquid. Soon after, the entire group was inside. The short moment Tomoe was inside the dark corridor felt like an out of this world experience. No light was reaching her eyes, she couldn¡¯t see even her nose. She could still breath, it was air what was getting into her nose. The solid sensation of the floor transmitted really well to her feet, and the sounds of all the steps the entire group were making could be heard clearly in the dark. The hand she was using to hold William¡¯s, she could still feel it, the pulling when William walked forward, the rest when William stopped for a second before changing directions. The dark was getting into her nerves, and so on the grip on both of her hands was getting stronger and stronger. ¡°Cotton!, you¡¯re hurting me!¡± Tomoe could hear Amelia''s complaint. Tomoe couldn¡¯t understand what was she complaining about though, not until she finally reached the other side of the dark corridor, and when the light hit her, she finally understood what was happening: her Aura was already engaged, and she was sweating a lot. Little by little everyone crossed into the light. Taking deep breaths, Tomoe turns to Amelia and says ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lia¡­ don¡¯t know what happened.¡± Amelia too was frizzled by the dark corridor ¡°Cotton, I like my hands, so please don¡¯t try and crush them.¡± Tomoe snorts. ¡°I feel my guts about to spill from my mouth.¡± Bran remarks, as he, the last in the line, enters the room. ¡°Now I¡¯m grateful that I didn¡¯t eat anything since the morning.¡± Lorelei follows. William gets to the center of the room, where a white floating crystal is suspended in the air. Tomoe follows him with her sight. Raising his hand, William engages his Aura and infuses the crystal with it. Then, light comes from the Crystal. Lines of light shoot against the walls of the room, multiply and run off towards the corridors that connect to the room, even the dark corridor. A loud sound can be heard, followed by many light and heavy sounds. Some of the corridors that connected to the room were suddenly enveloped in darkness: new dark corridors were activated. ¡°The self-defense system has been activated.¡± William says. Then, turning, he adds ¡°now, the entire castle is connected through the dark corridors. With this, we can move and cover large distances in less time, and reach in time the next room that will allow us to see where our Lady is located.¡± William stretches his hand to Tomoe. The entire group went silent, trying to grasp what just happened, and only nodded, following William through the next dark corridor after taking a couple of additional deep breaths. 44- To not lose the Light Inside the Grand Castle, a group of metal clad, white robed soldiers is crossing a large field. About forty, in a circle formation surrounding the center, were another another group of soldiers in a half-moon formation are guarding the carriage. Inside the carriage, Alexander, Lady Aquamarine, Daisy, Gwynevere and two more soldiers are present. The carriage is currently moving with the curtains pulled up, so the surroundings can be seen. Alexander watches as Lady Aquamarine keeps looking around her, unable to hide her amusement with such law-defying place. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Tomoyo? You should be already familiar with this place, aren¡¯t you? It is in your state after all.¡± ¡°It is nothing¡­ I was just wondering how did you managed to enter before us.¡± ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t the only one that knows of this place. This castle have existed even before the Great Wolf appeared in Aeris. I still remember some¡­ things about it myself, long ago when I was a young elf. I just used some tunnels long ago abandoned. It was easy to infiltrate and laid in waiting. Seeing how the castle wasn¡¯t open when I arrived, I just decided to use them. But I have to wonder, after all this time, how come you don¡¯t know about the many tunnels that the castle has?¡± Daisy answers with a glare. Lady Aquamarine holds her by the neck, and replies ¡°Been imprisoned in the Aquamarine mansion all the time since those days. Couldn¡¯t take a step out of it until-¡± ¡°We attacked.¡± A voice comes out of the separate space that is inside the carriage. ¡°How are you feeling, My Sun?¡± ¡°Still can move, but the curse is gaining terrain, My Moon.¡± Lady Aquamarine kneels besides the separate space, a small carriage-like covered in a large, white and blue cloth. Seeing Alexander, she says ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°Mind her, and your situation.¡± ¡°Surprised that you would allow someone get that close to that person for which you are doing all of this?¡± Daisy says. ¡°If there is something that I know about Tomoyo, is that she is unable to be ruthless to the people that she knows.¡± ¡°I could¡¯ve changed, you know?¡± Lady Aquamarine replies. ¡°Once the nature of a person is settled, there is no way back.¡± Lady Aquamarine snorts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tomo.¡± Gwynevere says from inside this space ¡°I know that a simple apology will never cut it though. I was the one that told Alexander about you, that happening a long time ago.¡± Lady Aquamarine raises her left arm, and pulls the curtains, only to reveal Gwynevere to her sigh. The elven race was known, even since the times before the Great Wolf ate half of the world, as the most beautiful race that ever existed. Of porcelain skin, clear eyes and straight, long hair, they were the talk of the town everywhere they went. The object of adoration and envy for many, considered by many the very embodiment of the ruthless, the maternal and the sensual. Records of the world before the Great Wolf ate half of it are lost to time, or so the people believe, but it is the popular belief that some sort of God created the elven race and gave them some sort of magical properties, and it is what made them so desirable and adored by many, in how their passing along a street would fill men and women alike with euphoria and desire. Yes, elves were like this. Lady Aquamarine remembers those times well enough, one of the few things she wouldn¡¯t be able to forget. Between elven people, she remembered very well Gwynevere, the first day her eyes met with hers. Between elves, she was a remarkable one, unique inheriting rare traits that don¡¯t appear on elves for many generations, with large pointed ears being the rarest trait. But whatever she was before, it is nothing but the shadow of her former self: Her porcelain skin turned gray, her hair lost all luster and is falling away, patches of purple appear at some points in her visible body, and she has lost almost all muscle. For a race that just starts to get the appearance of being ¡®old¡¯ at a thousand years old, it is like the rest of her six hundred years all came at the same time. ¡°So, that is the curse.¡± Lady Aquamarine whispers. ¡°It brings me shame to no end.¡± Gwynevere whispers too. ¡°If it got to you, that means¡­¡± ¡°It does, Tomo. Almost all elven women have died at this point¡­ She being set a long time ago as the final female to die to it.¡± Lady Aquamarine looks down, biting her lower lips. ¡°Gwynevere, I¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tomo.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°If we had found a way to stop the curse, maybe this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Her voice starts breaking apart. A tear rolls from her eyes. Lady Aquamarine keeps silence. ¡°Can¡¯t be sure of that¡± Alexander interjects ¡°but, at the very least, I wouldn¡¯t led an invasion.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Knowing you, one day or another we would have your troops that the steps of our doors.¡± Daisy says. ¡°Maybe, but certainly it wouldn¡¯t be in this way. What set us in this way of conquest wasn¡¯t the painfully obvious truth that all of the other races are below us, but Gwynevere contracting the curse.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.Turning to Gwynevere, Lady Aquamarine asks ¡°Is that true?¡± Gwynevere only nods. ¡°You say that there is a cure? With all the pain that this causes me, a cure shouldn¡¯t exist, and you know that.¡± Lady Aquamarine says, turning to Alexander. ¡°You say that, but, you see, there was this fair lady that came to us, she called herself an Empyrean, and revealed to us that there indeed exists a cure to the curse of Lionheart.¡± ¡°And that is located under the Grand Castle, through a passage located in the Throne room, right?¡± Daisy says. ¡°That is correct, Daisy. Good to see that those fox ears actually work as such.¡± Alexander says. ¡°If this were true, which I find really hard to believe, why wouldn¡¯t you just asks us to assist you, instead of conducting an invasion? We could¡¯ve avoided all the useless bloodshed.¡± ¡°Because even if the cure, what dispels the curse, exists, I have personally be putting off for far too long the mercy of saving all of your useless sacks of meats from your own shortcomings.¡± ¡°Once the nature of a person settles, it never changes uh? What a cold heart you have¡± Daisy says. At these words, the memories of old days come to him. His days at House Lapis principal mansion, being looked down upon by what he feels were all the members of his family. The memory of his father roaming the hallways as he moved from one place to another by work. All of his brothers and sisters and her own mother, a concubine, and his father official wife following him, trying to constantly win his father¡¯s favor. All the punches, kicks, shoves, all the time he spent in that mansion full of people, totally alone. All of them, even the servants, pinning him as a weakling and a failure for after having achieved one hundred years old, he was still unable to manifest his Aura, when the common occurrence is that all elves manifest their Aura when they turn twenty five years old at the latest. This cold dark age continued until one day, while he was at one of the hanging gardens of the mansion after being beaten up by his brothers and sisters and their friends of many races, she appeared for the first time in his life. That day he learned what it meant to be under the sun, its ray gently melting the coldness of his heart, letting him taste warmth for the first time in his life. He didn¡¯t know about her, that she was there accompanying her uncle, her only parental figure, in order to arrange a marriage between her and the oldest son of Lord Lapis. No, that didn¡¯t truly mattered, because her light penetrated inside him to his very core, no shadow being left. Her gentle warmth and the precision of her words disabled the logic and raw emotion he had built inside him all these years. She stayed for three months within House Lapis¡¯ mansion, and by the end of it when she was going back to her home, for the first time Alexander stood for someone else, challenging the older brother in ritual combat for Gwynevere¡¯s hand in marriage. This is a fight that no one in house Lapis will ever forget, for when Alexander was about to lose, his Aura manifested, turning the tables in an instant. Now Alexander, many centuries later, remembers those days of old more frequently. ¡°If I lose my Sun, I would indeed end frozen¡± he whispers. ¡°So!¡± Lady Aquamarine says ¡°Its been a while since we have been in these plains. When are we going to get to the Throne room?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take longer, we are just right there.¡± Suddenly, countless miniature strings of light appear on the walls. Moving in square like motions, these strings run upwards, all the way to the ceiling, lighting up some figures in pure light. A loud sound can be heard, echoing the main hall, and moments later, these figures start moving. They stretch their wings, take hold of their weapon with both hands, and let themselves fall towards the floor, using the wings only to break the fall right on time. Seeing them up close, Alexander understands what is happening ¡°I see that someone activated the self-defense system. Didn¡¯t know that it was still functioning.¡± Turning to Lady Aquamarine, he adds ¡°I hope they understand the danger they have put you on, right now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Daisy asks. ¡°The original settlers of this castle are gone. Those settlers are the ones that this system defended in the case that they are exposed to danger.¡± ¡°And neither him nor us are considered settlers by the system standards.¡± Lady Aquamarine adds. ¡°Buckle up.¡± Alexander says to The three women in front of her. Turning to the forty soldiers present, Alexander yells ¡°Keep the circle formation! Don¡¯t let anyone come near the carriage! The hope of our race is at risk, and we will defend it to the end!¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord!¡± an unanimous chant the soldiers let hear. Turning to the two soldiers and the driver of the carriage, Alexander says ¡°You three, you will stay here. Protect My Sun with your life. And protect Lady Aquamarine, we need her to open the Throne room and save My Sun. As for me, I¡¯m going in.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord!¡± 45- No Fanfare In a circular room, the group is standing around William, who is sitting down in the center of the room, in the front of a crystal from which strings of light are coming out towards the walls, and at the same time in back into the Crystal. ¡°Do you see her?¡± Tomoe asks. William opens his eyes. Standing up, he replies ¡°Yes, but we have an issue in our hands.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Amelia asks. ¡°Somehow, they have been able to push through the self-defense system. There¡¯s a trail of destruction that starts from the plains further beyond, and continues all the way until the end of the main hall.¡± ¡°What?! Do you mean that-¡± Tomoe starts, but she is quickly interrupted. ¡°They are more combat-ready than I thought.¡± William says ¡°Which concerns me. These gargoyles are really tough to fight against.¡± ¡°What does that mean? The plan didn¡¯t work?¡± Bran says. ¡°I hoped that they would, at the very least, hinder the speed of Alexander and his troops. They are already at the doors of the throne room, still being swarmed by new gargoyles and the ones that self-regenerate. We have to hurry.¡± William says as he puts himself beside the next dark corridor ¡°Come on, if we want to reach them, we need to get going.¡± Tomoe nodded and grabs William¡¯s hand. Forming the entire chain again, they enter the dark corridor. Going through two dark corridors, the group comes out in a corridor that is open to the main hall, to the side, into the wall, and elevated from the floor. When Tomoe comes out, she gives a good look to the main hall, to the plains, and sees the entire destruction of the gargoyles that have lost the capacity to self regenerate. ¡°That level of destruction is not normal.¡± ¡°Alexander lost only three soldiers right there.¡± William says. ¡°What do you think about that?¡± Lorelei asks. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be possible, not against that many gargoyles.¡± ¡°How would you know?¡± Bran asks. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until recently that we discovered that the Grand Castle had a self-defense system. I was in a group, giving orders, when we made the mistake of activating the system. We were forty, at that time only four gargoyles found us and came to us, and even when we were superior four to one, we ended the fight with many gravely injured people, and two deaths¡­ This is how Titania¡¯s father passed away.¡± Tomoe felt a stinger in her stomach. From the bottom of her very being, she wished that Titania was still alive, just right outside of the Grand Castle. While Tomoe was thinking this, her mind wandered for just a moment, but it was enough to not make her notice the sound that suddenly got really close, and a half-destroyed gargoyle, still flying, went into a high-speed dive to just behind her position. Noticing it, Tomoe turns to find Lorelei right behind her, looking at the other side of the bridge. Leaping forward, Tomoe pushes Lorelei back, with all of her might. Falling into Lorelei¡¯s position, Tomoe raises her Aura and puts a barrier, but instead of the gargoyle, she feels another strong push from behind, almost instantly, that pushes her too out of the way. The strike of the gargoyle with the corridor is really loud, and echoes alongside the main hall. The rest of the gargoyle ends up falling down. Turning to see what happened, while the dust settles, Tomoe manages to see William laying on the floor. ¡°William, William!¡± Tomoe yells, calling for William as she comes closer and yanks him. Putting a hand to his head, William stands up. Turning, Tomoe lets a gasp escape: William is injured, one of his eyes is gone, and blood is pouring out of it. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.¡°Lorelei, Bran, we need to heal him now!¡± Tomoe says. William raises his hand, and puts it over Tomoe¡¯s shoulder ¡°We can¡¯t. Healing me from a wound like this would take too much time. We need to save Lady Aquamarine from certain death. She is the priority.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Can you even direct us through the dark corridors that are left with an injury like that? Look at you, you can¡¯t even stand straight.¡± Bran says. ¡°I can. If we make haste, we will have no problem.¡± Tomoe falls into silence. After some moments, she says ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. Mother may die at any moment.¡± ¡°Yes¡± William says, as he takes lead again. Putting himself besides William, Bran gives him help by allowing William to take support on him. ¡°Thank you¡± William says. ¡°Sure.¡± Bran says. Crossing over three other dark corridors, William¡¯s state starts to worsen fast. Switching places with Bran, Tomoe gives William support so he can walk straight. Facing the next dark corridor, William says ¡°This is the last one. On the other side, we will be alongside the area around the throne room doors.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s enter.¡± Amelia says ¡°Time is running short.¡± Once in the dark corridor, having walked for some minutes, William says ¡°Wait. Stop.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Tomoe says. ¡°Let me go for a moment.¡± In the utter darkness, Tomoe lets go of William but keeps grabbing his arm with her right hand. ¡°Tomoe.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We are facing a bifurcation. Left and right.¡± ¡°And one of them is the correct one.¡± Tomoe could hear Amelia say from behind. ¡°Correct.¡± William says ¡°I¡¯ll take the left. Count until ten. If I haven¡¯t called you back until then, you will know that the right is the correct path.¡± Tomoe¡¯s heart makes a jump. Many words come towards her mouth, but her mouth didn¡¯t move. Instead, she bites her lower lip, and said a really heavy ¡°Thank you.¡± From behind, Tomoe could hear Amelia say ¡°Just in case, William, thanks for your service.¡± In a tone that is unusually heavy to hear from her. ¡°Yeah. I agree. For everything old man, thank you.¡± Tomoe could swear that William just let a little snort escape. ¡°Once I let go, take one step forward. If ten seconds passes and you don¡¯t hear anything about me¡­ take the right.¡± William says. A slight silence and Tomoe can hear him adding ¡°See you all at the other side.¡± Tomoe felt how William¡¯s arm escaped her hand. She then took a step forward and waited. One, two, three¡­ five¡­ seven¡­ nine¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­Ten¡­ Tomoe takes the right, and comes at the other side of the dark corridor. Behind her, Amelia, Lorelei and Bran come out. It was so silent. Just a moment ago he was there, and then, he was there no more. The man that was for her the closest thing she had for a father¡­ just gone. Just like that. No fanfare, no heroic act, he was just taken by who knows what, and he will never come back. Tomoe felt how a gaping hole just formed inside her. Even when she was still processing what just happened, her heart already understood since some tears started rolling down her cheeks. A storm contained in a droplet. ¡°Keep them for later. We have to go.¡± Bran says, putting a hand to her shoulder. Tomoe nods, wiping her face ¡°we¡­ we have a more pressing matter at hand.¡± She says, struggling to keep her voice together as the group faces the doors of the throne room already open, and around forty gargoyles entering in it. Alexander¡­ You will not end this day alive¡­ I¡¯ll make sure of that¡­ 46- Blindsided Once the next group of gargoyles enters the throne room, we will follow them and use them as cover as we too, enter. Moving between functioning gargoyles and the remains of the destroyed ones, we will close the gap, and launch a surprise attack to take out Alexander, once and for all. With those thoughts in mind, the plan they decide to follow, and while walking and crouching, Amelia enters the throne room, that like many aspects of the Grand Castle, it is also really large. The throne sits at the end of what feels like never-ending numbers of steps, against a giant window that depicts a representation of something now long forgotten. The sun rays enter through the window, coloring the entire battlefield, soldiers and gargoyles alike, in different vivid colors. As Amelia enters looking at the top, a sense of urgency grows within her. The time is dangerously almost up, she can feel her feet as if they were buried underground already. Yet, Lady Aquamarine still isn¡¯t safe. That can¡¯t be. Before the time¡¯s up, Lady Aquamarine must be safe, her death would disarm almost all the Beheaders in their entirety, losing Water Taming until a new Lord takes her place. But even more severe would be, and certainly Alexander is going for this too, is that with her death, the Aquamarine Lord Tree would be open for complete extermination, and the entirety of the Aquamarine State would lose Water Taming forever. Time is growing short. It may not even reach the end of the day before Lady Aquamarine¡¯s life is taken. They must move fast, she must move fast, with precision, to leave the Aquamarine State in, at the very least, a position where it can fight back. To leave one of the few people that she admires and owes much in her life in the best position possible, and with her, to also secure a chance for her own mother to live enough to see another day was peace comes back¡­ another day where she doesn¡¯t have to degrade herself to get food and a roof to live safely under. For all of this, she prayed to Hazuki, to guarantee for her that she will be on time before hers runs out. All around the stairs remains of gargoyles are located. Other gargoyles pass right over and through them. At the top, around the throne, the area plateaus, and right there is the army of Alexander, with Alexander itself at the center, throwing the occasional thunder strike, and Lady Aquamarine and Daisy kneeling, opening what looks like some sort of door. Following the gargoyle she picked, Amelia soon devises a route to go up the stairs and jumps behind some remains to her left. Looking back, the others did the same. Good. Starting to go up the stairs, Amelia occasionally pops up her head in order to see how the battle is going. Getting to the end of some remains, and seeing a large gap between her side and the remains in front of her, she waits. Looking over the fight, some gargoyles have spread their wings. Good. Amelia runs from one point to the other. Hearing some sounds, she looks back at the throne room¡¯s entrance. New gargoyles have arrived. Their heavy steps start going up the stairs. Amelia hurries along with the remains, trying to stay out of their sights. No use, a gargoyle catches sight of her from below the stairs and starts going in her direction, running in all fours. A chill runs through Amelia¡¯s forehead and hands. Turning around, still crouched, she sees that it is impossible for her, just like this, to evade it. She takes the handle of her sword and puts herself in a position to defend against the coming attack. Suddenly, Amelia hears a loud sound coming from her left, and without much time to react, a gargoyle comes down crashing in front of her, hitting the gargoyle that saw her in the process. Dust raises into the air as Amelia sees how a shadow stands up over the gargoyle¡¯s chest, humanoid in shape. Silver armor, white robes, she knew exactly what she was seeing, and what was seeing her back. ¡°Take tha-¡± Amelia starts to hear the enemy soldier say, but before she can complete her words, Amelia draws her sword, and gives three cuts, one to the knees, one to the spine, and one to the neck, beheading her. The dust shakes, raising even more than what was there before. Amelia puts the sword back into its scabbard. Too much time lost, need to hurry. Going up towards the throne, Amelia moves between remains and functioning gargoyles. Along the way, she even encounters three bodies of the enemy soldiers, dismembered and squashed. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.Being overwhelmed uh? Reaching the final sets of steps, Amelia keeps herself down, and moves to the back of the throne, using more remains as cover. Before her eyes, she can see the enemy soldiers, about twenty, Alexander, some sort of small hand carried carriage, Daisy and Lady Aquamarine. Thunder strikes come from the enemy soldiers, hitting the gargoyles head-on, and many times making them stumble and even sent them flying away. To her left, a gargoyle who just lost its two legs manages to make a sweeping move, sending three enemy soldiers flying away. Looking up to the ledges alongside the ceiling, Amelia catches sight of Bran and Lorelei. It isn¡¯t optimal, but if that is the best they could afford, we only need Cotton to be in position, and we unleash everything on him. A group of gargoyles break the perimeter from the front, and head straight up towards Alexander. Leaning a bit to her right, Amelia manages to catch something: Behind one of the gargoyles, a strand of golden hair pops up. Amelia¡¯s heart suddenly jumps, and looking up, she manages to catch Bran and Lorelei giving signs to continue. The gargoyles met with Alexander, and he makes light work of them. Only with his hands, he continuously breaks arms, legs, chest, weapons and heads of the gargoyles. How much strength does that bastard have? Three gargoyles until the surprise attack comes. A hit in the chest, and one is gone. Alexander raises the destroyed gargoyle into the air, and flails it towards the other one, sending it flying. Two are gone. The third one is coming, but something changes. The gargoyles makes run towards Alexander, but instead of taking it on in close quarters, he rises two fingers pointing towards it. He waits, and waits, and waits, until the very last second, and from his fingers a strong thunder strike comes out, going right through the gargoyle and hitting Tomoe in the process. Tomoe flies a bit and falls to the ground, before the never-ending stairs. ¡°Thought that I wouldn¡¯t notice your approach?! You are naive and useless in the ways of Aura!¡± Alexander says, as he takes three steps, with a blue Aura coming off from him, and reaches Tomoe, grabbing her by the neck. Tomoe answers by taming water and going for a stab, but she isn¡¯t fast enough. ¡°Enjoy!¡± Alexander yells, as he takes out a small, strange object from behind him, makes a sound with it, and with that sound, Tomoe¡¯s Aura flares up, and the water she was taming fall to the ground, unresponsive. At this moment, Amelia¡¯s mind went blank. Vaulting over the remains of the gargoyles, she engages in a blue Aura, strengthens her body, and plunges forward in an instant, raising her sword in the process, but something makes her regain her senses. Now everything makes sense: Alexander brings forth a smug, and in an instant, Amelia¡¯s eyes are invaded by white light, so much, that she flinches, and is about to go to the ground if not because a hand grabs her too by the neck. Opening back her eyes, the horror, what would be, settles in her mind and heart: Alexander is grabbing her too by the neck, and around him, a white Aura flowed gently and ruthlessly. ¡°Yes, that face,¡± Alexander says ¡°now you have realized the mistake you have made right?¡± A cold sweat with the weight of the world rolled through her cheeks. How¡­ how is it that I didn¡¯t realize? ¡°Sadly, now I have both my hands occupied, but if I leave you, you will turn into a problem just like that¡­ So¡­¡± Alexander says, as he turns towards the giant window in the room ¡°I wonder, you know, does Aura actually helps against great falls? Hope that you actually know the answer.¡± Alexander takes position, and in this moment, everything suddenly turns into slow motion for Amelia. The stranglehold is robbing her of breath. She sees Bran stopping Lorelei from jumping into the fray. The gargoyles around her, like an indistinguishable mass of heads. Lady Aquamarine, closer to Alexander, standing up, trying to run towards Alexander, and Daisy stopping her. And in a fell swoop, Amelia feels the force in her body sending her towards the giant window, breaking it in the process, and outside, the great fall that awaits her. Finally, she sees to her left, Tomoe flying with her, head first towards the ground, just like her. Everything turns into gray, and her eyes start to close, last seeing Tomoe reaching for her with her right hand. Amelia then feels as if the momentum of her fall gradually, but fast, suddenly disappeared, and someone grabbing her by her left hand. 47- Tilt She knows this feeling. She knows it very well. As long as Tomoe can remember, she has always liked to watch the birds in the morning, the seagulls that fly around the bay plaza during the morning after the high tides, the ones that fly alongside the piers, beyond the citadel. The one thing that most amuses her was how, sometimes, seagulls would just stay in one spot, the wings extended, without moving forward or backward. She knows that very well, even if she doesn¡¯t have proper wings, she knows how it feels to be suspended in the air, without moving forward or backward¡­ just like she is, right now, floating over a precipice, with Amelia floating by her side as Tomoe holds her hand. Looking up, Tomoe sees the Grand Castle, the great window from which Alexander just threw them. Looking down, the precipice goes further down, passing the smooth walls that surround and maintain the Grand Castle at the top of the citadel. At the end below her, she can see the Starlight Forest. Sweat droplets form in her forehead. Tomoe tries to enchant them but to no avail. She already knew that she would fail at this, but it has been so long since she was only with Gravity Taming, that Water Taming is what is more familiar to her. Holding tight to Amelia¡¯s hand, she curls herself into a ball, as she starts to tilt to her right. Tomoe suddenly feels movement from her hand. Looking towards Amelia, she sees how Amelia proceeds to take deep breaths. Opening her eyes, both sights meet. ¡°Cotton¡­ you¡­¡± Amelia starts saying, as she starts looking around ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡°The bastard took my Water Taming away.¡± ¡°Yes, I saw. This is why you are able to make me float, but I wouldn¡¯t have thought that you still remembered how to float.¡± Tomoe snorts ¡°I did too many times when I was little. It is impossible to forget.¡± ¡°Cotton, you just made me float about two times and I can¡¯t forget it either.¡± ¡°Granted, it is quite unusual.¡± Amelia smiles, then, raising her hands, she points towards her ears ¡°Cotton, your ears¡­¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Tomoe raises her left hand and touches them, but instead the usual ears, she feels the ears longer and with a pointed end. ¡°Didn¡¯t know that you needed both Ruby earrings for them to conceal your ears.¡± Tomoe chuckles ¡°What else could go wrong¡­ what other secrets could I lose?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I could lose one too.¡± Amelia starts saying ¡°Cotton, hear me-¡± ¡°You¡¯re dying, right?¡± Amelia¡¯s eyebrows rose with surprise ¡°¡­ how did you notice?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t even moving the same way you¡¯re used to.¡± ¡°Wow, Cotton, just how much have you observed me before?¡± ¡°Closer than you could ever imagine¡± says Tomoe, a tear escaping her eyes as the momentum of their tilt has them headfirst to the ground and feet skyward. ¡°Oh, come on¡­ don¡¯t cry.¡± Amelia says as she starts to sniffle a little bit. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m just remembering all the pain you have put me through while training.¡± Amelia chuckles ¡°Well, you can cry a little, but not now.¡± Tomoe snorts ¡°How long until you¡¯re gone?¡± ¡°The curse of the Hydra is going wild right now inside me.¡± Amelia says, putting her free hand on her chest ¡°At this pace, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to reach tomorrow¡¯s dawn.¡± A wry smile is drawn on her face as the sun lights up her hair. At this very moment, at the mouth of the precipice, Tomoe gazed at the abyss. This time though, she felt how the sun rays reached the very depths of the darkness, only to uncover at the bottom, a little girl, curled up, unable to move and all drenched up. As the sound of rain starts to fade away, Tomoe meets eye to eye with this little girl, which had raised her eyes and met with hers. Tomoe, stretching her arms, touch that little girl, as the little girl starts to get dry. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.The little girl resists, but Tomoe takes her with both of her hands, and embraces her, strongly. The little girl resists even more, but little by little she starts to lose strength, and when the little girl stops fighting altogether, Tomoe can hear her whine, and the girl saying ¡°Ah¡­ the endless rain, finally going away.¡± Looking again at Amelia, Tomoe says ¡°Your hair¡­ looks golden. Really pretty.¡± ¡°Says the one with natural golden hair.¡± Amelia answers. Tomoe starts giggling, and while she is at it, Amelia says ¡°While it has been truly a while since I have seen you truly giggle, we can¡¯t stay here. Can¡¯t you get us all the way up there?¡± looking at the Grand Castle, from where Alexander just threw them out. ¡°Sorry, it is true.¡± Looking at the Grand Castle, Tomoe answers ¡°Wish I could. If it is floating right here, like this, I have no problems. I could make us float forever, but, if it is movement, my Aura would be depleted even before covering ten meters. According to my Mother and Daisy, only a Lord of the Diamond Lord Tree could move large distances while floating with minimum Aura usage.¡± ¡°Well, we can¡¯t just stay like this, can we? Can¡¯t you come closer at least?¡± Amelia says. ¡°Closer?¡­ Oh, I see, you want to try and call for help.¡± Amelia nods. As both float in the air, they start moving upwards towards the great window, at a slow pace. Then, as they get closer, Tomoe stops once again. Amelia, taking advantage of the situation, pulls herself towards Tomoe, and standing over her body, she lets go and starts screaming into the window ¡°Bran! Lorelei! We are here! Throw us something so we can get up!¡± ¡°Hope they are both ok¡± Tomoe says. ¡°They are. I saw them moments before we being thrown through the window. They surely have the intelligence of not engaging such a monster after they saw what he did to us.¡± ¡°A White Aura uh?¡± Amelia suddenly stops yelling and drops her arms ¡°Yes. A White Aura. How could I not see that coming?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself for that, Lia.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m too a white Aura Cotton¡­ I just couldn¡¯t use it ever since the Hydra cursed me that night many years ago, not after all the effort that everyone went into saving me¡­¡± ¡°Lia¡­¡± ¡°Please, forgive me. If I had known sooner, surely we could¡¯ve taken that into account and saved many more lives¡­¡± ¡°Lia¡­¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Would you help me save my mother and bring down Alexander?¡± A smug is drawn on Amelia¡¯s face ¡°Will be my pleasure, Cotton.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± A voice reaches Tomoe and Amelia. Looking up, Tomoe can see Lorelei waving from the hole opened at the window. Both Tomoe and Amelia wave back. Giving signs into the throne room, one of the giant curtains is thrown out the window. ¡°What do you say, Cotton, can you reach it?¡± ¡°With so little Aura left, I would like to prevent losing even more, so, I have another idea in mind¡­¡± Tomoe says as she makes a mischievous smile towards Amelia. ¡°Another idea?¡­ Oh, no, wa-¡± Amelia starts saying while looking down and grabbing to Tomoe¡¯s shoulders, but it is interrupted by Tomoe suddenly shifting the gravity towards the castle, full speed, and then turning the shift off, as she grabs Amelia¡¯s right hand and both fall towards the curtain. Taking out her sword, Amelia sticks it in the curtain, while Tomoe grabs the curtain with a strengthened arm, with the curtain starting to being torn apart and both coming to a full stop almost when they run out of the curtain. Turning to Tomoe, a trembling Amelia says ¡°and now I remember why you have only made me float twice since we have met¡­ You¡­ play really rough.¡± Tomoe laughs, as she lets Amelia¡¯s hand go, and pulls the curtain to signal that they are holding up. Then, the curtain starts to being brought up. 48- One last Push Grabbing the curtains with strength, Tomoe and Amelia finally are pulled back into the throne room. Coming closer to Tomoe as she is standing up, Lorelei extends her hands and touches Tomoe¡¯s ear, saying ¡°So, this is the secret of Lady Aquamarine?¡± Looking up, Tomoe replies ¡°¡­ Indeed¡­ it is.¡± Lorelei smiles faintly and hugs both Tomoe and Amelia, then she says ¡°Think we can stab that monster with your ears?¡± Tomoe chuckles then answer ¡°If you throw me at him hard enough.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Wait, what happened to your ears?¡± Bran says. ¡°She¡¯s the last living female elf on Aeris¡± A strong voice answers from the side. Turning to her right, Tomoe sees Oscar ¡°Hello there girls. Glad to see you in one piece.¡± ¡°Where did you come from?¡± ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Tomoe says, with a slight smile in her face ¡°I¡¯m glad, master.¡± ¡°Good¡­¡± Oscar says, then falls into silence for a moment before saying once more ¡°And truly, those ears suit you the most. Those ruby pendants were like a collar on your neck.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± Bran says ¡°Why is this exactly a secret? I mean, it is nice to see an elf, a female one at that, pleasing, yes, but why is it exactly important?¡± ¡°Because it should be impossible.¡± Lorelei says ¡°All-female elves should have died a long time ago by a curse that the late King put on the elven race that hit every female member of it.¡± Putting a hand over Tomoe¡¯s head, she adds ¡°Our girl somehow managed to survive.¡± ¡°I even don¡¯t get that part myself, how is it that I¡¯m still alive. I feel that my Mother and Daisy know but last time I asked they didn¡¯t tell me much¡­¡± Tomoe says ¡°but nevertheless that, we have a more pressing matter at hand.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Amelia says ¡°Alexander took Lady Aquamarine, right?¡± ¡°It was a chaotic battle after Alexander threw you both through the window.¡± Bran says, pointing towards the hole in the ground ¡°Once the passage opened, one by one the enemy soldiers entered.¡± ¡°And it doesn¡¯t help that, moments later, the self-defense system stopped working¡­ somehow.¡± Lorelei says. ¡°Yes. I was surprised too. I was on my way here in order to help, but it was taking time since I had to evade the gargoyles. Then, suddenly, all the complete ones went back to their perches, and all the scrap was just left there. Probably it was Alexander''s troops that he left behind, but no way to know and it truly doesn''t matter now.¡± Oscar says. ¡°So, how are we going to deal with this? Can we even face off against a white Aura like him?¡± Bran asks. Oscar ponders a bit, then says ¡°Well, first, we need some perspective: how many enemy soldiers entered the hole?¡± ¡°About eighteen.¡± Lorelei says. ¡°And who are their hostages?¡± ¡°Lady Aquamarine and Daisy.¡± Bran says. ¡°Now, the important question: how can we handle the white Aura? Can you handle him, Amelia?¡± Amelia casts down her sight. Giving a wry smile, she shakes her head ¡°The curse of the Hydra already kicked in yesterday. It has advanced enough now that even if I go all out, I¡¯ll not be able to match him¡­ it has consumed me a lot by this point.¡± Lorelei covers her mouth and proceeds to hug Amelia even tighter. Bran bits his lower lip, scowl, and while he doesn¡¯t avert his sight, he shows signs of having trouble looking at Amelia. ¡°Then¡­¡± Tomoe says, putting a hand to her chin ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t need that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The curse affects you in how much you can take advantage of Aura right? Does affect the blinding light the white Aura still throws off when it is engaged?¡± ¡°Ehmm¡­¡± Amelia ponders ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Records about the curse state that it only affects the relation of the person with the Aura, and not the Aura itself.¡± Oscar says ¡°Do you have something in mind, girl?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Tomoe says, and turning to Amelia, she adds ¡°Let''s do our combo attack.¡± As she takes out and puts her Aquamarine ring in the palm of her hand and infuses it with Aura, turning it a Switch Object. ¡°Eh?¡± Amelia raises her eyebrows, opening wide her eyes. She then chuckles ¡°You know, it may actually work. Aura doesn¡¯t interact with the eyes after all. I like it.¡± ¡°Can the combo attack handle Alexander?¡± Lorelei asks. Amelia nods ¡°It can, but we need to distract him. Seeing how experienced he seems to be, the moment he suspects something, it will be almost impossible to connect our attack.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Oscar says ¡°that works within our constraints.¡± ¡°I sure hope so.¡± Lorelei says. ¡°So, we have two objectives: save Lady Aquamarine and Daisy, and then kill Alexander.¡± Bran says. ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡± Oscar says ¡°Come on, we need to start moving right now. Every moment we pass it here is a moment that our Lady is closer to die.¡± Everyone nods, and enters the stairs behind the throne, following the steps of the enemy army. Moving into the dark, a strange feeling envelops Tomoe. She wondered what could it be? Something had changed inside her. She still had fear of losing her mother, the fear of not being strong enough to face Alexander and save her. But somehow, she felt peace inside her. Was it the steps of her friends and coworkers echoing in the passage that brought her comfort? Then, she understood as the sound of the rain started to settle within her. For the first time in years, she wasn¡¯t facing the anxiety that crippled her and robbed of her strength and determination. Everything inside her was focused on one thing and one thing only, and all the useless over thinking about her lack of strength wouldn¡¯t help get her back. Alexander cards are already over the table, and clearly out-strengths Tomoe¡¯s hand alone, but with everyone¡¯s cards together in one hand, playing them close to her heart, there¡¯s a way forward. As they keep moving in, only the light of their Auras lights the way. Moving through a large corridor underground, they keep a slight sprint to not lose momentum and close the distance, at the same time that they keep an eye for any possible trap left behind by Alexander¡¯s personal guard. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be bad if we went right and take on a trap head-on?¡± Lorelei says as they move through the underground passage. ¡°Can¡¯t be worrying about that right now.¡± Bran says ¡°If we want to reach them and save Lady Aquamarine and Daisy, we need to get there on time.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.¡°To roll with the punches eh?¡± Lorelei. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Amelia says. ¡°Do you think we left the Grand Castle by now?¡± ¡°Surely we have. This¡­ cave? Looks of normal size to me.¡± Bran says. While the group keeps moving forward, Tomoe, who is at the head moving fast, trips with a shadow that was out of her sight. Fearing a trap, Tomoe rolls with the fall, as the group slows down and takes a position to the sides of the passages. Standing back up and lighting up the shadow in the floor, Tomoe reveals that said shadow is the body of an enemy soldier, without an arm nor a leg. ¡°Cotton, look forward.¡± Amelia says, pointing further down the passage. Turning, Tomoe casts light forward, only to see more bodies. ¡°Let''s go slow and follow the trail.¡± Tomoe says. ¡°Wonder what just happened right here.¡± Bran says. ¡°Let''s keep moving forward.¡± Oscar says. From further down the passage, a playful, weak voice can be heard saying ¡°Good to hear from you again.¡± As a weak blue Aura engages deeper down the passage. ¡°Daisy!¡± Tomoe says as she starts going down the passage with a bit of a hurry. ¡°Careful now, the terrain is uneven.¡± Daisy says. And uneven it was. As Tomoe went closer, more and more bodies started to come to light. Tomoe was a bit overwhelmed by this, to the point that she slows a bit just to not fall again. Finally getting closer, Tomoe was about to ask how was she, but her heart jumped from the sight that she was beholding: Without her right hand, a hole in her stomach, half of her face gone, and legs twisted in unnatural ways, Tomoe couldn¡¯t get words out of her mouth. ¡°You look horrible.¡± Lorelei says. ¡°I¡¯m sure that is the last thing a woman wants to hear from another person.¡± Daisy says, making a wry smile. Lorelei lets out a chuckle that mixes with her expression of horror. Crouching, she extends her right arm, only to be stopped by Daisy, saying ¡°Don¡¯t. There¡¯s no much time left, you will need every ounce of Aura you have in yourself.¡± ¡°Will you live?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°It will take a while for me to walk again, but don¡¯t underestimate me, I will.¡± ¡°How is it that you are alive?¡± Bran says ¡°Please, I¡¯m glad that you are, but this is¡­¡± ¡°Let''s say¡­ that this is one of the perks that come with being the high priest serving Lord Hazuki. And let''s leave it like that.¡± Daisy says ¡°I tried to save Tomoyo when we were here, but I¡­ I failed. Managed to kill some soldiers in the process though.¡± ¡°Any idea on how many soldiers Alexander has left?¡± Oscar says. ¡°Ten. Completely sure.¡± Then, raising her sights, Daisy says to Tomoe ¡°Those ears¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tomoe says ¡°I lost one ruby pendant up there.¡± Then, she adds ¡°I¡¯m glad you are ok, but we need to save my mother and bring down Alexander.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Daisy says ¡°You need to understand something before going in.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t it wait?¡± Lorelei asks. ¡°No, because it will play for your advantage.¡± ¡°Let''s hear it then, I want all the advantages that we can get.¡± Oscar says. ¡°Everyone, Tomoe, do you know why did Alexander come to invade the Aquamarine Port City?¡± ¡°If you are asking to have pity for the bastard-¡± Bran starts. ¡°No, no! Nothing of the sort.¡± Daisy cuts him ¡°hear me out: You all know that all female elves should be dead by now, right?¡± ¡°We do.¡± Amelia replies. ¡°Yet, Tomoe is here, completely healthy. The curse that affected all female elves hasn¡¯t affected her, at all.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Tomoe says ¡°I feel¡­ healthy.¡± ¡°Well. It happens that, while Alexander is a conqueror nut, he is also here to save the last cursed female elf, his wife Gwynevere.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Lorelei says. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. If such a thing existed, wouldn¡¯t he be able to save a lot of the female elves of his race before the situation getting this dire for him?¡± Bran says. ¡°The thing is, he came for nothing. As you said, if the cure could be easily had, the female elves that died along the years could¡¯ve been saved instead, but this isn¡¯t the case. First, he didn¡¯t know until recently about the cure, but second, the cure to the curse of Lionheart is special, you see¡­ and it has been already used.¡± Daisy says, pointing towards Tomoe. ¡°Uh?¡± Tomoe says ¡°I was given the cure? Since when?¡± ¡°Elves live for a long time. Some centuries ago, you were given the cure, but the details about that don¡¯t matter right now. Hear me: down there, there is a Diamond Lord Tree.¡± ¡°The Lord Tree of the late King Lionheart.¡± Lorelei says. ¡°Yes. But this Lord Tree doesn¡¯t have any fruit. Do you understand?¡± Biting her lips, Tomoe answers ¡°I perfectly do¡­ the reason I¡¯m alive and well is that I was given that fruit¡­ probably why too I have this gravity taming ability too.¡± Daisy gives a soft smile, then says ¡°When Alexander gets there and sees that there is no fruit any longer¡­ Tomoyo is going to be killed.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± Tomoe says ¡°I¡¯ll act as bait to bring him after me.¡± ¡°I see. Show him the ears, and he will understand everything.¡± Oscar says. ¡°Exactly. Once he sees another female elf alive, he will come after you in order to save his wife. Use this to your advantage.¡± ¡°But, will he take the bait?¡± Lorelei asks. ¡°You see, I have known him for a while now. He is usually really collected, but if the stakes are a bit high for him, his ability to keep calm is really hindered. At heart, he is a warrior through and through.¡± ¡°Let''s make use of this then.¡± Oscar says. ¡°I will cover your back, Cotton.¡± Amelia says. ¡°Sure, Lia. I will need all the help if I¡¯m going to face off in close hand to hand combat.¡± Tomoe says. ¡°Take this.¡± Daisy says as she handles Tomoe a full spice of Burst. ¡°You sure?¡± Bran asks. Daisy gives a smug smile ¡°I¡¯ll live, but you will need to be at full Aura in order to face a monster like him in close combat.¡± She gives a faint chuckle, then adds ¡°Go, bring our Lady back to us, and kill that warmonger.¡± Tomoe nods, and says ¡°Consider it done.¡± Then, the whole group continues forward. Being left all alone once again, Daisy chuckles again and says to herself ¡°With that kind of confidence, I¡¯m sure you will succeed. All of you¡­¡± 49- Eye of the Storm Coming out of the passage, Tomoe is greeted by a great cave. Climbing over a rock, she notices the circular nature of the underground cave, with water about knee-deep in a level below, and further beyond, she can see some sort of altar, a hill, where a bright white translucent tree stands, throwing light into the cave. Around the hill, enemy soldiers of Alexander can be seen, walking towards the other end of the cave. So¡­ that is the Diamond Lord Tree. And those soldiers¡­ maybe there is a stair at the other side? ¡°What do you see, girl?¡± Oscar says. ¡°A couple of things: one, the cave is really big. Two, its shape is like two circles were put together, and we are at the far end of one of those circles. Three, there¡¯s water, more than what I expected, we- no, you can take advantage of that. Four, I can see the Diamond Lord Tree, is at the other far side of the cave. Five, I have seen the enemy soldiers, they are at the other side, probably getting to the Diamond Lord Tree right now, probably following Alexander in the lead. Six, I don¡¯t see Alexander¡­ neither I do see my mom.¡± ¡°Good. Come down girl-¡± ¡°No master, please let me stay here.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re only going to expose yourself like that.¡± ¡°Precisely. Better to be in a place were he can clearly see me if I¡¯m going to be the bait.¡± ¡°Do you think he will clearly see you from that far away?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come closer if necessary. It will provide a nice distraction for everyone else.¡± Tomoe says, putting a wry smile. ¡°Oscar,¡± Lorelei puts a hand on his shoulder ¡°she¡¯s right. Before anything, first we need to rescue our Lady, put her out of danger.¡± Taking a deep breath, a passing a hand over his head, Oscar says ¡°Lets get into position then. Bran, you come with me. With how much little Aura and of poor quality, I¡¯ll run out of it soon into the fight. I need you to cover my back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bran nods. ¡°Lorelei, you take the left. We both will take the right.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lorelei nods. ¡°Amelia-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind and cover Cotton¡¯s back.¡± Amelia says. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know very well what a monster that person can be. I¡¯ll cover Cotton¡¯s back with my life.¡± ¡°Well, everyone, time to split up, and may I not find your Cinders at the other side.¡± A couple of snorts and wry smiles flared between the group, just for a split moment. Then, as fast as those smiles were, they were already gone, entering into the water of the cave. ¡°It is you and I, Cotton.¡± A smile appeared again on Tomoe¡¯s face ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, Lia.¡± Looking over the cave, Tomoe can see the water making ripples at some points. Looking at the Diamond Lord Tree, she catches what she was waiting for: Alexander just came up from the other side of the ridge, and now is walking towards the tree. Lady Aquamarine appears after him, being held by three soldiers, and after her two soldiers carrying a big box. ¡°Lia, get ready.¡± ¡°You got it.¡± Coming closer to the tree, Tomoe sees Alexander inspecting it. He walks around it, then he does it again, and then once more, before stopping right besides it. Raising a hand, he puts it on the tree, and in one move, he engages his white Aura, punching the tree with only his fist, at the same time that he yells with all of his strength. Turning, he walks towards Lady Aquamarine, and grabs her by the hair. At this moment, Tomoe stands up and yells ¡°Alexander!¡± which resonates all around the cave. Alexander turns, and puts his sight on Tomoe, being the only blonde color in an otherwise gray and brown cave. Moving forward to the middle of the two circles, Tomoe yells again ¡°The one you want is me!¡± as she gathers her hair, and brings it up to reveal the elven ears. Alexander stays there for a moment, before giving some order to the soldiers. ¡°Wait right there.¡± He yells, as he disappears behind the ridge, only for moments later to appear behind the ridge. A couple of steps later, and Alexander stands in front of Tomoe, still grabbing Lady Aquamarine by the hair. A sense of pressure starts to build inside her, conflated with a feeling of disgust and even a little wonder. Right in front of her there is someone just like her, same race, long pointed ears like her, with features that, even with time pilling over his shoulders, haven¡¯t lost its luster. Tomoe wasn¡¯t one that had interest in art, yet she knew that if a piece was able to leave her in a minimum state of awe, that work was really good. Alexander fell squarely into that definition. Yet, the huge shadow that his silhouette casted made her stomach revolt. He is like a wall, like the sculptures at the old Cathedral that depict a long-forgotten God of War, eaten by the Great Wolf, so no records nor recollection of him remained. This towering man is what is standing between her and her mother, between life and death, and her comeback to a peaceful life. ¡°You¡­ you are¡­ blonde-haired, green-eyed¡­ pointed ears¡­¡± Alexander says. ¡°What about it?¡± Tomoe says, suddenly being taken out of the awe she was experiencing moments before. ¡°You don¡¯t know, right? I¡­ can¡¯t blame you. It is something relating to our race, you see¡­¡± He turns to the box, and keeps going ¡°Within our great race we have many unique things to us. This doesn¡¯t happen to any other race. Between these, we can be absolutely sure of how our children will look like, depending if it is a boy, or a girl.¡± He says, pointing towards Tomoe. ¡°What are y-¡± Tomoe starts saying before Alexander opens his hand in a really fast motion, cutting her words. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt now¡­ You are a girl¡­ and for girls, we know that in regards to the head and face, the girl will inherit her mother¡¯s eyes and face with a slight deviation, while she takes in the hair¡­¡± then he points to Tomoe¡¯s ears ¡°and ears, of her father¡­¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Tomoe can feel very slight ripples hit her legs, and moves her sight slightly to the sides to see the surface of the water move. ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Tomoe says as she takes two slow steps back. ¡°What I¡¯m getting at¡­ I guess it doesn¡¯t truly concern you since it can¡¯t be your fault, but¡­ It only means that someone wasn¡¯t as loyal as I thought she would be.¡± He says as he looks back at the big box ¡°It does explain why are you still alive though¡­ it explains everything¡­¡± ¡°What are you going on about?¡± ¡°Do you believe in forgiveness?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I would¡¯ve known about this betrayal a long time ago, I might not have been able to forgive her,¡± Alexander says, as he turns back to Tomoe ¡°but now, I just don¡¯t imagine a life without her.¡± ¡°My Moon!¡± a voice from inside the box can be heard ¡°please¡­ don¡¯t kill her.¡± The voice continues, as the person inside the box comes out, only to reveal another female elf, affected by the curse. ¡°Do you see it? That is the curse that is working day and night to kill her. She¡­ she is my wife, Gwynevere.¡± ¡°So this is the one you want to save¡­¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re familiar then with the curse of Lionheart. You don¡¯t know how long has it been since I last seen a healthy female elf with my own eyes. My own wife once was like that, beautiful but with a beauty went beyond the material¡­ but not more.¡± Turning to Gwynevere, he says ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± ¡°Please, my moon, she, she is-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you over her, any day, my Sun.¡± With those words, Tomoe suddenly felt a high pressure on her chest. Bringing her Aura in an instant, she manages to catch a glimpse of Alexander, about two steps forward, about to hit her. Dropping to her right, she manages to dodge the entire of Alexander, who passes by her left at an outstanding speed, creating strong winds in his wake. Turning, Tomoe takes out the knives that she picked up in the passage, and modifying the gravity vector of them, she throws them at Alexander at high speeds while she walks backward, trying to put distance between them. In a sole continuous flash, Alexander catches all the knifes in the air. Raising his electrical current, he launches all the knives in Tomoe¡¯s direction. With such speed and area being covered, Tomoe only can jump, using her gravity taming to float for more time in the air, making all the knifes go below her. As she comes back down, Tomoe catches Alexander already in front of her, about to connect a hit at her, when from her left, a spear of water hits Alexander, moving him out of his position. At the same time, Alexander raises the fist that he already made, and threw some lightings instead, which thanks to the metal objects in Tomoe¡¯s gear, did manage to hit her, sending her flying and falling then on the ground. Struggling to stand up, Tomoe sees Amelia attacking Alexander. Putting both hands over the ground, she sees how Amelia is blown away towards the ceiling. Yelling, Tomoe picks some rocks in the cave, and throws them with the weight of a tree in free fall against Alexander, who is now in the air, about to hit Amelia. Being a direct hit, Alexander is sent against the ceiling, shaking the cave. Running towards Amelia before she fall completely to the ground, Tomoe shifts her gravity so the fall is gentler. Watching to the side for a moment, Tomoe sees how the others are already taking care of the soldiers using the water as cover. Eight to go, they have encircled both Lady Aquamarine and Gwynevere. Another rambling shakes the cave, and turning to the spot were Alexander has sent flying, some cracks appear. Electrical currents start appearing, some debris starts to float, and Alexander comes out of the hole. With one movement of his hand, he throws the heated debris at Tomoe at high speeds, but Amelia takes the front and throws a the giant water current in answer. The clash frees a lot of steam into the cave. A heavy sound can be heard in the steam. ¡°Prepare, Lia.¡± ¡°Count on me, Cotton.¡± ¡°How heartfelt.¡± Alexander says. Both Tomoe and Amelia turn to the sides, and then up. Alexander is there, standing over a floating debris. Seeing that he has been discovered, a smug appears on his face, as he throws a really powerful thunder towards the girls. Jumping forward, Oscar pushes both girls out of the way, as the thunder connects with him instead, destroying his Aura completely and dropping him to the floor. The thunder is so strong, that the steam is pushed against the walls of the cave, restoring some visibility around the center of the cave. This reveals that they have been successful in saving Lady Aquamarine. Oscar managed to push Amelia farther than Tomoe. Alexander, seeing this, comes down right in front of Tomoe, reinforcing his arm with Aura and adding the electrical currents. As he swings, out of nowhere Gwynevere stands between him and Tomoe, Alexander unable to stop the punch and hitting her instead and sending her flying to the walls of the cave, to the right of Tomoe. ¡°My Moon!¡± Alexander yells, as he comes closer to a Gwynevere that is in the floor, and picks her up, putting his hand over her forehead and immediately pouring Aura into healing her. ¡°Don¡¯t, please¡­ she is¡­¡± Gwynevere starts saying, unable to move, but Alexander puts a finger on her mouth and whispers ¡°No¡­ After all this time, you can¡¯t ask of me that.¡± Gwynevere can only start crying. ¡°Hey Amelia!¡± Bran yells ¡°Catch!¡± he says, as he throws her longsword back to her. Amelia catches it, but can only nod as she is catching her breath. ¡°Are you ready Lia?¡± ¡°Lead the way!¡± Standing up, Alexander slowly turns, engaging his white Aura completely, taking complete rocks out of the walls and ground, and gathering all the minerals into sharp tentacles shapes. ¡°You are going down.¡± Alexander says. 50- True Strength Three water spears come from the other side of the cave, slicing the air, only to be met by a shield of debris and rocks, and Alexander returning the fire himself. Taking advantage of the moment, Tomoe slips to the side, taking cover behind some stalagmites. Crouching and still moving, she touches the stalagmites to raise them into the air, and then throw them at Alexander with full force. Alexander raises his white Aura, blocking them, and then breaking them apart, adding to his own power. Raising the tentacle-like arms, Alexander realizes with them a sweeping move, cutting all the stalagmites at ground level, growing the tentacles even bigger and revealing Tomoe¡¯s position. Having his sights on her, he fires multiple shots, breaking the sound barrier in the process. Amelia manages to put herself in front, on time, and drawing her sword, she deflects the rocks being thrown in that direction. Before she could¡¯ve reacted, Alexander lunges forward. He throws first a right hook that Amelia manages to deflect with her sword, then a left hook, which Amelia is successful in deflecting, but this time she is taken out of balance. A lighting-fast low kick follows which lifts Amelia in the air, followed by an elbow hit, that sends her flying against the wall and makes Amelia lose her sword. Picking Amelia¡¯s sword by making it float, Alexander raises it against Tomoe, but a water spear attack from behind makes him turn and swing downward at his back, splitting the water spear in two. Raising the tentacles, Alexander lifts Tomoe into the air, trying to cut Tomoe¡¯s throat but struggling with it since Tomoe engaged her blue Aura. Bran runs right up front Alexander, at which Alexander closes the distance again, shooting bolts from his feet in all directions and throwing a bolt into the air. In this very moment, Bran water tames with all of his strength against Alexander¡¯s right feet, holding all the weight, and managing to make him lose equilibrium, which makes the bolt¡¯s aim lose precision, allowing Bran to safely dodge it. From behind Bran, Lorelei comes forward, water taming from the ground a water spear at close range in the trajectory that Alexander is falling, hitting him cleanly in the chest, making him twist in the air. Moving closer and preparing the next water spear as Alexander is twisting in the air, suddenly, Alexander puts an arm on the ground, stopping the momentum that his body carried. Using the momentum that the tentacles carried as they twisted with him, he throws them against the ground, sucking up the water, and swinging Amelia¡¯s sword against Lorelei. Throwing a water spear from behind Lorelei, Lady Aquamarine manages to slow down the sword¡¯s speed and trajectory. Still, the sword reaches Lorelei¡¯s right leg, making a deep cut in it, breaking her defensive Aura in the process. Using the water to move Lorelei aside, Lady Aquamarine moves forward, throwing multiple water spears at Alexander. Crouching, Alexander meets the water spears with high-speed rocks, stopping the momentum of the spears in the air. Standing, a visible purple can be seen in Alexander¡¯s chest where the water spear previously hit him. Lady Aquamarine throws more water spears, only for Alexander to grab Bran, who is close by, by the leg, and raises him to use him as a shield while making other high-speed rocks attack. Running forward, Alexander closes the distance between him and Lady Aquamarine up to about three steps. Joining together the tentacles, Alexander blocks Lady Aquamarine¡¯s escape routes by blocking up, left, right, and any space in between. Creating this corridor, he joins some more tentacles to hit Lady Aquamarine in a frontal attack, together with Bran and Amelia¡¯s sword. Raising water at her feet, Lady Aquamarine creates a strong wave from below, managing to lift the tentacles a bit, and riding the wave to dodge the tentacles by going under them, grabbing Bran in the process. Seeing the slight change in direction, Alexander raises a rock into the air and jumps onto it at the same time that Lady Aquamarine appears were he was just moments ago. Adjusting, Lady Aquamarine throws a water serpent against Alexander, while Alexander throws with all of his strength the rock that he just elevated, smashing the water serpent in the process. Lady Aquamarine dodges to her left, but not fast enough, with the rock hitting her, eliminating a good chunk of Aura while sending Bran flying away. Standing once more in the ground, Alexander fires electric bolts into the air, hitting Lady Aquamarine in the process. Falling to the ground, Lady Aquamarine becomes unable to move. ¡°Goodbye, Tomoyo.¡± Alexander says as he throws another bolt which such strength, that is echoes in the cave, affecting everyone¡¯s equilibrium, sending Lady Aquamarine against the wall, with her Aura broken. ¡°Nooooooo!¡± Lorelei screams and starts throwing spears made of her own blood against Alexander. Throwing high-speed rocks, Alexander intercepts some of these blood spears, while others he blocks with his Aura and the tentacles. Then, raising the tentacle with which he is holding the sword, he throws it against Amelia, but it is here that he finally notices that the sword is gone. Turning towards the other side of the cave, Alexander sees Amelia, back with the sword. Tomoe, behind her, and Bran beside them. Throwing a high-speed rock against Lorelei, she manages to take the hit with her Aura, but it broke in the process. ¡°I can see now how I could have been a handful, Cotton.¡± Amelia says, with a wry smile. ¡°It is a bit late don¡¯t you think? Thank Hazuki my mom managed to get your sword back¡­¡± Tomoe says, snorting. Taking her Aquamarine ring off of her hand, she infuses it with a little bit more Aura. ¡°You¡¯re ready Lia?¡± Tomoe says. ¡°We will all die if the fight continues. It is now or never, Cotton. Do you even remember how it goes?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t forget it.¡± Turning to Bran, Tomoe adds ¡°We need a clear path between us.¡± Bran only nods. Alexander lunges forward, again, closing the distance fast with long, fast steps. Suspecting something, he throws high-speed rocks and three tentacles against Amelia, which Bran intercepts with water spears, running out of Aura. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.Tomoe then covers her eyes, and Amelia yells ¡°NOW!¡± engaging her white Aura, launching a blinding white light everywhere, blinding Alexander in the process. Amelia then closes the distance left between them in a moment, while Tomoe throws high the Aquamarine ring over Amelia¡¯s head. Putting a hand on Alexander, Amelia dispels his white Aura with hers and stabs him right through the stomach, the point of the blade showing at his back. Turning down, Alexander gives Amelia a strong downward right punch, Amelia hitting the ground, gone almost completely limp. Alexander moves to finish her, but something weird catches his sight: Amelia is smiling. Raising her hand, she points upward. Following her finger, Alexander sees the Aquamarine ring over him enveloped already in blue light. Then, in an instant, it vanishes, giving place to Tomoe, who puts a hand on Alexander¡¯s forehead, a move that he tries to prevent but his Aura didn¡¯t reform yet. Then, Tomoe changes Alexander¡¯s gravity vector, making him float and fall upward with the mass of an elephant. Tomoe falls to the ground, and Alexander falls to the ceiling, where the strength of the impact makes him explode in the process. The impact cracks and opens a hole in the ceiling, letting the light of the sun enter the cave, removing almost all traces of Alexander¡¯s body. He¡­ he¡­ is done¡­ Tomoe stays there, contemplating the hole from where the light now comes into the cave. ¡°We did it!¡± Tomoe can hear Amelia¡¯s cry of victory. Incorporating, Tomoe walks in four to were Amelia is. The new God Ray that lights now the cave partially hits Amelia¡¯s face. ¡°Lia¡­¡± Tomoe says, giving a smile. ¡°We did it, Cotton.¡± Amelia says, having gone soft-spoken but still letting a chuckle escape. ¡°Yes.¡± Tomoe snorts ¡°We finally ended this.¡± ¡°We did, indeed.¡± Amelia says. Both girls giggle. Then, Tomoe takes Amelia¡¯s hand, with her eyes giving a sorrowful expression. It is then that she realized, maybe true strength doesn¡¯t lay in being able to prevent all sad and harsh moments like this one in life but being able to live through them and coming out the other side without losing herself¡­ being able to make peace with your pain and heal your sorrows. ¡°Lia.¡± ¡°What is it, Cotton?¡± ¡°What do you want to do when we get out of this place?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ that is a good question.¡± Amelia coughs as she grows pale by the second ¡°I would like to take some time off.¡± She gives a soft smile ¡°Doubt it will happen, I mean, we need to free our home from the Cinders, and the rest of the invading army, but it would be good, you know?¡­ Then, when that time ends, I would like to go back to work.¡± ¡°You¡­ always a workaholic¡­¡± Amelia chuckles ¡°You got me there.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything else besides work in your life?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Amelia thinks. For a moment she stays silent until she comes back with ¡°Maybe, it would be good to start a family,¡± her eyes get glossy ¡°finding a husband, having children.¡± ¡°¡­ Sounds nice.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Amelia says, then adding ¡°Cotton, I know what you are doing.¡± Tomoe doesn¡¯t answer, tears start rolling over her cheeks. Amelia smiles ¡°I will not tell you not to cry,¡± Amelia coughs ¡°but I¡¯ll have you know, I died living my dream¡­¡± she takes a deep breath ¡°giving my life to save others that¡­ can¡¯t protect themselves¡­ especially those that think they don¡¯t deserve it. I¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t regret a thing, and I don¡¯t want to start wishing for what could¡¯ve been.¡± A tie forms in Tomoe¡¯s throat. Tears continue to roll. ¡°Cotton¡­¡± Amelia coughs, again and again, and tears start rolling over her cheeks too ¡°cinders are supposed to be put away, don¡¯t you know?¡± Tomoe smiles ¡°There you go, trying to play the smart and tough and failing at it.¡± ¡°What can I say?¡± a big smile appears on Amelia¡¯s face, showing her teeth ¡°Looking back, I¡­ have lived a good life.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Growing cold, Amelia says ¡°Cotton¡­ actually, I do have a regret. Could you help me with it?¡± ¡°What is it Lia?¡± ¡°My mom. Cotton, take this.¡± Amelia says as she struggles to raise her hand to Tomoe. On her hand, a concentration of white Aura appears. ¡°Lia¡­ you¡­¡± ¡°Please¡­ accept my Aura, Cotton. I can¡¯t withstand the thought of the curse inside me making my white Aura disappear¡­ Don¡¯t want to give that bastard the win by the end.¡± ¡°Is that the favor?¡± Tomoe says as she moves her right hand closer to that little white flame. Amelia shakes her head ¡°Not only that. Please, take it Cotton, take my white Aura within yours, and¡­ bring me to my mother, since I will not be able to see her anymore.¡± ¡°Lia¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ it just¡­ it has been so long. It is the only regret within me. Please Cotton, do this for me. I want to go in peace.¡± Making a little blue Aura appear in her right hand, Tomoe takes her hand. The blue Aura of Tomoe and the white Aura of Amelia join together. The entire blue flame of Tomoe turns from blue to white. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ do it, Lia.¡± Tomoe says as the knot in her throat becomes tighter. More tears start rolling over her cheeks. ¡°Thank you.¡± Amelia goes even more soft-spoken. Her body turns completely cold, but even so, a smile appears on her face ¡°then, I got no regrets left. I lived a good life, after all.¡± ¡°Indeed, indeed you have.¡± ¡°Cotton?¡± ¡°Lia?¡± ¡°The white¡­ it suits you.¡± Tomoe snorts ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Thanks to you, Cotton.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°For being friends with such a strange girl.¡± Amelia smiles even more. The god rays completely leave her face, shining completely now on Tomoe instead. ¡°It is my pleasure, Lia. Thanks to you too for being friends with such a shy girl.¡± Amelia giggles ¡°Indeed,¡± her voice tones even lower ¡°the white¡­ it suits you the most¡­ Cotton¡­¡± And with the last breath, Amelia, slowly, closes her eyes and welcomes death with a peaceful smile. For the next minutes, in that cave, while Lorelei heals Lady Aquamarine and Oscar wakes up, only the sobbing of a girl, embracing the dead body of her closest friend, could be heard, as the god rays make her hair shine and her white Aura envelops her, moving like gentle waves. 51- The Calm After the Storm Two weeks later¡­ At the top of a hill, kneeling before the Beheaders memorial, Tomoe is carving on it. Chisel in one hand, a hammer in the other, and a tiny amount of white Aura applied for a higher level of detail, Tomoe finishes carving the names of those Beheaders who died while defending the Aquamarine Port City. This is a practice that usually is done right after the bodies are sent to the Styx sea, but because of the circumstances, the time only allowed for it to be done now. Standing back up, Tomoe steps back a couple of steps, back to where Lady Aquamarine, Bran, Lorelei, Oscar, Priscilla and Daisy are, together with many other Beheaders. ¡°If you may, Priestess.¡± Lady Aquamarine says. Daisy nods and steps forward. Removing her hood, she brings out a bottle with red liquid from under her sleeve. Tomoe knew very well what this liquid is: Water from the very Styx sea, appeased after a ritual done in the deepest part of the old Cathedral. Taking off the tap, Daisy raises the bottle over the Beheaders memorial and says ¡°Many¡­ have left us. For your service and sacrifice, we thank you. Your time to rest has come, maybe too soon, but you were true to yourself until the end.¡± Then, tilting the bottle to pour the Styx water over the memorial, she continues ¡°Now, accept the slumber. Let go of the chains that hold you afloat, and accept the embrace of the sea, your passage to the next life.¡± Boiling up for a while, tears start once more, pouring from Tomoe¡¯s eyes. Looking up, the sun starting to reach the horizon hits her in the eyes. Adverting her eyesight, she turns it to the entrance. There, at the shadow of the entrance arc, another person is standing, with his face covered in shadows. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Tomoe turns to her left, meeting Lady Aquamarine¡¯s face. ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± Tomoe asks. ¡°He is¡­ Lacus¡¯ father.¡± Tomoe¡¯s eyebrows raise in surprise, and she turns again, only to see that the man hiding his face in the shadows is now gone. Giving her attention back again at the memorial, she sees that Daisy finished pouring the waters of the Styx sea. Putting the tap back again and puts the bottle back under her sleeves. Taking some steps back, she says ¡°Everyone,¡± at which the attending people all turned to the memorial. When Daisy stopped hearing people moving, she bows down forward, and says ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Everyone else followed suit. Right after saying it, tears start pouring even more from Tomoe¡¯s eyes. A pressure starts building up in her chest, and Tomoe starts to take deep breaths. Putting a hand to her mouth, she tries to get back up, but she is unable to, and falls to her knees, sobbing. Many Beheaders make echo of her sobs with one of their own. Finishing the ceremony, Daisy hugs Tomoe before returning to the old Cathedral. Lady Aquamarine kneels beside her daughter and hugs her ¡°Let it all come out.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°Yes, sweety?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± says Tomoe, between sobs ¡°I would give everything¡­ anything¡­ to have them back¡­ everything¡­¡± Lady Aquamarine embraces Tomoe even more. Tomoe hugs her mother and buries her face in her mother¡¯s shoulder. They stay like that all the way until the sun completely hides behind the horizon, giving way to the night. Standing up, Lady Aquamarine says ¡°I¡¯ve to go back. Many things still need taking care off.¡± ¡°I understand, mom¡­ See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow sweety. Enjoy the rest of your night. Tomorrow it is back to work.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Waving, Tomoe then sees Lady Aquamarine going into the city, back to one building that she has occupied while the Aquamarine mansion is rebuilt. Taking a last deep breath, Tomoe starts walking too, exiting the memorial¡¯s graveyard and walking down back into the city. Seeing left and right, many buildings are in dire need of repairs. Burnt marks from the Fire and Electrical taming can still be seen. Some buildings were completely destroyed, being unable to be repaired, and so many empty spaces can be seen now along the streets. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.Finally, it was time to deal with the material losses, since the very moment the Beheaders came out of the Grand Castle, they had to deal with the remains of the invading army, pursuing them off all the way to beyond the Forest corridor. Tomoe was at the front of the counter-attack, flashing her new white Aura to induce fear in the enemies, and pick them with a constant rain of water spears. Coming back from the chase, Tomoe sounded the disk at the shore of Lake Butterfly, lowering the water walls that were still raised at that moment. As one group dealt with the fleeing enemy forces, another stayed in the city, dealing with all the Cinders that were roaming around. Many boats had to be prepared, many visits had to be done to the Stardust forest to procure the materials. Not only for the roaming Cinders but for all the other bodies present that needed to be sent off too. Suffice to say, the old Cathedral was full to the brim and active non-stop for a couple of days. Reaching the central marketplace, Tomoe takes the streets that take her to the bay plaza. A slight breeze caresses her cheeks. Aquamarines are moving up and down the street, Beheaders stationed at the beginning and end of it to keep the peace. As she moves on, she can feel the burning sights of almost everyone on her. Even so, she can¡¯t blame them. She couldn¡¯t find the missing ruby earring, and so she decided to not cover her ears in any way or form¡­ not anymore. Still, it has been two weeks since she has walked on without her earrings, and no one has come forward to mistreat her. Tomoe finds that this is nice, even when this means that almost everyone is just avoiding her, isolating her. Turning left to a street that she knows very well, she keeps walking until almost reaching the end of the street. She is going to that place that she knows very well, and when it gets in sight, a white-haired figure is waiting for her at the entrance. A warm feeling envelops her chest seeing the building still standing. ¡°You took your sweet time.¡± Lorelei says as Tomoe draws closer. ¡°Master¡­¡± Lorelei snorts. Giving a warm smile, she replies ¡°You still insist on it.¡± ¡°Since I have memory, mom always has put emphasis on respecting your superiors.¡± Raising her eyebrows, Lorelei retorts ¡°I have hardly anything else to teach you.¡± ¡°Still, I wouldn¡¯t be here today without your guidance.¡± Giving a sweet look, Lorelei says ¡°Still stiff¡­ Maybe I can teach you a thing or two after all. Come inside.¡± Tomoe nods and enters after Lorelei into the Muscle Squid. From the entrance, Tomoe can see Bran, Priscilla, and another white-haired girl sitting giving her back, all in a table. Besides them, only other two tables are occupied, with the rest of them being empty. ¡°Owner, a stream of burning Hydras! The night will be long.¡± Lorelei says as she sits beside the other white-haired girl. Coming closer, Tomoe says ¡°Titania?¡± as she sits. ¡°What?¡± Titania replies as she turns her sight to Tomoe. ¡°Thought you would be more time in emergency.¡± ¡°Come on. I can¡¯t be taking a bed when I don¡¯t need it¡­ besides, at that rhythm, I... would get fat.¡± Tomoe snorts, and a slight smile appears on her face. The waitress comes by the table, leaving the first round of burning Hydras on it. ¡°Enjoy it!¡± she says. As she is leaving, Tomoe sees that Bran is tense. ¡°Come on girl. Take your jar.¡± Lorelei says. ¡°I wonder.¡± Tomoe says. ¡°What is it?¡± Lorelei asks. ¡°With this white Aura¡­ would I ever be able to get drunk?¡± A combination of snorts, giggles and a laugh cross the table. Lorelei then looks at her jar, and then back at Tomoe. A slight smug appears on her face and then says ¡°Come on. I bet that even with your white Aura, I can resist more alcohol than you can, you weakling.¡± Tomoe chuckles, then asks as she readies her jar ¡°Will it be enough?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Lorelei says ¡°It may be never enough¡­ though it doesn¡¯t mean that it can¡¯t be good.¡± Grabbing the jar, Tomoe sees her reflection on the burning Hydra, and then gulps the entire jar in one go.