ã€ŠBendã€‹


 1. Tea!

    ¡±Hey, wait up!¡±

    Leera threw her rucksack over her shoulder and sprinted after her brother. Dust swirled behind her as her feet thudded against the country road. She longed for the ability to bend the air to her will, just like her brother.

    Panting, she stopped at the edge of a lake. Daffodils were blooming around it like a crown of gold. Aelar was hovering over the mirrored surface, his face twisted into a grin.

    ¡°Come on, Little Sister,¡± he mocked. ¡°Come on, fly to me. You¡¯re old enough.¡±

    Leera took a deep breath and clenched her fists. Her young face was turning red as she, by sheer force of will, tried to levitate. She jumped up and down on the spot. Every muscle in her body strained to get her off the ground, but no matter how much she flailed her arms and how high she bounced, gravity pulled her right back down.

    Her brother was still mocking her when a ripple rolled across the water. She canceled her flight attempts and looked at the water. Another ripple. Leera felt like she¡¯d eaten a big rock. Sweat rolled down her brow. She wanted to call out to her brother. She wanted to tell him to fly higher. But she couldn¡¯t, her body had ceased functioning.

    A third ripple curled the surface, and then the water started boiling. Wide-eyed, Aelar looked down at his distorted reflection in the lake. Leera screamed as the lake opened itself like a giant maw. A look of panic washed over her brother¡¯s face as he tried to get away.

    <hr>

    Leera was still screaming as she woke up. There were fifteen years since her brother had disappeared into the lake, and she still had nightmares about it. She sat up on her futon and rubbed the tears from her eyes. It was almost time to get up anyway.

    She was serving herself a cup of steaming hot tea when someone rang the doorbell. She sighed and shuffled over to the door. Customers were rare this early. She usually had until noon to prepare her merchandise.

    As soon as she unlocked and pushed the handle down, the door flew open, almost hitting her in the face. A large bearded man pushed his way into her home. His cane tapped against the wooden floor and he was muttering unintelligibly. It wasn¡¯t until he sat down in the armchair and propped his booted feet up on her desk that he looked at her.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to serve me some tea?¡± he inquired and adjusted his monocle.

    Leera just stared, mouth gaping, trying to make sense of what had just transpired.

    ¡°Who¡­ I mean, who are you?¡±

    ¡°The name¡¯s Quick, just like the fashion in which you should pour me a cup!¡±

    Leera put her hands on her hips. ¡°Are you here to buy a necklace?¡±

    ¡°A necklace?¡± Quick said and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Now, what would I do with a necklace?¡±

    ¡°I.. uh, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Come now, girl, tea!¡±

    Not sure how to react, Leera filled up a cup. The man smelled like a tannery, Leera thought, as she placed his cup on the desk. She then stood back and watched the man take a big gulp. A smile spread across his face. Leera shook her head.

    ¡°Can I ask you what you¡¯re doing in my home?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. I was meant to give you this,¡± he said and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

    Leera unfolded the note and looked at the multi-colored drawing. Small boxes with different letters were arranged in neat columns.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Why, it¡¯s the periodic table, of course! It''s a summoning.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡±

    Quick laughed heartily and pointed his index finger at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re funny. I¡¯m glad to see you still have your humor.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Leera said not understanding what was so funny. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Most Iso-benders I¡¯ve come across have been¡­ how should I say¡­less comedically inclined.¡±

    ¡°Iso-benders?¡± Leera said.

    ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t learned the terminology.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about...¡±

    Quick examined her for a long while before opening his mouth again. ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m serious!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Leera Eirey, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And you can bend everything on that paper to your will? Hydrogen, mercury, lithium, and so on, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no Iso-whatever; I can¡¯t even bend air. I¡¯m a mundane.¡±

    Quick laughed again. ¡°You¡¯re as far from mundane as they come! Iron, uranium, gold!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°I think not. Aelar was very specific.¡±

    Leera flinched at the mentioning of her brother¡¯s name. ¡°I want you to leave.¡±

    ¡°No can do,¡± Quick said and got up from the armchair. ¡°His orders were quite clear. I¡¯m to take you to Oceanpeak.¡±

    ¡°My brother is dead. And I can¡¯t afford to travel. Can you please leave?¡±

    ¡°Dead?¡± Quick said. ¡°He was very much alive when I spoke to him this morning. Now, come with me, Leera Eirey, we have a long journey ahead of us!

 2. Andromeda

    ¡°Come now, girl, we must hurry!¡± Quick shouted over his shoulder.

    It was a mystery to Leera how the old man could limp in such a high pace, and also why she was following him. With the exception of a sleep drunk eagle strutting over a rooftop, the town was empty. Everyone was still sleeping.

    Jane¡¯s Spire was a small city perched on a cliff, overlooking the Sleet Mire. In the old days, the city had been a watch post ¨C a gatekeeper for the mountain pass into the dirt lands of Humus. This was as far as the air folk of Caeli would go, and that suited Leera well. Not too many annoying neighbors and enough customers for her small business.

    The steel cap at the bottom of Quick¡¯s cane shot sparks against the cobblestone. Leera stumbled along the road, feeling like a child all over again, chasing her airborne brother. She felt tears welling up. Aelar was dead, why was she following this lunatic? She shook her head. Perhaps it was the uncertainty that had gnawed at her for all these years. Perhaps there was still an ounce of desperation somewhere for answers to all the questions she had long since put to rest.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± she called out.

    ¡°Why, to Oceanpeak, of course! I believe I told you that already.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but where are we going this very moment?¡±

    ¡°Wheres and whens, always wheres and whens,¡± the old man muttered.

    They had reached the last building of Jane¡¯s Spire ¨C the old windmill. Quick halted and looked up at the weather-worn sails.

    ¡°Ah, I believe this is the place.¡±

    ¡°The place for what?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Leera had barely finished her sentence when a large rock smashed into the ground only an arm¡¯s length away from her. She gasped as another rock came flying straight for her. She was barely able to roll away in time.

    ¡°Now, this is all very rude,¡± she heard the old man mutter. ¡°Very rude, indeed.¡±

    Leera noticed three figures, wrapped in dust-brown cloaks, lurking in the shadow of a house. Rocks were swirling around their fists, and the ground seemed to ripple under their feet.

    ¡°Hand over the Iso-bender, and we¡¯ll spare your life, old man.¡±

    The world has gone mad, Leera thought, completely and utterly mad. Last night she had made necklaces out of quartz and feathers, and now she was about to get kidnapped by a group of fanatic earth folk who thought she was some kind of special bender.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person!¡± cried Leera.

    ¡°Nice try, Caelica,¡± said one of them as the earth trembled below his feet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him!¡± Leera pleaded. ¡°He¡¯s just a crazy old man; I¡¯ll come willingly.¡±

    She had heard the tales of the ruthless earth benders but had never thought she¡¯d see one with her own eyes, much less being attacked by three of them. She didn¡¯t owe the old man anything, but she¡¯d hate to see him get hurt over a misunderstanding. Once the earth folk realized she was a useless mundane, they would let her go, and she could return to her simple life. She took a hesitant step towards her assailants.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good Caelica. Just come over here and¨C¡±

    The demeaning comment was cut short as the sound of wood against bone echoed over the mountainside. Quick had closed the gap between them in a blink and was now chasing the three earth benders around the building. His cane rose and fell to tactful whimpers of pain. Leera couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. The old man was making the benders look like impudent school kids. Leera watched in awe as the cries grew distant. What had just happened?

    A moment later, Quick appeared by her side.

    ¡°That was very rude,¡± he muttered. ¡°Now, where were we?¡±

    ¡°I.. I.. uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, my favorite part,¡± he said and tapped his cane against the wooden fa?ade of the windmill.

    He muttered something under his breath, and the building started creaking and moving. The planks folded in and changed shape, the arms of the windmill shifted and retracted, and soon the old building was completely transformed. It was no longer a windmill, but an odd-looking keelboat. Quick held out his hand towards Leera.

    ¡°Miss Eirey, I present to you Andromeda! Please allow me to escort you on board.¡±

 3. Nothing but a Fairytale

    With the wind tugging the locks of her vanilla hair, Leera closed her eyes and spread her arms. She pretended she was flying on her own and not just standing on Andromeda¡¯s bow. The chilly autumn air dug its teeth into her cheeks and nose, turning them bright pink.

    As a child, Leera had always dreamed of flying ¨C to float effortlessly through the air ¨C she had never expected that her first trip to the skies would be aboard a strange flying windmill-turned-boat. She had imagined it to be with her brother and not a crazy old man.

    Far below, the Sleet Mire sped by. From up here, the naked thickets of Venus Dogwood, which dotted the swamp, looked like giant bird¡¯s nests. When they blossomed in the summer, they turned into white snowballs, which was how the patch of wetland got its name.

    Leera glanced at Quick who was currently manning the rudder, which was made out of a millstone. He had his broad back turned against her, but over the howling wind, she could still hear him singing. It was a melody that she had heard somewhere before, but couldn¡¯t quite place. For some reason the song caused her heart to ache.

    Her ears strained to pick up the words. The song told a story about the old days when the four nations lived in peace. When fire folks married water folks, and when the people from Caeli and Humus called each other brother. It was a beautiful tale of co-existence and acceptance ¨C of celebrating differences instead of condemning them. Nothing but a fairytale, Leera thought and walked over to the stern.

    Quick smiled as she approached. ¡°Want to take the wheel?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she said and hugged herself against the cold. ¡°How long until we reach Oceanpeak?¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°By my estimations, just about seven days.¡±

    ¡°Seven? I thought you said you saw Aelar this morning.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but I did. You see, I can travel faster if I¡­ how should I say¡­¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t have to bring me along,¡± she mumbled.

    The old man nodded. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, once you get the hang of things, you¡¯ll be able to travel just as fast!¡±

    Leera shook her head. ¡°You still think I¡¯m a bender.¡±

    ¡°And not just any lousy bender,¡± Quick said and winked under the monocle. ¡°But right now you should get some rest. We¡¯ll arrive in Brimport at dawn.¡±

    ¡°Brimport?¡±

    Leera had heard of the last neutral city. She had always been told that the place crawled with outcasts from all the four nations and that it was a place of decadence and depravity. The city was only ever mentioned when things were going poorly. People would nod solemnly and say: ¡®At least we don¡¯t live in Brimport.¡¯

    ¡°Why, yes. I have some critical business to take care of before we go to the capital.¡±

    Leera didn¡¯t dare to ask what that meant. ¡®Brimport business¡¯ was a synonym of shady dealings. She hoped she could stay on the ship.

    Under the deck, Leera found a blanket and tucked herself in on one of the cots. She still couldn¡¯t grasp what had happened today ¨C meeting the strange Quick, getting attacked by earth bender bandits, and flying for the first time ¨C it all seemed so surreal. She was leaving behind a life of blandness to meet her brother, who had been dead for fifteen years. If he was alive ¨C and that was a big ¡®if'' ¨C she couldn¡¯t for the life of her understand why he hadn¡¯t contacted her; why he hadn¡¯t told her he was okay. She understood that having a mundane sister was shameful if you were an air bender. But just a letter to let her know he was alive ¨C would that have been too much to ask for?

    She held her necklace tightly against her chest. The rocks were from the shore of that lake, all those years ago. It was the only thing she had kept from her childhood. Whenever she had a bad dream or a fit of anxiety, clutching the rocks would console her. They were warm against her skin, and even though she would never admit it to other people or say it out loud, the rocks felt like home.

 4. Brimport

    With tears streaming down her face, Leera climbed barefoot between the rocks on the beach. The front of her dress was heavy from all the stones she had collected. She knew that they were filthy and belonged in the ground, but for some reason, she felt like she needed them to honor Aelar¡¯s death ¨C the water was the enemy here, and the rocks were her enemy¡¯s enemy. He would¡¯ve laughed at her silliness. ¡®Don¡¯t soil your hands,¡¯ was one of his favorite things to tell her. ¡®Look at me, Leera,¡¯ he¡¯d say and levitate above her, ¡®one day you¡¯ll never have to touch the ground again.¡¯

    <hr>

    Andromeda shook, and her wooden keel creaked and complained in the face of the sudden impact. Leera rolled off the cot and hurried to the deck. With the sun trying to gouge her eyes out with sharp daggers of light, she wobbled over to Quick.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± she said, shielding her face with her hands.

    ¡°Life,¡± he said and tapped a finger against his temple. ¡°When you¡¯re locked in visions of the past or dreams of the future, that¡¯s when life happens. It passes you right by.¡±

    Leera shook her head. ¡°No, I mean, what was that tremor?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my bad ¨C been a while since I landed this thing.¡±

    Leera lifted her hands and tried to blink away the sunlight. Andromeda was gently gliding along a glittering blue river. Old pine trees shot up from the banks on both sides and reached thirstily with their dark green limbs for the water. In the distance, a mountain peak dominated the skyline.

    ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°River Asphyx,¡± Quick said. ¡°The Ocean¡¯s Long Arm.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we flying?¡±

    ¡°I told you, girl, we¡¯re going to Brimport.¡±

    ¡°I know, but why can¡¯t we fly there? I¡¯m not very fond of water¡­¡±

    ¡°Water is the source of all living things,¡± Quick said and smiled patiently. ¡°You¡¯re an Iso-bender; you¡¯ll need to learn to appreciate the elements in all their forms and compositions.¡±

    ¡°I am not¨C¡±

    Her words were lost as the boat rounded an unusually large pine, which was struggling to hold on to a crag that was jutting out over the water. A mountainside came into clear view. The rugged cliffs towered over them, blocking out the sun. The river, much to Leera¡¯s dismay, led straight into a fissure in the mountain. She would soon have earth on both sides, and water below. She shuddered. There would only be a tiny strip of sky visible.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Quick, on the other hand, leaned carelessly against the stone rudder. He appeared disturbingly at peace with the oncoming dilemma. Leera shifted on the spot. She was used to the open air of Jane¡¯s Spire and the infinite expanses of Caeli¡¯s glaciers ¨C sky above, and sky below ¨C and that¡¯s how she wanted it to be.

    ¡°Brimport is situated inside the crater of a sleeping volcano,¡± Quick said.

    Great, Leera thought, not only was she stuck on a claustrophobic river through a mountain pass, but there was also a possibility of being burned alive.

    ¡°It is said that the volcano was once a portal to the Ever Burning Forges ¨C the homestead of Ambust, the patron deity of the Ignis Nation,¡± Quick continued.

    ¡°So, what happened? Why did the portal close?¡±

    ¡°The Battle of Brimport,¡± Quick said, pointing his cane at the rapidly approaching fissure. ¡°Two armies in a grudging alliance laid siege to the Mountain of Fire. Many lives were lost that day before the benders of earth broke the mountainside, and the water folk of Unda brought the sea in to quench the fires. They say that it was the turning point of the fifth war.¡±

    ¡°Tell me when we¡¯re there,¡± Leera said and escaped in under the deck.

    <hr>

    It was the smell of incense and cooking food that brought Leera back up from her cot. The raw but homely sound of street musicians reached her ears as she stepped out in the early afternoon sunlight.

    The entire crater of the volcano was a big lake. Houses on poles rested a few feet over the surface, and an armada of kayaks and other small boats and vessels competed for the space on a busy street made out of water.

    Wide-eyed, Leera looked at all the people ¨C she had never before seen so many different faces. She was familiar with the muscle-bulging dark-skinned earth folk of Humus and the Cealians hovering above the water. But the people with flowing azure hair, suntanned bodies, and lopsided algae green eyes, all seemed very alien to her.

    How did everyone get along so well? Even without the encounter with the earth bender bandits, Leera¡¯s experiences with the other folks had been exclusively bad. This was the strangest place she¡¯d ever seen.

    At a table in a floating restaurant, a fair-skinned man with spiky white hair was trying to lob a grape into the mouth of a giggling Humus woman. Leera narrowed her eyes. Were they in love?

    ¡°How does everyone here live in harmony?¡± she whispered to Quick.

    ¡°Carbon,¡± he said simply. ¡°We¡¯re all carbon.¡±

    Leera kept staring at the couple in the restaurant and even craned her neck backward when Andromeda passed them by. She almost fell over when the boat hit a pier with a thud.

    ¡°Watch the boat,¡± Quick said and disappeared into the crowd on a wooden walkway.

    Leera cursed under her breath and climbed off the boat as well. She did her best to tie it to the pier. She sighed and took a few hesitant steps. There were slits between the planks where she could see her striped reflection in the water below. Quickly, she looked elsewhere.

    Her eyes found an exhibition of intricate drawings in the closest shop. They were all in black ink, but with a thousand different motifs. There were lions, hawks, and slithering vipers; there were stars and mountain peaks and setting suns; there were curling waves, palm trees, and women in indecent clothing. Despite not approving of some of the motifs, Leera couldn¡¯t deny that they were all exquisite and expertly crafted. She ran her fingers over the image of a fluffy cloud.

    ¡°Hands off the merchandise, Caelica!¡± said a rough voice.

 5. A Black Rose

    ¡°Hands off the merchandise, Caelica!¡± said a rough voice.

    Leera flinched and pulled her hand back as if she¡¯d burnt it on the stove. ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m sorry, I-I didn¡¯t mean¨C¡±

    ¡°Relax,¡± said the merchant. ¡°I''m just messing with you.¡±

    He was leaning casually against the side of the stand, wearing a lopsided grin. His hair rolled off his head in a waterfall of blood, splashing stylishly off his shoulders. It was a woman¡¯s haircut, Leera thought, but he didn¡¯t seem like a person who would care ¨C this man would probably look smug and confident even in a skirt.

    ¡°You¡¯re new here, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You seem a bit stuck-up, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Still recovering her balance, Leera glared at the man. She¡¯d never met anyone so rude before.

    ¡°Typical behavior from a¡­ a¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± The man put a hand behind his ear. ¡°What am I?¡±

    Based on the fiery hair, she wanted to call him Ignut, which was the derogatory name for an Ignis male, but his wavy casual movements and almond-shaped green eyes screamed water folk.

    ¡°You¡¯re rude, that¡¯s what¡­¡± Leera mumbled.

    ¡°How about I make it up to you with a tattoo?¡± He leaned his upper body to the side and tilted his head, leveling his eyes with Leera¡¯s. ¡°Free of charge, of course!¡±

    Not wanting to meet his intense gaze, Leera examined her arms. They looked like pale sticks in comparison to the merchant¡¯s suntanned logs, knotted with muscles. An ink sleeve of ivy climbed from his wrist up to his bicep, wrapping it in thorns, before sprouting into a black rose on his shoulder. Getting a tattoo would hurt a lot, she imagined, even though the drawing of the cloud was really pretty.

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯d love to¡­ put my mark on you,¡± he said and smiled deviously.

    Crossing her arms, Leera turned away. The walkway was bustling with customers, jostling one another to purchase groceries and knickknacks from the trading boats. She wondered how many coins got lost in these hasty transactions ¨C the murky depth of the volcano lake was probably filled with riches. There was still no sign of Quick.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Is that your boat?¡± said the merchant. ¡°Where are you headed?¡±

    ¡°Oceanpeak,¡± Leera said. ¡°Not that that is any of your business!¡±

    ¡°Oh, the Caeli capital ¨C fancy. I actually have some business to attend to there, mind if I tag along?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I would mind that very much, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be like that now, Caelica. You don¡¯t even know me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly my point. And stop calling me that; it¡¯s rude.¡±

    ¡°Well, you better give me your name then,¡± he said with a wink and held out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Bryne Teller.¡±

    Leera sniffed and turned away.

    ¡°Well, look who is rude now,¡± he said. ¡°And here I thought the air folk was known for their impeccable manners¡­¡±

    She turned back, just so that she could properly roll her eyes at him. She then attempted to stab him in the chest with her index finger. Bryne caught her hand and gently placed it back against her side. He grinned at her and started packing up his shop.

    ¡°If you think, even for a second¨C¡± she started but then noticed that Quick was finally returning, and with large bags slung over his shoulders.

    She never thought she¡¯d be so relieved to see the bearded face of the doddering old man.

    ¡°Can you help me with these, dear?¡± Quick said, with pearls of sweat rolling down his brow.

    Eager to get going, Leera held up her hands and lifted the first bag off his shoulder. They were much heavier than expected and Leera lost her equilibrium. She staggered backward with the bag locked above her head. Oh no, she thought, as her left foot lost ground and she suddenly faced the blue sky.

    Images of her brother being devoured by the lake flashed before her mind¡¯s eye. Then, something caught her around the waist and stopped her fall. The bag, however, went straight into the wet floor of the floating market. The splash made people look up from their goings-on and caused the man in the restaurant to hit his lover in the eye with a grape. Bryne smirked and pulled Leera back to her feet.

    ¡°Oh, well,¡± Quick said, shrugging. ¡°I guess the fish here will taste like tea for a couple of weeks.¡±

    ¡°Tea!¡± she cried. ¡°We went here for tea? You said our business here was critical!¡±

    ¡°Oh, but it was. Tea isn¡¯t something that should be taken lightly,¡± Quick said dismissively, and then turned towards Bryne. ¡°Could you help me load this one, young man?¡±

    ¡°I could do it!¡± Leera pouted.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± Bryne said and heaved the bag on board.

    ¡°What an absolute gentleman,¡± Quick said, nodding at Leera. ¡°The manners of a Caeli noble, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    Leera crossed her arms and glared at her reflection in the muddy water. The soft breeze played with her long white hair. She felt small next to the two men. She wasn¡¯t ready to face the world outside of Jane¡¯s Spire, or become an Iso-bender and whatever that entailed. She just wanted to go back home and watch the sunset over the Sleet Mire. At least she would get to see her brother soon.

    ¡°I notice you¡¯re packing up your shop. Say, where are you headed, boy?¡± Quick said.

    Leera¡¯s eyes went wide.

 6. Smoke

    A cloud of dandelion seeds sailed through the late summer air. The meadow behind the orphanage was overgrown with giant thistles and swaying bracken leaves. Leera was leaning over the wooden fence, making sure they weren¡¯t discovered, because going outside the yard was strictly against the rules. At first, Aelar had said that they¡¯d take turns keeping watch. But since Leera couldn¡¯t fly yet, he¡¯d convinced her to take his shifts too. After all, it was pointless for her to go to the meadow if she couldn¡¯t fly.

    Leera glanced at the two-story building in flaking white paint. When she saw nobody in the windows, she held up her thumb.

    Whoosh! A torrent of air and whirling seeds followed her brother as he flew by. He was going lower every time, trying to whip more seeds into the air.

    She crouched down and picked a dandelion that had all its seeds intact ¨C a fragile ball of see-through gray ¨C and held it to her face. She closed her eyes and willed her feet off the ground.

    ¡°Fly,¡± she whispered, tensing all the muscles in her body. ¡°Fly, dammit!¡±

    Her face was turning red, and her breathing became strained, while her brother kept swooshing behind her. ¡®Please,¡¯ she prayed, ¡®just once.¡¯

    Leera took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She was standing exactly in the same spot as before. The only difference was that the dandelion had lost some of its seeds. The perfect sphere was now cracked and broken. A single tear broke free and tumbled down her cheek. Through the remaining seeds of the flower, she saw the bulky frame of the headmistress marching towards her.

    <hr>

    Snores filled Andromeda¡¯s belly as Leera pulled herself off the cot. She looked over at Bryne, who somehow still managed to look smug in his sleep. Anger suddenly replaced the feeling of forlorn sadness that she had awoken to. She picked up her pillow and threw it at the tattoo artist. It sailed through the air and then landed with a disappointing thud on the floor. Leera could¡¯ve sworn that the corner of Bryne¡¯s mouth went up a little, in mockery her failed attack.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    She snorted and stomped up the stairs. The wind outside had a cold humidity to it. Andromeda was flying once again, and tufts of silky mist drifted across the deck. She found Quick at his usual place by the rudder. Only now, he was sitting in a chair and steering the ship with his left foot, while contently sipping from a disproportionally large cup.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Eirey,¡± he said merrily. ¡°Care for some tea and carrot biscuits? Freshly baked, of course.¡±

    Leera picked one off the tray and put it in her mouth. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    It was weird, she thought, the old man never seemed to sleep. His cot was still untouched from the day they had left Jane¡¯s Spire. She felt like it was impolite to ask why ¨C a person¡¯s sleeping habits were their private business.

    The biscuits were actually really good - sugary, but not sickly sweet; doughy, but not soggy. Quick clearly had a gift. She was just about to reach for another when the ruffled red hair of Bryne poked out from the galley. He winked at her. She, in turn, put her finger into her mouth and pretended to throw up.

    ¡°Ah, Master Teller,¡± Quick said. ¡°A beautiful morning we got, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°The sun is shining¡­¡± Bryne said with a shrug and helped himself to a carrot biscuit. ¡°And the women are smiling. I¡¯d say it¡¯s a perfect day!¡±

    Leera narrowed her eyes at him, trying to squash him between her eyelids.

    ¡°Tell me, boy. What business do you have in Oceanpeak?¡±

    Bryne strolled casually over to the broadside railing of the ship and gazed into the distance. ¡°There¡¯s an old acquaintance of mine, who owes me some money.¡±

    He then turned to Leera and smiled broadly. ¡°Something tells me you¡¯re an expensive one to court.¡±

    A distorted combination of a gasp and a contemptuous laugh escaped her mouth. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re. I can¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re the rudest, most self-absorbed, most¨C¡±

    Bryne cut her off by holding up his index finger with one hand and pointing at something in the distance with the other. A massive pillar of smoke reared up, like a cobra out of a basket, and connected the ground and sky. Leera had never seen so much smoke before. It reminded her of the Spring Festival¡¯s bonfire; only this was fifty times more smoke.

    ¡°Is that a forest fire?¡± she asked.

    Bryne gave Leera a concerned look as Quick rose from his seat and squinted into the distance. His mouth turned into a tight minus. Bryne shook his head.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Leera asked again.

    Both the men remained silent. Quick wiped his brow on his sleeve, and then returned to the rudder, steering Andromeda towards the smoke.

    ¡°Quick?¡± she asked nervously.

    ¡°That¡¯s no forest,¡± Bryne said solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s Cloudrest¡­ the City of Mount Aurora.¡±

 7. Cloudrest

    Mount Aurora was the highest peak of Caeli¡¯s Spine, a mountain range that stretched all the way from the Boiling Sea in the west to the uninhabitable glaciers of the Frozen Plains in the east.

    As Andromeda began her descent, a smell of ashes and scorched rock found its way into Leera¡¯s nostrils. The smoke was thickening with every passing moment. Soon, the bow was no longer visible from the stern, and the mast disappeared like a spindle into the whirling yarn of smoke.

    Leera coughed and buried her face in the sleeve of her tunic. Her eyes were tearing up, and a strange feeling was stirring in the pit of her stomach ¨C one that she couldn¡¯t quite place. The smell and vision-hampering whiteness reminded her of some blurry event from a distant past ¨C she was choking, dragging herself over a hardwood floor, fires everywhere, Aelar¡¯s hand pulled her up. It felt like certain doom awaited her if she looked at the memory too long. She shook her head.

    Bryne was standing on the bow with a cloth over his mouth. The wind was blasting through his hair and, in a way, it looked like his head was on fire and that it was the source of all the smoke. And maybe it was ¨C Leera certainly wouldn¡¯t put it past the man.

    A mountainside suddenly shot out from the mist on Andromeda¡¯s starboard. Leera gasped and tripped over her own feet. She landed on her butt. An arm¡¯s length to the right and the ship would¡¯ve been splinters and toothpicks.

    Trembling, she glanced over at Quick. The old man had attained a look of rocky resolve, and the usually round and soft features of his face were now competing with the mountain in firmness. She noticed that he only had one hand on the rudder; the other was, unsurprisingly, clutching a teacup.

    Leera closed her eyes and rolled to her back. Her nerves couldn¡¯t handle the stress of looking at the mountainside rushing by. Silently, she prayed that the old man knew what he was doing.

    <hr>

    Gradually, the air became easier to breathe, and soon Andromeda came to a halt. Leera opened her eyes and sat up on the deck. She looked at Cloudrest for the first time.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Massive spires of marble sprouted from the mountainside, but they were all scorched and in ruins. The streets that connected the spires were carved from the solid rock of the mountain and looked like huge balconies from the side. There had once been parks, open air theaters, and artificial lakes on these terraces, but all the trees were now black husks, and the water was a mucky soot-soup.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± Leera whispered.

    ¡°To me, it looks like a dragon turned the place into its personal merry-go-round,¡± Bryne said.

    ¡°A dragon?¡±

    Dragons were the stuff of fairytales. There hadn¡¯t been dragons in the world for thousands of years. At least that¡¯s what Leera had always been told.

    ¡°This was no dragon, Master Teller,¡± Quick said and steered Andromeda onto one of the terraces. ¡°This¡­ this is the work of men.¡±

    The ship landed with a splash in one of the black lakes. Without the smoke, the views would¡¯ve been breathtaking from up here, Leera thought. Right now, it was like looking into a swirling cloud.

    This terrace appeared to have once been a sanatorium park. Overturned basins littered the scorched lawns, and the lake had served as a public pool. Tables for open-air massages, with their covers still flapping in the wind, lined the mosaic road of the promenade that ran along the very edge of the cliff. A row of blackened skeletal trees had once provided the place with soothing shadow.

    Something hung from the trees. Leera blinked, trying to make sense of what the strange twisted objects had been before they turned into coal. Maybe they were some kind of¨Cshe stopped herself. One of them had a face ¨C burnt, glaring, eyeless, and skinless ¨C but a face nonetheless. There were dozens upon dozens of corpses slowly swaying from the trees. She turned away in horror.

    ¡°W-what are we doing here?¡±

    ¡°If you could just stay here, that would be best,¡± Quick said and got off the boat. ¡°I need to¡­ make sure of something.¡±

    The old man grabbed his cane and limped away, clearly undaunted by all the bodies dangling above him. Within a few moments, he had been swallowed by the smoke. Leera looked at Bryne, who hadn¡¯t been smiling for an unusually long time now. She found herself liking him a lot better without that stupid smirk.

    ¡°What?¡± he said.

    ¡°Who would do this?¡±

    Bryne shrugged. ¡°Someone went through a lot of trouble to make it look like fire folk.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think it wasn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Well, for one, we¡¯re quite far away from Ignis.¡± Bryne heaved himself off the boat. ¡°And, two, we¡¯re on a mountain ¨C a fire-bender wouldn¡¯t even be able to get up here¡­ much less an entire army of them. And I guess the same thing goes for the water folk, so that leaves two options¡­¡±

    ¡°Two?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± he said and strolled over to the first tree, pulled out a blade, and started scaling the trunk. ¡°Stay on the boat.¡±

 8. Defiance

    Leera glared at Bryne.

    I¡¯m not a child, she thought, you can¡¯t tell me what to do. She got off just to make a point of it. Her legs were still wobbly from the perilous descent. She followed the fence of the terrace in the opposite direction of the trees. She didn¡¯t belong in a place like this. All she wanted was for this nightmare journey to be over.

    The promenade arched around the mountainside, and a massive staircase led up to the next level of the city. Smoke billowed out of a ruined building that had probably once served as some sort of checkpoint. Leera ran her fingers over the rough surface of the fa?ade. The inside of the building was nothing but a heap of charred rubble.

    Something was sticking out from under the pile. Carefully, Leera climbed over the smoking debris and lifted a piece of mortar. It was a porcelain doll. It looked just like the one she¡¯d once had. Again, she saw herself on the hardwood floor of a burning building. Aelar was pulling her arm. She was struggling. She didn¡¯t want to leave her doll behind.

    ¡°Scream, and I¡¯ll put a bolt through your neck.¡±

    Leera flinched and spun around. A tall woman with caramel skin and jet-black hair was blocking the entrance to the building. She was training a hand-crossbow on Leera.

    ¡°W-what do you want?¡± Leera whispered, looking at her feet, feeling the weight of her mistake sinking in. Why had she left the boat?

    Leera looked at the woman again. She had never seen anyone clad like her before. Her right leg and arm were sheathed in straps of hardened leather, while her left leg was only covered by a thin layer of fishnet. She had a blade on her left hip and silver ribbon shaping her hair into a ponytail.

    ¡°Come on,¡± the woman said and tossed a set of manacles at Leera. ¡°I don¡¯t have all day.¡±

    Leera suddenly felt the need to sit down or run away ¨C one of the two ¨C but there was no other way out of the ruin. She looked at the manacles. She felt herself sweating. She did her best not to start bawling. Her lip wobbled. She was about to be hauled off somewhere. Killed, sold, or worse¡­ she thought about the dangling corpses in the trees.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°You are a pretty little thing, aren¡¯t you?¡± the woman said.

    ¡°I saw her first,¡± Bryne said, and the edge of a blade appeared right under the woman¡¯s chin.

    For a moment, the woman locked eyes with Leera. She seemed disturbingly calm. A smile crept up on her face.

    ¡°Look out!¡±

    Leera¡¯s warning came too late, and the woman gracefully somersaulted backward and, in the process, kicked the blade from Bryne¡¯s hands. She drew her own sword and disappeared from the doorway and Leera¡¯s line of sight.

    For a moment, Leera stood there, frozen in the smoking building. Then she took a trembling breath and ran outside. On the way she picked up the manacles, thinking she could perhaps use them as a weapon.

    Bryne was on the ground with a red gash across his cheek. He had no weapon, and the woman was closing the gap. He kicked out at her once ¨C she side-stepped with ease. Oh, no, she¡¯s going to kill him, Leera found herself thinking.

    She stabbed. Bryne rolled, barely escaping. It was only a matter of time before she would land a fatal blow, though. In a panic, Leera looked around for anything at all that could help her ¨C she found something.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Leera cried and aimed the woman¡¯s own crossbow at her.

    ¡°What are you going to do, girl?¡± she said without turning around. ¡°I saw it in your eyes; you¡¯re no killer.¡±

    ¡°G-give him your sword ¨C my uncle taught me how to shoot,¡± Leera said, hoping she¡¯d get away with the bluff. ¡°Bryne, take it!¡±

    ¡°Bryne?¡± the woman said, and hesitantly handed over her sword. ¡°Is that you? I didn¡¯t recognize you in that ugly haircut.¡±

    Bryne took the blade and looked at the woman. He smirked.

    ¡°Violet?¡±

    ¡°Violet? What do you mean Violet!¡± the woman cried and threw up her hands. ¡°It¡¯s me, Maya!¡±

    ¡°Huh, I could¡¯ve sworn your name was Violet¡­¡± Bryne said. ¡°You know, it¡¯s getting hard to keep track of all the women in my life.¡±

    ¡°Do you know her?¡± Leera said.

    ¡°Yes, he does,¡± Maya said.

    ¡°Aw, I¡¯m not so sure I do ¨C we best put those shackles on for safety.¡±

    Maya snorted and shook her head. ¡°So, Bryne what do you do these days?¡±

    ¡°These days?¡± he said, rolling up his eyebrows in feigned surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve always been the most respected tattoo artist in Brimport!¡±

    ¡°A tattoo artist?¡± She laughed. ¡°That¡¯s cute.¡±

    ¡°What is she talking about, Bryne?¡±

    Bryne just smiled deviously and put the manacles around the tall woman¡¯s wrists.

    ¡°So, a tattoo artist, huh?¡± Maya said as Bryne pushed her towards the ship. ¡°That¡¯s hardly a well-paying profession, how do you make that work?¡±

    ¡°By being responsible and economical.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the worst person I¡¯ve ever met when it comes to handling money!¡± Maya held her ribs as another fountain of laughter poured out of her. She turned to Leera, who was still trying to understand what was going on. ¡°Did you know, he once lost his purse and all his food to a pack of migden bandits, isn¡¯t that right, Bryne?¡±

    ¡°I swear, they¡¯re a lot smarter than they look!¡±

 X1. Robbed!

    Bryne nodded awake, mid-snore. A fine string of drool had escaped from the corner of his mouth and was now making a run for it through the red field of stubble on his cheek. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. He was in a forest glade with his back against a tree trunk.

    ¡°Oen yar feet, Ignoot!¡±

    A group of migden bandits had surrounded him. Mops of frizzy rat-brown hair sprouted out from under their round copper helmets, which reminded Bryne of pot lids. Disproportionally large noses, in the shape and color of turnips, swelled over their tiny mouths filled with needle-teeth. Their leader, who stood at the impressive height of two and a half feet, due to the thick soles of his clogs, waved a makeshift spear in Bryne¡¯s face.

    Bryne had always wondered how migdens were able to see with the unkempt hair obscuring the entire upper floor of their faces. He, sure as Shift Lake, couldn¡¯t see any eyes.

    ¡°I sayed, *oen yar feet*, Ignoot!¡±

    ¡°I heard you, little one,¡± Bryne said and wiped the drool from his cheek.

    ¡°I shell cut yar tongue, for saying me little!¡±

    All the migdens bounced up and down, squealing excitedly. Bryne took a deep breath and tried to clear his head from the vapors of last night¡¯s date with the bottle. He had partied with a group of Unda women in a lakeside tavern. One thing led to another, and he had been thrown out for being too drunk. He had entered the forest to take a quick leak¡­If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°You look hungry,¡± he said. ¡°Want a bit to eat?¡±

    The leader¡¯s jaw dropped a bit. He spun around and, in a hushed tone, started conspiring with his companions. Bryne opened his backpack and fished out an old meatloaf. The tiny creatures stopped their chatter all at once, turning their noses towards the sky, sniffing.

    ¡°We has decided ¨C yar food for yar life!¡± the leader announced.

    ¡°How about half my food for half my life?¡±

    The leader looked confused but then turned to his companions again, and entered another heated argument. Bryne took a bite and counted the money left in his purse. He was already running low.

    ¡°We has decided!¡± the leader announced. ¡°Yar legs and yar arm for yar food!¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I get to keep my legs or that you want my legs? Also, which arm are we talking about here? I¡¯d say my right arm is worth a bit more than my left one¡­¡±

    The creatures once again bunched up and started whispering. Bryne took another bite and chewed through the rough texture. He wished he had booze to wash it down with. He looked around the glade. He could¡¯ve sworn he¡¯d had a bottle with him last night.

    ¡°We has decided ¨C we wants yar left arm!¡±

    ¡°How about I throw in my right arm too for a drink? You guys don¡¯t happen to have a bottle, do you?¡±

    The nostrils of the migdens flared. ¡°Yar food!¡±

    ¡°Sure, have at it.¡± He tossed the remaining part of the meatloaf at them

    It landed in the middle of them, and a violent free-for-all broke out. Bryne went to look for his bottle. He first searched behind the tree and then went to look in the grass of the glade.

    ¡°Ah, there you are!¡± He put the bottle to his mouth and savored the last drops of the golden liquid.

    Feeling a lot better, he returned to his resting place. His backpack was gone, and so was his purse.

    ¡°Shift Lake!¡± he swore.

    There wasn¡¯t anything of value in his backpack, and the purse only had a few coins, but if someone heard that he got robbed by migdens¡­ well, he¡¯d never hear the end of it.

 9. Second Chances

    ¡°Watch her,¡± Bryne said and jumped off the boat after securing Maya to Andromeda¡¯s mast.

    Still shaky from the encounter, Leera sat down on the ship¡¯s railing. Even without the spiked heels, Maya was several inches taller than her. It amazed Leera that a person could fight efficiently in such shoes when she could barely cross a room without breaking an ankle.

    ¡°So, tell me, what¡¯s your name?¡± Maya said.

    Turning her back to the prisoner, Leera watched as Bryne climbed the trees and started cutting down the scorched bodies. She hated his guts, but this was a nice thing to do, and if he hadn¡¯t been there earlier, her life could¡¯ve taken a very significant turn for the worse.

    ¡°Why should I tell you anything? Only a moment ago you were trying to kidnap me.¡±

    ¡°And now you''ve got me instead ¨C it¡¯s a dog-eat-dog world ¨C why not enjoy a conversation while we¡¯re here?¡±

    Leera felt a wrinkle of skepticism ripple her forehead. She was disgusted that the woman could act so casually after what just went down, but at the same time, she felt drawn to her charisma and complete lack of fear. It was hard not to find at least an ounce of admiration for her, but as far as Leera was concerned, Maya was still her enemy.

    ¡°I¡¯m Leera,¡± she said after a long pause.

    ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful name ¨C the wandering wind, right?¡±

    Leera ignored her. She had always found her name to be very unbecoming.

    ¡°How do you know Bryne?¡±

    ¡°Okay, straight to the good bits,¡± Maya said, sucking in her cheeks. ¡°We sort of met, and¡­ I was young and na?ve and he was¡­ well, he was Bryne.¡±

    ¡°You were lovers?¡±

    ¡°I was innocent and impressionable back then, and he took advantage of that.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh, innocent, sure,¡± Bryne muttered, returning to the ship. ¡°That¡¯s not how I remember it.¡±

    Maya fluttered her eyelashes. ¡°Tell me, darling, how do you remember it?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying not to.¡±

    ¡°Hey! We were good together.¡± She turned to Leera. ¡°Despite what he says, we had something special.¡±

    Leera looked at Bryne, who was wiping the soot off his knife with a handkerchief, and then back at Maya. She did feel like there was some unseen force between the two ¨C a tension ¨C something that was pulling them together. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but these two seemed to be made for each other.

    ¡°If you call getting banned from every tavern between Rustwood and Oceanpeak good, then sure, definitely,¡± Bryne said and shrugged.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t all drinking and partying ¨C well, on his part, it was mostly that,¡± Maya said and winked at Leera. ¡°Our little group made quite the name for ourselves.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Odds and ends¡­ mostly for the wealthy and influential.¡±

    ¡°You were mercenaries?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to think of myself as a¡­ fixer, of sorts.¡±

    ¡°Try assassin,¡± Bryne said.

    ¡°Does that mean you were going to kill me?¡± Leera asked, trying to make the question sound as nonchalant as possible.

    ¡°Of course not! You¡¯re far too adorable.¡±

    ¡°What then?¡±

    ¡°If you must know ¨C there is a new player in town, who is very¡­ and I mean very¡­ interested in buying young Caeli women.¡±

    ¡°Were you¡­ following us?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. Stumbling into you was just dumb luck. I¡¯m not usually into the whole business of bounty hunting.¡±

    ¡°So, what exactly are you doing in Cloudrest, Maya?¡± Bryne crossed his arms.

    Before she could answer, Quick rumbled onto the ship. On his broad back, he was carrying a box-shaped haversack. He released his shoulders from the straps and placed the load next to the rudder with a thud that sent vibrations through the deck.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ we¡¯re fine,¡± he said, panting.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Maya said.

    Quick flinched and adjusted his monocle to get a better look at the speaker.

    ¡°Why, hello there! Excuse my oversight; these eyes aren¡¯t quite what they used to be. I¡¯m Quick, and who might you be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Maya ¨C I would shake your hand but¡­¡± She rattled the manacles behind her back.

    ¡°Oh, deary me! This is not how we usually treat our guests!¡±

    Quick leaned behind the woman and started unscrewing her shackles.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Leera cried.

    ¡°We can¡¯t keep our guest locked up like this, can we?¡±

    ¡°But she tried to kill Bryne and kidnap me! She¡¯s a¡­ an assassin!¡±

    ¡°Now, now, Miss Eirey, what would become of the world if we didn¡¯t give each other second chances?¡±

    Mouth agape, Leera watched as Maya massaged her wrists and Quick helped her to a chair. The woman soon had a cup of steaming hot tea in one hand and a carrot biscuit in the other. Leera and Bryne looked at each other. He shrugged.

    ¡°What brings you to Cloudrest, Miss Maya?¡± Quick said.

    ¡°I just saw the smoke from afar and thought that I could perhaps¡­ help out.¡±

    Bryne snorted but said nothing.

    ¡°Did you happen to see who did this?¡± Quick threw a hand out at the destruction around them.

    ¡°As a matter of fact, I did,¡± she said and took a sip from her cup.

    Leera, who had concluded that this was all Bryne¡¯s fault and had been glaring at him for the last few moments, looked up.

    ¡°Earth-benders¡­¡± Maya said.

    ¡°See, I told you!¡± Bryne said.

    ¡°And fire-benders¡­¡± she then added, ¡°Led by air-benders.¡±

 10. The Pact

    The snow-glazed peaks of Caeli¡¯s Spine poked up through the clouds below. Leera was glad they¡¯d left the horrors of Mount Aurora behind, but the unanswered questions each felt like a pellet of lead in her mind. She had held them in for the last few hours, but they weighed her down, and they needed to come out.

    ¡±What does it mean?¡± Leera asked Quick when the two others were busy bickering on the other side of the ship. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ why¡­ why murder all those innocent people?¡±

    Quick sighed and touched his beard. ¡°Emotions rule the hearts of men ¨C fear, anger, guilt¡­ but also love. Passion can make us blind to what¡¯s right and just, and to what¡¯s unseemly and wicked.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe love could make you burn someone alive and then string up their corpse in a tree... I refuse to believe that.¡±

    The old man nodded and smiled patiently. ¡°You are still blessed with youth, Miss Eirey, and all the benefits and burdens that come with it.¡±

    Leera crossed her arms and stared at the box-shaped rucksack. It felt like the old man made less and less sense every time she spoke to him. She tried a more concrete question.

    "What''s in that bag?"

    ¡°Ah, those are the Tablets of Minah,¡± Quick said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

    ¡°And what do you¡­ do with them?¡±

    ¡°There are nine sets, each with ten tablets ¨C one set rests in each of Caeli¡¯s major cities. Legend has it that our ancestors entered a pact with the mountain spirits. One pure soul was the price for the right to call the lands of Caeli their home. But who was pure enough?" Quick threw out his hands as he spoke. "Was it perhaps a son from the noble House of Nimbo, or maybe a daughter of House Vane? Of course, our ancestors couldn¡¯t decide which one of the nine houses of air-benders was the purest.¡±

    Leera sat down with her back against Andromeda¡¯s mast. She ran her fingers over the rough leather of the rucksack.

    ¡°While they were squabbling, a young girl stepped forth and offered herself to the spirits. Her peers laughed at her and mocked her, for she was a mere mundane, and as such, the very definition of impurity in their eyes. But the laughter soon faded because the spirits accepted her,¡± Quick said. ¡°The spirits made her heart and soul their home, and the air folk made Caeli theirs. The tablets are a symbol of that pact.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°But¡­ what happened to the girl?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I think that is a story for another time.¡±

    Leera carefully opened the rucksack. The tablets all had different hues and textures. She pulled one out and held it in her hands. It was a perfect square, cut from some unknown material, and had runes etched into its surface. It felt like a block of ice.

    ¡°So, there are ninety of them in total?¡±

    ¡°Ninety-one, to be precise,¡± Quick said, ¡°One for each metal in the periodic table. The 91st tablet was given to the girl, so that she, too, could make a home for herself.¡±

    <hr>

    Andromeda lurched and threw Leera off her cot. The small lantern in the ceiling rocked violently back and forth.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Leera said and massaged her hip, which had taken the impact of the fall.

    Bryne didn¡¯t answer, but his eyes were on Maya¡¯s empty cot. He grabbed his knife and ran up the stairs with Leera stumbling behind.

    It was still dark outside, and rain was splattering off the deck. Two figures were struggling and grappling in the stern of the ship.

    ¡°Quick!¡± Leera called out.

    Bryne started running, and for a moment, it looked like the speed of his strides left a silhouette in the rain, then the shape twitched and started moving towards Leera. If it weren''t for the rain, the shape would¡¯ve been invisible, but due to the water, it had a clear outline.

    ¡°Quick!¡± she screamed as utter terror washed over her.

    She tripped over her own feet and landed on the wet deck. Searing pain surged through her wrist and up her arm. The shape took a step forward and ran a hand up its arm. As if a sleeve had been pulled back, a hand appeared in the air in front of Leera. Its nails were jagged and yellow, and the pale gray skin was peeling off of it.

    ¡°Bry¨C¡±

    She tried to scream, but her voice cracked and broke. The shape crouched down in front of her. The hand reached for her face.

    In a panic, she scooted and pushed her way backward. The shape was crawling after her across the wet planks. Her back finally hit the railing. There was nowhere left to go. The shape stopped a few inches away from her. A smell of dirt and rot reached her nostrils. She gagged and felt tears fill her eyes. The hand reached out. It touched her neck. Icy needles pierced her skin.

    The vision of a man wrapped in black cloth came over her. He was standing in a stone chamber lit by hundreds of candles, and even though his face was hidden by a cloak, Leera felt like the man was staring right at her. He held out his hand as if he was about to choke someone unseen. Leera noticed the tattoo of a scorpion on his forearm before the man closed his hand and everything went blurry and then faded to black.

 11. Cuts and Bruises

    The rain pattered against the window and turned the world outside into a blurry mishmash of green and gray. Leera put a finger against a bruise on her arm and pressed down. Dull pain shot through her arm. She moved to the next bruise. More pain, but the dirty yellow and blue discoloration faded.

    She closed her eyes and went through all of the bruises. Each of them held a short glimpse of a memory. The one just above her elbow was extra painful to touch. It was from the time they had been caught outside the orphanage''s fence. The headmistress had been very angry.

    Leera''s fingers wandered further down the arm until it reached the bandage around her wrist. She didn¡¯t dare to press down on it. The red hot pain from the stove was still fresh in her mind. It was so unfair. She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, and still, she had been punished. How was it her fault that Aelar ran away? She¡¯d even tried to stop him.

    A tap came on the window, and Leera opened her eyes. Framed behind the wet glass was a blurry pastiche of her brother¡¯s face.

    ¡°Do you have the rucksack?¡± he said as soon as she opened the window.

    His usually silver-white hair was dark and sticking to his wet face. His clothes were soaked, and he was trembling.

    ¡°Where have you¨C¡±

    ¡°The rucksack, Leera,¡± he cut her off.

    Pouting, Leera climbed down from the windowsill and pulled out the leather backpack where they had been saving some food every night for the last few weeks. She handed it to her brother.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she said sullenly.

    ¡°We are going away, far away.¡±

    ¡°We?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we. You and me, Sis,¡± he said and pulled her up to the windowsill again.

    The wet lawn below felt much farther away than she remembered it. The two-story house suddenly felt like a steep mountainside.

    ¡®The air folk isn''t afraid of heights,¡¯ she thought and swallowed.

    ¡°Come on, Leera,¡± he said, ¡°before the headmistress notices!¡±

    Aelar was already drifting away, expecting her to follow. It looked so easy ¨C the way the air carried him ¨C so effortless. She took a deep breath and spread her arms. She jumped.

    <hr>

    In an ocean of agony, Leera¡¯s wrist felt like a pier. Rolling waves of pain smashed into her and kept splashing up over her arm. She groaned. A scorpion crawled through her mind, ready to strike¡­ ready to choke her with its venom. The cloaked man blew out one candle at the time. Leera screamed at him. He stopped and turned towards her, showing her his unwrapped arm ¨C peeling gray skin, sharp clawing nails in sickly yellow.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Leera gasped and sat up. Slowly she forced her eyes open. At first, her vision was blurry. Then, through crusts of dried eye goo, a room gradually appeared. Stone walls decorated with chiseled eagles, banners in regal blue and gold, and a doorway with flowing curtains, leading onto a balcony.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Maya said.

    The memories suddenly came rushing back to her ¨C Maya¡¯s empty cot; the silhouettes struggling in Andromeda¡¯s stern; the invisible shape in the rain; her broken wrist.

    ¡°W-where is Bryne?¡±

    ¡°Sleeping, I¡¯d imagine. He¡¯s been by your side for three days. He must like you or something.¡±

    Leera tentatively watched Maya pick her nails with the tip of a dagger. Hadn¡¯t she attacked Quick?

    ¡°Three days? What happened? Where are we?¡±

    ¡°The royal palace in Oceanpeak,¡± Maya said and managed to look thoroughly unimpressed. ¡°A crypt stalker got you. You¡¯ve been out since.¡±

    Leera touched her neck where the creature had put its hand. She found a thick bandage instead of skin.

    ¡°That reminds me; it¡¯s time we change the dressing again. Lie down.¡±

    Leera pulled the covers tighter around her. One of Maya¡¯s dark eyebrows rose a little.

    ¡°If I wanted to hurt you, I would''ve had plenty of time when you were out,¡± she said.

    She put her hand on Leera¡¯s shoulder and gently pushed her down. Carefully, she started tending to her neck.

    ¡°I thought you were an assassin and not a nurse.¡±

    ¡°You were poisoned,¡± Maya said. ¡°The first thing you learn is how to administer antidotes. Don¡¯t want to end up dead by accident while coating your blade.¡±

    ¡°The crypt stalker¡¯s touch is fatal on its own," Maya continued. "I guess someone really wanted you dead.¡±

    ¡°Poisoned¡­ how?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was going to ask you?¡± Maya said and dabbed a cloth of stinging liquid over the wound. ¡°Did you see anyone else on the ship that night?¡±

    ¡°I, uh¡­¡±

    Leera suddenly felt tired. Maya¡¯s nimble fingers, dancing across her neck, had an oddly relaxing effect.

    ¡°There was a man¡­¡± Leera said. ¡°But he wasn¡¯t on the boat.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, where was he then?¡±

    She wasn¡¯t sure if her vision had been real or if it was just her mind that had played tricks on her during to the panic and the stress. She shook her head and sighed.

    ¡°All done!¡±

    Maya smiled and held up the old dressing. Leera¡¯s eyes went wide.

    ¡°What¡­ what does that¡­ scorpion on your wrist mean?¡±

    ¡°Oh, this one?¡± Maya said. ¡°It¡¯s the symbol of the Re¡¯dorai ¨C the mercenary guild Bryne and I were part of.¡±

    Leera¡¯s throat felt like she had swallowed a handful of sand. Bryne, Maya, the cloaked man¡­ were they all in cahoots somehow? What was their agenda? She reached for the water on her nightstand and took a careful sip.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Quick?¡±

    ¡°Quick is fine. A lot of oomph in that old geezer ¨C shrugged off the crypt stalker¡¯s touch like it was a bee sting,¡± Maya said and walked over to the balcony, inviting the breeze into her obsidian locks. ¡°He had some business to attend to ¨C restocking his tea supply, I''d imagine.¡±

    ¡°What I don¡¯t understand,¡± Maya continued and pointed her dagger at Leera, ¡°is why you''re so special.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Leera croaked. ¡°I¡¯m a mundane.¡±

    ¡°See, I think you¡¯re lying. Who would summon a creature like that to murder a mundane?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, I just¨C¡±

    Maya moved closer to the bed and Leera choked on the words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being lied to. And I don¡¯t like being locked up in here.¡±

    ¡°Locked up?¡±

    ¡°The royal guard apprehended us as soon as we arrived. Quick is the only one allowed to leave the suite. They¡¯ve got men watching every exit. I know for a fact that I don¡¯t warrant this of type attention, and unless Bryne has done something exceptionally stupid this time, you¡¯re the odd one out.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¨C¡± Leera said with her eyes fixed on the dagger that was now unnervingly close to her throat.

    A swift knock on the door broke the tense moment. It creaked and opened. A girl clad in a simple sleeveless dress and a white apron stepped into the room. She had her blonde hair tied into tight knots over her ears and had a silly-looking cap on her head.

    ¡°Here are the sheets you asked for, Miss,¡± she whispered, but then noticed Leera. ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re awake. I¡¯ll inform Lord Eirey right away.¡±

 12. Audience

    Leera tugged at the hem of the dress. Despite the flowery pattern of the sleeves and the train that resembled a peacock¡¯s tail, the word that best described the dress was ¡®constricting.¡¯ The maid had pulled the corset and bodice so tightly that Leera now thought of her upper and lower body as two separate entities.

    The only comfort was that Maya looked even more miserable in her dress. The usually nimble assassin was dolled up to the point of absurdity. She wore a gown made out of rubicund silk, cashmere, and feathers, which could only be described as a marvelous monument to impracticality.

    Leera took a careful step in the heels, which were much too high to walk in properly, and looked at herself for the first time in the floor mirror. The lace-creature that stared back at her looked nothing like the small town girl she had seen in the mirror back home. It had her vanilla hair, pale skin, and her downcast turquoise eyes, but that¡¯s where familiarity ended, and the bizarre princess¡¯s dream began. It was weird, but she kind of liked her new look.

    ¡°You do realize I¡¯m not a Caeli woman?¡± Maya complained and blew away the white feathers of her updo that kept falling into her face.

    ¡°Our nation¡¯s traditional wardrobe is compulsory in the court, Lady Maya,¡± the maid said and tightened the laces of her bodice further.

    Maya grunted at the added discomfort. ¡°I hope your brother is worth the suffering.¡±

    Leera nodded slowly. She remembered the days after Aelar was swallowed by the lake ¨C the crushing loneliness, the tears of unquenchable sorrow, and the guilt of not being able to fly over and save him ¨C she had eventually returned to the orphanage only to find the doors locked. She had banged her knuckles bloody on the unrelenting wood. Nobody answered. And slowly but surely a hollow realization crept up on her. She was alone in the world.

    She couldn¡¯t decide which was worse, losing him or learning that he¡¯d been alive all this time and had decided to neglect her.

    The maid rounded Maya and, once again, started pulling at the laces that crisscrossed her back.

    ¡°I swear, girl. If you touch that thing one more time, I¡¯ll slice off your fingers.¡±

    The maid pouted visibly and shot her a dark look, but decided to back off.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Whoa! Look at you,¡± Bryne said and strutted into the dressing room.

    ¡°Shut up, okay?¡± Maya said. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything this morning to fit into this contraption, and I¡¯m already annoyed.¡±

    ¡°For your information, I was talking to Miss Eirey,¡± Bryne said, smirking, ¡°But I suppose you look presentable too.¡±

    Maya scowled. Bryne offered his arm to Leera, who, despite her mixed feelings about the man, was thankful for the support. Without help, she doubted she¡¯d make it out of the room in those shoes. She had to admit that Bryne looked quite handsome with his fiery hair tied into a neat bun and his beard charmingly trimmed. His outfit was simple but elegant ¨C an embroidered tabard with a thick silver sash, velvet pantaloons, and polished leather boots.

    ¡°Lord Eirey is ready to receive you,¡± one of the guards said.

    ¡°He better be,¡± Maya muttered and stomped out of the room with Leera and Bryne in tow.

    <hr>

    The throne room of the castle was austere. The banners were rolled up, and the chandeliers were covered. The chairs of the seating area had been stacked, the tables placed along the walls, and the tall windows blinded. Even the massive throne itself was draped. A single wooden table, flanked by armored guards, dominated the floor of the room.

    ¡°Lord Aelar Eirey, Custodian of Castle Saltgale, and Regent of the Kingdom of Caeli, bids you welcome,¡± one of the guards announced.

    The man with cropped silvery hair lifted his eyes from the paperwork in front of him. Leera¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It was really him ¨C twenty years older and much thinner than she remembered him, but it was definitely her brother.

    ¡°Brother!¡± she said and broke free from Bryne.

    She managed to stumble all the way up to the table before the guards there crossed their halberds and blocked her way.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re alive¡­¡± she mumbled, suddenly embarrassed over her outburst. ¡°What happened to you¡­ why didn¡¯t you reach out¡­ why¡­?¡±

    Aelar tilted his head to the side and gave her an unimpressed look. Leera¡¯s throat tightened, she felt like crying, but she forced herself not to. Her brother¡¯s gray eyes were like steel shields, hard and unforgiving.

    ¡°Aelar, please.¡± She tried her best not to sound desperate. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me?¡±

    He ignored her and emptied his goblet on the floor. He then made it float through the air towards her.

    ¡°Melt it,¡± he said.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°This is gold ¨C you¡¯re an Isobender,¡± he said. ¡°Melt it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I mean, I¡¯m not.¡±

    The goblet dropped to the floor with a loud clanking sound that echoed between the stone walls. The throne room went silent for a moment. The corners of Aelar¡¯s mouth dropped. Leera had seen the expression every time he had unsuccessfully tried to teach her how to fly.

    ¡°You¡¯re as pathetic as the day I left,¡± Aelar spat. ¡°You were always useless.¡±

    Leera felt herself shrinking. His words felt like a sledgehammer to her chest. She gasped for air, blood pounding in her ears. Bryne said something that earned him a punch in the gut by one of the guards. Maya stormed out of the room.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Send word to Felthorne that I have something he wants,¡± Aelar said to one of the guards. ¡°Oh, and find that old fool, Quick, and cut out his tongue for lying to me.¡±

 13. For Love

    ¡±Leave us,¡± Aelar said and waved his hand dismissively at the guards.

    Leera watched the bobbing red bun of Bryne¡¯s hair as he was hauled off by the guards. Once they were alone in the throne room, Aelar rose from his chair. She felt like the hand of the crypt stalker was choking her again. Her brother¡¯s steps each seemed to tighten the grip on her throat, cutting off her air supply as he closed in. Despite her efforts, a tiny drop broke free and tumbled out of her eye.

    ¡°You were slowing me down,¡± he said and touched her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault you¡¯re a mundane.¡±

    His voice was soft, but his words were sharp as needles. And even though Leera¡¯s heart was turning into a pincushion, she knew that he was right. She had always been a burden to him.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have sent me a letter? I thought you were dead...¡±

    ¡°I knew you would just come running.¡± Aelar tilted his head to the side and looked her straight in the eyes. ¡°I had aspirations¡­ ambitions! I needed a clean slate. I would never have made it to where I am today.¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ having a mundane sister means¡­ that your bloodline isn¡¯t pure.¡± She had to squeeze the words out of her throat.

    ¡°See, you¡¯re not so stupid after all. Politics is a business of cutthroats and backstabbing ¨C I wouldn¡¯t have lasted a day. Besides, the big city wasn¡¯t for you.¡±

    Aelar brushed a lock of Leera¡¯s hair out of her face and hooked it behind her ear. He was right, but the truth was painful. When he left, she¡¯d had nobody. She had lived on the street for almost a month before the farmer¡¯s wife had taken pity on her.

    Leera turned away and stifled another sob by biting her knuckle. ¡°Why¡­ why did you bring me here now?¡±

    She heard him sighing loudly behind her.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have,¡± he said simply. ¡°That old fool had me convinced that you were an Iso-bender. It¡¯s his fault you¡¯re crying now. But don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll have him appropriately punished.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± Leera whispered.

    ¡°But I do. If people think it¡¯s okay to lie to the regent¡­¡± He snorted. ¡°No, he must be punished.¡±

    She thought of Quick stomping into her house and demanding tea, and of how he baked carrot biscuits every morning, and how he always saw the best in people. She hadn¡¯t realized it until now that her heart had a soft spot for the old man, despite his eccentric ways.

    ¡°Please, Aelar, he¡¯s just a crazy old man,¡± Leera said and spun back around. ¡°It¡¯s not his fault.¡±

    ¡°Then whose fault is it? I find myself with a whole plate of new problems, and none of them look particularly appetizing. By now, half the nobility in Oceanpeak knows I have a mundane sister. And with the Conclave scourging the countryside, my position is threatened.¡±

    ¡°The Conclave?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a murderous group of traitors who works with the enemy to see my downfall. I¡¯ve kept their vile kind in check for months, but now it seems they¡¯ve finally gained the upper hand.¡± Aelar paced back and forth in front of his desk. ¡°Did you know that they butchered an entire city only last week? Of course not¡­ but let me tell you, they somehow got wind of my beloved wife, Claria, visiting Cloudrest. They struck like a viper, and are now keeping her for ransom.¡±

    Leera shuddered as images of twisted black corpses swayed inside her mind.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± she asked, even though she knew that there wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Yes, there is one thing¡­¡± Aelar said, to her surprise. ¡°Their leader, Joseph Felthorne, has put a bounty on your head because his spies have told him you¡¯re an Iso-bender. If we act quickly, we might be able to trade you for Claria. But it would be a death sentence once he realizes you¡¯re not¡­ I couldn¡¯t possibly ask you to lay down your life for Claria¡¯s...¡±

    He let the last sentence hang in the air. Leera remembered how Aelar had pulled her out of the fire in their childhood home, and the times he had taken the punishment for her in the orphanage, and how he had tried so hard to help her fly even though it was impossible. She had always been a problem and a weight on his shoulders ¨C she had always been so useless to him. Perhaps this was her chance to prove that she had some use and become more than a walking disappointment.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Leera said and clenched her fists. ¡°But please don¡¯t hurt Quick.¡±

    ¡°Go back to your chamber while I set up the trade.¡±

    ¡°What about Quick?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    Leera watched him as he sat down behind the desk and started writing. Even when she crossed the room, he didn¡¯t look up. She held up her hand and mouthed ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    ¡°Farewell, brother,¡± she said.

    He didn¡¯t answer.

 14. Pure

    Maya had partially managed to get out of her dress and threw her corset across the room. ¡±You did what!?¡±

    Leera sat down on the side of the bed. She couldn¡¯t believe it herself ¨C how easily she¡¯d signed her life away. Still, it was for a good cause. If Claria was worthy of Aelar, she had to be an amazing woman ¨C saving her and Quick were two lives for the cost of one. Leera had nobody to go home to, nobody that would miss her, and perhaps she¡¯d finally earn her brother¡¯s respect.

    ¡±After the way he acted?¡± Maya plucked the hairpins out of her dark locks. ¡°After everything he said?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Leera said.

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be attending your funeral,¡± Maya snapped and pulled the last of the expensive dress from her body. ¡°I¡¯m leaving right now, and you should do the same. All the guards left because someone blew out the wall of the castle dungeon¡­ I¡¯m guessing that someone was Bryne.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±

    Maya shook her head as she quickly pulled on her normal clothes.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you on the other side then¡­¡± she muttered and left the chamber.

    Leera played nervously with her dress. She couldn¡¯t get out of it on her own, and the maid was nowhere to be seen. She rolled back onto the bed and pressed her palms hard against her eyes until stars of red and green exploded in the blackness. Shouting came from outside the balcony, and the sound of people running in heavy armor echoed over the rooftops. She ignored the ruckus and tried to think. Had this always been her lot in life? She was a mundane, without a family or friends¡­ well, Quick was a friend and that¡¯s why she wanted to help him so badly.

    She had always feared the prospect of growing old alone ¨C of spending the last morsels of her life in her cabin in Jane¡¯s Spire. At least she didn¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. The door to the room creaked and Leera opened her eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Aelar said.

    Leera sat up and rubbed the tears from her eyes. She hadn¡¯t realized until now that she was crying.

    ¡°Already?¡± she said, looking bleary-eyed at her brother.

    He was clad in a thick coat and appeared ready to face icy winds outside.

    ¡°Your mongrel companions have started a riot. We need to make the exchange now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said and got up. ¡°I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    Aelar gave her a dark look and led her to the balcony. The gray waters of the ocean below stretched into the distance and met with the rumbling black clouds at the horizon. The towers and spires of the city stood like a forest of marble around them. Down on the ground, the citizens of Oceanpeak skittered around like confused little insects.

    ¡°I can¡¯t fly,¡± Leera mumbled with her eyes downcast.

    Her brother snorted. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±

    Aelar took a deep breath and clenched his fists. His eyes turned misty and white. The wind rolled through his silvery hair. Leera¡¯s stomach fluttered. She was levitating.

    ¡°Pretend you¡¯re flying,¡± Aelar said and hovered next to her. ¡°We can¡¯t have Felthorne think you¡¯re a mundane. From here on out, you¡¯re the fabled Iso-bender.¡±

    Leera could do nothing but enjoy the wind in her hair and the view of the city below. Her brother had grown powerful over the years and she now understood how he was able to lead the country in the King¡¯s absence. Not many air-benders were able to carry other people through the air ¨C and even though Leera wasn¡¯t flying on her own, she felt like this was a moment to cherish. Smiling, she looked over at her brother, but his gaze held only the distant white peaks of Caeli¡¯s Spine.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    She closed her eyes and spread her arms out, and allowed herself to be carried by the whistling wind. Despite the grim fate that waited, her heart sang to the tune of the wind. This was home, she thought, the endless sky was where she belonged.

    When Leera opened her eyes, she saw the ice blue capes of half a dozen knights who were flying in formation beside her. Their tabards, with the royal white eagle, flowed majestically over their chest plates, and the mirrored visors of their helmets flashed with every crack of the lightning. They all had Caeli¡¯s fearsome Vector Sweep-blades strapped to their waists. Growing up, Leera had heard the stories about the Sky Knights ¨C they were Caeli¡¯s finest warriors and what every little child dreamed of becoming ¨C she had never thought she¡¯d see them with her own eyes.

    Without warning, the knights dove with dizzying speed, headfirst toward the ground. Then Leera and her brother followed suit. It felt like all her blood was pushed into her feet and her brain was sucked down her throat.

    The descent only took a couple of moments and before Leera could blink she felt the ground under her feet. She took a careful step, her head still spinning. She was standing on a smooth plateau on a snow-kissed mountaintop. Her feet made fresh tracks as she struggled to regain her bearings.

    ¡°Aelar Eirey!¡± a voice bellowed over thunderclaps. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Leera looked up. A tall man with eyes of mercury stood on the other side of the plateau. His long hair burned like white fire in the wind, and his cheekbones were prominent and set high like the ledges of a mountain. In Leera¡¯s mind, he was the very definition of a Caeli nobleman.

    The man was flanked on one side by a slender woman in a tight red dress, with orange hair and onyx black eyes, and on the other by the hulking beast of a man with dark skin and shoulders that rose like boulders from his rugged frame.

    ¡°Joseph Cassius Felthorne,¡± Aelar said indifferently. ¡°Do you have my wife?¡±

    ¡°Do you have the Iso-bender?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re looking at her.¡± Aelar threw out his hand at Leera. ¡°Show me Claria.¡±

    A smile crept up on Felthorne¡¯s lips. Leera shuddered. There was no joy in the man¡¯s face, and the expression seemed to have lost its original meaning. He nodded at the massive man to his right, who clenched his fists, causing the muscles on his thick arms to bulge. The ground rumbled in unison with the thunder, and an oblong stone rose out of the ground. It had the shape and size of a funeral coffin. The earth-bender¡¯s eyes turned green as he reached out his massive hand toward the obelisk. With a loud scraping noise, one of its sides fell away, revealing a woman in a dirty white dress and a sack over her head.

    The woman took a few wobbly steps out of her stone prison. She stumbled across the plateau before collapsing in Aelar¡¯s arms. Warily, Leera started walking towards the tall man.

    ¡°Stop,¡± he said. ¡°Why would I want you?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­ I¡¯m the Iso-bender.¡± Leera cursed herself for stumbling over the words.

    She glanced over her shoulder at her brother for support and direction.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid, Aelar?¡± Felthorne said. ¡°I know she¡¯s not the Iso-bender.¡±

    A brief shadow of confusion danced across Aelar¡¯s face before he regained his composure.

    ¡°Why did you agree to the trade then?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re losing your grip of Caeli anyway, Lord Eirey,¡± Felthorne spat. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me if you get your precious wife back. Your days as the regent are numbered. And also, because I find it amusing that you would sacrifice your own sister.¡± Felthorne released a hissing laugh. ¡°I never knew you had mundane blood in your family?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s only my sister by name,¡± Aelar said haughtily. ¡°Her blood is not mine. She means nothing to me.¡±

    His words pierced Leera¡¯s chest like a spear. Gasping she fell to her knees in the snow.

    ¡°Prove it.¡± Felthorne smiled and held out his hand in a gesture of invitation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to soil my hands with filthy mundane blood. You go ahead and kill her. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a weight off your shoulders¡­ I can¡¯t imagine what it must¡¯ve been like, hiding such a dirty secret for all these years¡­¡±

    Leera looked at the blurry image of her brother through her tears. He was hesitating. But then to her shock, Aelar handed over his wife to one of the Sky Knights. Leera looked at the unmoving form of Claria as Aelar slowly drew his blade ¨C at least she had managed to save her.

    Leera¡¯s brother walked over to her with a steely look on his face. He was really going to do it. She heard Felthorne''s laughter in the distance as Aelar lifted the blade. She closed her eyes and saw the warm smile of Quick sipping on a cup of freshly brewed morning tea. She lowered her head, exposing her neck.

    <hr>

    Faces veiled in shifting shadows swirled around her.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Leera said.

    Her voice sounded muffled as if her mouth was stuck inside a glass jar.

    ¡°Where?¡± the faces echoed. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°What is this place? Am I dead?¡±

    ¡°This is not a place¡­¡± one voice whispered.

    ¡°¡­nor a time,¡± another filled in.

    ¡°This is neither life¡­ nor death,¡± said a third.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Leera asked.

    ¡°We are the spirits of the mountain,¡± the voices said in unison. ¡°Do you accept us into your heart and soul?¡±

    ¡°Why now?¡± Leera said. ¡°Why wait?¡±

    ¡°Like the first of your kind¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­you have proven that your heart is pure¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­you have made an unselfish sacrifice¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­and such is the nature of the pact¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­from the first¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­to the second¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­to the last¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­do you accept us into your heart and soul?¡±

    Leera took a deep breath. ¡°I do.¡±

 15. The Iso-Bender

    Leera opened her eyes.

    Her hands swam in palm-shaped pools of melted snow. In the reflection of the clear water, she saw Aelar with a twisted look on his face, swinging the sword in a wide arc.

    Leera blinked. She saw the gleaming surface of the edge, and how it consisted of tiny black spheres, strung together in triangular formations. The beauty of the endlessly repeated pattern, shaped by the master smiths of ancient time, flashed through her mind ¨C so hard and sharp, yet so delicate and smooth.

    The blade connected with her neck. But instead of rupturing her flesh, the steel liquefied and splashed off her skin. A river of molten metal rolled over her shoulder and down her right arm. It felt soft and cold as it coiled around her wrist. She willed it into the shape of a bracer and elbow-guard, inspired by the one Maya wore. The amount of control she had was astounding. She shaped the edges into leaves and painted the steel with clouds and snowflakes, which turned into engravings when the bracer solidified.

    Felthorne, who was in the middle of a drawn-out cackle, suddenly lost his voice and started coughing instead. Aelar stumbled backward, slipping on the snow, and, for a moment, losing the buoyant grace that he usually carried himself with.

    Leera filled her lungs with the icy mountain air and turned her face toward the churning clouds. Just like with the steel of the sword, she could see the texture of the wind and all the multi-colored particles ¨C the tiny building blocks of the world. Everything suddenly made sense. It was all connected ¨C the wind, the snow, the mountainside, even the tiny flame that had appeared in the fire-bender''s palm, were all made up from the tiny spherical elements.

    She held out her hand in front of her ¨C it shimmered and shifted in a palette of dazzling black, white, red, orange, and green. Aelar¡¯s skin was the same as hers and the Sky Knights¡¯ ¨C it was the same as the earth-bender¡¯s and the fire-bender¡¯s, and the same as Felthorne¡¯s.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°We are all the same¡­¡± she whispered, and her feet left the ground.

    I need to see them all, she thought and rose on wings of sparkling light ¨C the tiny particles of the air collaborating and conjoining, carrying her upward. She had to know every element ¨C touch them with her hands¡­ feel them in her mind¡­ bend them.

    ¡°I must find Quick¡­¡± Leera mumbled.

    ¡°Kill her!¡± cried Felthorne. ¡°Kill her now!¡±

    The Ignis woman¡¯s eyes turned into globes of swirling flames. She held out her palms, and torrents of liquid fire roared into the air.

    ¡°No more killing,¡± Leera said and threw out her arms, pulling the air apart around the firestorm, instantly smothering it.

    The fire-bender fell to one knee and groaned, completely drained. The earth-bender flexed his muscles, the veins in his thick neck swelled, and his eyes lit up like emeralds.

    ¡°Die, Caelica!¡± he bellowed and hurled the stone casket at Leera.

    ¡°I said¡­¡± Leera split the rock in half, letting the two shards sail past her before taking control of them, sending them straight back down, ¡°NO MORE KILLING!¡±

    The casket shards hit the center of the plateau with a deafening crack, drowning out the thunder above. A deep fissure from the impact split the mountain in two, leaving Aelar and Felthorne on opposite sides of a steep chasm.

    Felthone whispered something to his exhausted companions, and together they retreated down the far side of the broken mountain. Aelar, however, took Claria in his arms and looked up at Leera.

    ¡°Get her,¡± he said.

    The Sky Knights shifted uncomfortably.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, you imbeciles!¡± screamed Aelar. ¡°Get her!¡±

    The knights stirred and drew their blades in unison.

    ¡°The wind shall not carry you,¡± Leera said and thinned out the air above the Sky Knights.

    Their running starts took them only a couple of feet upward before they twitched like jumping fish, and flopped headlong into the snow.

    With the wind blasting through her hair, Leera set course back toward Oceanpeak. A smile touched her lips for the first time in days.

 16. Oceanpeak

    The thundercloud rumbled and lit up from within as sheet lightning bounced back and forth between the fluffy walls. Leera felt the static electricity on the back of her head, lifting her hair into a stormy updo. She wanted to touch the lightning, feel it surge through her body. She had always been afraid of lightning ¨C afraid of fire, water, and cramped spaces. Now all she wanted to do was experience it all.

    ¡°No more fear.¡±

    She saw the tiny vibrating red and white marbles of the cloud ¨C they were missing some of their smaller building blocks. They were hungry, and that¡¯s why they behaved this way.

    ¡°Come eat from my hand, little ones,¡± she said and stretched it towards the hulking cloud.

    The massive beast roared. A tongue of blinding whiteness shot out, illuminating the sky. But instead of burning her alive, the lightning took what she offered, eating docilely from her hand. Tingles rolled up her arms and down her neck.

    ¡°Go play at sea,¡± she said and changed the direction of the wind, pushing the clouds out over the ocean.

    Soon the sun peeked out over the tip of the cloud, and for a moment Leera just drifted through the air, enjoying the warm beams massaging her skin. She felt herself filling with a perpetual calm as the worries disappeared one by one. She no longer needed a house ¨C the world was her home now. She no longer needed to worry about money or material things ¨C whatever she needed, the land, sky, and sea would give her. And if she ever felt cold again¡­ she smiled at the sun.

    Was this too good to be true? No more worries? Then the realization hit her.

    ¡°Quick!¡± Like a comet, she shot across the sky, back toward Oceanpeak.

    In the distance, the spires of the city rose like a shining forest of awls from the mountainside. But among the marble pillars were also smoke. Leera¡¯s heart sank at the sight. The vision of a shattered Cloudrest filled her mind. She spurred the winds.

    ¡°No more killing¡­¡± she said, but this time it was a prayer rather than a command.

    The wind bit into her cheeks as she dove for the capital. She flew over the roofs, scanning the streets for the broad shoulders and flappy beard of Quick. Mobs of people were running up and down the streets ¨C some were flying. Guards in the royal blue and white swept by in strict formation.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Drawn by the salty smell of the sea, Leera steered toward the water. She left the Merchants District, with its sleek white buildings and neat cobblestone roads, and entered the Docks District.

    The tall white walls of the royal palace were a striking contrast to the thatched roofs and dirt trails snaked between the worn-down buildings. Castle Saltgale was built in the middle of Oceanpeak and had gates facing each of the six districts. A smell of rotting fish found its way to Leera¡¯s nose.

    Leera noticed that the smoke came from two places. The first source was a hole in the wall of the castle, and a crowd of people was hovering around the destruction like a buzzing colony of wasps. The second pillar of smoke rose from a massive stone building with a grain silo, which had been broken into. People ran to and from the site with bags on their shoulders, while the guards tried their best to keep them away from the king¡¯s granary.

    Leera¡¯s eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of something in the crowd that stood out like a rose in a field of daisies. Pursued by a squad of guards, Bryne zigzagged through the throng of shouting people. With a wide grin on his face, he feinted and danced around them.

    ¡°Leera!¡± he called out when she landed. ¡°You¡¯re flying!¡±

    Leera nodded. ¡°Have you seen Quick?¡±

    ¡°Sorry ¨C I¡¯ve got my hands full! He¡¯s probably out drinking tea somewhere.¡± Bryne dodged, and one of the guards crashed headfirst into a trash bin. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡±

    Bryne produced a bottle and swiftly poured the liquid into his open palm. He slammed his hands together and disappeared in a thick fog. Leera smiled at the guards who searched for him fruitlessly. She had always wondered what kind of powers Bryne had. Now she finally had her answer ¨C the man was a water-bender, and a skilled one at that.

    Turning away from the scowling red faces of the guards, Leera drifted along the street. Through the smell of decomposing garbage, a familiar scent made her stir. She followed it and came to a rickety shack of a bar. A duck with googly eyes adorned the sign above the door.

    Leera was just about to enter when the door swung open, and two guards with rosy cheeks and content smiles waddled out, and after them came Quick.

    ¡°Gentlemen, thank you for the company,¡± Quick said. ¡°Send me a letter and tell me how it went with Breeze.¡±

    One of the guards mumbled something unintelligible, and together they started strolling along the street.

    ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡± Leera said and hugged the big man.

    ¡°Why, of course.¡± Quick patted Leera on the head. ¡°I see you¡¯ve got your powers ¨C about time, I should say.¡±

    Leera beamed at him and hugged him again. She hadn¡¯t felt this happy in a very long time.

    ¡°I trust everything went well, meeting your brother?¡±

    ¡°There were a few¡­ complications.¡±

    ¡°And such is life, a series of complications and riddles waiting to be solved. Now, we have but one important journey left. Gather your belongings, and we shall get going.¡±

    ¡°I have all I need.¡±

    ¡°Well, then,¡± the big man said. ¡°Let¡¯s be on our way to the Temple of Minah.¡±

 X2. Tea! and Biscuits!

    "Is he in there?" said Guard Captain Ventus impatiently.

    Jori craned his neck to look at his superior.

    "It''s hard to see through the vapors, sir, but I believe that''s Quick."

    ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s go inside and get him.¡±

    The doorbell chimed merrily as the two guards entered the shack that posed as a bar.

    ¡°Welcome to the Cross-Eyed Cluck-Duck! Would you like something to drink?¡±

    Captain Ventus ignored the compact bartender in a dirty apron by the counter, and strode up the corner table, cigar smoke swirling in his wake.

    ¡°By decree of our regent, Lord Aelar Eirey, I¡¯m placing you under arrest!¡±

    The big man put the teacup to his lips, closed his eyes and sighed contently. ¡°That is just heaven!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Jori. ¡°Did you not hear him? Let¡¯s move!¡±

    ¡°Move, yes, nothing stands still, even the rock of the sleeping mountain is moving. You look thirsty,¡± Quick said and waved at the bartender. ¡°Two cups for my friends here. And take your finest porcelain; these are the king¡¯s men!¡±

    The guards looked at each other and then down at their white eagle insignia on their tabards. It had been a long time since someone gave them the respect they deserved for being the country¡¯s most loyal servants. Also, the day had been a stressful one, and a steaming cup of tea did sound very nice.

    ¡°Please have a seat; you look exhausted. Are you hungry too? I just so happen to have a box of freshly baked honey-crumb cookies.¡± Quick pulled out a partially crumpled papyrus packet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I must¡¯ve sat on it on the way here. But I assure you that the cookies are most delicious ¨C here, allow me to help you.¡±

    The guards looked at each other again and then sat down at the table. The big man handed them each a golden cookie, dripping with honey. After digging through his many pockets, he pulled out two napkins and tucked them into the collars of the guards.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Jori took a bite and instantly lit up. ¡°They taste like my granny¡¯s honey-crumbs!¡±

    ¡°Your granny must¡¯ve been a special woman then, young man. I¡¯ve only shared this recipe with a select few!¡±

    Captain Ventus grunted and nibbled on the cookie. Jori smiled and pulled off his helmet. He had patrolled these streets for half a decade, and never ventured inside any of the bars.

    ¡°Tell me, gentlemen, have you ever tried the famous Buru-nuru tea?¡± Quick said and poured them a cup each from the kettle.

    The smell was a combination of freshly cut grass, fir needles, and peaches.

    "The nuru herb is harvested by the monks of the Buru Highland near Lake Everfrost,¡± Quick said and took another sip. ¡°The tea is known to relieve stress and ease cramps.¡±

    Captain Ventus lifted his cup hesitantly to his mouth and took a small sip, swirling the tea in his mouth. It had a crisp citrusy flavor, but it was far from sharp and had a velvety, creamy aftertaste.

    "Relax and let the gentle touch of the tea massage your insides."

    ¡°I¡¯ve been so stressed out lately,¡± Captain Ventus confessed after silently enjoying half of the cup. ¡°This is exactly what I needed.¡±

    He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his neck. Finally, he pulled off his helmet and placed it next to Jori¡¯s.

    ¡°Ah, according to tradition, one is to share a recent hardship while enjoying a cup of Buru-nuru. It enhances the taste and lightens the heart.¡± Quick helped himself to another cookie. ¡°I have been traveling far and wide across our land, gathering the relics from an old tale. The cities of this world all look the same as when I first visited them a lifetime ago. I worry that they will stay the same until the last of my days.¡±

    Quick ran his thick fingers over the table, and the two guards nodded appreciatively.

    ¡°Both my granny and my mother suffered from the shivers,¡± Ventus said. ¡°I¡¯m starting to reach that age myself now¡­ the fear of not being able to hold my sword steadily¡­ it keeps me up at night.¡±

    ¡°A steady arm is a blessing but not a necessity,¡± Quick said, nodding gravely. ¡°A steady mind is far more important.¡±

    Jori took a deep breath and nodded as well. The three men carefully contemplated what had just been said.

    ¡°There is a girl. Her name is Breeze.¡± Jori said after a while. ¡°She lives in one of the finer houses along my patrol route. Sometimes I hear her laughing when I walk by ¨C it is the most wonderful of sounds ¨C and it fills my soul with sadness because she¡¯s too far beyond my reach.¡±

    ¡°To win a woman¡¯s heart is one of the toughest quests a man can take upon himself,¡± Quick said. ¡°But remember that a quest never starts until you brace yourself and set out to complete it.¡±

    The men drank their tea in silence, each locked in deep thought. Quick was the first to break the meditative state and lifted the kettle.

    ¡°Can I offer you, gentlemen, a refill?¡±

    Both of the guards nodded and held out their cups.

 17. The Red Scorpion

    A red scorpion crawled across the floor. Each of its eight legs grated against the planks. It skittered forward and, like flint striking steel, tiny sparks flew. It left a blazing trail behind, setting furniture and curtains on fire.

    Snapping its claws, the scorpion approached the crib where a small girl with vanilla hair slept. Screams and coughing rang through the house as the creature scaled the leg of the crib.

    ¡°Leera!¡±

    The roaring fire in the room danced in the scorpion¡¯s tiny black eyes. It moved closer, raising its stinger.

    ¡°Leera, wake up!¡±

    <hr>

    Leera awoke to Bryne shaking her. Groggily, she looked around. The lantern in the ceiling swayed peacefully and shed a trembling light over Andromeda¡¯s cabin.

    ¡°You were screaming,¡± Bryne said and took a step back.

    The dream was one she¡¯d had many times before, but Aelar had always been there, killing the scorpion and lifting her out of the crib. Now he was nowhere to be seen. It was the first time he hadn¡¯t been there to save her.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Leera said, and put her hand on her damp forehead. ¡°Bad dream.¡±

    Ever since they left Oceanpeak two nights ago, the red scorpion had been creeping through Leera¡¯s mind. She kept seeing the candle room and the cloaked man with the same tattoo as Bryne and Maya.

    ¡°Can I see your arm?¡±

    Bryne nodded with a smug smile on his face. He flexed his bicep. Leera rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I meant the tattoo ¨C the scorpion!¡±

    Bryne sat down and placed his arm in her lap. Leera ran her fingers over the red ink. ¡°Who else has these?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Maya told me it was the mark of the Re¡¯dorai.¡±

    ¡°She did, did she?¡± Bryne grinned. ¡°Well yeah, there were originally twelve of us. Now it¡¯s only me and Maya left.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the others?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you know, what eventually always happens when you have a group of professional blades working together¡­ greed, betrayal, and swift death.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°The night when the crypt stalker came¡­¡± Leera said and propped herself up on the pillow. ¡°I saw a man in a room full of candles¡­ I think he was controlling it¡­ he had the red scorpion on his arm. Was there anyone like that?¡±

    Bryne¡¯s grin seemed to melt off his face. He shook his head.

    ¡°Tell me!¡± Leera said.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to tell; the man is dead.¡±

    ¡°So there was someone like that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Ryze¡­ a mundane who turned to ancient arcana for power ¨C he was a really bad apple ¨C Maya killed him when he started going after children. That was our one rule.¡±

    Leera had heard stories about the sorcerers of the old days who drew their power from symbols and idols, instead of the elements. Just like the dragons, Leera had always thought they were a myth.

    ¡°So, he¡¯s dead. You¡¯re certain?¡±

    Bryne nodded and went back to his cot. ¡°Get some sleep.¡±

    Soon, Leera heard him snoring, but she didn¡¯t feel tired anymore. She stared at the wooden ceiling for a while, then rolled out of bed and headed outside. The stars glittered like snowflakes against the night sky, and the wind blew softly over the deck.

    ¡°Quite the night,¡± Quick said and took a sip from his teacup. ¡°They say that the stars above Ignis shine the brightest.¡±

    ¡°Ignis?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll cross a lot of borders soon. The Skein is where all the nations meet ¨C it is a four-way passage through the mountains, and as such, one of the most sought-after strategical points in all of Fawe. The Temple of Minah is a safe haven on that battlefield.¡±

    ¡°Why did we take Andromeda then ¨C surely it would¡¯ve been easier to sneak in without it?¡± Leera said.

    ¡°Oh, deary me, I almost forgot! There¡¯s a gift for you in the cargo hold.¡±

    Leera padded over to the hatch and pulled it open. Nine square-shaped haversacks filled the small compartment. Her eyes lit up.

    ¡°I went on a little trip while you were seeing your brother. Those are the ninety tablets."

    Smiling, Leera eagerly opened the first one and pulled out a random tablet. It shone bright golden in the moonlight. She had longed to feel the material between her palms and in her mind. A complex pattern of tiny bright marbles winded around itself, twisting into an endless row of face-centered cubes. The surface was smooth with the exception of a few imprints, which were so small that she only noticed them because of the irregularity in the crystal-like structure.

    ¡°Minah,¡± she read out loud. ¡°Uruna, Darius, Vadic¡­¡±

    Leera continued down the long list of names. They felt familiar as they rolled over her tongue, almost as if they were distant relatives that she had forgotten about. When she came to the last name, she gasped and pulled her hand back. She glanced at the big man who was leaning against the rudder, gazing up at the stars.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°It was a long time ago,¡± he said and ran a hand through his beard.

    She took a big breath and read the last name. ¡°Quick.¡±

    ¡°A long, long time ago...¡± he muttered, ¡°¡­in another life, entirely.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an Iso-bender too!¡±

    ¡°Not anymore.¡± Quick shook his head and sipped his tea. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re taking the ship ¨C the last of my powers are now yours. I hope they¡¯ll serve you better than they did me.¡±

    Carefully, Leera put the tablet back and hugged him. She could only imagine what it must be like, losing your powers.

    ¡°It''s not a burden; it''s a relief,¡± Quick whispered as if reading her mind. ¡°My time is over now, and yours is beginning¡­ the world needs your heart, Leera Eirey.¡±

    Far below, battle cries and the clanking noise of steel meeting steel echoed through the night.

 X3. An Old Friend

    Maya stormed out of the chamber and hurried down the spiral staircase. Castle Saltgale was built in an open-air design, with large rooms connected by arches and balconies. Windows with views over the white tips of Caeli¡¯s Spine, the gray waters of the Gray Sea, and the red roofs of the city below, made every room look like an exquisite art gallery.

    A guard patrol stomped by, and Maya hid in the alcove behind the statue of an old king. The echoes of hammering steel boots filled the halls. They were all heading for the lower levels of the castle.

    As soon as the patrol was out of sight, Maya headed in the opposite direction. She had been to the castle many times, and she¡¯d always wanted to know what it was like, sliding down the railings of the many staircases. A couple of balding scribes turned their heads in disbelief as she swished by.

    Finally, Maya found her way down to the bottommost floor of the castle. A single guard blocked the last door.

    ¡°Hey there, handsome,¡± Maya said and licked her lips. ¡°You seem to be someone who¡¯s good with the ladies if you get what I mean?¡±

    ¡°Who in Shift Lake are you?¡± the guard said and blinked a few times.

    ¡°I was just wondering¡­ I¡¯ve heard that Caeli women are flexible¡­ but can they do this?¡±

    She somersaulted backward and kicked in the visor of the guard¡¯s helmet. It buckled under her steel heel and stopped the guard both from seeing and taking it off.

    The guard roared angrily and swung his halberd in wide arcs in front of him. Maya dodged and rolled past him, snatching the keyring. She kicked him in the back, and he fell over with a clang of metal hitting stone.

    Well on the other side of the door, Maya relocked it and laughed at the guard banging his fists and shouting in frustration. The royal guards weren¡¯t bad warriors at all, but they weren¡¯t equipped to deal with someone as agile and slippery as her. She¡¯d never really understood the point of heavy armor; it just made you clumsy and slow. She hung the key ring on the door handle and strolled down the corridor.

    A smell of hay and horse dung filled the air. Soon a stable unfolded before her eyes. Mighty steeds in white and brown were chewing hay and ogling her in surprise. To the sound of nervous neighing, Maya followed the path, sometimes stopping to pet and feed the animals.

    <hr>

    Maya had always loved horses and had wanted one growing up. It wasn¡¯t until she completed her first job that she¡¯d had the money to buy one. She remembered the look on Bryne¡¯s face when she marched past the tavern and went straight to the stables.

    The horse she bought was a white mare with black spots. She didn¡¯t have much money, and it was the cheapest one they had. It only wanted to sleep and refused to leave the stable. It tried to kick the stable owner and probably would¡¯ve bitten Maya if she¡¯d been close enough. She remembered his words clearly, ¡®Some horses aren¡¯t meant for riding.¡¯Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Those words proved to be true, and after a full day of futility, she finally decided to release the horse into the wild. It had no place in human society anyway.

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t you at least name her?¡¯ Bryne said, sipping on a large bottle of cognac. ¡®How about Daisy-drake? Because she looks like a cow and has the temper of a small dragon!¡±

    After the gruesome task of leading the reluctant horse out of the city, Maya finally released it on the steppes outside of Rustwood. She removed the bridle and shook her head. She didn¡¯t feel like it was her place to name it.

    They watched the horse take its first gallop across the swaying yellow landscape dry grass. The wind in its mane, the thundering of its hooves, and its exhilarating speed ¨C it was fantastic. Then something strange happened as the horse rode off into the blinding beams of the setting sun.

    <hr>

    Maya stopped in front of the last stall in the stable.

    ¡°Hi there, Apricot,¡± she said and fed a carrot to the beige stallion. ¡°Fancy a ride?¡±

    Soon Maya had left Castle Saltgale and Oceanpeak behind and traveled north along the coast. At the crossroads to Port Cyan and Redgate, she left the trail and rode toward the icy peak of Mt. Witherstone.

    The tiny villages with thatched roofs and chalk-white walls reminded her of home. She hadn¡¯t seen her mother in almost five years. Maybe once she had taken care of this, she¡¯d pay her a visit.

    The grazing grounds and wheat fields turned into barren highland. A lonely eagle cruised the pristine blue depths of the sky above. By the side of a mountain stream, Maya stopped to let the horse drink.

    ¡°Once you¡¯re done, return home,¡± she said and started walking along the stream.

    Despite the summer heat, patches of snow hid in the shadows of the massive boulders that adorned the hillside. Maya made it all the way to a waterfall before stopping. Few people visited these parts of the country. The meager soil and harsh winters made agriculture impossible, and the lack of forests would make any hunter leave without a second glance.

    The rocks felt familiar under her grip as she scaled the side of the waterfall. Maya had been here before, but it was a long time ago now.

    Above the waterfall was a plateau with grass and a single big oak tree. The flourishing green was a strange sight compared to the washed-out gray soil and the black stubble of thistles of the highland.

    Maya bent down and cupped her hands to drink from the stream. The mountain water felt like liquid ice in her throat ¨C cool and refreshing. From up here she had a view over the entire western expanse of Caeli ¨C The Gray Sea and the white spires of Oceanpeak; the ancient forests of Limoran and the Blue Maw Mountain Range, which separated Caeli from Ignis in the south; The Seven Lakes and the fjords of The Eastern Crags ¨C it was a view that left her breathless every time.

    A shadow fell over her, and in the wobbly reflection of the stream, she saw the shape of a white horse with black spots. Maya turned around. The massive wings that sprouted from its flanks always made her stare in awe. She had a hard time believing this Pegasus was the same horse she had set free on the steppes of Rustwood and watched it fly into the sunset.

    ¡°Sorry to bother you,¡± Maya said and held out her hand in a gesture of peace, ¡°But I need your help again.¡±

    It looked at her, its eyes dark and grave.

    ¡°A friend is in trouble,¡± she said and produced a lock of vanilla hair as proof. ¡°She¡¯s a Caelian; I know you like them.¡±

    The horse scraped its hooves against the grass and snorted. It turned around and started walking away.

    ¡°Please!¡± Maya said and then pulled up her sleeve to reveal the red scorpion on her wrist. ¡°Do you remember this? Do you remember Ryze?¡±

    The horse halted, and its ears suddenly pointed backward.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s still alive, and I need to stop him. I wouldn¡¯t have come if it wasn¡¯t urgent. I promise this is the last time I¡¯ll ever disturb you. Please?¡±

    The horse looked at her with its piercing black eyes. Then it took a reluctant step forward and lowered itself enough to let Maya climb up.

    ¡°Do you know the way to Lockhart Bay?¡±

 18. The Bonewaste

    The Temple of Minah rested on a crag inside a grove of silver firs. Snow-tipped peaks draped the valley in constant shadow and formed a natural crossroad with gates leading into each country. On the way down, Leera had seen the formations of the four armies, locked in a permanent tug-of-war.

    The red and black banners of Ignis flapped proudly on top of the hulking coal-guzzling war machines. Scantily clad fire-benders took cover behind a wall of shields carried by knights in black plate armor. Every so often, these flame-haired marauders peeked out to launch a ball of fire at a nearby formation of Humus troops.

    The green and brown plumes of the earth folk, shuddered from the updraft as fiery explosions erupted all around. A tower of rock plowed through the thick mud like an oddly shaped battleship. On the deck, Leera noticed a fierce melee between earth- and air-benders.

    Wherever she looked, the chaotic battle was raging. She saw a battalion of water folk, with their coral standards and turquoise shell armor, being shredded by the swooping blades of the Caeli Sky Knights. She saw fire-benders drowning in a flood that surged across the battlefield. She heard screams in her own tongue before a roaring avalanche silenced them, burying their owners in the depths.

    Tears filled Leera¡¯s eyes. Why, she thought, why this endless bloodshed? Quick put a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°The Eternal Battlefield is a daunting sight,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°It is said that whoever witnesses the Bonewaste will be forever changed.¡±

    ¡°This is¡­ so wrong,¡± Leera said. ¡°It needs to stop.¡±

    She wiggled out of Quick¡¯s hands, and before anyone could protest she dove off Andromeda¡¯s stern.

    The bashing of shields and screams of pain and triumph echoed between the mountainsides. Leera landed on a field of gray ashes littered with skulls and bones. A wild skirmish whirled around her.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Stop!¡± she screamed as loud as she could. ¡°No more killing! No more death!¡±

    With gusts of wind, she desperately tore the combatants away from each other, but they just charged right back in as soon as she let go. She didn¡¯t even know which sides the soldiers were on, all she cared about was breaking up the fight.

    Leera closed their helmets over their eyes and bent their swords out of shape, but they kept swinging blindly at each other. Despite her best efforts, they were dying around her. As soon as one fell, someone else took their place.

    What could she do against such unquenchable hatred? Even with the ability to bend all the elements, she was powerless to sway the hearts of these men. With a sigh, she sank to her knees. What was the point of being an Iso-bender if she couldn¡¯t stop the bloodshed? Wasn¡¯t this her responsibility?

    She let out a sob, which instantly drowned in the screams nearby. A banner landed in the ashes in front of her ¨C the white eagle had smears of blood in its feathers and was no longer a symbol of hope and freedom, but one of death and suffering.

    The world spun slowly around her. The skirmish was reaching its end. A body landed with a thud and a puff of ashes. The warriors around her looked toward the sky before turning to the new body and started hacking away at it.

    Leera slowly lifted her hand, and with tears rolling down her cheeks, she pushed the warriors away and raised a barrier of stone to block them off. She crouched over the fallen body. His face was slick with blood, and one of his eyes was swollen shut. Without the disfiguring bruises and cuts, his face would¡¯ve been proud and strong. His shoulder-length hair had been colored in deep maroon from all the blood.

    Leera melted the armor off his body and placed her ear on his chest. There was a faint rasping gurgle. If he weren''t dead already, he would be soon. It felt like a pointless undertaking, but she still put her hand on one of his bruises and rubbed it gently ¨C just like she had done to her own scrapes and cuts all those years ago. She closed her eyes and tried to mend his ruptured skin and his shattered insides. The man groaned as Leera bent his skin to close the wounds and stop the bleeding. Piecing together his broken bones only seemed to make it worse.

    Leera wasn¡¯t sure if she was helping him or not. Determined to save his life, she turned his armor into a stretcher and made it float in front of her toward the grove. Maybe Quick could teach her how to heal properly.

    As Leera passed Andromeda, Bryne gave her a concerned look.

    ¡°Where is Quick?¡± she said. ¡°Please, where is he?¡±

    ¡°He went inside,¡± Bryne said and hurried after her toward the temple. ¡°Who is that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he¡¯s dying.¡±

 19. Bending a Heart

    Leera had imagined the Temple of Minah to be massive and grand, but it was no larger than her cottage back in Jane¡¯s Spire. Cold and austere, the stone floor of the temple was empty, and the only piece of furniture in the room was a small altar with a tablet on it.

    Quick stood with his back to the entrance, talking to a girl in a white and red dress. If Leera hadn¡¯t seen the girl¡¯s face and her bosom, she would¡¯ve thought it was a child. Her arms were like saplings, and she could easily have hidden her entire self behind Quick¡¯s left leg. Her violet hair, partially hidden under a headscarf, flowed behind her, almost brushing against the floor, and her eyes had a bright green sheen as if fireflies lived inside her eyeballs.

    The tiny girl looked at Leera and then at the bloodied knight. She let out a horrified gasp.

    ¡°What have you done!¡± she cried in a shrill voice. ¡°You¡¯ve broken the sacred vow!¡±

    ¡°The man needs help,¡± Leera said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t bring him in here ¨C this is the Temple of Minah ¨C this is a haven of peace!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care ¨C he¡¯s going to die if he doesn¡¯t get help.¡±

    The girl threw up her thin arms and scowled at Leera. ¡°Humans die. The battlefield beyond the hallowed grove is a testament to that. Even if you save one, thousands will die still.¡±

    Leera turned to Quick. ¡°Please?¡±

    Quick shook his head. ¡°He has already passed on.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not¡­ he¡¯s¡­¡± Leera placed her head on his chest again.

    It was quiet. No more rasping or gurgling breaths. Leera felt her throat tying itself into a knot. Fresh tears mixed with the dried ones on her cheeks.

    ¡°Na?ve ¨C why are they always so na?ve?¡± The tiny girl paced back and forth fidgeting nervously with her dress. ¡°They¡¯ll come now. Oh, yes, they will. Yes, they will.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t save everyone. Take that to heart, Miss Eirey,¡± Quick said. ¡°That¡¯s an important lesson.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Leera whispered and turned away from the others. ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s never about being right or wrong; it¡¯s about¨C¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Leera cried and slammed her fist into the stone floor. ¡°Get out! GET OUT!¡±

    The floor shuddered and cracked open. Walls rose out of the ground, closing off the temple around Leera, leaving Quick and the other two wide-eyed on the outside.

    Leera touched her left wrist ¨C the one she had broken trying to fly out of the orphanage, and then sprained again, escaping from the crypt stalker. The diminutive marbles of her skin shifted and vibrated in a multicolored palette. She took a deep breath.

    ¡°Pain is not real,¡± she mumbled and rolled up her sleeve.

    She didn¡¯t remember who had said it, but the words were comforting. Perhaps it was Aelar?

    One by one, she stopped the buzzing movement of the marbles in her hand and wrist. It felt like she had dipped it in a bucket of ice laced with searing hot needles ¨C it felt like someone was pulling her bones out of her hand with a pair of pliers. Shivering and sweating, she leaned over the fallen soldier. Her hand was bright and translucent ¨C it took everything she had to keep it from falling apart.

    On the verge of fainting, Leera carefully put her hand through his chest, closing her fingers around his heart. She gave it a gentle squeeze and filled his lungs with fresh air.

    Nauseous and dizzy from the pain in her hand, the room blurred for Leera. The candles danced like will-o-wisps in the flickering darkness. A song echoed between the walls ¨C perhaps it was the walls of her mind and not the temple ¨C it sounded familiar, like a distant childhood memory. Was it only her imagination when a shadow in her periphery shifted and started moving across the room toward her?

    The shadow collided with the candlelight and joined it in dance. Two opposites, spinning, bending, intertwining ¨C coryph¨¦es of light and darkness, of good and evil, of life and death, fighting for the honor to lead the ballet.

    Sudden warmth filled the temple as the light grew limbs and a shimmering body. Maybe the pain was conjuring hallucinations, but the light felt like candles on a birthday cake, like dawn over the Sleet Mire ¨C it felt like home.

    Then a soft voice came from the light. It was filled with love, compassion, and patience. It reminded her of Quick, but it had the tenderness of a woman.

    ¡°Glittering Stardust¡­ the most treasured gem¡­ both hard and soft¡­the sixth element should only be touched by the purest of our kind.¡± Leera felt the last tablet tumble into her lap.

    ¡°Please¡­¡± Leera gasped, struggling to remain conscious.

    ¡°Shaping a diamond¡­ or waking a star¡­ requires tremendous power, Leera Eirey¡­ but bending a heart ¨C that is the hardest task of all.¡±

    ¡°Please!¡±

    ¡°You already have it within you ¨C you were given this gift a long time ago.¡±

    Leera suddenly felt the heart of the man shudder and start beating in her hand. As she pulled her burning hand out, the figure of light dispersed. But the darkness drew closer, slithering its shadowy tendrils around her neck.

    ¡°What a nice gift¡­¡± it whispered. ¡°Are you ready for mine?¡±

    Leera felt a sharp sting in her thigh. Through her tears, she saw the blurry outline of something red, skittering across the floor.

 20. An Angels Touch

    Leera gasped for air. It felt like a boulder had been rolled onto her chest ¨C she strained to fill her lungs. Hundreds of candles shed an unsteady light on the odd chamber. Runes and symbols snaked and winded in intricate patterns across the ceiling, while carved stone scorpions threatened to strike from the walls.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± a weak voice said behind Leera. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t feel so well.¡±

    Her entire body cramping and twitching, Leera managed to turn over.

    ¡°Maya?¡± Leera¡¯s voice felt like gravel in her throat. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in the pirate catacombs of Lockhart Bay ¨C the old Re¡¯Dorai hideout.¡±

    Maya¡¯s throat was swollen, and a cut somewhere in her abdomen bled into a pool on the floor. Leera reached out a trembling hand. Straining her eyes, she tried to see the tiny marbles, but all she found was the blood-soaked shirt and the leather of Maya¡¯s armor.

    Leera scooched closer, dragging her numb leg behind her, trying to mend Maya''s wounds somehow. She felt like she was back at the lake that swallowed her brother, trying so desperately to fly. But despite her efforts, the wounds didn¡¯t close, and the blood kept seeping out.

    ¡°Why did you come here?¡± Leera mumbled, feeling helpless and distraught.

    ¡°After the crypt stalker attacked you¡­ and you asked me about the tattoo¡­ I put two and two together¡­ I thought I could handle him on my own¡­ I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Ryze, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Maya nodded weakly.

    ¡°I just love when two beautiful women gossip about me,¡± said a raspy voice from the shadows nearby. ¡°It makes me feel¡­ loved.¡±

    Leera craned her neck, her vision blurry, trying to peer through the curling darkness. She thought she could make out a shifting silhouette just outside the wobbly candlelight.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Leera said, massaging her numb limbs.

    The venom of the scorpion mixed with her blood into a numbing cocktail, spreading through her body. It was messing with her eye-sight as well. The strange symbols swirled above her, strangling her from the ceiling.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m curious,¡± Ryze said, ignoring her question. ¡°How does it feel to be a mundane again? I mean, you just got your powers, it has to sting a little bit, no?¡±

    Leera grunted and tried to sit up. She leaned over Maya, pressing a piece of cloth from her tunic on the biggest wound. Maya¡¯s pupils dilated, and she groaned from the sudden pain. Blue veins snaked across her eyeballs, and a glowing red liquid filled her eyes. Red tears rolled down her cheeks.

    ¡°What did you do to her?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I poisoned her,¡± Ryze said airily. ¡°Did you know she used to be an assassin? Her signature weapon was the red clover nectar ¨C it¡¯s quite lethal ¨C I fed her some of that.¡±

    Maya¡¯s lips moved, forming inaudible words. Her eyes rolled back, and she started to gurgle. Red froth bubbled at her mouth.

    ¡°What is wrong with you? How can you just stand there!?¡± Leera cried, trying to hold the shaking woman still.

    Ryze stepped out from the shadows. The creature before her was not human ¨C she saw that in the lifeless lumps of coal that occupied his eye sockets. Wrapped in ribbons of black cloth, it sauntered across the room and crouched next to Maya. The red ink in the shape of a scorpion burned on his forearm.

    A sickly smell of incense, balming oils, and rot accompanied the creature like a swarm of flies. Leera felt like throwing up. He was the one she had seen in the vision when the crypt stalker attacked her.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± it hissed. ¡°I hate watching people suffer too.¡±

    Before Leera could react, it pulled out a jagged knife and slashed Maya¡¯s throat. A fountain of rubies gushed from the wound. Leera just stared, frozen in disbelief.

    You can¡¯t save everyone. Take that to heart, Miss Eirey.

    Quick¡¯s words echoed through Leera¡¯s mind. Still, she pressed her hands down on Maya¡¯s throat, the warm lifeblood leaking through her fingers. She felt like screaming, but the runes in the ceiling were suffocating her ¨C draining her of power.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°My condolences,¡± Ryze said and took a step back, wiping the blood from the knife. ¡°But now that we¡¯re free from distractions, let¡¯s talk.¡±

    Leera slumped over Maya¡¯s unmoving body, sobbing uncontrollably.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve just met me, but it feels like I¡¯ve known you forever, Leera Eirey,¡± Ryze continued and shrank back into the churning shadows of the room. ¡°For the longest time, I thought you¡¯d died along with your parents in that fire. I thought¡­ I thought I¡¯d unlocked the path to ascension, but the rituals just weren¡¯t working. For a while you made me believe I wasn¡¯t strong enough. You¡­ you actually made me doubt myself. Eighteen years of self-doubt is a long time. Do you know what that does to a man?¡±

    With tendrils of darkness licking his sides, Ryze stepped out of the shadows on the opposite side of the chamber. A red circle of shimmering glyphs adorned the floor.

    ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ a man¡­¡± Leera said through her teeth, desperately trying to stave off the flow from Maya¡¯s throat with another piece of cloth.

    ¡°You know, I thought I¡¯d killed off all the Eireys that night. Your dad despised Ignis for what they¡¯d taken from him ¨C it was beautiful¡­ even poetic, that a fire would claim his family.¡±

    Ryze put a golden sapphire-studded chalice on the floor in the middle of the red circle. The numbness from the scorpion venom had spread all the way up to Leera¡¯s shoulders. She barely had the strength to hold the cloth against Maya¡¯s throat.

    Carefully, Leera closed Maya¡¯s eyelids. She took her stone necklace and put it around the woman¡¯s neck ¨C it was the only item she had that could qualify as a burial gift. Maya was dead.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing¡­ poetic about murder,¡± Leera said.

    A hoarse scraping laugh rang out through the chamber. It seemed to suck the light from the candles and prick her eardrums with tiny needles.

    ¡°Imagine my surprise when an Eirey was voted into the Caeli Senate in Oceanpeak. Luckily, the Eirey girl was dead ¨C or so I thought until Quick, like the fool he is, led me straight to your doorstep. You probably could¡¯ve lived out your entire life right under my nose if your brother hadn¡¯t started talking about you. Do you have any idea how many Caelian girls that had to die, just because you¡¯re so desperate to stay alive?

    ¡°I mean, I was surprised. You evaded my earth-benders in Jane¡¯s Spire, slipped through the nets of every head hunter in the land, escaped the deadly grasp of a crypt stalker, and somehow managed to survive your execution on the mountaintop. I thought you had outsmarted me¡­

    ¡°For a moment I was worried. Once you were inside the sacred grove of Minah¡¯s Temple, you¡¯d be outside my reach. I thought I¡¯d missed my chance. Can you imagine my joy when you brought that corpse into the grove and willingly broke Minah¡¯s vow? The ancient sanctuary, shattered in an instant.¡±

    Leera felt dizzy; the room was spinning, her arms refused to move. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ get it¡­ why¡­ why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to open a portal ¨C much like the one that brought you here ¨C only this one is to another plane of existence. I¡¯ve always wanted to look the gods in the eye ¨C Ambust, Corona, Unglia, and Murndar ¨C I¡¯ve always wondered why they couldn¡¯t get along.¡±

    Ryze crossed the room in a few quick strides and grabbed Leera by the hair.

    ¡°We both want the same thing, really ¨C peace between the four nations,¡± Ryze continued and dragged Leera into the red circle. ¡°You just can¡¯t seem to get it right. Sixteen generations of Iso-benders¡­ failure upon failure.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡± Leera whispered.

    ¡°Because the last breath of a bender is a potent catalyst for any spell, and what¡¯s more powerful than the last breath of an Iso-bender?¡±

    ¡°Why did you¡­ have to kill those girls?¡±

    ¡°Why!?¡± Ryze said, kicking her in the ribs. ¡°Because¡­ my dear¡­ dealing with an Iso-bender¡­ Is. Usually. Not. This. Easy! Killing one off before they receive their powers is far more¡­ practical.¡±

    Leera felt the instinct to hold her aching chest and stomach, but couldn¡¯t move her limbs. Limply, she lolled her head over the hard floor. She coughed and felt hot blood seeping down her chin.

    ¡°Now, the venom will soon stop your heart, and when that happens I want you to breathe into the chalice,¡± Ryze said and held the cup up to her face.

    Leera heard her blood beating in her ears; the rate was decreasing rapidly. She thought about Quick and felt a pang of guilt. Her last words to him had been in anger. She thought about Bryne and how she had shut him out of the temple. She thought about Aelar and how she hadn¡¯t been able to mend their relationship. She thought about Maya, and how she had failed to save her.

    Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Leera saw that the chalice was identical to the one Aelar had told her to melt back in Castle Saltgale. Maybe the venom was making her hallucinate. The shadows in the far side of the chamber shuddered. Her heartbeat was so slow now.

    ¡°An angel put her hand on my heart¡­¡± A figure in frayed garbs caked with blood stumbled into the chamber. His voice was deep and calm. His face and body were broken, swollen, and bruised. He dragged a sword behind him like a prisoner¡¯s ball and chain.

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me with a sword, you fool,¡± Ryze said, and the rasping laugh filled the room once again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you,¡± the man said and rammed the sword into the ceiling, shattering the rock, breaking the intricate pattern of runes and glyphs. ¡°She is.¡±

    Leera suddenly felt the world around her again. The pressure was lifted from her chest, her senses returning one by one. She felt the pain, she tasted the blood, and she smelled the candle wax. She saw the marbles of reality once more.

    With a deep breath, Leera forced the venom out of her system and stood up. Blue embers burned in Ryze¡¯s eyes, and he waved his arms.

    ¡°Izsh Faed Ack Nough Der¨C¡± he chanted but was cut off as Leera held out her hand and opened his throat.

    Dark goo oozed out of the wound instead of words.

    ¡°No,¡± Leera said.

    She plucked the marbles away from the creature before her, sending them one by one into the flames of the candles. The air vibrated as she separated the blocks of its essence, melting the ribbons and the foul being beneath them into streams of beautiful glimmering particles. The candles sparked and crackled as they devoured everything until nothing remained.

 21. Heal the World

    The battered man pulled the sword out of the cracked ceiling and stumbled up to Leera.

    ¡°I was dead. The gates were opening, and I saw Heaven. I marveled in its radiance.¡± The knight placed the sword tip down with his hand on the hilt and took a knee. ¡°But then you touched my heart, and I was blinded a tenfold by your grace. My sword is yours, for you shine brighter than Heaven itself.¡±

    ¡°I have no use for a sword,¡± Leera said. ¡°But if you¡¯ll help me stop the war, I accept your pledge.¡±

    <hr>

    Leera knelt next to Maya. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± the knight said and gathered up Maya in his arms. ¡°You¡¯ll have time to grieve, but we need to go back now.¡±

    The portal shimmered and flickered weakly, the arcana almost completely drained. Together they stepped through, returning to the Temple of Minah.

    Leera opened the wall. The sun broke through the clouds and warmed her face. She sighed and sat down in the grass. She hadn¡¯t realized until now the extent of her exhaustion. She struggled to keep her eyes open.

    Bryne was the first one to notice. His face lit up, but his eyes fell on Maya. In an instant, the color drained from his face. With his red hair burning behind him, he ran up to the knight and took Maya from him.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°W-what happened?¡± he said.

    ¡°Ryze,¡± Leera said tiredly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Bryne¡¯s focus returned to Maya. The veins in his forehead bulged. Leera saw a single tear roll down his face.

    ¡°Hey, wake up¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°Please, Maya¡­¡±

    It was heart-wrenching to see his usually confident and blas¨¦ demeanor melt away, like an icicle under the spring sun. He really did love her. Leera could see that in the way he desperately caressed her unmoving body, in the way his fingers dug into her caramel skin, and in the way he kissed her forehead. Leera couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she¡¯d ever experience a love like that.

    ¡°I¡­ I-I love you¡­ There, I said it. Please don¡¯t¡­ You can¡¯t be dead¡­¡±

    Maya blinked and opened her eyes. Her viridescent irises glittered in the sunlight.

    ¡°It only took¡­ me almost dying¡­ for you¡­ to admit that.¡± Her voice was dry and throaty.

    Bryne laughed in astonishment, tears still rolling down his cheeks. He pressed his lips against hers and kissed her deeply.

    Wide-eyed Leera looked at Quick. How was this possible? She had seen Ryze slit her throat. She had felt the blood seeping through her fingers. She hadn¡¯t been able to stop the bleeding.

    ¡°You were always able to heal the bruises on your own body by simply touching them,¡± Quick said and pointed at the stones on the string around Maya''s neck. ¡°The countless tears you shed on the rocks of your necklace infused them with the power to heal the wounds of any earth-bender.¡±

    Leera remembered her cuts and bruises in the orphanage, how she¡¯d used to press her palms against them. Was that what the voice in the temple had meant when she healed the knight? She¡¯d always thought it was her imagination when the swelling went down a little and the pain subsided.

    Leera tilted her head back. Thin clouds, like white scars, covered the sky. She held out her hand. One by one she brushed the clouds away until only the pristine blue remained. She had always been a healer. Maybe she could save everyone. Perhaps that was her job¡­ to heal the world.

 22. No More Killing

    The royal white eagle flew proudly on the banners and flags over the rooftops of Oceanpeak. The marble spires of the city rose like spears of light in the afternoon sun. The streets teemed with people, everyone eager to see what all the fuss was about.

    A trumpet fanfare suddenly blasted through the city, followed by the airy violin notes of the Caelian national anthem. A parade of armored soldiers marched into the city.

    First came the royal cavalry on their snow-white steeds, and then came thousands of foot soldiers with crowns of daisies on their helmets. Finally, the Sky Knights swept in over the rooftops, rounded the castle in blinding speed, before landing on the town square.

    The citizens stared in awe as the leader of the Sky Knights removed his helmet, and the winged crown was placed on his head. Most of the people had seen the legendary crown, forged from silver and platinum with wings of titanium and hardened mercury. But because of the war, few had seen its owner.

    When the people realized that their king had returned home from the frontline, they all burst into cheers. Songs of praise spread through the city. Women found the arms of their returned husbands, sons, and fathers.

    The king held up his hand, and the entire city fell silent.

    ¡±An angel put her hand my heart.¡± His voice was like a thunderbolt over the crowd. ¡±I was broken ¨C my body shattered. But she saved me ¨C she pulled me out of Death¡¯s cold grip.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the error of our ways. For millennia we¡¯ve fought our neighbors ¨C war is not the answer. I have returned to you with the intention of bringing peace to our nation. I have a lot of work ahead of me, but first I have an announcement to make.

    ¡°People of Caeli and Oceanpeak, I would like to introduce to you a woman of utmost benevolence, grace, and beauty ¨C my own guardian angel.¡±

    Shyly Leera stepped out next to the king. She had asked him not to make a big deal out of it, but he hadn¡¯t listened. He¡¯d told her that the people needed to see her face. If he was going to pull his forces back from the Bonewaste, the support of the people was vital ¨C they had to know the reason for the change in his decree.

    ¡°I am the King of Caeli, but I still bend the knee for this woman ¨C this angel of mercy!¡±

    Everyone in the entire city lowered themselves and bowed their heads, following the king¡¯s example. Leera couldn¡¯t believe her own eyes. She looked at Quick for guidance. But he just nodded proudly. Bryne winked at her, and Maya gave her a smile.

    ¡°The moment she touched my heart it became hers. And I swear now, with you all as my witnesses, that I shall spend the rest of my life trying to meet her standards and work relentlessly to be worthy of her.¡±

    The king took Leera¡¯s hand and looked her in the eyes. ¡°I have won many battles, but winning your heart will be my ultimate conquest.¡±

    Leera felt her knees to go weak. The king himself had just proclaimed his love for her. She didn¡¯t know what to say or how to react. She smiled quickly and lowered her eyes.

    ¡°One day, perhaps,¡± the king whispered before turning back to the crowd.

    ¡°This day marks the start of a new age in our kingdom ¨C an age of peace, prosperity, and love. We Caelians have always been leaders ¨C let us be the first of the four nations to put our weapons down. The war has gone on for too long.¡± The king held up his fist. ¡°No more killing!¡±

    ¡°No more killing!¡± echoed the voices of the city in unison.