《A Parallel Dream》


 A New Beginning

    Chapter 1: A New Beginning


    ¡°Elijah, wake up! Today is the day!¡±


    I stirred in the middle of my bed before glancing to my right. There stood my little sister, Abigail, in a pink night gown with purple flowers enveloping the outside and converging to a point near her neck. She seemed excited, but I couldn¡¯t remember why to be honest. As I thought about why she was so excited, she catapulted herself onto my stomach.


    ¡°AHHH¡­ What the hell Abigail!? I¡¯m getting up... you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­. I¡¯m just really excited for the big day!¡±


    ¡°Oh right¡­. The¡­ big¡­ day.¡± I honestly had no clue what she was talking about. It was probably something she had mentioned to me months before.


    ¡°Y-you remember right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest Abigail¡­ I really don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Eli¡­ you promised you would take me to my friend¡¯s party today.¡±


    Oh crap¡­ that¡¯s right. She had been begging me for the past month to take her because our parents were always out of town on business.


    ¡°Oh! Sorry Abi! I¡¯ll be happy to take you. Just let me get dressed really quick!¡±


    Feeling slightly guilty and hoping to make it up to her, I quickly slipped on some tan jeans, a white shirt, and a blue button up. The button up was a bit wrinkly, but I would only be gone for a short time, so I wasn¡¯t too worried about that.


    ¡°Abi, let¡¯s head out! I have some other things I want to do after I drop you off!¡± I yelled up the stairs in the hopes of expediting her preparations.


    Abi scrambled down the stairs attempting to pull her denim jacket on. For a ten-year old, she was surprisingly organized and responsible. She was the favorite child after all. I, on the other hand, seemed to catch most of the flak from our parents. It was likely due to the age gap, but whatever, it didn¡¯t matter.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll drop you off then I¡¯m going to run some errands, I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow around 10 in the morning, sound good?¡±


    ¡°Sure does! Thanks again Eli!¡± Abi smiled at me softly as she tipped her head to the side.


    The drive to Abi¡¯s friends wasn¡¯t too far away, about a 15-minute drive or so, but it could feel like an eternity if traffic was bad.


    ¡°Have you decided about college yet? Mom and dad were talking about your future recently.¡±


    ¡°Not really, I mean I¡¯d like to go but I¡¯m not sure what I want to do. I just want to find something that allows me to help the people around me. People just like you Abi.¡± I winked at Abi, and she giggled at my comment.


    The discussion suspiciously always seemed to veer towards my future plans. My best guess was that mom and dad had put her up to this when they spoke with her on the phone last night. The problem was never my grades, I had actually done quite well in high school. Now, in my final year, it was a matter of deciding what I wanted to do. I was always indecisive and could never make a decision when one was needed.


    Abi spoke up, removing me from the haze I was in, ¡°Anyway, her house is right around the next corner.¡±


    I pulled off the side of the road to a house with red bricks and odd blue shingles adorning the top.


    ¡°Remember, I¡¯ll be back to get you at 10 tomorrow morning, have fun Abi!¡±


    ¡°See you then!¡± Abi happily skipped up the driveway to the front door as I pulled away.


    I had a few chores to take care of and some groceries to get at our local Rial Deli Mart. I made my way across town. Luckily, the trip didn¡¯t take too long. Most of the traffic had already arrived at work.


    I pulled into the Rial Deli Mart and parked near the front of the lot. I was about to enter the store when something odd caught my eye. The alley next to the store was, glowing? I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the alley again. The glowing form began to morph into a jelly like sphere. Curious, I began to wander towards the odd membrane that had now formed.


    It appeared to be the size of a large beach ball but was transparent and only noticeable upon close inspection. I stuck my hand into the odd-looking sphere and immediately felt a tingling sensation.


    ¡°What the hell!?¡± I muttered to myself. My body told me not to mess with the substance any further, but I was enthralled by the object before me. Plus, this was the most exciting thing to happen to me in awhile.


    I stuck my hand into the sphere once more. As I began to withdraw my hand, I felt another hand clasp around it. The other hand began to pull me towards the sphere. Oh god this is how I¡¯m going to die! I have so much I want to do! Why me, why now! I struggled against the opposite force, but it was no use. Soon my shoulder was enveloped in the substance and then, one of my legs. I screamed toward the other patrons in the parking lot, but my voice failed to come out. They didn''t even look my way. I couldn¡¯t understand why. I began beating the ground with my last hand and attempting to claw my way back to freedom. Finally, with one hard pull, the other hand successfully pulled me through the sphere. A bright light enveloped my body and I passed out.

 A Bumpy Road

    Chapter 2: A Bumpy Road


    Oh wow, what a dream. I felt the sheets around me¡­ hmm¡­ something felt off. The sheets felt much coarser and cheaper than the sheets I had bought months before. I rubbed my eyes as I glanced around at my surroundings.


    This was definitely not my room. It appeared as though I had been tossed into a role-playing game set in the medieval period. A small lamp glimmered beside me barely projecting enough light to make the room visible. The bed I was in was a tad smaller than a twin and was adorned with gold on each bed post. The sheets appeared to be a greenish brown and were made from something that resembled tweed. The walls were pale and had aged considerably with small cracks forming near the base.


    I jumped out of the bed. What the hell was going on? I was just at the Deli Mart, and I ended up here somehow. I made my way towards the door and opened it enough to peek through the crack. A pair of eyes met mine.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!!! He¡¯s awake! He¡¯s awake! Call the Grand Transmasculator!¡± The pair of eyes vanished in an instant as the individual on the other side of the door sprinted somewhere else in the building.


    A bit confused and scared, I made my way to the window to see if there was a way to escape my current prison. The window did open, but this success was short lived as the window had a prison like bar frame securing the entire area of the window. I pounded on the bars to no avail.


    Admitting defeat, I made my way back to the bed. Did this have something to do with that odd sphere outside of the Deli Mart? Just as I began to get lost in my thoughts, I heard a faint knock at my door.


    ¡°Umm.. s-sir, c-can I come in?¡± A girl with dark blue hair peeked around the corner of the door. She was dressed in a green gown with light blue frills tracing the seams. She appeared to be about 16 or 17 years old and had sharp purple eyes that pierced through me. Her appearance startled me slightly as she was quite beautiful.


    ¡°Ugh.. sure, but if I can ask, where am I? I¡¯m a bit disoriented because I have no idea where I am. Am I your prisoner?¡± I decided to take the diplomatic approach and attempt to gain information in a way that negated the need for confrontation. Plus, I really didn¡¯t have much of an option at the moment.


    ¡°Oh my goodness!!! No you are not a prisoner here¡­ I know it seems that way with all of our precautions, but this is a first for us as well. We weren¡¯t sure how you would react to your new surroundings.¡± I peered over her shoulder and noticed two men glancing at me in a curious, but cautious fashion.


    ¡°So are the two men behind you my welcoming party? Or do they have something else in mind?¡±


    ¡°Oh! No No! These two are members of the Parincia Guard that were sent here to protect you!¡±


    ¡°Protect me? From who? I¡¯m not exactly a threat.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ many in the world may see you as a threat to their sovereignty or to life as we know it, but you are the only hope we really have anymore.¡± She glanced down at the floor, a sad expression moved across her face. She quickly recovered and noticed me watching her intently.


    ¡°But that isn¡¯t for me to discuss with you, we must take you to the Empress at once.¡±


    ¡°But I¡­¡±


    Before I had a chance to say anything else, my ¡°protection¡± moved to either side of me, and we began our descent to the bottom landing where a carriage was awaiting us. As I exited the building to enter the carriage a crowd gathered and began examining me intently. I wish that I could say that I was flattered, but the glares weren¡¯t welcoming. The older women and men of the town glared at me with ferocity and the children cautiously stood behind their parents. I simply kept my head down as the guards pushed me up into the carriage and the girl entered behind me.


    ¡°I never got your name by the way. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh my! I apologize. My name is Felicia von Bettinger. I¡¯m the daughter of the late Slain von Bettinger. I do research on behalf of the Royal Court into Transmaculation.¡±


    ¡°Trans¡­ what? I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m not familiar with the term.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of Transmaculation? Hmm¡­¡± She cocked her head to one side and looked at me with a puzzled expression on her face.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Should I know what that is?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit disconcerting that you are unfamiliar with the term as it is apart of daily life here. Think of it as a way of conforming the world to your will. Like creating water and other substances or attacking creatures with elements.¡±


    Hmm¡­ it sounds a bit like magic. Maybe I can get her to show me an example of some.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind showing me some of your Transmaculation would you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, here, give me that cup setting beside you.¡±


    I placed the cup in Felicia¡¯s hand. She pulled out what looked like a gemstone and placed it into a cylindrical object that was hollowed through the center for the hand to grasp. She closed her eyes and recited, ¡°Mocare le sane!¡± Suddenly, the cup filled up with water as if it had been placed under a tap.


    ¡°Wow! Incredible!¡± I gawked at the cup now full of water.


    ¡°Can you drink this?¡±


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s fine to drink.¡± Felicia handed the cup to me and just as I reached out to grab it, the carriage hit a pothole in the road.


    ¡°Woah!¡± I flung forward and pushed the cup into Felicia¡¯s lap. The water splashed onto her gown and drenched her waist.


    ¡°Felicia, I¡¯m so sorry about that! Let me help you!¡± I began to unbutton my shirt to help clean the mess off of her lap. She smiled softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I promise I¡¯ll live. There is no need for you to do that.¡±


    I blushed slightly. There was something about her calm and collected demeanor that seemed to put me at ease.


    ¡°I just realized I never introduced myself to you. My name is Elijah Arrington, but you can just call me Eli, everyone does.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Eli.¡± Felicia smiled warmly in my direction.


    The carriage abruptly came to a halt, and I could hear discussions occurring outside.


    ¡°¡­. Yes¡­ we have Grand Transmaculator Felicia riding with¡­. Yes, it is urgent.¡±


    That was all I could really make out. I was expecting them to search the carriage, but Felicia poked her head outside.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am! I didn¡¯t mean to keep you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. Would you mind escorting us to the Empress so we won¡¯t have these delays along the way.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes ma¡¯am, please follow me.¡±


    The guard seemed extremely nervous around Felicia and his interactions were robot like in their formality. She must be important here. As we passed through the outward gate, I looked out the window to see a beautiful site. The walls of the outer gate were constructed with white-washed bricks that were topped with guard posts on either side. The wall seemed to continue for miles and likely enveloped the city we were entering. Felicia noticed me admiring the walls.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite impressive isn¡¯t it! The Empress spared no expense to use the toughest form of building material we had available.¡±


    ¡°Which is what?¡±


    ¡°Whilstle Stone¡±


    ¡°How strong is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say, as strong as we need it to be.¡± She grinned at my question.


    As strong as they need it to be? What does that even mean? Well, regardless, I guess it didn¡¯t really matter. There were a ton of things in this world that I needed to learn if I was going to make it back to my home.


    The carriage continued its journey on the cobblestone road until we arrived at the palace. The palace itself was magnificent. It had a main dome in the center adorned with gold leaf and two towers on each side of the dome that were topped in gold. The bricks used in the construction of the palace appeared to be of the same material as that at the front gate but of a much higher quality. The edges were cut with precision and were refined to a point which made it difficult to make out individual bricks.


    We ascended the grand staircase in front of the palace and were greeted by more extravagantly armored guards as we crossed the threshold into the main sitting room. Several butlers and maids made there way to Felicia and presented her with tea and asked if she needed anything else. She politely declined and motioned for me to join her. Not wanting to be a rude guest I quickly joined her side.


    ¡°Welcome to the Palace of the Empire of Parincia! We will shortly go to meet the Empress, but we should probably get you cleaned up before meeting her. She is a tad busy at the moment anyway.¡±


    Felicia looked over at two of the maids and motioned them over. The two maids quickly scrambled over to where we were standing.


    ¡°Be sure to accompany our guest to his room. Clean his clothes and remove any wrinkles from his clothing. Specifically, his shirt. Also, shine and polish his shoes. We need this done quickly so do not hesitate.¡±


    Before I could comprehend what was happening, the maids grabbed my arms and carried me up the stairs to a large guest room in the far-left corner of the castle.


    ¡°Please undress and lay your clothes on the bed. We will reenter your room once you have entered the bath to clean yourself.¡±


    ¡°S-sure¡­ thanks, I guess?¡±


    The maids hurried out of the room and closed the door behind them. I looked around the room. The bed appeared to be at least a queen size and had dark red sheets with gold trimmings running along the sides. Two bed stands stood on either side of the bed and a large chandelier made from crystals hung overhead. I guess I should do as they say. It¡¯s not like I have much of a choice. I removed my clothing and placed them on the bed. I then made my way over to the bath to wash my face and try to refocus my mind. So much has been happening and I still don¡¯t really understand what is gong on. Is this a lucid dream? It feels awfully real though.


    I started the bath. It appeared to have something similar to a shower head connected above the main faucet. If I was correct, I just needed to attach the tube to the faucet and then place the other end inside the container above. It seemed to be working fine, so I hopped in.


    After about 10 minutes, I got out of the bath and peeked out to see if the maids had returned my clothes. Surprisingly, it appeared they had already been cleaned and dried. Maybe they used some transmaculation on them? Either way, I needed to get changed and find some answers from this ¡°Empress.¡±

 A Dramatic Entrance

    Chapter 3: A Dramatic Entrance


    After quickly redressing myself, I exited my new bedroom. Felicia was standing outside my room with a grin on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again! Please follow me this way. We cannot make the Empress wait any longer.¡±


    I scurried to her side and walked behind her. I was lucky to have her guide me through the maze of rooms and hallways littered throughout the complex. We made our way to the central hallway and proceeded straight to the center of the palace. We reached a set of two enormous doors, which I suspected led into the Empress¡¯s throne room. The two guards in front of us turned towards the doors and heaved them open to reveal a large room of extraordinary extravagance. Much of the walls and pillars leading to the throne were covered in a beautiful purple and gold cloth. The floor was covered in a purple carpet that led from the doors we had just entered directly to the throne, where a small figure sat.


    I glanced over at Felicia, and she encouraged me forward. Hesitantly, I began the long walk from the double doors to the base of the stairs leading to the throne.


    ¡°May I present, Elijah Arrington, the Man of the Divine!¡±


    The Man of the Divine?! I think there must be a huge mix up here. They are in for a large amount of disappointment.


    ¡°Aww¡­ so this is him? Welcome to my Kingdom, Divine Arrington. I am Empress Grace Parencia.¡±


    The Empress was much younger than I had expected. She wore a brilliant white dress with detailed purple and gold embroideries throughout. She was likely around my age of 18 or a little older. Her golden blonde hair wrapped around her shoulders and continued down her back and her crystal blue eyes analyzed my every movement. Even though she had a slender body, she was quite well-endowed for someone her size.


    ¡°You can just call me Eli. Everyone does.¡±


    The Empress looked at me confused.


    ¡°Ughh¡­ Alright then. I cannot deny what the Divine requests. However, we do have favors to ask of you Di-¡­ I mean Eli.¡±


    ¡°Not sure if I can help but alright, I guess?¡±


    ¡°These are sensitive matters, let us discuss them in private.¡±


    The Empress motioned for the two of us to follow her to a room behind the throne. The guards stationed on the stairs leading to the throne placed their hands on their swords but withdrew when the Empress waived them off. Everyone seemed tense by my presence.


    We moved into a much smaller room with a variety of individuals wearing gaudy clothing seated around a circular table.


    ¡°Eli, you have already met my Grand Transmasculator Felcia, but I would like to take this opportunity to have you meet the rest of my advisory council. I also apologize for not having an immediate audience with you. I had other matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡°This is my brother, Arthur Parencia, he is the general of the armies.¡±


    Arthur grabbed my hand and shook it firmly. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Divine One. It is an honor to be in your presence¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°T-thanks¡­ but you can just call me Elijah.¡±


    The Empress¡¯s brother was a tall man with brown hair and a standard military suit reminiscent of the formal suits of officers from the first World War. He seemed to have a very imposing presence, and it was understandable how he was appointed to lead the military.


    ¡°This is Prime Minister Ming Shockla, he manages much of the finances and day-to-day operations of the kingdom.¡±


    The Prime Minister gripped my hand in his.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Divine One. We look forward to your aid and will do anything to earn your support.¡± The Prime Minister examined me from head to toe, clearly not impressed with my seemingly casual attire for meeting an Empress. He was a very obese man and compared to the rest of the counsel, had clearly spent the most on his attire.


    ¡°Here to the left is-¡±


    ¡°Empress Grace, before we continue, I have some questions of my own.¡± I felt a bit rude interrupting the leader of an entire empire, but I was sure she would understand if she were in my position. I needed answers, and it seemed the Empress was the only one I could ask.


    ¡°Why am I here exactly? Is this a dream or something? The last thing I remember was touching a curious sphere in an alley, and I ended up here.¡±


    Felicia and the Empress looked at me wide-eyed. They then glanced at one another and both began to speak. Felicia paused and allowed the Empress to continue.


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t remember your divine power or that you are from the Divine Coliseum where those with immense power and position reside in god-like form.¡±


    ¡°What? No, I¡¯m just a regular guy for the most part. My sister and I share a home and go to school. That¡¯s about it. I¡¯m not really special in the slightest.¡±


    The council appeared nervous at my sudden confession. The Empress looked back at Felicia.


    ¡°Felicia, what is he talking about? You said you performed the transmasculation required to bring a Divine One here.¡±


    ¡°I-I-I t-thought I did. Eli why didn¡¯t you tell me this sooner!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t really give me an option to tell you any of this! As soon as I woke up, we rushed to the palace to meet the Empress!¡±


    ¡°I apologize Empress. I have failed you and the Empire.¡±


    ¡°No Felicia, it¡¯s alright, maybe he just doesn¡¯t rememb-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not listening! I remember my life well, it was just another boring day of chores and work, nothing new was happening.¡±


    ¡°This-this isn¡¯t good¡­. I¡¯m not sure how my Empire will survive¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can¡­¡±


    Just as Felicia was responding to the Empress¡¯s worried thoughts, an explosion erupted at the outer wall of the city.


    ¡°What was that?! Guards!¡±


    A younger woman in armor approached the Empress, ¡°We are not sure your grace, we will send a rider to determine what caused the explosion.¡±


    Just as the young knight was finishing her answer to the Empress, the ceiling overhead erupted in a fireball of blue and green flames.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be happening! It¡¯s too soon!¡± The Empress shrieked.


    A large piece of the golden dome I had admired just a short time before was collapsing, and It had begun falling toward the Empress. Seeing no other option, I tackled the Empress to the ground.


    ¡°Ahhh!!! Shit!!! My leg!¡± The piece of dome had crushed my leg into paste where the Empress had just been standing. Felicia dashed over to me and began to chant while focusing the cylindrical object from earlier at the point of my leg that had been amputated. A circle of blue light encircled the two of us and my leg quickly stopped bleeding. I was left with a stump. The Empress stared at me in shock.


    ¡°W-w-why would you do that?! You don¡¯t even know who I am! We just met! Y-you could have died!¡±


    Felicia picked me up and had me rest my body weight on her shoulder. She then looked at the Empress and attempted to get her attention.


    ¡°Empress! Follow me, I will lead you to a safe area I have designated in the event of an attack.¡±


    The Empress seemed to snap out of her trance and followed us to an area on the far right of the room.


    ¡°Sosira Protectorate¡±


    The floor opened and we hurried down the stairs into the safe room. Felicia sat me down on a stool located near a larger table and quickly closed off the entrance. The floor above quickly covered. The pain was finally setting in. My best guess was that I had been in shock when the leg had been removed. It was more excruciating than anything I had ever felt. It felt as though every fiber of my being was being pulled in opposite directions.


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m going to pass out in a second.¡± I warned my two new roommates. Felicia and the Empress ran over to me as I began to fall towards the floor.

 A Decisive Plan

    Chapter 4: A Decisive Plan


    I opened my eyes in a daze. They were met by a crystal blue pair of eyes staring at me intently. The Empress, upon noticing me recognize her, quickly moved away from the table while blushing slightly. Felicia came up to my side.


    ¡°How are you feeling? I¡¯ve conducted some transmaculation, but it will take time for your leg to fully heal.¡±


    ¡°Wait, fully heal? You mean my leg will come back?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, so long as we conduct the transmaculation required for it to grow daily. Further, it will only work if you have the correct blood type for it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand a word of what she was talking about, but the hopes of getting my leg to heal seemed nice.


    ¡°What about the two of you? Are you both alright? What the hell just happened? Empress?¡±


    ¡°Just call me Grace¡­ I doubt I¡¯m the Empress of anything now.¡± The Empress¡¯s head was looking down and away. It seemed like she was having a tough time with everything that had just transpired.


    ¡°Emp¡­ Grace, are you doing alright? Were you expecting that attack?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve become accustomed to the worst things happening. Just like when I was a child.¡±


    Grace¡¯s voice began to quiver. She quickly noticed her weakness and corrected her posture.


    ¡°Anyway, yes, the attack was expected and that was why I told Felicia to go through with the ceremony to bring a Divine One here. Even if people disagreed with my decision¡­¡±


    ¡°But why would they disagree?¡±


    ¡°Our relationship with summoned Divine Ones has been¡­ strained to say the least. Only one Divine One has been controlled in our history.¡±


    ¡°So, since I¡¯m not one of these ¡®Divine¡¯ did something go wrong in the summoning?¡±


    ¡°My best guess is that I performed some part of the ritual incorrectly. I didn¡¯t even think the ritual would be successful because, at first, we could only bring forth a hand. I had to use my own physical force to bring you through entirely.¡±


    Felicia¡¯s usual calm and collected demeanor turned slightly sour as she scolded herself. Her description of the summoning does explain a great deal. It must have been her pulling me through the sphere.


    ¡°Will I ever be able to go back to my home?¡±


    ¡°We truly don¡¯t know. As I mentioned before, this is new for us as well. A Divine One summoning hasn¡¯t occurred in millennia, and this ritual was put together with the leftover notes we could find after they destroyed them.¡±


    What if I was stuck here? How would my sister feel when tomorrow came, and I was not there to pick her up? I couldn¡¯t just leave her there by herself. I pondered my situation. I had to find some way to get back home. If they brought me here, surely there is another ritual that would send me back to where I came from.


    ¡°Well¡­ now what to do we do? What were those explosions from before?¡±


    ¡°Those explosions were the reason we brought you here!¡± Grace dashed towards me in a rage.


    ¡°You were supposed to save those people¡­ my people¡­¡± Tears welled up in Grace¡¯s eyes and followed the curvature of her cheek before falling from her chin.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry¡­ I don¡¯t know what else to say.¡± I was unsure how she could blame me for the destruction that had just taken place. Felicia pulled me to a corner of the room away from Grace.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Eli. She is just going through a lot right now. When her parents passed away, she promised them that she would protect the people of the Empire just as they had protected her. She wanted to continue their legacy. I think, in her heart, she knows it¡¯s not your fault. However, the summoning was the best shot we had at ending the bloodshed¡­¡± Felicia trailed off. I could tell the situation was affecting her as well.


    ¡°Is the Empire at war with another kingdom or something?¡±


    ¡°In a way, yes, those beasts were sent by the Arthenian Kingdom. However, we had previously had friendly relations with the Kingdom. The attack seemingly came out of nowhere. The Empress was even in discussions with the leader of the Kingdom to marry one of his son¡¯s as a prince consort. We only hoped a Divine One could halt the attacks long enough to meet with the King of Arthenian and determine what had happened.¡±


    ¡°Well then, what¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°In reality, there isn¡¯t really a ¡®next.¡¯ You were our last hope. An ancient ritual to bring about a Divine One with unending power.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m a disappointment, but I already feel terrible already¡­ take it easy.¡±


    Felicia grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t take it so personally, I¡¯m just stating the facts of our current situation.¡±


    ¡°Felicia, we should probably begin to head out soon. The secrecy of this room won¡¯t last for long.¡± Grace approached us, black circles encompassing a portion below her eyes.


    ¡°Absolutely Empress. I made your room with an escape tunnel to the Johaven Forest on the outskirts of the city. The forest should serve as a good starting point on deciding what to do next.¡±


    ¡°Not to be the bearer of bad news, but how am I going to be able to keep up with you two? I only have one leg now, so I won¡¯t exactly be doing sprints anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Felicia looked around the room. She approached the large table near the center of the room and broke one of the legs from it. She than unhooked the cylindrical object she had been using for her incredible magical feats from her belt and held it over the table leg. ¡°Morph Intellectus.¡± The table leg began to extend and gradually formed a U near the upper portion. It appeared that she had made a knock-off crutch for me to use.


    ¡°This should be satisfactory for the time being. If you need me to make some adjustments, just let me know.¡± Felicia handed the crutch to me. For a quick build job, the crutch was surprisingly sturdy.


    ¡°Shall we begin?¡± We moved to a wall on the left side of the room and Felicia began tapping the wall in select locations. With a loud thud, the wall began to move. In its absence, a large corridor led from the room. The three of us began the long walk to the forest.


    The corridor seemed to be quite well-built. Every fifty meters or so, a large support structure would ensure that the tunnel would remain viable for many generations. The walls held large torches that were lit with a magnificent green flame. While the tunnel did appear to be sound in its construction, it was clear that it had never been used or was used infrequently. Cobwebs and debris littered the tunnel.


    ¡°We are here. Step back.¡± Grace and I moved away from the end of the corridor as Felicia began tapping the wall in the same manner she had previously. The wall began to move, revealing a large forest.


    ¡°So this is the Johaven Forest?¡± I was curious as to why Felicia decided to create a corridor leading to the middle of nowhere.


    ¡°Yes. This forest is known for its density and complexity. We should all be safe within its boundary. It will make it hard for them to find us. It¡¯s perfect for our current situation.¡±


    The forest did seem rather complex. The trees were oddly shaped with branches extending from the base of the trunk creating a dense ground coating. The canopy of the trees was littered with what looked like floating jellyfish that seemed to rotate quietly in the middle of the air.


    ¡°What are those things?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ those are mushstingers. They excrete a toxin from their tentacles when moved from their current positions. They¡¯ve been used in the past to create ¡®poison rain¡¯ that paralyzes foes beneath them. They are quite interesting little guys.¡±


    Well that¡¯s¡­ weird. I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing. It did make me thankful to be on the ground and not near them though. I was a tad worried that something would disturb them and cause a downpour of toxins. That would not be a fun time for our group.


    We continued through the tree brush until we noticed a clearing up ahead.


    ¡°That looks like a good place to set up camp. Let me check a couple things first.¡± Felicia seemed to intently examine the plot of land and looked at the area immediately surrounding the area.


    ¡°Alright. I think it looks fine. Let¡¯s continue.¡± After reassurance from Felicia, I began walking forward when¡­ *SNAP*. Something broke under me and I felt a rope tighten around my only ankle. Within a few seconds, I was dangling upside down on one of the higher branches.


    ¡°Ahh! What the hell! Get me down from here!¡± I screamed at Grace and Felicia, but they didn¡¯t move, something more important had caught their attention.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t move if I was you.¡± I heard a giggle from behind me.

 A Safe Place

    Chapter 5: A Safe Place


    I froze in my current position. The voice behind me sounded somewhat sinister. The look on Grace¡¯s and Felicia¡¯s faces wasn¡¯t comforting either. Both were a pale white and frozen in place.


    ¡°H-hello?.. Who is that?!¡±


    ¡°Aww.. honey, you sound so cute when you are nervous.¡± I believe the voice was attempting to be intimidating, but it was so feminine and high-pitched. I couldn¡¯t take them seriously. It reminded me of my little sister when she was 7.


    ¡°And who exactly are you supposed to be? Is this supposed to scare me?¡±


    ¡°Eli, I wouldn¡¯t if I were you¡­¡± Felicia gave me a look of concern and dread.


    ¡°Such a tough man, are we? I¡¯m sure we will break you from that shortly.¡±


    A hand grabbed my side and spun me around. What appeared before me was interesting. It was a short, young girl who had a long, scaled tail. The scales continued up her back and ended just short of her neckline. Her pupils were elongated and were surrounded by dark red irises. Short, black hair completed her look.


    ¡°Well, it appears I was correct about the voice.¡± I muttered to myself.


    ¡°What did you just say you heathen! It would take me to two seconds to end you. Watch it!¡± The girl flashed her tail in an instant towards my neck. I noticed the end was as sharp as a razor blade.


    ¡°You humans never seem to understand. We leave you be, leave society, and what, you still have to come here and screw with us!¡± She was definitely upset. I was actually becoming a little worried as her tail moved closer to my neck.


    ¡°Suri! Stop please!¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Empress Grace is that you?¡±


    Grace removed the cloak that had been covering her head and revealed herself to the girl. The girl quickly retracted her tail from my neck. I breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Empress, why didn¡¯t you inform me of your presence before? Things wouldn''t have taken such an¡­ unfortunate turn.¡±


    ¡°We just aren¡¯t sure who we can trust. Our own allies have been turning against us, and we had to take necessary precautions. The guy is, unfortunately, with us.¡±


    The rope holding me up snapped as Suri sliced through it with her tail. I landed on my head with a loud thump. Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly what I had in mind when I wanted to be put down.


    ¡°Grace, who is this? And what the hell do you mean by unfortunately?¡±


    ¡°Silence human, show respect to someone of higher stature and prestige than you!¡±


    ¡°Suri, it¡¯s fine. Eli is a¡­ guest of mine. Some things have happened recently. The capital is gone.¡±


    ¡°Gone? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°As far as we know, there is nothing left. The Arthenian Kingdom attacked and destroyed it¡­ they destroyed everyone.¡±


    ¡°Oh my¡­ I¡¯m sorry your grace. You can stay here as long as you like. Follow me.¡±


    We began following Suri deeper into the forest until we came upon a large clearing with a single, large stump centered in the middle. Suri walked up to the stump and began tapping on it in the same manner that Felicia had previously. The roots of the large stump began to open, and a large tunnel formed underneath the area the stump had rested on.


    ¡°Hurry in quickly, before someone sees us.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    A man, who I presumed was a guard, ran up to us clad in dark green armor from head to toe. He seemed very strong but was quite short for someone of his position.


    ¡°Tell my father we have an emergency! Bring him here at once!¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    The guard quickly scurried away leaving the four of us at the entrance to the underground facility. Within a few minutes, the guard returned accompanied by a large man. The man wore a large green cloak adorned with gold shoulder coverings. He had scales covering his cheeks and a long tail extending from under his cloak.


    ¡°Empress Grace, it¡¯s good to see you again. I never thought I would see you here. And who are our two visitors here.¡± The stocky man eyed me and Felicia.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality King Vulcan. This is Felicia von Bettinger my court¡¯s Grand Transmaculator and this is Elijah Arrington my¡­. acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, welcome to our humble abode. It isn¡¯t much but you may stay here as long as you desire.¡±


    ¡°We appreciate it King Vulcan. It means more to us than you know.¡±


    ¡°We are indebted to you your grace so think nothing of it.¡±


    Suri led us through the intertwining halls, and we traveled down several flights of stairs before reaching a room at the end of a long hallway. The room was quite gaudy with expensive furniture dotted around the room. Grace glared at Suri.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one bed Suri¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry your grace but this is the best we can do with such short notice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I guess. We can just make Eli sleep on the floor.¡±


    ¡°Why should I sleep on the floor?! I mean¡­ I am the guest.¡±


    Grace shot me a look of anger. ¡°And I¡¯m the Empress! Why do you not seem to have any manners?¡±


    I returned Grace¡¯s stare. ¡°No offense but that doesn¡¯t really matter to me. I¡¯m not from around here and so, I don¡¯t really care what you call yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why you little!!¡± Grace began to approach me in a fury but remembered the presence of Felicia and Suri.


    ¡°Well, regardless, the decision is final, you will sleep on the floor. I¡¯m sure a blanket and pillow will suffice.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± I decided to take the defeat. I didn¡¯t want to seem as though I was attempting to usurp her authority in front of two individuals who seemingly had a lot of respect for the young Empress. It was better this way.


    ¡°Dinner will be served shortly. Help yourselves to the facilities. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to let one of the guards or servants know.¡± Suri bowed towards Grace and began climbing the stairs outside of our room.


    ¡°Eli, we are going to go to the bathroom to get cleaned up before dinner. Don¡¯t do anything stupid while we are gone.¡±


    ¡°Grace, I really liked you better when you were greeting me formally.¡± I grinned. She appeared annoyed by my comment and made her way to the restroom with Felicia in tow.


    Well, now that I¡¯m alone. I guess I can look around a bit until dinner. Along the far wall of the room from the bed, a large desk sat with several volumes of what looked like a historical index place on top of it.


    ¡°The Parencia Chronicles Vol. 1¡± It looks interesting. I wonder how much history is covered in each volume. I opened the first volume and flipped through a few pages. The book seemed ancient with the pages feeling as if they may crumble under the weight of my grip. I carefully reviewed the table of contents to find a topic I had been hoping to learn more about. Divine Ones¡­ Divine Ones¡­ where is it¡­ Found it! ¡°See The Divine Historical Index.¡± Seriously¡­ I¡¯m going to have to find another series of books to figure out more?!


    ¡°Eli, are you ready to go?¡± A noise from behind me interrupted my concentration. Felicia was standing behind me.


    ¡°Ugh. Sure. Before that, do you know if we could find any books from The Divine Historical Index?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. All of that information was burned during the book burning events several millennia ago.¡± Felicia seemed to notice my curiosity.


    ¡°If you are curious. We can discuss it later, but for right now, we need to head to dinner. You don¡¯t want to be a rude guest, do you?¡±


    She was right. I guess they were giving us refuge during an ongoing military conflict. I stood up from the desk and was about to follow Felicia out of the room when Grace stopped me.


    ¡°Felicia, go ahead of us. I need to discuss something with Eli in private.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, I will inform the King you will be arriving shortly.¡± Felicia exited the room leaving Grace and me.


    ¡°I-I wanted to thank you Eli.¡± Grace¡¯s expression was soft and sorrowful, a far cry from the authority and strength I had perceived thus far.


    ¡°For what? I was absolutely sure you hated me up to this point.¡± I laughed at my own comment.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious Eli. I wouldn¡¯t be here if it wasn¡¯t for you. What you did back at the palace was incredibly brave, and I doubt I could ever repay you.¡± Grace peered into my eyes, her soft expression drew me in, and I blushed slightly.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine. I would have done it for anyone. There is no need to thank me. If anything, just help me get back home, and we will consider the debt repaid.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan. So long as we survive that long.¡± Grace smiled at me. It was the first time I had seen her with her guard down, and it was honestly one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. We stared at each other for a minute until the awkward silence was too much for me to bear.


    ¡°W-well anyway, I guess we should get going.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, lead the way Eli.¡±


    Grace and I exited the room and began our assent to the dining hall.

 An Interesting Dinner

    Chapter 6: An Interesting Dinner


    The King had prepared a magnificent feast for us to enjoy. Servants lined the sides of the room with silver platters in their hands. Steam rolled from underneath the closed lids of a few of the containers.


    ¡°We would like to take this opportunity to formally welcome our guests, the Empress Grace Parencia, Grand Transmaculator Felicia von Bettinger, and the Empress¡¯s acquaintance Elijah Arrington.¡±


    Geez¡­ did he really have to add in that I¡¯m an acquaintance? It makes me sound like I just randomly showed up to the palace and just happened to be with them. They should remember, they are the ones who summoned me here. We sat around the elongated table positioned in the middle of the room. Servants brought forth a plethora of shining domed platters.


    ¡°Let the feast begin!¡± The king motioned to the servants to remove the domes from their respective dishes. The smell overtook me at first. Sweet, savory, salty. The aromas smacked my nose. I had forgotten just how hungry I had been. The dishes were a mixture of many different colors I didn¡¯t know could be mixed together.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I used my utensil to pull apart one of the dishes that had been set in front of me. It was a dark blue and green with white noodles adorned on top.


    ¡°This is a starter. Most starters are simple vegetables and fruits. They are used to soothe your stomach before the main course arrives.¡±


    ¡°This is supposed to be vegetables and fruits?¡± None of the items on the plate in front of me resembled a vegetable from my home world. The blue rubbery items on the plate looked more like a jelly. The green leaf-like objects at first resembled lettuce but when touched by my utensils would shrink to an abnormal shape.


    ¡°Come to think of it¡­ I¡¯m not super hungry now.¡± I began pushing the plate away from my body. Grace grabbed my arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude Eli. They were nice enough to allow us to seek refuge here. The least you could do is accept their gifts.¡±


    I glanced down at the monstrosity before me. Did I really have to eat these¡­ things? I carefully picked up my utensils and began cutting the ¡°vegetables¡± and ¡°fruit¡± into bite-sized pieces. My fork pierced the blue jelly, and I attempted to consume what was in front of me. It¡­ it isn¡¯t that bad. That¡¯s surprising. It tasted similar to cantaloupe but a little sweeter. I was pleasantly surprised. I finished my starter and began looking around for the main course. Felicia leaned over and whispered in my ear.


    ¡°Now we will have about an hour of discussion before the main course arrives.¡±


    An hour! I¡¯m starving here¡­ I just want to eat. What could possibly be so important. I leaned back into my seat and glanced down defeated.


    ¡°So, Empress Grace, my daughter mentioned the unfortunate circumstances of why you are here but failed to elaborate on the details. You wouldn¡¯t mind explaining a bit more would you?¡±


    ¡°Well, unfortunately, I know about as much as you do. The Arthenian Kingdom attacked without provocation. We were even discussing a marriage alliance between his son and myself. I¡¯m not sure what happened, but it is likely related to the outbreak.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt but what outbreak?¡± I quietly spoke up.


    ¡°The outbreak is what we are calling it for right now until we discern what the real problem is. Many people throughout the world have been acting irrationally. Declaring wars, letting greed overtake them, committing genocide. All of these actions have been committed by individuals who, before, never would have done them.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°When did all of it start?¡±


    ¡°About a year ago. At that time, the Neerine Emperor began committing large amounts of genocide against the minorities under his rule. Many fled to neighboring countries and some even sought refuge within my own Empire. It was odd because the Neerine Emperor had always been a pleasant man. A bit blunt, yes, but he would never have had acted in such a way previously.¡±


    ¡°It was quite odd indeed. We took in many refugees too. Many of our current residents had family members involved in the genocide. They have suffered dearly¡­¡± The King trailed off. A solemn expression spread across his face.


    ¡°The persecution of non-humans has always been a problem in the various countries here, but it had never risen to the level of genocide. It was unprecedented when reports surfaced of mass executions in Neerine. I immediately sent forth a diplomatic mission to the capital to try and understand what was going on. They never reached the capital and were turned away at the border.¡±


    Grace seemed quite upset and angry discussing the topic. It seemed to be an issue she was truly passionate about.


    The King spoke up. ¡°Eli and Felicia, would you mind giving us a bit of time alone to discuss the more sensitive issues? We will notify you when we plan to begin the entree.¡±


    My stomach rumbled. ¡°Eh... alright I guess.¡±


    Felicia and I exited the dining room and the doors closed behind us.


    ¡°Seems serious. Is everything alright?¡±


    Felicia smiled. ¡°It¡¯s cute for you to be so nervous, but I promise, the Empress is fine.¡±


    I blushed lightly. ¡°N-n-no. T-t-that¡¯s not why I asked.¡±


    ¡°Relax. I¡¯m just picking on you. Is there no humor where you come from?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah but¡­¡± Before I could finish speaking, Suri cut in.


    ¡°We hope you have found your stay satisfactory. If there is anything we can do, just let me know.¡± Suri glanced at me curiously.


    ¡°So, we haven¡¯t had the opportunity to talk much since I had you strung up.¡± She grinned. I wasn¡¯t an expert, but I¡¯m pretty sure she loved the control.


    ¡°Well, what questions were you hoping to ask?¡± I muttered back, slightly enthralled by her smile, which had evaded me up to this point.


    ¡°Just who are you, and why are you personally accompanying the ruler of a nation. I highly doubt you are just an acquaintance.¡±


    I truly wasn¡¯t sure what to say. The idea of summoning a Divine One was already a testy topic so I knew that I needed to tread carefully. On the other hand, I didn¡¯t want to lie to Suri if I didn¡¯t have to. As I was preparing a response, Felicia cut in.


    ¡°Suri, we can¡¯t really answer that right now until your father speaks with the Empress. It¡¯s another¡­ sensitive issue.¡±


    ¡°Ahh so someone¡¯s special, is he?¡± Suri slammed her hand into my back. Wow! She is extremely strong! I did not expect that to hurt so much.


    Felicia looked back at me. ¡°Something like that¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the two large doors in front of the dining hall swung open and out walked the King and Grace side-by-side. The meeting was much shorter than I expected it to be.


    ¡°Ah! Hello everyone!¡± The king smiled warmly.


    ¡°Dinner is ready! Come in and pick your seats!¡±


    I turned to make my way into the dining hall, but I noticed that Grace was stopped near the entrance.


    ¡°Are you alright Grace?¡± I was a bit concerned by her sudden silence and quiet demeanor.


    ¡°Y-y-yes I¡¯m fine. We need to discuss something though Eli.¡± Her eyes drew downward as she spoke to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s really wrong it¡¯s just that¡­ we need to try something Eli. I was speaking to King Vulcan, and it appears that we never fully completed the ritual. We need to complete the ritual by performing a full transfer.¡±


    ¡°A full transfer!!! Are you insane?!¡± Felicia stormed up to Grace in a fury. It was the first time I had seen Felicia take a stance against Grace.


    ¡°A full transfer could kill or maim him!!! It¡¯s not only dangerous but taboo.¡±


    ¡°Kill me! Grace what are you suggesting?¡± I stepped back from Grace and looked at her in shock.


    ¡°King Vulcan spoke to me and uncovered documents demonstrating that a Divine One¡¯s power can be brought out through a full transfer.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by brought out? I¡¯ve already told you that I¡¯m not a ¡®Divine One¡¯ or whatever you want to call me.¡±


    ¡°Listen, Eli, I know it sounds difficult, but I need to try something. I can¡¯t sit idly by while my empire turns to dust and its people suffer. Only you can do something now. You are all we have left.¡± Grace turned to me with tears welling up in her eyes. Wow, she really knows how to guilt trip someone. A flurry of thoughts ran through my mind. I wanted to help, but I didn¡¯t want to risk dying and leaving my sister. She must understand, right?


    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s time for dinner. Eli just think about it during dinner, and we can go over the details later. I know it¡¯s short notice and a lot to ask, but I don¡¯t have time to waste.¡± Grace turned and began her way to the dining room. Felicia followed. Wild thoughts ran through my mind as I crossed the threshold into the dining room. If I could save an entire world, would I risk giving up my life? The thoughts haunted me as I took my seat at the table.

 The Pain of Transfer

    Chapter 7: The Pain of Transfer


    Dinner seemed to last an eternity. I kept to myself for most of the dinner. I couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything but the request Grace had asked me. Was I really going to go through with whatever she was talking about? I understood how serious the situation was, but if something happened to me¡­ what would happen to my sister? Felicia awoke me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Eli, dinner has been over for fifteen minutes. Why are you just sitting here?¡± I hadn¡¯t even realized that dinner was over. I had entirely muted the world outside.


    ¡°Oh¡­ sorry. I got caught up in my own thoughts I guess.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about what Grace asked¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± Felicia looked at me with concern.


    ¡°Yes. I really want to help, but I¡¯m positive I¡¯m not a ¡®Divine One.¡¯ It sounds like what she is wanting to do won¡¯t accomplish anything but kill me.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m not going to lie to you. It is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°What is transfer exactly? How does it work?¡±


    ¡°Well, transfer is basically a way of absorbing the life force from someone through touch. However, it isn¡¯t used much because it requires several individuals with high capacities of transmaculation to actually be effective.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ so what is this supposed to accomplish? I feel like trying to absorb the life force of a Divine One isn¡¯t exactly the smartest thing to do.¡±


    ¡°To be honest¡­ I¡¯m not really sure what King Vulcan told the Empress. The details allude me.¡±


    As Felicia finished, the doors to the dining room opened abruptly.


    ¡°Ah, there you are Eli. I was wondering where you were when you didn¡¯t come back to the room.¡± Grace was standing in the doorway, a bead of sweat rested on her forehead. She seemed flustered.


    ¡°Have you given any more thought to what I asked earlier?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know Grace. I have a little sister back in my own world who is waiting on me. If something happens to me, what will happen to her?¡± I wasn¡¯t trying to guilt trip her. I was simply stating the facts of my situation. This wasn¡¯t a decision I could make lightly.


    ¡°I know Eli. I wouldn¡¯t ask you unless I was desperate. The people that depend on me are helpless, and I-I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Her voice became quivered. ¡°I¡¯m not going to force you to go through with this, but I really need your help. Even if there is a 2% chance this could work, it¡¯s the highest chance we have of stopping this destruction.¡±


    She looked up at me in desperation. I couldn¡¯t imagine the pain she was going through. Was I being selfish? Hundreds of thousands of people were dying, and I didn¡¯t want to go through with the transfer because I was scared. I had avoided everything else in my life because I was ¡°scared¡± of something. Scared of what others may think of me¡­ scared that something bad would happen. I had missed so many things in my life just because I wouldn¡¯t take the leap of faith. It was time for things to change.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Eli! Are you sure?! This isn¡¯t something you should take lightly.¡± Felicia spoke up. A look of worry spread across her face. For someone so calm, it was cute to see her so worked up.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ve thought about it, and if there is a chance that I can save the people here, I¡¯ll do whatever I can.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Eli. This means more to me than you know. You¡¯ve given up a lot already.¡± Grace smiled and became flushed on both cheeks. She could be extremely warm when she wanted to be.


    ¡°Alright. Well, if we are going to do this, let¡¯s do it before I change my mind.¡±


    Felicia looked over at Grace. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can do it with just the two of us. We are going to need Suri also. I¡¯ll go and prepare the room.¡± Felicia left the room leaving Grace and I at the table.


    ¡°So, I know that, by using transfer, you will be absorbing my life force, but what is that supposed to accomplish?¡±


    ¡°Well, according to King Vulcan, the documents indicate that a Divine One¡¯s power may be stunted when they first come through the portal. The only way to bring out their power is to take their life force to such a low level that it forces their powers to activate to save their host.¡±


    ¡°I guess it makes sense. It doesn¡¯t make me feel any better though.¡± I smiled wryly.


    ¡°It is dangerous, but we will do our best to make sure that nothing goes wrong during the process. Suri and Felicia are two of the most powerful transmaculators I know.¡±


    Grace¡¯s reassurance didn¡¯t exactly put me at ease. I mean they were literally taking my life from me. I doubt anything she said could make me feel better about the process.


    ¡°We are ready.¡± Felicia entered the dining room and called over to Grace and me.


    I stood up from my chair and made my way out of the dining room behind Grace and Felicia. This is crazy. What am I doing? Worried thoughts swirled in my head.


    We made our way through the maze of the underground city and entered a room that resembled an execution chamber from the 1940s. In the middle of the room sat a wooden chair with straps for both the feet and the hands. On the far wall, King Vulcan sat with, what I guessed, was his advisors. There was nothing else in the room and only one candle lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling for light. It was eerie to say the least.


    ¡°I give it a 1 out of 5 stars.¡± I grinned toward Grace, Felicia, and Suri hoping to break the tension, it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°We know how it looks, but we can¡¯t risk having too much in the room because this is a first for all of us. We don¡¯t know what will happen. The straps are for your safety. We need you to take your shirt off also.¡± My safety? Sure¡­ sure.


    ¡°Well, I guess standing here is just delaying the inevitable.¡± I removed my shirt and took a seat on the rickety wooden chair. Felicia and Suri began strapping my arms and legs. It was uncomfortable being so out of control of my own body.


    ¡°Alright. Eli, are you ready to begin?¡± Grace looked at me with concern.


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    I felt a pair of cold, sweaty hands land on my chest. It was Suri, and she looked as if she might faint.


    ¡°Suri, you ok?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just my first time using this much transmaculation at once.¡±


    Seconds later, Felicia and Grace placed their hands on my chest. This would be nice if they weren¡¯t about to suck the life out of me.


    ¡°Alright Eli, on the count of three we will begin by starting with Suri, then Felicia, and then myself. We have to go in the order of our own transmaculation capacity or risk overloading you too quickly. I¡¯m not going to lie. This is going to hurt.¡± Huh, who would have thought that Grace was the person with the highest capacity for transmaculation here.


    ¡°One¡­ Two¡­ Three.¡±


    As soon as Grace finished counting to three, I could feel Suri¡¯s hands begin to warm, and it felt as though blood was being drawn from my body. Next, Felicia¡¯s hands began to warm, and finally, Grace¡¯s hands warmed. For the first few seconds, it wasn¡¯t any worse than getting blood drawn. However, after a minute, the pain set in. It felt as if someone was stabbing me in each location where their hands made contact with my body. The pain continued to rise steadily.


    ¡°AHHH!¡±


    ¡°Are you alright Eli?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just keep going!¡± I could barely speak at this point, and I found that moving made my joints feel as though they may collapse.


    The pain began to amplify at a more rapid pace. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could tolerate it for much longer. I began to squirm in my restraints.


    ¡°Maybe we should stop¡­ this is clearly painful for Eli.¡±


    ¡°If you stop now, he will die.¡± King Vulcan spoke up from behind my chair.


    Grace and the others gave me a sympathetic look but continued the transfer. The pain was at such a high point that I couldn¡¯t speak or move. I didn¡¯t know whether I was in shock or whether my body had just given up at this point.


    Another thirty seconds passed by and black dots began blurring my vision until finally, my vision went black completely.

 A Powerful Expression

    Chapter 8: A Powerful Expression


    I woke up to a soft shake on my shoulder.


    ¡°Eli¡­ Eli¡­ are you awake?¡± A familiar voice called out to me. My head was throbbing, and the voice, even though delicate, was like nails on a chalkboard in my current condition. I began to open my eyes in a haze. I looked around until I spotted a familiar pair of crystal blue eyes. However, they weren¡¯t as welcoming as they had been previously.


    ¡°What is that in your hand?¡± I noticed a bright red, spear-like glow emitting from her hand.


    ¡°Oh. This? It¡¯s just a¡­ precaution.¡± Grace seemed to be nervous and slightly frightened. I wasn¡¯t sure why she looked this way, but it made me uncomfortable.


    ¡°Grace, are you alright?¡± I looked at her with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Y-you remember me? Oh, thank goodness¡­¡± The bright glow that had been previously emitting from her hand vanished and she sighed.


    ¡°We were worried you wouldn¡¯t be yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did something happen?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what she meant.


    ¡°It worked Eli! It worked! We were getting worried when you passed out, but seconds later, your Divine Power expressed itself to save your life!¡± She smiled broadly.


    ¡°Wait¡­ What?!¡± I was surprised at what she had told me. If I was actually a Divine One, what would happen to me? Am I special in some way?


    Wait a second¡­ I looked down at my leg that had previously been non-existent and discovered it had grown back completely.


    ¡°My leg is back! I can¡¯t believe it!¡± It was odd to see my leg reappear after losing it. It looked just like my other leg. However, a faint scar formed around where my leg had been amputated earlier.


    ¡°We were surprised also. It was remarkable to see. We think it has to do with where your power expressed itself.¡± Felicia came into view from the corner of the room.


    ¡°It expresses itself in a particular area?¡± I was confused by what she meant.


    ¡°Yes. Depending on where the Divine Power expresses itself, determines the powers the Divine One will have. In the past, we have had those who have had it expressed in arms, legs, and chest. You are the first one, in recorded history, to have it expressed from your head.¡±


    ¡°Expressed from my head? What do you mean by that?¡± The entire concept of powers, expressions, and divine ones was a new thing to me so this could have been in another language, and I wouldn¡¯t have known the difference.


    ¡°When your power is activated, it becomes expressed from your body in the form of a gemstone. One of the Divine Ones in our history had her gemstone expressed from her arms. She had incredible strength in her arms and could transmit an unlimited amount of transmaculation through her arms. Further, she could concentrate her transmaculation in her arms without the use of a transmaculation mold. There are different molds for different types of transmaculation. I used one previously on your leg.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    That explains what those objects were that Felicia had used previously. However, the expression of a power was still confusing to me. If mine was expressed from my head, what kind of powers would I have. My head still ached, and I felt exhausted.


    ¡°How long have I been out for?¡±


    ¡°About three days. We have been monitoring you the entire time. We were a little worried it has taken so long, but we kept a close eye on you.¡±


    Three days! That is insane! How can someone sleep for so long?! Wait¡­ am I in pajamas?


    ¡°Quick question, how did I get into these clothes?¡±


    ¡°Someone had to do it.¡± Suri opened the door, which she had used to conceal herself, and walked up to the bed to stand beside me. Something was off about her¡­ her eyes! Suri no longer had long elongated pupils and red irises. Instead, her pupils were circular, and her irises were a beautiful emerald green. It seemed to suit her quite well.


    ¡°You what?! Also, what happened to your eyes?¡± Suri put her hand over her face as if I had offended her.


    ¡°I was using transmaculation on my eyes to make them appear that way. My eyes have never been normal.¡± Suri hung her head.


    ¡°What do you mean by normal? I like your eyes like this. You look great!¡± Suri shyly blushed and pushed her black hair to one side.


    ¡°People in my species that are purebred, like my father, have pupils that are elongated and red irises. Many see it as a way of differentiating us from other species. My mother, being human, passed her eyes down to me. Since I was little, I have been treated as an outsider. Once I learned of my capacity for transmaculation, I just changed my eyes to look like everyone else¡¯s. It was easier that way.¡±


    ¡°Why did you decide to change them back to normal now?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. That little stunt we did with you caused me to use up my capacities of transmaculation. I won¡¯t be able to make my eyes look that way until I regain my capacity back over time.¡±


    ¡°Suri, if I were you, I would just leave them how they are. They are perfect that way. Trust me.¡± I grinned toward Suri.


    ¡°Eli, we recognize you are tired, but do you think you could bring forth the power again? You have been asleep for three days and things have deteriorated since then.¡± Grace quickly interjected with a worried expression.


    ¡°I guess I can try. I have no clue what to do though. Do I just shake my hands or something?¡± Felicia giggled from behind Grace.


    ¡°No, no. Try focusing all of your transmaculation to the point where your power had expressed itself earlier.¡±


    Felicia rested her hand on an area of my forehead to direct me to the point where I should focus. I closed my eyes and began focusing¡­ focusing¡­ focusing. Nothing happened.


    ¡°This is odd. Having previously expressed your power, you should be able to use your power at will. Felicia, we may have to visit him. No one knows more about the Divine Ones than him.¡±


    Grace glanced back Felicia. Felicia had turned a pale white and seemed to be sweating slightly. It was an odd sight to witness after seeing her deal with so much already in such a graceful manner.


    ¡°Empress Grace, you know that I would do anything for you, but I don¡¯t think I can do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our only chance Felicia. He is the only one who studied volumes on Divine Ones that we have never heard of. He may know something that can help Eli and the Empire.¡±


    ¡°I guess we don¡¯t really have a choice then¡­ do we?¡± Felicia looked down at her feet as she finished. Whatever was going on made her extremely uncomfortable.


    ¡°So¡­ where are we planning to go? I¡¯m happy to meet anyone who thinks they can help me but who is this person?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ my father.¡± Felicia let out an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Your father? You told me he had passed when we were in the carriage. Am I wrong? I just assumed that is what you meant when you referred to him as your ¡®late¡¯ father.¡±


    ¡°No. He¡¯s alive. I just wish he was dead.¡± A disgusted look appeared on Felicia¡¯s face. Grace interjected.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long journey. So, we should let Eli rest for the rest of the night. It would be wise for all of us to rest as well. Eli, we will see you in the morning.¡± Grace and the others scurried out of the room, and I was left alone in my bed.


    What was up with Felicia when talking about her father? I know that every family has issues but that seemed like something that went beyond normal family fights. It seemed as if every fiber of her being was being torn apart when Grace mentioned him. These thoughts swirled in my head as I flipped my pillow over and closed my eyes. I let out a deep breath and found myself asleep in a short time.

 A Breach at Home

    I awoke to my door being slammed into the wall.


    ¡°Eli! Eli! Get up!¡± Suri ran into my room, a grim expression across her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is everything alright Suri?¡±


    ¡°They¡­ they are killing everyone.¡±


    It was then that I noticed the crimson liquid dripping from her face.


    ¡°What?! What happened to your face Suri?¡± I reached up to touch her face but she pulled away abruptly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I need your help. Please use your power! It¡¯s the only way to stop them!¡± The fear in Suri¡¯s eyes were not something I had seen in a girl who, a few days ago, was so prideful about her strength.


    I attempted to focus my power like they had told me earlier. I focused¡­ focused¡­ and focused. Nothing happened. I tried again¡­ focusing¡­ focusing¡­ focusing. Nothing happened.


    ¡°Suri, it¡¯s not working. I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡± At this point, I still didn¡¯t know anything about my power. I didn¡¯t know how it activated or how to use it when it did activate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet the others. We need to get out of here before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    We made our way out of the small bedroom and down a narrow hallway strewn with the bodies of Suri¡¯s fallen people. She grimaced as she passed each body, and the smell had begun to overtake the area.


    ¡°I was sent to get you from your room. While we were resting, the Athenian army breached the entrance to our city. They overwhelmed us quickly. Many of the Athenian soldiers did not fear death. My father took the Empress and Felicia to his safe room near the bottom. Hurry, we need to keep moving.¡±


    Suri and I continued our descent into the lower levels of the city. Many soldiers from the Athenian Empire were making their way to and from certain areas and cleaning up any survivors that they had missed previously.


    ¡°Woah! Wait a second.¡± Suri stopped me at the corner to the next hallway.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°There are three guards up ahead. They seem to have five or six civilians there.¡±


    I peeked around Suri to see what looked like four adults and two children. The soldiers had lined the six up against a wall and surrounded them. All of the soldiers were suited with full plate metal armor and were quite intimidating, especially for civilians.


    ¡°Please! Just leave us be! We have children here!¡± One of the women in the group attempted to plead with the soldiers.


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± One of the large guards smacked the woman across the face sending a bloody paste shoot onto a nearby wall.


    I jumped forward behind Suri. She slammed her hand into the middle of my chest.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!? You can¡¯t run out there! Especially because your power is essentially useless.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just stand here! I¡¯m going!¡±


    I pushed Suri aside and ran towards the huddled group.


    ¡°And who the hell are you?!¡± One of the guards turned towards me with a fierce expression. I may have underestimated how large these guys actually were.


    ¡°I¡­ ugh¡­ well¡­¡± As I was attempting to stammer out a statement, a loud thwack echoed from the back of his helmet. Suri was standing behind the guard. Her tail had left an indentation in the back of the guard¡¯s helmet. The other guards pushed their way towards her. Suri quickly swung her tail toward one of the guard¡¯s feet. He attempted to squirm away, but Suri had already grabbed his leg and slammed him, face-first, into the ground. Teeth splattered on the floor. The remaining guard pulled his sword and swung it in the direction of Suri. Suri dodged the swing and finished the fight by quickly plunging the end of her tail into the guard¡¯s stomach. I was surprised of how easily it pierced the metal plate armor.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Not bad Suri. Thanks for your help. I froze up a bit.¡± I was embarrassed of how I had acted and attempted to divert how poorly I had performed.


    ¡°N-no! NO! Bentley wake up please!!!¡± One of the women from the group of adults had begun shaking one of the two children. A red gash had formed just above his belly button, and the child wasn¡¯t responding. Is this because I didn¡¯t react in time. I could have done something if I could control my damn power!


    ¡°Eli! We need to go!¡± Suri began tugging at my arm in an effort to have me follow her.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave the kid. He is going to die Suri!¡± I made a desperate plea to Suri. She shook her head.


    ¡°Eli, we can¡¯t. He will slow us down too much. The most important person here is you right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going without the kid Suri. Maybe Felicia or Grace can help him?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Get him and let¡¯s go.¡±


    I picked up the boy and held him in my arms. The blood from his wound spread across my shirt. It was bad. If we didn¡¯t hurry, he would surely die.


    ¡°Stay close behind me Eli.¡±


    We continued for another 500 meters and reached a large library with bookshelves lining the walls. A variety of desks littered the rest of the room. It appeared to be some type of study hall.


    ¡°Over here Eli.¡± Suri pulled back one of the books on the far wall and a loud click could be audibly heard from where I was standing. The bookshelves opened to reveal a small hallway barely large enough for Suri and me to fit through.


    ¡°They should be at the end of the hallway. How is the boy doing?¡±


    I glanced down at the boy. His breathing had become ragged and his complexion had taken a turn for the worse. The scales covering his tail had begun to peel. We reached the end of the hallway and Suri spoke to the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s us.¡±


    The doors slowly began to creak open. Appearing from behind them stood Grace, Felicia, and King Vulcan. They were surrounded by about a half dozen of King Vulcan¡¯s guards.


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness! You all made it safely!¡± Grace ran over to us. ¡°When they found the city, we were immediately ushered here but your room was on the opposite side. We sent Suri to get you.¡±


    ¡°Can you or Felicia help this child?! He was cut by one of the soldiers from Athenia.¡±


    I placed the child on the floor and looked helplessly at him. Felicia walked over and unhooked one of the molds from her belt. She held it over the child.


    ¡°E-Eli¡­ he¡¯s gone. There is nothing we can do for him now.¡± Felicia looked up from the child, and I met her eyes.


    ¡°What are you talking about?! You haven¡¯t even tried anything yet!¡± I wasn¡¯t going to let this child just die without trying.


    ¡°Eli, calm down. I¡¯m sorry but he has lost too much blood. Nothing we do now will help him. We can only make him comfortable.¡± Felicia looked at me with an empathetic frown.


    ¡°H-h-he can¡¯t die. I-I-I should have not stood there like an idiot¡­ what was I thinking. If I had actually done something, he wouldn¡¯t have been hit by the soldier¡­¡± My stomach began to turn, and I vomited on the floor. The guilt had overtaken me. If I hadn¡¯t froze and dispatched the soldiers, he would still be alive.


    Grace moved beside me and placed her hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Eli, it isn¡¯t your fault.¡± I pushed her hand from my shoulder.


    ¡°But it is! I wanted to do something, and I froze! If it wasn¡¯t for Suri, they likely would have killed the entire group, including myself!¡± Just as I finished my sentence, an explosion rocked the small room.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± King Vulcan barked to one of his guards.


    ¡°They have found the entrance, sir!¡± Another loud explosion echoed down the hall.


    ¡°Breach!¡± One of the guards who had stationed himself near the door called out to our group.


    ¡°It appears our time here is done. Suri, open the door.¡± King Vulcan waved Suri over to the far side of the room. Suri began to chant at what looked like a regular wall. Soon, the wall opened to reveal a large tunnel, similar to the one Felicia had made at the Palace.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go everyone!¡± Suri yelled.


    As I began my way to the exit, the door to the room detached from its fastens and landed on the opposite wall. It appeared that the Athenian soldiers had finally arrived. One of the soldiers had a robe covering the majority of her plate metal armor and was holding a staff which had a mold secured on top. Before I knew what was happening, she aimed the staff at the conglomerate of individuals near the entrance to the tunnel and fired a red ball towards the group. I ran quickly and jumped in front.


    The ball of light impacted my chest. A sharp pain spread across my body. However, instead of injuring me, the light reflected and shot back towards the unsuspecting Athenian soldiers. They attempted to avoid the light, but it cut through them like a warm butter knife. I collapsed to the floor. The pain overwhelming my body.

 A Quick Reunion

    Beep¡­. Beep¡­ beep¡­ beep.


    I glanced to my side. Was that an EKG showing my heart rate? Where the hell was I?


    ¡°Oh my god! Eli, you are awake!¡± Abi jumped onto the side of the bed, clenching my arm.


    ¡°A-Abi! It¡¯s so good to see you!¡± I embraced her. My sister and I fought but it was so good to see her again.


    ¡°Are mom and dad here?¡±


    ¡°They should be on their way. A few of their flights have been delayed so they told me to stay here with you in case you woke up and remembered what happened.¡±


    ¡°I truly don¡¯t remember much¡­¡± Had that entire experience with Grace, Felicia, and Suri been a dream? It felt so real though.


    ¡°They found you in an alley way beside the Deli Mart. When you didn¡¯t come to get me in the morning, we sent search parties out to find you.¡± Abi glanced at the floor, tears welling in her eyes.


    ¡°Abi, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I reached across my body to pull Abi into an embrace, but a pain shot across my chest. I pulled back and held onto my chest.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Eli?!¡± Abi jumped up from her place on the bed.


    ¡°My-my chest is killing me¡­¡±  I pulled my medical gown down to reveal a large red burn covering the entirety of my chest. My skin felt like a regular sun burn, but my internal organs were on fire. I didn¡¯t understand what was happening.


    ¡°How did you get these marks Eli?¡± Abi¡¯s eyes traced the burn on my chest.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t remember¡­ wait¡­¡± Images of the ball of light hitting my chest flashed in front of me. Could these injuries have something to do with that? I wonder if they got away¡­ I had to get back somehow. I still didn¡¯t even know if it was a dream.


    ¡°I-I have to get back¡­¡±


    ¡°Get back? What are you talking about? You are home now.¡± Abi gave me an awkward glance, she clearly thought I had lost it. I was wondering if she was right.


    I began to get up from the bed. My muscles ached and my joints refused to move. It was as if I had been in the bed for years.


    ¡°What are you doing Eli?! Get back in bed!¡± Abi moved to push me back into the bed. I pushed her away.


    ¡°I have to go Abi!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?! Sit down.¡± I tried to resist, but my muscles were too weak. Any fight I had left in me was vanquished.


    ¡°I have to go to school in a bit. Please just stay here. The doctor will likely want to see you. I¡¯ll be back shortly after class. I¡¯m so glad to have you back.¡± Abi smiled and turned to leave.


    ¡°Abi, I¡¯m sorry I left you. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Abi waved and exited the room.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    What the hell is going on?! Everything felt so real in Parencia.


    ¡°Mr. Arrington?¡± A tall man in a lab coat entered the room.


    ¡°Umm¡­ yes. That¡¯s me.¡± I only guessed that this person must be my doctor. He had black hair and some light five o¡¯clock shadow covering his cheeks and chin. If I had to guess, he looked in his thirties.


    ¡°I am glad to see you awake! You gave us quite the scare.¡± He smiled and made his way to my bedside. He was holding a needle in his left hand.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ This? It is to help you get some rest. Your body needs to heal.¡± He moved to inject the substance into my IV line. The light red substance flowed down the line and entered my body, within a few seconds I began to fall asleep.


    ¡­


    ¡°His eyes are moving. Felicia get over here!¡±


    A blurry outline of a woman stood above me. It was Grace!


    ¡°G-Grace?!¡± I muttered out.


    ¡°Eli! Are you with me?!¡± Grace grabbed my head with her hands and stared at me. Felicia leaned in to look at me as well.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe he actually survived that!¡± Felicia held my hand and pushed her fingers on my wrist.


    ¡°Everything seems normal. His pulse is strong too. I have never seen anything like this before!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad to see that you are feeling better. We were worried we¡­ lost you.¡± Grace and Felicia smiled at me softly. I even noticed Suri curiously peeking at the corner of the room. I sat up slowly and looked around.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°After you were hit with the transmaculation ball, we thought you were gone. Those attacks destroy anything in their way. We were surprised to only see a red mark across your chest where the attack had hit you. It looked like you had reflected it somehow. We carried you here after you fell to the floor.¡±


    ¡°And where is here?¡± I looked around at the¡­ tunnel? It appeared we were in some underground location that had been hastily dug. The walls, ceiling, and floor were dirt and much of the furniture appeared to be handmade from scraps that could be scavenged.


    ¡°We made it to an outpost my father was having built. It isn¡¯t noted on any documents and will allow us to have a location to fall back to in case it is needed.¡± Suri approached the bed from the corner she had been hiding in.


    ¡°Where is your father?¡±


    ¡°He stayed behind with the rest of his guard. After you reflected the transmaculation ball, more soldiers showed up. My father and the guards protected our retreat from the area. We still aren¡¯t sure what happened after that.¡± Suri seemed upset. I know how close her father and her were so it must be hard for her to have to leave him like that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Suri. I¡¯ve been such a burden since I showed up. All of you have been taking care of me. I need to return the favor eventually.¡± It was a real pain utilizing my power and then passing out. I didn¡¯t fully understand all of the events that had taken place. Why did I end up back in my world when I passed out?


    ¡°Something weird happened¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it Eli?¡± Felicia looked at me with concern.


    ¡°When I passed out this time, I ended up back in my old world.¡±


    Grace, Felicia, and Suri exchanged glances.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®ended up back¡¯ in your own world?¡±


    ¡°I mean I woke up there. It was only for a short while. Shortly after waking up, the doctor gave me some medication to sleep, and I came back here.¡±


    ¡°Felicia, have you heard of anything like this?¡± Grace looked over at Felicia. Felicia had brought her hand to her face as if attempting to interpret what I just said.


    ¡°No. Usually after a summoning, the individual is completely pulled from their old world. Something like this is¡­ odd to say the least. Unfortunately, my father will know more about this than me. I say we stick to our original plan and continue our travel there.¡± A look of disgust spread across Felicia¡¯s face when she described her father. She definitely didn¡¯t like the man. Why¡­ I still didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Alright. Eli go ahead and get dressed. We¡¯ll meet you outside.¡±


    After everyone had left, I made my way over to a small table. My original clothes were nowhere to be found. I assumed it was because they didn¡¯t survive the rather large transmaculation ball that had impacted them the day before. In their place was a large, long black jacket, a white button up, and black trousers to finish. A white stripe adorned each side of the jacket and trousers and offset the sea of black consumed by the rest of the clothes. They seemed to be very well-made. I¡¯m guessing they selected these for me? I slipped on the clothes in a haste. I knew we didn¡¯t have much time. I made my way to the door to meet the others.

 A Slight Departure

    ¡°It fits well doesn¡¯t it.¡± Grace smiled as she admired my new clothing.


    ¡°I assume you picked it out?¡±


    She chuckled, ¡°Well, of course. Who else?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bit¡­ much? I look like the Punisher?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®the Punisher?¡¯¡± Grace turned her head to the side, clearly confused about my comparison.


    ¡°He¡¯s a character from a story in my old world. He wore black all of the time, and I was making a comparison to your¡­ choices of clothing for me.¡± I used my hands to display the jacket and pants she had gotten me.


    ¡°I need you to look at least a little intimidating. What is a Divine One without the look? Plus, I think you look handsome.¡± Grace glanced at me. Wow¡­ those crystal blue eyes really do something to you.


    ¡°If you two are done, we could use your help over here.¡± Suri interjected and pointed to the wagon wheel that had sheared off when we hit a rather large hole in the road.


    ¡°Oh! Sorry about that!¡± I blushed and quickly ran over to the side of the wagon.


    It had been a several days since we left our underground hideout and made our journey to meet with Felicia¡¯s father to discover more details of what I could do and explain the odd phenomenon that had occurred. Things were going well until one of the wheels decided to depart from our rear axle. We had stopped to quickly repair the wheel and continue. I moved next to Felicia and Suri as we lifted the wagon off the ground, Grace quickly slid the wheel back into place.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s back on, but we still need a pin to put in it to keep it from sliding off the axle again.¡± Felicia poked her finger through the hole where the pin had been previously. She pulled one of the several molds attached to her belt and moved the mold over the hole. She quickly crafted a pin that was the exact size needed for the journey.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s impressive. I¡¯m guessing your father taught you this?¡± Felicia stopped and looked at me for a second, grimaced slightly, and ignored my question.


    ¡°Eli¡­ I thought you would have learned by now that she doesn¡¯t want to talk about that.¡± Grace scolded me. I figured that their relationship was sour but sheesh. This is beyond sour. I got into disputes with my parents often, but I could at least talk about them.


    ¡°All done! It¡¯s getting late though. We should make camp here.¡±


    We pulled several large canvas tarps from the back of the wagon and pulled the four corners of each until they were stiff. We added long poles to the inside to prop each tent up while Suri began collecting firewood for a fire. After collecting the wood, Suri built a large fire, and we all crowded around the only source of heat for miles.


    ¡°We should reach your father¡¯s place by tomorrow.¡± Grace glanced over at Felicia. Felicia had her head buried between her hands.


    ¡°Felicia, you ok?¡± Felicia glanced over at me.


    ¡°What do YOU think?¡± She sneered at me. It was a very different Felicia from when I had first met her. Her calm and collected demeanor had vanished completely.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about¡ª¡±


    Before I could finish Felicia interjected. ¡°What!? Talk about my father?! Talk about how terrible my childhood was!? Day after day utilizing all of my reserves of transmaculation. Passing out from exhaustion and then repeating! Day after day after day!¡± Tears began forming on her cheeks as she forcefully stared in my direction.


    I was speechless¡­ I had no idea. I felt guilty as if I had been antagonizing her up to this point. Building her up to the point until her feelings boiled over and spilled out.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry Felicia.¡± Felicia looked at me a few seconds longer and then ran into the woods away from the fire.


    ¡°Felicia, no! Don¡¯t run out there!¡± I called behind her.


    ¡°We told you not to bring it up Eli! She went through a lot when she was younger. More than any of us could imagine.¡± Grace rubbed her hands in front of the fire.


    ¡°Someone needs to go get her you know¡­¡± Grace locked eyes with me.


    ¡°You guys have known her much longer¡­ Shouldn¡¯t you be the ones to go get her?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t the ones who caused the problem.¡± Grace gave me a fierce look.


    ¡°Alright. Well, if I die out there bury me somewhere nice.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ you actually think we would care.¡± Grace smile at me deviously. She had a dark side that I didn¡¯t even want to delve further into.


    I made my way into the darkness. The forest was extremely thick and the ¡°mushtingers¡± or the jelly-like animals I had learned about previously seemed to glow with a blue haze. Small branches cracked under the weight of my feet. Soon, I saw a faint green glow from the base of a tree. Felicia had formed a small orb of light near herself.


    ¡°Felicia¡­ I¡¯m sor¡ª¡± Felicia cut me off.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Really.¡± Felicia was sitting at the base of the tree slumped over with her head resting between her knees.


    ¡°Felicia, I know it¡¯s hard and I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m the reason you¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Eli. Grace and the others were right. My father is the only one who will know how to help you. It¡¯s just been hard. The memories of those days came rushing back, and it was just a bit much for me to handle at the time.¡± Grace gave me a half smile. Her cheeks were still wet. I pushed my back against the trunk and slid down to sit beside Grace.


    ¡°Well, just know that¡­ I¡¯m here for you if you need anything. I don¡¯t know how much that is worth, but I¡¯ll do my best to make it worth something.¡±


    Grace gave me a smile and pulled me into an embrace. Her dark blue hair draped over one of my shoulders. Her body gave off a flowery aroma. It was nice to have an intimate moment in between all of the death and destruction of the past several days.


    ¡°We should probably head back to the camp site. It¡¯s getting late.¡± Felicia motioned for me to lead the way back. I stood up and brushed the dirt that had accumulated on me from the floor of the forest. We made our way quickly back to the campfire.


    ¡°Hey! Good to see you two back in one piece!¡± Suri smiled from the opposite side of the campfire. Flames darted across her face in rapid succession.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ we made it. So, what¡¯s the plan for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°We are likely going to leave at dawn. The longer we are out in the open, the worse it is for us. We need answers from Felicia¡¯s father.¡±


    Grace gave me a determined stare. I can see why she made a good Empress. You could clearly see the pain behind her eyes, but it didn¡¯t stop her from moving forward. It was an extremely admirable trait for someone who had lost so much in the span of 48 hours.


    ¡°I am flattered by your stare, but we need to get ready to get some rest.¡± Grace giggled, commenting on the fact that I had been staring at her for an embarrassingly long time.


    ¡°Oh¡­ well¡± I attempted to contemplate an excuse, but despite my best efforts, I failed miserably. Grace simply grinned and made her way to the tent.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you all in the morning.¡± I made my way to my personal tent and pushed back the cover enveloping the front of the tent to reveal two small blankets and a pillow made with cloth and hay. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable set up, but it was better than nothing. I pulled the top blanket to cover a majority of my body and rested my head on the tweed pillow. I truly hope that Felicia¡¯s father can help me. I want to protect these people. They all deserve more than what life has given them thus far, and I want to be the one to make fiction a reality for them.