《A Dance of Poison and Curses》


 Vol. 1 Chapter 1 - Every Rose Has Thorns

    Before I''d even reached the town of Fisk my nose had begun to wrinkle in disgust. My soft boots trudged through what I could only hope was mud, and the wet grass around the road glistening in the afternoon light. Each of the fields that lay within my view held cows and horses, while pigs were penned up closer to town.


    When the light breeze filtered through the low-hung buildings of the town my nose was assailed once again, the new scents brought with the wind an avalanche that managed to make me gag. A few of the men working in the fields paused to look at me, their dirt-encrusted clothing only matched in filthiness by their own faces.


    To make matters even worse I had been rained on all night and my normally loose clothing clung to my body. With every step I could feel the leering gazes of innumerable hungry farmers as they looked at me. I tugged at the lip of my wide-brimmed hat, the droplets that fell from it a reminder of how soaked through I already was.


    Ahead I could make out the tavern of Fisk, a single story building with a storage shed nearby. The lanterns that hung outside the porch were dark, though the interior looked to be well lit. By the time I walked up to the front entrance the boisterous noise from within was obvious enough as the people within shouted to one another without pause.


    I paused at the door, my hand halfway to the handle, before I drew in a long breath. One of my teachers had pointed out to me that image was everything and here I had almost blundered. If I wanted to get what I needed then a decisive image was required. So I channeled all of the distaste I had garnered for Fisk and put it all within my right foot.


    The moistened wood of the door cracked readily beneath my boot, hitting the wall on the inside of the tavern with enough noise one might think it had been thunder. What had been a cacophony of shouts and laughter ceased at my arrival, every eye turned to the door I had broken with a single kick.


    I strode through the tavern, the twin silver loops on my left wrist clinking together with an almost musical beat. Some of the men whispered to one another as I passed by, though none could tear their eyes from me. There was no sparkle of amusement in my blue eyes as I glared at all of the people inside, most of the men as dirty as the workers in the fields.


    ¡°Good day miss,¡± a fellow behind the counter of the bar said in greeting, his hands busy as he worked at cleaning the wood with a brown rag.


    When I reached the counter I put one elbow on it, an action I immediately regretted at the sensation of stickiness against my sleeve. ¡°Is this place always so disgusting?¡± I inquired with an aggressive tone, my hostile gaze directed at the barkeep.


    ¡°Gets worse in winter!¡± The bartender laughed at his own comment. If he was bothered by my attitude he managed to not show it. ¡°What brings a girl like you here though?¡±


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s an escort job?¡±


    The barkeep¡¯s eyes widened, his hands pausing in their continual ritual of cleaning a permanently filthy counter, before he grinned wide enough that I could see he barely had any teeth left. ¡°Yah, there¡¯s a merch set up at the south road. Think he leaves tomorrow?¡±


    Before I could thank the bartender for his information a dark shadow fell over me. I hadn¡¯t even turned to look at what cast it when the smell hit me, a stench that made me wish I was still outside with the cows. My left hand went up to my nose and clenched it shut, while I turned to face whoever had gotten far too close to me.


    ¡°Ya think ya can handle something like dat?¡± He leaned in close to me, the face reminiscent of a pig and stained with green and brown colors. ¡°Ya a little twig not a fighta!¡±


    ¡°How did you manage to teach a pig to talk?¡± I asked over my shoulder to the bartender, my face showing how shocked I felt at that moment.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t a peg!¡± shouted the man as he grabbed for my shoulders.


    It was a poor choice made by the pig-man, as I took it to mean he meant harm. Before his hands could grab hold of me I caught the left wrist and twisted the arm. A squeal came from the fat man, which only made me want to twist even harder.


    A few of the men nearby stood up from their seats and gave shouts of protest. I focused on one of those tables, and then crouched low to the ground. With a powerful sweep of the legs I destabilized the pig-man and set him up for my next move. As he tipped over I used his own weight against him to send his body tumbling into the targeted table.


    The friends of the pig-man paused at that, most likely because none of them had expected I would be able to toss their friend. While they stood there, their eyes moving from me to the pig-man and back, I threw a few coins onto the counter.


    ¡°For the damage,¡± I told the bartender.


    ¡°What a nice miss.¡± The bartender grinned as he scooped up the coins. ¡°Thanks for going easy on the idiot.¡±


    I turned away from the bar and walked back to the door I''d broken, a quick salute with two fingers directed over my shoulder. Most of the patrons watched as I departed, though this time their whispering had become all the more pronounced. I paid it no mind and instead focused on ignoring the stench that everybody permanently had.


    When I got out of the tavern I drew in a deep breath of fresh air, an act I regretted as I gagged on the smell of manure. ¡°I hate this town."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    My journey through the town of Fisk was one marked with nothing of interest. By the time I reached the southern exit I had only grown all the more tired of the village. To me the fact that they seemed to wallow in mud and crap had placed my opinion of Fisk as low as possible. There was no reason for anyone, even farmers, to live like this.


    So the sight of colorful tents pitched in an open field kindled a hope in my heart. Five wagons, two of which were heavily loaded with goods, along with a carriage designed for a noble or merchant sat on the road. At a glance I could already see there were at least twelve people that milled about the wagons, most of which were armed with weapons.


    I approached the wagons even as I took off my hat, the traveling cloak that I wore opened in the front to show I had no weapons. Some of the men stiffened at my arrival, though most could already guess who I was due to the badge on my shirt.


    ¡°Stop right there,¡± one of the guards called out, one hand lifted up to stop me, ¡°what are you doing here, miss?¡±


    "I''m here for work,¡± I replied as I tapped the badge on my shirt.


    ¡°We¡¯re already full, we don¡¯t need any more Guild members.¡± The guard dismissed me with a wave of his hand.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    I bristled at the off-handed style he attempted to discard me. I''d spent days walking to Fisk at the recommendation of a Guild employee, and I had even put up with the putrid state of the town hoping I could get involved with the escort task. Even as the anger welled up within my hands curled into fists.


    ¡°Yo hoo!¡±


    A light call came from beyond the guards and close to the carriage. It was enough to put a temporary stop to my rage, as I sought out the source with my eyes. The man who walked over to us was a plump fellow who wore a bright purple doublet. He toyed at his trimmed moustache with fingers covered in rings.


    ¡°Master Elias,¡± the guard greeted the strange man with a nod of the head.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, a late arrival?¡± Elias inquired of his guards, his voice far too high pitched for my preference.


    ¡°Quite late, and as you know we have more than enough mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°Enough? Nono, we can never have enough!¡± Elias giggled as he patted the guard on the shoulder. ¡°Someone like her is a very valuable asset.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, master,¡± the guard replied as he turned his attention back to me, ¡°this is Master Elias, show your respect mercenary.¡±


    The attitude of the guard was enough to agitate me, but I managed to push past it and demonstrate a degree of professionalism. With my right fist placed against my chest I bowed to Elias, though I never fully lowered my head and instead kept my eyes on the man.


    ¡°A legionnaire?¡± Elias wondered aloud as he watched my bow.


    ¡°No, though my mentor is part of the Legion,¡± I commented as I straightened back up, "will that be a problem?¡±


    ¡°Nono, if anything that raises your value!¡± Elias giggled again before he turned to depart. ¡°Please rest easy, if you have questions Brand here will help.¡±


    Brand, the guard, clicked his tongue when Elias walked far enough away. He barely gave me any sort of attention and instead looked to his friend. ¡°Warren, help the idiot, I¡¯m going to go grab something to eat.¡±


    ¡°But Elias wanted you to!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not wasting my time.¡± Brand walked off in the opposite direction Elias had gone, the look of disgust on his face obvious even to me.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Warren apologized to me, as he nervously brushed at the long bangs that tickled at the top of his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m Warren, it¡¯s nice to have you join us!¡±


    It was a warm greeting that forced me to smile at the young man. ¡°The pleasure is all mine. This is a simple guard duty right?¡±


    ¡°Yah that¡¯s right, we¡¯re even supplying food during the job.¡±


    ¡°I see, where are the other Guild members set up?¡± I studied the layout of the encampment and made note of the fancier looking tents. Likely one of those was for Elias.


    ¡°Ah, you can find them near the eastern part of the camp.¡± Warren pointed toward a small cluster of tents. ¡°Do you want me to escort you?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, thanks for the help though.¡±


    Before he could wrangle me into anymore conversations I walked away, picking a quick course through the center of the camp. Many of the fires were lit even though it was still close to midday, and pots boiled as they hung over the flames.


    A scent of meat stew haunted me as I crossed through to reach the eastern edge of the camp. Though there was a town nearby none of the people hired by Elias acted as though they wanted to eat in Fisk. People carried wooden bowls that had already been filled, while random conversations started up throughout the entire campsite.


    When I arrived at the area dedicated for the Guild mercenaries I felt a tinge of disappointment. The tents that had been erected were of the cheapest material I had ever seen. I was certain that if anything stronger than the current breeze blew through the camp it would cut right through the tents.


    Nearby one of the tents stood a man so large that he made me instantly feel like a little child in his presence. A few old scars ran across his weathered face, while an impressive two-handed sword had been shoved into the ground behind him. With all of his weight leaned against the flat of the blade he casually ate from his bowl, noisily devouring the stew without an ounce of manners.


    The man paused in his eating when he noticed my arrival, both of his blue eyes focused on my figure more so than my face. A wide smile spread as he gave a nod of greeting toward me. ¡°Hey,¡± he said in a far too friendly tone of voice, the bowl in his hand offered toward me, ¡°you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± I replied, my tone openly hostile to the man who couldn''t keep his eyes off of my chest, ¡°you aren¡¯t the only Guild member are you?¡±


    ¡°Naw, Shorty¡¯s getting his food and the others are out near the trees.¡± The man gave a jerk of his thumb in the direction of the forest. ¡°If you wanted to wait for the others we could maybe do a little something to take up the time?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare away somebody who came to help, Skara,¡± came a male voice from behind the tents.


    The owner of the voice stepped into the ring of low-grade tents immediately after he spoke. His face was youthful and yet handsome, curly blonde hair combined with green eyes that sparkled when he smiled. At his waist twin rapiers were sheathed in cloth, their ornate handles marking the owner as a rich man.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Lance. She wasn¡¯t about to get scared away, right girl?¡± Skara glanced at me as though for confirmation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with worse,¡± I said with shrug. While he seemed to lack manners he was still vastly preferable to the pig-man from before.


    While we talked another member of the Guild arrived, drawn by the conversation. A woman who stood at least a head taller than me strutted into the open. With bronze skin and a very ample chest she had an exotic flair to her, the scarlet hair cut short and left unstylized. Throwing spears hung in a bundle on her back, a common weapon used by the plainsfolk.


    ¡°Another member?¡± the woman inquired before she clapped her hands together, ¡°how wonderful! Now we don¡¯t need to worry about that rumor.¡±


    Skara eyed the woman quite worse than he had me, though he made no comment on her appearance. ¡°Kids stories, every town has them," he said before his gaze swung back to me, ¡°so you going to introduce yourself anytime soon mystery girl?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± I exclaimed, having realized I''d made a slight social blunder, ¡°my apologies. I am Liliana Rose of Scintallia.¡±


    ¡°Scintallia? Up near the capital?¡± Lance tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s a central lady such as yourself doing here?¡±


    ¡°I was curious about the southern towns,¡± I replied, choosing not to share my real reason for being here, "do the central citizens normally not visit the frontier?¡±


    ¡°Only merchants, mercenaries, and legionnaires,¡± Lance told me.


    ¡°Runaway slaves too.¡± Skara tossed his wooden bowl into a nearby fire pit. ¡°Met a few ladies who were looking for a strong man to help them that way.¡±


    ¡°I seem to remember a few tourists as well, but no way they survived,¡± the woman with spears commented as she leaned against Lance.


    Skara¡¯s laughter poured out of him, his already ever present grin widening all the more. ¡°Tourists!¡± he exclaimed with a shake of his head, ¡°more like walking money bags!¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s gotten you in such a good mood?¡± called out a voice from behind me.


    With a start I turned to face the new speaker, my body instinctively shifting into a defensive posture. I''d heard no noise from behind until the man spoke up, a fact that instantly elevated my opinion of him. However when I saw that he barely reached the height of my stomach I couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed.


    ¡°Shorty! About time you got back!¡± Skara waved his hand in my direction. ¡°The girl is Liliana, she wants to join us for the job.¡±


    My eyes widened at the name that Skara used. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t call him¡­¡± I started to say in defense of the midget before I hesitated.


    ¡°What? Shorty?" the man in question responded, ¡°don¡¯t worry lass, it¡¯s my name.¡±


    ¡°Well...if you¡¯re alright with it I guess I am too. Would this be everyone from the Guild?¡±


    ¡°Naw, we¡¯re missing that weird guy still.¡± Skara glanced at Lance. ¡°Manage to talk him into being a bit more social?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t say a single word to either of us.¡± Lance turned to look back at where he had come from. ¡°I think the only person he¡¯s spoken to is the merchant.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not worth our time if he¡¯s not willing to speak to Lance,¡± Anya complained, ¡°I don¡¯t get why he¡¯s even here in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± I wondered aloud.


    ¡°Some weird kid, up in the tree off that direction,¡± Skara said as he pointed to the perimeter of the camping area, where a few trees stood.


    Naturally my eyes were drawn to where he directed to look. It was a regular tree with a few low hanging branches, the higher leaves clustered thickly together and more than enough to ward off the breeze. On one of the branches a dark figure could be made out, a person who had opted to seat himself with his back against the trunk.


    Even though there was such a distance between us I couldn¡¯t resist the feeling of dread that welled up within. A sensation like insects gnawing at my skin covered me from head to toe, while I hugged myself to try and ward off the sudden chill I felt. That unknown man turned his hooded head in my direction as though my look held enough weight to gain his attention.


    Draped in black and hooded there was nothing I could make out on the body of that man. Nothing aside from a single color which seemed to almost glimmer with a light all of its own. An emerald eye sparkling within the shadows of the hood.


    The eye of a devil.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 2 - Escort Missions Suck

    The early morning of Fisk was the same as any other town that I''d been to in the past. The sun rose, a bit of fog loitering along the landscape for the first few hours, and the noise of the forest grew with every passing moment. The villagers had already stirred and headed to the fields before sunrise, and it was the noise of them moving around that''d woken me up.


    Once we''d all woken up and eaten some breakfast the breakdown of the campsite began. I worked at my simple little tent that I''d been alotted, my movements practiced from the extensive training during my childhood. The other guildmembers gave nods and looks of approval, though we didn''t spend any time talking.


    Before we headed out I did a quick checkover of my clothes. I''d opted for baggy pants to maximize agility, and my shirt was only tight across the chest. Like always I had a cloak that I liked to wear to ward off the wind, but the hat I''d used had been shoved into my knapsack.


    The silver loops on my left wrist clinked as I walked over to the storage wagon, and I added my bag to the pile. Warren made certain to leave a little tag on my drawstring so that I could find it without worry.


    I was put in the vanguard of the caravan along with the other mercenaries, and we were asked to walk rather than ride. One of us would ride on a wagon while the others walked and we''d opted to cycle that person so we could rest evenly. When I offered to scout ahead of everyone else Shorty patted me on the rear with a laugh.


    If he''d been any slower he would''ve lost a tooth, but that midget was nimble as a fox. He hooted with laughter as he ran ahead of us all, and then made a motion with his arms at Skara.


    "Moving out!" Skara bellowed, his voice so loud it made those nearest him grimace.


    So the escort mission had begun, and even though it had a low pay of five coins I was more interested in the reputation I might gain. I''d only recently headed out on my own, without warning my parents, and I knew that few guildmembers would want to work with a stranger.


    "What''s the next town, Skara?" I asked as I walked alongside him.


    Skara threw back his head and laughed. "Come girl, don''t you know your geography?" Skara asked me as he leaned in closer, "next town we hit is Vicna."


    My mind worked at that bit of information. I knew little of the exterior lands of the Empire, as I''d spent most of my time either training with the Legion or at my home. Though I was expected to learn about everything, given who my parents were, I''d only focused on learning the essentials.


    "Is there anything I should know about Vicna?"


    Skara gave a shrug at that question. "Not much to think on that, simple walled place like all towns. Got some farmlands, big potato harvest once a year, slave market. Lot of forests to the south and east that nobody has bothered exploring too."


    Nearby the man with the green eye turned his head at the mention of the slave market. His one eye that I could see narrowed at Skara, but he remained as silent as he had since I''d first encountered him.


    "Should get there in about four days time, if we can make it past the forest," Skara added in. His eyes pierced the forest about the path as though seeking out something, though what I had no idea.


    Anya, who had spent a good deal of time conversing in low tones with Lance, stepped over next to us. She had the scent of vanilla about her, and when she spoke all I could smell was something sweet. "You heard the rumors yet, new girl?"


    "Ignore her, they''re just stupid," Skara said with a snort, "people vanish all the time everywhere. There''s no monster lurking and gobbling up people."


    "Then why''d they hire the Guild members to help escort?"


    "Because a careless merchant is a dead merchant." Skara waved at Anya, as though to try and shoo her away. "Get back over there and keep your eye on that side."


    As the sun continued to rise the convoy marched on.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    It was close to noon when we came to a stop for lunch. Much like I''d been told everyone was given food and water, a bit of cheese and bread. Shorty handed out some jerky to all of us from his own bag, and though I was hesitant to except some unknown meat from a stranger everyone else gladly devoured it. When I eventually ate the jerky I was surprised by how good it tasted, but by the time I went to say my thanks the little man had already wandered off.


    m for rations, especially if a penny-pinching merchant was the one in charge.


    After the horses rested for an hour we resumed our trek along the path, and once more broke into a strong bout of silence. To the average person this would seem to be torture by boredom, but for all of us it was out of necessity. The more noise we made the more distracted we''d become, and the more likely anything dangerous could notice us.


    So when the first day ended with nothing happening we didn''t relax entirely. Everyone worked together to establish the new campsite, as some set up the tents and a few of the others started fire pits. The men that Elias had hired to be chefs pulled out food from their stores and started to make what I could only call cheap stews.


    By the time the sun had set I''d sat near a crackling fire, my hands extended to catch some of the warmth. Shorty had returned and taken to telling us tales of his youth, most of which involved him running from people a lot. Even though he seemed to be abused or hated in his stories he never once stopped smiling.


    For the most part we all laughed at his stories and ate what we were offered. There was a bit of a citrus-tinted drink that was given, though it was mostly water. After we''d all eaten we coordinated the night watch duties.


    Needless to say we banned Anya and Lance from working together, as we didn''t need the two of them getting distracted. Instead Anya and Shorty would work together, while Lance was put with Skara. That left me with the one person I didn''t want to get stuck with.


    When it came to be our time for the watch it was already deep into the night. We both sat near the fire, and I tried my best to look at the stars in order to avoid thinking about Green-Eye. While I sat there I could almost feel his gaze on me, and I wasn''t certain if it was my imagination or not. All I could think of was what sort of crazed man he was, and what he might want to do to me in the dark.


    I wrapped my arms around myself and curled up ever so slightly after an hour of this. The wood crackled in the fire, the smoke billowing upward while warmth continued to pour out from the hastily crafted pit. Yet even though I was so close to it I still did not feel safe, and I had goosebumps up and down my arms.


    I spared a glance at my nighttime companion, and it was a choice I regretted. He was very close to me, to the point that if he wanted to he could probably reach out and grab my throat. His eyes were impossible to see in that dark hood of his, but based on its orientation he seemed to be staring into the fire.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "Do you have to be so close?" I finally asked him.


    Green-Eye was quiet. The crickets made slight noises, and the owls in the distance hooted. Moonlight that managed to pierce the veil of the ever moving clouds illuminated patches of the camp ever few moments.


    "It''s cold," Green-Eye finally said. His voice was normal, and not a hiss or growl like I''d expected.


    I looked at where he''d seated himself, on the very edge of the warmth of the fire, and then realized how idiotic I''d been. Of course he hadn''t planned to murder me or anything else nefarious. He simply wanted to get closer to the fire.


    I laughed, though it was a bit nervous sounding, before I scooted a little to the side so he''d have more room to work with. He responded immediately, though he remained quiet once more. His hood turned as he looked off in the direction of the forest.


    We both sat there for the rest of our shift in silence, and for the first time since I''d met this odd man I actually managed to relax.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Our first day of escorting had been dealt with easily enough, and as the second day began it seemed to be more of the same. Shorty had opted out on scouting after lunch, he yielded the post to Lance so the young man could get some experience. So as we wandered along the dirt road Shorty, Skara, and I had begun to talk about how long we planned to stick with the escort job.


    "I heard he''s going about three or four more towns past Vicna," Shorty said while he twirled a small dagger. It was the first weapon I''d seen him hold, and it made me wonder if he had more hidden on him.


    "I''m thinking of sticking with it for a while," I honestly told the two. I had no big plans and this job seemed easy enough.


    Skara gave a shake of his head, though he still smiled even as he said, "It''s a bit boring, so I''ll have to step out. I heard about a small war brewing to the south-west, might get to see the Disciple in action if I go."


    I inhaled sharply at the mention of the Disciple, but attempted to recover as fast as I could. "Why would the God of War send his most trusted servant to a small battle?"


    Before Skara could respond we heard a yell come from somewhere ahead of us. The voice was distant, but we could all recognize it as Lance''s. It lasted for a few seconds, panicked screams that made us all tense, and then silence followed.


    Anya had turned pale and hurriedly pulled out one of her spears. "Was that Lance?" she asked as she looked at us, her face pale.


    Out of all the vanguard the only one who didn''t move was Green-Eye. The hooded idiot had tilted his head, but for the most part seemed to show no interest in the screams. I was tempted to yell at him, but as I also wasn''t holding a weapon it''d make me look like a hypocrite. My reason, at least, was that my weapon was a bit unique.


    The first wagon had stopped and that caused the rest of the convoy to grind to a halt. The driver had clearly heard the scream and noticed how we''d begun preparing for a fight. As we readied for battle he had picked up a red flag and waved it back to the other wagons. Each wagon driver in turn waved his own flag, which caused the merchant guards at the rear to pull out their weapons.


    It was a quiet noise that drew our attention to the right, as a creature stirred out of the darkened foliage along the path. At a far distance one might mistake it for a house cat, yet as it emerged and stalked onto the road it was clearly no mere tabby.


    The cat had a shoulder height of five feet, with a total length of about fifteen feet. The fur pattern was spotted in some areas and striped in others, an odd combination to me. The mouth of the animal was bloody, the fresh red dripping from the jaw a sign it''d recently feasted. Rather than a loud roar or a growl it hissed like a snake at us.


    Anya responded first as her spear leapt from her hand, and then a second was pulled off of the bundle on her back. By the time the first spear had reached the cat her second was being launched. The animal didn''t respond in a way I would''ve expected, as it batted the spears out of the air with some well placed paw swings.


    Skara, who''d started to circle to the side of the cat, paused at that development. He gritted his teeth and made a dash for the beast, his heavy sword brought down in a overhead slash. The cat made a quick hop away from the attack, barely escaping the long length of the blade.


    "I''ll lead, Shorty on my six, Anya range support, and you others standby!" Skara roared his directions to us.


    I backed up at that and placed a fair distance between myself and the fight. Nobody audibly responded to Skara''s directions, but we all seemed to respect his orders. Shorty slipped in behind Skara and brandished two daggers, one in each hand. While the two began a frontal attack Anya threw another spear past them, trying to keep the cat from evading to the sides.


    "This is bad," a quiet whisper came from behind me, and I turned to see it''d come from Green-Eye. At some point he''d taken a bow out from under his cloak, and with one hand he swept aside the cloak to reveal a hip quiver. One hand nestled on the shaft of an arrow while he watched the fight.


    He then did something I hadn''t expected, as he yelled out a warning, "It''s a pack animal!"


    Skara almost stumbled at that suddenly declaration, and he took a quick hop back. For a moment I didn''t understand exactly what Green-Eye meant, and then the blood drained my face as I realized how dangerous the situation had just become. From above us all a shadow fell, as a new cat leapt from the top of the trees and aimed to fall right on Anya.


    The beast crushed her to the ground with its immense weight, and before any of us could help her neck had already been torn into. She tried to slap feebly at the cat''s face, but it continued to bite into her throat.


    "I''m on it!" I shouted to the others as I ran at the new cat.


    Skara acknowledge my actions not with words but his body language, as he turned and trusted me to keep his back safe. Instead he lunged in at the first feline, his weapon snapping out far faster than I could ever expect. The cat was fast enough to dodge most of his attacks, but with every evasion Shorty managed to slip in and get a small cut with his daggers.


    I was almost at the second Cat when an arrow whisked by my face, almost clipping my ear off. The arrow struck the second cat on the rear, an action that made it glare at us, and I shot an irritated look over my shoulder at Green-Eye. That was when I realized he''d already fired another arrow.


    I threw myself to the ground, the second arrow slipping above my head and moving on toward the cat. The irritated cat that''d looked at us was hit directly in the eye by the second arrow, which brought a yowl of pain from the monster.


    "If you kill me I''ll haunt you forever!" I snapped at Green-Eye before I stood back up. He didn''t even bother with responding to me, and so I turned back to the cat.


    The second cat was enraged, and it hissed and spit to show us that fact. It charged straight at me, the one remaining eye transmitted all its hatred. Even as it approached I brought up my hands and the silver loops on my wrist disappeared, while a glittering cloud was gathered between the cat and I.


    The cat discovered the hard way that the cloud wasn''t mere dust, but millions of miniscule blades. As it passed into the cloud fresh cuts appeared across the whole of its body, while the remaining eye was shredded on contact. With it blinded I had no problems evading the retaliation that it tried to deliver.


    My right hand came up and I snapped my fingers, a noise that caused the cat to instantly turn in the direction of the noise. The dust cloud had coalesced into the form of a silver blade, one that was three feet in length. A crude hilt had been formed, one that I gripped, and then I drove the weapon into the body of the cat.


    "Burst!" I yelled as I snapped my left fingers, and the blade exploded once more into particles.


    The cat couldn''t even cry out in pain as its insides were shredded by the cloud of blades I''d unleashed inside it. Instead it staggered away, blood gushing from its mouth. Before it collapsed Green-Eye shot it once more, directly in the forehead.


    I glanced in surprise to Green-Eye, but he''d already turned away and faced the forest. I could only assume that he expected more of the cats, and it was due to that I focused on the extraction. I focused on my weapon and regathered it, the silver loops forming around my wrist. Though they''d been inside the cat there was no blood on them.


    Skara and Shorty had dealt with their own opponent, and Skara had walked over to check on Anya. The constant grin that he wore was gone, and instead his face was grim as he shook his head to us.


    From behind us there was some noise, the sound of people shouting that one would expect from a fight. "I''m on it," Shorty told us as he dashed off to the back of the convoy.


    While he was gone Skara and I moved the corpses off of the path. While we might have wanted to build a pyre none of us wanted to linger in the forest, and so we were forced to leave the bodies for what would inevietably come.


    When Shorty returned he explained the situation to us. There''d been two more cats which had attacked the back area. The leading theory was that the smell of meat was what had drawn them in, and in the fighting two people had lost their lives.


    "Looks like we''re earning our pay this time," Shorty said, though his tone was in no way jovial.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 3 - Tea Time At Midnight

    We''d put a good amount of distance between us and the corpses by the time night fell. There was a bit of a discussion amongst the drivers that they wanted to keep going, but Elias put an end to that. So we all gathered once again to pitch tents and rest.


    Shorty was the person who handled talking to the merchant. As they discussed what''d happened I focused on pushing away the memories of the day, as I''d been taught in my training to never linger. That was why I put my mind on the task of setting up my own tent and campfire.


    Once Shorty rejoined us the four of us gathered and started to talk next to a fire pit. Shorty explained that the plan was still the same, and we''d keep pushing to Vicna. Skara snorted at that as he crouched next to the fire.


    A silence had started that began to irritate me, and so I finally spoke, "Do you usually run into animals like that?"


    Skara shook his head. "No. By the way, I saw you using something weird earlier, what was that?"


    I lifted my left wrist up, the silver loops on it clinking together. "A present from my mother a few years back, she called it a Shatterblade."


    "A soul tool? You sure you''re not some rich man''s kid?"


    I looked off to the forest instead of answering that question. I had no need nor wish to explain how I''d run away from home to the other three. Thankfully Skara caught on to that and turned his attention to Green-Eye.


    "What were those things?" Skara asked of that silent figure.


    Green-Eye turned his head to look at us, his eye glimpsed momentarily from the darkness of the hood. "On the other side of the continent a man named Falken Martins explored the north-western forests. Does that help?"


    Skara frowned, as did I, but Shorty gasped in surprise. "Falken Cats? The Falks? I thought those things only lived over there!"


    "Falken Cats? What, this guy found them so they named them after him?" Skara asked as he laughed, "or did he name them after himself, all narcissitic?"


    "They ate him while his guides watched on in horror," the calm voice came again from Green-Eye. He looked up at the skies, then turned without warning and walked away.


    I watched him leave, feeling as though looking away might leave an opening I''d regret. "That man...is scary."


    "That''s not shocking, I''m thinking he''s hiding something important," Shorty said as he stood up and brushed off his pants, "I''ll leave first watch to you two, I''m going to bother the mystery man all night and see if I can''t crack him."


    I mentally thanked Shorty for taking on that task, as I had no interest in standing guard with Green-Eye again. Skara and I sat near the fire pit, and for the first time since I''d met him he didn''t smile nor speak. I could tell the deaths of our companions weighed on him more than he might express.


    "So much for proving something," I grumbled to myself.


    Though I had a badge with seven stars I didn''t feel as though I''d properly earned it. When I contracted with the Guild they looked at my training, family, and equipment and decided to give me that many. Yet I was seventeen and that was far too many stars for that age.


    So far I''d tried my best to maintain not only my pride but also my image, and I''d relied on the stories I''d read about as a child. If I could I''d be like my father, the only man in the entire Empire who everyone knew, but I doubted that I could ever achieve his granduer. No one fought Vandross if they could choose otherwise, but I was a completely other story.


    Skara stood up, his hand tightened about the handle of his sword which he lifted onto his shoulder. "Get some rest kid, I''ll only need your help if I''m screaming like a baby."


    Alone and near the flames I curled up and wrapped my arms around my legs. I could still hear the sound of Lance screaming, and as I fell asleep the dreams I had were far from kind.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The third day began the same as the other two. However since we''d lost Anya and Lance our vanguard formation had become a bit more spread out, and Shorty took on the role of scout. He vanished into the forest without a sound, and try as I might I could never see him.


    Skara had me sit on the wagon to help guard the driver, while Green-Eye and him walked ahead and to the sides. Skara had his sword on his shoulder and tense, but Green-Eye didn''t even have a weapon readied in case of a fight. Rather he walked with a casual look, and I couldn''t resist glaring at him.


    "Doesn''t he remember how those people died yesterday?" the driver asked me.


    "He''s an idiot, that''s why," I told the driver as I continued to glare at Green-Eye. He''d been lucky the day before since he could''ve hit me with the arrow. If anything his reckless way of attacking the Falken had only worsened my opinion of him.


    By the time the mid-day break happened there''d been no attacks. Shorty paced back and forth along the convoy while we all ate, a piece of jerky hanging from his mouth. He twirled his long daggers as he stepped past people, and no sign of fatigue had even shown yet.


    Skara never stopped holding his sword. Even when he ate some bread and meat he cradled the weapon carefully, so if anything happened he could defend himself. When I attempted to talk to him he shooed me away, his gaze locked permanently on the forest nearby.


    Green-Eye ate freely, he even dared to eat far away from the rest of us and close to the edge of the path. He faced away from the trees, though who or what he was actually looking at was a mystery due to the nature of his hood.


    The afternoon crawled by with all of us permanently stuck in alert mode. When it was roughly at the time that the last attack had happened the tension became even worse, to the point that even the horses were spooked. Everyone except for Green-Eye.


    When the evening came we started to once again ready for the dark. By the third night everyone already knew what was expected of them, and as the wagoners once more demonstrated their capability at deploying the tents, I and the rest of the vanguard talked about night watch. Or rather three of us did as Green-Eye continued to demonstrate an aloof attitude.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "I''ll take the first watch," Skara offered as he ran a cloth down the length of his sword. "I''m still a little amped up."


    "I''ll join you," Shorty offered, as he glanced at Green-Eye, "I tried talking to him last night, but he didn''t even stay nearby. He vanished halfway through the shift. If I''m stuck with him again I might do something regrettable."


    I complained, but neither budged on their preference of night watch, and so I was stuck once more with the silent man.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    When Skara slumped into the tent and tagged me to wake up, I was half tempted to ignore him and keep on sleeping. However that inner sense of pride required me to stand up and do my duty, so I left the tent and went out to the nearby fire pit.


    What greeted me was that dark figure, crouched near the flames. Every so often the flickering light of the flames would illuminate traces of his face, almost as though teasing me with hints as to what he looked like. I walked over and sat down on the damp ground, not wasting time with words.


    An hour went by and neither of us had talked. I already knew trying to talk to him would result in nothing. So as I sat there and waited out the quiet night. What joy I could get I gained by looking at the stars.


    "Falken Cat packs operate within their own territory, never sharing, groups are usually about three to five in size with a single strong male."


    Confused I looked to the source of the words, the mysterious Green-Eye, and tried to figure out something to say in response. In the end all of my training and learning resulted in a single word, "Huh?"


    "You and the others were tensed up all day for no reason," Green-Eye calmly stated, "tell them for me. I hate repeating myself."


    Any further talking came to a stop as Warren walked over, carrying a silver plate in his hands. On it were two teacups that still steamed with warmth. "Good evening," he said to us with a smile.


    I nodded my head in greeting, "Hello, what''s the matter?"


    Warren put the tray on the ground near us. "My master wanted to apologize for the poor food, he didn''t realize how little Fisk would have to offer. So I made some tea for you two, as a way of apology. Please enjoy it. It''s Shianti tea."


    I''d never had nor heard of that type of tea, but I accepted it graciously by picking up the cup even as I stated my thanks to the man. What shocked me most of all was that Green-Eye also picked up the cup and promptly drank from it. He grunted, then put the cup down.


    Warren gave a little bow, and then he headed back in the direction of the carriage. He had a pleasant aura, and he made me wish I had a brother or sister.


    As he vanished from sight I inhaled the scent of the tea. It was warmth incarnate as it spread throughout and over my body like a balm. I relaxed, eyes locked onto the surface of the pale white tea. "Shianti, huh, I should get some the next time I''m at a market..."


    All concerns about Green-Eye were gone and the tension of the day had disappeared. The fact that we''d be back on the road in the morning didn''t matter. I sat there with half-closed eyes and smiled, lifting the cup to my mouth.


    "Run," Green-Eye said without explanation next to me.


    When I turned to ask him what he meant I found fingers curled around my throat. I choked a little and flailed, the cup of tea splashing over his body. When I lifted my hand to summon my Shatterblade he did something even more unexpected.


    Green-Eye had lifted me up into the air and thrown me, his movements almost casual as he tossed me fifteen feet away. The first thing I hit was a tree trunk, my right shoulder and head taking the brunt of the blow. My consciousness fell away, and in those last moments before my eyes closed all I could do was berate myself for trusting the monster.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    I woke up and had no idea how long I''d been asleep. There was still no daylight, so it was either less than a few hours or a whole day. The wet ground beneath me let me know I was where I''d fallen before. The pain in my shoulder and head were more than enough to tell me that I was still very much alive.


    My eyes were unfocused, and I attempted to stand up. The response from my body was even more pain, as well as a wave of nausea. I hunched over and vomited all over the forest floor. I could feel my eyes tearing up as I continued to throw up, while the world started to whirl around me.


    As I put out one hand to use a tree for support I felt something wet sliding down my cheek. I rubbed my cheek against my left arm, trying my best to not use my right shoulder, and I saw a blotch of red smear.


    It didn''t make any sense that I was still alive. If he''d wanted to kill me he should''ve had plenty of time, since we''d been alone. When I looked down at my clothing everything seemed to be how I''d had it, and that only added to my confusion.


    With a somewhat unsteady gaze I sought out the traitor. From my place amongst the trees I could see something that only furthered my confusion. Green-Eye had fallen over onto the ground near the fire, and the only part of him that moved was his chest.


    I took a few steps forward, experimentally, and found that the world didn''t want to stay still. I clung to the tree, perhaps the very one I''d collided with, and then cautiously stepped again. If I could get to the tent with Skara I knew that I''d be much safer.


    Brand, Warren, and another guard I hadn''t met walked into the light of our campfire. Each of them had a grin on their face as they eyed the body on the ground. "Easy pickings," Brand said loud enough that I could hear him, "they''ll sell nice enough."


    That''s when it all started to click together. Why Elias had been so eager to bring me along, why he talked about my value, and why they''d give us tea in the middle of the night. Our destination was Vicna for a reason, and it was because we were to be slaves.


    If they knew about the Shatterblade from the wagoner that meant they would want it no matter what. A rare weapon like what I had could go for an absurd amount, and none of them would know that it was linked to my specific soul.


    I thought to call out for help to Skara or Shorty, but instead all I could do was barely stand next to a tree. Even if I could muster the energy to yell it''d only draw the guards to me, and in my current state I stood no chance of winning.


    "Where''s the girl?" Warren asked as he noticed only Green-Eye on the ground.


    Brand looked around the fire, and then he looked at the forest that I was hidden within. "You two go look for her, I''ll tie this one up."


    Warren and his friend walked in my direction, talking back and forth about what they wanted to do with me. They were comments that only fueld the rage that''d built within me. Behind them Brand stepped in closer to the black mass on the ground, and reached down to grab Green-Eye''s cloak.


    When he touched the cloak the black mass moved, a hand reaching up and gripping Brand''s wrist. Green-Eye rose up off of the ground in one fluid movement, and with his right hand he punched Brand hard in the face.


    I''d fought a lot in my training, and I''d seen a lot of fighting as well, so when I watched Green-Eye punch his fist through Brand''s head I could only let out a small cry of shock. Warren and his friend turned just in time to watch Green-Eye remove his hand from Brand''s skull, and both of them pulled out their swords.


    Green-Eye didn''t even let them approach him, as he took the initiative instead. He rushed across the short distance and grabbed ahold of Warren''s neck with one gloved hand. Warren''s friend attempted to slash him with his sword, but Green-Eye knocked aside the sword.


    There was no mercy alloted to these men, as Green-Eye tossed Warren behind him and directly onto the fire. Warren screamed in pain as the flames crackled, and embers were tossed everywhere. The final guard attempted to run past Green-Eye and get to Warren, but instead he was greeted by Green-Eye''s hand.


    Green-Eye''s fingers tightly clamped down on the face of the guard. The guard tried to stab Green-Eye in the side, but instead it was countered with a punch to the flat side of the sword. The impact of the fist was enough to break the sword, and the guard dropped his broken weapon in horror.


    Green-Eye lifted one finger to his lip as though asking the guard for silence, and then his fingers dug in even more to the face. With a powerful backward wrench the face of the guard was torn off and the man collapsed on the spot.


    I could only stare on with a mixture of fear and awe as Green-Eye turned to look at me, seeing me even though I was obscured by some trees and shadows. His short silver hair and green eyes gave him a somewhat exotic look, and as he grinned at me I felt almost safe.


    Then I remembered that he''d punched through a skull, torn a face off, and even at that moment Warren was still burning on the fire pit.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 4 - Out Of The Frying Pan

    I''d come face to face with someone who I could only consider a madman. No sane person would rip a face off of someone, nor would they so casually have thrown another person into a fire. I shuddered as I looked at Green-Eye and wrestled with the fact that he''d put me out of harms way, but he''d also shown off an unsettling ferocity. To me he was neither an ally nor an enemy, but an unknown danger.


    Meanwhile I could barely stand and I barely had any energy left. A splitting headache combined with a constant surge of dizziness made it impossible for me to run away, and my right shoulder still hurt bad enough I didn''t want to use my arm.


    Green-Eyes walked away from the defeated trio and approached me. The confidence in his stride made it obvious that he could see me, even in the shadows. He flicked his hand off to the side, the blood that clung to it scattering across the blades of grass.


    Before he could reach me I snapped my left finger and lifted my hand up, gripping the handle of a sword that materialized. The hilt was misshapen with a handle that felt rough to the touch, and the blade wasn''t even straight nor did it have a good edge. I held it in front of me, the point wavering as I struggled to keep it aloft.


    Green-Eyes responded with a sigh. It was over in the blink of an eye, he stepped in against me before I could even notice the movement. One hand struck out and hit my wrist with enough force to numb the entire hand.


    The Shatterblade fell from my grasp while I cried out in shock. He gripped me around the waist and promptly lifted me onto his shoulder, like I was nothing more than a sack of potatoes. I struggled against his hold and attempted to punch and kick, afraid that he was going to do something to me while I was weakened.


    However the struggling combined with the shoulder carry upset my already distraught stomach. I began to dry heave, as I had nothing left in my stomach to expel. Green-Eyes paid it no mind as he silently walked back in the direction of the firepit.


    Warren had, at some point, managed to get off of the fire and he lay groaning on the grass. Without breaking his stride Green-Eyes casually kicked him in the face, the force enough to knock him out, before he continued on in the direction of the tents. All I could do from my position was watch as the fire pit faded away behind us.


    When we arrived at the tents there were four people there. Two were dead while two of them were clearly enraged. The guards that had served as our mid-point defense for the escort mission had been killed.


    "So you two got attacked as well?" Shorty asked.


    I went to respond when Green-Eyes tossed me into a nearby tent, onto a pile of blankets and pillows. The air was knocked out of my body from the impact with the ground, and I could only curl up and moan at the new waves of pain caused by that.


    "Shianti tea with Mandori," Green-Eyes said in explanation.


    "Mandori? Here? That''s normally seen further south isn''t it?" Shorty mused to himself, before he clicked his tongue and looked toward Skara, "I''m going to need to go pay a visit to the merchant, I''ll be a while since I have a lot of questions. Can you handle all of the drivers?"


    "Can I?" Skara asked, before he laughed loudly enough that my headache throbbed worse. "Hopefully they''ll put up a better fight than these idiots. I still can''t believe they tried to kill us in our sleep."


    "Mm, probably didn''t expect us to wake up instantly when they came into the tents," Shorty stated, "what are we going to do about our injured princess, though?"


    Neither Skara nor Green-Eyes responded to the question. I glanced out of the tent at them and wondered why they were worried about me. Skara and Shorty left after that, though neither had mentioned a reply to the question. When they departed I noticed that Green-Eyes had placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, a weapon I hadn''t even realized he had.


    I shuddered at the thought of him using a weapon instead of his bare hands.


    Unlike the night before I didn''t have a problem falling asleep, though my dreams were no longer about the death of Anya. Instead it was the power of one man, and his emerald eyes that stared at me so hard I could only shudder.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    It was the sunlight that woke me up the next morning. The air was fresh and had a hint of dew to it, and as I clambered out of the tent I took a deep breath. I stretched like I would any other day and regretted it, as pain still spread throughout my right arm. From what I could tell the night before it wasn''t broken, which meant I''d recover soon enough.


    The dizziness and nausea had finally left, leaving behind only a minor headache. When I reached up to touch at where I''d been injured I felt a bandage, as well as an absence of dried blood. Someone had cleaned it off and wrapped it for me, for which I was quite grateful.


    I surveyed the nearby area and mentally noted that most of the tents had been knocked over and scattered. The wagons stood without horses, save for a single one which was laden with as many items as they could possibly shove on it. Seated on the bench at the front of the wagon was a man with silver hair.


    "Hey Green-Eyes," I said, "where''d Skara and Shorty go?"


    At my voice Green-Eyes didn''t jump, though he did very slowly turn his head in my direction. His gaze settled on me and I could feel it like a knife, as though it was piercing into my flesh. "Cleaning up," he told me without any further explanation, "Taryn."


    "What?"


    "My name is Taryn," he told me, and then he looked back to the road.


    I clicked my tongue in aggravation, but I didn''t say anything else. Instead I walked through our campsite, picking my way carefully past the dead bodies that littered it. I paused temporarily to look down at Taryn''s handiwork, and after I''d shoved down the fear it brought I went and picked up my silver sword.


    As I stared at it I could only think of how my mother had given it to me. When I picked it up for the first time it''d melted in my hand and run down my arm, finally forming into the silver loops that I so often had it form. It was a tool that was binded to my soul, and it required concentration to shape and use.


    My mother had received it as a marriage present from Vandross, my father. In order to use the Shatterblade there were two requirements which had to be met. The first was a binding of the soul to the tool, which made it so only the user could control it or pass it down. The other requirement was concentration and imagination, and it was there that I had spent years practicing.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    In order to activate the Shatterblade my thoughts were often enough, but sometimes a snapping of the fingers helped to focus my mind. Speaking could even let me focus it further, and it was in that way I managed to turn it into a powerful weapon. All in all the Shatterblade was a malleable weapon with innumerable uses, though it had a limitation of range. If it was too far away I would be incapable of shifting the form, so using it as a throwing weapon wasn''t recommended.


    I focused on the Shatterblade and the misshapen sword turned back into the familiar loops. Once again they clinked against each other on my wrist, and I smiled at the return of my favored weapon. It was almost as though it''d become a part of me.


    "So that''s where you are." Skara stepped out of the bushes. In his left hand he held his sword, which was lifted up to rest on his shoulder. In his right hand was an apple, untouched and delicious looking. My stomach growled loud enough that he could hear it, and with a grin he tossed the apple to me. "Come on, we''re planning to leave now."


    I caught the apple and promptly bit into it. I sighed happily as I started to walk after Skara, feasting on it. "Where are we going to?"


    "Vicna, of course, we''re taking some of the stuff and Shorty is going to dump it on some contact of his," Skara explained as we neared the wagon. Shorty had already taken up a spot in the drivers seat, while in the back nestled in amongst a few crates was Taryn.


    I took the seat next to Shorty on the drivers seat, which made Skara look a little hurt. "Guess I''m not as popular as I thought," he complained as he clambered into the back of the wagon.


    "Were you ever?" Shorty wondered aloud with a grin, and then he shook the reins, "we should make it there before nightfall, especially since there''s only us now."


    I frowned at that, as while I knew they''d probably killed Elias and the other guards what about the wagoners? They hadn''t told me anything, and the fact that they might''ve killed innocent people in cold blood didn''t sit well with me.


    The horses moved forward without complaint, as they didn''t care who held the reins. My thoughts on the missing men caused me to look northward, and all I saw was the empty road behind us. A dark cloud had gathered off in the distance, but I paid it little attention.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The city of Vicna was the same as any other, in that it had walls that surrounded the entire place. The walls were made from wood, rather than stone, and there were a few towers embedded along its length. The buildings on the inside of Vicna were also made primarily of wood, which I thought was a bad idea. The slightest errant flame could probably turn the place into an inferno of death.


    The area outside of the town was flat and open, all the trees having been cleared out. The hills that would normally have existed had been torn up and flattened, and so by the time we reached the northern gate they''d already seen our approach. The dirt road we were on ended as it reached the northern gate, turning to cobblestone.


    The gates of Vicna stood open, which was the best possible sign for a traveler. Unless it''d been late at night the presence of a closed gate always meant trouble, whether that was due to someone invading or the Plague. The belltower near the middle of the town was also quiet, a fact that I thanked the Gods for.


    As the wagon rolled along the main road we saw all types of people. The people we rolled past all tended to have a sort of well cultured look. They wore clean clothes with almost no tears or patches, and there was no dirt smeared on their faces. Some of the people even looked a bit more well off, with fancier clothing that I''d normally see nobles wear.


    What caught my attention the most were the legionnaires near the gate. Two men wore heavy looking armor and had scarlet capes, upon which a sun was embroidered. Whenever someone went near them the legionnaires would look, but not interfere. I shrank away, not out of fright but in order to avoid their attention. I didn''t think any legionnaires I knew would be in this area, but I had no interest in testing that theory.


    When we reached the center of Vicna, which held a horrid looking water fountain, the wagon came to a stop. All around the center were stalls made of lumber, and men hawking cheap trinkets and moldy food kept yelling for attention.


    "Alright guys, off you go, I need to go talk to my friend and let him know a few things," Shorty told us.


    The three of us got off of the wagon, and as I climbed down I asked, "We can''t go with you?"


    "Only if you want us to die," Shorty replied with a laugh, "I''ll see you all tomorrow morning, west gate! If you''re late we''re leaving without you."


    I waved goodbye to Shorty as he directed the wagon off to the east, even though his back was turned to us, and then I looked at Skara and Taryn. "What next?"


    "Next? Next is I get drunk, find a good lass, and have her teach me the techniques of the town," Skara admitted honestly, and with a small salute he walked off to the western side of town.


    I smiled, but chose not to follow. A group of drunk men was always an invitation to trouble, and I had no urge to get involved in Skara''s antics. On top of that the final words he''d said only further encouraged me to avoid the tavern altogether, since it seemed less like a place for refreshments.


    So I turned my attention to the east, wondering what I might find in that direction. To the east the road was well kept, the buildings were fancy, and numerous legionnaires milled about near the edge of the street. The idea of going that way was immediately tossed away, since I wasn''t going to make it easy for my mother to find me.


    That left me with either the north and the south, and to the south I saw dark alleyways and a filthy road. The alleyways ran between the wooden buildings, and questionable people actively walked in and out of the shadows. There was one other thing that I noticed to the south, the distinct sound of a whip cracking.


    While I hesitated as to which way to go Taryn made the first move, as he headed off to the south. I frowned at that, but when I glanced to the north I saw the legionnaires had started to head in our direction. They were guided by a thin man in torn clothing, one who talked rapidly and kept pointing at Taryn and I. In the end I had to agree with Taryn''s unspoken reason for heading south, since the alleyways would give us a good way to escape.


    We walked down the southern road for a short bit before Taryn came to an abrupt stop ahead of me. His head turned as he looked at the side of the street, and from my spot near him all I saw was rage in his eyes. I followed his gaze and couldn''t help frowning at what I saw.


    There was a child there, so young that I couldn''t even guess if it was a boy or girl. Their hair had a sort of metallic look to it, and it reached all the way to their waist. The little child who wore only rags had curled up on the ground and started to cry, because a man stood nearby and kept hitting them with a whip.


    It was a slave, as anyone would know due to the collar on the child''s neck. The owner, though I felt they didn''t deserve to be called that, was a tall man. He didn''t have the muscles that Skara did, but his height was still impressive. He held the whip in his right hand and continually lashed the child with it, while spouting profanity.


    I had seen public punishments before, so this wasn''t too much of a shock to me, but this was the first time I''d seen one so excessive. My mother had never bothered with a public punishment, if any slave she bought caused a problem it was always dealt with in privacy. In truth she didn''t even punish them that severely, and there were times when I thought she was harsher on me than the slaves.


    It was proper etiquette not to get involved in a public punishment. People who interfere could be in trouble with the Legion, and to make matters worse it tended to make the public view you as a criminal. So I''d been raised to ignore these types of situations, yet as I watched this crying child get beat over and over again I began to step forward.


    How little my actions mattered in that moment. Before I could even understand what''d happened the slaver had been thrown clear across the road, the force of it more than enough to embed him into the wall of a house. The wood cracked, then part of the house collapsed on top of the slaver. Around us there were gasps, screams, and even a few claps.


    I turned to look at Taryn, the confusion and anger I felt at that moment unable to be voiced properly. He''d clearly caused a problem for us with that act, but when I saw him cradling the abused child my anger subsided. Taryn returned my look with one of his own, along with a smile.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 5 - Something Wicked This Way Comes

    "You can''t do that!" I yelled even as I pointed at the man buried under the wooden wall.


    Taryn glanced at the handiwork he''d wrought, before shrugging. "Yes I can? I just did it."


    I yelled at the sky in frustration, before glaring at Taryn. "You can''t just throw people around, and you can''t steal their property."


    The surrounding cobblestone road that led to the southern gate of Vicna was filled with the poor and average, all of them interested in what had happened. In the distance I could hear people yelling, shouting which came from the direction of the sound of footsteps.


    "A child isn''t property," Taryn told me, his eyes narrowed as he glared back at me.


    "I understand, I don''t care for slavery either, but if you start stealing slaves and punching the owners the guards are going to get upset," I tried to explain to Taryn.


    He was crude, dumb and far too strong for his own good, but for some reason I still wanted to try and help him out. I could only assume it was due to some innate urge to repay him for his previous help, when he managed to keep me from getting drugged and kidnapped by the merchant''s guards.


    "Don''t worry, this makes thirty-seven."


    It was a response I could only frown at. "What?"


    Taryn adjusted his hold on the child, as he began to study the surroundings. "I''ll show you, if you come with me, but it''ll take us a while to reach it," he said. It was a very poor explanation. He began to walk away from the scene of the crime, toward one of the alleyways that was shrouded in shadows and filth.


    Why? I wanted to scream so loudly that people would''ve cowered in fright, children would''ve cried and the Gods would have slapped me and told me to be quiet. I was faced with two choices at that moment, I could follow him into the alleyway and be an accomplice...


    Or I could face the three town guards and two legionnaires that quickly approached my location. If push came to shove I could probably talk my way out of it, or at the very least appeal to the legionnaires using some well placed names, but there was always that off chance they might be corrupt. In a town filled with slaves and slavery. Surely that would never happen!


    I went into the alleyway after Taryn. As the guards reached the throng of people drawn by the commotion I was certain many people would point toward it. While I began to run down the alley I also realized I had no clue where anything was in this town, out of all of us I had probably traveled the least.


    My lack of geographical knowledge on the town included where the alley led to, if it even went to anywhere. I wondered if Taryn knew the town, but at that thought I saw him up ahead. He was casually strolling down the alleyway as though nothing was wrong, while he whispered words to the child in his arms. The crying had quieted down and the kid clung desperately to him.


    When I caught up to him he turned his head to glance at me, then nodded in recognition before he kept walking on without any words spared to me. I had to fight the urge to punch him again, but instead I glanced over my shoulder to see if we were being chased.


    There was no sign of a single person directly behind us, so we followed the curving path until it split into two directions. One of the paths went right and the other left, both had no visible end and twisted around buildings. The alleyways were dark, dirty and had a faint smell of human excrement. It was quite likely this was where hobos came to relieve themselves, a fact that made me want to bathe even more than ever before.


    Was it really too much to ask for a bath? I grumbled at the thought and waited for Taryn to continue on. However he had a worried look on his face as he looked in the two potential directions he could go. "This is bad," he told me, before he gently handled the child over. Soft words were spoken to the youth, before the kid clung to me.


    It was the first time I really got a chance to look at the girl, which took me little time to figure out at that close of a proximity. Her filthy clothes were tattered, most likely due to the severe whipping she had suffered. Her hair was spiked, long and a metallic look, a sign of one of those from the Vharani. The desert dwellers of the Empire, their hair was tougher, their nails sharper and their fighting instincts supreme.


    Most Vharani outside of the desert were slaves, and kept as literal guard dogs. Chained outside in the rain, fed scraps and bones, they were shown no kindness by most owners. I felt a tear well up at the thought, and then hugged the little child to my chest. "What''s the matter?" I asked Taryn, as I fought back the urge to start crying.


    An answer to that question came without need for words, as from all three directions I could hear the sounds of footsteps. They had a metallic hint, a sign that whoever was approaching wore armored shoes. A moment later five men came into view, with three behind us. The two legionnaires from before had somehow managed to get ahead of us and cut off our escape route.


    I knew what was coming, and also knew that the legionnaires were unbelievably strong thanks to their armor. However I also knew what Taryn was like, a fact I was reminded of by the killing aura he started to produce. He had begun to grin, as he backed up against a wall.


    "No killing!" I yelled at everyone, though it was mostly meant for Taryn.


    Taryn clicked his tongue in response. "Fine," he muttered, with one foot placed against the wall, "Get up against a wall and don''t move."


    Even as I began to place myself against a wall at his request, he''d already pushed off his own and dived into the three normal guards. His right hand lashed out, gripped the head of one guard and used it as a club to bash against the head of a second guard. The two collapsed instantly, while the third had no time to respond when Taryn lashed out with a strong kick to the chest.


    The third guard flew back some five feet, hit the ground and refused to get back up. The legionnaires on the other hand offered more of a challenge, when Taryn swung into action so did they. While heavily armored they moved with a speed that seemed impossible, while my skin tingled with the sensation of magic.


    I knew what it was, as I knew the legionnaires well. When I was only three my mother vowed that I was going to be the strongest daughter ever, so she took me and placed me into the Legion. The Legion of the Empire was their greatest army, designed for fighting against any internal and external threats imaginable. Most legionnaires were placed at the center of battle formations, they were immoveable and unbeatable.


    Their training program ordinarily started at the age of eight, whereas I was placed in it at the age of three. A normal child would not have survived that, they would have broken themselves before two years had even passed. I was not like most children, all due to my parentage.


    Before I could even speak in full sentences I had already begun to grasp the basics of using a sword, and before I had even reached adulthood I was capable of winning in most hand-to-hand fights against grown men. What I learned during my time there was much, plus the secret to the legionnaires strength.


    There are three forms of power in this world. One is the power of the mind, of mental strength and willpower. People who can think themselves strong can force themselves to be strong, and those with enough willpower can exceed the boundary and do the inhuman. Skara was a prime example of that type of empowerment.


    Then there are individuals who are able to manipulate their soul, then draw it out and use it to boost their strength and hinder their foes. Vandross Rose was one such person, as was my mother. When one fought my father you burned, normally not for real but it felt like it all the same. The weakest of people would suffer actual burns, so it was rare that my father utilized his Presence if allies were nearby.


    My mother in turn made one feel frozen, ice crept over you and held you tight. It was very hard to move if you fought her, unless you had the capacity to resist. Most people did not, and I most certainly didn''t the last time I had felt her Presence. The tightness of her ice, the state of being frozen was so absolute that it was possible to stop breathing, to develop frostbite and to acquire hypothermia.


    The Legion of the Empire employed those individuals as much as they could, but they came in a limited supply. In order to bolster their strength they utilized enhancement equipment, magically enchanted gear that increased the strength of their users. While garbed in the armor of the Legion one would feel infinitely stronger and far more durable. Some men could handle this, though some became obsessed with the power. The few that were weak and unlucky even had their souls twisted and had to be slain.


    So when those two legionnaires rushed in I believed that Taryn would not be able to handle them, while he handled the three guards. I reacted with minimal thought, my free hand that held no child swung out and my fingers snapped. I visualized what I wanted of the Shatterblade, and the bracelets on my wrist dissipated.


    A trident formed in my hand, one that I slammed out at the closest legionnaire. He was shocked as the weapon almost pierced his armor, and lifted his left arm up to knock aside the bladed tips. "A tool!" he yelled out in warning to his friend, though it had already been noticed.


    The second legionnaire stepped toward me, sword whipped out from the scabbard in half a second. The blade was well kept, shining in the dull light that filtered into the alley, but it was standard legionnaire equipment. The man delivered a quick stab at my body, aiming to hit where the child was not kept. I wanted to thank him for that consideration of the innocent, though I had no time to talk. My mental focus adjusted as I willed the Shatterblade to change once more, the trident shifted and turned into a thin tower shield.


    The shield clanged down against the loose cobblestone of the alley, the sword stopped immediately as it struck the exterior a split second after it had formed. Both legionnaires paused at that, they had not anticipated an ever-shifting tool but rather a one-off. Almost nobody had one like the Shatterblade, the mere creation of a new one was banned by the Empire.


    "No more messing around, don''t worry about the slave!" the first guard snapped at the second. He was clearly the superior, and also had made a wise albeit harsh choice. He pulled out his own sword, brandished it in front of him while he waited for an opening in my defense.


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    Against one legionnaire I could probably win, I knew their usual style of fighting and their capabilities. However two of them in close quarters, while holding a child, was pushing it and I began to run through my mind the many different ways I could approach this scenario. Every one ended with me getting chopped down, most likely after the kid had already been fatally wounded.


    A shadow flitted past with a rush of wind, and I realized Taryn had grown tired of waiting on me to finish the fight. He had been polite enough, allowing me to try and be helpful while he finished off the normal guards, but he was not infinitely patient. As he swept past he flashed a grin at me, though this time it seemed more childlike than the predatorial ones from before.


    The suspected commander of the legionnaires flinched momentarily due to the arrival of Taryn, but he would have no time to recover as he met the wall behind him by force. Taryn grabbed ahold of his face and thrust him straight back against the wooden wall. The man crunched into the wood, before he roared in pain and anger. With the hand shoved against his face he lashed out at Taryn, blade poorly aimed given how Taryn covered his eyes with his palm.


    Taryn responded to it well, he swept his arm up and knocked the sword out of the commander''s hand. The sword flew off into the sky and arced toward the ground deeper into the alleyway, before Taryn casually punched the commander square in the jaw. As Taryn retracted the hand he had used to punch the legionnaire he also removed the one which gripped the soldiers head.


    Down went the first legionnaire, while the second could only watch with a combination of awe and fear at what had happened. Most of the Legion were well trained so they were accustomed to seeing strong opponents, however Taryn pushed past the boundary of what most considered strong.


    He took one step toward the remaining soldier, then his form blurred and snapped to in front of him in the blink of an eye. His body had crouched down, and as he rammed his fist out he attempted to transfer the momentum of his forward lunge into an open palm strike. It hit square on the stomach of the legionnaire with enough power that the metal armor cracked, and an indent of the hand formed.


    If it had been a regular foe, like one of those traitorous guards who worked for the Merchant, the man most likely would''ve died. The Legion were made of sterner stuff and this one helped to prove that fact, the legionnaire staggered back while he coughed loudly and dropped his sword. "Dear Gods what are you?" he groaned, before he pulled out a dagger from his weapons belt at the waist.


    Taryn grumbled something under his breath, before he glared in my direction. I fully understood he was blaming me since I had requested him not to kill anyone, so he had to hold back. The fact that he had yet to draw his sword once more danced through my head, and I shuddered again at the thought of Taryn using an actual weapon. Before the fight could escalate I stepped forward, drawing the attention of both the legionnaire and Taryn.


    "Leave us alone and we won''t cause any more trouble, fall over and pretend you were knocked out," I offered to the legionnaire, as I focused on returning the Shatterblade to a dormant state. "In the name of General Sciroco, I do swear this."


    The legionnaire, who looked ready to give his life in order to stop Taryn, paused at that sentence. He straightened his back, then winced as pain radiated out from the injured stomach. "So you know the Rock?"


    I sighed in relief, if it had been someone who didn''t know Sciroco I most likely could not have stopped the fight. "Yes, he was one of the men who trained me before he became a general," I told the man. I flashed a smile at him, then bowed ever so slightly. "I apologize for our actions, but my companion had no wish to watch a child get whipped to death."


    The legionnaire did not even hear those last words, he only heard the first part of what I had said. The soldiers eyes darted over my face, my hair and every other part of me as though comparing against some mental image. His eyes widened slowly in recognition, I could almost feel the fear he felt at that moment. With a clatter of half-broken armor he knelt down on both knees, placed his knuckles against the ground and bowed his head. "I did not know you were the daughter. My apologies for my insolence and please ask your father for my forgiveness," he murmured in a submissive tone.


    That right there was why I never talked to people about who I am. I gave a sad shake of my head, then started to walk down the path to the right. After a few steps I turned, glancing back at Taryn who had taken on a confused look, and put my free hand on my hip. "Coming?" I asked, before I turned without awaiting a response and continued on. My occupied arm tightened about the young slave girl, one who I hoped would not become even more of a problem in the near future.


    Taryn shook his confusion off and skirted past the kneeling legionnaire, before he followed after me. I could already hear the questions coming and had begun to think of ways to avoid answering them.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    During the middle of the night Taryn and I rested on top of a flat roof, looking down on the western gate of the town of Vicna. I had acquired a cloth and some water along with a bucket and had worked on cleaning myself and the slave girl off. "Wumi," I murmured to her as I worked carefully on her wounds and scar marks. "I''m sorry I didn''t stop that man from hitting you."


    Wumi had curled up defensively, she always seemed to be in that sort of state naturally. If one counted the amount of scars on her body it took little imagination to understand why she had that habit. She looked up at me, then winced as I touched a sore spot. No words came from her mouth, most likely she had beaten even worse if she had made any sound when whipped.


    "She''ll be like that for a while," Taryn called out from off to the side. He was out of the line of sight, due to my urgent commands that he do so before I disrobed. I had placed him on guard duty and so he sat near the edge of the roof with some bread and cheese in his hands. Where he had gained the food I did not know, nor did I ask. "They''re always like that at first."


    That mysterious way of talking again, it grated on my nerves. I finished cleaning off Wumi, a name that Taryn said meant ''Gentle One'', and helped her into some clean clothes. They had been stealthily acquired by less than legal means, though the owners would not notice their disappearance for at least a few days.


    I felt infinitely better, while it wasn''t an actual soak the act of wiping off the dirt and dried blood I had accumulated was wonderful. Not only that but I no longer smelled, and as I walked out from our little corner of the roof I twirled around happily. I inhaled the air with the rich scents that cascaded together, it smelled glorious and there was a hint of a type of flower interlaced with fruits and even cooked bread.


    "A wonderful night!" I declared, more for myself than anyone else. Wumi stepped out after me, though her steps were quiet and cautious. Her body was hunched over with arms close to her chest, and a worried expression on her face. She kept a slight distance from me and carefully edged over toward Taryn. When she got close she tugged at his sleeve, which he reacted to by gently patting her on the head.


    "Don''t worry, tomorrow we leave," he told her. It was odd to see him when he cared for the little girl, an infinitely softer look that made him seem almost fatherly.


    A cloud on the northern horizon could barely be seen, crows or something. I squinted at the shadowy mass, then shrugged as it mattered little to me. Instead I chose to sprawl out against the ground, my eyes turned skyward. When I looked straight up the skies were blissfully clear and every star glistened brightly. No matter where I went in the world those stars were always there, always waiting to be viewed by me.


    As I watched the stars sparkle I slowly fell asleep.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Wumi poked me in the cheek with a soft touch, so gentle it was almost pleasant. Then she poked me a few more times, and I woke up and glanced at her. "What?" I asked, attempting to sound gentle even though I was aggravated. I had wanted to sleep longer.


    She responded by backing away even as she lifted one hand and pointed at Taryn. The black garbed man with silver hair and green eyes had stood up and started to adjust his clothes. At some point during our journey he had completely given up on the bow and arrows, though I suspected it was due to using them as a front to hide his strength.


    He had a single weapon at that time, a mysterious sword he had yet to draw. His clothes completely covered his body save for his neck and face, all of the fights had yet to put a single blemish on them. He saw me awaken, and nodded toward me before speaking in that irritatingly calm voice. "Sun is up, time to move out. I signaled Shorty to meet us outside the gate, we''ll have to jump it due to Wumi. We don''t have much time."


    I struggled to take all that information in even as I thought to argue, then realized that he was completely right. Any slave wearing a collar had to have papers, and the collar itself was a device that required a magical tool to remove. I stood up and scanned the rooftop, noting no differences from the previous night. "Wait...jump it? And what do you mean we don''t have time?"


    "Contingency plan," he said, as though that would explain everything, before he picked up Wumi with his left arm and carefully held her against his body. He moved toward me before he rudely scooped me up. "We needed to make sure the Merchants friends would be too busy to follow us when we left."


    The bell tower sounded.


    A chill ran down my back, at the sound I felt goosebumps and my mouth went dry. I could feel my pulse quicken as my eyes went wide, and I looked in the direction of the bell tower. The purple flag was waved toward the north. It was a situation I had only witnessed once before.


    Without waiting for me to talk Taryn charged across the rooftop, and then leapt off of it toward the twenty foot tall wall. He landed on it, loudly as wood beneath his feet cracked, and then leapt off of it again toward the western area outside of the town. Before we hit the ground I had a glimpse of panicked guardsmen running around, some yelled at us to stop.


    Shorty and Skara were nearby, their wagon was parked on the outside of the town and Skara was shouting to us. Their words didn''t matter, all I could hear was the bell tower. Even Wumi knew what it meant, a noise so terrifying to the normal person that she had begun to cry. There was only one time the bell tower would ever be used.


    The Plague had come to Vicna.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 6 - An Infection Of The Soul

    The Plague. Nobody ever wanted to talk about it, nor cared to see it. The normal reaction was to run away and hope for the best, leaving behind anyone too slow to escape.


    From the very start of my life I''d heard the stories. It was unstoppable and unquenchable, a force of nature which demanded others to give their lives to it. When people were left to die in the open the Plague stepped in and removed the corpses, when people were buried the Plague arrived and dug them up.


    The only way to avoid the Plague was to burn the dead. Nobody was buried, the only known burials spoken of involved royalty from ages long since past. The only way to kill the infected was to cause severe trauma to the brain, spine or heart. There was no way to cure the Plague, once it infected you it was over.


    Most people who became infected opted out on living, they took a knife to their own heart and ended it then and there. A few tried to fight it, they''d use anything possible to stave off the slow crawl of the curse mark. Some even gave themselves to the Empire as experimental fodder, only to suffer far worse fates than infection before the Empire killed them.


    During my childhood I learned why my father was so rarely around, he was constantly called upon to stop the Plague from destroying towns. Anytime a large group of Plague were spotted he was dispatched along with elite members of the Legion, a task that most of the legionnaire both feared and considered a great honor. Whenever the Legion attempted to destroy the Plague alone they suffered heavy casualties, and so my father had become a man they relied on consistently.


    There had been a legend of a female warrior who once single-handedly ripped through the Plague, a phantom that was cursed to know only war and death. Those who had tried to fight against her learned quickly they were nothing, and wherever she went everyone had given way. She had vanished before my birth, some claimed she died and others said she simply stopped fighting. In a sense she was an ideal for me, I strongly wished to be as powerful as her.


    The one time I saw the Plague I had reacted entirely based on the advice of others. I did not even think about my course of action, I turned and ran so fast and hard that by the time I collapsed I had covered miles. Since that moment I had never encountered the Plague again, though I had heard of small groups of five or ten who moved throughout the continent.


    The bell tower rang loud enough that it could be heard even outside of Vicna, the warning signal used by all towns in the continent to mark the appearance of the Plague. To the north I could see a massive cloud of dark birds, crows I believed, that descended like dread onto the town.


    Taryn was not nice, he roughly threw me into the back of the wagon where I landed hard next to Skara. There were no more crates in the wagon, Shorty had apparently sold all of the goods and acquired a few bags of supplies in exchange. From behind Taryn leaped into the air, after which he landed in the wagon and gently put Wumi down.


    Shorty had watched this all before he nodded his head and turned to face the front. He shook the reins while he yelled at the horses, which both started forward at a strong pace. The wagon bounced as it moved off of the cobblestone path outside of Vicna and entered once more onto a dirt road.


    Skara clung with one hand to the edge of the wagon, while his other grasped his sword. "Nice to see you again, girl," he said as he grinned at me. He looked in the direction of the crows, then laughed. "Looks like the plan worked, doubt we''ll get chased by that group."


    "I told you it''d work, I used it at Legrant to get away from some legionnaires," Shorty called out, his eyes too focused on the path ahead to spare looking back at us.


    "Are you guys idiots? You brought in the Plague! THE PLAGUE!" I yelled at them, I wanted to beat them but the unstable wagon that bounced randomly made it near impossible to even stand, let alone punch anyone. "If one of them gets into the town it could kill everyone!"


    "Calm down girl," Skara said, still with that grin on his face. "The most we did was bring in maybe eight or nine of them, and Vicna has solid walls and legionnaires. Hell, even the regular town guards with some bows can probably stop that amount without a problem."


    Then he laughed loudly, before he continued on. "And even if they can''t who cares? It''s a slavers paradise. Trust me, it''ll be better for the Empire either way."


    I shuddered at the casual way that Skara talked about the end of a city. I looked at Shorty and saw he had not the slightest hint of distaste for the idea, and the face of Taryn was still and unreadable. Wumi had huddled up into a bunch of the supply bags, nestled in like some small rodent.


    "Where''d you get the slave?" Skara asked, as he nodded his head toward Wumi.


    "Taryn stole her after he knocked the guy out," I said, I settled down against the interior wall of the wagon and watched as trees began to slide by.


    Taryn had not once looked at any of us, his eyes were locked on the horizon in the direction of the Plague. His face had begun to grow unhappy, something clearly bothered him but I had no urge to ask. He would either share or remain quiet, I already understood him well enough to know that.


    "Taryn?" Shorty asked, confused. "Wait, you mean the silver-haired weird guy who won''t talk?"


    I blinked, then realized that so far Taryn''s name had yet to come up in any conversation. In fact, during the entire escort mission Shorty had failed to get the close-mouthed idiot to even talk in private with him once. "Yes," I hesitantly said, though why I paused I wasn''t certain. "So we just spent the rest of the day and night hiding on the rooftops."


    "Oh, a night time rendezvous with the mysterious gentleman," Skara said, before he chuckled.


    I blushed at that, then yelled at Skara. Even Shorty had begun to laugh, which only made my face grow redder. Throughout it all Wumi watched on in silence, her eyes half-closed due to fatigue from the antics of the previous day.


    "Quiet," Taryn commanded, rather than asked. In my mind it was because his manners were atrocious, though if I had paid proper attention I would''ve figured out that he had a proper reason for it.


    All three of us went quiet, though I had little interest in following Taryn''s commands, and Shorty kept his gaze locked forward while Skara and I turned to look at Taryn. His gaze was not directed at any of us, but behind and so the both of us couldn''t help but look as well. It was back toward Vicna, and even from this distance we could still hear the sound of the bell tower. The almost inaudible screams that followed us told us something we didn''t want to think about.


    That wasn''t why he told us to be quiet though, it was the louder noise which was important. The footsteps, the shrieks, the exhalation of hunger from starving monsters. As we watched a small group of the Plague pushed out from the forests, they chased after our wagon even though it moved at a pace unmatchable by the normal person.


    Each of them had pale skin, their hair scraggly and in some cases absent. The clothing they wore barely remained, most of it had been lost either from combat with the Plague while they lived or via decay over time. Their eyes were what caught my attention, pure white eyes that looked so alien I cringed in fright.


    "They shouldn''t be chasing us! The Plague don''t chase the living this far!" Skara declared, he refused to accept what he was seeing even though it was plainly obvious that it was indeed occurring.


    Shorty glanced over his shoulder, shuddered at the sight of the Plague, and then shook the reins and demanded more from the horses. The pace quickened but it would prove unsustainable for long, none of the horses had been bred for such harsh treatment. The worst part of it was that it did little to help the situation, the Plague merely ceased gaining ground and instead continued on par with our rate of progress.


    "Why, Nixi?" Taryn murmured so quietly I could barely hear it, before he stood up flawlessly in the wildly bucking wagon. He turned and looked at all of us, one hand rested on the handle of his sheathed sword.


    "I''ll be getting off here, take Wumi to the town of Shiadone, then find Alise''s orphanage," he said. He didn''t wait for objections nor comments and instead promptly leapt off of the wagon.


    Before he hit the ground he had already crashed foot first into the face of one of the Plague and sent it sprawling. The others braked hard, one of which flipped and collapsed before it could completely come to a stop. Why? Why was he doing this? That idiot!


    "Wish I could say I was going t-hey wait!" Skara said before he stopped and shouted, one hand lifted up toward me.


    I had already leapt off of the wagon, hit the ground and rolled. I ended up a good distance from where Taryn was in his fight due to the speed of the wagon. "The only person who gets to kill that moron is me," I muttered darkly as I stood up and started to walk toward his direction.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Why did I decide to jump off the wagon and run to the aid of an ill natured, moronic and far too punch-happy criminal? When I look at that point in my life I realize I had come to a crossroad, if I stayed on the wagon I''d be safe and happy and get to move on and not worry about Taryn anymore.


    Yet if I hadn''t gotten off of the wagon would I have felt happy to have lived because he sacrificed himself for us? Out of that small group of people I had met in Fisk two had died, and the others I had grown to have a trusting feeling toward. While we didn''t talk often, didn''t know much about each other we believed in one another when the going got tough.


    To make matters worse I was part of the Rose family, the infamous warriors of the Empire who fought the Plague whenever and where it was required. Turning away from a fight with them out of some cowardice, or petty distaste for another, would be a disgrace to the family name. The final reason, and perhaps the most important, was that I felt leaving him to die would haunt me for the rest of my life.


    So when I stood up I snapped my fingers and formed a long, thin sword out of the Shatterblade. It had a hilt that was two feet long, the blade itself six feet and the thickness almost non-existent. When I reached the first of the Plague, the one who had fallen due to clumsiness, I swept the Shatterblade into the skull and cut it in half without a moments hesitation. No matter how thick or thin the Shatterblade was, it was a magical tool and thus inherently more durable and sharper than almost any other type of metal.


    I kept up my forward pace, another Plague turned at the sound of my approach and reached out a hand while the mouth gaped open. A hiss spilled out from the creature that made me grimace, yet I whipped out my sword from a safe distance. The blade sliced the arm off, then I twisted and delivered a horizontal slash that cut the spine of the Plague in half somewhere around the stomach level.


    Taryn had already dispatched the few other Plague who had been near him, well placed punches and kicks were all he needed to cave in their skulls. As he stood there he shook the guts of the monsters off of his fists, and looked at me with a look of raw anger. His green eyes looked darker than normal, almost brown.


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he roared at me, it was the first time I had ever heard him so upset in our time together. I took a step away from him, blade half-lifted as though I feared he was about to strike out at me.


    "I wasn''t going to leave you to die!" I told him, even as I cringed away from him.


    His hands curled into fists, he breathed heavily as though he had exerted himself far more than normal, and he turned away from me and yelled loudly at the sky. Then he turned and pointed at me with a single finger. "Stay away from me during this, I might kill you if you get too close," he told me.


    "What? We killed the Plague, they''re all dead," I said, as I looked at the corpses about us. The dark blood that slowly oozed out of them smelled far worse than any rotting body ever could.


    "Nixi is here, I hope you''re ready for this," he stated cryptically, and did not explain what he meant. He reached down with one hand and rested it on the hilt of his sword. "Don''t let them bite you, if they manage to infect your blood you''ll start to turn. When you start to turn there''s no hope, scratches are fine and blunt damage is okay! Just don''t let them bite you no matter what!"


    He didn''t wait for a response, his fingers curled tightly around the handle of the sword and he slowly pulled it out. The noise of the forest about us went silent, the trees felt like they shuddered while the grass curled beneath our feet. Out from the old scabbard came a blade that shone white.


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    When I say it shone white I do not mean that it simply glistened, I mean that the blade itself was white. It had a brilliance, an ambient glow that made the white blade all the more alabaster. The weapon was not all too long, an average length sword, but the edge looked sharp enough to stand a chance of cutting my own Shatterblade.


    He lifted the sword up, then took a standard fighting stance with one foot forward, while two hands gripped the handle and held the point low. He breathed in deeply, closed his eyes and went so still I felt like he would vanish from my sight.


    "Two hundred seventy four," he stated before his eyes opened, and the noise of the forest began to resume once more.


    I looked at him, perplexed, while I shifted the Shatterblade into a standard short sword. "What do you mean?"


    "That''s how many are coming, we baited the worst possible group," Taryn growled. "It''s my fault, I should''ve stopped them."


    Taryn''s eyes narrowed while the sound of howls and rapid footsteps started to resound throughout the whole of the forest. The foliage began to fall as the vibrations of an uncountable amount of steps began to rock the trees, and the sound of birds and other animals running was barely audible over the oncoming horde.


    "Stay back! Further!" Taryn called out to me, though he did not spare any attention. His gaze was locked in the direction of the noise, teeth clenched tightly.


    I listened to him, I stepped far enough away from him that there would be no possible reason for him to worry about our proximity. When it was all said and done I stood some fifteen feet from his spot, and could only look on in horror as the first group began to emerge. They looked very much like the others, the corpses of random men who had fallen prey to the Plague.


    "NIXI!" was all I heard as Taryn leapt with a roar at the nearest Plague. His sword hummed and the creature collapsed, already sliced through. He began his one-man assault as more and more Plague poured out of the trees like a river which had burst through a dam. Half of the monsters barely managed to stand as the ones behind pushed through and over with such eagerness that all I could hear were bones snapping.


    Taryn went at it with such eagerness it was almost revolting, his sword sang time and again while he twisted through the crowd of the Plague. Up his blade went and an arm went flying, down the blade sank and a Plague followed it to the ground. The sword slashed in, it dipped around and it danced with ease through the whole group.


    For a while all I did was watch, it was almost mesmerizing to see as he effortlessly slipped past the reaching hands, into close range with the Plague and then tore them to shreds. His beautiful blade which had started out so white began to darken, black smears of sickened blood started to cling to it much like the hands of the Plague on Taryn''s body.


    Too many, far too many, I thought to myself as I began to run toward him. I changed my Shatterblade again into a long-handled thin battle-axe, and I called out my challenge to the beasts.


    Some turned, though most ignored me as they too seemed entranced by Taryn''s dance of death. Those who turned charged at me with a single-mindedness, there was no intelligence in their actions and so I easily swept through the first few. My axe had enough range that they couldn''t even get close enough to touch me, so I began to feel quite secure in my actions.


    I swung my axe, a head flew off of one of the Plague''s bodies and the remains crumpled down. A second one moved in immediately to fill the space I had created and I struggled with my body to do a return swing. The axe slashed into the skull, then stopped as it hit a second head a second later. I hadn''t used enough force to clear two skulls, and was forced to desperately try to dislodge my axe.


    A few more of the Plague pushed in toward me while I struggled, and I ended up shifting the Shatterblade into a different weapon. A scimitar, designed for close range and flourishes, I turned away from the still distant and slightly beheaded Plague to the far greater threats. My scimitar cut into the upper chest of one, pierced the heart before I withdrew it in the blink of an eye.


    I sidestepped the hands of the second Plague, my scimitar swept up and I calmly chopped the front of the face off, before I twisted and drove the scimitar back down into the remains of the head and finished it off. A quick step away, with a tug on the scimitar, and I was free.


    Something shifted, the Plague around me began to move differently. I don''t know when I realized it, but I leapt up into the air and grabbed a low hanging branch as Plague swept in from all directions at once. It was a coordinated effort on their part, something that required intellect.


    Intellect the Plague were not supposed to have. I frowned, but had little time for thoughts as they all looked up directly at me and began to try and leap after my hanging form. I grunted as I swung my body, then loosed my grip and hurtled through the air to a clear spot not too far from my leaping point.


    I caught a glimpse of a bloody Taryn through the cluster of the Plague. His clothes had started to be shredded, his pale skin shined almost as badly as the Plague themselves. His sword continued to swing, yet had started to slow and a bit of blood began to seep from his mouth.


    I tightened my grip on the Shatterblade, and focused it into the form of a whipblade. It was a weapon not heavily favored by the Empire, so when I went to learn it I had to spend time with a Vharani mercenary. The desert folk favored the weapon, while most others viewed it as too unpredictable for safe usage.


    I cared little for that at the given time, and twirled the length of the blade. The individual bladed parts of the whip separated and the overall length reached some ten feet in totality. I swung it with a certain degree of expertise that would''ve impressed my teacher, and instantly realized that this was an amazingly good weapon for the Plague.


    The Plague had softer bodies than most, and their bones were also a bit too soft for their own good. So when I whipped my weapon into them I expected to do some good damage, possibly cut off a head and then have to retract it. Instead the whip snapped into and through two Plague instantly, and a third was staggered by the final motion of the whip itself. I twisted, lifted my hand and drew the whip into an overhead swing.


    I snapped it down, and sliced a Plague directly in half vertically, the two parts of the body fell to the side to reveal that a second Plague who stood behind the first had lost a shoulder along with the arm. I backed up as the Plague charged in, even as I pulled the whip back toward me.


    I held it at a side point, then snapped it out in an almost casual way to the nearest Plague. It caught the blade, or at least tried to, and lost the hand along with half it''s head in the process. The whip cut through the squishy creature and sank into a second with such suddenness that it simply died without resistance.


    Yet while I was having no issues with those in front of me there were more Plague who had begun to once more surround my position. They ran toward me with a speed that was shocking, for I had forgotten the acceleration they held. In fact, throughout the whole of the fight the Plague as a whole had moved at a very slow rate...which was starting to change.


    With no time to respond I shifted my Shatterblade again, my mind screamed in protest at the exhaustion I had forced upon it by doing so. It warped, becoming two arm guards with blades built into the ends. The arm guards consisted of layers, overlapping metal pieces, while the blades were thin and long enough to outreach my fists.


    I had no time to think as the Plague swarmed toward me with more speed than before, their hands grasped toward me. I swung my arms out, and began to try and fight my way through with hand-to-hand skills. The blades sliced in and cut off many a body part, yet few heads managed to be decapitated. I turned, delivered a strong side kick to one Plague in the chest, and then had to retract my leg and backhand as hard as I could at another which gripped at my shoulder.


    The Plague continued to pile in, their hands always reaching and their mouths gaping wide open. Shrieks would come at random, growls and groans were far more plentiful. I elbowed a Plague that was directly behind me, then shifted my weight forward and punched my blade square into the chest of the one in front. I dropped down, swept out my leg and caught two of the Plague with a leg hook. While they fell I jumped up and sliced with my right bladed armguard at random behind me.


    Again and again I struggled, and the Plague kept moving in. I did not bother counting how many I had killed, I merely continued to move through the crowd as best I could. I jumped and kneed one in the jaw, then drove my elbow square into it''s nose so hard the face caved inward. I used my arm guards to fend off as much as I could, but fatigue had begun to grow in my limbs.


    It was a minor mistake, I didn''t lift my arm up high enough and a single hand got in close to my face. A nail, long, raked along my cheek before I managed to correct my error and chopped the offending body part off. Still the cut was enough, I began to bleed and my already quickened heartbeat started to pound even harder. To make matters worse the Plague did something strange.


    They backed away from me. They all stood or crouched at about four feet from where I stood. Each one watched me, their eyes dull and white as always while they moaned continually. I could feel the blood that welled up from the cut on my cheek, but I ignored it and constantly looked about in confusion. The Plague did not stop, they fought until they died!


    In that moment of temporary silence I caught another glimpse of Taryn and his fight. His blade was pitch black, his body pale and his eyes seemed to have been stained by blood. His mouth hung open as he roared in fury and carved his way through one Plague, then used his own teeth to rip the throat of another off. I could only watch in fear, and perhaps awe.


    Before I could figure out what was happening I heard the Plague from behind me start to stir, and then they all leaped. I turned to try and fend them off, yet the rest who had remained still surged forward with such speed that I couldn''t even follow it. Life was in no way as fair as stories often made them out to be, and the Plague took full advantage of their numerical advantage.


    I screamed in rage and pain as teeth and nails cut into me. I whirled, anger erupting from within and decapitated three in one attack. Blood started to spread all over my clothes as I charged into the Plague, I gave over the concept of defense and focused entirely on destroying them.


    How long did it take? I''m not sure, yet by the end I stood over a massive mound of dead Plague who were all sickeningly offensive to the nose. Their black blood smeared me from top to bottom, the forest itself had been stained and perhaps would never return to normal. I gasped in air over and over again, I had lived and did not expect to do so. I looked up to the skies above, I smiled at the thought of my personal victory.


    eat..


    A small voice, effeminate, filtered in through the air. I frowned, then cried in pain as a sensation of a million knives stabbed into my left arm. I fell to my knees and looked down at my tattered form and body. Blood crept from numerous wounds, my clothes were more or less nothing more than rags that barely covered anything.


    My left arm had changed. A small black dot had appeared near the wrist, one that started to creep upward on my arm. Every second that passed a new dot appeared, connected to the last, and after a minute it had taken on the form of a vine. All the while pain continually pierced my arm, my ability to reason started to falter as all I knew was that horrific sensation.


    eat..


    The female voice again whispered in my ears, I blinked and looked around and realized I was alone. Like a phantom of the past I could almost feel it, it was not there yet I could still feel the weight of someone who pressed in close. Her skin was soft, her voice beautiful, and almost intoxicating. She began to whisper more and more into my ear, she slipped her hands over my face and body and constantly begged me to do one simple thing. That single word that never stopped, that one word which kept on coming.


    Eat!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 7 - A Sliver Of Crimson

    Tears slid down from my eyes, all I could feel was the sensation of sharp pain that tore at my left arm. The area around me was a wasteland of corpses coated in blackened blood and rotten organs, the air tainted with a stench that was fouler than anything I could recall. My body was covered in a combination of my blood and the remains of what had splattered onto me from the Plague.


    eat?


    The voice continued to persist with more urgency as time passed. I could feel Her, I knew She was here but at the same time there was nobody else save for me. Like a ghost that should not exist there was a presence of another, one who lingered around me with soft hands and a beautiful voice. Over and over she requested me to do something, she wanted me to do something so simple. My Shatterblade fell from my arms with a soft noise, yet it was unimportant to me.


    Eaaaat


    The more She said it the less I started to hear aside from Her voice, the wind that blew and the rustled leaves became inaudible and the sound of my own heartbeat no longer roared in my ears. It seemed so simple, really, if I did what She wanted I could probably stop suffering, couldn''t I? The tears kept coming yet how little that mattered, my gaze lifted toward the heavens while from my chin the tears dripped.


    Eat!


    Her tone became more demanding, the volume increased and soon that singular word started to be spoken so fast I could only hear Her. I felt Her ethereal hands gripping my face, and She pulled my gaze down to look ahead of where I was. It was in that moment I realized that I could almost see Her. The body of the Woman was pure white, yet somewhat mist like, and even with what I saw I was mesmerized. She was beautiful to the point that I couldn''t tear my gaze away, She was flawless to the point of impossibility. Her red eyes stared at me, Her white hair spilled out behind and around Her nude form like a glorious frame to a work of art.


    Eat! EAT!


    She had stopped pleading, she was commanding and I began to listen. It made perfect sense to me, if I ate then everything would be better. I didn''t know why I thought that way, it was simply a fact that entered my mind. I had stopped crying by then started to rise as She guided me into standing.


    Eat! EAT EAT EAT EAT!


    The pain in my arm could no longer be felt, at some point it had gone from sharp pain that made me want to crumple into a warm sensation. It had turned comfortable and warm, to the point that I wanted it to always be there. The vine had crept up almost all the way to my shoulder, and as I took a step forward it seemed to grow even more.


    Her voice had grown absolute, and as I walked forward another step my world started to change. All I saw was Her in front of me and it was all I needed to see. All I heard was Her and it was all I needed to hear. She guided me with Her hands, She pulled me where I needed to go. I did not need to worry anymore because She was there.


    Without warning a Plague was in front of me. His hands gripped my shoulders tightly, his mouth swung open and closed. He looked at me with his crimson eyes and pure white skin, the clothes he wore were tattered and destroyed. Up his left arm ran a vine that mirrored my own, while on his barely visible chest I could clearly see a blooming rose.


    I struggled, She wanted me to struggle and so I did. I swung my hands out, frantically, I attempted to push him away and get some space. I could not let him take Her from me, I needed to stop him before he ruined everything.


    Blood flew everywhere, the Plague''s face and body were coated in blood that was his own. His hands dripped freely, his mouth had blood that dripped continually from it. He looked surprised at my actions, then his eyes narrowed and he yelled. I heard nothing, She was the only voice I needed to hear and I did not want to ever let it stop entering my ears.


    The next thing I knew I was shoved to the ground, hard enough that the air rushed from my lungs, and the Plague crushed down onto my arms with his knees. He straddled me while he used his hands, one shoved down onto my shoulder to pin me and the other to grip my face. I cried out in horror and frustration, I yelled and struggled as hard as I could yet could not get free.


    His mouth lowered and I knew it was over, before I could even make Her happy I was about to lose my life. I had never known what failure was as I did in failing Her, and there was only intense shame in that moment. The Plague brought his mouth down and I knew I was to be eaten alive, and as he shoved his mouth hard against my own I could only be confused.


    It was not a kiss, let me say that here and now. It was too forceful and intrusive to be called something as gentle as a kiss. I''m sure to an outsider it might have seemed like one, but to me it was painful and unwanted. Then there was the metallic flavor that flooded into my mouth, the taste of something easily recognized.


    Blood, warm blood, and it was not my own.


    I felt a wrench, as though the world had been ripped halfway through the universe to a new location. There was a feeling down in the core of my being that shuddered so violently that nothing would ever be the same again. At that moment two things occurred.


    The first was that I tore my arm out from under Taryn''s knee and slugged him so hard in the face that he flew some five feet away. He hit the ground hard, smashed up against a corpse of one of the Plague. I coughed out some of the remaining blood, though most had invaded my throat and gone into my body.


    The second was She was gone, and I heaved a sigh of relief. The pain in my left arm returned, far worse than before, as the vine started to tear itself away from my flesh. In truth that is what happened, the black vine that had invaded part of my body ripped away like a plant tearing away from the ground, and blood started to spill out from the new wound.


    After all of it was gone I stared at the fresh cut that went down my left arm, then I looked toward Taryn with a look of shock and concern. I didn''t know at that time what he had done, yet I still knew he had done me a favor I could never return. I stood back up and ran over toward him, in time to watch as he rolled over.


    "Hey Lily," he said, a smile on his face. It was not one of his fearsome smiles, nor one of his childish smiles. It was an actual smile.


    "Taryn, what did you do?" I asked, as I went to try and help him up. His body was still pale, his eyes still that crimson hue. The mark of the Plague clearly stood out on him, yet his eyes did not match with what normally was seen.


    Taryn attempted a shrug, then he coughed up a bit of blood and closed his eyes. I thought he had died at that time and started to tear up, before my legionnaire training kicked in and I decided to check for a pulse.


    It was there, it was weak but it was there. The fact that he was bleeding far worse than I made matters worse, though it gave me a goal for the moment. I had no bandages and neither did Taryn, all of those would have been on the wagon we had left prior to the battle. There was only one source of semi-clean clothing present, and I cringed at the thought of using it.


    ? ? ? ? ?


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    By the time I was done I had been stripped to my underwear and Taryn had only his pants and boots on. I had dressed his wounds, and most of mine as well, though without the proper amount of material I could not get to all of the open cuts.


    Taryn had not woken up, his pulse was steady but he refused to open his eyes. I looked around and found that the area was a wasteland of corpses. What had been a beautiful section of grass and trees had turned black with rotten blood and pale with the bodies of the Plague.


    In the distance I could still hear the sound of a bell tower, barely audible at this distance, and I realized that Vicna was most likely still under attack. If we had fought as many as Taryn claimed then that meant even more would be there? So many more? An amount that staggered my mind. I could not move to Vicna for assistance, and if I went to the road there was a good chance either Plague or slavers would be there.


    I began to gather some sticks together, and then used a few fabrics that had yet to be used in order to create a type of crude litter. I had only ever made a few in the past, during my training days, and found that it was much harder to do than I could remember. The finished product was shoddy, looked unreliable and had no wheels.


    I scanned the area, and then realized I did not have my Shatterblade on me. I could not recall exactly when it had dropped, though I felt that it was probably related to Her and what She had been doing to me. I shuddered at that memory, and then focused on finding it. It was not a hard task, as all I had to do was lift my left arm up and snap my fingers.


    I concentrated and felt something odd as I tried to command the Shatterblade, it slowly coalesced once more onto my arm like a pair of twin bracelets. I opted to have them on the same wrist again, I had begun to enjoy that style and liked the sound of the metal clinking on metal it generated.


    The two bracelets formed, but what I saw shocked me. While one was pure silver and flawless as always the other was most definitely not. Instead that single ring that encircled my wrist, that twin sister to the first, was crimson in hue. I stared at it, severely confused, and began to worry about what might happen when I used it. I decided it would be best to not think about it for the moment and instead focus on getting Taryn and I to safety.


    When I went to pick up Taryn and to place him on my poorly made litter his coloring had started to shift. No longer was he as pale as a Plague, but instead he had a hint of warmth that made him look slightly sick. I lifted him up and found that he was far lighter than I ever could have expected, and easily placed him on the litter.


    How long had it been since the battle had started? I looked up and tried to see the sun through the sky, but the foliage blocked my line of sight. I could only guess it had been at least half a day of pure fighting, my body still ached everywhere from the over-expenditure of energy. I would likely feel it for days to come. With that uncomfortable thought in mind I started to drag the half-dead Taryn off to the west.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Why the west? Because it was the way that Shorty had gone, and so I deemed it as the better way to go. I hoped to find a small farm house or perhaps a village at which to seek shelter. If I met anyone on the road and they were heading toward or away from Vicna the chances of it being a slaver were high.


    Half-naked and tired I dragged Taryn through the forest for what seemed to be an eternity. Every second ticked by, and all I could do was think about everything that had happened. Yet every time my memory started to linger on Her I immediately rejected it. I would not think about Her if I could help it.


    I had started to grow concerned about nightfall when I stumbled out of the forest onto a nice open section of land. There was a stream that ran gently from the north to the south. Most likely it originated from out of one of the mountains near the central part of the Kingdom. I placed the litter and Taryn down, as gently as possible given his condition, and walked over to investigate it.


    The water was clear, it sparkled and when I sniffed at it I noticed no distinct oddities. The plants flourished freely around it, and there were no visible animal corpses anywhere. I put a finger into it, then flinched at how cool it was. I tasted the water that had moistened my finger and found it to be without any trace of toxin.


    I spent the next hour getting a fire going. Some would say that taking an hour to create a fire when you lacked the proper tools to do so is slow, yet after having spent so much time in training I had watched men spend an entire day failing to create a spark. I was very happy as I breathed life into the fire, gently, and transferred the glowing sparks of hope onto the firepit. Smoke billowed out and I cried for joy, a smile plastered across my face.


    Warmth poured out from it, and I then decided it was time to do something about my and Taryn''s filthy state of body. I peeled the remaining clothes I had, my underwear, off and then did the same to Taryn.


    It was easy enough to do, and I am not going to talk about how Taryn looked nor how I felt in regard to that scenario. What I will talk about is how horrifically cold the water of the stream was. As I soaked in it I carefully maneuvered the unconscious Taryn so that most of him would be submerged.


    It was perhaps not the wisest idea, given our numerous cuts, but we were both coated in rotting blood and organ chunks from the Plague. Left alone we would be infected, and we needed desperately to be cleaned. If the water had been warm it probably would have killed us, but thanks to the cool temperature of the water our bleeding did not worsen.


    When I dragged him out of the water I pulled him over to the fire, then washed our remaining clothes in the stream. I used some sticks and hung our clothing near the warmth of the flames so they would dry.


    I noticed something while washing the clothes in the stream, my body had changed in a way that was potentially concerning. When I looked into the water I could see myself, and what I saw was my usual blue eyes and raven black hair, yet they were not the same. My left eye held a small sliver of red in them, a crimson that made me think of Taryn.


    My hair had a streak of silver that ran down all the way to the end, a fact I had failed to notice up to that point due to being mentally busy. I pulled my ponytail away from my neck and looked at it, then frowned even more deeply. I glanced toward Taryn, inclined my head in slight confusion, and then wrapped my ponytail around my neck once more.


    I studied the area, not caring about my current state of undress and instead more worried about what might be on the horizon. To the north I could see the edge of the forest as it curled and went west even further. The south was barren, it was only plains with a slight undulation of hills and nothing to mark civilization.


    Far far off in the distance I thought I noticed some smoke to the west. I nodded my head as though to affirm my thoughts, that would be our destination in the morning. The sky had started to grow dark as the sun set, the cool of the night. I shivered as a cold breeze pushed in from the south, and then turned back to the fire.


    At some point in the night I woke up to realize I had curled up to Taryn for extra warmth. That bastard.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 8- Borrowing A Cup Of Sugar

    It was the warmth of the sun as the streams of light hit me which woke me in the morning. I stirred, arms wrapped around my comfortable pillow, and then paused at that thought. I opened my eyes then sighed in annoyance as I shoved Taryn away from me. I glanced at the heavens and noted the positioning of the sun, which was still mostly obscured by foliage to the east.


    The day had already started off on the wrong foot due to Taryn, or at least that was how I felt. I stood up, stretched and began to take in the surroundings as quickly as was possible. On the eastern horizon the half-obscured sun was welcoming the day with a cheery face and brilliant colors, while nothing to the north and south had changed from the day prior. The smoke I had seen to the west had stopped at some point, so there was a chance it was a potential hallucination on my part.


    My fire had smoldered and grown almost non-existent, which had lead to an increasingly colder and colder night. I ignored the remains of the fire, as I had no interest in sticking around in this area for much longer. Instead I turned my attention to the helpless oaf who was Taryn.


    He laid there, unmoving save for the rise and fall of his chest. Clearly he was breathing, and as I checked his pulse I found it to be satisfactory. I poked at him, attempted to tickle him and even pinched his nose for a short moment. Nothing seemed to waken him from the slumber he was locked in.


    The first thing I dealt with was my natural duty to nature, and after that I washed my hands and ran some water over my face. I studied the changes in my features again, that odd crimson sliver in the eye along with the silver streak in the black hair. Neither of them made sense, and seemed to correlate to something that was done by Her or by Taryn.


    In either case I could only shrug my shoulders and return to getting along with life. To ponder too long would get me nowhere, and so I decided to acquire some food. My upset stomach demanded to be fed, and I recalled from the previous evening the location of some bushes of berries and nuts.


    However I had no container, and so I walked over to the drying clothes and began to tear apart the pants of Taryn. I did not remove them entirely, instead the pants that he had used for so long were converted into shorts. With some careful weaving I created a very basic pouch, and then I put it to the side.


    I then spent the next bit of time working on clothing Taryn, I did not need to see his naked body anymore. Once more I shall avoid talking about my thoughts and feelings in regard to that scenario, though after he was dressed I clothed myself. All I had on me was my underwear, while Taryn at least had underwear plus some scraps one could call shorts.


    Both of us were dressed in rough bandages, they covered our major wounds and had helped stave off imminent death via blood loss. Oddly enough I was already able to start removing some of mine, though with a wince as certain wounds had not fully healed. The long wound down my left arm had stopped bleeding, and looked to be well on the way to scarring.


    I picked up my little pouch and headed off into the forest, my bracelets on my left wrist clinking together musically with each step. As I walked through the forest I encountered no animals save for a sparrow or two, and the overall ambiance of the place remained peaceful.


    One might think that a forest in the middle of nowhere is quiet, but that is the wrong belief. A forest is alive, even as I walked through it the sound of birds and critters moving around was ever present. Every so often I even stopped, frozen and alert, at the sound of bushes rustling from a fox or other animal darting away from me.


    By the time I reached the berries I had already become stressed by the continual potential for death that I felt was coming. Thankfully as I scavenged nothing leapt out and murdered me, and the air itself had an overall peaceful feel to it. I even munched on some berries while in the midst of acquiring my goods, popping them in my mouth and enjoying the taste.


    I emerged from the forest a short while later, back at the campsite once more. Taryn had not moved from where I had left him although he had acquired a few visitors. Two birds, small and curious about who or what he was had settled onto a log. I shooed them away, mostly out of concern that they might decide to start building a nest on his head.


    I left the pouch of food on Taryn''s chest, then went and picked up the litter. I had scouted the stream while bathing in it the night before and had located a somewhat shallower area that only reached up to my shin. I carried the litter over the stream, then left it on the farside of the stream.


    I stopped at the water in order to gorge on it. An old tip Sciroco had given me while training my survival skills, when in a low food scenario using excessive water can trick your stomach. So I drank, then drank more, and finally stopped before bursting. I almost felt like I sloshed as I walked over to where Taryn was and scooped him up.


    I carried him like he had carried me that one night, over the shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I felt there was a certain sense of justice to it as I stepped back over the stream and then placed him gently on the litter. The fact that I could have roughly tossed him onto the litter came to mind after I had laid him out so carefully.


    I sighed. "Whatever," I said to nobody, before I stepped in front of the litter and then once again began my journey to the west. By the time I started out the sun had already reached halfway to noon, so I surmised I had plenty of time to reach whatever had created the smoke from the previous night.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Plenty of time? No, more like barely made it in time. As I crested a hill with the sun sinking steadily onto the horizon I almost shouted for joy. There in front of me rested a small wooden house with a solitary chimney, a field that had some type of vegetables growing in it along with a barn or storehouse directly next to the field.


    I bounded down the hill initially, so energized and excited by coming across a house that I lost myself. I dragged poor Taryn down that hill like he was a doll, he bounced on the litter and almost fell off numerous times, saved only by some stroke of luck I could call fate.


    Yet halfway down the slope, as smoke started to come from out of the chimney and the lights inside the house flared into life, I began to realize that caution might be a necessity. I was a half-naked woman with a half-dead man, and I had no visible weapons.


    For the most part people in the Empire are friendly, especially the solitary farmers. They tend to spend most of their free time working on the soil and rarely waste time harming others. When they have time they often head into the nearest village or town and get drunk with their friends, flirt with the local women and attempt to make children.


    I decided to study the terrain a bit more so I slowed my approach, quietened my steps and tried a bit for stealth. The farmhouse itself was nondescript, wooden in construct with a stone chimney. A wooden fence stretched out around the house, the field and the storehouse, almost like a wooden wall rather than a fence. Obviously they had constructed it to keep critters from easily accessing the interior of the farm.


    The gate was simple, as I crept up to it I noted that it had a simple wooden latch and the hinges in turn were also wood. While I favored metal hinges, in this case I was happy as when crafted from wood they would make no noise as I opened the gate.


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    With one hand I opened the gate, then I slipped in with the litter and closed the gate. On the inside of the farm I was able to see a variety of bushes, some of which were flowers and others which were berries. I dragged the litter over to the nearest cluster of bushes, then I left it there while I approached the house.


    From the inside I could hear three masculine voices and a single female voice. The men were laughing, obnoxiously, while the woman seemed to be crying more so than anything else. I heard comments that involved slaves, wenches and how many times could they do something before something.


    I purposefully am not explaining what those words are for the children in the audience. I''m sure the adults know what I''m talking about.


    It was a bad situation based on what I had heard, and as I walked up to the door I already had a measure of regret over what I was about to do. I reached out and rapped on the door, waited a moment and then repeated my previous action.


    The men grew quiet, and then one barked at the woman to open the door. Nothing dumb, he said, nothing dumb or else he''d teach her how long he could go for. I gritted my teeth at that, then as the door started to open I attempted to adjust myself to look as relaxed as possible. I assumed an aura of one who does not care that they''re naked, I produced my breasts in front of me in a fetching manner that would make any man stop and drool.


    The door opened and the girl in front of me could only look in shock, while the men behind her all started to whisper to one another. Nymph one said, goddess another and the final one mentioned something about a slut of the wild. I marked that one mentally, he had a mustache and short cut hair.


    The girl, for she was even younger than I and could not be a woman, wore clothes that could only be called at the peasant level of wealth. Her dress was long enough to reach her knees, yet had been creased and ruined with minor rips here and there. Her dirty blond hair had been pulled up underneath a handkerchief, brown colored, while her blue eyes darted left and right in confusion. What I noticed most of all, however, was the collar around her neck. A slave collar, one that had recently been placed given the blood visible as it dripped away from under it.


    I smiled at the girl, who in turn looked at me with wide eyes that held both fear and desperation in them. She motioned with her hand which the men could not see, while she mouthed the word ''run''. I shook my head gently, then casually pushed past her into the interior of the house. "Looks like a nice place," I commented in a calm tone of voice that surprised even me.


    The inside of the house was not too complex, along the right rested the fireplace which crackled and illuminated most of the room. A couch hugged the wall on the left, a small bookcase was tucked into a corner. Mustache had seated himself on the far side of the room at a dining table, fork in one hand while food rested in front of him on the table itself.


    On the couch sat Skinny, as I opted to call him mentally. He was thin as a rail, tall and had some wicked looking knife twirling in his hand. He flashed a grin at me, with one eye milky white and ugly. The third man was at the table with Mustache, his arms thick with muscles and his overall height impressive. A large sword sat near him, I would surmise a type of broadsword, while he casually ate a chunk of meat with savage noise and a lack of manners.


    I leaned forward, and began to study the rest of the room. To the immediate left was a door which stood open, I could see a small bed inside along with a dresser that had been knocked over. The sheets were crumpled and the overall look of the place was depressing. To the left of the dining table was another door, one that was closed and most likely lead to another bedroom.


    "Like what you see?" I asked of the men in front of me, as I clasped my bra-covered breasts and pushed them up and closer to one another.


    The response was immediate, all three started to stand up while breathing heavier. I could already tell that Skinny was a bit too eager, he had bulged in a way that made it obvious of what he wanted. As he stepped toward me the other two shouted at him, they didn''t want him getting to me first.


    Skinny turned away from me for a second to address his comrades, and I capitulated on his error. I leapt forward and gripped onto his left arm, then easily snapped it like the twig that it was. He screamed in pain at that, but I didn''t surrender to his cries for mercy as I yanked him down toward the ground and rammed my knee into his face.


    Muscles and Mustache realized in no time at all that I was no mere nymph of the forest, and they pulled out their weapons. With the drawing of weapons I felt it was time to pull out my own, and so I snapped my fingers and visualized what weapon I wanted. It felt odd again, which is hard to explain. It was like instead of a lemon I had encountered a lemon with a hint of orange in it.


    It was not only the two remaining slavers but also myself who stared at the short sword I now grasped in my right hand. The silver that was normally visible rested in it, but now a vein of scarlet ran from the handle all the way to the tip of the blade. Like a line of blood that had permanently stained it.


    I had no time to think about the significance of that, as Muscles charged at me with his mighty sword. He brought it in from the right side, a massive swing of metal and power which would easily blow me away from the sheer force. I lifted my sword and braced for the impact, only to be utterly shocked when I didn''t even move an inch.


    Muscles in turn staggered away, as though all the power he had unloaded turned back on him. He stared at me with wild eyes while Mustache came in with an axe. An overhead chop that aimed to cut into my left shoulder, fast and deadly enough that I would fail to dodge it in time.


    Yet as my blood pumped and roared in my ears I felt like his axe came far too slow, and slipped in close to him. Before he could even realize I was there I had already driven my sword directly into the target I had aimed for from the start. As he yelled in horror at what had been done to him I twirled, a flourish of metal which sent the head on his shoulders flying.


    "What the hell are you?" Muscles asked before he turned and charged toward the closed door. He hit it hard with his left shoulder and burst through even as I started to chase after him. If he had a hostage in there I''d be in trouble, and if he escaped out a window and acquired some friends it''d definitely be a problem.


    He was so very slow, I caught up to him without even trying like a bolt of lightning. He turned at the sound of my impending approach and staggered away in fright. His broadsword waved wildly, while he collapsed onto the ground in front of a full body mirror.


    I knocked the sword aside with a flick of my sword, and then stepped in with a thrust to his chest. Blood welled out of his mouth, he gurgled and then went limp while I withdrew my sword. I had figured I would have felt horrible at this, at murdering people..


    The only idea I could think was that through butchering all of those Plague I had started to grow dull to the sensation of killing. It was like a crucible I had been forced through, one that I should not have survived. I clicked my tongue at that though, and then took a step back and lifted my gaze. I almost gasped at what I saw in front of me, cast in that mirror.


    My left eye had turned entirely crimson.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 9 - A Nighttime Stroll

    My eye was entirely red, and I wasn''t quite sure what it meant. I moved closer to the mirror, stepping over the corpse of Muscles the slaver. I peered into the mirror at my face and studied what I saw, that odd crimson hue drawing all my attention.


    I could hear the girl from before as she ran outside, yet I didn''t care as all I saw was the red eye. I breathed in deeply, I tried to calm down and force the hallucination I was obviously seeing to go away. At first I didn''t even notice the change, then it became too obvious not to see. The crimson slowly was replaced by slices of my natural blue, as though pieces of the red were being cut away each time I blinked.


    For a while I simply watched the change, I found it to be a combination of amusing and horrifying. I wasn''t certain why my eye had turned entirely red, though perhaps it had something to do with the oddities that had occurred in the previous fight? After a while, my breathing returned to normal and my pulse quieted the redness in my eye had vanished entirely, save for a single sliver.


    Content with the reversal of the crimson eye, I stepped out of the bedroom and surveyed the damage I had wrought. The headless corpse of Mustache continued to ooze blood while Skinny had not moved in the slightest. With something as simple as a knee to the face he should''ve recovered by now, and so I walked over to inspect him.


    What I found out was that Skinny no longer had a pulse nor did he breath. I had only kneed him square in the face, something I had done numerous times to legionnaires during training. Yet this time it seemed I had used far more force than normal, his skull had caved in and a bit of his brain matter had been squeezed out his ears.


    I walked out of the house a moment later, bracelets clinking musically on my left wrist. Outside I could easily hear the sound of the girl as she struggled with metal chains somewhere nearby, and so I studied the area and found that she was at the storehouse.


    Half naked while also covered in blood I walked over to the storehouse, my bracelets sounding out my approach to the girl who lay ahead. At that sound she turned, her face twisted into one of horror. I looked like some wild monster from the forest, born to murder people and rip their heads off.


    "It''s alright!" I told her in a gentle tone, while I held up my hands as though to try and reassure her.


    Her response was to cower away from me as though I would bring death with the slightest touch. She backed away from the storehouse, away from the chains she obviously wanted to remove. I noticed this, and motioned her to step further back before I walked up to the double door that covered the front of the building. With a snap of my fingers I coalesced a small axe in my right hand, an action which caused her to scream in fright.


    I ignored her, as I raised the axe up and brought it down loudly on the chains. The axe cut through the cheap iron like it was made of butter, and I once more returned my Shatterblade to the dormant form. I grasped the chains and then tore them off, tossing the metal randomly behind me.


    With a slight push I caused the two doors to swing inward, light slowly spilled forward to illuminate the interior of the storehouse. I stepped away from it, and gestured with my arm toward the young girl that she could progress inward. She followed through on that offering, though she crept past me carefully. I had never stopped to think, never even though to check on what was inside before letting her past.


    She screamed, a scream that was far worse than any I had ever heard before. What came next would be the birth of a new nightmare that would haunt me for years to come.


    I burst into the storehouse afraid that someone had attacked the girl, I prepared to summon my Shatterblade and defend her to the death. what I saw, however, was a sight that made me want to vomit. I grabbed the girl and roughly shoved her outside of the storehouse. "Don''t come in!" I yelled at her, before I pushed the two doors closed behind her, and then turned back to survey the hellish scene.


    The father, or I suspect it was the father, was obviously no longer alive. He had been ripped apart, his skin crudely removed with a blunt blade. He had a look of horror on his face as his eyes stared out from the skinless and hairless head, mouth gaped open. His body was suspended in the air, a pool of blood having formed below where he was located.


    A hook had been rammed into his backside, and it in turn was attached to a rope. The rope that held him ran up to the top of the storehouse, and wrapped about a wooden beam. Without a seconds hesitation I sliced him down, and then sighed as I turned my gaze to the other victim.


    To call her a mother anymore would be impossible, she was merely a corpse that had yet to die. Her body showed signs of abuse in more ways than one, while her clothes had been removed permanently and was not located within the confines of the storehouse. Her eyes had been burned, enough to make them useless while not so much that she would die from the trauma.


    The young sell for more, the old tend to simply cause problems. It was something I had overheard in a bar while on my way to Fisk, and that sentence came back to haunt me at this moment.


    "I''m sorry, I can''t help you," I said to her, though I did not touch her. I knew that she would react in fear if I did that.


    The woman heard my voice, heard my apology and turned to face toward me. I could tell she was trying to cry, yet her tears had all been used up long ago. She trembled as she lifted her hands up, her mouth opened and she attempted to speak. It was then I noticed that her tongue was missing, most likely cut out by the slavers. Her words she tried to speak were nothing more than slurred gibberish.


    I understood anyways.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    I carried the litter behind me as always, pulling the unconscious Taryn. I wore a blouse that was one size too small and pants that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. My feet now had boots which had belonged to the mother of Maria.


    I had managed to clothe Taryn using the old farmers clothes, the choices surprisingly quite varied. I ended up giving him a simplistic long-sleeved shirt, one that hung loose in the front and revealed a part of his stigma on the chest. If I had the time and skill I probably would have sewn up the front so as to fully hide away the mark of the Plague.


    The pants were a dark brown, they fit loosely and the boots I had acquired by pilfering the ones which Skinny utilized. It was perhaps a bit rude to raid the corpses for clothes, but I had no compassion for the slavers anymore.


    Behind me in the distance a roaring fire had erupted, it consumed the totality of the farm that I had come from. I did not look back, though the twelve-year old Maria often stopped for a second or two to stare before turning back around and rushing to catch up. Before we had left the farm I had spoken with her, I promised to help watch over her until she found someone who she knew to help her.


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    The fact that she had no more family was something she shared with me, and caused me a bit of difficulty. I could only hope that someone in the next town might know her and help out, though I doubted it given the collar around her neck.


    We did not talk about what the slavers had done. I felt that Maria would prefer it that way, especially since I was certain they had not spared her their attentions. In regard to her collar I had to inform her that removing it would kill her, until we could find a proper magical tool.


    I was beginning to understand why Shorty, Skara and Taryn all seemed to hate slavers. In my defense I was accustomed to slaves who lived comfortable lives, had the option to not wear a collar and were more like maids or butlers. The harshness of the slave system was something I had not fully understood until I had left my home and been exposed to the real world.


    Maria had told me that there was a road to the north, about three hours away. While it was the dead of the night I had no distinct urge to stick around that death filled place, especially given the fact that I knew of some Plague who might be in the vicinity.


    So I headed to the north, and then hoped to follow the road west to the small town which Maria promised me was there. Maria had not changed her clothes, and also carried a knapsack that contained some foodstuffs and canteens. It was not a heavy load, and I was happy to have her assistance. Given the oncoming night Maria carried a lantern in one hand, while she held onto the strap of her knapsack with the other.


    The first hour went by with nothing all that astounding, and when the second hour finished I had only begun to grow tired. Maria on the other hand started to stagger, obviously fatigued from the recent happenings and I was forced to stop our trek while still in unknown territory. I put the litter down, then turned to my new companion.


    "Perhaps we can stop here and rest?" I offered to Maria. It would be bad if she collapsed during the middle of the march to the town.


    Maria nodded her head, a slow motion as she swayed ever so slightly. Her eyes were half-opened, and it was obvious to me that she only stood via sheer willpower. Before she laid down she put the lantern on the ground, then almost collapsed onto the plush surface of the plains.


    I sighed, slumping to the ground with a complete lack of grace. I sprawled out, arms and legs spread wide while I stared up at the cloud-filled sky. How I wished I could see the welcome sight of the friendly stars. I breathed out a puff of air, the coolness making it semi-visible. How long had I been dealing with the insanities as of late? It felt like an eternity, yet when I thought back on it I realized almost no time at all had passed.


    The trip from Fisk had been four days, then on the next day I had encountered the Plague. The day after that I had left the forest and stream campsite behind and ran afoul of the farm. Day seven? A single week?


    I grumbled, and closed my eyes as I tried to forget about my troubles. I wasn''t even certain if what I was doing made sense, I had basically run away from home in order to make myself better. I wanted to become someone that my father would accept, and the woman that my mother wished me to become. The strongest daughter, the greatest to ever live.


    I fell asleep shortly thereafter, a deep sleep which promised me a pleasant time for dreaming. What I ended up seeing were scenes from the past week, scenes that had burned themselves into my mind and could never be forgotten. The nightmares paraded, and it was because of them that I ended up awake far earlier than I had planned.


    In a way I''m glad that I had those nightmares, as when I stirred from my slumber I could hear the sound of light footsteps moving about the makeshift campsite. The growls that came meant something was out there, and when I tried to peer into the darkness all I could see were four-legged shadows.


    Rather than standing up I slowly crawled over toward the lantern, my hands stretched out toward it. I gripped it, held it in my left hand and started to rise up from the ground into a standing position while the halo of light rippled outward. When I saw into the dark I began to realize that I was in trouble.


    They were wolves. To be precise they were Black Wolves, or as they were called in the stories I had read as a child they were Night Stalkers. A pack of canines who favored attacking in coordination, and were well known for striking people in their sleep. While they were not as large as the Falks had been south of Fisk, the Black Wolves were larger than the average hound by quite a bit.


    Could I handle a pack of wolves? I was not all too certain, I had changed over the last week yet I doubted the change had been that much. Yet as I stared at them and felt my pulse begin to build a shift came over my mind, and I began to think that maybe I stood a chance.


    I started to smile, a small curl of the lips, while I could feel my blood begin to pump wildly. I lowered myself into a battle-ready stance and summoned forth a short sword into my right hand. I exhaled, the coolness of the surrounding night making it seem as though smoke billowed from my lungs.


    "Come on," I said with a hint of eagerness, I could already feel my victory. All around me the world itself started to move at a slower pace, even the step of the wolves came at longer intervals which made them almost stationary from my perspective.


    Two hands gripped my shoulders from behind, strength that far exceeded my own holding me where I crouched. "Calm down, you''re letting it control you," a voice whispered from behind me, one that was quite recognizable.


    I gasped in shock, and a hint of happiness as I turned toward the man who stood behind me. Taryn stood there, staring at me with that calm face he always wore, though I could see in his eyes a hint of concern. He peered into my eyes and I saw him flinch a bit before he spoke again, "I''m sorry."


    "What?" I asked, confused, as I stood up and felt my pulse slow down. The world itself began to once more move at the regular rate, the wolves continued their pacing though they seemed to have shortened the distance. They moved in a spiral pattern, one which would eventually lead to an attack.


    "I''ll explain later," Taryn said, as he looked at the animals who had surrounded us. He reached down to his hip, then growled as he looked and saw nothing there. "What?! Where is my sword!"


    The sword of alabaster and singing, the sword he had wielded against the Plague back near Vicna. He had wielded it with skill and grace, a weapon that seemed to hold secrets of its own. In the end all I could do was offer up a shrug and an apology. "I''m sorry?"

 Vol. 1 Chapter 10 - Exposition For The Soul

    It was rare for me to see an angry face on Taryn, and yet it was one of those moments while a pack of Black Wolves encircled the camp. To come face to face with the possibility that your only weapon was nowhere close to you was most likely a fact that he found far too difficult to come to grips with. An attempt at a smile was the only apology I could give toward him, while the thought of how to deal with the current crisis was foremost in my thoughts.


    Grasped in my left hand was a lantern that gave out a dull halo of light, one which had helped to illuminate the threat which had arrived in the dead of night. Five Black Wolves had begun a slow circular motion around us, a pattern that continued to tighten as though they followed a slowly inward moving spiral.


    "We don''t have time for this," Taryn muttered, eyes turned to glare at the dark figures which wanted nothing more than devour their prey. "Whatever you do try to keep your control, anger will especially make things worse."


    A desperate need welled up within to ask what he meant, yet I had no time to do that as the wolves leapt into action with howls. The first two that attacked lunged out of the night at a pace which far exceeded the normal mobility of a Human. A snap of the fingers and the Shatterblade formed in my grasp, a long thin handle that extended outward and ended in a large blade.


    The glaive was swung around, the hollow interior of the shaft granting it a significant decrease in overall weight, before I brought the blade down on the head of one of the incoming wolves. The animal howled in pain for a split second before the blade sliced into the brain, then there was only silence from the beast.


    Already the other three wolves had attacked, their attempt to capitulate the opening created by their suicidal companions a solid strategic choice. The noise had increased to the point where the exhausted Maria could do no more than awaken and start to scream in fear, a distraction that served problematic for Taryn and I.


    The second wolf that had charged in with the first was dispatched with a solid punch to the snout, the overall force more than enough to break bones and rend flesh. Taryn stood there with the arm still extended, his gaze shifted over toward Maria who lay upon the ground. "Where did she come from!" Taryn asked of me, though given the situation the answer would have to wait.


    As the trio of wolves leapt into action, fangs glistening in the dull light of the lantern, I tore the glaive out of the skull of the deceased foe and brought it about in a defensive position. The Black Wolf crashed into me, enough weight and force to force a step backward in reaction. With a grunt I managed to shove the wolf off, and then resumed to a battle ready stance.


    The other two had opted to attack Taryn together, as though they had realized he was the greater threat out of everyone present. One nipped at his flank while the other growled and stepped forward aggressively, drawing his attention to the front as much as it could. Taryn had been forced to step closer to Maria, a look of concern on his face while he hovered nearby the young girl.


    When the two wolves attacked the reaction was lightning fast, Taryn lashed out with one boot to knock aside one of the wolves while he caught the open jaws of the other with his hands. He roared into the face of the wolf, then the hands that grasped the jaw pulled apart with the wolf following suit.


    The opponent I had been given opted to be far more careful than his friends, a cautious nature that began to grate on the nerves as the fight should have already been over. A bit of time passed, while Taryn finished off his last opponent with a well placed knee, and still the final wolf glared at me from a short distance.


    Without warning it turned and then darted away from all three of us, swallowed back up into the darkness from whence it came. The noise of the escaping wolf faded out as the distance between us grew larger and larger. With a curious expression on my face I turned to look toward Taryn.


    He looked in the direction of where the wolf had run, gaze never wandered in the slightest while the words came from his mouth. "We should move on, he''s probably going to get the main pack," Taryn informed me, hands flicking to remove the bits of blood and wolf fur that still clung to them.


    "Come on Maria," I said to the girl while helping her to stand up. Once more the lantern was passed to her, while Taryn stepped over and picked up the knapsack that she had been carrying.


    It was with a strange sensation that we walked off to the north, leaving behind a litter and a battlefield that contained dead wolves. The clouds continued to cover the heavens like a heavy blanket, while the noises of the night sounded around us with every step.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The first thing that happened was the conversation, something which had been a long time coming. "I thought slaves aren''t supposed to be stolen," Taryn asked of me as he walked at the back of the group. We had decided to place Maria in the middle with me leading the way, the lantern yet again grasped in hand.


    "Shut up," was my response in regard to that. The hypocrisy of the scenario was one that I had comprehended the moment it had happened, and something which had been accepted just as fast. "How about instead you tell me what you did to me?"


    A question which resulted in Taryn sighing, a sad sigh that could mean a million things. "I''m really sorry about that, but I didn''t want to watch you turn into one of Hers."


    A shudder ran across the skin at the mention of the phantom, a memory that one could wish to never keep yet would always be doomed to recall. "I''m...I''m not upset, I want to understand," I said, turning ever so slightly to look back at Taryn.


    He looked worried, afraid almost, as though what we were talking about would result in something he never wanted to have happen. He looked at me with those green eyes and for the first time ever I felt sorry for the man, though I couldn''t quite understand why.


    "Keep walking, I''ll explain it and if you want to kill me afterward I''ll let you," he stated honestly to me.


    One could only blink in surprise at that, so I merely returned to walking in the direction of the road. In the distance the sound of howls rolled across the plains, far off and thus far not a danger. "That merely makes what you did sound worse," I told him.


    "Well, putting it simple...what do you think the Plague is?"


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    Everyone knew the answer to that question, I scoffed at it, before answering without an assured tone of voice. "It''s a sickness that infects you and turns you into a monster. The Plague hunt and eat the dead without thought."


    Maria thankfully remained quiet while this conversation started, though she had audibly shivered at the mention of the Plague. It was a common reaction for even a young child as her, everyone knew as soon as they were old enough how dangerous the Plague was.


    The response from Taryn was a snort, which caused me to want to turn and punch him for his arrogance. "The Plague isn''t a sickness in the slightest."


    He paused, as though thinking long on what the best way to put the next line would be. It was almost possible to imagine him shrugging before continuing on. "It is a Goddess."


    It was only through a superb sense of balance that I managed to not fall flat on my face, stumbling in response to the severity of what he had stated. There was only one God that was adequately known and communicated with, and that was the God of War Mathias. "Is that who She was?" the question came with a great deal of trepidation from my lips.


    "Yes, Nixi, Goddess of Nature, Decay and Death," Taryn calmly said as though this information was commonplace. He sighed another one of those ever so sad sighs. "Basically she split her soul apart and threw it into a bunch of people, and is trying to devour everyone."


    "Why would anyone do something that insane, let alone a Goddess?"


    "That I can''t answer, though it might be that she went insane when Humans stopped acknowledging her," Taryn answered.


    A woman scorned, I thought darkly before I probed for more answers. "So how did you manage to chase her out of me?"


    "You fight a soul with a soul," was his simple answer.


    The next part made me somewhat flustered, as well as thankful for the cover of the night and the fact that Taryn could only see my backside. "Why did you do it that way?" I murmured, barely audible.


    Taryn didn''t seem to hear me as we continued to walk forward in silence, his feet stepped so lightly that I had thought he had ran off on us. A glance back proved he was still there, with a face darkened with thoughts which one could only guess at.


    "What''s going on with the red eye?" I finally asked, a question that desperately needed an answer.


    Taryn groaned at that question, it was almost possible to hear him audibly shrink away from it. "It''s a side effect from something," he finally said, having wrestled mentally with how to approach the inquiry.


    "A side effect from what?" I pressed, though the thought that knowing the answer might be too much had crossed my mind.


    "A piece of my soul was probably left behind," Taryn admitted. "Any time you get angry or your bloodlust starts to grow it''ll manifest."


    It was at that point I stopped my forward walking, turned toward Taryn and then glared. "Why would your soul cause weird things like a red eye and silver hair? How could I so easily knock around people like I did back at Maria''s house!" I yelled, the lantern shook wildly around and caused the light it cast to swing randomly around the plain nearby. Maria cowered in fright at the outburst, while Taryn weathered it with that dark look.


    "I''m the son of Lanius, the God of Blood, Life and Souls."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Was it mere coincidence that Taryn had met up with me? For a while I had turned away from Taryn and gone quiet, we no longer walked but rather stayed at a single point in the plains without progress. Maria had become worried for me, though Taryn told her to stay away, that Liliana needed time to come to grips with everything.


    It wasn''t a coincidence, there was a thing called fate and it was impossible not to believe in it. With so many odd things that could happen the fact that Taryn had managed to be at Fisk at the same time as myself was probably one in a million. Then you add in the fact that Nixi had found us and attacked us outside of Vicna with a small army of Plague...


    Normally one could not even find a hundred Plague, but for there to be well over two hundred in a single area was near impossible. That size of a group should have been noticed long before it got that deep into the Empire.


    Had Taryn known of who I was? Was it merely a setup from the start? Did he perhaps work with Nixi to try and force this change on me? Suspicion mounted as thoughts continued to fly around, questions which had no proper answer ran wild within my mind.


    Fate.


    The thought that everything was someone''s plan refused to stop, a game for some greater power. The Gods were doing their own little dance and us mortals had to sing and twirl along to the tune. The idea that I was naught more than a puppet in a game caused the anger to swell up.


    Once more a glare was directed at Taryn, though as I looked into his worried face there was a softening in my heart. He honestly felt bad, the feeling almost poured out of his very body and washed over the plains.


    "Fine," I muttered, before standing up straight and walking over toward Taryn. He did not look like a son of a God, he looked a bit ordinary and his average face would never turn a head in his direction. "Taryn, you told me I can choose to kill you if I so want to for what you''ve done to me. You admit that you infected me with your soul?"


    The response from Taryn was simply a nod, as he knelt onto the ground with both knees. Maria looked on, her face twisted into one of fear at the thought I was about to bring about more killing in front of her.


    Perhaps it was with a shock that I wrapped my arms around his head and hugged him tightly. "You saved my life back there, we might have been strangers a week ago but we''re companions now," I told him, before releasing him from the hug.


    He looked up at me with a confused look, then a smile started to appear. It was at that point I slapped him on the cheek, then slapped him once more before turning away. I rubbed my hand gently, a wince flitting across my face at the pain. "Don''t you ever think of offering your life up to someone like that again, I''ll get to choose when and where you die," I told him without turning.


    "Fine," was the response he gave, before Taryn stood up and brushed off his legs. "I figured you would''ve either ran away in fear or killed me due to being the son of a God."


    The only thing I could do was laugh at that comment, before looking over my shoulder with a twinkle in the eye. "How could I do something like that? After all, my father is the Disciple of Mathias."

 Vol. 1 Chapter 11 - An Uneventful Trip

    After our little discussion the return to walking toward the nearby town came next, and so the three of us once more resumed our single-file pattern with myself in the front, Maria in the middle while Taryn watched the backside.


    When we reached the road the arrival at it generated a burst of renewed vigor in all of us, and so when the sun started to peek out of the horizon to the east we did reach the town of Merrow. Exhausted, a bit dirty and very much unready for the new day that had dawned moments before I lead our group into a town I knew very little about.


    Merrow, as did most of the smallest of towns in the Empire, had no exterior wall to guard it. Instead there was merely a wooden fence that looked like it could barely hold back a cow let alone the Plague. Near the center of the town, as was in every town, rested a wooden tower that held a large bell. No flags flew that morning, which brought a sigh of relief from my mouth.


    The town had a road covered in gravel, a sign that there was at least one person in Merrow with a certain amount of money to force that to happen. Most small towns of minimal importance rarely graduated above dirt pathways.


    "Excuse me," I said to the first man I ran across, he looked a bit filthy yet held a pick in his right hand and thus I could assume he was a type of miner. Probably one of Merrow''s main export was ores.


    The man stumbled at the sight of me, probably since my clothes were a bit of a tight fit. Already a lecherous look crept onto his face, eyes locked at a point which was not where my own eyes were. If not for the fatigue and the fact that I wanted to avoid trouble I probably would''ve kicked his jaw off.


    "Where can I find the guild officer stationed here?" I asked, the tone of the voice having grown cold.


    The miner caught on to that, he glanced up with a bit of an embarrassed expression, then nodded his head and cleared his throat. "Ya talking about Grigga ain''t ya?" he half-asked and half-answered to my own question. He scratched at his chin, then pointed down the path. "Ya can find a large house over there. Grigga is in it."


    The slightest nod of the head was my way of paying respect to the miner for answering, before turning and walking in the pointed direction. Maria followed along, coming up closer to me and almost acting like she was afraid to be seen in the town. From behind I heard a murmur from Taryn, though all I could see upon glancing back was a pale looking miner.


    Walking through the town during the early morning was an interesting experience, it seemed as though everyone in Merrow all woke up roughly at the same time. Their doors opened and closed randomly, some came out fast and others hustled around in the interiors of their small homes.


    For a while the thought that we would''ve missed Grigga''s house had bothered me, but when we found the house it was quite obviously Grigga''s. While the rest of the homes in the town of Merrow were crafted of wood and squat, with a single floor plus some horrid thatch roofing that looked flammable, the home of Grigga stood out like a sore thumb.


    It was crafted from bricks that in turn had been painted brown as though to try and match the wooden neighbors. The house was two floors total, with a balcony that overlooked the main pathway through the town of Merrow. The door on the first floor stood wide open, with a small flight of stairs leading up to it from the gravel path.


    With a hint of hesitation I walked up those stairs and then politely knocked on the inside of the door. Peeking inside one could see a small counter that rested within a tiny open room. There was a sofa to the side, with a few chairs that were rested around a table. All in all it was small yet welcoming, and with a hint of a smile I stepped all the way in and motioned for Maria and Taryn to follow.


    Maria gladly did so, looking behind her at the growing crowd of people walking up and down the path. She almost dove into the sofa, and in a few moments her eyes had closed and she had fallen asleep again. Taryn decided to sit down in a chair, though not before turning it so he could clearly see the door we had entered through.


    For some odd reason I had expected Grigga to be a man, so when a plump woman who wore a smock and a smile on her face wandered into the room I paid her little attention. She looked at us, the smile on her face going from merely ordinary to far too wide. "Well, visitors!" she exclaimed before she half-waddled and half-walked over to the counter, unlatched the hip-high door and then stepped through.


    The woman laughed, it was not a pleasant sound, before she settled up against the counter and attempted to demonstrate her vast chest for all to see. "So how can Grigga help you?" she asked in a sultry voice.


    Taryn visibly shuddered, and I felt a bit sorry for him as she obviously was only interested in him. Her gaze never seemed to leave his face, and most likely he felt like a rabbit being watched by a hawk. A really fat hawk.


    "We''re part of the Guild and we lost our badges due to a scuffle," I explained to Grigga. It was a common occurrence for a person to lose their badge, after all most of the people that were in the Guild tended to fight on a daily basis.


    "Hah, silly children these days, you need to take better care of your stuff," Grigga chided us as she pulled out a binder. It was very large, and as she swung it open the papers flipped by with such rapidity that I could only glance a few names here and there. The Guild register, every branch office had at least one so they would know of the name and last known rank of the member.


    She pulled out a bottle of ink, a quill that looked to have been plucked for a chicken and a piece of paper. "What might your names be?" she purred toward Taryn.


    "Liliana Rose," I told her, arms crossed in front of me with a very obviously unhappy expression on my face. The Guild were supposed to be professionals, this woman was demonstrating not an ounce of that. If anything she was more like a lust driven bar wench that Skara would probably enjoy.


    "Taryn Lucent," my companion said, as he shifted uncomfortably in the chair. His eyes looked to me with a plead for aid, yet the only response I could give was a shrug of the shoulders.


    "Pretty name for a cute man," the lady whispered as she flipped carefully through the register. Then with an expert touch of the quill she wrote out a few words onto the piece of paper, before her gaze lifted back up toward Taryn. "Where would you like your new badges to be sent?"


    It was a question that I could not answer, the only permanent home I had ever had was one that I had run away from. Thankfully Taryn stepped in at that moment with the offer of a place, "Alise''s orphanage. It''s outside of Shiadone."


    "Hoo, that''s a bit of a distance away," was the only response from the lady before she finished scribbling onto the paper. "I''ll have a falcon carry the message to the headquarters later, expect the new badge to be delivered in a week or two. Probably three given where that orphanage is located."


    Taryn rose up out of the chair and walked to the sofa, his arms wrapped around the sleeping form of Maria. With ease he lifted her and carried the girl in front while walking toward the door. Our business was done, and I nodded my head to Grigga before turning to the door and planning to walk out.


    Her voice called out from behind as we exited the house. "And if either of you are lying about who you are I''m calling dibs on the man."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    I had pilfered money off of the slavers corpses back at Maria''s house, and so purchased a wagon along with a single horse. Prior to leaving the town of Merrow I walked around and investigated whether or not anyone knew much of Maria and her family.


    "Dang Darril is dead?" was the usual response, followed by a shrug when I told them that the daughter was alive and wearing a slave collar. Though they all knew of her family and respected them, none wanted to get involved when it came to slavers.


    By the time I returned to the wagon Taryn and Maria had already purchased some food and equipment for our planned journey. Maria ran up to me a cloak and a bundle of clothes in her hands, while smiling radiantly. "What''s this?" I asked of her, while accepting everything.


    "New clothes for you, something more in your size," Maria said, before she glanced at my chest and then blushed a bit.


    Ah, how could I have forgotten that the blouse I wore was so tight that it tended to reveal a little too much to the passing crowds? Perhaps I had grown accustomed to being half-naked over the course of that one day that now I felt overdressed?


    Thirty minutes later I had changed into a somewhat loose shirt and a loose set of pants. It seemed that while shopping Taryn had given Maria pointers on my preferred style, which I would have to give thanks for later on. The coloring was bright and cheerful with a light yellow color which made me think of pale flowers on the countryside.


    It was time to move on I felt, and so with almost no urging required Taryn, Maria and I all clambered on the wagon and headed out from the town of Merrow. I opted to sit in the front with Taryn while he guided the horse, still wearing the clothes that had belonged to Maria''s father.


    Maria sat in the back of the wagon nestled in amongst the fabrics that made up our bedding material for night time stops. She had a needle and a variety of items that she seemed intent on sewing, even as the wagon moved along at a slow rate. It seemed as though she was interested in learning how to sew, and had already begun to learn prior to the attack on her home.


    "What are we going to do with her?" I whispered to Taryn a short while after leaving Merrow.


    Most would take that question with a bit of worrying, yet Taryn merely flashed an assuring smile at me. "I never did get to tell you, since everything happened after we met up with Wumi. Alise''s orphanage is a place slaves can be taken to get their collar removed, and in case they don''t have a home Alise helps give them one."


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    An explanation I had not anticipated in the slightest, one that made the lady named Alise sound like an angel. "Who is Alise?" was the question that curiosity demanded I ask.


    "I suppose you could say she''s my mother, she found me when I was a baby," Taryn told me. Once again I got to see one of those honest smiles of his that rarely showed, and it vanished in the blink of an eye. "According to her I was a survivor of a Plague attack."


    "I''ve been meaning to ask, how is that you have the stigma but you''re not infected?"


    Taryn clicked his tongue at that question. "A tough one, I think it''s because my father wants me to be able to communicate with his sister, and you can''t talk to her unless there''s a bit of her in you," Taryn said. He shrugged his shoulders, a calm face even as he told me the scary news that Nixi had a piece of her in him. "You should worry more about yourself, though."


    I scoffed at that question. "I''m the daughter of Vandross, I don''t have anything I need to worry about."


    "You don''t understand, what I did to you is the first time I''ve ever done it, in fact I don''t think I''ll ever do it again," Taryn said. He looked completely away from the road and stared at me, the emotions he was feeling at that moment so openly on his face it almost embarrassed me to see. "I''m not normal, I get that you''re a bit special too but what I did is going to change you forever."


    "You mean like the hair and eyes?" I asked.


    "That, but also you''ve probably noticed it yourself. When you get agitated a bit of my bloodlust kicks in," Taryn explained, turning back toward the road. He shook his head. "Right now you''re probably twice or maybe three times physically stronger than you were before, but when my bloodlust gets added in I have no clue how strong you become."


    "I don''t mind that too much, it was helpful against the slavers," I pointed out, before I chuckled under my breath. If not for that splicing of his soul onto mine I probably would have died during the encounter.


    "Until you learn how to control it you won''t know how strong you are, which means you might hurt people you mean to protect," Taryn stated with a stern voice. "Don''t underestimate how much power I''ve forced on you, until you learn how to use it properly you''re a threat whenever you lose your head."


    It was a statement which made me recall the encounter with the slavers. Out of all three there had been one whom had been killed without the intent, Skinny who I had kneed hard in the face. Normally that sort of action would knock a person out and maybe break a nose, but instead Skinny had been smashed so hard that his brain had begun leaking from the skull.


    That was before my blood had begun pumping fully, it had been while in a weakened form. It caused me to wonder how easily I could snap someone in half without meaning to, a thought which could only make me shudder in fear.


    "Don''t worry, once we get to the orphanage Alise can help you," Taryn said as if to console me. "She taught me how to control my strength when I was younger."


    "Here!" Maria said without warning from behind, and I turned with a bit of a shock to look at the girl. She handed me a large hat, wide brimmed and silly looking. It was a white hat, one that I placed gently on my head. "What do you think?"


    The hat sat on my head with a bit too much looseness, it obviously was sized one or two sizes too large. However it kept the sun out of my eyes, which proved very useful given how tired I had started to become. "It''s wonderful," I told Maria, before smiling and gently patting her on the head.


    Maria smiled back, then settled once more into her previous position. She had already tried to make one before that and it had failed, a misshapen looking thing that probably should be burned before it came alive and killed everyone.


    An hour later into the ride I started to realize how tired I was. I yawned, and the light rocking motion of the wagon as it ran along the road only added onto the fatigue. Eyes blinked, then started to close. Before I fell asleep I had the slight sensation of leaning against something warm and familiar.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The journey to the west was not all that exciting. To put it simply if I recounted it in total detail most people would fall asleep long before I finished. So to sum it up I shall say that we went west, rode in a wagon and didn''t encounter much.


    Every night we would stop the wagon and set up a basic tent on top of it, using metal rods along with canvas material that had been purchased in Merrow. We laid on blankets and had lumpy pillows that never proved capable of comfort. Taryn and I took shifts, one would sit awake in the tent while the other slept and then when it was late enough we would swap positions.


    Along the way we encountered a few members of the Legion, one of whom I recognized from the past. I shrank back a bit, but he saw me before I could hide and called out to me. "Liliana! Is that you!" he first shouted, before he stopped his horse and then turned it to follow our wagon. To his friends the legionnaire merely waved for them to continue on, he would catch up later.


    "Hello Ruldo," I said toward him, flashing a smile that was in no way fake. I promise. "What are you doing out here?"


    "Heading to the town of Vicna, they were hit hard by a large horde of Plague," Ruldo told me, his armor shining almost as much as his face at the sight of me. He had been one of the boys that I beat up on a daily basis in the sands, so he already knew how well formed I was beneath my shirt.


    Yes, fighting on the sands meant exactly what you think. Nobody wore shirts or even pants out there, it was a brutal experience to prepare you for fighting in the worst possible conditions. People who won the fights were heralded as the best and often given bonuses, the people who lost were given cleaning duties and other menial tasks.


    Ruldo was the best I had ever seen at losing. "So why are they sending you?" I asked, laughing gently even as I poked at his pride.


    "Hey! I''ve gotten better since we last fought!" he told me. "Besides, have you gotten better? You know, down there? Last time I saw you your features were a bit flat."


    It was the worst thing he could have said, and the look I directed at him made it very obvious. He shrank back, almost falling off of the horse, before the menacing aura I produced subsided. "In all seriousness why are you going to Vicna? By the time you get there it''ll probably be over."


    With a shaking body and a voice that shook equally Ruldo responded, "I believe we''re supposed to reinforce their garrison. They lost a few men. Your father was dispatched ahead of us to make sure the area is cleared."


    A tinge of guilt ran through me at the mention of the lost lives, while I had not been the person who baited the Plague I had still taken part in the events. "Well, it''s good I don''t have to meet him then," I said to Ruldo before I looked forward. It was my attempt to signal an end to our conversation, and to tell Ruldo to get back to his friends.


    "Aye, I remember how your dad was to you," Ruldo said, then he sighed. "One last thing before I leave, your mom is mad that you haven''t come home yet. She''s informed every legionnaire that if they see you to warn you to come home immediately."


    "If she wants me to come home she can come get me herself," I flatly told Ruldo. I had no intention yet to go home, though it was not out of spite toward my mother. Training with the mysterious Alise would take precedent.


    Ruldo saluted, arm going across his chest and thumping onto the metal plating of the armor. "As you wish, my lady, take care!" he called out as he whirled his horse around and raced back to the group of legionnaires.


    Taryn wisely remained silent, as did Maria. I had no interest in explaining the dynamics of my family to either of them, especially since I didn''t even care to think about those dynamics myself.


    The rest of the ride to Shiadone was completed without further events. To tell you the truth I spent a lot of time having Maria show me how to sew, while I talked to her about the techniques she could use to defend herself. I wasn''t about to turn her into a warrior, but with some basic hand-to-hand understanding then at the least she would be a rabbit with fangs.


    The town of Shiadone came onto the horizon a week and a half after our departure from Merrow. The wall that surrounded it was crafted from stone and had a total height of thirty feet. The gates themselves were iron wrought metal spikes that interlaced and dropped down from above. Behind was a second set of gates, wooden doors that had iron binding the wood together.


    Shiadone looked to be a place of great value, so when we rode our wagon into the city it was no surprise when I noted the paved streets. It looked to be stones but it was so well done that there were no noticeable cracks in the material. Every house was crafted out of stone and had actual glass, shutters and even some with gardens built into the front.


    Signs were everywhere that pointed toward the important places of the town. Taverns, multiple, rested down the main strip that we rode our wagon along, each one catering to a different group of clientele. One looked fancy, the other shabby and there was even one which offered discounts to people from the Guild.


    Shiadone was a distraction, my gaze refused to not wander everywhere and look at everything. While I came from a large city it was not often that I saw other places that were of a level equatable to Shiadone. That was how I almost missed seeing him, standing in the middle of the path. If not for the wagon coming to a stop and Taryn smiling I probably wouldn''t have even looked at him.


    "Shorty!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, leaping down from the wagon and running to the little man. I picked him up, even as he cried out in protest and I hugged him. "You made it!"

 Vol. 1 Chapter 12 - The Home Of Myths

    I''d like to make certain that people understand why exactly my reaction to seeing Shorty was to pick him up and hug him. It wasn''t because I was in love with him, so please don''t go getting worried about something like that. While Shorty might be a useful fellow and is overall friendly, plus good in a fight, I doubt I could ever fall in love with someone twice my age.


    So the reason I leapt down from the wagon and twirled about the poor little Shorty wasn''t due to love, it was more of a feeling of happiness that he hadn''t died. After splitting up there had been a continual nagging fear at the back of the mind. What if the Plague had gotten ahead of them?


    If it had been before my encounter with the Plague there is no doubt that the thought of the Plague out maneuvering someone wouldn''t exist. The Plague simply couldn''t do it, was the common thought of that point in my life. Then I had met Her and learned quite fast that sometimes the Plague moved due to coordinated thought, she controlled them like puppets and used them like a personal army.


    Thus when I saw Shorty standing in the street looking quite unharmed I was extremely relieved, and to let loose that feeling of relief I twirled him around like a little kid brother. The reaction from Taryn was in turn quite controlled, he nodded his head in greeting and remained seated on the wagon. Maria had moved forward at my explosive reaction to Shorty, then smiled while watching the entire antics.


    People in the street stopped and looked, some talked to each other in low whispers about the odd girl and the weird midget man. A few even commented about how the midget man had been lurking in the town for a while, and they wondered if this was why. All in all though I didn''t care what others thought. Shorty was still alive~


    The response from Shorty was a grumpy "Put me down now," before he looked about with a red face at all the onlookers. When I deposited him gently on the ground he pointed a finger at me, frowned with such fierceness I thought that the frown was almost audible, and then lowered his hand with a sigh.


    "Please don''t do that again," Shorty finally said to me, before he walked over to the wagon. Without warning he hopped up onto the wagon seat next to Taryn. "Hey there kid, nice job keeping the lass alive."


    Taryn looked at Shorty with those calm eyes, no words came from his mouth though he did nod ever so slightly in response. "Lily, lets go," he said toward me, as he studied the crowd that had begun to gather.


    A quick glance around and I realized that there were far more people than one might expect, at least two dozen onlookers that had all begun to partake in the gossip. I blushed a bit in embarrassment at that moment, before darting to the wagon and leaping back up onto it. Settling down next to Taryn, a glance over the shoulder reminded me that Maria was still there.


    "Maria, this little guy is Shorty," I told her politely, as I motioned with one hand past Taryn and toward the diminutive fellow. "He''s a friend, so don''t worry."


    Maria attempted at a smile, though you could almost feel her uncertainity. Shorty on the other hand snorted after a glance was sent toward Maria''s direction. "So the rumors are true," Shorty commented toward Taryn. "You collect the slaves from all over and bring them back here."


    "Yes," was the simple response. Taryn clicked his tongue and shook the reins, the single horse in turn began to tug the wagon along behind it. Thankfully the added weight of Shorty was so minimal that it would barely strain the poor animal.


    "Where''s Skara?" I asked, while leaning forward and peering past Taryn at Shorty. My ponytail was still wrapped about my neck, so I had no need to worry about it falling down and getting tangled in the reins that Taryn was holding.


    Shorty laughed at that question, before he looked at me. "I sent on him on ahead with the little girl to the orphanage. Thankfully it''s outside of the town and a bit of a distance to the north," Shorty told me. He scratched at his head, then leaning back against the wagon he continued on. "I could tell he wanted to stick around town, but given his attitude toward women and booze it''d be a disaster."


    I could only frown at that, not quite understanding what he meant. Ah, the naivety of youth, sometimes I wish I could return to that way of thinking. "What do you mean?"


    "Uh...how about the next time you see your parents you ask them," Shorty said, as he shook his head. "That''s definitely not something I want to explain to a child."


    It took me a little bit of time to wrestle with his words before understanding the meaning, and in understanding my ears burned a bit as they turned very red. "Don''t you idiots ever think of things besides that?" I questioned, a bit of bite to my tone as I stopped peering past Taryn.


    The response from Shorty was a chuckle, while Maria simply looked on in confusion. Taryn kept his calm, quiet expression permanently on his face as he guided the wagon toward the north gate of the city. For the remainder of the trip he never said anything else, he merely kept the wagon moving forward.


    In the eery silence of the ride I began to wonder what else he hadn''t told me.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The orphanage at that time was a small little house with a second housing section a bit of a distance away. The secondary building was quite long and had two floors, multiple windows which looked out across the surrounding forest. Whomever had built the orphanage had also constructed a stone wall that was ten feet tall around it, with only one access point built into the front.


    While the wagon creaked through that access point I noted the splendor of the gate itself that served to protect the orphanage. It was crafted from iron with spikes built into the side that faced out toward the forest itself. Anyone who ran up to it would suffer cuts, if not impalement, on the spikes. It looked heavy enough that even Skara would be strained to pick it up while being assisted by another.


    The trees all about the orphanage grounds had begun to turn red and brown, the fresh green fading away as the coming of autumn sapped away at the forest. Leaves had started to fall which created miniature mounds in various spots, mounds that at times seemed almost to quiver as the wagon passed by.


    At one point Shorty reached for one of his knives he kept hidden up a sleeve, while I felt the urge to bring out the Shatterblade. The mounds were worrying, especially with the weight of eyes on us. Taryn clicked his tongue, then shook his head at us both. "Don''t," was the only word from his mouth, before he moved the horse through the gateway.


    The gate itself lead into a wide tunnel, with a simple rough overhead that had holes cut into it. To call it impressive in regard to defense would be an understatement, for a single orphanage to have gained such complex architecture was unspeakable. When the wagon emerged from the tunnel the noise of someone calling out could be heard, and I started to notice the people.


    Two young teens each armed with a bow stood on top of the tunnel, one crouched while the other stood straight and had an arrow notched. Neither had pointed their bow at us, though they both smiled like the youthful innocents they most likely were.


    The wagon rolled up toward the main house of the orphanage, which had a single floor and was elongated to allow for multiple rooms. It made me think of a cottage rather than anything else. Children called out and the crowd began to pour from everywhere. Some were very little and others were quite large, and a few were quite obviously adults in full battle gear.


    From the forest behind came three people, two women and a man. They each wore suits that were interwoven with leaves and weeds, they almost naturally blurred into the background due to odd clothing. All three held crossbows which were loaded, though none were pointed in our direction but rather at the ground.


    "Taryn!" called out one of the youngest of the children, a little boy with dirty blond hair and a few missing teeth. He tottered forward along the gravel path which lead up to the cottage, obviously a bit unsteady on his feet due to his youth.


    As the wagon came to a stop, the horse obviously nervous, Taryn leapt down from the wagon and scooped the kid up in a single motion. He smiled one of those pure smiles that I almost never got to see, and then rubbed the head of the toddler. "I''m back everyone!" he called out in a loud clear voice, as the children continued to run forward and cling to him.


    In a matter of moments he was buried in children who all wanted to hug him. It was fairly obvious why, as some still had scars on their necks and one or two had permanent brands etched onto their arms. They were all victims of slavery, and while I helped Maria out of the wagon she also noticed it.


    "What a family," Shorty said as he hopped down from the wagon, and then walked over to join me while watching the avalanche.


    "Ho, a new member already?" one of the girls wielding a crossbow commented from behind me. It was a bit of a shock, one that caused me to whirl about while lifting an arm up in defense. Her footsteps had been so silent even on the leaf covered gravel that it was obvious she was well trained in stealth.


    "Calm down there," she said, while she kept her crossbow pointed directly at the ground. "The name''s Saris. Alise found me twelve years ago and brought me here along with a few others."


    Lowering my arms to my side I studied her, she was a fierce looking woman with red hair that fell to her shoulders. The hair had a few leaves in it, and her face had dirt smudged onto it. The green eyes that sparkled past the dirt held a distinct sense of intelligence. "I''m Liliana Rose. This is Maria, I helped her when her family was attacked."


    Maria had crept up to me and hid a little to my side, imagery of a scared little rabbit coming to my mind. I could only wonder if it was common for the victims of slavers to always turn out this way, much like Wumi had back in Vicna. "Hello," she said in a quiet voice, not quite certain of how she should handle the situation.


    "Liliana? Fancy name, alright I''ll take Maria to Phil," Saris stated, as she looked over her shoulder and called out to the other girl who held a crossbow. "Going off watch for a bit, got a newcomer who needs to be decollared!"


    Without waiting for a response Saris turned toward Maria, and then offered her free hand to the young girl. "Come on, we have a guy who can take that thing off your neck and then we''ll talk about what you want to do," Saris told her with a tone of such gentleness that I almost wanted to hug her. It was obvious that Saris was accustomed to handling victims.


    "Oh ho, here comes our good friend now," Shorty said while Saris carefully walked along with Maria toward what I expected was the main living quarters. That larger building which looked capable of housing everyone had to be it, otherwise the cottage would be quite cramped.


    At the comment from Shorty I looked where he was, only to smile in response at who was coming along. Skara walked, with Wumi walking along behind him. He still carried that ridiculous sword of his, casually laid across his left shoulder as though it weighed nothing.


    "Liliana, Shorty!" he called out with that large grin of his still plastered on his face. I smiled, before I waved toward him as well. I had already gotten my excitement out on Shorty, and so refrained from embarrassing both Skara and myself with a noisy celebratory welcome.


    While he walked up to us Taryn continued to be playing with the kids, he had started to wrestle on the ground with a few as though they were extremely strong and he was a weakling. I knew how wrong that was, and could only laugh at the image of him being bested by six year olds. "So you enjoying the place, Skara?" Shorty asked of his far larger friend.


    "Ah, it''s a bit nice but there are only a few girls here who catch my interest, and one who makes sure none get interested," Skara stated honestly, a serious look on his face while he talked about this. "I tried to get her interested as well but she told me to come back when I wasn''t a weakling."


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    Shorty laughed at that, and then patted his friend on the shin. "It''s okay, I''m sure one day you''ll find that special someone who wants to entertain you day and night without asking for money."


    A tingle went down my back, which forced me to whip about and look in fear. All I saw was the forest behind, with the trees shedding leaves and one of the kids who was on guard looking out into it. He walked casually along the length of the wall, a small walkway having been built on the interior to allow for easy patrolling.


    "Felt it too?" Shorty asked, his voice low and his eyes wide in fear. It was a look I was not accustomed to seeing on the seasoned veteran, a look that made my own fear increase by a few notches.


    Taryn at some point had stood up, and lead the children toward the direction of the dormitory. Barracks. Housing building. Whatever you wanted to call it. He motioned for them, and then talked in a quiet voice to them all. So quiet was the voice that even straining my ears the only word i heard was "go".


    Every child sighed, and then began to totter away, while the older ones stood back a bit and made certain they all left. Each walked along in what seemed to be random positions, yet my experiences with the Legion had taught me that they were in a protective formation. A well trained protective formation.


    When all of the children had left, including the still quiet Wumi, Taryn looked toward Shorty and I and then sighed. "Good luck."


    Before I could even ask a question the abyss opened beneath myself and Shorty, and we started to fall to our deaths.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Now I would like to point out that we did not actually fall to our deaths. In the first place it''d be impossible to tell you this story if I was dead, wouldn''t it? Also exactly how would a giant hole have appeared in the middle of an area next to an orphanage? Preposterous.


    Yet as Shorty and I stood there that is indeed how it felt, there was no more ground beneath our feet and we were falling. I almost cried out in horror, while Shorty''s eyes bulged and his own voice started to leak out in fear. It was a sensation of permanent falling while a giant gaping hole opened below us, hungry to devour our bodies and souls.


    Four years prior my mother, a wonderful woman, had decided to see how tough I had become from my training with Sciroco. To that end she decided to show me her Presence at the fullest capability. She was called the Blizzard Princess in her youth for a reason, one that she demonstrated when my lungs stopped functioning and I almost died from hypothermia.


    Mind you that it was a nice sunny day with clear skies, and I was as dry as a bone at the start of it. My father in turn was able to cause weaker people to actually suffer from burn marks on their skin, and one person actually caught on fire and died. Thankfully I had avoided that fate when I made my father very angry, mostly I think because he felt nearly cutting me in half was enough of a punishment.


    If one wants to even survive against a Presence of their level you need to have a soul that was toughened by experiences, as well as the willpower to overcome it. When I was younger I had neither, and when I turned sixteen I felt I had at least made strides in that direction.


    What I never took into consideration was the impact of Taryn''s soul on me, and that was a very immediate impact as I snapped almost instantly out of the Presence of whomever had ensnared me. Shorty continued to suffer, his eyes bulging while his breath quickened. Most likely if he ever hit the bottom he would die, and to stop that I slapped him across the face. "It''s an illusion!" I yelled at him, trying to shock him back to reality.


    Shorty responded well, he crumpled backward and then gasped for air. He stared up at the heavens, and then his voice came out in a tremble. "I can''t believe it, I can''t believe it''s her," he said, before he started to stand up. His face had gone pale, and his eyes quivered in fright.


    Before he could say another word a hand rested gently on his left shoulder. The woman who had appeared in front of my very eyes without warning leaned forward and whispered gently in the ear of Shorty, before she looked at me.


    Her hair was a combination of red and white, it changed as I watched and fluctuated in such an odd fashion that I couldn''t understand what was happening. Her eyes were dark green, while her face was a slightly pale white. She was not exactly what I would call beautiful, but she was not too far from the mark.


    "My apologies, but I wanted to see how strong my son''s friends were," she said in a voice that whispered out like the breeze about us. Her clothes moved, black on black which made it impossible to tell where one piece started and the other began. She lifted one hand out toward my direction, then moved it in and below the chest. With a small bow she offered a greeting that held a somewhat courtly feel to it.


    "I am Alise, and welcome to my orphanage," she quietly spoke out. As she stood up she glanced at me, especially at my eyes and hair. "I see. Taryn, you didn''t tell me you were planning to do this."


    Taryn had stepped up next to me at some point, and with a gentle touch on my shoulder he looked directly at Alise. "Nixi didn''t give me much choice in the matter, besides...it''s my choice," he finally said after a noticeable possible. He gripped my shoulder a little, then let his hand drop away from me.


    "Apologies or not, you could''ve killed us!" I exclaimed, as I glared at the woman called Alise.


    "My Presence is not able to kill, only paralyze people," Alise commented with that ghostly voice. She looked toward Skara, and nodded her head at him. "You can ask him, when I tested him he was frozen for an hour. A bit of a weakling, I hope he grows sometime soon."


    Skara''s normally grinning face had grown dark at those words, though he broke through it via sheer willpower and laughed. "And when I do I''m going to bed you," he stated without any concern for his own well being.


    I never did see the movement, I merely heard Skara''s gasp for air and then noticed he was flat on the ground, while Alise stood next to him. "Only if you learn to be civilized," she whispered at him, before she flashed a light smile in my direction. "Now then, Liliana Rose, daughter of Vandross Rose and Esmeralda Rose, we need to deal with you."


    Her hand was on my face, a light touch that felt almost as though a ghost was embracing the cheek. Her eyes locked onto my own as she peered deeply into them, studying them and most definitely the crimson sliver that nestled within. "My my, I never thought Taryn would ever do this, I suppose he told you everything then?"


    With a great deal of mental strength I managed to not wrestle away or lash out at the woman. It was not hard to figure that if it came down to a fight between us she would best me ten times out of ten. "I believe so, he said who he is and what he did to me. That you''d probably be able to help me too."


    Shorty had grown quiet and almost grumpy, his face locked in a permanent frown. As Alise slipped about like a phantom he never once looked surprise, instead he had a look of recognition on his face. To be precise a face that screamed recognition, fear and a great depth of respect.


    "Ho, but nothing about me? Good, I don''t like to talk about the past," Alise told me as she leaned in even closer. She inhaled a bit, as though trying to catch a scent that I might be producing, before she pushed me away gently. "Yes, you''ll do fine. It might take a while but I''m sure I can teach you how to not kill someone on accident."


    A bit of relief went through me, muscles relaxed ever so slightly. it was at about that point that I started to wonder a simple thing...how did she know my parents? I had yet to tell anyone my mother''s name, and I was certain that only Taryn knew who my father was.


    "Mom, I''m sorry but I might have lost your sword," Taryn spoke up from the side, though from the look on his face it was obvious he didn''t feel the slightest bit of guilt.


    Alise paused, she had started to walk away with full intent to go toward the cottage when Taryn said that. She turned to her son, and then sighed loud enough that it exceeded the volume of her words that came next. "At least you remembered to tell me, alright where did you leave it?"


    "In the forest to the west of Vicna, we were attacked by the Plague," Taryn told her. He glanced in my direction, though said nothing about how I was the one who had forgotten it.


    "Hmm, not too far away then, alright. Shorty, come here for a second," she said as she looked directly at our small friend. He winced, and then walked next to her.


    "Oh, don''t act like that, I didn''t kill you then and I won''t now!" Alise chided Shorty. Neither Taryn nor I seemed to understand what she meant, though Shorty nodded his head and regained a bit of his confidence.


    "What do you need of me, my lady?" he asked, as though speaking to a noblewoman. It was a first for me, and only compounded to the mystery of why he acted like he did toward Alise.


    "I need to borrow a little of your vitality, don''t worry it won''t hurt," Alise said as she placed her hand directly on his head. "I''d borrow from Skara but he needs his energy to help with training the children later."


    As Alise placed her left hand on the head of Shorty she lifted her right hand, fingers opening up. She closed her eyes, a look of concentration on her face while tingling ran up and down my body. The air around us whispered, a breeze stronger than before pushed through and moved the leaves.


    In the distance an audible sound of thunder rolled across the forest, while clouds could be seen forming. Alise turned her right hand, palm facing upward while fingers spread wide open. "Mathias," she stated in a calm, quiet voice. "Bring it back for me, my son was stupid again."


    The leaves ripped up around the entire area, trees went naked instantly as a powerful blast of wind roared across the orphanage grounds. The guards at the walls all flinched and raised their weapons, and then upon looking toward the direction of Alise relaxed. It seemed this was a common event for her.


    When the leaves had all settled back onto the ground in the right hand of Alise rested a black scabbard, old and battered. The hilt of a sword rested there, one that I could recognize with little difficulty. Alise tossed it gently toward Taryn, while Shorty staggered a little from her. "Don''t lose it again, you know I don''t like asking Him for help."


    Taryn caught the weapon, unsheathing it slightly so as to look upon the blade. The weapon sang a little, like a fairy girl rested within, and then he fully sheathed it and gripped the weapon tightly. "I will, I''m sorry," he said, his tone apologetic as he bowed his head toward Alise.


    "You said Mathias," I said, my voice a bit uncertain. It felt like a million questions had popped up and I was unsure which one to start with.


    Alise smiled as she turned away and walked toward the cottage. "Did you think your father was the only disciple?" she asked, as she casually strolled into her house and closed the door behind her.


    So it was that one of the main chapters of my life came to a close. I had over the course of a handful of weeks learned a few new things, I had made a new family and gained someone more important to me than anyone else.


    In truth if I was to decide how important this chapter of my life was in regard to all the rest it would be near the very top, it changed everything and shook me to the very center of my being. Skara, Shorty and I would spend months at the orphanage, each of us learning or helping in a certain fashion.


    Taryn and I would continue to maintain our distance for those months, sometimes I wondered if he was afraid I hated him over what he had done to me. Still every so often I could feel his presence when he wasn''t there, and it was somewhat comforting.


    Thus ends my tale of how I met Taryn and my second family. However that doesn''t mean it was the end of my journeys. I would encounter something I never wanted to see again half a year later, and it would be thanks to my mother.

 Vol. 2 Chapter 1 - The Emerald Rose

    "How is your tea today?" Alise asked, her voice so quiet that it was almost impossible to hear over the sound of my heart pounding in my chest. She sat at a table nearby her cottage, a tea cup in her left hand while she sipped at it gingerly. The outfit she had chosen was a light pink dress that started at the neck and went all the way down to her ankles.


    The dress itself was loose, and had a bit of a frilly nature to it. If someone had told me that one of the most infamous legends of the past, the greatest of warriors to ever exist, would wear a pink dress I would''ve laughed at them. Over the last six months Alise continually demonstrated to me that she did not ever live up to her legendary status.


    "It''s fine!" I yelled to her in response, staggering back away from a powerful swing of Skara''s left fist at my face. The cup in my left hand contained a nice tea, it had a soft flavor which allegedly went well with all sorts of crackers and treats. My teeth gritted, jaw clenched while I stepped forward and delivered a powerful punch toward Skara''s stomach.


    The tall man took the blow and shuddered, then laughed as though it had tickled. "Not bad, but you''re still holding back!" Skara told me while he shifted his stance, right elbow dropped toward my skull at a horrifying speed.


    Overcalculated is the easiest way to put what I did next, as my body surged so far back that the distance between us grew to more than twenty feet. My feet slid on the slick grass, spring had come and decided to drown us on an almost daily basis as of late. The sheer momentum of my backward leap skidded me another two feet before coming to a full stop.


    "Oh come on," I muttered while carefully holding the tea cup in my left hand. On the plus side I hadn''t broken a cup in a few weeks, a sign according to Alise that I had improved considerably.


    "You coming back or do I have to come get you?" Skara called out to me, while he laughed. He wore no shirt, his muscles slick with sweat and bulging from the exertion of the workout. The weapon he so favored had been left near Alise, mostly so he wouldn''t try to cut my head off.


    Alise continued to sip at her tea, while she casually looked at a pile of papers on her table. Even if there was a strong breeze the papers tended to stay there, as if some magical force compressed them down against it. The small things were what made me realize how strong Alise was, the way she could step into a room and fires would light. The way the leaves never fell on her during fall, or how she left no footprints in snow or mud.


    A deep breath inward, then a slow exhalation came next. My mind focused on what was needed and the surge of power slowly slipped throughout my muscles, the way the world ran started to slow. Without seeing I already knew that my left eye had turned a crimson color, a warning sign to the others that my power was boosted. Right leg muscles bunched up beneath the baggy pants I wore, then with a shove my body hurtled through the air back toward Skara.


    Alise stopped me at that moment. One second she had been seated while casually reading her papers, and the next she was in front of Skara catching my right fist with her left hand. The cup she had been holding was on the table, the tea within so still that it seemed impossible she had placed it down a split second before.


    "Bad!" Alise said, as she smacked me with a rolled up paper in her right hand. Skara who stood behind her had backed up in surprise when Alise popped up, though he maintained a cool look on his face.


    "Ow!" I cried as I lifted up my right hand to try and ward off the paper. While it was only paper Alise had enough power to break my bones with it if she wanted, so each smack felt like a hammer.


    "You would''ve killed Skara with that attack," Alise chided me, while she glanced backward at the tall man. "Even if he''s all muscles and no brain you can''t use your full power against him, you know that."


    During the scolding she had not stopped smacking me, and it reached the point where I began to use my left hand to ward off the blows as well. The cup that contained tea became a potential victim of her attacks, yet somehow she avoided striking it no matter where it was moved to. The tea inside, however, had spilled all over the ground.


    "And don''t waste your tea! You know we don''t have a lot of money!" Alise said, her normally airy voice loud enough to sound regular. Money was a sore subject for her, as she disliked looking for charity from anyone in her past.


    "Can we get back to the spar?" Skara asked, while he wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. He grinned that foolish wide grin of his at Alise, the woman he had continually strived to reach for the last six months. Foolishly since she mostly ignored him, treated him like a slave and considered him a weakling.


    Alise paused at that question, her paper lowered and the strikes came to an end. When my eyes blinked automatically she was already gone, seated at her table again. "No, go clean up and then get ready to teach the kids," Alise ordered him from her chair. "Taryn and Shorty should be back soon."


    A twinge of a smile showed on my face, one that Alise noticed though Skara did not. He only had eyes for the warrior woman, and without a moments hesitation he turned and walked away toward the dormitory. The weapon remained near Alise, she had not returned it to him in months, though her reason for banning it was never explained.


    For a while I simply breathed in, my blood pumped too strongly and the world still felt a bit too slow. Mental concentration was the only way to control my power, if the concentration wavered during the heat of battle than I was likely to murder someone on accident. "When do you think I''ll be able to master this?" I asked of Alise, my eyes closed.


    "Perhaps never, perhaps tomorrow," came the mysterious reply. It was not what I had sought, and she knew it.


    With a dejected expression on my face I could only open my eyes and walk to the table Alise sat at, before unceremoniously slumping into the chair across from her. "How long did it take to teach Taryn?"


    "Whatever my idiot child has told you he is still learning," Alise informed me. She shook her head a little which caused my attention to wander toward her hair. The odd way that the colors came together, mixed and seemingly shifted. Red and white, sometimes there would be a hint of pink that matched flawlessly with her dress, at times there was the color of blood.


    A soft chime sounded that was so unnoticeable that for the first few months I had never been aware of it. Alise did not stiffen, though I couldn''t help myself from doing so at the alert of someone incoming. My head turned toward the main gate of the orphanage, an easily defensible location which required passing through a wooden tunnel.


    On top of the tunnel were two children who were not too far off from my own age, one of which was a girl named Saris. She was perhaps one of the best with the crossbow, a fact she wasn''t afraid to boast about whenever the discussion of skill came up amongst the kids. When she noticed that I was looking she smiled and waved, to which I responded with a wave of my own.


    The fact that she looked back at me meant they already knew who was coming, and the alert was merely to let Alise know someone was here. A few moments later two people walked through the tunnel, each lugged along a large sack which contained food which had been purchased at the nearby city.


    The man on the left was a shorty fellow, he was not altogether impressive and his face had started to show signs of aging. Grey hair had begun to sneak onto his scalp, though he still acted as spry as the day I met him. Shorty paused, pulled out a small rock from one of his pockets and threw it at what seemed to be a random direction.


    The little kid he hit jumped out from the grass, to me they had been impossible to detect thanks to their suit and training. The outfit was designed to emulate the surrounding foliage, something that required time and patience to make. The little boy who was perhaps nine or so visibly looked depressed after being tagged by Shorty, and turned to walk toward the dormitory.


    "Looks like he''s taking Shorty''s class again," I commented to Alise, who merely chuckled in a quiet and almost dainty way.


    To say we had all taken well to living at the orphanage would be an understatement. Skara had found that he thoroughly enjoyed training children how to handle a sword, as well as coordinating their physical education with some of the senior kids. Shorty in turn ended up working on training the ones who wanted to be operatives, lookouts and scouts. While Skara was a bit gentle with the kids Shorty was brutal, he knew firsthand what would happen if you were spotted on the battlefield.


    Whereas I had not really helped in the slightest. Instead all that happened was that people gave to me, Alise gave me training in how to control my abilities while Skara gave me a willing partner to fight against who couldn''t handle my maximum strength. Requiring me to tone down my strength, to manipulate it to the right level during the heat of a battle became all the more easier to pull off with his help.


    Then there was Taryn. The man who walked with Shorty had his hood up, hiding away his face from the others around. Whenever I had asked about why he did that he never told me, and Alise asked me to leave the matter alone. However I knew quite well how he looked beneath that hood, the silver hair which was cut short which rippled gently in the breeze. The green eyes that always looked serious, sometimes dangerous and could send a chill down my spine. The fact that he was not altogether handsome, a common looking fellow who could blend in well with others.


    Alise coughed lightly, a cough which reminded me to stop staring at Taryn. I sighed, before turning toward Alise and placing the cup of tea on the table. It was filled with tea even though I had not requested it, and yet still the tea cup went to my lip and I drank from it. "Thank you."


    Light footsteps alerted me to the arrival of Taryn, a quick glance to the side and I realized he had come quite close to the table already. He threw the sack that was on his shoulder off to the side, at one of the oldest kids who had come up to welcome him back. "Mind taking care of that, Phil?"


    "How was the city?" Alise asked of her son, while she calmly read her papers.


    Taryn lifted up his hands and pulled back the hood, revealing all his features to everybody. Why? Why did he hide away under the hood? "The city is in a bit of an uproar, apparently someone important had stopped at a local inn and was asking for directions to somewhere."


    "Oh?" Alise responded, though she didn''t really seem to care either way.


    "Do you know where to?" I asked, while I sipped at my tea. The warmth of it was as always a reassuring presence, and the smell made me want to smile.


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    Taryn unhooked the scabbard on his left hip, the sword being placed gently down on the table next to the tea set. In most circles putting the weapon on the table would be rude, though I already knew he was merely returning what he had borrowed to his mother again. "No, I didn''t really care either way. There was some talk about trouble to the south-west as well, mysterious happenings. When I pressed for details the most I got out of it was the word vanishings."


    Alise put her cup down on the table and looked at Taryn. "Vanishings? Mmm, we might need to look into that. Did you and Shorty do a good job completing your task though?"


    Taryn smiled at her, then pulled out a small leather pouch. He placed it on the table, the jingle of money sounded from within. "Shorty managed to net us eight coins, apparently he''s becoming a legendary. I think training the kids is sharpening his skill."


    The pouch vanished, though to where I wasn''t quite certain. Alise openly smiled, though, while she looked up at Taryn. "That''s wonderful, it''s always great when friends get ahead in life."


    The chime sounded, an alert that caused all three of us to look toward the gate. A second chime carried across the breeze, a noise that made my body tense up. A third chime occurred, a noise that caused Taryn to reach for the sword and put the scabbard back onto his belt. Even I had begun to rise up from the chair at that, it was not a good sign. If a fourth sounded...


    There was only silence, though the tension had not stopped. Four chimes was the sound used for an attack, three meant the person coming carried weapons. Two meant the person coming was a complete stranger, while one meant there was someone coming. Five chimes, according to Alise, meant everyone needed to run away. It had never been used, and according to Alise so long as she lived it never would.


    A carriage slowly rolled up along the pathway through the tunnel, the carriage was lead by two horses that looked almost extravagant. The driver was hunched over, he had a large battle axe that rested on the seat next to him while his face was scarred horrifically. The way the scar ran from his lower lip all the up to his left eye made his whole features distorted, and permanently angry looking.


    When the carriage came to a stop Taryn started to walk over toward the vehicle, while Alise asked me to sit back down. My mind raced though, the carriage was in no way cheap looking, in truth it reminded me of many from my youth. While Taryn approached it the door opened and a single man stepped out, his clothes were black and white.


    He was a butler and his name was Vargos, he had long dark green hair which was permanently pulled back into a ponytail that went down to his waist. With the slightest bit of a bow he offered up one hand toward the carriage door, toward a person who sent a chill through my body.


    A thin hand came out from the darkness of the vehicle, a dark purple glove that covered all the hand plus a bit of the arm. It lightly touched upon Varos''s own, then out of the carriage came a woman who wore a dark violet dress. Her dress was in no way designed for showing off, as it modestly covered her body and only slightly showed off her features. The shoes she wore were the same color violet, heels that probably proved hard to use on the moist grass.


    "This is going to be fun," Alise murmured from where she sat, while she smiled toward me. "Don''t interfere!"


    The woman who had emerged from the carriage had black hair that was cut short, it was stylized in such a way as to frame her beautiful face. The features of her face were sharp, while her skin color was a refreshingly warm hue. Makeup had been applied in minute quantities, enough to accentuate without over-exaggerating. About her neck was a necklace with a silver chain, the jewel that hung from it was an amethyst that was easily the size of an eyeball.


    She had no weapons, she had not spoken a single word, she had not done anything except get out of the carriage. All of that and yet still my body stiffened in fright, I had the urge to scream out to Taryn to run yet the words didn''t come. Alise wished for me to stay out of it, and that meant if I tried to speak she''d probably knock me unconscious before a single word emerged.


    Taryn walked up to the noblewoman and placed his left hand openly on the handle of the sword at his hip. He looked at the woman, noted how she looked and nodded his head toward her. "Good day," he told her, though he did not bow. "I believe you have come to the wrong place?"


    "Vargos, did this little cur just talk to me without first offering a proper introduction?" the woman asked of her servant, while she stared down her nose at Taryn.


    "Yes, my lady," the butler told her, he had straightened up after the noblewoman stepped from the carriage, and then taken up a place to her left and behind her.


    The noblewoman sighed, it as not a happy sound and she tsked loud enough that it was audible at the table. It was a noise that made me wince, a noise that reminded me of many mistakes of the past. "Dear me, child perhaps you should start with your name, then explain why you are being so rude to me?" she asked in a steady tone.


    "I''m Taryn, and I am not a child, so perhaps you can explain why you are here before I boot you out of this place?" Taryn asked, his distaste for the woman so obvious that even the children who watched were shocked.


    "Why is he always like this?" I asked of Alise, while I shook my head. Every time a stranger showed up at the orphanage Taryn scared them away, sometimes by punching them until they sobbed and took off.


    "Because he loves everyone, Liliana," Alise informed me. "How would you feel if some random people stepped into your home without warning?"


    To be fair that was not a good question to ask me, I was accustomed to random people showing up at my house. Prior to training with the Legion I had spent a good deal of time entertaining guests for my parents who often didn''t want to talk to them, yet still had to in the end. Such was the horrid life of the politically important.


    "I''ve come to take a child with me," said the noblewoman.


    The worst possible choice of words had been picked, most likely on purpose. Taryn in regards to fighting was probably one of the strongest warriors that I had ever encountered. In a straight up fight against Skara he would obliterate the man with minimal effort, and even if I pulled out everything at my disposal he could still best me. He had been trained by a Disciple of the God of War for most of his life, and was also part God himself due to his heritage.


    That man heard those words and there was no kindness nor mercy anymore, he stepped forward and sent out a punch with such shocking power and speed that the air itself quivered. The ground beneath his foot broke, an imprint left by his boot in the soft dirt and grass. Every child who saw that punch screamed out in horror, because it was a punch capable of disintegrating a skull.


    The punch was stopped by a single finger, the right index finger, of the woman. She looked past Taryn and toward Alise, head tilted to the side quizzically. "Go right ahead, but don''t damage the property!" Alise called out in the loudest voice I had ever heard her use. Even when Skara had been caught peeking on her naked she hadn''t yelled that loud.


    Taryn''s eyes showed his confusion, not only from what his mother had said but how the woman had stopped his attack. She lifted her left hand and slapped it out at Taryn''s face in a slow swing. So slow that he had ample time to lift up his arm to ward off the seemingly weak attack that was incoming.


    Taryn''s body spun around while his arm nearly cracked in half, his mouth opened as a squeak of pain emitted. "What the," was all he could muster up before the noblewoman gripped the back of his neck with her thin fingers. Up into the air he was lifted, and then a moment later his entire head was smashed hard into the ground.


    It didn''t take Taryn long to recover, he had faced nasty opponents before and so when he surged up from the ground via pushing off of it with his hands nobody was shocked. What made it a bit shocking was that he easily used too much strength and sent himself aerial for a few seconds, then landed on the ground five feet from the noblewoman.


    Taryn started to pull out the sword that was at his hip, his eyes continued to show the confusion he had felt initially. The blade never cleared, a right index finger pressed against the end of the handle. The left hand came up and slapped Taryn hard across the face, hard enough that his body lifted from the ground.


    He hit the grass and soil rolling, his body tossed easily ten feet to the side from a mere slap. The noblewoman watched him as he tumbled, there was no laughter in her eyes but a mere hint of sympathy. The butler still stood near the carriage without any surprise on his face, while the driver of the carriage had opted to start eating a cheese and cracker meal.


    Taryn stood up, though he obviously swayed due to a lack of balance. His face was bruised and he looked altogether completely overwhelmed by what had happened to him. The idea of even pulling out the sword had not crossed his mind again, instead it seemed he wanted to simply stand up straight.


    The noblewoman casually started to walk away from Taryn and over toward Alise and I. Her movements were graceful, steady and offered no belief that she was in any type of hurry. Her hands came together in front of her, left hand grasped by the right gently. When she reached the table she smiled down at the both of us, while she inclined ever so little. It was not a bow, but it was a sign of respect to at least one of us.


    Alise smiled at the woman, she had no issue with showing that she enjoyed what had happened. Taryn had as of late been acting arrogant due to his extreme capabilities in a fight, so it didn''t take much thinking to understand that Alise was happy someone had put him in his place. I, on the other hand, did not smile but rather was forced to say something I didn''t want to say.


    Everyone in the entire orphanage had started to gather, Skara had even walked over to support Taryn while Shorty stared at the entire event without concern. It was probably due to the fact that he knew firsthand how capable Alise was, and since she had not made a move the stranger was therefore not a threat.


    With all of the orphanage''s eyes on us I was forced to stand up from the table, and then casually pull out one of the chairs for the noblewoman. With a quick step back there was then a bow, deep and respectful toward the woman before me. When I straightened back up I smiled, in truth I was happy to see her but at the same time I knew it meant the fun times were over.


    "Hello mother."

 Vol. 2 Chapter 2 - The Fun Trip Home

    Alise, Esmeralda and myself were gathered at the table outside of the cottage at the orphanage. Nearby Taryn had been assisted by Skara in standing back up, and then walked away toward the dormitory. Some of the children who watched were scared, but thanks to the older kids the situation hadn''t degenerated. They had caught on to the fact that Alise was friendly with the stranger, much like Shorty had long before anyone else.


    The carriage was where it had been parked with the butler standing rigid near it. The driver had gotten down from the seat and stretched, then started to jog in place. Vargos, the butler, looked in my direction and for a brief moment there was a smile. He was the favorite slave of my mother and one of the people who had helped raise me from childhood.


    My attention was drawn back to the table when my mother started to speak. "I didn''t realize you were watching over my daughter for me, Allie," she said in a comfortable, soft tone of voice.


    It caused me to blink my eyes, then tilt my head a little to the side. Allie? "So you two know each other?" I asked. Alise had never explained her past as a disciple, and how she knew my parents names. I had assumed it was merely a working relationship with my father, or that Mathias had told her everything.


    My mother looked at me and shook her head ever so slightly. "Allie and I have known each other since shortly after you were born. She''d stop by and check up on your father from time to time," she explained.


    "Plus she was fun to spar against, not many people can fight at Esmeralda''s level," Alise pointed out. She sipped at her tea, and then put down the cup before picking up some papers. "Lily showed up about half a year ago and hasn''t left since, for more reasons than I''m sure she''ll admit."


    Esmeralda looked at me, and then a slight smile appeared on her face. "Still, why exactly was your son so adamant in acting like an idiot? If it had been Van he probably would''ve gutted him."


    "It''s a fault of his personality," Alise admitted, before she sighed in frustration. "Thankfully you came along and helped show him that he''s not all powerful. I''m the only person locally who stands a chance against him, and I''m not exactly rolling in coins so I can''t afford a merc."


    A little bang noise came when my mother hit her fist against the table. Given what she had done to Taryn the power behind that was like a light breeze in comparison to a hurricane. "I''ve offered you money before! But instead you ran away on us and set up some orphanage and didn''t tell us anything."


    Alise waved her hand toward my mother, as though dismissing her comments. "I won''t touch the blood money of Mathias, thank you. Plus I figured if I told you where I lived you''d want to come and fight me, or drag your daughter along and have her train under me or something."


    The look on my mother''s face said that Alise had been accurate in her assessment, as she simply looked down at her tea cup dejectedly. "Still you could''ve told me about my daughter," she mumbled like a little girl. It was a face and attitude I had never seen before in my mother, one that made me wonder just how heavy Alise''s influence was on her.


    "If I wanted you to know where I was I would''ve told you, mother," I reminded her. My tea cup was full but for the first time in a while I had no urge to drink from it. "Because you''re going to drag me off somewhere and force me to do some sort of training that I don''t want to do."


    As though my words were fuel for the fire in her heart my mother''s back straightened up, her seating posture fixed in a matter of seconds. She looked toward me with a bit of heat in her eyes, before she spoke in a tone that was scathing and quite intimidating. "You will do what I tell you because I am your mother, and if you don''t like it you can go get yourself killed after you turn twenty."


    "Emmy," Alise said. A single word, yet one that made my mother instantly calm down and even start to blush a little. "Lily is a fine daughter, don''t be so harsh on her. So have you only come to find her?"


    "Ah, that," Esmeralda said. She glanced back at me, then turned her face toward Alise. "Back during her childhood I needed to pull a few strings and make a few promises in order to get her enrolled in the Legion, without being a legionnaire."


    "Ohhh," Alise exhaled out. She smiled, then lifted up her tea cup. "Now they''re calling in the debt?"


    "High General Sciroco wishes to request a favor of my daughter," Esmeralda stated in a clear and professional tone of voice, before she smiled at Alise. "I hope you don''t mind if I drag her away?"


    "Wait! What if I don''t want to go!" I said even while standing up.


    Both Alise and my mother turned to look at me, their eyes in turn explained why my personal opinion didn''t matter. Between the two of them they could probably destroy an entire army of regular soldiers in a matter of minutes. The intensity of those gazes was enough to make me step backward in fright, and remind me of a few times in my youth when I pissed my parents off.


    "You can take her, but don''t you dare marry her off to someone," Alise told my mother, before she refilled her cup of tea. "Have a nice trip Lily, bring back some souvenirs please."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The departure from the orphanage was one filled with a few upset children who had grown close to me over the past six months. Maria showed up and hugged me tightly, to which I could only respond with a hug back. She had managed to recover from losing her parents quite nicely, although she had gained a scar around her neck from the type of collar used by the slavers.


    Taryn never showed up to say goodbye, although given how he had looked when I had last seen him it was probably due to embarrassment. It isn''t every day that someone gets knocked around by the mother of their...whatever I was to him. Skara patted me on the shoulder, then flashed his almost permanently existing grin at me.


    Shorty was absent, he never appeared and it made me feel more than a little sad. The guy and I had barely known each other prior to the incident near Fisk and yet we''d grown closer than some families do. Yet there was the fact that eventually I would return to help remind me that sooner or later we''d meet again.


    "I''ll be back before you guys know it!" I called out to everyone, before hopping into the carriage with my mother. Vargos stepped inside as well, then closed the door behind him. A few moments later the carriage started to move, and the long trip back to my home began.


    It was a boring trip, one that made me want to smack my head against the inside of the carriage over and over again. Vargos quietly sat next to my mother and served her refreshments at regular intervals, while in turn my mother merely looked out the window of the carriage.


    Normal families would probably talk about what had happened since they had last met. My mother had no interest, not because she hated me but simply due to the fact that it didn''t matter to her. She loved me, but in a way that defied normal conventions. If someone threatened to kill me she''d probably feed them their spine, but if I got in a fight which I started and died she would most likely shrug her shoulders and not care.


    The carriage rolled south toward Shiadone, then it went west in the direction of the main highways of the empire. Arriving at a crossroad the carriage turned to the north, and began the long boring journey to Scintallia. To entertain myself along the way I began to form and reform the Shatterblade into different types of weapons, trying for greater flexibility in the structure.


    Alise had told me that in the past my mother was able to create functioning crossbows and bows, which meant that all she needed was a quiver full of ammunition. The issue with doing that was in creating the threaded parts, metal didn''t exactly work well for that. My mother''s eyes wandered in my direction to look at the Shatterblade, a slight frown appeared but she remained quiet.


    When night fell across the landscape normally people would stop their carriage and set up for the night, instead the carriage of the Rose family refused to cease moving. Onward it went for three days straight before we reached a small, finely furnished hotel in the middle of the town of Primvale.


    The next day our journey began once more, silence enshrouded the carriage to the point of nearly driving me insane. The training with the Shatterblade continued, although it had barely shown any sort of progress due to the fact that I had no clue how to make metal string-like. The fact that my mother merely watched my actions without comment only added to the frustration.


    The trip to Shiadone with Taryn had been boring, but this was by far the worse. At least when I had traveled with Taryn he showed interest in talking, plus Maria continually commented on things she''d never seen before. The trip with my mother on the hand could only be described as so boring I wanted to kill myself.


    By the time we arrived at Scintallia I''m certain that part of my mind had started to snap from the boredom. I nearly leapt out of the carriage when it pulled up in front of my home, and cried for joy to the sky with hands uplifted. It was unladylike and yet I didn''t care, because at long last I was out of that accursed carriage!


    Vargos stepped out of the carriage next and offered my mother his hand, which she graciously accepted before climbing down. Before she walked away from it she turned toward the carriage and looked up at the top of it. "If you''re done hiding, please escort my daughter," she said to thin air, before turning back to the house and walking inside. Vargos followed her without hesitation, he never even glanced at the carriage.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Scary as Alise ain''t she?" came a familiar voice from on top of the carriage, before a small figure jumped down.


    "Shorty!" I cried out, though without running over and hugging him. When he had gotten on the carriage and how long he was on it was a mystery to me, although I could only assume it was from the start. "Why did you come?"


    "Come on girl, like I was going to leave you to yourself," Shorty said as he walked over to me. His height was so small, yet with him there it felt like everything would turn out well. "Now lead on, you know I''ve never been to your home before."


    "Ah, that''s right, come on!" I said with renewed energy. The presence of Shorty was what I had sorely needed in order to survive the trip home. Without any flair or theatrics I simply walked to the main door of the house.


    Now to call it simply a house might prove how accustomed to it I was, but given that my father was Vandross Rose we were exceedingly well off. The house itself was really a mansion that was four floors in total height, with enough width to easily house a few hundred people if required. The exterior of it was kept clean and washed on a daily basis, while the interior was looked after by a small army of maids who were all slaves originally.


    The massive doors had already been opened when my mother approached the front, twin butlers stood on each side in a bowed stance. They quietly waited for myself and Shorty to enter before they would straighten up and close the doors. As we passed by them I smiled, mostly since it was somewhat nice to see them again.


    The foyer of the mansion was large enough to serve as a house all on it''s own. Two large curved staircases lead up from the first floor to the second, and then another mirrored set of staircases led up to the third floor from there. The fourth was a reserved area of the house entirely for my father and mother, and so the only access point to that was deeper inside.


    The floor was made of a beautiful marble with carpets that cost significantly more than any of the slaves who worked here had. A chandelier rested high above crafted of crystal, diamonds and silver with the candles within left unlit. Along the walls were paintings that depicted various conflicts which my father had taken part in, including some which dealt with monsters rather than humans.


    A beautiful looking maid stood near the left side staircase, her outfit matched the same as all the other maids who milled about cleaning the furniture and walls. However on her head was a slight tiara, as though to mark her as the princess of the maids. It was an idea that my mother had during a drinking game, or so I had heard from Vargos.


    "Lady Liliana, welcome home," the maid said as she curtsied toward me, her blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "Will you be in need of our services today?"


    "Come on Diana, you know I hate it when you act like that," I grumbled. I walked over to her and hugged her, no refusals allowed in that regard. "How have you been doing since I took off?"


    "I''ve been fine, Vargos has watched over us to make sure Vandross didn''t do anything dumb," Diana told me. She smiled while she hugged me back, almost giggling with happiness at my return.


    A cough came from behind me, and with a start I turned and noticed Shorty standing there looking altogether confused. "Oh, sorry Shorty. Diana, this gentleman is Shorty, he''s helped me out a lot," was the lame introduction I produced. If my mother had heard it she would''ve clicked her tongue and threatened to beat me.


    Shorty nodded toward the maid, yet he seemed mostly uninterested in her. "Thank god we didn''t bring Skara with us," he commented.


    "Skara isn''t allowed anywhere near my house," was my reply. Then we both started to laugh at the little inside joke, while Diana could only raise an eyebrow quizzically.


    "Your mother left instructions for you, she said that you''ll meet with the High General later, so expect summons at any moment," Diana told me. Then she bowed deeply, as is the duty of any proper servant, and motioned with one arm toward the direction of the first floor bedroom wing.


    "Very well, thank you Diana," I said, before walking toward the door that lead to the bedrooms. The door was opened by a butler who stood there, his entire duty was to stand guard on that doorway and make sure only the proper people were allowed through.


    "Your family sure does have a lot of servants," Shorty commented while we walked through the doorway. On the other side was another butler who had the same job as the first, though he worked the opposite side. Nearly every major doorway in the house had a pair of butlers who worked together on it, and every one was trained to fight to the death against intruders.


    "My father doesn''t like to be bothered, so the small army he hired helps keep unwanted intruders out," I said in response. We walked down a straight hallway that had a single door leading to the right every hundred yards or so. "Just to let you know almost everyone here is a slave, so don''t start any fusses over slaves please."


    Shorty stiffened a little at the mention of slaves, but nodded his head. "I understand, I''d rather not piss off your mother or father, given how easily she thrashed Taryn," Shorty commented. Then he started to chuckle as he thought about how Taryn got knocked around.


    When we reached the fourth door I paused, then turned and opened it up without concern about unlocking it. The door opened immediately, as I never bothered locking my own room since the servants knew better than to steal from me. Into the room we walked, before Shorty drew in a sharp breath at what he saw.


    The inside of my room was at least two times the size of the cottage itself back at the orphanage. The bed was large enough that at least five people could lay on it with plenty of room to spare, while a reclining chair was nestled up against a bookcase. The bookcase held two hundred and thirty six books at last count, none of which were really all that interesting to read.


    An ornate fireplace was settled up against the western wall, gold and silver trimmed with a hint of platinum. The fireplace was cleaned daily even if it was not used, and so it shone beautifully in the dim light of the candles. The candles in turn were placed strategically around the room in order to maintain a certain level of illumination. Every week they were replaced by the servants, who also cleaned up any wax that might have dripped away from the holder.


    Along one wall was an array of different weapons ranging from primitive clubs to bows crafted of the finest wood. There were even some experimental weapons such as compound bows that used multiple pieces to create a whole, something that was still unused in the empire.


    In the center of the room was a large table that could easily serve a dozen people, rectangular in shape and cleaned on a daily basis like everything else. The chairs near it were so well cushioned that merely sitting in one tended to make it hard to stand back up, as it was near intoxicating.


    "Please, take a seat Shorty. I need to get changed, otherwise my mother will probably punish me," I told him while walking toward a door that was set against the east side of the room. I opened it up and stepped inside, while Shorty could only watch me with a very confused look on his face.


    Needless to say the room on the other side was designed for getting dressed, and contained all of my clothes. The amount was a staggering sum, most of which was purchased by the maids who wanted to see me wear a variety of different dresses and outfits. Still given that we expected company it would be best to wear a formal outfit, and so that left a greatly decreased selection of only a hundred to choose from.


    The problem was that putting on the dress would require some form of help, which Shorty most definitely was not going to be allowed to give. With a sigh I could only turn to the door, and walk back into my room. Shorty looked at me with a question in his eyes, but I merely waved him off and told him to stay.


    A short while later I was back in the dressing room with two maids, neither of whom I knew very well. One was Felicia and the other was named Ophelia, and both were recent hires. Diana promised me that they were more than capable of helping to dress me, though, and so began the torture of putting on a proper attire for the evening.


    When I stepped out of the dressing room my body was garbed in an evening gown that went all the way down to my ankles. It was a one-shoulder design that was tight enough in some spots to leave little to the imagination of how my body probably looked, yet loose enough in the important spots that nothing showed. The dress itself was the color of a dark red rose, while an embroidered flower rested near where the one-shoulder strap met the rest of the dress.


    My black hair had been pulled up into a bun, then a beautiful crystal hairpin had been placed into it. The pin itself had a carved jewel that resembled a blooming rose on it. The maids had been kind enough to do my makeup for me as well, and so my facial features looked almost entirely different to Shorty.


    My feet had a pair of dark red heels on them, they were not very comfortable and made walking much more difficult to pull off. The overall color scheme was designed to match up together along with the ruby lipstick that the maids had applied.


    "Really good thing we didn''t let Skara come," Shorty commented again, while he looked at me with a bit of awe in his eyes.

 Vol. 2 Chapter 3 - The Rock In The Rose Garden

    There''s nothing quite like going home and then having dinner with your family, who in turn also decided to invite in some guests. I was seated in a very fine chair within the main dining hall of the second floor, still wearing my evening dress as that was the entire point to putting it on. To my left sat Shorty, who had been forced into a tuxedo that managed to fit him thanks to the skills of Diana.


    We were seated at the end of the table in regard to where my father sat, who sat by himself on the short-side of the rectangle that the table created. My mother was to my right, while directly across from her were the guests. One was a general who worked for the Legion while another was the singular High General, the leader of the entire armed forces of the Empire.


    Vandross Rose was a man that time had started to claim, his hair grown white while wrinkles had started to appear on his handsome face. Much like myself my father was garbed in formal attire, a dinner suit which had been carefully tailored to accentuate the muscles of his arms and chest.


    Esmeralda Rose in turn wore an evening gown that was similar to my own, although she had opted for a shorter length. It went down to right above her knees and offered a nice glimpse of legs, if one was interested in those types of things. Her color was a dark blue, and she wore a necklace which had a sapphire crystal embedded on it. Somehow she was all smiles, even though my father hadn''t spoken a single word since dinner started.


    The general that was directly across from myself was apparently General Rudicus, a newly appointed one who was barely older than twenty-four. He had dirty-blonde hair, green eyes and an overall impressive look to his body. The outfit he had opted to wear was strangely enough his armor suit, thankfully not heavy platemail but instead a chainmail vest along with leg metal armguards and leggings. The gauntlets had been removed and placed on the table across from Shorty, along with the unbelted scabbard for his sword.


    The High General was Sciroco, otherwise known as Rock or The Rock, or even Rocky if you wanted to get punched by him. He sat in his chair as impassive as always, a stern look on his face while he talked gently with my mother about the state of affairs. Given that I had little interest in how the northern expanses of the empire were faring economically my mind had wandered a bit. Unlike Rudicus he wore a regular dinner suit, black and white colors that matched the same type of outfit Shorty wore.


    We had been served goose, which wasn''t my favorite but most definitely was my fathers. A glass of wine had been granted to each, although Shorty had asked for a full glass rather than the usual half-filled glass most people take. He had no issue with acting as common as possible, as he ate the goose without using fork or knife and noisily slurped the wine down.


    It was a refreshing thing to have him by my side, at the moment he served as an escort and bodyguard. The normal dinner in my house was all of us seated there, eating quietly while nobody talked. Sometimes my mother would say something to me, and then my father would merely grumble about how I wasn''t a boy and how much of a failure I was.


    To be fair it wasn''t that my father hated me, if anything he hated how I was not a boy. All his life he had grown up expecting to bear some great heir to the God of War, and in turn he ended up with a daughter who to him was weak. If I was hurt he would care, but also blame it on myself and expect me to deal with my own problems.


    When I took off from the house it seemed unlikely he had even noticed or cared, I was my own responsibility in his eyes. My mother was somewhat like that, though at the same time she cared enough about me to worry while I was gone. Bothering to ask the legionnaire to find and return me had probably cost her a bit of pride, which in turn made me feel guilty.


    "So, Flower," Sciroco suddenly said as he looked toward me. The usage of his old nickname for me from our days of training made my eyes widen. "I''ve heard you were off training on your own, and trying to improve yourself?"


    "I felt that it was better to get some fresh air and a fresh perspective," I responded with, while nibbling at a piece of goose.


    "It''s a pity too, while you were gone I brought Rudicus here so he could test himself against you, but then you weren''t here at all," Sciroco said with that permanent straight face. His emotions never showed, he never flinched nor seemed to feel. He was the Rock and it was for a reason.


    Shorty snorted at that comment, though he didn''t expand on his response with words. "I highly doubt I could match up to one of the Legion''s generals," was my own comment. In truth I had no clue how strong Rudicus was in regard to people like Skara, so I felt it was best to err on the side of caution.


    "Ah, well...maybe you could try later anyways," Sciroco said, while he lifted up his glass of wine and looked at it. "My men told me you used my name to get out of some trouble in Vicna, six months ago."


    My father''s fork set down with a loud clink against his plate, and he looked toward me with curious eyes. In all my life he had very rarely ever shown interest in me, so it was an unnerving feeling to have his full attention directed at me. "I was merely passing through, I managed to get out before the Plague showed up."


    "Lucky given how many there were," my father commented, before he almost disappointedly picked up his fork and started to eat again.


    Shorty went to make a comment, to which I responded by elbowing him in the side before he could say a word. I had no interest in bragging about my current capabilities, nor talking about Taryn and our fight against Nixi. Rudicus was the only one who seemed to take note of that, though I knew better than to underestimate the gathered warriors present. Alise was at a level higher than my mother, who was in turn equal to Sciroco. My father was technically an unknown, though I could expect he was at least an equal for Alise given they both worked for Mathias.


    An hour later the dinner was done, we had barely talked and Shorty had begun to understand my trepidation at returning home. It was not a fun place to be, if anything it was like a prison from which I had never been allowed to properly leave. While I loved my family at times I simply wanted to run far far away and never look back.


    The first to leave the table was my father, he never bothered to look in my direction nor talk to me. Instead he calmly said his goodbyes to Sciroco before walking out of the room. My mother, as always, apologized for how untalkative my father had been before also walking out after him. She spent most of her free time trying to make up for his social inadequacies, something that made me wonder why she even bothered.


    "I see your father is still the same," Sciroco commented to me while standing up. The maids had moved in to clear the table of all utensils and dirty plates, while the butlers stood behind each of us at the ready in case we needed anything.


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    "He''s incapable of changing, he''s too old," I told Sciroco, while also standing up. Shorty to my side joined me, though Rudicus remained seated while he watched all of us quietly. During the entire dinner he had barely spoken any words, and seemed more interested in absorbing information.


    Sciroco stepped around the table and hugged me tightly, while he laughed. Rudicus could only stare in wonder at that, as the unmoving silence of the Rock had shattered in front of his eyes. "Flower, how you doing you little brat!" he yelled out while hugging me even tighter.


    So tightly I had to protest it a bit. "Rocky, can''t breath, let me go!" I told him while flailing a little at him with my hands. Obviously there was no real strength behind the hits, it would be bad for the house if that happened.


    Carefully he put me back down, and then stepped back and looked at me from top to bottom. He grinned, then slowly let all of those emotions slip away from his face. A few moments later he was that same unfeeling boulder as always. "Seriously though, you seem to have turned out well. Guess all those years lightly training you wasn''t for naught."


    "Your training was more like hell," I reminded Sciroco, while making certain my dress wasn''t too badly mussed by his hug. With one hand I motioned toward Shorty who was next to me. "This is Shorty, he''s a good friend I picked up in the last year."


    Sciroco''s eyes turned to look at the small man, a flicker of recognition and then nothing more. "High General Sciroco at your service," he told Shorty while offering his hand to the midget.


    Shorty shook his hand in response, though he remained quiet. If anything he seemed too quiet, as though there had been some sort of communication that went between them in that moment. The sound of a chair moving caused all of us to look toward Rudicus as he stood up, belting his sword back to his waist.


    "High General, perhaps we should get to our reason for being here?" Rudicus reminded his superior officer as he walked over to join us.


    "Ah yes, well it''s simple enough," Sciroco started before pausing. He looked at me once more, and then glanced at Rudicus. "General Rudicus is being dispatched to investigate some odd happenings in the empire. He''s taking a small group of legionnaires with him, but he feels they aren''t enough."


    It was easy to see where this was going, I even sighed. "So that''s what mother meant about paying back the debt. You''re dragging me along too aren''t you?"


    "Indeed, although I''m going to have to request that your friend does not participate in this," Sciroco commented. He looked at Shorty and nodded his head. "I''m sure you''ll understand. This is Legion business."


    Shorty looked like he was about to protest, so I headed it off. "It''s okay Shorty. The Legion are like a second family to me, plus I''m certain the legionnaires know what''ll happen if they try to do anything to me."


    Rudicus adjusted himself a little at that, while he cleared his throat. "We know about how protective the High General is of you, so yes you''ll definitely be in good hands."


    "When do you plan to head out?" was the only question I could think of.


    "Tomorrow morning, we''ll meet up in the plaza of Scintallia and then head west, before swinging south-west. After a short bit we''ll reach the other five. If you''ll excuse me, I''m going to head to the guest room and start resting," Rudicus stated. Without waiting for any response he turned and walked from the room, his walk a rigid style that made him look almost too serious.


    "He''s trying to be like you isn''t he?" I asked of Sciroco, before laughing at the thought of two of him.


    "Probably. A lot of the younger kids try to emulate me," Sciroco admitted, before he slowly walked toward the door. "How about we settle down somewhere and have a talk about how you''ve been doing?"


    With that Sciroco, Shorty and myself left the dining hall and went to a study on the first floor. While the maids and butlers continued their daily activities, and as the sun began to set on the horizon I told one of my oldest and closest friends what I had been up to since our last meeting. I even talked to him about how I had taken part in the Plague fight, though I didn''t tell him about Taryn''s lineage nor the soul infection he had done on me.


    It was a nice night filled with laughter, happiness and good feelings. It was one of the few nights I had spent in my home where I didn''t go to bed depressed, and it reminded me all over again why I found Sciroco to be such a wonderful person. Like a close uncle that you long to see since he always makes you smile, I hoped to talk with him again sometime soon.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The next morning I left the mansion with a happy look on my face, given that I was walking away once more from the home that tended to not feel like one. Shorty walked with me half the way to the plaza before he peeled off, though I gave him a light hug before he left. I would miss that short little man during whatever idiocy the Legion was yanking me into.


    My clothes had shifted from the formal dress back to baggy attire. Pants that were far too billowy and a shirt that revealed nothing made a mockery of any attempt to deduce how slim my body might be, or how endowed my chest might have become. My ponytail was once more wrapped around my neck like an unusual necklace, and the two metal rings that represented the Shatterblade clicked almost musically on my left wrist.


    The only oddity amongst it all was perhaps the large white hat I wore on my head, it was a gift that Maria had made quite some time ago and that I found pleasant to wear. It kept the sun out of my eyes quite nicely, and only required me to hold onto the brim when the wind gusted a bit too hard.


    Rudicus still wore his ridiculous armor, when I walked up to him at the plaza he was the only person wearing a breastplate so it was easy to find him. He in turn looked at me with eyes of shock, he had expected me to look probably a lot more womanly and not so bland. Sciroco was nowhere in sight, he had explained during our conversations last night that he had business to attend to in town.


    "You ready?" I asked of Rudicus while he stood there with that confused look on his face. He was a long ways off from being the unemotional rock that was Sciroco. "Or are you going to stare at me all day?"


    The general snapped out of his daze and turned away from me, though he still seemed a bit shaken with how different I looked. To be fair it kind of was like seeing a majestic eagle turn into a run-down horse, so his confusion was warranted. "Alright, lets go. I have some horses held for us outside of the city. We should make good time with them."

 Vol. 2 Chapter 4 - The Oak That Fell Silent

    The horses that Rudicus acquired for us were of a good stock, all in all they were well trained and proved in no way a problem. While we rode away from the city of Scintallia neither Rudicus nor I exchanged words, he would obviously tell me information when he felt it was needed. Personally I had no interest in talking to him at all, if he was worth respecting I''d learn that soon enough during the course of our mission.


    Mission. The thought of having to do something like that aggravated me, I hoped that it wasn''t going to be some years long horrid affair that left me wandering from city to city punching the helpless. The Legion normally don''t do such horrid tactics, but given that the legionnaires defended cities like Vicna my opinion in them had waned a little.


    Not that I was about to go back and tell Sciroco no, the man had trained me most of my youth and was the main culprit for my combat proficiency. While my father found me to be a horrid waste of space it was Sciroco who thought I had great potential, and often commented that I would one day be the equal of my mother.


    The advantage to riding horses over using a carriage should be obvious to anyone who understands the basics of both, the horses move fast while the carriage is slow. Given that the driver also took his time so as not to disturb my mother the overall trip to our home was far larger than what the return would be.


    Sadly we were not destined to head back to the orphanage, I had already grown to miss the constant sound of children playing and Skara''s crazed laughter. Even the oft distant presence of Taryn was something that left a slight ache, although thankfully I was free from Alise and her wretched smacking of my head.


    In comparison it was like the blink of an eye when we arrived at the camp which Rudicus had left his men at, a small little encampment that consisted of rudimentary tenting materials and a cheap looking campfire. The campfire had a few sticks near it, plus one that went over the fire and what was possibly the poorest looking metal tin hanging from it. It was standard legionnaire equipment, and it made me smile a little in remembrance of the harsh training.


    When our horses loudly clopped up to the camp two of the soldiers present had already pulled out bows and notched arrows against their bowstrings. Rudicus lifted up one arm, open palm facing toward the soldiers in a sign that he meant no harm. A call came from the group, and then the five soldiers all fell into place while Rudicus and I finished closing the gap and dismounted.


    "Jesson, take the horses and water them," Rudicus demanded of one of the soldiers while he stepped over to investigate the other four. I followed him, not exactly sure what I should be doing.


    Jesson was a young looking man with black hair, blue eyes. His overall body was average, he wore the regular legionnaire armor and had a single sword belted to his waist. He had been one of the archers who had pointed their arrows at us, and looked a bit ashamed when he discarded his bow and arrow to follow through with Rudicus'' command.


    While he walked by I held onto the white sunhat on my head, while smiling pleasantly toward the soldiers gathered. Rudicus had no need for a smile as he stepped up and cleared his throat, which made every single soldier snap to and salute him. At a glance every single one of them looked to be a positive representation of the Legion, and I nodded my head absently at how this might turn out to be a fine venture.


    Rudicus began to introduce each of them, with simply a name and an overall job referred to each. The cook and medic was an old looking man who was a bit more portly than one might anticipate from a military force. Alex had a large axe strapped at his waist instead of a sword, while he scowled at me as though unhappy with my presence.


    The scout of our party was a thin young woman who was probably close to my age, she had short cut brown hair along with hazel eyes. Nala, as she was called, had been the other archer who had pointed their weapon in our direction, though she didn''t seem disturbed in the slightest at whom she had aimed. Aside from the bow she had a long dagger strapped onto her waist, it seemed she was one who focused primarily on ranged combat.


    One of the core warriors who served as vanguard in combat was a tough looking man named Braddicus, a short cut beard grown away from his face. He had a few scars on his face, along with an eye which had a white iris. Out of everyone he was the only armed with a tower shield, along with a long-handled mace which seemed quite capable of braining any ordinary opponent readily.


    The fellow vanguard position was left to the tallest woman I had ever had the distinct pleasure of meeting. Her long red hair flowed down almost to her ankles, and she smiled quite often even though there seemed to be no reason for it. On her hands were spiked knuckles rather than regular gauntlets, and she had no weapons belted to her. Her name was Bell, and I doubted she was musically inclined.


    Apparently the rearguard was left to Jesson, while Rudicus and I would supply support wherever we felt the need was greatest. "So you only use your fists to fight?" I asked of Bell.


    The response from her was to smash her two fists together loudly, before grinning at me. The flash of teeth and the height made me feel a bit afraid of her, though until we had a proper fight I was uncertain of her capability in regard to my own. "Nothing more fun than smashing someones face in with your own fists," Bell told me. Dear god she was the female version of Skara.


    "Alright, we''ll clean up the camp and start moving out once the horses have enough time to rest, any questions?" Rudicus asked of his soldiers. Jesson had walked back over to join us, picking up his fallen bow and arrow from before.


    "So we''re taking the princess of the Legion along with us?" Alex growled out, he shifted a bit and glared in my direction as though I had spit on his face or something.


    "We are indeed, do you have a problem with that?" Rudicus said as he glared at Alex.


    Alex turned his gaze away, though he grumbled a few choice words which may or may not have included comments about my sexual proclivity. The way that Nala stiffened up made me all the more curious about what he had said, and by curious I meant interested in punching him in the face.


    The last time I got to punch someone was when I fought with Skara, so it might have clouded my judgement with what I did next. Without waiting for Rudicus to reprimand his soldier I stepped forward and poked a finger at Alex and his distended belly. "If you have a problem maybe you should approach me about it?" I inquired sweetly, although my eyes held nothing but cold steel.


    The other legionnaires backed away immediately, while Alex could only splutter out a few words from his pig-like mouth. Rudicus loudly cleared his throat, and then calmly stepped back two big steps from us both. "Don''t break anything," he requested of the both of us.


    Alex could only chortle at that, while he unslung his axe and gripped it tightly in one hand. He stood there, holding it and watching me for a few moments. "Aren''t you going to get a weapon?" he asked, while he looked over my body. There were no visible weapons to be seen, and he was all too assured that I was subsequently unarmed.


    My only response to that was to scoff and then lift up a middle finger. Alex did not take that too well, he squealed almost like a pig as he charged toward me with his axe swinging for my head. All the soldiers took a half-step forward while crying out, it was a lethal move and one that was not supposed to be used in personal duels. If anything he should''ve struck with the blunt side of the axe, rather than the sharpened edge.


    While I was not on par with people like Alise, the attack from Alex was almost a laughable assault in regard to my favorite sparring partner Skara. The swing was slow enough that even without unloading all of my power I could still easily duck under the assault, before pushing forward and ramming a fist hard into the massive stomach of Alex.


    He coughed out loudly, a bit of moisture fell on me from above, and I winced at the thought I might''ve broken one of his ribs or burst an internal organ. The legionnaires are a tough sort of folk, especially with the enhanced armor they wear, but a piece of trash is a piece of trash no matter how pretty it looks.


    Alex growled though and it relieved me, even as he attempted to drop the handle his axe on my head. My response was to catch the oncoming axe handle, grip it tightly and rip it from his hand. While he could only stare in confusion at how easily I had overpowered him I brought an elbow up at his jaw and sent him reeling backward.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "That''s enough!" Rudicus barked out, most likely due to the fact that Alex''s lip had busted open and he probably had a bruised jaw. The fat soldier lightly snarled as he looked at me, but he for the most part demonstrated a certain degree of self-control. With a slow salute he stepped forward and offered one hand toward me, as though expecting the axe to be given back.


    If I had been in a worse mood I would''ve broken the axe, but given that we might need him as a meat shield in the near future I chose to toss the axe gently up in the air. He shouted a few swear words of surprise, and then tried to catch his weapon without grabbing the bladed end. While he played his juggling act I had already turned away and started to walk toward the horse Rudicus had acquired for me.


    "As I said, we''ll take a short rest to let our horses recuperate, and then we''ll head out for our target," Rudicus said in a calm voice. He placed one hand on the handle of his sword while he stared at his soldiers. "If anyone has any more issues with the presence of Liliana I am always willing to listen."


    The five soldiers for the most part understood, though it seemed that out of them all only Alex had any visible distaste for me. As to why I couldn''t quite understand, perhaps he had been one of the many legionnaires I had trained with as a youth and summarily stomped into the ground?


    ? ? ? ? ?


    After my little scuffle with Alex the other four soldiers welcomed me quite nicely, though I spent most of my time talking with Braddicus. He interested me in that he used a tower shield, it was a rarely seen tool amongst the legionnaires.


    "Well I was out on patrol with some friends and I noticed during our fights with some bandits that they tended to nick us in our legs and arms a lot," Braddicus told me while we rode next to each other. "After I picked up my fifth scar on my legs I decided I was tired of leaving most of my body unprotected, so I asked the Legion blacksmiths for a larger shield."


    "Ohh, they don''t like that," I murmured.


    "No they don''t, god forbid their flawlessly designed equipment not be up to my standards, I thought for a moment they were going to kill me," Braddicus admitted. He chuckled a little, "I managed to get them to take it as a challenge, so they designed the tower shield for me. Since then I''ve noticed a few more have popped up but mostly only the crazy vanguards tend to utilize them."


    "I''ve tried it out before, a bit too bulky for my build," I told him. "Though a nice thing to hide behind in a pinch."


    "That it is, that''s why I''ve pushed for more people to use them but...well, people are stuck in their ways I suppose."


    It was the small conversations that made up the nearly three week long trip to our intended area, far to the south-west on the edge of the Empire. During the conversations I learned a few facts about each of the people who I was to work with, save for Alex who still insisted on avoiding me.


    However to call any of the information useful would be a far cry from the truth. It showed aspects of their personalities, but that wasn''t going to help us when we got attacked by someone. It was unlikely that Nala would encounter any type of mice in the middle of a pitched battle, for instance, and so the conversations only helped to stave off the boredom.


    So rather than droning on about what you honestly don''t need to know about, since I highly doubt you''d care to know every little detail of the trip, instead I''ll focus on our arrival at Oakvale. The forest that surrounded the small little farm village was predominately oak, which wasn''t all too shocking given the town name.


    The oak trees in turn had been used for most of the lumber for the town, multiple squat little houses that were barely better than the ones I had seen at Fisk were clumped together. An actual wall, that was ten feet tall and three feet thick ran along the perimeter of the town. Nearby the northern gate that lead into Oakvale a lantern hung from a brass hook off of the wooden frame of the gateway, the light still flickered although it looked about ready to go out.


    Our entry into the town was without any fanfare, there were no calls of alarm nor even noises that would mean people had locked and boarded up their homes. Instead it was as though nothing existed in Oakvale, it was the quietest place I had seen in a while and made a tingle run down my spine.


    "Not exactly a wonderful place, is it?" Braddicus commented from my side. I smiled at him, but refrained from responding since it was obvious.


    "Alright!" Rudicus yelled out, perhaps a bit too loud as the birds which had roosted on top of the houses took to the air in shock. "Alex start setting up a camp site, I want it out in the open away from those buildings. Braddicus go door to door, if nobody responds knock the door down. Bell you''re with him, make sure nothing happens to him."


    Rudicus dismounted from his horse and handed the reins over to an already dismounted Jesson. He lifted up one hand and pointed at me, then pointed at the largest building in the middle of the town. "Liliana and I will help scout the town, we''ll take the mayors house first. Nala I want you on guard, Jesson set up the horses somewhere and make sure they''re fed. Nobody goes out of line of sight of one another!"


    With that everyone started to do their assigned task, Nala hovered inbetween Alex and Jesson while they both went about their duties. The near giant Bell, with a loud laugh, walked alongside the shorter Braddicus and started to talk to him about anything and everything. Rudicus looked to me, then nodded his head toward the large building once more.


    We approached it slowly, the exterior of the building looked to be in flawless condition. When we reached the door Rudicus knocked loudly and yelled in greeting, then when nobody responded he shouldered the door open with enough force to knock the door off of the hinges.


    He grimaced at that, probably since he hadn''t intended to use that much force, and then stepped inside. "Liliana," he called out to me, and I stepped inside after him. "Are you seeing what I''m seeing?"


    "Probably," I responded, and shivered in fright.


    We went around the town and continued to check each building, and yet in each building we kept finding the same conditions. There were no cries for help nor screams of horror from the other members of our group, and so after a short while of searching we reconvened over near the gates, outside of the circle of wooden buildings.


    "It''s creepy as hell," Braddicus complained as he slumped down onto the ground. Alex had already started to serve out some stew for all of us in wooden bowls, and Braddicus had been the first to acquire his bowl. "Never seen anything like it before."


    "None of us have," Rudicus told him. Then he sighed and looked up at the sky, at the clouds overhead and the hastily descending sun. "The Legion knew something was weird when three towns went quiet but..."


    We could only sit there and eat our stew, as we thought on our discovery. Every single house, every single part of the town all said the same thing. Nothing had gone wrong, everyone had been fine and everything had progressed along at a good pace. There were no signs of conflict, no signs of death, nothing at all to mark a problem.


    The half-eaten meals, the books left opened on tables, no weapons in any of the homes had been picked up and moved. We had found no signs of blood, nothing at all to help figure out what had happened.


    "A ghost town," Nala murmured, as she stared at the wooden structures with fear. Fear of the unknown, something that could at any point take us all.


    While we finished our stew a potential clue came upon us, though without any of us wanting it to happen. A loud scream from the forest nearby, almost a roaring noise that caused all of us to jump. Our hands all started to move toward our weapons, while we stood up and cast looks in the direction the noise had come from.


    "What the hell," was all Braddicus managed to say before a dark shadow nearly the size of a house fell on him.

 Vol. 2 Chapter 5 - A Nice Dream

    For that split moment there was a breakout of chaos amongst the legionnaires. Braddicus was beneath a dark form that made a mockery of anything I had ever seen before in my life, the other four could only scream in terror while Rudicus paled viisibly. Everybody scrambled away, it was all about keeping yourself alive and hang the others mentality.


    The creature that had the armored Braddicus beneath one foot turned slowly to look at us as we moved, it had landed with a hind leg on the soldier as though it was unintended. The height was easily over twenty feet while the length was a long forty feet, discounting the serpentine tail that swung out from behind that added on another ten feet at least.


    The body had scales which were a dark coloring, one that almost shimmered and changed while I watched it move. The muscles were obvious, it was a thick and powerful creature that with a single look from one reptilian eye sent a cold chill through my body. The neck of the monster was not altogether long, while the head had ear and nose holes along with a large gaping mouth lined with fangs the size of broadswords.


    "Sundrake!" Rudicus bellowed out, while he loudly clanged one gauntlet against his chest armor. The soldiers nearby responded as though this was all they needed to recuperate, the thin and light looking Nala darted furthest away from the sundrake.


    A hand touched my shoulder, I had fallen to the ground in my haste to escape without even realizing it. Jesson offered me a hand while in his other he gripped his sword, though his eyes never left the sundrake. To my left and a fair bit off Alex had already brandished his axe, though he looked with obvious fear at the gargantuan opponent.


    "You know the drill, get to work!" Rudicus barked at the soldiers, while I was in the midst of standing up.


    The Legion was not known for being impressive for no reason, the soldiers quickly fell into their normally handled tasks with Bell stepping up closest to the sundrake. The beast turned, the audible crack of metal breaking beneath the hind leg never even phased it. Instead it started forward at a slow pace, it had all the time in the world to devour us.


    Two arrows hit it in the middle of the head, the gap between their striking so close it seemed impossible to have been fired by a single person. While the sundrake flinched from the minor tickle the crazed Bell leapt forward with a loud laugh, then started to punch at the right foreleg of the beast. A few moments later Alex shocked me by moving in after her, swinging his axe at the left foreleg with full intention to cleave all the way through it.


    The axe was not strong enough to do such a feat, nor was the user capable enough for him to even entertain the thought. Still the blade dug in far, blood gushed from the new wound and the sundrake stepped back quickly from the pain that shot through the legs. While it recoiled Jesson sheathed his sword and pulled out his bow, then joined Nala in firing arrows at the head.


    There was a reason they did not shoot for the eyes of the sundrake, and that was made obvious when one arrow struck into it and bounced clear off. The sundrake''s eyes were covered with a protective layer, given that it would have gone blind in the desert it originated from otherwise. Rudicus stepped forward, sword in one hand and a small shield strapped to his left forearm, though he made no move to join the fray yet.


    Beneath the dark figure of the lizard a figure could be seen as it rolled away. The armor that adorned the person had fallen away in chunks, and one of the arms flopped about in a way that screamed out it was obviously broken. However Braddicus had no care about that, being stepped on again by the sundrake most likely would''ve killed him.


    While the others worked away at hurting the monster, I darted forward in the direction of our injured companion. Rudicus made no move to stop nor join me, so I felt there would be no problems with my chosen task. When I reached Braddicus who had managed to roll perhaps twelve feet from his starting point it was impossible not to gasp, his arm was clearly broken and the rest of his body was cut from chunks of metal which had gouged into him.


    "Don''t move!" I told him while I reached down and picked him up, an act that caused him to widen his eyes in shock.


    "Liliana!" Rudicus yelled out in warning, though it was a tad too late.


    The giant tail of the beast twirled and smashed down onto me from above, the injured body in my arms flew away accidentally. The other legionnaires could only grimace, Nala in the back even looked as white as a sheet. The powerful blow that had crushed down onto me left a visible dent in the ground, while I had been smashed into a laying position.


    While the attack against me distracted the legionnaires the sundrake roared and leapt forward, it had dealt with the annoyance to the side and now wanted to feast. With a wide open mouth it lunged onto Bell and bit into her, lifting her up in the giant jaw while she screamed out in surprise. Alex backed away as that happened, and then threw his axe up at the head in hopes of doing something.


    It was a futile gesture as the axe buried into the side of the sundrake''s jaw, and promptly drew only a small amount of blood. More arrows rained down on the drake but it was impossible to hit it anywhere close to the mouth, neither Nala nor Jesson wished to harm the still living Bell. The creature started to shake it''s head, as though to try and quiet Bell by breaking her body like a crocodile.


    Rudicus stepped in then, or rather he charged in at a speed that was quite impressive. His blade was short and yet he still managed to nearly chop off the bruised right foreleg which Bell had tenderized. The weapon bit in deep, then ripped out and he chopped again with both hands around the handle of his sword. The shield he had worn before was left to the wayside, ignored as it would prove useless against this foe.


    The sundrake bellowed in pain and threw Bell, her tall body flew in an arc which dropped her into the roof of one of the houses. The force of her landing was enough that she punctured straight through the wood, and disappeared into the darkened interior. The drake lifted up the left foreleg and swung a paw at Rudicus who could only pause in his hacking to try and ward off the attack.


    He was sent sprawling onto the ground, and Jesson started to walk forward while he redrew his sword. "Don''t!" Rudicus yelled at him, one hand lifted up to try and stop the soldier from approaching closer. He knew the score, the sundrake was a monster normally fought with a dozen or more soldiers. "Take Nala and withdraw to the nearest town!"


    Jesson was about to do that when he paused, his eyes tracked upward to the sky and looked at the descending figure above the sundrake. It''s hard to not fault him for looking so shocked while I hurtled down from above, the last they knew of I had been smashed into the ground while wearing no armor. None had noticed me stand up, none had seen the red glint in my eye as I catapulted myself up into the air.


    The two rings on my wrist clinked loudly while the wind tore past my face, I grinned as I descended at the sundrake. The right hand lifted up and the fingers spread, then a snap came. A second later there was a massive broadsword in my right hand, one that I gripped with my left even as the blood in my body pumped like mad.


    The world about me slowed down to a crawl, the shocked look on Jesson''s face as he stared up at me was all too easy to see. The injured Rudicus as he struggled valiantly back up to his feet, he had yet to notice my presence. Nala who still fired arrows into the behemoth even though it was like spitting on him. Braddicus as he tried hard to get back up, but couldn''t due to the injuries he had sustained.


    Then the world clicked back to normal, my blade crashed into the head of the sundrake and sheared off a large chunk of the left side. The monster recoiled instantly from the pain, confusion driving it to scream out in horror. When my feet touched the earth there was only the slightest of pauses, then my muscles bunched and I burst toward the nearby foreleg.


    The broadsword swung out and cut through it with such ease it was almost scary, the creature fell down as it lost the support of the leg. The other legionnaires could only gape while I leapt straight at the exposed eye of the sundrake and drove the massive sword home. Blood erupted everywhere while my body turned as crimson as my eye, and a moment later I ripped free with a backward leap off of the heavily injured face of the drake.


    By the time I landed the monster had already died, the loud groan it made while the life escaped from it almost sad to hear. The once fresh and happy looking grass within Oakvale had forever been stained by a red blemish which continued to worsen by the second. While my back straightened and I began to study the legionnaires, the feel of wet blood as it slid down my body made me feel disgusted.


    Rudicus snapped the awed legionnaires back to normal, he stomped over toward me with the left arm held by his right. He was obviously injured, a bit of blood trickled from a gash on his forehead, but he managed to look calm. He may not have been Sciroco but he had made strong strides in gaining that impassiveness which had earned the high general his nickname. "Nala!" Rudicus barked out at her, before he pointed at the house Bell fell into. "Check on her status immediately!"


    "Alex, take that monster and drag it out of here. If you need to cut down the gateway to do so I don''t care, use the horses to pull it," Rudicus told our chef. His gaze turned toward Braddicus, before he sighed. "Jesson check on Brad, keep him stable until Nala can check on him."


    With a snap of a finger I sent the Shatterblade back into the dormant mode, two metal rings on my wrist. One was a pure silver whilst the other was a crimson equal to the sliver of red in my left eye. "What do you need me to do?" I asked, while I saluted toward him.


    "There are some water barrels in town, get one and wash yourself off. We don''t need you stinking like guts and blood," Rudicus told me, then he started to walk toward the largest house in town. "We aren''t camping outside tonight, we''re going indoors and taking our chances."


    ? ? ? ? ?


    A few hours later we had gathered in the mayors house, and it was at that point I took stock of what our greatest loss was. It was a large one, in truth I wanted to go out and kill another sundrake simply due to the fact that it had happened in the first place. The hat Maria had made for me was gone, lost in the midst of the fighting.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Braddicus had laughed hard, then groaned in pain, when he heard of the loss of the hat. "Better the hat than your limbs!" he had told me, though his own arm looked so bad it might be in danger of being lost.


    Bell had for the most part avoided death by sheer luck, the teeth that had gripped her ended up with a gap between them large enough to merely wedge her in place. While she had cuts along the sides of her bodies, and her armor was a bit tangled and damaged, she was for the most part okay. The concussion was the greatest danger she faced, though Nala felt given a few days and Bell would be back to normal.


    Alex had barely taken any injury during the whole incident, though he had taken back his axe. The act of dragging the sundrake out of town required him to damage the main gate a little, then he tired the horses out in order to take the carcass far enough from town to not be afraid of burning it. At the moment he was in the midst of creating an easy soup to eat, one that even Braddicus could enjoy given his injuries.


    Braddicus was the most worrying one out of all of us, he had a clearly broken arm along with the complete loss of his legionnaire armor. For the Legion losing that armor was like being crippled, and to be crippled on top of that would have a strong psychological impact. The injuries to the rest of his body were mostly caused by the armor shattering apart and cutting him, though it seemed likely he had a few bruised if not broken ribs.


    Rudicus and Jesson were in the midst of a discussion with Nala, all three of them had managed to avoid major injuries. Rudicus was the worst out of them all though his arm had not been broken. While they talked I in turn looked in the mirror within the dining area of the mayors house.


    The clothes I now wore were borrowed from Nala, and she favored tighter clothes than I. Thankfully it didn''t make anything revealing, but it meant that if I wanted my full range of motions the inevitable ripping of the cloth would happen. My hair was no longer in a ponytail but loose against my back, still wet from the thorough rinsing I had undergone.


    In regard to being struck by the tail it had barely hurt me, a side effect thanks to Taryn and his soul integrating with mine. My body was far more durable than the ordinary person, and even though I had developed a gash on my head plus a few bruised bones they were almost all healed. It made me wonder what would happen if someone cut off Taryn''s arm or leg, would he regrow it or even be able to simply reattach it?


    Rudicus walked over to me, he was in the middle of flexing his injured arm as though to be sure it could still function. "I can see why Sciroco offered to have you come along, I didn''t think you could do that," Rudicus commented toward me.


    "Most people don''t," I told him, while calmly sipping from the bowl that Alex had given to me. The soup was warm and well flavored, from what I could tell it was chicken. "What are we going to do now?"


    "What do you mean, we''re going home aren''t we?" Nala asked from across the room, she looked up from reapplying bandages to Braddicus with a quizzical look.


    "No, we still haven''t solved the mystery yet," Rudicus told her. "There''s no way a sundrake could take all these people so easily, so quietly. It would''ve torn through walls and murdered people, making a mess everywhere."


    The legionnaires had for a moment looked happy, they heard the words from Nala and all thought the same way. Then along came the bad news and every single one of them almost collapsed emotionally, though none would admit it. "Might want to send for some reinforcements," I commented to Rudicus.


    "In the morning I''ll write up something," Rudicus told us before he sighed. "Speaking of which, all of you need to get some sleep. Nala, Jesson and I will rotate for night watch. Nobody goes outside, nobody opens the door! If anyone tries, stop them by any means."


    The soup was finished off in short order, then I placed the bowl down gently. "Thanks for the meal," I said to Alex, who could only look at me with an unhappy face. He had grown even more disgruntled toward me after the sundrake fight.


    "I''ll leave the door unlocked for you Nala, though if anyone else comes in I''ll chop their head off," I stated in an even tone of voice. Without looking back I turned from the group of legionnaires and walked up the stairs to the second floor. Nala and I had opted to acquire a room for ourselves, while the men would rest on the first floor.


    It was with minimal effort that when I fell upon the bed sleep took me. My eyes had already grown heavy from the antics of the day, and a full belly on helped push me along. In the distance I could hear the light sound of birds, while the sun outside settled and cast night like a veil across the sky.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    While I laid there my arms wrapped around the warm body next to me, I sighed happily while snuggled up against him without a care. The smell was familiar and comforting, and it made my sleep all the more peaceful while I laid there with eyes closed. If anything it was what I most needed after being bathed in blood and fighting a monster, a fact that was obvious to him based on what he asked.


    "Rough day today?" Taryn inquired, while he laid there in bed next to me. He did not have his eyes closed but instead stared at the ceiling. One arm was wrapped around me while the other tucked under his head like a pillow.


    "A sundrake attacked us, I thought everyone was going to die for a second," I told him while I tried to burrow in deeper against his side. It was as though I felt the mere presence next to me would chase away all the bad feelings of the day. "I had to show my power to them, although I really wanted to keep it a secret until Alise taught me full control."


    "But you saved them, didn''t you?" his voice asked, a comforting tone.


    "Yet now they''ll report what happened to others, and then the Legion will probably want me to join them full time," I told him. How hard was it to not cringe at the thought of the Legion hounding me for help for the rest of my life?


    "Do you really hate them that you''d turn away their ask for help?" Taryn inquired, he rested his lips against my head with the slightest bit of a kiss. "You know that you can''t say no to helping them, they''re a family to you aren''t they?"


    "Not all of them though," I muttered. "But if Rocky wants my help I think I''ll always say yes."


    For a while there was silence between us, while I rested comfortably against his body. He didn''t make any movements to grope nor touch me anywhere, but simply held me with a single arm and continued to relax on the bed. My body had begun to feel all the more energized with his mere presence, the absence of him in my life had left a hole that was hard to properly gauge until that moment.


    "A sundrake though? Where do they usually live?" Taryn asked of me out of nowhere.


    "The desert...it''s in the far north-east in the empire," I told him. Knowing something he didn''t made me smile, as though a victory was won.


    "That doesn''t remind you of something though?"


    My eyes snapped open, and then I lifted half-up out of the bed and looked at Taryn. He was right, the sundrake being there made no sense. Sundrakes never were found anywhere close to the south-west side of the empire. Animals being that far from their natural habitat were such a rarity.


    Taryn smiled at me, then swung out of bed and slowly walked over to the window which looked outside. He stood framed in the moonlight, before he opened up his hand and offered it toward me. "Come," he said, then nodded his head at the window.


    Without hesitation I slipped out of the bed and walked to him, taking his hand while he pulled me in close. Together we stared at the window, and at the world outside. At the horizon, the light clouds and the bright moon that nestled amongst it all. At something far off in the distance.


    "What is she the goddess of again?" Taryn murmured in my ear.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    When my eyes snapped open I nearly exploded out of the bed, which caused Nala to scream out in fright. She watched in near horror as I ran to the window and looked out it, then recoiled as I rushed past the beds and nearly broke down the door. My feet were nearly the sound of thunder as I ran down the stairs of the house, so loud in fact that all the sleeping legionnaires stirred awake in confusion.


    Rudicus had chosen to sleep in a comfortable looking chair near the fireplace, his sword rested on a table near the chair. Jesson was the one on duty, and when I almost fell down the stairs he looked at me and reached for his sword, the actions he saw made him worried I had become bewitched.


    "Don''t worry!" I told him, hand up to caution him while walking to Rudicus. "Rudicus! Wake up!"


    General Rudicus had already started to stir thanks to my noisy approach, and when I called out to him his eyes fully opened and he reached for his sword instinctively. The hand paused when he saw me standing there, he saw the almost wild look in my eyes and he squinted. "What''s the matter?"


    "It''s better to show you," I told him while walking toward the window, before turning and motioning to him.


    Rudicus stood up, though he glanced at Jesson and made a slight nod. Most likely he had told the soldier to kill me if I did something completely out of character. He walked over in his armor to the window and peered out at the moonlit night, and frowned. "What of it? It''s a nice night."


    "There," I said, while I pointed toward a distant object on the horizon.


    Against the bright night there was a single thing that stood out as odd, a cluster of darkness that seemed almost to move. After staring at it for a few seconds it was possible to make out exactly what it was, a wriggling mass of darkness being only what it seemed like. In truth it was crows, so many crows that it created a black spot in the sky.


    "They''re coming."

 Vol. 2 Chapter 6 - Here Comes The Rain Again

    Rudicus stared out the window at the cloud of crows and then frowned, before he faced me. "What do you mean? The birds are coming, what does that matter?"


    It was a fact that had escaped my notice, the legionnaire trained to fight the ordinary Plague and not whatever it was Nixi utilized. "The last time I saw a cloud of crows like that it was right before Vicna was attacked," I explained to Rudicus. "Most likely there are two hundred or some odd Plague beneath that, and they''re coming this way."


    Jesson had approached us, though he stayed back out of arms reach as a precaution. "What do you mean the Plague are coming, there are no corpses here!" he declared, loud enough that the injured Braddicus stirred on the couch and started to wake up.


    Nala had stepped down the stairs, garbed in a simple night gown although she held her dagger at the ready. She had been concerned with my actions and followed me, only to hear the word Plague while still half-asleep. "What''s going on?" she asked, blinking her eyes as though to shake off the drowsiness.


    "I have to agree with Jesson," Rudicus bluntly stated. He eyed the cloud of birds again, yet it barely impacted him. "There are no fresh corpses around here, and that could simply be a migration. I''ve seen it in the past before."


    A little voice rang through my head, one of warning that came from so far away. "Believe me, I wish it was otherwise but I know for a fact that it''s the Plague and they''re coming," I told them, almost pleaded with them. "We need to get out of here before they arrive, if they catch up to us they''ll outrun the horses!"


    "We can''t leave!" Nala exclaimed, before she pointed toward Braddicus. "He''s far too injured to be moved, if we put him on a horse even a slow pace will kill him!"


    "Agreed, we can''t leave until Braddicus is stabilized," Rudicus responded, before he lifted up a hand to halt my protests. "You might be High General Sciroco''s favorite but I can''t show you deferential treatment because you declare something to be fact. However, I will have Alex check on the gate when the sun comes up and see if it can be salvaged."


    To me they were being dumb, though he was reacting as he should based on the situation. The Legion faced off against the Plague every year but they never saw large groups that walked around on their own. Even at Vicna the size of the Plague attack had been degraded when Taryn baited so many of them away.


    A knock at the door from outside caused every single person in the room to jump, and our gazes all turned in unison to look at the door. Another knock, then another came and finally a voice came from outside. "Help?" was the quiet voice, a voice that sent a chill down my spine.


    Jesson moved to the door with sword drawn, and then inched it open even as I began to yell. "Yes?" he asked through the gap, he peered into the dark and could see nothing.


    When the woman shoved the door open it was with a strength that shocked Jesson, he could only fall to the ground on his back while his sword slid across the wooden floor. Nala''s dagger lifted up into a defensive position, while Rudicus began to stride toward the figure even as he pulled his blade.


    "Eat!" a voice cried from the misshapen thing that had once been a beautiful woman. Her hair had mostly fallen away leaving bald spots here and there on the scalp, while the skin was as pale as moonlight. What she was proved obvious to anyone with enough knowledge, a vine with thorns looked to be tattooed on her left arm. Her arms and legs were gaunt, they lacked meat and muscle, yet the woman seemed to have no problems with strength as she leapt into the room.


    Before anyone else could respond a spear made of silver, with a bolt of crimson that jaggedly ran down the side of the blade, pierced into the head of the Plague. The force of the tossed spear was enough to carry the stricken woman all the way to the wall and nail her to it, her body gone limp. I strode across the room and wrenched the spear from her head, then flicked the gobs of rotten flesh and blood off of it.


    "What the hell! The Plague don''t talk!" Jesson declared from the ground, even as I walked over and kicked the door closed.


    "They don''t knock on doors either," Rudics pointed out as he stepped over and helped the soldier up. Once he was up off the floor Rudicus turned toward me with a glare. "Since you seem to know what''s going on, maybe you want to talk about this?"


    "The Plague you''ve fought aren''t the only kind that exist, some of them are smarter and faster and attack in small armies," I commented. At that point in time the absence of Nixi''s name in the discussion never really triggered in my head. To me not talking about her felt like second nature, but later on I would begin to notice it didn''t make sense. Nixi was important information, yet I never talked of her with any of the legionnaires. "I figured they''d all arrive together though..."


    "A scout?" Nala inquired from behind, she shuddered every time she looked in the direction of the dead Plague, the hold on the dagger so tight it made her knuckles whiten.


    "Only one though?" Rudicus mused aloud, before he swore. "Not a scout! A decoy!"


    He shouted that out as he ran toward the stairs, his sword brandished and ready to be used. Rather than taking the steps one at a time he leapt up them, bypassing half the stairs and climbing the rest in a split second.


    Above there came the sound of a loud yell, one that reminded me of the only person missing in our group. From the couch Braddicus gave a shout, as he tried to force himself up into a seated position. "Don''t you dare!" Nala told him, her dagger pointed at him while she glanced at the ceiling.


    "I''m on it, you two watch Braddicus!" I called out while running for the stairs. My spear shifted into a gauntlet on the right hand, one that had nasty looking spikes which ran across it.


    When I hit the second floor there were already a bunch of the Plague there, three of them that blocked the hallway which lead to the distant bedroom. Even down the hallway the reverberations from the conflict were obvious, so I wasted no time in diving into the opponents before me. The gauntlet slammed out and ripped a head clear from the shoulders from the first, then before the second and third could pounce I manipulated the spikes to shoot out like lances.


    Each of the remaining Plague were pierced by shafts of thin silver metal, their bodies quivered on the ends of the attack before slowly going still. When they no longer moved I retracted the blades, and then converted the gauntlet into a short sword. Before the weapon even formed I had already reached the doorway to the bedroom, the door itself completely unhinged and lain on the ground inside.


    The sight within sent a cold chill through my body, there stood Alex with his body mangled by multiple spots he had been gnawed on, the culprits were in the process of being chopped to pieces by Rudicus. The general showed minimal concern as he swept through each and every one, quick swing that cleaved through the bodies with ease.


    Yet there was blood which trickled from his right arm, the right hand in turn had a hint of red on it. He had been stricken by one of the Plague at some point during the conflict. While he finished off the last of the Plague he let out a long sigh, then turned to the fallen Alex and quickly rammed his sword into the head of the legionnaire. It was best for the dead to stay dead, after all, and Rudicus had no urge to watch his companion turn.


    "Rudicus!" I called out as I stepped into the room, carefully maneuvering over to the side of the general. "You''re bleeding, are you okay?"


    Rudicus grunted in response, as he sheathed his sword and then lifted up the damaged arm. The blood came from a gouge in his right arm in the shape of a bite, one that could only have come from a Plague. Before I could even ask he uncovered his left arm and exposed the forearm, which was blissfully free of any dark tattoo.


    "I''ll leave this exposed, if you or any of the others see the mark appear kill me, I have no urge in suffering the sickness," Rudicus bluntly stated. He glanced at the dead Alex, then walked away from him and back out the door.


    When he left I could only stare at the room, the devestated chamber which would no longer be useable. There on the bed laid the deceased Alex alongside a few other of the Plague. The ground was littered with body parts and bodies that intermingled and made it hard to count the quantity. The windows on the wall had been left open, perhaps by Alex before he went to sleep. It was even possible that the Plague had simply slipped them open, with Nixi''s help they most likely had the intelligence to do that.


    On the horizon the dark cloud of crows had grown closer, the birds more defined. The moon had begun to set and cast an even darker look across the canopy of the forest. When I walked out of the room there were no words of goodbye to Alex, but rather a hope that I would not become like him.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The legionnaires and I had relocated from the mayors house, the slow march through the quiet town nerve wracking as we had no idea when the next Plague would appear. By the time we reached the alarm tower near the center of the village the fire we had started in the mayors house had grown beautifully. The entire night sky was illuminated by the flames as they licked hungrily at the wood of the home, and even threatened to spread to some of other buildings.


    Out of all the places we could go to the alarm tower made the most sense, it was always the sturdiest construction in every town. This one was constructed with a strong stone base and brick walls, with a wooden roof that held the large bell. There were no windows on the tower, the only point that allowed viewing the outside world was the bell chamber.


    The size of the tower was not very large, with all of us settled in the bottom floor near the winding staircase it was a claustrophobic experience. Braddicus had been slowly lifted by Nala and myself while Rudicus and Jesson kept watch during the transit from the house, and then placed on the floor.


    "Jesson, you''re taking a horse and heading to the east. It should take you about a day or two of travel but you''ll eventually hit a town, and once you get there find the nearest Legion barrack and get reinforcements," Rudicus told ordered while Nala was in the midst of wrapping up his arm. "Do not stop to fight or play or anything, get on the horse and go."


    Rudicus looked to Nala, even as Jesson nearly ran out the door to follow his orders. "You''re going to need to go up the tower and settle in at the alarm bell. Anytime you see anyone who isn''t one of us you ring it, if it''s a Plague shoot them with your arrows. If it looks like they''re climbing the tower and going to reach you pull back and bar the door from the inside."


    My hand went up when Rudicus looked in my direction, I had already chosen my place in what was to come. "Don''t even bother, I''m going outside and guarding the main gate. I''ll escort Jesson to the horses, and then I''ll wait for the Plague," I told him. Before he could even respond I had stood up and walked to the door, opening it wide.


    "Are you insane?" Nala cried from behind. Braddicus and Rudicus echoed her sentiments, each yelled at me to rethink what I was going to do.


    Ever so slowly I turned my head so that only the left side was visible, and I stared at them all with that singular eye. Nala cringed, Braddicus gasped and Rudicus frowned visibly at the crimson eye that looked at them. "Don''t worry, I have a score to settle with the Plague," I told them before walking out the door.


    The outside air was cool enough to help calm the slight boil that had started to build within. I did not hate the legionnaires but rather worried for them, they were not ready for what was coming. Jesson had ran on ahead as he didn''t know that I would step out, and so I followed him slowly while keeping my senses on full alert.


    So far the horses were left unmolested, something that I had worried might have turned out different. He nearly leapt onto the horse in his hurry to get out of the town of Oakvale, a normal reaction in my opinion to the oncoming swarm of Plague. "Jesson!" I called out to him while walking closer, though I stopped far enough away that he wouldn''t feel crowded.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "What? Liliana, what''s going on?" he asked while he climbed onto the horse, taking the reins in one hand. He kept his other hand on the hilt of his sword, while suspicious eyes looked at me.


    "I know that you were taught the basics of the Plague, that they''re slow and dumb but don''t listen to any of that," I said. "They''re going to be fast, faster than your horse maybe and they won''t ever slow down. Even if you stop to kill one or two there''ll be a swarm on your tail in a matter of seconds, so don''t stop!"


    Jesson guided his horse forward slowly, nodding his head toward me in confirmation. "Thanks for the info, if I make it to the town alive I''ll bring back as many men as I can so try not to die!"


    The horse bolted to the gate of Oakvale, and then it whisked out and dashed off toward the east without pause. The man on the back of the horse crouched down onto the backside of his steed, eyes squinted half-closed with an obvious look of fear on his face. When I couldn''t even hear the sound of his horse as it galloped away I walked to the destroyed gateway of Oakvale.


    There was little time that remained and I had work to get done, so my Shatterblade was formed into a giant ax. An hour later the trees closest to Oakvale had been chopped down and resized, then turned into a makeshift wooden barrier where the gate used to be. There was only a single small hole in it, one that was small enough for two people to stand side by side. The Shatterblade shifted form once more, this time converted into a war hammer.


    It was there that I stood, leaned against a war hammer that was easily greater than my own size. To the east the sight of the rising sun greeted my eyes, a wonderful light that painted the sky in multiple hues which lifted my spirit slightly. For a moment I stared at it, closed my eyes and let out a long tired sigh, then fatigue that had built up claimed me momentarily.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    "Are you ready?" his voice asked, while his hand rested on my shoulder. He stood next to me, though his gaze was set on the northern horizon of the forest.


    "Can you ever be ready for Her?" I asked of him, my eyes closed and body tired. In truth all I wanted was to sleep more, I did not want to deal with the nightmare again.


    "Are you afraid?" he asked, this time his question held more urgency to it.


    "Of course I am, if I get devoured by her you won''t be here to stop it," I honestly replied, my eyes opened and I looked up at Taryn.


    "Didn''t I tell you, Lily?" he spoke, before he did his sad smile at me and patted my head with a gentle touch. "You hold a part of me, forever. Nixi can never hope to touch you again, unless you cast me away."


    The honest words that he gave to me made my heart lift upward, and then I smiled back at him. It wasn''t hard to understand why he was saddened by his actions, he had never asked me for permission before splicing our souls together. No matter what happened we would always be attached to each other in a way that ascended the physical.


    "You won''t get rid of me that easily," I responded.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    I snapped out of the daydream with a lurch, nearly falling to the ground. My eyes blinked and with a start I turned to look toward the sound that had awoken me, as the great bell in the alarm tower rang loud and clear. My grip tightened on the war hammer, even as I stood up straight and glared toward the northern horizon.


    When the dark figures emerged my left eye once more blazed a crimson hue. Already the arrows started to fall from the heavens as Nala took aim and fired, though the distance was such that half the arrows missed. She was obviously panicked by the sight of the dozen or so Plague who had already emerged.


    Their approach was not as fast as I had expected, they moved forward cautiously as though expectant of some sort of trap. Even as they stepped along slowly I made no move to meet them in the middle, for the moment I wished to hold the makeshift chokepoint. It was thanks to that slow pace that Nala managed to hit even as many as she did.


    As the first of the Plague came up close to my little gateway the hammer flashed out and smashed the poor thing backward ten yards. The body hit the ground and did not stand back up, while a short while later a few more Plague were tossed back to join their fallen brethren. With a twist of the wrist I whirled the war hammer about, and then planted the end of the handle against the ground once more.


    The Plague paused as they stared toward me with the white eyes that showed no emotion, the eyes that had a Goddess lurking behind them. Perhaps she could recognize me and realize who I was, or maybe it was merely a normal reaction for the Plague, because every single Plague loudly hissed at me. Even from the great forest behind them all came a loud hissing noise as hundreds of Plague all sounded out.


    From the forest emerged dozens of Plague, each ran toward my direction with a speed that put most horses to shame and was all the more surreal to watch due to their human bodies. Their approach was so quick that Nala could only watch from the tower, her bow and arrow completely useless against such distant and quick targets.


    There was a valid reason why I had chosen to abandon the other legionnaires within the alarm tower, and it was not out of hatred nor spite or even pity. It was fear for their wellbeing, a fear that even Taryn had felt in regard to me during our first fight against the Plague. When the war hammer fell and struck the ground the entire area nearby me shuddered, part of the wall itself collapsed.


    The charge of the Plague stopped as they toppled over in the loss of their balance, a few tumbled along the ground for an extended while. Most of the Plague recovered quickly but it was already too late as I had lunged into their midst, war hammer swung out and smashed their skulls in a fashion that it was like when one took a hammer to a nut.


    Nala who was so far off could only feel awe, and perhaps then fear as she watched me fight. When my strikes landed the force of each blow was enough to send a shudder through the air and ground, and every shove off of the ground with a foot left a deep indent in the shape of my boot.


    It was the power that made me so fearful for the legionnaires, with a quick shift of the Shatterblade I whipped around a gigantic broadsword which sliced through three Plague in a single arc. More and more began to pour from the forest, all of them came at me with that unnatural speed even as their mouths gaped open.


    To the left I swung the blade, a few heads cleaved from the bodies flew through the air. To the right I swung the Shatterblade and the weapon cut through two spines before stopping in a third body. The Plague pressed in around me, hands reached out in hunger from all directions, their presence foul to both the nose and the soul.


    The Shatterblade shifted once more, this time into the form of a giant scythe. The handle of the weapon was thin with a blade built into the upper part of the shaft, while the main blade was long and definitely not designed for handling wheat. Instead I wrenched the scythe around in a circle, the weapon cut through all of the Plague with such ease it was almost scary.


    The blood and guts of dead bodies flew all over the area, while my own body was smeared in the toxic smell of the Plague. A few cuts had already been gained on my arms, the clothes that Nala had lent me starting to tear apart. The Plague who remained saw me with that odd weapon and yet they had no interest in retreating, instead they pressed in.


    On my left the Plague had already broken down part of the makeshift log wall I had erected and a few filtered into the depths of Oakvale. Arrows began to fall once more as Nala shot each of the encroaching Plague with a well placed shot, though she would soon run out of ammo. The Plague had no qualms with walking over the corpses of their own kind, which created a growing mound of dead bodies in the vicinity of the gate of Oakvale.


    There was no time for me to worry about the alarm tower, instead the emergence of even more Plague drew my attention. The Shatterblade shifted form once more and took on the form of two swords, one per hand. Before they could press in I abandoned my post in the chokepoint and leapt for the Plague, weapons flashed out in quick strikes.


    The first one was sliced open along the front vertically, then while it fell down I stepped forward and stabbed the left sword forward. Into the neck of another Plague it was pierced, before I wrenched it out to the left and chopped a third Plague nearly in half with the mere removal of the weapon.


    My right foot snapped up and to the side, it crushed into the chest of a Plague and sent it flying back into a few others. From behind a Plague grasped onto my leg, it had crawled up to me and managed to catch me by surprise. Before I could even kill it the monster bit my leg, which I responded to by stabbing it in the head with my left blade.


    More of the Plague came at me and I could only rip free from the rigid grip of the dead body, before stumbling backward away from them all. The right blade swung out and cut off a few fingers from one outstretched hand, but for the most part I was too busy recovering to do much. It was an opening the Plague took advantage of as they lurched in at me with an almost blinding speed.


    To the old me it would''ve been my death, the seven or so Plague who reached out with mouths gaped open could''ve easily ensnared me and torn me to shreds. The new me though was able to take it all in stride, their speed was fast but not so much I couldn''t respond to the attack. The left sword swung out and cut off an arm, then I stepped in toward the unarmed Plague and left the targeted center point empty. The other Plague crumpled together with a sickening noise, even while my elbow shot out and smashed in the head of the Plague I had closed in against.


    The fighting continued for what felt like an eternity, every time one fell another two would appear to take the empty spot. The Shatterblade went from a hammer all the way through to a long and thin sword that looked like it would easily break if stopped by any other weapon. Yet the thin longsword was easily one of the best weapons I had at my disposal, the range it offered plus the inability for the Plague to catch the blade made the fighting all the easier.


    When the fighting did come to an end there was a giant pile of dead bodies on which I stood, with a few other mounds scattered around the entryway to Oakvale. My boots squealched loudly as I walked over the corpses and back toward the alarm tower, a worried expression on my face as I could no longer see Nala on top.


    The arrival at the alarm tower was a joyous one though, as I noticed right away that Rudicus was alright. He stood near the doorway with his own pile of dead Plague grouped up on the ground nearby, though he had suffered no more injuries. The door behind him was slightly open, a scared Nala peered out at him and myself.


    "Stop right there!" Rudicus demanded as he leveled his sword at me, then he lifted up his left arm which was still bare.


    My body was covered in guts and blood of corpses, it was a putrid state of being that made me want to run to the nearest river and jump in. When he offered up his arm at first I was confused, he was fine so why did he waste time showing his arm?


    It was when Nala opened the door a little more and gave a slight gasp of shock that I started to suspect something. With a flick of the hand and a snap of the fingers my Shatterblade shifted back into the regular twin rings that clinked on my left wrist. Perhaps it was that which drew my attention, or where the two legionnaires looked but in the end I couldn''t help but stare at my arm.


    At the long black tattoo of a vine which had crept up.

 Vol. 2 Chapter 7 - Everything Turns Out Perfect

    The first emotion I felt was panic, on my arm was the clear sign that the Plague had gripped ahold of me. Taryn was nowhere nearby and in front of me were legionnaires who normally murdered the infected without a second thought, even if the infected were their friends or family. Rudicus took a step toward me, both hand gripped the handle of his sword as he lifted it up.


    "Wait wait!" I cried out to him, lifting up my right hand and motioning for him to stop. I took a step backward, and looked once again at the dark mark on my arm. "Just...give me a few seconds here."


    My skin had yet to grow pale, my eyes were still blue and so it was that Rudicus paused for a moment. He frowned toward me, though he kept his sword lifted in case I tried to attack him or make a run for it. "Do you really want to be a Plague that badly?"


    The last time it had happened I really did slowly fall into liking it, though that was due to the persuasion of Nixi. She was like a drug that forced herself on you, and yet this time even though the mark was visible no sign of Nixi had shown. I turned slowly to look around, my head tilted as I tried to listen to anything and everything.


    Her voice never came, her touch never appeared, her body never showed itself. Somewhere in the distance I could almost hear something, as though a cry for attention which sought my love and gaze desperately. A familiar voice sounded even closer, a whisper in the ear which made me shiver. Without thinking my right hand went to the arm, to the marking on it and slowly slid along the bumpy textured black mark.


    My fingers dug into the flesh, the nails cutting out a slight flow of blood. Rudicus could only gape in confusion while Nala squeaked out a half-cry of horror while watching. My fingers pinched together and gripped hold of that black vine on my arm and then began to rip it away, piece by piece in a slow painful tear. Blood continued to squeeze out of the new wound as I ripped away the root of evil from my arm, teeth clenched tight while pain roared from the injury that was created.


    "What are you doing!" Rudicus yelled at me, though he made no move forward to strike. All he could do was watch on with wide eyes.


    When all of the black vine was torn free from my flesh I threw it to the ground, and then stomped on it over and over again while yelling loudly. There were no words specifically used, it was merely my hatred toward Nixi which fueled the shouting. After almost a whole minute of this I stopped, breath ragged while I tried to recover my composure.


    "Mind if I borrow some bandages?" I asked of Rudicus, while I gripped the bleeding arm with my right hand. "I''d rather not bleed to death."


    Rudicus gaped at me, he had never in his entire life seen someone tear the Plague from their body. The mere fact that I had done so refused to even make sense, it wasn''t possible to remove an infection like that. Yet I had done it, or at least seemed to have done it. "Nala...bandage her up, but she''s not coming inside," Rudicus told the legionnaire.


    Nala''s approach to me was hesitant, her hands shook while she slowly started to wrap the bandages around my arm. Her eyes constantly looked from the injured arm to my face, as though she expected to see pure white eyes at any second. "Don''t worry, I''ve dealt with worse," I told her in an attempt to comfort her.


    Nala tried her best to smile at me, though it was a smile ruined by the fear in her eyes. "Are you sure you don''t want us to kill you since you''re infected?" she asked, before she started to work on the other injuries on my body. The bite marks, the cuts and the various abrasions were all carefully attended to by her.


    "I''m not infected," was all I could say in response, before I sighed loudly and looked up at the sky. "General, mind if I go wipe off in one of the houses? I think there''s still some water barrels left aren''t there?"


    "You can go if you want, but you''re not allowed inside the tower without my express permission," Rudicus told me. His sword was still drawn, though he held it low at his side. "Rest up, we still have a few days before reinforcements show and if you''re still you by then...well, it''d be nice if that happened. Oh, if I see you trying to leave the town I''ll have Nala shoot you full of arrows."


    Nala pulled away as she finished the first aid, and I nodded to her in thanks. "Don''t worry, I''m not going anywhere. If the Plague shows up again you''d probably end up dying," I said with a smile.


    Without waiting for his response I turned toward the burnt down houses of the village. The large fire that had consumed the mayors home had spread over half of the wooden structures and devoured them, leaving only a handful to pick from. A single floor house that was off to the side was the one I opted on, when Rudicus and I had scouted the village it had looked cozy enough.


    An hour later my dirty clothes were stripped and I once more cleaned myself off, while the morning light of the sun filtered in from outside. Inside that small little abandoned house I could only look in the mirror of the bedroom and stare at my face, at that sliver of crimson in my eye. "This is going to be a long wait," I murmured to myself, before stepping over to the bed and throwing myself into it.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The tea was warm and gentle, it had a slight flavor of lemon to it which almost made it sour. The tint of sweetness from the drizzle of sugar that had been added to it helped to offset that, and along with the light pastries on the dish the overall meal was delicious. The air was fresh and the sun shone bright in the sky, while the grass around the table and chair rustled in the breeze.


    "Is your arm doing alright?" Taryn asked from the side, he was in the middle of swinging that pure white sword over and over again with his right hand.


    "I''ll live, though it''s definitely worse than last time," I told him, while fiddling with the cup. There was no real need to drink from it, if Taryn was here then I already knew exactly what was going on. "Why did the mark appear? I thought you said she couldn''t infect me again."


    Taryn paused in the middle of a swing, then faced me while planting the tip of the sword against the ground. "She can never touch you is what I said, I never said she couldn''t try. What she did to you was like standing on the other side of a window and looking into someones house. Spying on what you''re doing, trying to figure out what your plans are is the most she can do now."


    The mere thought of Nixi staring in the window at me made me shudder, though I tried to chase that unpleasant feeling away by gulping down the tea in one go. "Were you the one who guided my hand then?" I asked him.


    "Yes," was Taryn''s simple response. "I''m sorry but it was the easiest way to remove her presence. If you let her linger near you then she''ll know where you are and what you''re up to."


    "The next time don''t you dare force me to do something like that!" I yelled at him. "It was almost as bad as when She took control of me and treated me like a toy!"


    Taryn could only look away from me, a hint of shame on his face. "I''m sorry. I promise I won''t do that again unless you ask for my help."


    While glaring at Taryn I threw myself back into the chair and crossed my arms over my chest. Somewhere off in the distance I could hear a noise like someone knocking on a door. "Also why are you showing up like this? Are you pulling me into your dreams or something?"


    The response from Taryn was one that I hadn''t anticipated in the slightest, he stared at me with a confused expression. "What do you mean? You mean you don''t realize it?"


    The knocking sound sounded, closer and louder, as I glared at Taryn. "What do mean realize it?"


    "I''m not the one pul-" was all Taryn could say before the knocking noise drowned him out.


    My eyes snapped open to the sound of someone beating on the door to the house I was in. It was a frantic, loud repetition which made me instantly leap out of the bed. With no clothes on I grabbed the sheet on top of the bed and wrapped it around myself, before walking to the door and flinging it open. "What?"


    It was Nala, she held her bow in one hand while the other was still half-raised as though ready to continue knocking. The eyes she had looked a bit frantic, afraid and dots of sweat were visible on her. "Oh thank god, I thought you were dead or turned," she admitted while she stepped back quick from the door. "General Rudicus wants your presence at the tower, Jesson is back already."


    "I''ll be right there," I told her before closing the door.


    When I dropped the sheet it was obvious to me that I required clothing, and given that it was a house that meant stealing some. The dressers were filled with men''s clothes, large and loose which made for an easy fit on my body. A belt I found was cinched around my waist to help hold the pants up, while I stole a fresh pair of boots.


    The loose fit boots and the obnoxiously ill-sized clothes made me look a bit silly as I walked out of the house, though there was little choice given the situation. Nala would not have an infinite supply of clothes I could ruin, and I didn''t want to spend hours looting through all the houses for clothes which did fit.


    Outside the smell of burnt wood had finally started to dissipate, while wind had begun to swell from the south-west and carry away the stench of the dead Plague. The ones who had assaulted the alarm tower had been moved to somewhere else, though I wasn''t sure who had done the moving. The gateway remained a vision of hell with the corpses everywhere, guts and limbs oozing with rotten blood.


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    While I walked toward the alarm tower it was easy to make out the figures of Rudicus, Bell, Nala and Jesson as they talked back and forth. Jesson''s arms were a bit more animated than I might have expected, his face contorted into one of fear. Every few words he would pause for a split moment to look over his shoulder toward the gateway, then return to talking to Rudicus.


    "That''s close enough," Rudicus told me when I walked up to the group. He nodded toward Jesson, and then opened up one hand waved it in the general direction of the forest. "Jesson here says he was ambushed on the way to the east, some sort of monster he had never seen before."


    "It wasn''t a monster, it was the tree," Jesson stated in a clear voice, before he glanced toward the hole in the wall again. "The wood itself separated away and tried to grab ahold of me. It got my horse, I had to run back here on foot while it chased after me."


    My mind worked fast as I tried to figure out what he was talking about, but the mental lexicon of monsters I had acquired was still pretty abysmal. Most of my information derived from creatures found primarily in the center of the empire and had been gained via the Legion. A glance at Rudicus and he shook his head, he didn''t know what Jesson was talking about either.


    For a moment we could only stand there, scared by that unknown which had apparently hunted after Jesson. If it was a creature that came from the trees, from the wood then it might be the reason why the entire town had gone quiet without warning. An entity that could slip into a wooden house and grab people before they knew it.


    "This is bad, if we don''t know what it is then how can we fight it? And why the hell are there things like sundrakes and armies of Plague and this new monster here!" Jesson cried out, before he slumped to the ground.


    "When will reinforcements be dispatched if we don''t report back in?" Bell asked as she turned to Rudicus. During the earlier fight her absence was due to standing guard over the injured Braddicus, though given her concussion she needed to avoid fighting. A strong enough blow would possibly kill her, or worsen her condition to the point of near death.


    "We can''t expect something like that for at least two months," he told us before he let loose a long and ragged sigh. "I figured this wouldn''t be an easy mission since three towns went quiet, but this is beyond anything I could''ve expected."


    "I might have a way to figure out what''s going on," I admitted quietly, there was no distinct urge to try what I was about to do. "But you have to promise to keep this a secret from others. That includes Sciroco."


    "Very well, I think we can agree to promise that, so long as your idea isn''t turning into Plague or killing ourselves," Rudicus told me honestly. "What''s the plan?"


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Bell and Nala had both returned to the tower, Nala to make sure that Braddicus was fine and Bell to help stand guard over the both of them. We had decided to leave nobody alone after learning about the new threat which was on the way, though when it would strike we had no clue.


    Jesson, Rudicus and I had retired to the house which had become my own personal apartment. Inside there was a small table with a few chairs, and so we had seated ourselves at it while Jesson raided the cupboards for food. He placed a few pieces of bread on the table along with a type of jam, though Rudicus served me the food.


    "Are you sure you can do this?" Rudicus asked, it was not the first time and the question had begun to annoy me.


    "No, I''m not, but we don''t have many other options here do we?"


    "Jesson, keep your sword at the ready and stay back," Rudicus ordered him, while he also pulled out his sword and placed it on the table in front of him.


    While Jesson pulled his weapon out and leaned against the wooden wall, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. Focus was important, concentrate on what was needed and let nothing else distract yourself. It was the first time I had ever tried to do this, and it would hopefully not be required again.


    When my eyes opened again Rudicus flinched, while Jesson gasped in shock. Unbeknownst to me both of my eyes were now a crimson red, rather than simply the left one. The world itself felt odd, as though my body was not exactly in the room that it was but somewhere else. "Are you sure you want to be doing this?" my voice asked myself, a question that made Rudicus raise an eyebrow.


    "I''m sure, we need your help," I told myself, though it was not myself but Taryn. "Are you willing to give it?"


    "Since Nixi is playing games with you guys it seems I have no choice," Taryn stated with my voice. "Is this that young general guy who Shorty mentioned?"


    "I''m General Rudicus, yes, and by Shorty you must mean that fellow who was at the Rose families dinner?" Rudicus inquired, he kept hold of his sword though his body had relaxed ever so slightly.


    "Yeah that''s who Taryn is talking about," I told him, before I leaned back in my chair. "Taryn we''re under attack by a wood creature that ambushed Jesson. Any idea what it could be?"


    "You''re asking me to identify a monster that I haven''t seen, and you simply describe it as a creature?" my voice asked, with a hint of scorn in it. "I need details on what it looked like at the least."


    Jesson cleared his throat before he spoke up. "It was about five feet tall and thin, but with arms and legs like a regular person. It tore itself out of a tree like it was part of the trunk itself, and had holes in what I think is the head that reminded me of hollowed out eye sockets and a circular mouth. Fast, but not fast enough to catch me when I ran away on foot."


    "Mm, don''t recognize that one but Alise might, give me a second," Taryn said, before I felt a slight twist. Rudicus'' head tilted to the side, before he pointed at his right eye.


    "Your one eye went from blue to red and now it''s blue again, is that a side effect of this?" he inquired.


    The fact that it was my right eye gave me a bit of a shock, I knew that my left tended to turn red during fights but the right had remained normal. Before I could voice anything I felt a mental knock, as though someone wanted to be let in through a door. The only way I could describe the sensation was that I had a door in my head, one which I opened and in came Taryn. My right eye twitched a little, and then I felt his presence again.


    "Alise says she recognizes what it is, though you should be running right now," Taryn told us with my voice. To hear my voice saying words that I didn''t choose to speak was a feeling that made me skin crawl.


    "Alise? What are these things?" Rudicus almost demanded of Taryn. "We can''t run either, we have a man too wounded to be taken anywhere!"


    "Alise is the woman who helped train Taryn and I," I explained to Rudicus, before I felt him mentally push me out of the way. "They''re Dryads, they originate from the jungle wilds to the far south. The last time Alise fought them she almost died, they''re way too dangerous."


    "They?" Jesson voiced from the spot near the wall. "How many exactly?"


    "Apparently they travel in broods of about six or seven," Taryn said. "Alise said they look like wood but they''re actually flesh and blood beneath the armored exterior, however the shell they wear is as hard as steel."


    "What about the way they came out of the tree? Would they have been able to take people away without anyone knowing?" Rudicus asked, as he started to stand up. The sword he had lain on the table was raised and sheathed back at his side, he no longer worried about the plan I had offered to him. "Plus your combat capabilities."


    "They''re able to pass through any wood like it doesn''t even exist, and they can latch onto trees for sustenance until something with meat walks by," Taryn told us. He cleared his throat, his tone almost growing apologetic. "Their combat capability is beyond anything you can handle. If you stand and fight you will die."


    From outside we could clearly hear a scream, the voice recognizable as Bell. Without caring what Rudicus or Jesson thought I stood up from the chair and started to walk to the door, though Jesson was first out of it. The sight he saw made him recoil, he stepped back inside and lifted his sword up defensively.


    "What do we do now?" he whispered, while I peeked out the door to see what had spooked him. Rudicus stepped up behind me and also peered out the door, so the fact that his breath caught in his throat was clearly audible to me.


    Outside in the middle of the grass rested Bell, her body bloody and her armor torn away. From out of her body came the roots of a small tree that grew upward toward the sky, a wooden construct that had an oddly familiar shape. The alarm tower in the distance had a leafless tree that had somehow sprouted outside the door, one branch uplifted as though trying to knock on the door.


    As we looked out the wooden shape shifted, and the humanoid body twisted to stare at us with hollowed out eyes.

 Vol. 2 Chapter 8 - From Oakvale To Rivers Edge

    We stood frozen in place while the dryad turned to look at us, those hollowed out eyes staring directly at Jesson. With a sickening wet noise the roots slipped free from out of Bell''s body, while the dryad took a single step in our direction and emitted a high-pitched whine. The dryad nearby the alarm tower paused, turned slowly and then started to walk toward us as well.


    Jesson''s reaction was a simple one, he slammed the door shut and almost crushed my head in the process. "Careful!" I yelled out to him while staggering away from the shut door. "Next time warn me before you do that."


    Jesson''s breathing was fast, his eyes wide and he looked at me with such fear obvious on his face that I felt bad for yelling. "What are we going to do?" he asked in a hushed whisper.


    "We can''t stay here anymore," I declared, even as I felt a slight wrench and stumbled. My hand went to my head, it cradled the right side as a small ache spread outward. "Dammit Taryn..."


    "Agreed, but we''re going to need to be careful," Rudicus said as he backed away from the door and wall. His sword was gripped in his right hand, and his gaze had drifted to me. "Are you going to be fine?"


    "Yeah, he left pretty fast for some reason," I told him, as I rubbed at my right temple. "What''s the plan?"


    "First we''ll have to clear the dryads that are out there," Rudicus said, his gaze never wandered away from me. "Then check on Nala and Braddicus, and hopefully we can get to the horses and make a run for it."


    "General, why aren''t they here yet?" Jesson asked, his voice still trembled with fear. "Didn''t that guy who was in Liliana say they can pass through wood?"


    It was a question that made both of us pause and look to the walls, then slowly scan the entire house. "They can''t be that slow can they?" I wondered.


    "Jesson at the ready!" Rudicus barked, before he stomped over to the door and flung it open. Jesson lifted his sword up and braced himself, expecting some horrid event to happen.


    For a moment I expected that the dryad would be right there, waiting to grab him and pull him away. Instead what greeted him was a clear view of the grass outside, and no type of wooden monsters lurked anywhere. "Bell''s missing!" Jesson noticed first, though he made no move to walk out of the house.


    Rudicus waited a few seconds and then bravely stepped out first, his sword at the ready while he began to steadily walk toward where Bell had fallen. He paused, kicking gently at some reddened grass, and then turned all the way around. "It''s clear!" he called out to us, though he never once relaxed. "Jesson, check the tower!"


    The scared legionnaire managed to recuperate enough to follow through on the order, though he hesitated in taking his first steps out of the house. Once nothing grabbed ahold of him he ran full tilt to the alarm tower, and then banged on the door loudly. "Nala is it clear in there!" he yelled out.


    When the door opened Nala stood framed within the doorway, her long dagger grasped tightly in one hand. It visibly shook while her eyes had a look of terror, and even from a distance it was easy to see how heavily she was breathing. When she saw the three of us she relaxed, though not enough to stop shuddering in fear.


    While I walked out of the house, a slow steady pace, I cast my gaze everywhere. To the left there were the smoldering ruins of some of the houses we had burnt down, while to the right was the destroyed gate of Oakvale along with the pile of corpses. Nowhere could I see any dryad, yet that didn''t mean they weren''t close.


    "Where''s Bell?" Nala asked while her eyes started to tear up. "She heard something out there and went to look. Then out of nowhere she slammed the door shut while yelling!"


    "Bell''s gone," Rudicus told her, his jaw clenching ever so slightly. "We need to evacuate immediately, get Braddicus as ready as you can. I don''t care if he''ll die, if he stays we all die!"


    Nala''s attempt to argue against moving Braddicus was instantly cut down before she could even speak, and she could only turn away and go about her duty. Focus on the task at hand, don''t let the emotions get to you. It was an easy thing to say but to some people it was in no way as simple as that.


    "Jesson, get the horses!" Rudicus barked at him, a hint of anger in his voice. "We''re going to ride as hard and fast as we can to the nearest town."


    Jesson mutely walked to the horses, while he had been happy to see Nala was alive the reminder of Bell cut into him. The horses were still visible, hooked up to a post near the alarm tower, and each horse showed no sign of fear over what had befallen us. When Jesson reached them he talked to them gently, then slowly began to untie their reins.


    "General, I think we''ll need to take a different route out of town," I told him. "That pile of corpses will slow us to a crawl if we try to go through it, and they''ve already ambushed Jesson once on his way to the town."


    "It''s not like we have much choice in the matter though, it''s either through that hole or nowhere," Rudicus responded, he planted the tip of his sword in the ground and glared at me. "Or do you have more secrets you want to share?"


    "You saw me cut that sundrake''s head nearly in half right? I''m going to do that to the southern wall, then we can skip out and keep heading south," I told him.


    Rudicus paused, then nodded his head. "There''s a river down there and if we follow it for a short bit to the west we''ll reach one of the other towns that went quiet, a fishing town."


    "Exactly, we''ll boat our way down the river to the next safe town, plus if we''re using a boat it means Braddicus can rest up."


    "General!" Jesson called out as he led the horses over to us, before he lifted up a hand and pointed at our transportation. "We don''t have enough for everyone, there''s only four!"


    Rudicus looked at the horses with a hint of shock, even though Jesson had lost one horse we still should have plenty due to Bell dying. "Did they do that?" he murmured, then shook his head. "Then I''ll stay, Jesson you''ll have to take charge."


    "Wait!" I cried out with one hand lifted up. "I can probably keep up with you guys on horseback."


    Rudicus slowly turned his head to look at me, then frowned again. "I''ll refrain from asking how you can do that," he said. "Go clear us a hole, we''ll load up and then head out."


    A quick salute was my response to him before I walked in the direction of the burnt houses. The pathway through to the southern edge of the town was still clear, and so in a matter of minutes I had stepped up to the wooden wall that served as a barrier for Oakvale. A glance to the left and the right relieved me of the belief that the dryad might have been waiting for me there.


    A slow deep breath was how I started it, my concentration focused and I could feel the blood pumping faster with every second. Snapping my fingers the Shatterblade was brought to bear, converted into a long and thin blade. The noises around me slowed, the air flow itself grew to a crawl and then I swung the blade out in a flash of strikes. Each sliced deeply into the wall, yet the wooden structure showed no sign of collapse.


    "Alright then!" I half-yelled, before the Shatterblade shifted once form once again. The weapon I grasped was the war hammer from my previous fight with the Plague, and as I swung it at the wall I took a step forward, attempting to add a bit of weight and momentum to the attack.


    The result was devastating, the entire wall exploded outward away from Oakvale and caused a few trees to be knocked over in the process. The slicing from before had left cuts all up and down the wall, making it easy to shatter the wood into shards and chunks. For a while I stood there and smiled at what I had done, before the sound of horse hoofs pounding at the ground came to my ears.


    "Lets go!" Rudicus bellowed as he rode in advance of everyone, his body leaned forward in an attempt to add to the speed of his steed. Braddicus came next, his face pale and his one arm wrapped about his chest. Nala was right behind him, she had only her dagger and had left her bow behind.


    Jesson was the last to arrive and his eyes were a bit wider than they should have been. "Move it! They''re right on my tail!" he yelled to me.


    As if in response to what he had said the weird shriek of the dryads came from the center of the town, far more than a single source could be heard. It was without regret that I turned and bolted after the legionnaires, not casting a glance over my shoulder for fear of what I might see.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The next few hours were filled with dread, as no matter how fast I ran the sound of the dryads haunted my ears. Jesson had said they were slow, but if they had given Alise trouble that seemed unlikely. If anything they were probably holding back, though why they would do that I wasn''t sure.


    A little after four hours of running we reached the river, a wide and deep body of water that raged loudly. The noise of the dryads had ceased a short while before then, and so Rudicus called for a halt so we could let the horses rest. Riding them too hard for too long would kill them, and once they died the dryads would devour us easily enough.


    "Are you doing alright?" Braddicus asked, even as he weakly smiled toward me.


    Nala had helped him down from the horse and laid him out on the ground, all of which had brought cries of pain from him. He had yet to cough up any blood but his pale skin and beaten body made him look half-dead. At least one of his cuts had reopened, the bandages around his body had started to turn red once again.


    Attempting to answer Braddicus taught me quickly that I was not alright, so all I could do was flash a thumbs up at him. My belief that I could keep up with the horses had been right but it also drained me, if not for the rest period I would''ve collapsed less than an hour later.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    While Nala removed Braddicus old bandages and then applied new ones Rudicus walked up to me. He gripped my arm tightly and dragged me toward the waters edge, though not so close that we could fall in. "You''ve impressed me, taking down that wall and keeping up with a Legion bred horse were something I thought only your father could do."


    My body shuddered as I gasped in some air, and then I cleared my throat and tried to speak. "Easy as cake," was my response, though the words came out slowly.


    "So easy that you''re about to collapse," Rudicus pointed out, before he pointed at the river. "Until we get a boat and get on this I can''t afford to lose a fighter like you, so we need to make a decision here and now."


    "We''re not abandoning anyone!" I managed to declare, louder than I wanted to since both Nala and Jesson turned to look. Braddicus on the other hand merely gave a sad smile, as he fully knew who would be the one left behind.


    Rudicus cuffed me on the back of the head for that outburst, before he started to walk over toward his horse. His voice when he spoke was louder than necessary, mostly since everyone needed to know. "You''re riding with Braddicus, we''re slowing our pace down a little. We still have a full day of running before we hit the town."


    After an hour Rudicus called out for us all to mount up. I was first up on the horse, and then Braddicus was placed in front of me as though he was a babe I had to cradle in my arms. "I''m in your care it seems," he groaned out in between spasms of pain.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure you don''t fall," I told him, before reaching past him to grab hold of the reins. "Lets go!"


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Rivers Edge. The furthest out fishing village in the entire empire, it was so far out that it was viewed as technically outside the borders. Because of that the Legion were never deployed there, most didn''t even know it existed due to how unimportant it was. Any slavers who tried to make use of the absent legionnaires were greeted by a deadly militia.


    When we reached the town Rudicus took the lead, as he rode his horse into the middle of the village and cried out in a loud voice. While we sat there and waited no other sounds came save for the light noise of wind chimes, a door that creaked in the breeze and a few cats meowing. Somewhere a dog began to bark loudly, then it went quiet.


    All in all it was a creepy place, there were no signs of people and nothing to indicate that there had been a struggle. If it had been the dryads they had come in quietly and easily, snapped up the townsfolk and then left without mussing up anything. Rudicus could only shake his head in sadness at the absence of life.


    We rode the horses to the docks and then clambered down, while Jesson was sent to secure a boat capable of carrying us down the river. Nala and I helped Braddicus down, and then laid him carefully on the dock. He no longer cried out in pain, either due to having grown accustomed to it or simply not having the energy.


    Once more Nala had to change bandages, though her face looked grim while she did it. "Don''t worry, we''ll be safely out of here soon," she promised him, though our hope for such an outcome was minimal.


    As Nala cared for Braddicus I walked over to Rudicus and joined him in watching out for the dryads. He glared in every direction, his distaste for our adventure so far was quite obvious. "So, are you going to explain why you can talk with someone who''s weeks away?" Rudicus asked, his tone unfriendly.


    With a snap of my fingers I brought the Shatterblade back out, into the form of a longsword. I thrust the blade into the wood of the docks and then leaned against the handle. "It all started in Vicna. You know about Vicna, right?"


    "Yes, an unusually large amount of Plague showed up and did damage to the town. The Legion dispatched your father along with reinforcements for their garrison."


    The thought of my father made me sigh a little, there were times when I actually wished he was with me. Sadly those were usually the times when I was in most need of someone who could murder people. "I lied at the dinner party," I admitted to him. "I wasn''t able to get away from the Plague in time."


    For the first time since I had walked over to Rudicus he turned and looked at me, one eyebrow raised upward. "Yet you still stand here."


    "Taryn was with me, we fought over two-hundred Plague according to him," I said, before I shook my head a little. "Honestly I can''t remember how many I killed, it was one long stream of butchering and being bitten and clawed and fighting for my life. In the end I was infected, and Taryn managed to remove the infection."


    Rudicus'' right hand came to grip my shoulder tightly, while he leaned in a little. "How! Nobody has ever cured the Plague, how could some unknown man do that!" he almost screamed in my face, the eagerness of wanting to know overriding his anger and fear.


    "I''m not allowed to say, but it''s not happening again," I told him. "That''s why I was able to tear the infection off of my arm, the Plague can''t stick to me. Curing me caused a few side effects though, which I''m sure you''ve noticed."


    "The abnormal strength for a young girl, the red eyes, the talking over long distances," Rudicus said, before he nodded his head and released my shoulder. "I won''t force you to answer anything more. If you hadn''t been here we would all be dead by now."


    "General!" Jesson cried out from nearby, and as we turned we saw why he wanted Rudicus'' attention.


    Jesson stood on a mighty vessel that looked capable of carrying all of us, and perhaps one or two more people. It was designed for the rough rapids that the river would sometimes turn into, though it had been created to be rowed and as such required at least two people to move it upriver. Our plan was to head downriver, though, so we could simply let the river push us along.


    "Alright! Good find Jesson!" Rudicus yelled, before he sheathed his sword and motioned toward Nala. "Braddicus and Nala, lets go! We''re loading up and getting out of here. Leave your horse, we don''t have room nor time to care for them anymore."


    A shriek sounded from nearby and all of us turned to look at the source, at the wooden figure who stood not twenty feet from the docks. It was the size of a man with a thick body, thick arms and thick legs. The legs ended in stumps which had roots that thrived and flopped around, as though a tree had chosen to walk around using the roots to move it.


    My grip tightened on the hilt of my longsword, and then I pulled it slowly from the wood of the dock. "Get to the boat, I''ll meet you on it!" I hissed out to the others, before I lifted the tip of the blade up and pointed it toward the dryad. "Leave this to me!"


    "You heard her! MOVE!" Rudicus bellowed as he roughly picked up Braddicus and dashed for the end of the dock. Nala was right on his heel, and while I stood between them and the dryad they all loudly clambered onto the boat. "Rope is free! We''re moving, Liliana!"


    When I began to turn toward the boat the dryad moved, and it was not in a way I had anticipated. The dryads are slow Jesson had said, and it made a little bit of sense given how wooden they seemed. Yet they were flesh and blood, the wood was merely a camouflage and armor.


    Before I could recognize what had happened the dryad was already right next to me, one long wooden arm stretched out to grip ahold of me. From the end of it came worm-like tendrils, each one pointed and dripping with a liquid I couldn''t recognize.


    The sword came up and sliced off some of the tendrils, while the creature shrieked loud enough to make me wince. I staggered backward away from it, before tripping and falling to the wood planks rear first. The dryad had recoiled away from my blade, green liquid dripped from the cut stumps and began to drizzle onto the dock.


    Once more it did that move where I could barely follow it, it reminded me of how Alise would seem to teleport about whenever she felt the urge to move rapidly. This time I was ready for it and rolled backward, while a hefty leg smashed down onto the planks of the dock and splintered them. The creature shrieked at me, and then stepped forward while outstretching more tendrils from the left arm.


    When I rose up from the ground my sword was lifted up, and with a strong swing I tried to cleave the left arm of the dryad in half. The face I gave after that was one of shock, as it was the first time in a long while I had managed to barely dig into the exterior of my target. The blade had lodged into the arm, it drew more of that green liquid but for the most part looked to have caused no damage.


    The dryad swung the left arm, knocking me away and dislodging the sword. Without warning the ground beneath me gave way, as I stepped off of the dock entirely and tumbled into the cold water of the river. When I rose up out of the water I spluttered, hand gripped tight around the hilt of my sword.


    From the dock the dryad watched, as it continued to ooze slightly from the small wounds I had given it. The hollow eyes studied what happened as Rudicus and the others fished me out of the river, and then when all of us turned away for a second it vanished. Somewhere in the middle of Rivers Edge the sound of more than one dryad screamed out, as though warning us that the chase had not been given up.


    While I gagged out some water and laid out on the deck of the boat Rudicus stood over me, and he grinned down as though he found something hilarious about this situation. "You''re ruining your imitation of Sciroco," I told him, before I snapped my fingers and changed the Shatterblade back into my favored metal rings.


    "At least I don''t look like a drowned rat. Now stop resting and get up, we need to man the oars and move this bucket along faster."

 Vol. 2 Chapter 9 - The Trees Come Marching

    Laughing at other people who have narrowly escaped death is perhaps one of the worst things you can do. Yet there sat Taryn on the edge of the boat, laughing as loud as he pleased after I told him about what had happened thus far. The tale involving the dryads had started in the town of Oakvale, and his serious expression during most of it seemed fine.


    When I spoke to him about how I''d kept up with the galloping horses he nodded his head, he found this pretty ordinary instead of as surreal as it should be. Talking about the arrival of Rivers Edge had even made him almost eager to hear me, he was totally riveted on my face while I spoke. At long last I reached the point where I fought against the dryad on the dock, and as soon as I mentioned falling off into the river he broke into laughter.


    "It''s not funny!" I told him outright, and in truth it wasn''t. The dryad had thoroughly scared me and falling into the river had not been part of my plans in the slightest. It was probably luck that I did, as the dryad had given me a feeling that alone I would lose.


    Taryn merely shook his head at me, he didn''t even bother defending himself and instead kept on chuckling. When the tears had started to appear in his eyes he began to get a grip, his laughing fit having run it''s course. With a single wide grin he turned his gaze to me once more before speaking. "So you managed to escape then?"


    "Yes," I said even as I nodded my head, before stretching out my arms and legs and laying on the deck of the boat. "We should be arriving at Mastille in a few days. It has stone walls and a small legionnaire detachment, according to Rudicus."


    Taryn snorted at the mention of Rudicus, before he looked off into the misty distance. "As soon as Alise heard you were in a fight with dryads she kicked me out of the orphanage and sent me north, to your moms. I should be arriving there sometime soon, I think," Taryn told me, before he shrugged his shoulders.


    "Oh, so that''s why you left like you did...please don''t do that again, I had a headache for the rest of the day," I said, before I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. "When you reach my house get ahold of Diana, merely mention my name and that I''m in trouble."


    "I thought your mother was Esmeralda?"


    "Diana is the head maid, my mother will probably ignore you," I warned him. "Diana can persuade her to actually listen."


    "Your family is so weird," Taryn muttered.


    "Oh! And you have to promise to not kidnap anyone!" I declared, as I propped up on my elbows. "Everyone in my house is a slave, but if you kidnap any of them my mother will rip your head off."


    The mention of slave was enough to send a dark glimmer across Taryn''s face, though he turned it even further away from me. "I won''t...so that''s why you were so confused by my actions in Vicna," he commented. His boots started to thud quietly against the side of the boat, while the legs dangled over the edge.


    "Yeah...all the slaves in my home are treated nice, and given wages and allowed to go anywhere they want," I admitted. "The worst I''d seen were some slaves who acted up in public, thieving openly or causing violence. I never even imagined how the rest of the empire was..."


    For a few minutes there was only silence while we rested in our respective spots, and then Taryn swung his legs back onto the deck of the ship and stood up. "There''s only one thing I can''t figure out...you said that Jesson lost his horse and managed to get back to you guys, right?"


    A question to which I could only nod, while I began to tilt my head. "That''s right. Then we ran south out of the town and headed west to Rivers Edge."


    "The dryad followed you to Rivers Edge, and you were attacked almost immediately upon arrival right?" Taryn asked, as he leaned slightly forward. There was a certain intensity in his eyes as he stared directly at me, enough at least to make me want to squirm.


    "We had enough time to find a boat, and then it was on us," I responded, while looking back at him with a slight hint of confusion.


    "Which means it was fast enough to keep up with the horses, faster than a man running on foot. You even said it was almost as fast as Alise when you tried to fight it," Taryn murmured, before he turned his gaze toward the eastern horizon while the boat wallowed in the river.


    What he was starting to hint at, what the entire conversation would inevitably lead toward was a thought I had had a few moments prior to falling asleep. It was a single thought that when uttered aloud would ruin any hope of having a peaceful, pleasant boat ride down the river. Yet instead of stopping him from speaking I merely stared at him, mute while I awaited his words.


    "Why did they let Jesson escape?"


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Our arrival outside of Mastille was met with no fanfare, as nobody in the town had anticipated anyone arriving via boat. When the river bent toward the direction of Mastille and we could clearly see the docks, Rudicus directed our ship into an open pier and had Jesson throw down a rope to one of the dockhands.


    It took almost no time at all for a litter to be called for, and Braddicus was placed on it while he wheezed and moaned. He had managed to avoid dying on the boat ride but his overall status had not bettered, which made Nala''s face darken with every passing second. All of us could only watch him each day while he struggled to recover.


    The local garrison were lead by a fellow named Tiltain, a man over average height and overall average capability. He had been placed in charge of Mastille a few years prior and was still somewhat new to living on the fringe of the empire. The arrival of General Rudicus, one of the youngest generals in the history of the Legion, caused Tiltain to become quite unnerved.


    Before we even walked anywhere Rudicus began a quick explanation of what had happened to us, why we had been dispatched to the area and the severity of the situation. Tiltain grew paler with every word that he heard, and then finally held up a hand and begged Rudicus to stop. Before Rudicus could probe him for information the garrison leader turned and started to walk toward Mastille, while waving over one shoulder for us to follow.


    While we walked into the town, the young Tiltain began the long rundown of the current status in Mastille. The wall was crafted of stone with wooden gates, there were only two gates which were located on the north and south edges of the town. The garrison had a total of ten legionnaires not counting Tiltain himself, while the population were farmers, fishers and hunters. A small family of miners had moved in recently and set up shop, although they hadn''t been heard from in the past few days.


    "Consider the family dead until they show up," Rudicus bluntly told him, before he waved at me. "This is Liliana Rose, if she tells you to jump then you do so. Consider her my second-in-command while we operate in this town. Prepare for a total shutdown of Mastille."


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    "Shutdown! We can''t do that!" Tiltain claimed, while he waved his right hand wildly. "If we shut down the town then our food stores will run out after a week! This place was not designed for a siege situation!"


    Rudicus paused in his walking, we had entered Mastille and gone perhaps a quarter of the way toward where the garrison was housed. The look he directed toward Tiltain was enough to make even my blood freeze, and then when he spoke the words came out quietly. "Shutdown the town."


    Tiltain''s response was to salute toward him, before he hurriedly ran away in advance of us. "Idiot," Rudicus muttered, before glancing over in my direction. "Come on, we need to check up on Braddicus."


    The garrison was housed in a small, squat building near the center of Mastille. It looked to barely be capable of holding eleven men, and so the presence of six soldiers standing outside while looking in the windows made far too much sense. Rudicus nodded toward them, though he made no move to salute nor talk to them.


    When I walked by they barely glanced at me, their eyes were on whatever was happening inside the barracks. The interior of the building was as shabby and poor looking as the exterior, which made me wonder what sort of horrid things these soldiers had done to get deployed out here. The floor was wooden, though some parts had fallen into disrepair and started to even rot.


    Rudicus boldly stomped through the door on the right, which lead to the room that the soldiers outside were so keen on looking at. Inside Nala stood over the injured form of Braddicus while she barked out commands to the two men inside. The personality reversal was such that I stood in shock, and then looked to Rudicus for an explanation.


    "She never wanted to be a soldier," he murmured to me, before he nodded at Nala in greeting. "Nala, report please."


    "Doesn''t seem that any of his ribs punctured a lung, but he might have some internal bleeding. Given the primitive conditions of this barrack I''m doubting they have a proper kit for surgery," Nala told him, before she glared angrily at the two soldiers in the room. "Apparently some idiots decided to bet legionnaire equipment during local card games."


    Rudicus'' face took on a look that made me pity whomever he next ran across, and when he snapped his finger and pointed at a soldier the man jumped immediately to attention. "Where did Tiltain run off to?"


    "Sir!" the soldier said as he saluted, though he looked shaky on his feet. The combination of an upset Nala and an enraged General Rudicus seemed to have made quite an impact on his young mind. "Tiltain probably ran to his office, further inside. Given the situation he''s probably drinking."


    "Nala, keep them from killing Braddicus, Liliana take those oafs outside and go shut down the gates. Try to coordinate with the local hunters, get some men up on the walls with bows and arrows," Rudicus commanded, before turning to the door and walking out. "I need to go talk to someone."


    By the time I left the barracks the sound of a shrill sounding Tiltain crying for help could be heard coming from within, it seemed that Rudicus had opted to teach him the hard way how poorly he had handled his duties. Outside of the building I pointed at the soldiers and sent four of them to the south gate to lock it down. The other two I dragged along with me while heading to the north entrance, while asking them for information on the local hunters.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Later that day I stood on top of the north wall, staring out into the empty plains that stretched out ahead. On the outskirts a forest grew, the same that grew into the great deep woods which surrounded Oakvale. Even from this distance the mere look of a tree caused me to shudder, every time they swayed I thought it was another dryad coming.


    An archer by the name of Eran rested in a chair he had dragged up the ladder, as though to prove to the world that no matter where he was he''d always have it. He was considered one of the better hunters in the town and pointed out numerous weakpoints in the walls. The normal townsfolk were pressed into helping to patrol, with a legionnaire in the group of each in case something happened.


    "So you think we''re in trouble?" Eran asked, as he drank from a flask which contained the hottest, nastiest thing I had ever tasted in my life. The fact that he had multiple flasks all filled with the same thing made me wonder what type of stomach he had.


    "Yes, these dryad things are completely different from anything I''ve had to deal with," I told him honestly. The Shatterblade had been converted into a spear, one which I leaned against while listening to the wind. "I''m not sure how effective your arrows are going to be, they have a pretty hard skin."


    "Everything has weak spots on the body, even the snappers," Eran pointed out, while he offered his flask to me for a second time.


    My hand came up instantly to ward it off, I had only a drop of it previously and it was more than enough for the rest of my life. "I''d say their weak point is probably going to be the holes in their faces, or maybe the bends of their elbows and knees?"


    "Makes senses, makes sense," Eran said as he nodded his head. "Well if you see one point it out and then I''ll try to thread a needle with my arrow."


    "Just watch for a walking tree," I commented, then pointed with my hand out in the distance at a small tree on the edge of the forest. "Kind of like that, except moving."


    Eran had been in the midst of drinking when he paused, and then stood up from his chair. He slid the flask into a loop on his belt, reached down to the quiver of arrows next to his chair and pulled it out. A long, almost exaggerated pull of his bow followed this as he prepared to fire the arrow, then tilted it up high enough that I could only wonder where he was aiming.


    The arrow flew through the air in a great arc, it was the furthest I had ever seen an arrow shot and made me wonder how much power his bow held. With a quiet whistle caused by the style of fletching the arrow dropped and then collided against the distant tree I had pointed at, before bouncing off and hitting the ground.


    With a shudder the tree started to twist, and then slowly step out into the field. Two empty holes for eyes stared out across the landscape at the city walls, and a third hole that marked the mouth emitted a cry that was more shriek than anything else.


    Eran spit in the direction of the dryad, before he grinned and looked at me. "So exactly like that eh?"

 Vol. 2 Chapter 10 - The Calm Before The Dance

    "Sound the alarm," I ordered Eran, as we watched the dryad stomp slowly across the flat plain toward the town.


    The hunter nodded his head, while picking up his bow and pulling out a clunky looking arrow. He pulled it back, then released the arrow up into the air in the general vicinity of the plain. While it arced through the air it emitted a high-pitched screech that warbled randomly, and became all the worst when at the tail end of the arc before it hit the ground.


    The dryad continued the slow approach, an approach that I knew was nothing more than a lie. It was far faster than that, in truth it could probably reach the wall before I could respond in time to stop it. Yet there it was, almost nonchalantly strolling forward over the grass while tilting it''s head left and right.


    "Why''s it taking it''s time?" I muttered, while I hunched over near the edge of the wall. The Shatterblade had remained in the form of a spear, I felt that cutting would be unreliable against the dryad and hoped penetration was all I needed.


    "Well you said they were sitting back and letting you run away didn''t you?" Eran asked, while he pulled out a steel-tipped arrow, and stared out at the dryad. "Seems like it''s playing games."


    "Maybe," I responded, though I felt like there was still something wrong about that idea. "Alright well once it gets within leaping range I''m going to try and attack it, once I jump try to shoot it in the eyehole."


    "Easy," Eran commented, his gaze almost permanently locked on the dryad.


    From the south end of town we could clearly hear the alarm arrow of another hunter, as it was fired up into the air. That meant they too had encountered at least one dryad, which would leave Rudicus and Jesson as the main fighters against it. Nala was still working on healing Braddicus, and so had opted out of fighting.


    A small group of local hunters began to gather nearby the bottom of the northern wall, they all yelled up if we needed help and I gave a shake of my head. "Check for any dryads sneaking in, this one might be a decoy!" I called out to them, before returning my attention to the matter at hand.


    The hunters yelled up a confirmation and split up, one group heading along the eastern part of the wall and the other to the western end. Hopefully they would be smart enough to then head south and follow it all the way to the southern end of town. A sharp hiss came from Eran and it made me focus hard on the dryad, who had made one of those unusual jumps when I wasn''t watching.


    The distance to the wall had almost cut in half, and Eran began to lift his bow up in preparation of drawing back the arrow. I leaned forward, my right leg muscles bunched up and I summoned as much power as I could, letting it build. When the sensation felt right I unleashed the power, causing a small chunk of the top of the wall to rip free and fly backward. My own body was thrown forward with enough force that I reached the dryad before Eran could even let his arrow loose, and my spear rammed hard dead center on the creature.


    The dryad rocked backward from the impact, the spear penetrated into the right side of the chest and poked out the back. Green liquid poured from the wound as I ripped free the Shatterblade, then leapt back away from it. Upon landing I was in a crouch, one hand braced against the ground while the other gripped my weapon.


    What came from the dryad was not the strange shriek from before but a harsh cracking noise. The way it sounded called to mind when I was younger and camping near a forest while training with the Legion. A bolt of lightning had come down during the middle of a storm and splintered a tree apart somewhere within a mile of us. The raw power behind the cracking noise had been enough to cause shivers throughout my whole body.


    The left arm swung out and sent a shower of needles, a move that caught me entirely by surprise and left me with only the option of raising my arms and spear to guard. The needles drove home, digging into my flesh while a few bounced loudly off of the metal spear. At first the pain in my left arm was severe, enough that I hissed loud enough for even Eran atop the wall to hear.


    Then the pain in the arm began to numb, and my eyes widened as I remembered the odd liquid I had seen dripping from one of the dryads previously. The spear was stabbed blade first into the ground, and then I ripped the spikes out of my left arm and threw them as far away as possible.


    By the time that the spikes had all been removed my arm was already limp, non-responsive as it dangled pointlessly at my side like dead weight. With my right hand I tore the spear from the ground, and then pointed it in the direction of the wounded dryad.


    The creature had taken a few steps toward me, though the body shook violently while green liquid continued to ooze constantly from the hole that went through it. The hands swung up again, but no spikes emerged and instead it could only wiggle little tentacles at me. Once more one of those painfully high-pitched shrieks came from the dryad, and then an arrow sprouted in it''s left eyehole.


    The shot was well placed, it came in from above and ended up landing at an angle that barely fit into the exposed hole. The shaft of the arrow along with the feathers were clearly visible, while the arrowhead was completely submerged into the darkness of the dryad''s eye. With the arrow having struck home the dryad could only screech again in pain, that loud splintering noise.


    Before the monster could fully recover I threw the spear at what I assumed would be the stomach, and the silver-colored weapon slammed hard into the exposed body of the dryad. The creature doubled over and was tossed backward, along with the embedded spear, due to the sheer force of the attack.


    "Ho! You okay down there?" came the voice of Eran, as he leaned over the wall and yelled down to me.


    "I''m fine, it applied some sort of poison to my arm! I can''t move it at all!" I shouted back up, though I dared not to look away from the dryad who had been lain out on the ground.


    It rested there on it''s back, the shaft of the spear jutted out from the body to announce where it was amongst the grass. A slight shudder came from the spear, and then it began to sway wildly as the dryad began to move once more. A cry of surprise came from above, which was followed by the sound of a bow firing once more.


    Another steel-tipped arrow sank into the dryad, though this time the monster did not cry out. Instead it merely laid still on the ground as though accepting the fate it had been dealt. A few more arrows slammed down into the body from a high angle, nicely placed by Eran from atop the wall.


    After a few minutes I walked forward to the potentially dead dryad, and ripped the spear from the body yet again. This time it made no movements nor noises and instead laid there, while the flow of green liquid from within had begun to taper off. One arrow had embedded itself into each of the eye sockets, while the other arrows were shallowly stuck into the chest.


    Better safe than sorry I decided to ram the spear into the head and body of the dryad a few more times, though no reaction came from what was apparently a corpse. With one final stab into the dead center of the body I yanked it back and forth, widening the wound, and then ripped free my weapon once more.


    A few moments later I was back on the wall, having leapt up from the ground and landed next to Eran. Upon landing I immediately sagged to the ground, using the spear to keep from falling all the way down. The numb sensation in my left arm had spread a little bit, but seemed for the most part concentrated where the thorns had impaled my flesh.


    "Are you going to be okay?" the hunter asked, as he pulled out a flask and offered it to me.


    My hand immediately went up and blocked off that potential reward for killing a dryad. "I''ll be fine so long as you don''t force that stuff down my throat," I told him bluntly. Then I pointed to the chair which he had been using. "Mind if I take a rest break on that?"


    Eran nodded his head, before taking a short drink from his flask. "Don''t know why you don''t like this," he muttered, before turning to look out at the plain. He squatted down, while humming quietly to himself.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    "You should go see a doctor about that," Taryn said, as he stood next to the chair and looked out at the field. "You might be tougher than the normal person, but don''t get lazy in taking care of yourself."


    I waved at him dismissively with my right hand, though the fact that the injuries to my left arm persisted in the dream bothered me. While I could actually wiggle the fingers and move the arm, the obvious bloody holes drilled in by the thorns were enough to draw Taryn''s attention immediately.


    "Don''t worry, it''s just a scratch. We managed to kill one dryad, I''m expecting General Rudicus handled the one to the south as well," I told him, getting him up to date on the happenings.


    For some odd reason Taryn stiffened at the mention of Rudicus, before he stepped over to the edge of the wall and peered over it. "Interesting place you dragged me. Well, on my end I arrived at your home earlier today and I was in the middle of talking with your mother," Taryn told me, before turning about to face me. "Then you pulled me in, hopefully your mother is lenient in regard to people going comatose in front of her."


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    "Wait...I dragged you in?" I asked, recalling how he had started to say something along those lines previously but never fully explained.


    "Figures you didn''t know," Taryn commented, before he sighed. "I don''t know why but you keep grabbing onto me and yanking me in. Sometimes I''m asleep when you do it and sometimes I''m not asleep."


    It was information that made me feel quite uncomfortable, and I looked down at the ground to avoid looking into Taryn''s eyes. "I''m sorry. You said you''re at my home, though? Why did Alise send you there?"


    "Dryads are apparently something that Alise considers too dangerous to allow anywhere close to the empire. The only reason she fought them in the past was because Mathias wanted her to have experience against them," Taryn told me, before he started to walk over to me. "She wants me to inform Esmeralda about their presence, and to spread the information about them along with a few other monsters to the Legion. This is the first time Nixi has ever actively maneuvered her pawns into absorbing whole towns, as well as using something on the level of the dryads."


    "You don''t think it''s because of what we did, do you?" I asked, as I finally lifted my gaze up to look at Taryn''s face.


    "You''re the first person to ever be cured, I''m sure she''s furious," Taryn said, before he gently patted my head. "I need to step out now, before your mother gets angry enough to punch me awake. Anything you want me to tell her?"


    "Let her know I killed one of the dryads," I replied, with a smile on my face. "I''m sure she''ll be happy to hear that."


    "Strange though...they''re supposed to work in groups and not alone," Taryn murmured as he turned away and walked toward the edge of the wall. "Keep your eyes wide and ears open, something is still off."


    Before I could respond he was already gone, leaving me alone within the confines of my own dream. For the first time in a while I yearned to wake up, and curled up into the little chair that belonged to Eran.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Later that day Eran and I were relieved from our guard duty on the north wall. Eran waved bye to me, he headed off into the western part of town where his house was located. I on the other hand headed toward the center and where the poorly designed barracks could be found.


    It had taken a few hours of rest for my wounds from the dryad to properly heal, and we had received a quick message from the south wall that everything was under control. So when I walked into the barrack and Nala''s makeshift hospital I was taken aback by the condition of some of the people within, the obviously broken arm of Rudicus'' and the fact that Jesson had his head wrapped up while he slept on a cot.


    "What happened!" I cried out at the sight of my injured companions. I walked into the room and gently closed the door behind me, before crossing my arms in front.


    "It was a bit faster than we expected," Rudicus admitted, as he tentatively touched at his arm and winced. "I''ll be fine in a few weeks, Nala said Jesson will be good to go in a day. What about on your end?"


    "Eran, the hunter I was paired with, and I managed to kill the dryad that showed up at the north gate. It was acting weird, though, I figured it''d just rush in and kill instead of slowly approaching," I commented. "Oh, it has an ability to shoot out spikes which have some sort of paralytic and numbing agent."


    "I know, one of the hunters who was helping us got hit with it and went down, spike hit him in the chest and he wasn''t able to breath."


    While we talked I began to scan the interior of the room, and noted that Nala was huddled up in a corner on her own cot. Her face was buried into her arms, while her knees were pulled in while she sat rather than laid on the makeshift bed. Nearby her, laid out on the floor, were two exhausted looking legionnaires who had been terrorized by her since our arrival.


    "Before I split up with Eran I talked about making some sort of ballista. He said he''d talk to some friends, given the legionnaires here we can probably get one or two up in no time," I said, before looking to Rudicus for his opinion.


    "A ballista would be good, I noticed that the ordinary arrows worked on the dryads. If they move in as slow as this time then they''ll be easy to handle," he responded, before he nodded his head. "I''ll have that useless idiot Tiltain help construct it. Some hard labor would probably help shape him into someone better."


    "How''d someone that bad end up being the leader of a garrison?" I wondered aloud.


    "Simple, his family is rich so they probably bribed someone to give him an easy job," Rudicus explained. "Sometimes I think it''d be nice to gut the people who are constantly bribing one another."


    A quick laugh was my reply to that comment, before I shook my head and turned to the door. "Alright, Eran offered me a nice place to sleep so I''ll be close to the north wall in case something odd happens. If you need something send a messenger."


    "Good luck out there, I''ll need to sit back and let the younger kids handle the fighting for a while," Rudicus told me. "It seems like the south side will need the main bulk of our forces given how capable you are."


    With a wave of my hand as my only means of saying goodbye, I stepped out of the room and shortly thereafter the barracks. While I stepped through the town I noted how quiet it had become with the fall of the sun, and wondered if it was a common change for the place.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    "Two days," Eran muttered from his favorite chair, placed once more on top of the north wall of the town. He glared out at the plain in front of us, and the forest which rustled in the distance whenever the breeze swept past.


    "It is weird isn''t it?" I asked of him, while I leaned once more against my Shatterblade. It was in the shape of a spear, I had found the form fitting for the durable foe we should be facing at that very moment.


    "The last one just walked up and basically let us kill it, yet now there''s none? Are you sure there''s more than just the two that have been killed so far?" Eran inquired. "Maybe your source was mistaken?"


    "Doubtful, it''s one of the few people who has faced the dryads before," I told him. I sighed while shoving away from where I stood, taking the spear with me. The path I took was a short circle that paced around the chair Eran sat on, something he found annoying but had opted out of openly complaining about. "Nothing about any of this is making sense to me. They''re so fast yet sometimes they''re not, they follow us and don''t attack and then sometimes they randomly do. They''ll steal horses, but is it planned or mere coincidence? They attack the walls and yet only do it once, and one at a time on top of that?"


    "Plus those rumors lately, how people are going missing in town," Eran pointed out. He pulled out one of his many flasks and began to drain it, the conversation had brought out the thirst in him. "Those aren''t dumb families either, they know better than to walk around without weapons when monsters are nearby."


    "Yet no dryads are sighted in town or near it, there are no entry points beside the north and south gate," I pointed out, before I paused in my walk and glared out at the forest. "You don''t think they can fly do you?"


    "No wings, plus they look a bit too heavy for that," Eran stated. He rubbed at his chin with his free hand, while putting his flask away on his belt. "Something though...there is something. What was it..."


    "Well we know they don''t have catapults, I think we''d notice something like that being rolled up outside the walls," I told Eran, though I chose to ignore his random words near the end. If he was trying to remember something any attempt at helpful comments would probably worsen it.


    Eran stood up from his chair, his fingers snapped loudly before he looked at me with wide eyes. "I can''t believe I forgot it! This is a town on the fringe, it''s the only place you can come that has legionnaires in it so tons of merchants love to swing down here and buy and sell goods."


    Before he could continue speaking a noise came from the south, a familiar noise that made my hair stand on end. The screech of a dryad that sounded so close it could only come from within the walls of the town. Another screech came forth from the depths of the town, then more followed suit two seconds later. Before long all I could hear was the loud cry of the dryads as they began their invasion. The only thing that managed to sound out over the screeching was the cry of Eran, as he tried desperately to explain something.


    "There''s a smuggling tunnel that leads outside!"

 Vol. 2 Chapter 11 - The Cobra Effect

    The cry of the dryads was a noise which interlaced with the alarm arrows that numerous hunters fired off, while the noise of people as they panicked and screamed desperately tried to be heard over the chaos. From the north wall both Eran and I could clearly see a surge of citizens as they ran away from the south-western part of the town, which was where the warehouses were located.


    Before I could even react Eran had already bolted to the ladder and begun a quick descent, his haste so severe his hands slipped on a few of the rungs and almost sent him down far faster than he''d want. "Where are you going?" I called out to him, while leaning over the edge.


    "My family!" he responded, before he hit the ground and started to run immediately. He headed off to the south-east, in what I could only assume was the direction of his house.


    Eran was not a legionnaire, the only reason he and the other hunters had even helped was due to necessity. With the invasion of the dryads it made sense that he would want to run to his family, to protect them, and so when he took off I held no distinct hatred for him. If anything I hoped that everything would turn out fine for Eran, he had been helpful and a fun fellow to talk with.


    So I was left with only one course of action, which was to turn to the south and prepare for battle. If the dryads had used a smuggling tunnel to get into town it meant that the hunters and their bows would be far less useful. I lowered my body down into a slight crouch, while the power gathered in my legs and I focused southward.


    The leap that I utilized was far longer, stronger and more impressive than the one which I had used against the dryad previously. The top of the north wall crumbled from the backlash, while the point of impact when I landed broke instantly. Stones which had been paved into the ground of the street could only disintegrate when my feet touched down, and then I leapt off again.


    It took four long jumps to reach the center of the chaos, and when I landed on top of a roof the wood splintered hard and left one of my feet lodged in it. Below on the streets the people had mostly run away, the only ones still present were legionnaires who were in the midst of trying to buy time for the evacuating civilians.


    The streets were thin, wide enough for two people to stand side by side at best. Below me and to the left were two legionnaires who stood with swords drawn, shields raised up defensively. Down the path and to my right three dryads slowly marched through the street with that odd cry of theirs ringing out.


    From my place on the roof the sound of other dryads crying easily reached my ears, making it obvious that there were far more than the three visible to me. So obvious that it sent a chill down my spine, there was no way that the town could handle more than one or maybe two dryads at once.


    Unlike previously the dryads this time showed no interest in playing the cautious game, when I blinked two of the three had already swept up the path and attacked the legionnaires. Their arms slammed down hard on top of the uplifted shields and drove the two men to the ground through sheer brute strength.


    The third dryad drove in faster than either of the legionnaires could follow, it stepped past its own allies and then swung up the arms to the outside. Each arm struck a legionnaire in the head and sent him flying away, both men smashed into the walls with enough force to leave imprints. It was fast enough that neither man was able to call out in shock, all they could do was collapse onto the ground.


    Out of the three dryad I opted for the one who had last struck the legionnaires to be my target, and when I leapt up into the air with spear in hand my eyes were locked onto that dryad. When I landed it was on top of the dryad, a move that caught all three by surprise given how none of them made any hostile move toward me.


    The spear was uplifted and then driven down hard into the top of the dryads head, angled so that it would become like a second spine to the monster. The blade dug in deep, and when it started to show resistance I redoubled my efforts and shoved in even harder. A tingle of warning as my instincts cried out, and I lifted my body upward on top of the spear itself, while one of the other dryad''s arm swung where my ankles had moments ago been.


    With the added weight of my full body the spear sank deep enough into the dryad, a careful shift of my center of gravity and I forced the creature to topple forward. When my feet touched down onto the actual paved ground I tore the spear free from the dryad, then looked to the other two. The first was fast enough that it almost crushed my head, a quick swing of both arms which resembled someone clapping their hands together.


    A duck was the only way to avoid that attack, and when the arms slammed together where my head had been the noise of it was deafening. My right eye half-closed as I winced from the pain and noise, but I barreled through the discomfort and lunged at the dryad with the spear extended. The weapon sank straight into and through the torso, and I released the shaft of the Shatterblade and stepped back.


    "Starburst!" I exclaimed while lifting my right hand up and snapping my fingers. My mind was focused on a single image, what I wanted from the Shatterblade.


    The shaft of the spear slipped into the center of the dryad while the blade on the other side did the same, all of the metal of the Shatterblade focused into a sphere within the confines of the dryad itself. From that sphere two foot long blades shot out in all directions, similar to a porcupine, before the sphere rotated rapidly in place. The dryad that the Shatterblade was housed inside could only make an odd gurgling noise before it collapsed to the ground.


    The final dryad present could only look at what had happened with those odd hollowed out eyeholes, before it gazed at me and let out a long, melodic tune. It lunged at me before I could even snap my fingers to recall the Shatterblade, heavy wooden arm swung into my face with enough force to send me staggering backward. A hint of blood came into my mouth, yet before I could even respond to that the dryad had already hammered my back from behind.


    If it had been the previous year I would have died at that moment, the power of the blow enough to send me off the ground and flying for a good five feet. When I hit the ground the momentum sent me in a tumble across the paved ground, before I collided with a stone wall that belonged to a house. The wall proved useful as I relied on it to help keep my balance while I stood up, and then immediately swayed to the left when a flicker of movement crossed my peripheral vision.


    The stump that could only be called the end of the dryads arm slammed hard into the wall, cracks formed instantly due to the power of the blow. The dryad had removed me from the vicinity of the Shatterblade and so I was forced to fight with my hands, a strong punch was directed at the stomach area. My own hit landed, yet it seemed to hurt me more due to how hard the shell of the dryad was.


    Both arms of the dryad lifted up, a sloppy and easily read movement, and so I cartwheeled to the left alongside the wall. The dryad hammered the ground, causing fractures and sending a few shards of rock up in all directions. Right hand lifted to ward against any stray rocks, I studied the dryad in search of some type of weakness.


    The creature did that faster than can be followed movement, once more it stood in front of me and was already mid-swing by the time I finished blinking. The blow came from the left, and my arm was barely able to stop it from smashing my face in. Once more I staggered from the impact, the dryad already prepared to attack by the time I refocused entirely on it.


    With a quick back step I avoided the next arm swing, while the dryad was forced to spend a few moments recovering from the failure to connect. It was a bad situation, if I ran for the Shatterblade the dryad would be on me long before reaching the weapon. Any attempt at retreating would be met with the same type of fate, and sitting around to fight it head on seemed to be a lesson in futility.


    There was only one choice, and it was one that might have side effects according to Alise. A deep inhalation of air, and I lifted my hands up to about chest height. The hands curled into fists, and I stared at the dryad with as much focus as possible. A deep intake of air, a slow exhalation, a deep intake of air, a slow exhalation. Again and again this happened and with each breath the world slowed more and more, the sounds quieted down and all I could see was that monster in front of me.


    It is almost like reaching into your chest and ripping your heart out, the level of discomfort and the sensation of pain was enough to nearly disrupt my concentration. The air near me began to cool, as though a small cold front had swept into the town. The dryad which had been so aggressive moments before stopped in it''s tracks, and then tilted the head to stare at me.


    A moment too long it waited, as a few seconds later the sensation of a biting cold coursed over the dryad. The jungle based creature was shocked by the rapid change in temperature, and then the feeling of the cold itself gnawing at the exterior and even interior of the body caused it to go into a panic. It flailed, and then started to back away from me while it emitted an odd quiet noise which pulsated at random.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    When I lunged forward at the dryad the aftereffects of my movement caused the nearby building to almost explode away, while the ground itself was ruptured and sent stones hurtling at an alarming speed. My right fist swung forward at the dryad, there was nothing unique looking about the attack as for all intents and purposes it was a simple punch.


    The impact slammed into the dryad, and my hand was shoved into the interior of the monster. Before it could pull away from what I had done I swung my right arm upward, and then out away from the body. The entire front side of the dryad was torn apart and exposed, and the creature was sent falling to the ground lifelessly.


    All three of the dryads had died, and it was a moment when I should have cried out in joy for my victory. Instead I screamed in pain as my mangled right hand, arm and shoulder went limp at my side. Blood seeped out from where the bones had jutted out from the flesh, and for the first time in a while I fell to my knees and shed tears simply due to severe pain.


    It makes sense when thinking back on the attack, what I had done was something above my capabilities. Like my mother, Alise, my father and so many other hardened and powerful veterans I had drawn on my soul. Presence it was called, and using it you could boost your abilities significantly or even create an aura that was supernatural.


    The first time I had ever done it was in that fight, I had played around with Presence before but it was something for a warrior beyond my current standing. While I almost crawled over to where the Shatterblade laid embedded inside a dead dryad I had plenty of time to think about the backlash. What would have happened if I did not have Taryn''s blessing? It was a chilling thought, and one I chose not to dwell on for more than two seconds.


    Instead of reverting the Shatterblade into the dormant form I brought it once more into a spear form, before I struggled back up to my feet. Even my legs and feet hurt, most likely a fracture was in the left while a few of the muscles in both were torn. The spear became more of a crutch than a weapon while I tried to stagger through the town, heading in the direction of the fighting.


    What I came across after five minutes of hobbled walking was the sight of Rudicus and two of the local legionnaires as they fought against one dryad, spears extended in front of them. The usage of the spears had been chosen based on my success at the north gate, versus the hard time they had at the south gate with swords and axes.


    The legionnaires held a defensive position in the middle of a small plaza, a group of injured townsfolk placed behind them. Some were so severely injured that they would likely not walk for months, and a few of the townsfolk were even attempting first aid to help the ones who still bled from numerous wounds caused by the dryad assault.


    Rudicus looked a bit funny as he tried valiantly to lash out at the dryad with his one good arm, while the other legionnaires tried to back him up with their own attacks. The dryad''s hollow eyes stared at the three defenders, the movements fast as it knocked aside the weak thrusts from the legionnaires. With each failed impalement the dryad stepped closer, an ever approaching doom that would overwhelm Rudicus easily.


    The distance was great, and my overall strength was still weakened, but I had no choice as the death of General Rudicus would devastate the defenders. With all the power I could muster the spear in my left hand was sent flying at the dryad, at an angle that was within it''s blindspot. The weapon pierced into the left shoulder of the dryad, although it only buried in a few inches.


    It was enough of an impact that the dryad turned and glared toward my direction, and then chortled out in that weird style of speaking they all utilized. The right arm of the dryad went toward the shoulder, and little tendrils emerged from the arm and pulled free the weapon. Once more it made that chortling noise, something that reminded me of laughter, and then the voice of the dryad became a high pitched scream.


    The noise was such that even the citizens who stood behind the legionnaires held their hands to their ears, while Rudicus could only wince and suffer through it as he had no free hand with which to shield out the noise. The other two legionnaires with him temporarily dropped their weapons, demonstrating how poorly disciplined they were as they covered both of their ears with their hands.


    "Liliana!" Rudicus bellowed out toward me, as he motioned for me to join up with him.


    It was a nice idea, though it was one that would have to wait as I could barely walk without the spear. The spear which was now in the tentacles, tendrils or whatever of the dryad. It was a move that had seemed smart initially, but as I stared at the far off Shatterblade the stupidity of it sank home.


    Of course it would have been a different matter if I had been close to the Shatterblade, but with enough distance between myself and the weapon and my ability to manipulate it was lost. It was the main reason I rarely utilized a throwing weapon with the Shatterblade, as I could potentially lose it.


    A tingle ran down my spine, one that sent a bolt of fear into me and caused me to look around in a slight panic. My gaze swept over the area, yet all I could see was that single dryad as he grasped my Shatterblade. Even Rudicus seemed to have felt the tingle, his own eyes darted left and right rapidly, though he never gave up on paying attention to the nearby dryad. It was a familiar sensation, yet it was an implausible one and so I cast the thought aside instantly.


    The sound of more dryads keening came to my ears and brought me back to reality, and also made me realize how horrible the situation was. Four more dryads slipped out from the darkness of the alleyways and side paths of the town, as they gathered nearby the one who had apparently called for them. Each one had a slightly distinctive look, though if I was pressed to describe those differences it would be impossible for me.


    Each dryad began to walk forward at it''s own pace, one moved fast and was beside the spear-holding dryad in the blink of an eye while another lazily strolled forward. The sight of five dryads gathered was enough to make a few civilians cry out in horror, two wept openly and the legionnaires themselves seemed likely to have wet themselves. Rudicus had grown pale, and as he stared at the death in front he turned to look at me.


    He did not speak aloud what he said, though it was easy enough to read his lips. "Save yourself," he had told me, a statement I had never expected to see nor hear from him. While I watched the dryads continue their steady encroachment on the legionnaire position, Rudicus'' face continued to grow darker while he gripped the spear with his one good hand. He would die fighting, as a member of the Legion should.


    One moment the dryads were on the verge of overrunning the legionnaires, and the next every single one of them went still. Rudicus himself dropped his spear, a look of horror spread over his face while he peered down at his feet. The legionnaires nearby him cried out in horror, and a few of the townsfolk near them also joined in on the screaming. It was an odd action which sent a hint of hope through my mind.


    A luminescent flash of white swept through the lazily approaching dryad, the entire midsection of the body cleaved apart so that the creature could only collapse into two separate piles. One of the dryads turned slowly, as it shook free from the illusion and was met with a strong thrust of the sword to the face. Before it could fight back the sword had already slipped downward, cutting the entire dryad vertically into two chunks.


    The glowing blade was the only thing visible as the wielder whirled, delivering a powerful swing of the weapon through the head of a third dryad, and then as the fourth valiantly swung in self-defense the arm was chopped free from the body. When it tried to step away the sword itself seemed to chase after it, carving open the chest area and dissecting nearly every organ of the abdomen in the matter of a second.


    The dryad that held my spear tried to use it as a weapon against that glistening weapon, it swung it crudely like a club. The shaft of the spear was caught by an extended thin hand, and then the white blade impaled the dryad deeply in the stomach. With a quick jerk to the right the dryad was nearly cut in half like the first had been moments before, and then a powerful kick sent the dryad flying across the small plaza and into a building.


    Her hair was still that odd combination of red and whites, a seemingly impossible blend that added an exotic look to her. The clothes she wore were tight and made of leather, with a light cloak held by a clasp at the neck. The coloring of the clothes were a dark brown, and looked weathered with a hint of moisture still visible on some parts. With a flourish of the sword she sent it back into the scabbard that housed it, and then turned to look at me with a light smile.


    "I hope I''m not too late," Alise said in a soft tone.

 Vol. 2 Chapter 12 - Unexpected News

    The arrival of Alise was a sight that made me want to start crying, the relief that she brought with her mere presence proved enough to make me slump to the ground. Rudicus could only look at this strange woman who had appeared like lightning, and then panic as he saw me fall to my knees on the ground. With a yell he started to run over toward me, even as he called for one of the other soldiers to bring a first aid kit.


    Alise paused for a moment to pick up the Shatterblade, before she started to walk over to me with a quiet glide that made her elegance all the more obvious. She paid no attention to Rudicus, but instead offered the weapon back to me. "Yours, I believe," she whispered out. She tilted her head ever so slightly as she looked at me. "If you were feeling better I would smack you."


    "What?" was all I could think of in response, while I gripped the Shatterblade tightly in my still functioning hand.


    "Breaking yourself to defeat an opponent does nothing to help your friends and allies," Alise informed me, while she stared pointedly at my ravaged arm. It was fairly obvious to her that I had pushed myself beyond my limits, and suffered largely due to that.


    Rudicus stood over me, while one of the legionnaires joined him with a small bag. The legionnaire knelt down next to me and began to work on applying bandages, which brought slight hisses of pain from my mouth. "Who might you be, my lady?" Rudicus asked while he watched his subordinate work on patching me up.


    Alise straightened up, and turned her head slowly to look at the general with a tiny smile on her face. "Lady Alise, I''m but a mere woman who runs an orphanage. I need to sweep the town to make sure all of the dryads are dead, so I shall leave Lily in your hands. I''m certain you''ll lay down your life to stop anything from harming her."


    Those final words held a certain degree of hostility that made Rudicus blanch, he had already witnessed the capabilities of Alise and knew she would rip him apart easily. He hastily nodded his head to her, even as he offered up a salute that he would normally not waste on a civilian. "Have no fears, Lady Alise, I shall most assuredly guard Liliana for you."


    One moment Alise was there and the next she was gone, vanished between the blink of an eye like a phantom. With her departure Rudicus relaxed visibly, his shoulders sagged and his back loosened as he slouched an inch. "Don''t let her scare you, she''s wonderful," I informed Rudicus, while I watched the legionnaire work on my wounds. "She really does run an orphanage."


    "Why does someone that powerful..." Rudicus began to muse aloud, before he shook his head. "Nevermind. Can I assume that she will eliminate all the dryads still in town then?"


    "And then some," I replied. The bandages had been wrapped around my injuries, but the fact that I had broken bones meant a lot more than mere bandages would be required. With the assistance of Rudicus I managed to stand up, and then formed the Shatterblade into an actual crutch. "Help me walk, we need to go meet up with Nala."


    Rudicus lent me a shoulder, before he pointed one finger at the solider who had patched me up. "William, go find the other legionnaires and check in on their status. We need to find out what''s happened to everyone."


    It took far too long for the pair of us to get through the streets to the barracks, which were chaotic as civilians who were injured rested outside. Legionnaires had pulled chairs, benches and beds from the various houses and even the barrack itself and laid them out in front of the building, while Nala went from person to person helping each.


    The two assistants that she continually yelled at worked furiously to keep up with her pace, they were often left to handle the easiest cases while Nala took the life threatening issues on personally. The amount of injured was far lower than what one might have expected, though that was in no small part thanks to the fact that most of the legionnaires themselves were hurt.


    The two legionnaires who I had seen get tossed into the walls and knocked out were present, each one had bandages wrapped about their heads and still had a somewhat unsteady look. They had bruises, scratches and one even had a broken nose. To see that they had both survived the dryads assault made me happy, though that happiness dropped when I saw the bodies covered in sheets lain out on the ground.


    At least six people had died during the attack of the dryads, though who they were specifically I could not tell due to the sheets that were placed on them. Nobody looked at the corpses, for the survivors it was more important to recover than to wallow in the misery of the loss. While I stared at the bodies the thought that one might be Jesson or Eran came to me, though I hoped that was not the case.


    "Nala!" Rudicus called out, as he helped me over to an open bench. It was a hard wood bench with no cushions, but it was better than the dirty ground and so I rested on it.


    Nala looked up and saw Rudicus, but she shook her head before she continued working. Even I could tell why she did that, she was in the middle of sewing up someone who had a large cut that ran up their side and was continually bleeding. "I''ll be fine, don''t worry," I told Rudicus while I rested on the bench.


    General Rudicus nodded his head at me, though his face was as emotionless as he could pull off. It was always amusing to see that emulation of Sciroco, especially since he very rarely bothered acting stiff and emotionless when we were alone. Why Sciroco had started to act like that was one of those mysteries that I had never figured out, nor held any interest in solving.


    While I waited for Nala to get to me William the legionnaire arrived and reported to Rudicus, though they talked in hushed tones at a distance from both myself and the other patients. Through the whole conversation Rudicus kept up his poker face and didn''t let any sort of reaction slip, which meant to me that nothing truly horrifying was reported.


    The tingle that raced down my back was what warned me, and so when there was a presence seated on the bench next to me I didn''t scream in surprise. Alise had arrived with that ease of a ghost, and settled on the bench all in a flash. "I can''t find any more," she told me, while she watched Rudicus and William talk.


    It was not much that was said, yet it was enough to bring a smile to my face. "Thank god," I breathed out in relief.


    "I''m going to need to step outside of the town and check the area nearby, and any nearby towns as well," Alise said. "Once I''m certain all the dryads are exterminated I''ll need to head back to the orphanage."


    "You don''t want to stay and talk to anyone?" I asked her.


    "Waste of time. Right now only Skara and the kids are defending the orphanage," Alise told me, before she sighed quietly.


    "Where''s Shorty?"


    "I sent him to the local garrison at Shiadone," Alise said, before she stood up from the bench. "He should be on his way soon."


    Rudicus had walked over to join us while I had been distracted, he held a clipboard in one hand which had been handed to him by someone previously. "Lady Alise, as a general of the Legion I offer our thanks for your timely assistance," he told her in a stiff tone, while he gave a slight bow.


    Alise offered a tiny smile to him, before she gave a nod of her head. "Think nothing of it," she replied. "I''m sorry but I need to leave. A company of legionnaires should be reaching the area soon and I''ll point them to this town."


    "That seems oddly coincidental," Rudicus commented.


    "Contingencies are a useful sort of thing to have," Alise told him, before she lifted up a hand and gave a slight wave toward me. "Make sure you go see your parents before you come back to the orphanage. I''d rather not have your mother throwing a fit."


    Before I could even offer a reply she had already vanished, which left Rudicus looking altogether unhappy. "Something the matter?" I asked of him, with an impish little grin on my face.


    Rudicus merely glared at me, before he turned away and walked back toward Nala. The medic of his company was very much a busy woman, as she continued to work on numerous bleeding patients who all needed her immediate attention. Without even asking Rudicus put down the clipboard and started to help her, though he seemed to be only as efficient as the other legionnaires who were present.


    While everyone kept on working I settled down on the bench, lifting my legs up and letting them rest on the full length of it. The wood was hard, very uncomfortable to the point of near distraction, and yet I still managed to slowly fall asleep. My final thoughts before the darkness caused by fatigue swept over me was how I wanted to go to the orphanage instead of my own home.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The town of Mastille would never be the same again, the loss of numerous families caused such anguish for many of the citizens that it would be weeks before they recovered. As was normal the bodies were burned, including those of the legionnaires who had perished during the assault. No body would be buried for fear of the Plague being attracted, something which Rudicus hammered home was very possible given their recent activity.


    Pyre after pyre were erected, then a moment later the air was filled with a stench which quickly soured the appetite of anyone nearby. Some of the people stood and watched as the corpses were burned, and the surviving legionnaires themselves saluted the pyres upon which their companions rested.


    It was a pity that we would never find the corpses of those who had gone missing, whatever the dryads had done with the bodies would remain a mystery that I was all too happy not to solve. Later that night, and the subsequent nights I never encountered Taryn in any of my dreams while I slept almost permanently in hopes of recovering faster.


    The fourth day after Alise had arrived like a hurricane and saved us from imminent death the legionnaires led by Shorty arrived, each of the men treated him with far more respect than I would have expected. When I went to speak with my little friend he shook his head, Shorty was far too busy ordering the legionnaires around like a general.


    Tiltain had gone missing during the dryad assault, whether he had been abducted or devoured or merely deserted was unknown. Rudicus dispatched an order for his arrest upon discovery, and revoked all of the rights that Tiltain would have had as a member of the Legion. It would be a bad day for the coward if he still survived, something which none of us cared to have happen.


    A day after Shorty arrived with the reinforcements Rudicus ordered me into a carriage, and then joined me. "No arguments, you''re going home," Rudicus told me straight out when I asked him what was going on.


    "What about Shorty?" I asked, as I looked out of the carriage at my little and yet old friend who continued to bark orders at the legionnaires.


    "Lady Alise requested him to make certain the town was in working order before he was allowed to return," Rudicus explained, while he knocked on the interior wall of the carriage. A moment later the carriage started to roll along the road, while I continued to watch Shorty as long as possible.


    So with minimal warning and no hope of talking with Shorty I was forced onto the road again, though at least I road in luxury. It was a finely designed carriage with a comfortable interior and plenty of leg room. Rudicus left me alone during the trip, he seemed far too busy with reading and writing documents to spend time talking to me.


    Have you ever felt to yourself that you''re bored? Imagine that sensation stretched over fourteen days and you''ll get a glimpse of how I felt during the two weeks we spent riding toward the north. It seemed as though I was doomed to forever ride in carriages which took far too long to reach their destination. Due to the fact that Rudicus had no urge to talk to me I spent as much of the ride asleep, often only waking up long enough to take something to help ease the pain that rippled through my body with every bump.


    Scintallia had not changed in the short time I had been gone, and when the carriage paused in front of my home I fought the urge to shove Rudicus out and order the driver to keep going. Alise had been quite right in that if I didn''t come back home to check in with my mother there would be complications, and those would most likely include her thrashing me for a good while even if I was still injured.


    "Come on," I almost growled to Rudicus as I clambered out of the carriage, still relying on the Shatterblade to create a crutch. The muscles in my legs had for the most part healed, but the fracture in my left leg was still not finished. Given the rate it was progressing at I had at least another week, if not two, before walking freely would be possible.


    Before Rudicus or I could even reach the mansion, the twin doors flung open wide and fast enough to scare the twin butlers who stood outside. Diana adorned with her regular maid outfit, and her little tiara that rested on her head, darted over to us with a cry of happiness. She flung her arms roughly around me, which forced a hiss of pain to escape from my mouth.


    With a cry of shock she stepped back, one hand lifted to her mouth. "I''m so sorry Lady Liliana, I didn''t realize you were injured that badly!" she declared, a look of fear flashed over her face.


    "It''s alright Diana," I comforted her. "I''m happy to see you too. I''m going to my room to rest for a bit, please inform my mother that I''ll meet with her at dinner."


    Diana gave a curtsy, before she turned away and almost ran back to the mansion. She paused for a moment to speak briefly with one of the twins who stood at the mansion entrance, and then vanished into the interior without a further word. "Very energetic," Rudics commented from my side.


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    We walked to the door, although the one guard held up a hand toward Rudicus and pulled him to the side for a moment. They spoke in hushed tones, though about what I was not certain, before Rudicus was allowed to join me in the foyer of the mansion. When he came in he had a look that stated quite clearly how unhappy he was over what had been said to him.


    "What did they say?" I asked of him, before I started to walk toward the door which would lead to my room.


    "Nothing you need to know," Rudicus bluntly stated. He looked almost embarrassed, which only increased my curiosity. "I shall take my leave for now. Until later, Lady Liliana."


    Lady? I mouthed, before I shook my head and walked away. Why he had opted to be a bit more formal at that moment held no importance to me, and instead I felt the distinct urge to go to my room. A few moments later I found myself there, and lowered myself onto the bed with as little grace as was humanly possible. The soft cushions and the fine blankets caught my body as though I had landed in a cloud, and shortly thereafter sleep once more gripped me.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    If not for Diana I would have been late for the dinner, and even then I chose not to wear a formal outfit. It was rude of me, but the idea of struggling into a tight dress and heels did not interest me in the slightest given how my body still ached.


    The dining area was the same as always, with the beautiful plates lain out ornamentally on the table. Diana had taken it upon herself to be my main assistant, forgoing her own normal duties in exchange for watching over me. When I seated myself at the table she was there to make certain I had no issues, and even offered to help feed me if I felt the need.


    "I''ll be fine," I told her when she asked me that, before I waved her off with one hand. I was not an invalid and the fact that she hovered around like I was made me annoyed to the point of near violence.


    My mother and father entered together, my father adorned in battle armor which he favored whenever the Empire requested his aid with the Legion. My mother on the other hand wore a loose dress that hugged at her hips and only softly accentuated her chest. When she settled down into her chair my father held it out for her, something I had never seen him do, and then he in turn took his regular spot at the head of the table.


    Vargos was already present, he had entered in advance of my mother and most likely cleared it to be safe. Head as well as personal butler and even an accountant when it called for it, Vargos was also the bodyguard of my mother and more than an equal for most people in the Empire. While he could not handle a candle to my own father and mother I was certain that a fight between the two of us would be very close.


    Rudicus entered last, he was followed closely by a maid who seemed far too interested in watching him like a hawk. He wore his armor like it was common nature to wear it to a dinner, and settled loudly into his seat across the table from myself and Esmeralda.


    The food that was served did little to interest me, it was for the most part common salad mixed with light slices of chicken. The chef had added a slight sauce to it that was for the most part oil, with a strong and almost bitter taste. My mother seemed to thoroughly enjoy it while Rudicus had a look of disgust for a moment. He did, however, eat it all without complaint.


    "Did you have fun on your outing?" my mother asked, as the silence broke so suddenly I thought I heard the sound of glass shattering. She smiled toward me, though there was no move to pat my shoulder nor hug me.


    "About as fun as the time you caught me sneaking out of legionnaire training when I was seven," I told her. A slight shudder ran through my body at that memory, which caused Rudicus to raise an eyebrow quizzically.


    "I''ve read the reports that General Rudicus filed, it appears you were integral to the survival of his soldiers," Esmeralda said, as she wiggled a single finger toward Vargos.


    The head butler stepped toward her, and from behind his back he offered a piece of parchment. Mother held the parchment with one free hand while she pushed away her empty plate, which was promptly taken by a maid who seemed to appear like magic. "By the way, General Rudicus were you quite serious with this request?"


    Rudicus stiffened at that inquiry, before he placed his fork down gently and looked to Esmeralda with a serious expression. "I believe it would be beneficial to both our families," Rudicus responded. "As you know my father holds a position of power within the Guild, and many of my relatives are placed highly within the Legion."


    "What''s going on?" I wondered aloud, while Vargos remained still behind my mother. He spared a quick glance at me, which was followed with a wink, before he returned his gaze to Rudicus.


    Mother handed over the parchment to me, although I did not need to bother with reading it as she explained aloud what was happening. "General Rudicus has sent me an official declaration of intent to marry you. He wishes for you to be his betrothed, and is willing to offer quite a fine bride price."


    Before I could even stand up Vargos already had a hand on my shoulder, one that held me down with such strength it startled me. My previous belief that I could be his equal was dashed in the matter of a moment, although I would not place him higher than Taryn in overall capacity. The surprise caused by Vargos was enough that I could not even form words with which to speak out against this proposed marriage.


    When the words came for a moment I was confused as to where they originated, before the familiarity of the voice made me look to my father. "She will not be marrying you, General Rudicus."


    It was a very blunt and straight forward way of turning him down, and one that I had not anticipated given how little my father seemed to care for me. If anything having someone with Rudicus'' position of power and wealth as my husband should have made Vandross happy.


    Rudicus accepted this declaration with a bit of grace, although the disappointment he felt was very visible on his face. "Might I ask as to why?" he managed to say after a few moments of deep thought.


    Vargos loosened his hold on my shoulder as he stepped back to my mother''s side, though he gave me another wink of assurance. The various maids and butlers who stood in the background of the room all seemed to have known this was coming, as none seemed disturbed in the slightest by the declaration of intent.


    "That''s none of your business!" I told Rudicus with no hint of manners. The fact that he had gone around me to try and use my parents to acquire a marriage had flared up a good deal of anger in me. I had felt he was better than that, a belief which he had promptly ruined with his backroom politics.


    It was only for a second but I could have sworn that I saw a smile from my father, though he returned to his silent eating once more. Out of everyone present he was the slowest of all the eaters, taking his time as though each bite was important to him and required his fullest attention. Even I had completed eating before him, and I used my left hand to eat which was something I was unaccustomed to doing.


    When we all finally finished eating my father pushed his plate away, and then gave a slight wave of his hand toward Vargos. The butler nodded his head and cleared his throat loud enough to draw the attention of everyone, before he bowed and offered a hand toward the seated Esmeralda.


    Mother took his hand and stood up, before she gently placed her other hand on her stomach. The smile on her face made the beauty that she held all the more radiant, while she looked at all those in the room with happiness sparkling in her eyes. "I have a bit of good news to tell you all," she said, before she looked to my father. "Vandross and I are going to have another child."


    The news hit all of us with the same level of shock that a dragon landing in the middle of your backyard would generate. Most of the maids and butlers paled visibly, while a few clapped their hands happily. Diana who had stood by me and worried so much took the news as I would have expected of her.


    She turned and ran for the door while screaming in horror.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    One might think that the news of pregnancy was great, but given how my mother had been while she carried me it was expected. Everybody knows that a pregnant woman can be prone to bouts of unhappiness, sometimes go so far as to be hard to deal with. My mother in turn has the ability to break bones with a flick of a finger, destroy buildings with a well placed punch and otherwise generate nightmares with ease.


    Diana, nor any of the other veteran members of the staff, would talk to me about my mother while she held me within her womb. Vargos himself said that if not for his training he would have died numerous times, and that if it wasn''t for his great respect for Esmeralda he would''ve ran away only a few months into the pregnancy.


    While I rested in my bed the fact that I would have a sibling in less than a year continued to dance in my head. If it was a brother it would most likely make my father happier beyond anything, but if it was a sister would he treat her the same way? Of course I would be there to help her get through any of the aggravation caused by father, but it would be impossible to protect her from everything.


    Also the fact that they were about to have a child was one that shocked me, I had figured that mother had become incapable of having another given how none had appeared in the lengthy time between her recent pregnancy and my birth. It was even something I had commented on to my father, something which he had made me regret instantly.


    I stretched on the bed, and then sighed so loudly that if not for the soundproofed walls one of the maids or butlers would''ve heard it. There was no use in dwelling on spilt milk, as Alise would most likely have told me. In the end I would need to accept whoever my new sibling was with as much happiness as possible, and help my parents so that they did not blunder into the same mistakes they had made with me.


    The loud knock at my door caused me to almost jump from the bed, a movement that caused a wince due to the pain. The knock came once more, with enough force that the door itself seemed likely to snap in half, and then there was silence. "I''m coming!" I called out, even though there was a good chance that the person on the other side would not have heard what I said.


    By the time I managed to limp my way to the door I half-expected the knocker to have walked away, so when I opened the door my shock at the person in front of me was warranted. The fact that it was my father who stood in front of me only compounded the degree of shock I felt, indeed it seemed like the day could not stop throwing shocks at me.


    "Evening," he told me, though he did not say anything further.


    "Um...evening, father," I responded, my voice meek enough that it was obvious I was both shocked and perhaps scared to see him in front of me. There was not a single time in my entire life I had ever seen him at the door to my room, if either of my parents wished to speak with me I always had to go to them. "Can I help you?"


    For a while he stared at me, and then he slowly lifted up his right hand and gently placed it on my head. To call it gentle is perhaps wrong, the way it looked was most definitely a gentle and soft approach of the hand with no haste nor strength behind it. However when he placed his hand on my head the power he generated from it was enough to make me sag down half an inch, and even my neck muscles screamed out in protest at the force applied to them.


    "You''ve done a good job," he simply told me, as he rubbed my head for a few seconds and then lifted it away. The powerful hand returned to his side, while he looked at me in silence again, and then nodded his head. "Don''t worry about Rudicus."


    How many words had I heard my father speak in the totality of my life? If you discounted the words he had spoken during combat, as he barked out orders to save peoples lives, it would take me perhaps two or three minutes to recount the amount. The whole series of events made me wonder if his mind had been broken due to too many years of fighting the Plague. "Are you okay?" I finally asked of him, worried that something was horribly wrong.


    The smile Vandross Rose directed at me would have melted a glacier, it was a soft and extremely warm view to witness. In all the years my mother had been married to him I had never understood why, and yet with that singular smile the mystery began to unravel. "I''m fine, go to bed, Liliana," he told me before he turned and walked down the hallway.


    It was an abrupt departure, yet it was perhaps the most normal part of the entire exchange we had that night. Out of my entire life it would prove to be one of the two times my father had demonstrated his feelings toward me openly, and the other would not come until two years later. Even as he walked away I could only stare in confusion, and then slowly close the door.


    That night was the first time I went to bed and did not think about how I was a failure to my father, in truth it would be the first in many nights when I fell asleep with a smile on my face. While the emotional wounds I had gained during my youth would forever mark my heart, my father had unknowingly helped in alleviating some of the pain.


    It would also be the first time I ever fell asleep and felt a tugging at my soul, a whisper in my ear. Even though I was so far away I could hear the words in my ear clearly, and before I fully fell asleep I responded.


    "Good night, Taryn."

 Vol. 2 Chapter 13 - Exposure Of The Soul

    After the easy sleep I spent an average day wandering the house, meeting the new servants who had been acquired by my parents during my absence. A few were happy enough to be there, and even those who did not care for being slaves were gracious because of the leniency they were granted. If they so wished it they could take time off from work and head home, and most would do so while taking along their earned wages for the rest of their family.


    Days began to slip by with a speed that almost alarmed me, I had become so relaxed in the house that had often grated on my nerves that soon enough a few weeks had slipped past me. During it all my recovery continued, and while I continued to limp and rely on a crutch everything else had healed.


    General Rudicus had not waited long in leaving my house, he had caught on quickly that his underhanded attempt at acquiring a bride did not please the servants. Many of those who spent their time opening doors would often pretend he was not there, and a few of the maids managed to demonstrate their displeasure by accidentally ruining his clothing when they washed them.


    So after two and a half weeks since the night Rudicus tried to gain my hand in marriage by appealing to my father, I began to once more develop the urge to leave. I did not despise the house so much that I needed to run away, if anything Diana managed to make me smile on a daily basis. Still it was time for me to leave, which I decided to tell my mother. She took the news without a single blink of the eye, though she did order me to follow her into another room.


    It was a room large enough to hold a central table, a few chairs and a sofa against one of the walls. Commonly used by the servants of the house, Esmeralda and myself were seated at the table, while Diana hovered nearby mother with a worried expression on her face. Every so often she would move in closer, though with a tremble in her hands, before speaking a few words of encouragement.


    Two hours passed while all three of us had been in the common room, while Diana struggled desperately to teach mother the basics of knitting. With enough yarn to create nearly anything imaginable she had so far failed to produce anything of use. She was the wife of the legendary Vandross, she had the ability to break people in half and lay siege to an entire army, yet she was incompetent at handicrafts.


    What had come as a shock to the both of them was how capable I already was at knitting, a skill that I had gained thanks to the assistance of Maria. The girl who had grown on a farm learned all of the basics of knitting, sewing and cooking from her mother prior to the slaver attack. Whenever I had free time and wanted to see her she''d willingly teach me whatever I wanted.


    "No, Lady Esmeralda, you used the wrong stitch again," Diana lightly told her, as she stepped in close and hesitatingly pointed at the blanket mother was working on.


    Mother''s hands froze as she stared at the mistake, before her brow furrowed and she let out a small sigh. She offered it up toward Diana who once more had to help her unknit the offending stitch. It took little time and mother once again began to tackle the difficulty that was knitting, even while I worked steadily at my own project.


    It was meant to be a scarf, though it was not for anybody in particular. When mother had started her own attempt at creating a blanket I realized that I lacked anything to do, and so had begun to knit while Diana began her lesson. My progress was not fast, as I lacked the confidence and technique to produce anything quickly, and so the scarf had barely any rows done even hours into it.


    While mother had proven quite incompetent at knitting she did not let it dissuade her, she remained seated in a rigid and upright position. Her hands moved without fear, even as she made one error after another. Even as she worked at the blanket she managed to spare a few words for me, as she probed me for information. "Do you truly plan to depart tomorrow?"


    It was a question that made my own knitting pause, while I gazed toward mother even as a small smile began to form. "Yes, I''ve been gone too long," I responded, before I began to work once more.


    "You''re still hurt though!" Diana chimed in, as she turned in my direction.


    My pace at the knitting dropped significantly while I attempted to wrestle with speaking alongside the task. "I''m fine Diana, I want to check in on the kids at the orphanage," I told her, before I smiled toward the head maid to reassure her.


    Diana stared at me with slightly widened eyes, she would not relax anytime soon based on how often she worried about me. Like an older sister or aunt who always wanted to support you, Diana had helped to fill the void that would often occur whenever mother left on a mission. To so readily give up on the habit of worrying would prove impossible for her.


    A slight murmur to the left made me turn my head, my eyes focused away from my personal project and to a spot of thin air. For a while I merely stared off into space, head tilted to the side while I listened to a ripple of noise that was impossible to decipher. Time began to hold no meaning while my mind began to blank out, and then the world rushed back as Diana touched my right shoulder gently. "Liliana, are you okay?" she asked in a louder tone of voice than normal even as my head turned about to face her in surprise.


    With a certain degree of difficulty I wrestled a smile onto my face, before I turned my gaze back to the scarf. At the pace I was going it would be completed in a few months, perhaps longer if I was distracted by any major events. "I''m fine, Diana, and you know you can call me Lily," I reminded her.


    A small little grin flashed onto her face, before my mother cleared her throat. "If you are so adamant on departing for the orphanage tomorrow I shall not stand in your way," mother said with an even tone of voice. "Though you had best plan to return in eight months."


    "Do you really think I''d miss the birth?" I asked of her, before I chuckled lightly. While the thought of being around an irate mother did not please me the fact that I would have a new brother or sister made up for it. I could only hope that none of the servants died during my absence.


    "I would hope not," my mother honestly replied, before she put her knitting down and looked to me with a serious expression. "When you do come back your father has a favor he would like you to do for him."


    "What''s that?"


    "Nothing much," mother responded, before she picked up her blanket and returned to knitting even as she spoke. "Merely bring Allie''s son along."


    The scarf that I had been working on was completely forgotten at that, as I half-rose from the chair. Even Diana paused in her attempt to guide my mother in her knitting, to only stare with a slightly opened mouth at Esmeralda. "Mother! Why would father want me to do that?" I almost demanded of her.


    "Oh? Why such an outcry?" mother asked in return, though she did not take her eyes from the blanket she worked so carefully at. "He only wants to talk with the son of an old friend."


    Slowly I settled back into the chair, though it was obvious that I was not happy from my face. "I''m sure that''s all he wants," I muttered unhappily, before once more I returned to knitting.


    For a while after that we sat there in silence, while Diana looked from my mother to me more than once. Once the tension that my mother had created began to drop off Diana once more started to offer her tips and help, though she kept her distance as often as possible. It was a tactic that most of the servants had adopted, avoiding being within striking distance of my mother.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The next morning my mother and I stood outside of the mansion, while a carriage rested nearby. There were a few men who rode their own horses, strong looking steeds of the purest white and pedigree. Each of the soldiers was a member of the Legion, garbed in the magic tools that are the legionnaire armor.


    "Why are you sending them along with me?" I asked mother, even as I rested my face in my right hand. "I can handle myself, I''m not an invalid."


    Mother sniffed at that comment, her face half-turned away from me. "If you could take care of yourself you wouldn''t be as beat up as you are now," she pointed out, before she brandished an envelope at me. "Be a dear and take this, it is for Allie."


    "A love letter for your old friend?" I teased my mother, even while I accepted the letter. It went into the small bag which I planned to take with me, a few pieces of clothing to help shake up the monotony of baggy pants and baggy shirts all day long.


    "Don''t be silly, Liliana," mother chided me before she turned and started to walk back to the mansions main door. She paused after a few steps and cast a look back at me, "I hope you will not forget to visit from time to time?"


    It was impossible not to smile at her, before I gave a small bow. "Of course, mother. Take care and don''t kill anyone!"


    "Vargos will stop me before I can," mother assured me, even as she walked into the mansion and the doors closed behind her.


    With her departure I climbed into the carriage, before resting and quickly finding that I had little to do. While I chose to knit for the duration of the trip there were moments when even that wore at my mind, and so I returned to testing the limits of the Shatterblade. Previous experiments had focused on new types of weapons, but it was armor and tools that I began to test while I traveled to Alise''s orphanage.


    By the time we arrived at Shiadone I had exhausted any practical applications of the Shatterblade and tried to figure out new types of tools or pieces of equipment. It would prove a futile effort on my part as I lacked the mental flexibility to create inventions from scratch, and so I had attempted to take on the task of creating a bow with the Shatterblade once more.


    When the carriage passed out of Shiadone and we entered into the forest I gave up on the Shatterblade, my attention turned instead to the trees nearby. My gaze instinctively sought out the hidden children who helped to guard the orphanage, noting the telltale signs of their passing which they used to communicate with one another. It was not long into the forest before I noticed a shadow perched high atop a tree that blended in near perfectly with the foliage of the tree.


    The carriage passed unmolested through the forest and slowed down prior to entering the tunnel nearby the orphanage. As it passed out of the defensive structure crafted by Alise the sunlight streamed down and illuminated the surrounding glade, with the cottage centered as always in the middle of it all. No children could be seen, though Alise did stand nearby the door to her home while she watched the carriage.


    The presence of the legionnaires was not one that drew any form of happiness from Alise, the fact that armed men had rode their horses into the orphanage grounds was similar to a declaration of war. When they pulled their steeds to a stop and did not dismount Alise visibly relaxed, though it was doubtful she ever fully truly let her guard down.


    When the carriage finally came to a stop I wasted no time in opening the door and leaping out, throwing the bag in advance. I bounded out of the carriage with enough pent up energy to destroy a horde of Plague, and waved toward the foremost legionnaires. "You can head home! Thanks for the escort!" I yelled out to not only the driver but also the Legion members.


    The legionnaires saluted me, before they reined their horses back toward the wooden tunnel. The carriage lurched along after them, while the driver called out for me to take care even as he waved in parting. While we had not talked during the journey he was one of many servants I had met numerous times back at my parents home. While the legionnaires and the carriage departed I paused to scoop up my bag and toss it over my shoulder, before I turned toward Alise and bowed in greeting.


    The cacophony that occurred then nearly threw me to the ground, as the children burst out of hiding and cried their hellos to me. Many of the children were so young that they struggled merely to speak up loud enough to be heard over the oldest of them all, who were far too enthused with my arrival. Like a tidal wave they poured out of their hiding places, even as the cottage door opened and Maria along with Phil appeared.


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    The numerous arms and hands that clung to me were far too many to count, and instead I merely laughed and reveled in the attention, while I patted the heads of many kids and said hello to as many I could. It was a tough task, but one that I did not have a qualm with since even I had grown saddened by my absence from the orphanage.


    An ocean of children and teenagers began to part as Alise walked forward, everyone knew to clear room for her and hastened to not disrupt her steps out of respect. When she was close enough to touch Alise gave a slight nod of her head, before she spoke in that quiet voice of hers. In truth it made little sense that I could hear what she said, over the buzz of excitement that the throng of children produced. "Welcome back, were your parents in good health?"


    "Yes!" I almost cried out, before I fished through the bag for the letter. With far too much energy I thrust the envelope at Alise, before I spoke once more. "My mother is pregnant again!"


    I had never known the joy that could come from a pregnant mother, for the most part people hear about the fact that someone is going to have a child and they merely nod their head and say congratulations. Yet as soon as I knew she was expecting the urge to tell everyone boiled up in me, and for the first time I had managed to find someone I could speak to about the subject.


    Alise''s eyes widened in surprise at that statement, before a small smile curled her lips. She accepted the envelope, though she did not open it in front of myself and the others. "That''s wonderful, dear, now make sure you clean up before dinner," she reminded me before turning away and walking gracefully back to her cottage.


    As Alise stepped out of the gathering of children once more the bodies surged toward me, the youngest of the kids far more eager to hug me and say their greeting than the eldest. From my spot I could only wave toward the teenagers who stood guard on the walls, before the mass of bodies managed to topple me and send me to the ground even as laughter erupted from my mouth.


    It was good to be home.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Later that evening we feasted on venison that had been acquired thanks to the hunters of the orphanage, along with some fresh vegetables pulled out of the gardens near the back of the orphanage. The drinks had been a mixture of juices and water for the children, while the handful of adults were allowed to try the wine.


    Skara was there and made certain that none of the others became too drunk, he had taken on the role of a parental figure so well that it startled me. While he still kept up that goofy grin of his and friendly attitude, he had lost a certain degree of the wild nature that had made him almost childlike during our journey together.


    The absence of Shorty was one that saddened me, I had hoped to hug the miserable old man and thank him for all of his hard work. Alise informed me that he had yet to return, he would be busy as he helped to reconstruct and make certain the Legion was ready for any more dryad attacks. She danced around the question of why the legionnaires had bowed so readily to his commands, as well as why she had chosen him for the task in the first place.


    After the grand feast in celebration of my return I helped to put many of the kids to bed, before Alise called me to her cottage. Even though my day had felt quite long as I had played with the children for so long, I still had enough energy left over that I nearly skipped my way from the dormitory to the cottage. Knocking on the door drew a command to enter from Alise, and without hesitation I opened the door and stepped inside.


    Upon entrance into the cottage everyone was greeted with a wide and tall room, with a square table set off to the left side. Three chairs were placed around the table, one of which Alise had seated herself in. A rug sprawled across the wooden floor in a rectangle that failed to cover all of the interior, while across from the door a fireplace merrily burned away at logs placed inside the flames.


    Upon the wall rested the head of a monster that I couldn''t even recognize, stuffed and preserved for Alise. While I closed the door behind me I noticed a tapestry that was placed above the doorway, one that showed a story about a girl who was found by a man in white. My eyes continued to scan the interior of the cottage and I noted a pile of weapons gathered on a side table in the corner. To the right of the entrance the door to another part of the cottage could be seen, closed, with a two-handed sword rested outside of it.


    Alise beckoned toward me to take a seat, while she remained in her chair. The combination of white and red hair fell down onto a thin scarlet nightgown, while a pair of dark red slippers covered her feet and helped to ward off the chill of the night. She rested both elbows on the table with one hand placed against her cheek, even as the other hand gripped mothers envelope.


    By the time I had seated she had not spoken a word, and so I cleared my throat and spoke first. "Alise, why did you ask me to come here?"


    Alise tapped the envelope against the wooden table, before she turned her gaze toward my face. "How are you feeling?"


    "Better," I said hesitatingly, I had finished recuperating on the carriage ride to the orphanage. If not for that the child avalanche probably would''ve rebroken my bones, or at the least reminded me of how sore I had been.


    "Anything odd happening?" Alise inquired, while she studied my face for any reactions.


    The questions had started to bother me, but I accepted it as necessary. Alise was not one who did something strange for no reason, she always held a purpose to her actions. "Nothing that I can think of?" I half-asked in return, not sure where the conversation was headed.


    "You wanted to know about Shorty, and it almost seemed like you were checking up on every child here," Alise began, before she paused and then placed the envelope flat against the table. "Why don''t you wonder about Taryn?"


    Out of all the questions she could pose it was the one I had not expected in the slightest, for the very reason that I didn''t know the answer. For a moment I sat there stunned, before I looked toward the fireplace and stared into the flames as though they might hold the answer. "I...don''t know?" I finally admitted, before I slouched a little in the chair.


    "When you fought the dryads you did something dangerous, you used your Presence," Alise told me in a hushed tone, soft and slow. "There is a reason why the Legion does not seek out and utilize every single person who can hope to wield Presence."


    I merely sat there, the fact that her question had let me befuddled was obvious. Even as she spoke her words sank in but didn''t really matter, instead my brain worked at discovering the answer to her previous inquiry.


    Alise slammed her fist down on the table, though she held back her true strength. It was with enough force that I nearly jumped out of my own skin, my eyes widened while I looked at her in confusion. "Presence is using your very soul as a weapon, you bare yourself to the world and the world marks you forever, if you use it too much, too often, it permanently warps you," Alise told me. "The more you use it the more you change. For some people there is almost no change, but for others there is a vast change."


    "But father and mother use it all the time!" I almost cried out, I had not heard about this aspect of Presence whatsoever when others had told me about it in the past.


    "Haven''t you noticed how your father touches nobody?" Alise asked of me, before she tapped her one finger lightly against the table a few times. "His side effect is raw strength, the power he would normally only utilize while draped in his own soul no longer can be put away. I''ve seen him break people in half simply by patting them on the shoulder."


    It was information which hit me hard, and also started to answer many questions of the past. The fact that we had so many people who held open doors, how my father never touched me during my childhood and constantly avoided me. The way that mother and he seemed to rarely touch one another even though they loved one another so much. "What about mother?" I asked, though it was a question that scared me.


    "Esmeralda lost the ability to feel temperatures," Alise replied, though she did not expand upon it.


    "What about you?"


    The response from Alise to that question was to look away from me, a hint of distaste crossed her face. Whatever it was that she thought in that moment was not about to be shared with me, as she cleared her throat and steered the conversation away from herself. "I''m not important, you are. Your mother already noticed something off about you. A few times over the past few weeks you''ve been distracted, according to her letter."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," I honestly responded.


    "Close your eyes, Lily," she ordered me. "Relax, breath in deep. Let your mind wander."


    I was not about to argue with someone who could tear me apart with her pinky finger, and so I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. Each muscle of my body was individually flexed, and then relaxed, so as to fully let my body loosen up and release any tension. No longer did I focus on the thoughts of the day, the memories of everything and instead let emptiness fill my mind.


    The scent of leaves and flowers, the sound as boots crushed down on leaves with each step. Ahead in the distance a light could be seen through the trees that surrounded, along with a wooden wall that ran in both directions. The presence of a few of the night watch who kept their eyes out for intruders could be felt, rather than seen.


    "There are two reasons why you wouldn''t ask me about Taryn," Alise told me. "The first reason would be that your side effect is the removal of him from your mind, memories, perhaps even heart."


    She did not need to tell me about the second, as I opened my eyes. "Thank you," I told her before I stood up from the table and politely pushed the chair back in. I paused for a moment to look toward the bedroom door, a small smile passed over my face, before I opened the main door of the cottage and walked outside.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The outside air was fresh and cool, wrapped in a wool cloak I sat on top of the tunnel and stared out into the forest. Saris had paused to hand me a mug of warm tea, before she walked away without asking me about my presence on the wall. Out of the numerous guards who watched over the orphanage she was my favorite, a quiet girl who worked hard to being the best she could be. Shorty had already told me that Saris would probably make for a good Guild member in the near future, though a part of me didn''t want to see her leave the orphanage.


    A small burst of wind swept over the forest and threw the leaves up in a cloud of disarray, while my long hair flew out behind me. The ponytail had been released, it was better for the hair to not be left in a ponytail when I went to bed after all. My free hand lifted up to ward off some of the leaves from striking my eyes, while I continued to gaze into the darkness ahead.


    From the shadows the sound of movement came, and then a figure stepped out into the open before the tunnel. It was a man who wore dark clothes and had a hood up to hide away his face, though I already knew that beneath the hood rested silver hair and green eyes. At his waist was a small coin purse, which I knew without asking held four coins he had picked up from a job in town.


    Taryn tilted his head upward, before he reached up and pulled away the hood and let it fall. "What are you doing out here?" he asked, before he leapt up from the floor of the forest to the top of the tunnel with as much effort as sitting in a chair might require.


    I stood up, though it proved harder than I expected given the mug of hot tea in hand. With one hand I gripped my cloak closed to ward off the cold, and with the other I extended the drink toward Taryn. He took it, though a puzzled look was clearly on his face as he accepted it from me.


    "Welcome home," I told him.

 Vol. 3 Chapter 1 - Chaos At Sea

    It couldn¡¯t be called an actual calling out to me, but rather I felt the need for my presence. When I opened my eyes I was greeted by the darkness of night, the lanterns hung on hooks swaying along with the rocking motion of the ship.


    A few sailors worked to take goods below deck and passed by my still form without comment. At the start of our journey they had felt the urge to call out to me but I had dissuaded them of that habit rapidly. No bones had been broken but a few of the sailors ended up unable to eat without grimacing for a few days.


    I blinked to clear away some of the sleepiness from my eyes before I pushed myself up off of the wooden floor. Without any words to the hardworking sailors I slipped past them all and out the door, onto the main deck of the ship.


    When I had gone to sleep the ship had been quiet, the sun high in the sky with gentle waves lapping at the wooden hull. At some point it had turned about entirely and crafted some sort of nightmare. Overhead lightning ripped through the darkened sky while the ship itself was hammered time and again by fierce waves.


    Men shouted as they hastily worked to lower the sails and clear the deck, all of them knew the potential danger that came with running a ship during a fierce storm. The captain bellowed orders from his place near the wheel, one hand placed on the shoulder of the helmsman who had turned pale.


    I had been on my fair share of ships before in the past yet even I had trouble with the current state. While I walked the wet floor of the deck combined with the random shudders from the waves to create a dangerous situation. I carefully worked my way across the deck, at times accidentally getting in the way of the workers, while I kept my gaze locked on a single figure.


    While I struggled to maintain my balance a solitary man stood with arms crossed, unmoved by the unstable scenario that the weather had created. He rested against the mainmast of the ship with his back, a sword belted at his hip. He had opted to wear a black jacket which flapped wildly in the ever increasing wind.


    ¡°Taryn!¡± I called out when I came closer, my left hand reaching out to touch against his right arm. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He glanced at me with an upraised eyebrow, a look that I knew meant he hadn¡¯t expected me to show up. ¡°What? Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie,¡± I told him. ¡°You¡¯re worrying about something.¡±


    Taryn turned his full attention to me, his eyes locked onto my face for what felt like an eternity. He gave a small nod of his head, as though to confirm what I already knew, and pointed out toward the ocean. ¡°That merchant ship.¡±


    What he talked about was a ship similar to the one we rode on, a classic merchant vessel used by everyone in the empire. Even from this distance I could make out the small figures of the sailors as they worked the rigging, lanterns lighting the deck for all to see.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve seen another merchant ship,¡± I pointed out, not sure what about it bothered Taryn.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t dropping their sail or preparing for the storm,¡± Taryn explained as he glared across the ocean at the other ship. ¡°Go warn the captain, I think they¡¯re the pirates he was worried about.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡±


    A sheet of rain began to pound against the deck of the ship as I started my slippery trek toward the captain. The sailors had for the most part cleared all of the loose materials and supplies so I held the railing for extra balance. While I worked my way over I thought about how all of this had started.


    I had returned to the orphanage a few months back, rested and ready for whatever life might throw my way. After almost a month of helping with the children I had become restless and sought something more. It was at that time I opted to help out with the jobs that Taryn used to help fund the orphanage.


    The first job we did together had been a basic pest control, some troublesome spiders had infested a lumber mill. The second job ended before we even reached it when the creatures left before we could even arrive the town. So we had arrived at our third job which was a simple guard duty on a merchant ship.


    It was when I had made it halfway to the captain when I felt a flicker of fear that came not from within but outside. It was a warning signal, one that I doubted Taryn even realized that he emitted, and it made twist around and look at him. However it was not what I saw but rather heard him shout that caused me to throw myself down against the deck.


    ¡°Brace for impact!¡±


    I lifted my arms up to protect the back of my head while the impact of ship on ship nearly broke the merchant vessel in half. Wood splintered while people roared in confusion and rage at the insanity of the moment. Lightning ripped through the heavens, illuminating dozens of men as they threw themselves from the pirate ship onto our own.


    ¡°Pirates! Defend yourselves!¡± the captain ordered from his place at the helm.


    When I stood up from the deck of the ship the two rings on my left wrist clinked together as though eager to be used. About me the pirates had already begun to attack the sailors, some of which had died in the confusion brought about by the ramming maneuver. A snap of my fingers and two short swords formed, one in my left hand and the other in my right.


    The first pirate to make note of me was a short and pudgy fellow who held a spear. He lunged at my stomach with the blade, a practiced attack that would normally have failed due to the slick nature of the deck. Yet somehow he kept his footing, a testament to the experience he most likely had built over years of piracy.


    I twisted my right wrist, swinging the sword in a downward motion that knocked aside the oncoming spear. Before he could retract it I stepped in closer, left sword snapping out in a quick slash at his right hand. Blood blossomed from the slash as one of his fingers was reft from his hand, a scream emerging moments later from the pirate¡¯s mouth.


    There was no time for him to recover from that as I moved in even closer and drove my right sword into his chest. While his body crumpled toward the deck I ripped free the weapon and stepped away, making certain to not step on any blood spilled.


    I felt a shudder that rumbled through the whole of the ship and looked toward the origin point. Taryn had taken his boot and crushed the skull of a pirate who had been knocked down, the stomp so strong that wood splintered beneath the ferocity of the attack.


    ¡°Taryn! Control yourself!¡± I yelled at him, aggravated by the fact that I had to remind him of that.


    His response was a bit flippant as he merely waved one hand in my direction, though I could feel a glimpse of embarrassment through our connection. Taryn turned his attention from me and back to the disposal of pirates, his sword undrawn as against these regular men such a glorious weapon would be overkill.


    The downside to my yelling at Taryn was the fact that every single pirate had turned toward me. Even in the thunder and the roar of the waves as they hammered the ships I had been easily heard. At least five of the pirates began to move toward me, while the main bulk of the rest focused on Taryn.


    Those sailors who were still alive gathered up near the captain, a tactic which put trust in the mercenaries to get the job done. A tinge of pride welled up within me at the fact that they would so readily believe in me, though due to the power Taryn had demonstrated it was understandable.


    It was a bit sad though that when the pirates came for me I barely had to pay attention to them. The man on my left came in with a quick slash at my midriff, an attack I parried before I slashed his throat open. A pirate approached from behind and I dropped low to the ground, his attack piercing nothing but air.


    When I came back up I sliced the spear he had used in half before I spun and drove my sword into his face, the blade easily cutting through the hard skull. With an exaggerated flourish I ripped the sword free and sent a splatter of brain and blood into the air, a warning for any of the other pirates interested in me.


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    The grotesque spectacle I had crafted was enough to dissuade one of the pirates to abandon his plans to attack me, the grown man turning and running for the pirate ship in fright. His two other friends ignored both him and what I had done, pressing forward with a combined attack.


    It was for this reason I had opted to use twin swords, as both pirates attacked at once I was able to deflect the double assault. What most likely shocked them was when rather than approaching either I instead tossed my swords at their chests. One of the pirates fell over to the ground, the sword embedded in his heart, while the second managed to avoid a fatal injury by leaning to the side.


    The sword still pierced his lung and for me that was enough to kill him. With a snap of my fingers the sword disseminated into dust that filtered into his bloodstream. Confused by the fact that the sword had vanished the pirate was able to live for a few seconds longer before miniature blades shredded the inside of his body.


    While I scooped up the sword that had pierced the first pirates heart the rest of the shatterblade flowed out from the corpse. It floated through the air like a silver stream with hints of crimson and reformed into a new sword in my left hand.


    I felt another shudder seize the ship and immediately glared in the direction of Taryn. His response was almost comical as he lifted up one hand, bloody as it was, while he shouted out his innocence. ¡°It¡¯s not me! Really!¡± he claimed while with his one hand he had casually pitched a pirate over the side of the ship.


    It took a few more minutes for me to realize what had caused the shudder, as a large crack in the wood of the deck tore open. The point it originated from was where the pirate ship had collided, and with every wave that hit the large vessel shoved even more against the merchant ship.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they care about the supplies!¡± I called out, confused by the reckless behavior of the pirates.


    Nobody cared to respond to that question I had, instead the pirates who were still on board immediately turned tail and went for their own ship. One of the thieves who ran near Taryn was snagged by him and then smashed against the mainmast of the ship. Wood cracked loudly as the bone caved in due to the force of the blow.


    ¡°Abandon ship!¡± the captain roared, waving his sword wildly over his head, before he ran for the boats well in advance of his companions.


    To this day I will never know if it was divine retribution or mere bad luck, but when the flash of light was over it was already too late to do anything. Where the captain had been there was a body that smouldered, weapon and clothing melted to the flesh, while a gurgle that could not be called understandable emerged from his mouth.


    The lightning bolt had been close enough to me that my entire right side had become heated, the exposed skin of my arm burned. While I winced away, my right ear deafened by the thunder, I could neither see nor hear anything. The brilliance of the lightning had been enough to make me temporarily blinded, and so I sought desperately for some help.


    To that end I could do only one thing and that was rely on Taryn, to try and see through his own eyes. What I saw sent a cold chill down my spine, as the lightning had not helped the situation in the slightest. Instead the crack that had begun to tear apart the ship only worsened, and the world beneath my feet slipped away.


    Then I hit the raging waters of the ocean head first and everything went black.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    I gagged when I woke up, salt water spewed from my mouth along with a bit of my stomach contents. The fatigue I felt was heavy, my eyes struggled to open, while the warmth of the sun beat down on my backside. Even without looking I knew that my ponytail had become undone and lay loose and wild.


    The sand beneath me felt soft and in an aspect welcome, though as waves lapped at my legs I knew I had to get up sooner or later. With a loud groan I shoved myself away from the ground, bones aching from the intense thrashing I had received by the waves and currents.


    When I stood up all the way I stumbled to the left, hair swaying behind me, and I managed to regain my balance only when I windmilled my arms in a slight panic. With great difficulty I opened my eyes all the way and peered up at the sky, the blue a pristine and clear hue which was well lit.


    On the eastern horizon the sun rose upward, already halfway toward the apex of its climb, and made it obvious that it was morning. When I had gone overboard it had been close to evening so at least half a day had been lost in my drowning.


    Before I went anywhere I upheaved some more salt water from out of my body, a shudder coursing through my body. Somehow I had managed to survive a situation that should have killed me, so either the gods were on my side or my connection with Taryn had given me more of a boon than I realized.


    It was at that thought of him that I realized he wasn¡¯t present, nor were any of the sailors of the ship. A quick survey of the beach showed only a bit of wood debris, no bodies nor even the supplies the ship had been transporting. Though it seemed likely that the sailors had drowned and sank to the bottom of the ocean it was common for the transport crates to be waterproof and buoyant.


    ¡°I wonder if the pirates fished the stuff out of the water?¡± I wondered aloud to myself, my voice a bit raspy.


    In the end it didn¡¯t matter as I was alone, and so I turned to stare at the eastern horizon and temporarily bask in the warmth of the sun. I stretched out my body, checking over every part for any major injuries, and was sufficiently pleased to find that I was merely bruised.


    ¡°Wait...east?¡±


    With a start I turned and stared at the sun which hung in the eastern skies. Perhaps I had been turned around? I ran over to some of the flotsam and picked up a piece of wood, before I rammed it into the sand and waited.


    A short while later I made note of how the shadows had moved and found that it was indeed an upward climb of the sun. That meant the sun was to the east, which also meant I was on a beach facing toward said eastern direction.


    Our ship had been on the western side of the empire, transporting goods toward the north. There were no beaches that faced the east on that side of the empire. I could feel the blood as it drained from my face, my body almost refusing to turn around, at the thought of where I had to be.


    The empire rested on a continent that was almost tear shaped with the southern end unsettled. After the invention of ships the empire had discovered another continent and attempted to settle there. I had heard tales from the various soldiers of the Legion who had gone to it before, and of what laid within.


    I fell to my knees, a hint of despair welling up within, while I merely stared with an open mouth at what lay before me. Even from where I was I could hear the thunder of something as it wandered freely, a massive creature that let all know of it¡¯s presence with a roar. Massive black shadows emerged that flew upward in fright of the predator, birds that easily dwarfed any I had ever encountered in the past.


    Before me all I could see was the jungle of the western continent. It was an uncivilized and dangerous place with monsters the likes of which the empire had never seen before. Even Taryn had no experience with it, nor the tribes of people who lived within.


    I snapped my fingers and summoned my shatterblade. In my mind I had the image of a spear, I would want something with good reach if I ran afoul of any large predators. My right hand opened and I waited to feel the comforting sensation of the weapon in my grip.


    It never came.

 Vol. 3 Chapter 2 - A Fishy Scenario

    When the shatterblade failed to form in my hand I stared down at my empty grip, a look of obvious shock on my face. The ever reliable tool that had often saved my life was like a third arm, I never even thought about where it was because I knew it¡¯d always be right next to me.


    I stood up and ran toward the waters of the ocean, sand kicking up in my wake, while I sought out with my mind. Desperate for any sign I began a steady search north and south, while I tried to call the shatterblade to me.


    I¡¯m not sure how long I tried to regain my lost weapon, but by the time I collapsed to my knees the sun had long since passed the apex of its path. I heaved in air while I recovered from my frantic and fruitless search, feeling for the first time in a long while the embarrassment that comes with acting like a child.


    There was no question I should have known better, if I could not feel nor call the shatterblade it was long lost to me. Out there in the ocean, perhaps eternally lost in the seas with only fish to accompany it. No matter what happened in the future nobody save for myself would ever be able to use it.


    But first I had to get a hold of my senses, if Sciroco had seen my actions he would¡¯ve disciplined me harsh enough that sitting would be impossible. I studied the sky and attempted to gauge how much time I had before night would fall.


    I closed my eyes and breathed in deep, keeping my mind clear. As I had done in the past I sought out Taryn with my mind in an attempt to see where he was. What I encountered was a black wall, there was nothing for me to sense or connect to.


    It was a response that made me immediately want to cry. The loss of the shatterblade had been like having an arm removed, but if Taryn was gone¡­


    ¡°No!¡± I almost yelled at myself. ¡°Stay focused! Survival first, worry later!¡±


    ¡°Shelter, fire, food, water,¡± I muttered to myself almost like a mantra. Those four were the most important if I wanted to survive in this unknown land.


    First I would focus on fire and shelter, if I was caught in the dead of night without light or heat I would die. Already my body was soaked, my ragged clothes so waterlogged that they were actually dangerous to keep wearing. Before I started tearing my clothing off I approached the jungle, trying to keep my movements on the sand as quiet as possible.


    At the fringe I found a few branches from some of the smaller trees and gathered up a bundle. When I returned to about the midpoint of the beach I set up a crude set of shelves. My workmanship would have easily made a proper craftsman weep but to me it was more than enough.


    A short while later I had already stripped all my clothes and placed them on the shelves, leaving them to bask in the light and hopefully dry out prior to dusk. With that potential danger out of the way I once more returned to the jungle, picking out a variety of both small and large pieces of wood.


    If there had been one thing I had learned well in my legionnaire training it was how to create a fire and shelter. The Legion emphasized being prepared for any situation, whether it was combat or otherwise, and so I already had a rough plan for how to create my shelter before picking up a single piece of wood.


    It was a shelter, there was no argument about it, but it barely worked in that regard. It was a skeletal frame of wood with some tree branches covered in leaves for a wall. The sunlight that beat down on me was kept at bay along with the strong wind that filtered in over the ocean. To that end it was a success, though I planned to work on it the next day if time allowed.


    I then worked on crafting a pit out of the sand, a place that I could prepare my fire. The fire pit was placed between my shelter and the jungle, I had learned the hard way in my training that I needed to take the direction of the wind into account when picking a spot. While I worked at starting a fire I recalled the many failures of my past from which I had learned.


    The blisters, the splinters, the laughter as the legionnaires mocked me, thanks to that I now had a fire of my own. Even though the sun was still up and there was enough warmth on the beach for me to be without clothes I started that fire. Some would consider it insane to do that, but one of the lessons a legionnaire had learned encouraged me to keep that fire alive.


    At one point in the past while I talked with a fellow named Nale he remembered a day when he didn¡¯t have a fire at all. The sun had set and he had all of his wood, so he tackled the task of lighting that fire. By the time the sun came back up he was still trying to light it. Even a trained expert could fail to do a simple task if luck wasn¡¯t on his side.


    So while I surveyed my work I had a distinctly large amount of pride, even if it looked pretty roughshod. While the smoke billowed up out of the fire I placed my hands on my hips and smiled wide, basking for a moment in a self-congratulatory feeling.


    Which was when my stomach started to grumble.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel the creep of embarrassment at that noise, while I touched gingerly at my bare stomach with a hand. The last time I had eaten was before the pirate attack, the day prior a little past midday.


    A quick survey of the area was all I needed to know how bad my current food situation was. While I could see a few small crabs as they scurried across the sands there were no other obvious sources. Even if I dared to go into the jungle and forage I knew nothing of the plant life, for all I knew everything was poisonous to me.


    That left for me the ocean, and all the fish that lay within. I had no tools to catch the fish, so I instead looked to the jungle for help in that regard. After a while of searching through the various refuse that littered the ground I found two rocks and a long stick.


    I did something I never care to do in that I picked up one rock and threw it hard against the other. Over and over the two rocks struck each other until finally the one on the ground broke, tossing a few pieces all over the sands. Worried a chunk of rock might have cut me I gave a check over of my body, though I found no injuries.


    ¡°Alright, good job,¡± I told myself, not wanting to get discouraged.


    With some sharp edged tools I could now work on making a fishing pole, a two-pronged spear which I hoped would let me impale a few of the aquatic fellows. However I was exceedingly hungry and those small crabs that skittered across the sandy beach kept attracting my attention.


    Until the sun went down I spent most of my time chasing after those darned crabs. Though I caught a few of them, and promptly killed them with my stones, most were too fast for me to get ahold of. To make matters worse they snapped at my fingers, though thanks to that it made me feel better when I ate them.


    When the sun became obscured behind the wall of the jungle I chose to give up on further work. It would be dangerous for me to try and enter the ocean at night, for all I knew a deadly monster might lurk off the shore. So with an unfinished spear and a few sharpened chunks of stones for defense I huddled into my shelter.


    It was not an easy task to fall asleep that night, as the sounds of the jungle started to intensify while the shadows only grew longer. By the time my eyes closed I had refueled my fire multiple times, afraid that in my slumber it would go out.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Movement woke me in the middle of the night. By pure reflex I picked up the stick near me and pointed it in the direction of whatever had woken me, eyes blurry from the sleep that still clung to them. At first all I could see was a black blob squatted down next to the fire I had created.


    ¡°Calm down, Lily,¡± came a familiar voice in response to my actions.


    As my vision started to become clear I realized that it was a man draped in tattered clothes. The silver hair, the green eyes, and the familiar sight of a sword strapped to his side all brought a smile to my face.


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    My eyes widened and I tossed the stick to my left, clambering out of the shelter in a hurry. ¡°Taryn!¡± I cried out with joy as I ran to him and wrapped my arms about his wet body. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d drowned!¡±


    Taryn stiffened at my reaction to his arrival, caught off guard by how happy I was. After a little bit he relaxed and wrapped one arm around me, as though to reassure me that he was actually there.


    ¡°I thought you could sense me?¡± Taryn wondered aloud.


    It was a fact that I had told him about after Alise helped me to realize what had happened. A side effect that had developed in my fight against the dryads, I couldn¡¯t not inform him that I could peek through his senses and feel his presence. Sometimes I was even able to hear or feel without meaning to, which often proved to be a bit of a distraction.


    ¡°Not before I fell asleep, there was just an emptiness,¡± I replied, turning my face to peer at the small fire.


    ¡°Ah...probably because I was unconscious,¡± Taryn moved a little to pick a few pieces of wood from my wood pile, tossing them into the flames. ¡°When I came to it was already night and I could see the smoke and fire.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised it took so long!¡±


    Taryn gave a small laugh at that as he tried to turn his attention away from me. I could feel a strong sense of embarrassment through our connection, plus another sensation that continued to grow with every passing second.


    ¡°The main mast fell on me,¡± Taryn mumbled.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Taryn rubbed at his eyes with his left hand. ¡°The main mast of the ship fell on me. By the time I came to I was on the beach to the south of here.¡±


    It might have been a bit rude of me but I started to laugh at that. ¡°The main mast,¡± I giggled to myself, basking in the warmth from the fire pit. ¡°You can kill monsters but you can¡¯t handle a piece of wood!¡±


    ¡°I was distracted,¡± was the lame comment from Taryn. ¡°Besides that, we¡¯re on the western continent aren¡¯t we?¡±


    I pushed a little away from him and stared in the direction of the darkened jungle. From within the depths I could barely make out a multitude of noises, all of which were utterly alien to me. So far nothing had crept out and tried to murder me, but I figured it was merely a matter of time.


    ¡°Yes. Alise never brought you here right?¡±


    ¡°No Plague, no Nixi, so no point,¡± Taryn glanced at me. ¡°Did the Legion ever teach you about it?¡±


    ¡°Only that some legionnaires get stationed at Vexxon¡¯s Landing,¡± I struggled to remember all of the details. ¡°I think it had to do with protecting the merchants who trade with the locals?¡±


    ¡°Landing, a port? Maybe we can go there and find passage back home.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to head north, maybe cut through the jungle.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Taryn immediately cut down that idea. ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there. If there¡¯s something poisonous you¡¯ll end up dying.¡±


    ¡°So we stick to the beaches?¡± I opted to not talk about how his immediate thoughts went to my health. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long it¡¯ll take us to reach the port.¡±


    ¡°You should get some more sleep,¡± Taryn suggested to me, while he kept his gaze locked onto the fire in front of him. ¡°I¡¯ll wake you if I need you to take over for me.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I slowly detached myself from him, immediately feeling a chill as the moisture on my skin caught the night breeze. ¡°Make sure you do that! We don¡¯t need you falling asleep in the middle of a fight.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    As though dismissed by that one word response I walked back to my makeshift shelter. With a worried glance over my shoulder I looked at him once more, noting that his eyes were already half-closed from fatigue. It was with a good deal of difficulty that I slipped back into the shelter, knowing that I stood no chance of getting Taryn to actually listen.


    Once more I closed my eyes and surrendered to the need for more sleep.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The first thing I noticed when I woke up were the splinters of light that pierced through the various small holes of my shelter. The second was the warmth of another body, as Taryn had taken up a seated position in order to block off the entrance of the shelter. While I stirred he didn¡¯t move, his breathing ghostly quiet.


    That was when I realized that a light cloth covered my body, my tattered shirt that I had left to dry the previous day. I studied it and noted the numerous holes in it which would prove worrying when we reached the town. For now it would at least help to keep some of the sunlight off of my bare skin.


    While Taryn continued to sleep I slipped past him and out into the open sun. The fire pit smouldered as the flames had died off at some point in the last few hours, a mere wisp of smoke being produced from the embers. In the sky the sun was still at the start of her journey, so I had plenty of time before I¡¯d need to worry about the midday heat that would inevitably come.


    I tossed my shirt back onto the makeshift rack I had crafted for drying my clothes. While it would have bothered most women that they were naked around a man I was far too accustomed to it. The legionnaire training had placed in me a certain lack of shyness, though there was of course one person who had managed to easily overturn that recently.


    Though I could only guess it was because he pointed out something that I at the time didn¡¯t quite want to admit to. I turned to look at the shelter for a moment, a small smile on my face, before I returned to working on my fishing spear. With the renewed energy from sleep and the boosted morale I finished the work in short order.


    Without a word to Taryn I ran toward the ocean, relying more on my foot strokes as one of my hands was occupied. Into the depths I dove, keeping toward the shoreline so that the sunlight could illuminate where I was.


    The water was clear enough that I could make out every detail of the bottom of the ocean. Small crabs and a few starfish littered within my immediate vision, while groups of fish swam about. My entry into the ocean did little to disturb them as quite a few didn¡¯t even react to my presence.


    I¡¯ll admit that I did a pretty atrocious job at first. I completely underestimated the difficulty of using a fishing spear underwater, and so for the first hour straight I spent more time flailing than getting anything done. However I managed to start to catch a few and once I had acquired three I returned once more to the beach.


    With my latest catch in hand I emerged from the ocean, stopping to scoop up the other two I had previously tossed onto the sands. It was hard enough to swim around and spear a fish when you had one in your hand as well. When I straightened back up, fish in hand, I noticed a presence ahead of me.


    It was Taryn, he stood there with one hand on the hilt of his sword. In his other hand he held my shirt, offering it in my direction, while he looked off to the side. ¡°Good morning,¡± he commented as he attempted to avoid staring at my naked body.


    ¡°Morning, I got us some breakfast,¡± I replied as I walked right past him. ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot, I¡¯m not putting on clothes when I¡¯m wet.¡±


    The look that Taryn gave me in response to that comment was one of confusion, as he stood there confused and continued to offer my shirt toward me. The mixture of emotions that I could feel from my link with him almost made me start laughing, though I managed to keep a straight face as I prepped the fish for cooking.


    It would be a simple strategy of impaling the fish on sticks and then placing them over a fire. I had the fire going again in little time thanks to the embers in the fire pit, and so the smell of cooking fish soon filled the air around our small campsite.


    Taryn soon gave up on trying to get me to wear my clothing. Out of the two of us I had already seen him completely naked before, after our first combined fight against the Plague. To me this was a good chance to help even the playing field. He continued to regret what he had done to save my life from Nixi, a belief that I wanted him to get over as soon as possible.


    He was such an idiot.

 Vol. 3 Chapter 3 - Truths in Moonlight

    ¡°Should we stock up before we leave?¡± I wondered aloud. ¡°Maybe make a fire bundle?¡±


    Taryn, who had seated next to me, looked up from the half-eaten fish in his hands. He studied the lay of the land as though it was enough to answer the question. An urge to press onward could be felt through our connection, a need to get back home and away from this unknown place.


    ¡°Lets just scavenge while we travel,¡± Taryn tossed the remains of his fish toward the ocean.


    Always such an idiot.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just abandon a spot where we have access to food!¡± I somehow managed to not yell at him, my hands quivering as I kept in the anger that had flared up. ¡°What if we head north and there are no fishing spots? We have no idea what we¡¯ll find or how long it¡¯ll take us!¡±


    Taryn leaned away from me as I spoke my mind, his gaze never once stopping on my face for more than a split second. Instead he kept glancing to the left or the right as though desperate for some means of escape. His hands lifted up to make a plea for me to stop, though I paid little attention to it.


    ¡°I thought Alise took you around and taught you how to survive, how could you be so irresponsible!¡±


    ¡°We never really talked about that stuff,¡± Taryn admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. ¡°It was mostly how to stab things until they stopped moving.¡±


    I let out a long sigh while I cradled my head in my hands. The beginning of a headache had begun to creep up on me and I could only hope it was due to dealing with Taryn, and not something related to the near drowning I had suffered.


    ¡°Look, if we just abandon this spot it could take over a week to reach the harbor.¡±


    ¡°Over a week? I thought we were already pretty far north before the ship went under?¡±


    ¡°Gods you really don¡¯t know much,¡± I grumbled at the thought of how sheltered he had been. ¡°According to my lessons the size of this continent is so large it¡¯s still unknown. Every ship that tried to sail around it has vanished.¡±


    ¡°Sounds more like pirates got to them, or sea monsters,¡± Taryn brushed the sand off of his legs as he stood up. ¡°The fish was good, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I would hope so since you ate two of them,¡± I let out a small laugh.


    The atmosphere shifted, a tension in it that hadn¡¯t been there a second ago, while Taryn¡¯s attention turned toward the jungle. Even beneath the ravaged clothes he wore I could see a tensing of the muscles as he prepared for something unknown. It was not through my own ears but his that I picked out the noise of something as it rustled hurriedly through the underbrush.


    Before it arrived I armed myself with two of the sticks that I had used for cooking the fish. Though it would offer little in the way of combat potential it was still a better weapon than my bare fists. While I stood there nearby Taryn and waited for the creature to appear I once again felt a longing for my shatterblade.


    When it burst from the jungle I instinctively leapt away from our simple camp I had created. The beast that had emerged was at least twice the dimensions of a war horse. The beast was coated in short fur colored various green hues.


    The faces of the monster, plural as it had two heads instead of one, called to memory a wolf. Each fang of the creature was more than large enough to rival a long dagger. Behind the beast a long tail flicked, a set of sharpened spikes visible near the very end of it.


    Taryn made no move to pull out his sword, instead he took a fighting stance that I¡¯d expect to see him take against a regular opponent. Though I could feel the uncertainty through our connection there was no hint of fear. Those green eyes of his glared at the hellhound with little regard for anything else around him, a confidence within that only helped to reinforce my own.


    Before the creature could choose to attack I threw the stick in my left hand at it. The simple projectile let out a light whistle while it travelled through the air, before it was snapped in two mid-flight by the left head of the creature. An audible growl began to emit from both heads as two of the four eyes glared at me.


    ¡°Well that-¡± was what I started to say before the hound chose to attack.


    Though it was a very large animal it moved with a speed that even I had a hard time following. A dash that took it from where it had emerged to right in front of me in a matter of two seconds. Both mouths of the hound opened up in an attempt to devour me.


    What I did in response caught the creature by surprise, as the normal response for a prey is to either run or freeze. Instead I dove down below the open mouths, dangerously bypassing both jaws as well as the paws of the hound. When I hit the sand I twisted my body, ramming the stick in my hand into the soft underbelly.


    The shaft pierced up into the belly easily enough, blood an immediate reply along with a howl of pain from the hound. While the blood spurted out from the fresh wound, coating my body from head to toe, the beast pulled away from me. As I still clung to the stick the wound opened up even worse while the hot liquid continued to shower onto me.


    From behind the hound a figure darted into the blind spot of the distracted monster. When Taryn was within reach he thrust out with his right hand at the back leg. The sound of bone as it snapped could be heard over the painful baying of the wolf heads. Afraid it might fall onto me I abandoned the stick and rolled out from under my foe.


    ¡°Lily! Grab your stuff!¡± Taryn cried out to me in the midst of the fight, his eyes locked onto the hound. ¡°We need to get out of here!¡±


    My immediate thought was that he didn¡¯t believe I could handle the fight, a thought that made me bristle inwardly. After a few seconds of internal raging I managed to figure out why he had called for a retreat. Like any wolf or dog the monster before me howled not only in pain, but with what sounded like a plea for help.


    I chose not to argue with Taryn and ran for my clothing that I had left to dry. My hands moved quickly as I gathered and bundled up the ragged clothing. With that task handled I turned back to check on the situation, a hint of fear that something might have happened to Taryn tickling at my mind.


    What I saw was that the right head of the hound had managed to turn around toward Taryn. When it attacked it turned out poorly as Taryn knocked the head aside with a backhand. Much like with the leg the sound of a bone as it cracked could be heard, though this time nothing splintered out from beneath the flesh.


    I signaled to Taryn with my free hand before I began the long run northward. Behind the sound of the injured hound grew dimmer with every step. It was only when I could no longer hear the noise of the pained animal when I came to a stop, checking the south to make certain everything was alright.


    Taryn had managed to stay close to me and also came to a stop, though his chest barely moved as he stood there. While I had been coated in the blood of the hound Taryn had somehow managed to make it through untouched. He had even managed to pick up my fishing spear, unruffled entirely by what should have been a tense and dangerous escape.


    When Taryn looked at my body I could feel through our connection something that had only been a hint in the past, an emotion that I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on. Every muscle I could see on his body tensed up while his eyes widened, and then he turned his gaze toward the south. I could sense an overload of emotions from Taryn, while he stood there and muttered quietly to himself.


    It was then that a door slammed shut.


    That is the only way I could describe that sensation, what had been similar to background noise you¡¯d hear through an open door came to an end. It was an abrupt shift, one that was combined with the fact that I could no longer sense Taryn. It was not an absence of existence like when he had been knocked out, instead there was a block in the way. A door that had always been left open, whether he meant to or not.


    Before I could ask him what had happened he gestured toward me. ¡°Are you alright? Did you get hurt during the fight?¡±


    ¡°What? No, I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s all from that hound,¡± I tilted my head downward and looked at my body. Though I had lost quite a bit of the loose blood that had coated me enough remained that it looked like I was adorned in a crimson dress.


    For a brief second I could understand why Taryn had worried about me, yet he continued to avoid looking directly at me. It was as though he was disgusted with me, a thought that caused my temper to flare back up. He had even shut me out from his mind, something he had never done before.


    ¡°Hold onto these for a second,¡± I ordered Taryn as I roughly tossed the bundle of clothing at him. ¡°I need to get clean.¡±


    I gave Taryn no chance to respond and instead strode toward the ocean. I waded out into the waves and dove in, disappearing beneath the calm surface. With strong kicks of my legs I pushed away from the coast before I turned my attention to the blood. The red stain came off readily enough as I scrubbed at it with my hands, a red cloud forming temporarily about my body.


    When I emerged from the waters I threw my head back, my long hair arcing through the air before it slapped wetly against my back. I walked slowly out of the sea, my eyes turned skyward as I studied the placement of the sun.


    ¡°Lily,¡± Taryn once more held out my clothes to me, his eyes downcast even as he spoke with a strong tone. ¡°We should get a move on.¡±


    I nearly growled due to the way he had reacted to me. I stalked over to Taryn and leaned in as close as I could to him, my modest chest an obvious presence against his side. While he looked down at me with an indescribable expression I reached past him and plucked the fishing spear out of his other hand.


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    ¡°Hold onto the clothes until I dry,¡± I ordered him, turning away before he could respond.


    Without another word to Taryn I walked toward the north, the warmth of the sun a constant presence against my bare skin. Already I knew that by the end of the day I would have a sunburn. It had been during my legionnaire training on the sands that I had learned of my susceptibility to burns. I might have grown accustomed to the warm environment, but that sensation of my flesh as it burned was one I could never enjoy.


    While we trekked to the north I paused every so often whenever we came across crabs. An easy enough source of food, I made certain to have Taryn collect as much as possible. Before long we had enough that I took back my clothing from Taryn so he¡¯d have more room to hold it all. He even took off his shirt and began to use it like a makeshift bag, a distraction that helped to cool my temper.


    Hours crept by and our progress had thus far looked to be none, everything around us had changed very little visually even with the distance we¡¯d travelled. A weaker willed person would have despaired like an infant at the unchanging scenery. I pushed the lack of obvious progress to the side and focused on what lay ahead, of the new town we would find and the passage home we both sorely wished for.


    When the sun hung precariously over the jungle I signaled to Taryn. We came to a stop at a small area of the beach that slanted toward the north-east, the shoreline curved eastward even as the jungle struggled. A bit of a reef could be made out amongst the waves, though I had no interest in exploring it.


    ¡°We need to set up for the night,¡± I told Taryn, though I was already walking toward the jungle to gather up some wood. ¡°Make a spot for a fire.¡±


    ¡°There are still a few hours before night!¡± Taryn tried to argue, though for what I cared little.


    While I continued to stride toward the jungle I spun about, going from a forward to a backward walk, and glared at Taryn. ¡°If we try to set up after the sun goes down we could hurt ourselves in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Be careful walking like that!¡±


    ¡°Dig!¡± I ordered, pointing with my right index finger at the beach near him. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    I stopped our discussion there with a rotation of my body. Once more I strode into the jungle to gather some wood and material, though I would have to go without a shelter given the time of the day. Even if I built one we would probably press onward, if we stayed in one place too long it was too likely something similar to the two-headed hound would attack us.


    While I worked to gather enough wood for a strong fire the sun continued her downward movement, a change that brought with it cooler temperatures and a lack of light.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    By the time I managed to get a new fire started long shadows cast by the trees had covered the beach. We both had set to work on eating the crabs gathered earlier in the day, a small feast that I could only hope would help stave off starvation. The salt-laden food was good enough, but it left me with a thirst.


    After he had eaten his own share of the crabs Taryn had stood up and walked away. When I had called out to him to ask where he was going a comment about checking on something was the reply given. When he had left the light of the fire and vanished into the shadows a part of me had gone cold.


    The cool breeze that filtered in off of the ocean sent a shiver down my spine, hands unconsciously reaching up to rub against the bare skin of my arms. Though the fire put out a good sum of heat it was little against the chill of the encroaching night.


    From the south I heard the sound of Taryn¡¯s footfalls as he emerged out of the darkness. His approach to the fire was slow, every few feet he would glance over his shoulder as though expectant of some visitor.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t see any movement,¡± Taryn felt the need to tell me as he knelt down near the fire, hands extended to catch as much warmth as possible from the flames. ¡°If there is a pack I doubt it¡¯s tracking.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond to him, if any more hounds came I was certain of our victory. Instead I merely looked at the silhouette of his backside against the light of the fire. All I wanted to do was to reach out and wrap my arms around him, to pull him in and hold him as close as possible.


    I already knew his scent well enough, a familiar musk that made me relax instinctively, and I had felt his warmth time and again in the past. While he had been unconscious after a fight I had used him for warmth in the middle of the night, and even during a dream I found myself wrapped about him. I let out a long sigh, shifting my attention away from Taryn and toward the ocean.


    Moonlight glittered dully off of the waves as the crescent white shape hung overhead. When the sunlight vanished a small amount of illumination remained, a helpful hand from fate that we sorely needed. If anything came at us in the middle of the night we wouldn¡¯t need to rely entirely upon the fire I had lit.


    ¡°Lily, get some rest,¡± Taryn ordered me, his head half-turned in my direction. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out for wolves.¡±


    It was a reasonable thing to do, I needed sleep and I had no problems trusting Taryn to guard me. Yet the way he went about it, that brusque approach that was more order than gentle request, that irritated me.


    To make it all worse he had continued to keep that door in his head closed. That constant feel that Taryn was linked to me had been reft away for no reason. When I had gained it I hadn¡¯t even noticed it, yet with it gone a new feeling had grown within me. A hollow sensation that started in the pit of my stomach, one that made me want to grab hold of him and never let go.


    Before I realized it I had already walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. My light frame leaned against Taryn¡¯s back while I breathed quietly into his left ear. ¡°Why?¡±


    The feel of his muscles as they tensed could be felt, a signal that made it seem as though he was ready to bolt at any moment. Taryn¡¯s hands lifted up to grip lightly at my wrists, his head half-turned once more to look in my direction. The fire that crackled in front of us both illuminated my face as well as bathed it in light warmth.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Taryn gave a small laugh, though his hands quivered as they touched against my wrists.


    ¡°Why are you such an idiot?¡± I demanded in a quiet tone of him. ¡°We¡¯re stranded, we¡¯re alone and we need one another to live and you¡¯re pushing me away?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Taryn released my wrists, his gaze once more focused on the fire in front of him. ¡°Go to bed.¡±


    Out of the short time I had known Taryn I had learned his personality well enough. He had a very blunt approach to life that had its own charm about it. When someone threatened him or his loved ones his response was a punch. When he saw people who were being harmed he ignored the rules of society and did what he felt was right, often falling back onto the tried and true method of punching.


    So the fact that he sat there in front of me and avoided telling me the truth stung. I somehow resisted the urge that came over me to hit him upside the head. Instead I stood up and turned away from Taryn, walking away from the warmth and light of the fire.


    Behind me I could hear the sound of Taryn¡¯s ragged clothing rustling as he stood up. ¡°Lily where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter!¡± I spun about even as I shouted at him, the anger that had steadily built within bursting out. ¡°All you want to do is keep me at arm''s length! I thought you trusted me!¡±


    The look on Taryn¡¯s face spoke volumes of his current state of mind. With a furrowed brow he stared toward the sandy beach in between us. The movement of his lips nearly unnoticeable as he muttered quietly to himself.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Taryn finally said in a voice loud enough that I could hear. ¡°Fine, if you really want to know then I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    For the first time in a while he properly looked at me with those green eyes. A shudder ran across my body as I could not only feel the weight of the gaze but also something more, a feeling that lurked on the other side of the door he had closed. With slow steps he gradually closed the gap between us.


    ¡°Lily,¡± Taryn¡¯s right hand lifted up but stopped short of my cheek. He continued to look at me, but a look of uncertainty had formed on his face. ¡°You¡¯re walking around nude in front of me, why do you think I don¡¯t want you in my head? Do I really need to explain that?¡±


    Both of my hands grasped hold of Taryn¡¯s extended right hand, a tight grip that made it obvious I had no intention of letting him go. ¡°You idiot, you really are an idiot,¡± I muttered before I stepped in close to him. ¡°You can¡¯t tell how I feel about you?¡±


    ¡°Even though I forced my soul onto yours?¡±


    ¡°I already forgave you for that.¡±


    ¡°Even though your side effect forces you to see and feel things I do?¡±


    ¡°I actually like that,¡± I honestly replied, my face pressing in against the side of his neck.


    ¡°Even though I can control you like a puppet?¡± Taryn asked, his voice quivering from the nature of the question. ¡°Like some sort of monster?¡±


    Yet it was a question that I had already known would eventually come. A fact that I had learned of in the town of Oakvale when he took control to tear the curse of Nixi from my body. I let out a long sigh, one that tickled the skin of his throat, before I answered.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you¡¯d make me do I don¡¯t already want to.¡±

 Vol. 3 Chapter 4 - Into the Jungle

    When I awoke the first sensation was warmth on my old scar. A hand rested on it which was not my own, but instead belonged to Taryn. The thought of that man brought my focus immediately to his sleeping form, a presence next to me that was as comforting as any other.


    With a gentle touch I lifted his hand from my body, slipping quietly away from him. I didn¡¯t need to wake him up, and he deserved a good rest after the previous night. Turning my back to Taryn I looked out over the ocean, hands resting on my hips.


    The sun had only crested the horizon a few moments before, a brilliance peeking out over the blue sea.. I narrowed my eyes, staring out at the sun in all her glory, as a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. Though my body was riddled with pain from the sunburns I had gained I still enjoyed the sun''s arrival.


    I ran my right forefinger over my dry lips, a reminder to myself of the worst part of our current situation. We had managed to handle two days on this western continent but even an idiot could survive for that long. Rocky had often told me that it was lasting past the eighth that marked a true survivalist.


    Before Taryn woke up I checked on the remains of the fire that had burned for most of the night. It had proven helpful to ward off the chill of the ocean winds, though halfway through the night it had proven unneeded. I studied the ashes and embers, making note to not touch anything to avoid a fresh burn, while I thought of the possibility of a fire bundle.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± I admitted to myself, the resources at my disposal were far too limited.


    With a shake of my head I gave up on the fire pit and instead took to surveying the beach. While I walked north and south, always keeping Taryn in sight, I checked for any crabs that we could eat. My steps were slow, a dull ache an ever present reminder to keep my haste in check, and I patiently studied the sands.


    In the end I found nothing of use, not even driftwood or garbage, a clear sign to me that we were far from any place where others lived. A sigh escaped from my lips at the thought of how far from home we were. Even if the news of our ship not returning to port reached Alise it was unlikely she could come to our aid anytime soon.


    ¡°Lily?¡± Taryn called out as he finally stirred awake, perhaps disturbed by how I had paced up and down the beach.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I responded with a smile on my face, my left hand unconsciously brushing at my long hair to push it back behind my ear. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Sleep?¡± Taryn chuckled at that before he stood up. ¡°Yeah, guess I got a little of that.¡±


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± I put my hands on my hips as though to punctuate the seriousness of the discussion.


    Taryn paused in the middle of brushing off the sand to stare at me, his brow furrowing. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°What? No, oh gods,¡± I couldn¡¯t suppress the laughter that came out at his response. ¡°You¡¯re so stupid.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter then?¡±


    ¡°Well...we need to find freshwater,¡± I waved in the direction of the jungle. ¡°Which means we¡¯ll need to head in there. I was hoping we¡¯d find a river that fed into the sea but¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we,¡± Taryn started to say before he grew quiet, his gaze shifting toward the ocean. ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    If he had said that we should drink from the sea I would''ve hit him upside the head. Though I said nothing out loud, I made a mental note to have Shorty give him some basic survival training when we got back to the orphanage. What he had shown since our arrival on the continent made me worried for him in the future.


    ¡°Good, once we¡¯re ready we¡¯ll head in,¡± I told Taryn. ¡°If we can find some water we should be able to live off of the fish and crabs on the beach.¡±


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Our entry into the jungle was easy enough, while there was a good deal of underbrush and vines numerous trails traced their way throughout the interior. Multiple holes in the canopy above allowed a great deal of sunlight to come through and offered more than enough light for Taryn and I to find our way.


    I wore the ragged remains of my clothing, the boots so stripped and damaged that they barely warded against the pricks of thorns. The fishing spear had been left behind on the beach, there would be little fish in the middle of a jungle.


    We walked steadily through the jungle and headed along the path of least resistance. Taryn took the lead, one hand permanently on the hilt of the sword belted to his waist, while the other batted aside vines that came too close to his face.


    All about us flowers blossomed in a variety of colors that constantly drew my eyes to them. Brilliant purple and fluorescent pink were the most common, though a few of the flowers had a mixture of black and red splotches.


    Though I made no move to touch the plants the insects that crawled on them were noticeable. Most of the bugs were a dark or light green, but a few had unusual coloring that made me instinctively back away from them.


    The trees that surrounded us reached upward so high that I could barely make out the tops. The canopy was littered with red and green orbs that could only be fruits, but neither Taryn nor I wanted to risk eating something we had never seen before.


    Insects buzzed about us while small animals similar to chipmunks darted about. The jungle was alive at every second and never let up on proving that fact. Birds that I had never seen flew overhead while the plant life grew thick and clustered around our waists.


    At one point Taryn nearly threw himself back into me, swearing loudly enough that I was certain any hounds nearby would¡¯ve heard him. I managed to brace myself and catch him with one hand, before I peeked over his shoulder to see what had spooked him.


    At first all I could see were bushes and grass, but then the plants stirred as a large figure slithered through the undergrowth. A snake with a width that easily equaled my own waist passed through as though it owned the forest floor. It paid no attention to Taryn and I and instead slowly meandered to the south.


    ¡°Is everything here huge?¡± Taryn wondered aloud.


    ¡°The bugs aren¡¯t at least,¡± I pointed out to him before I gave a slight push to his back. ¡°Hurry up, if we get caught in here at night it¡¯ll be bad.¡±


    We continued on through the jungle at a steady pace, while the sun continued to trek across the sky overhead. Whenever I could get a glimpse of where it was I was only able to make a guess at the passage of time, a fact that unnerved me since I didn¡¯t care much for being unprepared for night.


    The background noise of insects and our movements through the jungle was disrupted when Taryn spoke up. ¡°Where¡¯d you get that scar from?¡±


    It was a question I hadn¡¯t expected, one that made me reach for the scar he spoke of without thinking. My hand pressed against the ragged remains of my shirt and gently traced the old mark.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve known you¡¯d ask that,¡± I let out a sigh. His blunt approach to life would seem to apply to the secrets of my childhood as well.


    Ahead Taryn¡¯s movements slowed considerably, his head half turned to look back. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I reassured him. ¡°I suppose you could say my father taught me a lesson.¡±


    ¡°A lesson?¡±


    ¡°When I was younger my father and I didn¡¯t get along too well,¡± I stepped next to Taryn so he didn¡¯t have to keep his head turned. ¡°He never talked to me, and I felt it was because he¡¯d wanted a boy.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really explain how you¡¯d get a scar though.¡±


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    ¡°My father took some time out of his schedule to spar with me,¡± I unconsciously reached up to my scar, finger pressing against the shirt. ¡°I chose some poor words and he lost his temper.¡±


    ¡°So he hit you?¡± Taryn¡¯s eyes widened while his voice betrayed the shock he felt.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I looked away from Taryn. ¡°I learned fast not to anger my father.¡±


    ¡°How could he do something like that?¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± I bluntly replied, hoping to push past this line of conversation. ¡°Speaking of fathers though, isn¡¯t yours a god?¡±


    ¡°Lily,¡± Taryn said quietly before he responded to my question. ¡°Fine. Yes, Lanius is my father.¡±


    ¡°My teachers told me about him before, but they all said he didn¡¯t exist,¡± I slowed down considerably as we walked past a cluster of bright green flowers attached to a single bush. ¡°Is he nice?¡±


    Taryn¡¯s grip tightened on the handle of his sword at my words. While I had paused at the flower bush he continued on at his own pace. A few steps after he left me behind Taryn also stopped, turning around to face me.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Taryn gave a shrug of his shoulders. ¡°I never met him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I took a step toward Taryn, feeling an urge to hug him well up within.


    Taryn lifted up his hand to ward me off, his attention shifting away from me. Eyebrows narrowing, Taryn tilted his head to the side as though something had caught his ears. It was a soft noise, a trickling of water that was still quite distant, that had garnered his interest.


    ¡°Water!¡± we both exclaimed, the somber mood from before washed away in an instant.


    Neither of us bothered with talking as we walked in the direction of the water. Our pace picked up as the noise continued to grow, and the thirst we had so readily ignored came to the forefront of our minds.


    When we arrived at the source of the sound we were greeted by a pristine scenario. A small stream fed along the floor of the jungle, the width of it small enough that I could easily leap from one side to the other. About the stream itself numerous tracks could be seen while all of the plant life had been pushed down by the consistent presence of animals.


    The clear water sparkled in the light that slipped through the canopy, as it flowed across the white stones in a northward direction. Neither of us cared much for caution as we walked over to the miniature river, bending over to reach into the water with our bare hands.


    Taryn slurped his water noisily, some of it dribbling down from his mouth to his chin. I sniffed at the water I had picked up before sipping it. It was a cool liquid, one that tasted much like any other type of water, and I had tasted far better before. Yet as I drank the first water in days it was the most delicious thing I¡¯d ever had.


    It wasn¡¯t a sound but instead a smell that ruined the enjoyment I had gained in that moment. An overpowering stench that reminded me of rotten meat on a hot summer day. I took a few steps away from the stream as I sought out with my eyes the source of the smell.


    If not for the scars I never would¡¯ve noticed the creature. A set of bright lines that ran across the torso of the thing stood out in stark contrast to the green forest around it. What was most impressive was how every other part of the body blended in flawlessly, with every movement I could see a shift in the skin that helped to continually conceal it.


    Before I could raise my voice in alarm the creature had already attacked, as it jumped at the backside of the unaware Taryn. As the thing struck I could get a proper grasp of it¡¯s size, a beast that was only slightly larger than a hunting dog. There was no hair visible on it, instead the entire body looked dry and leathery.


    Whether it was the weight or the surprise Taryn still managed to end up face first in the stream, the large lizard on his back. Blood sprouted instantly from wounds carved into Taryn via the clawed feet. With his mouth submerged all I could hear was a bubbling noise as Taryn tried to cry out.


    My own response was to dash to Taryn¡¯s side. Once I was next to him I kicked as hard as I could into the exposed side of the lizard. As my foot impacted against the underbelly I could feel the sensation of a rib cracking. The monster let out a loud hiss as it sailed off of Taryn and was thrown a fair distance away.


    I reached down and helped to pull Taryn up out of the stream. While he gasped in air I kept my gaze on the injured lizard. Even after it had been hurt the creature still managed to blend in with the jungle, a near flawless mimicry that was unlike anything I had ever seen before.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked Taryn, pointing at the lizard in order to draw his attention to it.


    Taryn groaned as he reached to his back with his left hand, though he looked at where I pointed. For a short bit I could tell he wasn¡¯t sure what I meant, his eyes probing at the plant life with an eagerness to see what had harmed him.


    ¡°Something ugly,¡± Taryn growled in response, his face a few shades whiter than normal.


    The lizard rose up from the ground it had tumbled onto, an unsteady stance obvious with how much it shook. Pure black eyes glared at the two of us, the tip of a long tongue slipping free from the mouth to taste at the air. A few seconds later the creature slinked back into the overgrown jungle.


    ¡°Let''s head back to the beach,¡± I gently placed one hand on Taryn¡¯s shoulder while I eyed the wounds on his back. ¡°At least there we can see if anything is coming after us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good idea,¡± Taryn stood up, his body shifting unsteadily, and took a few steps in the direction we had come from.


    He managed to get a short distance before he collapsed to the ground, palms pressing against the grass laden floor of the jungle. Taryn gasped in air loudly while scarlet lines slipped down from his back and onto the soil.


    ¡°On second thought, I think I¡¯ll rest a little,¡± Taryn gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Taryn!¡± I knelt down next to Taryn, eyes widening as a sensation of fright rose up within. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Venom, I think,¡± Taryn closed his eyes while he focused on his breathing. Already I could feel a hint of the pain he felt through our connection, though it was enough that it made me wince.


    ¡°Poison?¡± I murmured, before I looked once more at the wounds on his back. ¡°The claws? We need to wash the cuts, make a poultice if we can!¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Taryn unlatched the scabbard that held his sword and shoved it at me. ¡°I¡¯ll be better in a little bit, but until then defend us.¡±


    I accepted that sword, my gaze drawn to the mysterious weapon he carried everywhere. Even when it had been lost Alise had called on the help of Mathias in order to summon it back. Before I realized it I had already started to tug at the hilt, eager to see the white blade hidden within the scabbard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Taryn told me, before he collapsed fully to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t use it unless you have to.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± my attention instantly snapped away from the sword and back to Taryn. With my free hand I gripped his shoulder, leaning in close to make sure he was still breathing. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay!¡±


    Taryn¡¯s ragged breath was enough to prove he still lived, though as sweat started to dot his forehead the fact that he had developed a fever became obvious. Taryn¡¯s body shuddered with small tremors while the venom of the lizard worked through his system.


    In a state of intense pain Taryn lay there on the ground, while I could only watch on and clutch his treasured sword to my chest. It was only a few minutes later when the hiss of a familiar animal came from the shadows that surrounded us. A hiss that was soon joined by many more.

 Vol. 3 Chapter 5 - The Sword and the Monsters

    With Taryn¡¯s sword grasped in my hand, still in the scabbard due to his unusual request, I could only listen to the sound of the lizards with a bit of trepidation.  Where and how the leaves rustled, the amount of hisses that came from different directions, all of that information helped me to deduce there were at least three of the lizards present.


    An amount that would prove fatal if any of them scratched me.  If Taryn had been alright and I had my Shatterblade the fight would¡¯ve been easily won by us, but with the current circumstances a fight seemed impossible to win.  My left hand tightened around the scabbard of Taryn¡¯s sword, a light tingling sensation playing at my fingers, while I surveyed the terrain nearby.


    The stream continued to flow through the jungle, the trees so high that I had no disillusion on how hard they¡¯d be to climb.  Even if I wanted to ascend to a safe spot I¡¯d need to abandon Taryn on the ground, which was an idea that I would never follow through on.


    I made my choice to flee at that moment, I¡¯d rather wait for Taryn to recover than try and fend off invisible assassins amongst the thick jungle undergrowth.  Before any of the lizards could make a move I darted to the fallen Taryn and scooped him up onto my right shoulder.  Like a hefty sack of potatoes I gracelessly carried him as I ran northward alongside the stream.


    For a brief moment I thought that they would not give chase, an unusual silence in the wake of my hasty retreat.  Then the flurry of activity came as the various lizards realized what I had done and tried to catch up, giving up on their cautious approach.


    The unsteady and wet ground made for a difficult path, as my feet constantly slipped on the moist grass that bordered the stream.  The canopy above grew thicker as I headed deeper into the jungle, the sunlight that managed to pierce through the veil growing dimmer by the second.


    With my breath growing more ragged I tried valiantly to stay ahead of the lizards that hounded my steps.  I had been forced into a position where I needed to wait for Taryn to recover, a single person fighting against all of those venomous creatures would only be easy prey.  The problem was that I had no idea how long it would take for him to recover.


    If I could find somewhere like a cave that had only one access point I could maybe stand a small chance, but so far the jungle had shown only open areas overgrown with plants.  For those who ambushed it was an amazing place to live, but for my current situation I could only curse the Gods for giving me such an inhospitable battlefield.


    While I was distracted by seeking out a proper place to fight my left foot slipped on a flat rock moistened by the nearby stream.  It was a small issue that I normally would¡¯ve recovered from with at most a stumble, but burdened with Taryn I could only wildly windmill my arms as I fell over flat onto my face.


    The leaves that covered the ground were soft enough to help me avoid a broken nose, though I could definitely feel a strong surge of pain from my left cheek.  My knees cried in protest as they struck the ground hard, while I tried to catch myself with my right hand and instead sprained the wrist.  Taryn tumbled free from my shoulder as I hit the ground and rolled amongst the grass and weeds.


    The sound of the lizards that chased me came to a sudden stop at my fall.  Their cautious nature returned when they realized what had befallen me, and only the slight rustle of leaves as they encircled me warned me of what would soon be my fate.


    My hand tightened around the scabbard of Taryn¡¯s sword as I prepared to draw the blade.  Though he had wanted me to avoid doing so there seemed to be little choice in the matter.  I struggled to stand up, my body aching in various spots, while I mentally readied myself for the inevitable fight.


    The first lizard to strike leapt free from the bushes, foregoing the camouflage that made them so hard to keep track of.  It was a hasty and perhaps greed driven attack that made for an easy problem.  With claws outstretched toward me and mouth agape I doubt that it anticipated what I would do next.


    With a quick forward step toward the creature I drove the handle of Taryn¡¯s sword directly into the face of the lizard.  The right eye squished audibly beneath the force of the blow.  The power of the attack was enough to toss the lizard back into the bushes from whence it had come.


    More of the lizards came at me, two from the left and one from behind, while I tried to seek a way out of the fight.  The two on my side tried to claw at my legs, using the cover of the shrubbery to obscure their near invisible bodies.  If not for the noise they made as they moved I would¡¯ve been hit and poisoned, but instead I managed to quickly step away even as their claws cut through the air.


    The one from behind was about to pounce, an assured strike due to the distraction granted to it by his brethren.  Yet before he could leap his entire body went rigid as though stricken with paralysis.  All other noises in the nearby jungle went still as well, while the lizards that had gathered about me became deathly still.


    A scent wafted through the jungle that surrounded me, a hint of rotten meat which made my nostrils inherently cringe.  A sweetness carried along with that offensive stench, a smell that reminded me of sugared fruits often served to children for dessert.


    When it came I could only feel all of the blood in my body drain, as a shudder of fear coursed through my body.  Three of the lizards died instantly when a sphere fell from the thick canopy above, though they were not squished by what descended.


    Instead each of the lizards had been seized in the mouth of a creature that I could not even begin to understand.  At first I thought it was merely a group of snakes wrapped together, but then I realized that each of the snake-like parts was attached to a central core.  It writhed and rolled even as it bloodily tore about the lizards that had been caught in the ambush.


    The rest of the lizards were quick to abandon their allies, vanishing amongst the ferns as quietly as they could.  Meanwhile the orb continued to thrash about wildly where it had fallen as pieces of dead lizards were swallowed rapidly by the multiple mouths.


    Were they tentacles or arms?  Perhaps they could be called legs?  In truth it barely mattered, all that did was there were at least ten of those parts and each one ended in a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth.  No eyes could be seen, no nose easily made out, instead it was just a ball of death.


    Somewhere amongst all of the bushes lay Taryn, crippled with pain by the venom of the lizards.  I let out a sigh that expressed all of my disdain at the situation, the scabbard in my left hand raised up in front of myself.  My right hand gripped the handle of Taryn¡¯s sword, the wrist throbbing in protest, while I wondered if I could fight that unknown monster with just a sword.


    When I started to pull the sword free from the scabbard there was a hesitation in my movements.  The blade that was revealed inch by inch had an alabaster hue that seemed to glow a pure white.  Even without the sword fully bared already a strange song hummed to life and filled my ears, a gentle tune that I couldn¡¯t even hope to identify.


    As the white light glimmered along the length of the blade I stared into it with a sense of awe.  Though a creature that could rip me apart was close by for some reason my attention was fully enraptured by Taryn¡¯s sword.  A warmth filled my body and brought a sense of relaxation to every muscle.


    It was the violin music that distracted me from the hypnotic glow.


    With graceful motions of the hands the man stood there atop a field of black grass.  Eyes half-closed while a smirk ruined what would otherwise have been a handsome face, the sound continued to expertly float free from his ebon violin without a flaw.  The light breeze that ran across the open field of black teased at the platinum hair of the stranger.


    ¡°What naughtiness have you gotten yourself involved in this time, Taryn?¡± inquired the violinist.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± was my own response, as I stood in the same spot with a very obviously confused look on my face.  ¡°Who are you?¡±


    My question brought an abrupt halt to the music, the man¡¯s hands going perfectly still.  When he turned brilliant red eyes were revealed, eyes that stared hard at me with a hint of hostility.  He rapidly walked across the grass, his footfalls light enough that not a single blade depressed beneath his strides.


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    ¡°You are not Taryn, so why do you smell like him?¡± the stranger wondered as he came in close enough that I started to brace for a fight.  ¡°Do not tell me he had a kid already?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± I exclaimed, my urge to smack the man rising by the second.  ¡°I¡¯m Liliana!  Who are you and where am I?¡±


    The stranger paused in his actions for a moment to stare at me.  With a light sigh he turned and walked back to his original spot, the violin lifted up to his chin.  ¡°So you are the one he told me about.  Why would he have lent you the sword?¡±


    ¡°Some lizards poisoned him so he gave me the sword until he recovers,¡± I replied without hesitation.  It was only after I had responded that the oddity of how I was so open with this stranger struck me, though that idea itself fluttered out of my mind as soon as it was thought.


    ¡°I am not all too surprised by his ineptitude,¡± the man commented, his hands already moving once more to produce music from the violin.  ¡°Though since he handed you the sword...well, I suppose I can help you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean help?  Who are you?¡±


    The stranger ignored me and instead continued to play the violin.  As I started to walk toward him Taryn¡¯s sword began to glow with a brilliant white light.  The light grew brighter by the second and soon all I could see was a field of white around me.


    The audible crack of bones coupled with the tearing of flesh as it was gobbled down noisily instantly caught my attention.  The tangleworm continued to writhe amongst the bushes as it enjoyed the feast the lizards had given it.  The fact that I had drawn a sword and stood not too far off had yet to be realized by the beast.


    ¡°What in the gods?¡± I mumbled to myself, wrestling with the surreality of what had happened.


    It was only when the tangleworm stopped eating and turned one mouth in my direction that I noticed another oddity.  Tangleworm.  Where had that term even come from?  It was as though someone had placed the name of the monster directly into my mind.  A thought came to me as I turned my gaze once more toward the glowing sword.


    Pay attention.


    Two words rang in my head that caused my gaze to jerk up toward the tangleworm, even as the monster rolled through the ferns toward me.  Snarling, spitting, the creature dragged and rolled itself forward using the mouths to grab hold of anything solid nearby.  It was a horribly inefficient way to move that made me wonder how it even managed to travel through the canopy without falling all the time.


    Though even as I thought about that the monster was already at my knees, mouths hungrily striking out.  With a twist of the wrist I knocked aside one of the mouths, the blade sinking into the flesh with such startlingly ease that it made even the Shatterblade seem dull. Ignoring the pain that flared in my right wrist I kicked the other head away, the rest of my attention focused on decapitating the injured tentacle of the tangleworm.


    The body of the tangleworm rolled forward as more of the tentacles surged out from the central mass.  The mouths opened up, spittle flying free, while they hungrily sought out my flesh.  With Taryn¡¯s sword I easily sliced one of the ends in half vertically, even as I tried my best to avoid the teeth of the monster.


    No matter how good I might believe myself to be even I could not avoid all of the tentacles that reached for me.  One of the mouths managed to tag my left forearm and gouge out a small piece, while a second nibbled at the air right next to my stomach.  It was close enough that goosebumps ran up and down my arms.


    You are not much better than him are you?


    It was a question that popped into my head, causing me to pause in my actions long enough to be a threat.  Another mouth managed to nip at my right leg, a small sliver of flesh stripped so quickly that I barely even felt the sensation.  I let out a quick yelp of pain while backing up, the point of the sword lowered to more readily catch the low attacks.


    A thrum of noise came from the alabaster blade, that haunting melody that it often played sounding out loudly.  The world around grew still as though in respect of the music that had begun.  Even the tangleworm became complacent in the presence of the song, the ends of the tentacles bobbed back and forth along with the tune.


    Though I didn¡¯t understand what had happened only a fool would have passed on that opportunity.  A quick push of my right foot and I surged up close to the tangleworm, right hand snapping out in a quick swing.  In the haste to strike before the creature could respond my aim proved off, the cut deep but not enough to slice it in half.


    Even with such a devastating wound the various tentacles continued to move, writhing wildly in response to the pain.  Before any of them could attack I lopped off the ends of those closest to me, blood spurting forth from the stumps and dampening the ferns about us.


    Although it was heavily injured the tangleworm moved with more energy than before.  The entrancing melody continued to come from the sword, but the monster ignored it and instead tried to writhe toward me.  Stumped ends slapped helplessly against the ground while the ball of tentacles tried to figure out a way to move while nearly cut in half.


    A twinge of sympathy ran through me at the sight, I had after all steadily crippled the animal.  However since it had already taken small chunks out of me only encouraged the lack of mercy.  The fact that it was one of the ugliest things I¡¯d ever seen didn¡¯t hurt.


    Before too much blood splattered onto me I drove the sword deep into the center of the tangleworm.  Even nearly cut in half and impaled it still struggled, the will to fight overpowering the cloak of death.  A tentacle thumped weakly against my leg, a light blow that would at best leave a bruise, while the others flopped about harmlessly near the central mass.


    With a strong yank I pulled out Taryn¡¯s sword before I drove it back into the tangleworm.  Again and again I did this, as I sought out the most important vital parts of the creature, until finally a quiver ran through the body and it went still.


    In the midst of the jungle I stood over the dead body and let out a long sigh.  Red liquid dripped from the alabaster blade as though it couldn¡¯t hope to even stain the weapon, a pool of blood forming rapidly next to my feet.  I paused to stare at the sword, the light that it emitted almost as hypnotic as the melody that it continued to produce.


    I scoffed at a thought that came to my mind, hands moving quick to place the sword back into the scabbard I had pulled it from.  With no threat currently present I picked my way through the grass and ferns to where Taryn had tumbled.


    He still lay there beneath the greenery of the jungle, his form curled up in pain as the venom of the lizards continued to assault him.  If not for the fact that he had thrown up a mental barrier I too would be feeling what assailed him, a move on Taryn¡¯s part that saved our lives.


    Though he suffered I still threw him onto my shoulder and prepared to carry him once more.  With no way to ease his pain, and no means by which to remove the venom, all I could do was continue our northward journey.  I believed that Taryn would eventually recover on his own, but I had no clue how long that would be.


    With fresh wounds that ached on my body I walked alongside the stream, ignoring the sensation of pain.  The amount of blood that had showered the area, the fresh scent of death that clung, and the multiple carcasses would only promote the gathering of scavengers.  In our current state it was doubtful that another fight could be easily won.


    Especially given the eccentric animals that had shown up so far.  The hellhound, the lizards, and that tangleworm were all completely different from anything I¡¯d seen before.  If there were even more oddities in the jungle then I¡¯d rather face them with Taryn by my side.


    It was the thought of the tangleworm that made me glance down at the sword in my left hand.  While it slumbered inside the scabbard no longer did that odd music play, but still there had been something that had happened during the fight that bothered me.


    ¡°He¡¯d better wake up soon,¡± I darkly muttered, as I wanted answers to questions that had begun to plague my soul.

 Vol. 3 Chapter 6 - A Sight For Sore Eyes

    It wasn¡¯t the darkness of the night that bothered me, the trepidation that cloaked my mind instead brought on by the unconscious man nearby. Without a single fire for warmth all I could do was huddle up next to Taryn, curled up against a tree trunk, with the stream distant enough that I felt no predators would find us.


    Every whisper of noise brought a worried glance, every hint of movement echoed by one of my own as I prepared for combat. No matter what there would be no sleep for me that night, while Taryn continued to recover from the previous fight.


    The only hint of security I had was Taryn¡¯s sword that was nestled in my free hand, sheathed though readily accessible if a fight began. Combined with my own physical abilities I had little doubt I could fight off anything ordinary that might come across us in the dark.


    Doubt at my skill was not what really bothered me, it was the fact that within the blade I held rested another person unknown to me. A shudder ran down my spine at the remembrance of Nixi and how she had invaded my mind, driven me so close to becoming one of her children forever.


    Do not compare me to that vile monstrosity.


    The shock at that voice which rang in my head was bad enough that I nearly dropped the sword. With wide eyes I stared at the home of the owner of that voice, and a multitude of questions sprang instantly and struggled to all come out at once from my mouth.


    Shush child, now never again think of me as that hellion.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I whispered out, the question a constant nagging thought that demanded an answer.


    But there would be no answer for me as once more the sword grew silent, the inhabitant apparently uninterested in dealing with me any further. A silence that only made my current situation all the worse.


    Naked, frightened and barely armed I curled up closer to the still form of Taryn and prayed to the Gods that he would recover sometime soon.


    When the ground shook I knew that somewhere above one of the Gods was looking down at me and laughing. The groan of a tree as it collapsed nearby, the tremble that made my entire body jump off of the earth by a few inches, the fact that everything else went deathly quiet were all I needed to know that someone had opted to play a cruel prank.


    In the darkness I could barely make out the claw that was easily the size of my entire body as it gripped the trunk of the broken tree. A casual lift of the log screamed out to me how powerful this creature was, and when I heard the loud inhale of air from nostrils too large for me to imagine all I could do was gird myself for the inevitable.


    Whatever it was it did not move quickly, the behemoth instead came with a leisurely couple of steps toward our direction. From the canopy a head with a long snout appeared, cocked to one side so that one of the eyes could stare at me.


    Instinctively my breath stopped, as though that would somehow make the creature continue on even when it could see me. When the eye refused to stop staring directly at me all I could do was start to stand up, my right hand drifting ever so closer to the hilt of Taryn¡¯s sword.


    The snout opened and emitted a low hiss that escalated in volume before with a loud snap the mouth slammed shut. The slow movements of before seemed to be a figment of my imagination as with a frightening speed the creature lunged directly at me.


    Before it could reach us I tried to pull forth the sword from the scabbard, only to find that it refused to budge in the slightest. Momentarily taken aback, with a large monster about to crash into me mouth first, I gave up on the sword and instead grabbed the limp Taryn and dove to the left.


    The tree that had been our shelter was destroyed in an instant. Wood snapped, branches cracked and splinters showered outward from the point of impact. The behemoth took a few more steps before it tilted it¡¯s head and glared once more in my direction with a singular eye.


    Again I tried to brandish the sword only to be denied. With a stubbornness that matched the dread that coursed through my body the weapon refused to be of any use. ¡°Why won¡¯t you come out!¡± I finally yelled at Taryn¡¯s sword in frustration.


    Silence was the only reply.


    Needless to say I became unnecessarily angrier than I probably needed to at that moment, and without a shred of regret I threw the sword down next to Taryn before once more focusing on the behemoth.


    With a loud snort the monstrosity began a slow approach, with every step the head swayed while at least one eye remained aimed at me. Even though we were in a thick forested area it showed no fear of hitting a tree with it¡¯s head, instead it simply knocked the trees down almost as though the skull was far thicker than what I might have expected.


    Energy coursed through my body even as the world slowed around me, the strength that had been gifted to me by Taryn once more summoned up from within. Without a mirror I already knew that my eyes had changed color, and the behemoth responded to the shift in my demeanor by hesitating to approach.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t come to me I¡¯ll just come at you!¡± I declared, right index finger pointed at the behemoth.


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    A hiss was the response it gave back, but that mattered little to me and instead I put all my attention toward approaching the monster. Before it could continue to approach I instead closed the gap with a single forward leap, right hand pulled back and ready to throw a punch.


    In came the left claw of the behemoth in an attempt to swipe me away like the gnat that I seemed to be. Although our masses were drastically different I gave not a hint of concern and instead twisted mid-leap and threw out my right fist with as much strength as I could muster.


    The dull noise that one would¡¯ve expected didn¡¯t occur but instead a loud crack, followed by a squeal of pain from the behemoth. Though no bone stuck out from the claw I could believe in that some sort of fracture had occurred within. The throb of pain that rippled through my own hand told me that I didn¡¯t want to try a punch again, otherwise I might end up crippled in this hostile jungle.


    Distracted by what I had done to it, the behemoth failed to notice as instead of following through with another attack I instead dove for one of the larger chunks of the shattered tree. With outstretched fingers I gripped tight onto it, rolled upon impact with the ground, and then twisted and threw the splinter directly at the filthy eyeball which had finally stopped staring at me.


    It was a pitiable cry of pain that emerged next, the creature backed away from my direction and clutched instinctively toward the splinter that had pierced into the exposed eye. Blood and something else pooled out from the fresh wound as the behemoth ripped the splinter free and discarded it to the ground.


    With a shattered fighting spirit the beast could only turn away from where I was and stumble wildly away, only interested in putting a distance between us as though I was the true monster in this scenario. Trees and anything else in its path mattered little, instead trampling down and through whatever it needed to in order to escape.


    I let out a long sigh and started to relax my muscles, the adrenaline high draining quicker than I might have wanted and instead exhaustion filling me. Already I had grown tired of this place, the unending stream of troublesome critters that abounded made me wish for the quiet times at the orphanage. Even a herd of children was more fun to deal with than these odd monsters.


    Once again I walked over and retrieved both Taryn and his sword and walked away from the scene of a fight. Though there was no corpse the fluids left by the behemoth might have been a temptation for any type of scavenger, and I was already far too tired to even want to deal with them.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Exhausted from the long night, I could only feel joy when the sunlight filtered in through the distant canopy. The cries of numerous birds filled the air while far off the noise of the stream as it trickled through the jungle remained a constant background noise.


    As though the light itself was all he had needed Taryn stirred from his long time unconscious. He groaned, eyes fluttering open to stare in my direction, before he tried to unsteadily stand up. I resisted the strong urge to hug him tight and instead offered a steadying hand, quietly observing him for any signs of a relapse.


    He coughed, a low gutteral noise, and spat out a chunk of green liquid onto the ground. ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°All night long,¡± I told him, though I did not say what I truly wanted to. Forever. Too long. ¡°It¡¯s about time you got up, I¡¯ve had to lug you around everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that, I can¡¯t control how quickly I recover,¡± Taryn offered as an apology as he accepted his sword back.


    When his hand touched the sword his eyes widened, then he glanced sharply down at his favored weapon. ¡°What?¡± he muttered, before a nod of his head came as though to respond to something spoken by a third party. ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    I knew he spoke with that mysterious man who was housed inside the sword, though I could no longer hear the whispers of his voice in my head. A nervousness ran through me, an awkward nervousness that made me feel far younger and inexperienced than what I actually was. If I had broken some sort of unwritten rule what type of relationship would Taryn and I have?


    That nervousness was washed away almost immediately when Taryn looked into my eyes and all I could see was happiness. He didn¡¯t need to open his side, to let me feel his own emotions, because they were so blatantly obvious on his face that anyone could have seen what he felt.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Taryn apologized again before he stepped up in front of me and wrapped one arm around in a hug. ¡°He didn¡¯t ask you to do anything weird, right?¡±


    I instinctively knew who he meant, a smile on my face as I hugged Taryn back. ¡°No, but he wouldn¡¯t help me more than once for some reason.¡±


    ¡°My father tends to prefer tough love,¡± Taryn admitted.


    It was that which caused our hug to come to an end, as I pushed him back to arms length and glared. ¡°Your FATHER?¡± I half-yelled, not even caring if some monster out in the jungle heard me. ¡°Lanius? The GOD?¡±


    ¡°You remember!¡± Taryn couldn¡¯t help but grin at my surprise, a grin that I wanted to punch off of his face.


    ¡°You told me you¡¯d never met him before,¡± I said in an accusatory tone.


    ¡°The true nature of the sword is supposed to be kept secret from everyone, I think only two other people beside us know about it...and one is Mathias.¡±


    ¡°Why would you the God of Life be stuck in a sword you carry around everywhere...no scratch that why would your FATHER be stuck in a sword in the first place?¡±


    ¡°I never expected I¡¯d have to explain this to you,¡± Taryn admitted before he looked up toward the leaves that tried desperately to block out the sun. ¡°I¡¯ve told you about Nixi, how she spread herself like an infection across people and took them over. Do you think an ordinary weapon can kill a Goddess?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all I could respond with as I began to piece together why Lanius was in the sword. ¡°So you¡¯re literally fighting the soul of a Goddess with the soul of a God?¡±


    Taryn did another one of those infuriating grins. ¡°Exactly, and since he didn¡¯t splinter himself if we can ever find the central point where Nixi is hiding he¡¯ll be able to overpower his sister.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well we need to get moving,¡± I told him as I tried to focus on what was important. As I began to walk away from Taryn and head toward the north, or what I hoped was the north, I suddenly realized something else.


    ¡°Your aunt is Nixi!¡±


    ? ? ? ? ?


    It was at least half of the day later when we finally emerged out of the thick jungle, with many a small bug gathered about us in a cloud of annoyance. To our right the beach could be seen again, a blue horizon the only greeting for any viewer. The stream that we had hovered nearby cut out of the jungle in what I could only surmise was a north-western direction and fed into the ocean.


    What was the most welcome sight of all, aside from a landscape devoid of giant monsters, were the buildings clustered at the northern tip. A stone pathway led away from what was a wide open entranceway, while a tall stone wall offered protection for any inhabitants within. Someone at some point had gone through and deployed a spiked fence on the outside of the stone wall as a secondary layer.


    ¡°Vexxon¡¯s Landing!¡± I almost cried for joy at the sight of civilization, resisting a strong urge to run at full speed. ¡°We finally made it Taryn!¡±


    Taryn only smiled in response, his eyes focused on the town for some reason. ¡°No guards.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There should be some sort of guards or lookouts,¡± Taryn pointed out to me.


    It was a response that instantly shattered the jubilation that had begun to build within. Instead I looked once again at the town and noticed what he had pointed out, how one of the tall wood structures near the gate was devoid of anyone. It was about mid-day or a few hours past and yet nobody could be seen on the clearly visible main street. Even the exterior pathway that led to the river had nobody on it, and given how close to the ocean we were there was no way the town had a well.


    ¡°Not again,¡± I almost begged, already tired of going into towns that were empty. It was as though some sort of curse followed me, or perhaps I was merely bad luck for towns?


    ¡°Well at least it won¡¯t be the Plague,¡± Taryn offered in an attempt to comfort me. He started to walk, at a slow and careful pace, toward Vexxon¡¯s Landing. In his left hand he gripped the sword that contained his father. It was a caution I rarely saw in him given his capabilities to beat most opponents with minimal difficulty.


    Out of everything that was happening, though, it was the sound that came from behind that garnered my immediate attention. The familiar sound I¡¯d heard many times while training in the Legion, and a noise that any trained warrior should be able to recognize.


    The sound of a bowstring being pulled back.

 Vol. 3 Chapter 7 - A Warm Night

    Inside my head I cursed at the failure of watching my own back.  This was a strange hostile place, neither Taryn nor I had much in the way of experience with the western continent.  Somehow all of that had been forgotten at the mere sight of Vexxon¡¯s Landing.


    Ahead of me Taryn had gone as rigid as I, having noticed that we had an unknown person behind us.  He began to turn his head slowly before his eyes widened in shock, and then narrowed in rage.


    The anger that had welled up in him poured through our connection into me, a tidal wave of rage threatened to overcome my own mental state.  With one hand lifted up to warn him to not do anything I turned to face the stranger, hoping that he could keep himself in check.


    The first thing I saw when I turned was the bow, a small and well designed one created with maneuverability in mind.  While the range wouldn¡¯t be too long, that would matter little since the distance between myself and the bow was only ten yards.  The sharp looking arrowhead was made of a type of metal I couldn¡¯t quite recognize, dark black in color.


    Taryn¡¯s intense rage became understandable since the arrow was aimed straight at me.  It was a protective response that tickled at my heart and brought a tiny smile to my face.  Perhaps if I had been a bit more insecure I would¡¯ve been offended, but I knew that Taryn simply cared immensely for me and couldn¡¯t stop himself from getting upset.


    The holder of the weapon was someone I hadn''t expected at all, and I could only surmise it was a native of the continent.  Her skin was dark enough that she could blend in well with the shadows that abounded in the jungle, while black irises with a blue sclera instead of the usual white.  Her face was for the most part without any signs of scars or identifiers and her brown hair had been kept short enough that it barely reached her ears.


    A tight leather bandeau covered her top, while a sash ran around her waist and held up a skirt made from fur.  A basic type of leather sandal was the only footwear she wore. At her waist and hanging slantwise off of the sash was the quiver for her arrows.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked, her voice controlled and quiet.  Her voice thick with an accent that I couldn¡¯t even begin to place.


    With a slow and easy movement, fingers outstretched with palms turned toward the stranger, I straightened my back and stood at my full height.  Though I wasn¡¯t altogether tall that was of little importance, as instead I wished to portray a proper demeanor during the exchange.


    ¡°My name is Liliana Rose, of the Rose family of Scintallia,¡± I answered truthfully.  ¡°My companion behind me is Taryn Lucent, caretaker of the Shiadone orphanage.¡±


    The dark-skinned girl narrowed her eyes as though suspecting some type of deception was at work.  The tense standoff continued for a few more moments before she gave a small nod of her head and lowered the bow, relaxing her arm and letting the bowstring go slack.  She did not, however, move the arrow away from her bow.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± she inquired without taking her eyes off of us.


    I could feel the rage within Taryn subside as the situation quickly began to defuse.  ¡°We were on a merchant ship when it was sunk by some pirates,¡± I placed both hands on my hip.  ¡°You skipped a step, by the way. It¡¯s common courtesy to tell others your name after they introduce themselves.¡±


    The native¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at that, before she gave a quick nod of the head.  Even as she partially bowed in our direction she slid the arrow in her hand back into the quiver.  ¡°Kaina,¡± was her short response, before she continued on, ¡°I am sorry. If you look for help, no more Vexxons.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, did you do something to them?¡± Taryn stepped up closer, standing next to me.  ¡°Did you eat them?¡±


    A tiny grin appeared on Kaina¡¯s face as her eyesight clearly started to drift down.  ¡°Answer his question,¡± I stepped in front of Taryn and crossed my arms.


    Kaina laughed before she motioned toward Vexxon¡¯s Landing.  ¡°I eat none,¡± she offered her left hand palm up toward us. ¡°Kaina show you.¡±


    Kaina sauntered past us, her eyes peeking to her side to get another look at Taryn.  With a beckon of her right hand she called for us to follow her. I scowled, a bit unhappy with the savage, but I put aside my personal distaste and walked after her toward the town.  Behind me I could hear Taryn stir out of his confused state, a tint of embarrassment tickling my mind through our spiritual bond.


    The outside of the town, along with the sand, had been littered with chunks of wood.  The gateway itself still had a few pieces of wood that hung off of it, clear evidence of a gate that had been destroyed.  Numerous footprints could be made out in the sand and pathway that led up to the gate, the footprints leading both into and out of the town.


    I came to a stop and squatted down to study one of the chunks of wood while Kaina and Taryn continued on through the gateway.  The wood was lumber from a type of tree I was unaccustomed to, so I could only assume it was one of the local species. What interested me most was that the edges were clean cuts, flawless as though sliced by an extremely sharp blade.  With how many chunks littered the area I couldn¡¯t even imagine what made that possible.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Over here,¡± Kaina called out from ahead.


    After I stood up I walked over toward her and Taryn, opting to ignore the information I¡¯d gained until I could actually make sense of it.  It was a waste of energy and effort to worry about something that didn¡¯t matter at the moment. Taryn watched my approach, sword held in front of a certain part to block it from sight.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± he asked in a soft voice.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I didn¡¯t bother telling him about the odd cuts on the wood.  While I loved Taryn he was a bit of a brute when it came to problems, punching someone being his go to solution.


    Now that we were in the town itself the situation became all the more mysterious.  The town consisted entirely from wood and thatch made from leaves. Each building was a single floor with no windows.  To be honest it looked like Vexxon¡¯s Landing had been made in a hurry and nobody had gotten around to upgrading it yet.


    The houses throughout the town had some minor damage, though a couple near the gate had collapsed and also shared those clear cuts.  The doors on the homes that still stood had been destroyed, wood chunks visible when I peered in. A few of the homes had a trail of blood that led out from them, clear signs of someone wounded or dead being dragged out.


    Toward the center and offset from the main path there were a dozen bundles of cloth, tied with vines and stained in random spots with red.  Kaina had moved to stand near the bundles of cloth, bundles which I could only assume were corpses, and her head was bowed with eyes closed.


    ¡°Was this done by one of the monsters in the jungle?¡± I wondered, though I doubted based on how clean and simple the damage had been.


    ¡°Men killed Vexxons,¡± Kaina lifted her head, tears in her eyes.  ¡°Men came and took Vexxons.¡±


    ¡°Took them?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide the surprise on my face.  Kidnapping of an entire town was a new one for me, even if I thought back to what my teachers taught me in the Legion I couldn¡¯t remember that ever happening.  The dryads attacking a town, the Plague attacking a town, slave traders hitting single houses...but an entire town?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there were legionnaires?¡± Taryn spoke up, his body close to my back.


    ¡°Yes!  Kaina, there were legionnaires here, warriors,¡± I walked up to her and gripped her left shoulder.  ¡°Didn¡¯t they fight off the men?¡±


    ¡°Leg-¡± Kaina started to say the word before she shook her head in frustration.  ¡°Men killed men, took Vexxons.¡±


    With her left finger she pointed to the western wall of the town.  Above the wall the sun had already started its descent. I stared at the wall, lost in thought.  ¡°Taryn, we¡¯re spending the night here. I doubt they¡¯ll attack again since they already raided the whole town.¡±


    ¡°What about the corpses?¡±


    ¡°We burn them,¡± I said with a hint of regret.  In this land there was no Plague, which meant people could properly bury one another and grieve over a grave.  However we had neither the tools nor the knowledge, and I didn¡¯t want to deal with any scavengers coming into town trying to eat the bodies.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The bonfire in the middle of the town lit up all of Vexxon.  The bodies had been placed on it before Taryn and I had sought out refuge in one of the houses for the night.  We found one that had a bed large enough for the both of us, and had curled up in it. Kaina had vanished off into the jungle, a small promise of return her way of saying goodbye.


    Taryn and I were on our sides on the bed, with him directly behind me.  His arms wrapped around me in a light hug. As I lay there I could only think of all that had happened since the start of what should have been an easy escort job.


    Everything had gone wrong when our ship had been smashed to pieces by the greedy pirates.  From that point on we¡¯d been forced to fight against monstrous animals in this strange, foreign land, and barely survived all the way through to the town.  I¡¯d even learned about Taryn¡¯s sword and what had happened with his father.


    Taryn¡¯s hands squeezed my own in a soft reassuring motion.  ¡°Everything is going to be alright,¡± he whispered into my ear, most likely having felt something through our link.


    ¡°No boats. I can¡¯t believe there are no boats at the pier.¡±  We had investigated the waterfront in Vexxon¡¯s Landing before the sun went down.  There had been nothing to find anywhere, not even a single sunken ship beneath the waves.  ¡°How are we going to get back home?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Taryn tightened his arms.  ¡°Push comes to shove I can always yell at my father to help.¡±


    THAT was a thought I had put behind me, almost as if suggested to.  The fact there was a god right next to us in Taryn¡¯s sword opened up new possibilities.  It also brought a question to mind because of what he had said to me inside that nebulous inner world.  ¡°Taryn, what did your dad mean that I smelled like you?¡±


    Taryn went still at that question, his fingers loosening their grip slightly.  ¡°Well...he¡¯s the god of souls right?¡± Taryn finally said. ¡°I put a part of mine into yours so that¡¯s why.¡±


    It was an answer that brought a small laugh from me.  ¡°I forgot about that. Blood, souls and life?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...I think we should try to just sleep.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I almost grumbled. Though I was tired my mind refused to go still and instead worked far too much at what had occurred so far.


    Even if I wanted my brain to stop it didn¡¯t work that way, instead I could only lay there and patiently wait to work through all the anxiety I¡¯d gathered.  Behind me Taryn¡¯s breath grew quieter, but his arms remained tightly wound around me. His warmth and presence were a comfort that I sorely needed while on this strange continent.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    When we emerged from the town the next morning we had taken some of the clothing from the various homes.  Once again we had shirts, pants and even shoes, while I couldn¡¯t find any type of proper weapon anywhere. If what Kaina had said was true, that people had kidnapped the townsfolk, they had clearly raided the houses for anything of real value.


    The sun rose in the east, a mist that had formed along the treetop of the jungle scattering in the warmth of its rays.  Movement near the base of the treeline drew my attention as Kaina emerged from out of nowhere. Her thin brown body and dark clothing had made her difficult to pick out while she had stood still, and even in movement she blended in well with the jungle.


    Kaina offered a woven basket of fruits to us before she herself took one and ate it.  Whether it was to show that we could trust her, or that she was merely hungry, in the end it didn¡¯t matter since Taryn and I were starving.


    The green fruit had a bit of a sour tang to it that was quite new to me.  Although my family was well off and I had eaten many types of foods these fruits were completely new to me.  Beside me Taryn wolfed down everything he could put his hands on, far hungrier than what I was.


    ¡°Did you want me to try and talk to Lanias?¡± Taryn asked after we had finished our makeshift breakfast.


    A shake of my head was response to that question.  I had made my choice in the middle of the night while Taryn slept.  ¡°We¡¯re going to go find those people,¡± I told him, hands tightening into fists.  ¡°We can¡¯t just leave them to die.¡±


    It was a declaration that Taryn immediately agreed to.  He had a sore spot when it came to slaves, and most likely the survivors of the attack would be sold off when taken back to the eastern continent.  After a lot of thought I had figured out the identity of who had attacked Vexxon¡¯s Landing.


    ¡°We¡¯re going after the pirates.¡±

 Vol. 3 Chapter 8 - A Fury Unleashed

    With the rising sun at our backs we marched across the white sands of the beach.  Kaina took us in a western direction as she tried to lead us after the pirates who had taken the villagers.  To our right was the ocean while to our left the intimidating jungle loomed over us.


    Taryn and I had managed to gain some clothing and deal with our continual nudity.  I managed to find a blouse that fit my top, along with a short dress that I had split along the side for added mobility.  Boots that were a size too large were all I could find, but protecting my feet was more important than being picky on footwear.


    Taryn had opted to steal a large shirt that loosely fit him, along with pants and a belt.  He managed to find shoes that were in his size. Without any weapons to be found in the town I had instead broken a thick chair and taken one of the legs.  To me a club was always a better option over my bare hands.


    In the southern distance we could make out the noise of a large animal letting loose a blood curdling screech.  It was a noise that made Kaina pause in her steps, her bow aimed at the tree line with an arrow already notched and ready.  For a few moments she stayed like that, battle ready for anything, and then she relaxed and put her arrow back into the quiver.


    ¡°Snapjaw,¡± Kaina informed us as she motioned toward her mouth, then pulled her hand away from her face.  ¡°Big mouth big noise.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you call those,¡± I hurried my steps in order to walk beside Kaina.  ¡°We had a bit of a fight with one, and a few other things. I think one was called a tangleworm?¡±


    Kaina responded to that name with a very visible shudder.  ¡°Worm ugly,¡± Kaina said in a serious tone. ¡°Bad food.¡±


    We crossed over a simple bridge that spanned the river west of the town.  The design was a bit dubious, but Kaina strode over the narrow path with such confidence that I could only follow suit.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you think it was pirates?¡± Taryn asked from my blindspot after we had left the bridge far behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense,¡± I half-turned my head, peering at him with my one eye.  ¡°There are no cannibals on this continent, and the natives get along great with the town. No Plague, so it can¡¯t be that...which leaves only pirates.¡±


    ¡°This might be our chance at some revenge,¡± Taryn fingered the handle of his sword, as though anxious to use it.


    ¡°Why do you think that?  The main mast won¡¯t be there,¡± I jokied, as I remembered the fact that he had been taken out by falling lumber during our first pirate encounter.


    It was a joke that gained me a scowl from Taryn.  He grew quiet after that, his curiosity sated for the moment, but his fingers never strayed far from the sword.  It was an act that made me wonder how often he communed with his dad.


    For hours we walked along the beach until the heat of the sun became too much.  After that we retreated to the edge of the jungle, our trek slowed significantly due to the trees and vines.  As we walked Kaina pointed out marks, footprints and spoor that helped to identify the creatures of the continent.


    At one point she paused in her march to collect a few flowers that grew in the shade of a large black tree. The flowers that she picked ended up being placed into a pouch, and without a word to either of us she continued to march along.


    I glanced at Taryn but he had a mystified look on his face, even as he glanced down at his sword.  My instincts told me he had tried talking to his dad, but when he shrugged his shoulders to me at my quizzical expression I knew he¡¯d learned nothing.


    Hours slipped by after that, and as the sun started to sag toward the western horizon Kaina brought us to a stop.  She used a tree near the fringe of the jungle as cover, one hand lifted up to warn us for a reason only she knew at the time.


    Curious I stepped up close to Kaina, while Taryn stayed behind the both of us.  For some odd reason he had shadowed us the entire time, never once walking in front or abreast of us.  I had my suspicions why, but if he didn¡¯t want to share why I had no need nor urge to press for an answer.


    Instead I invested my attention to what Kaina had found so interesting.  At some point during our walk through the jungle the northern beachline had sloped upward and now a large western-facing cliff could be seen.  A small hole was in the cliff wall, large enough for people to walk through without a problem, and two men stood near the entrance.


    Lean and weathered, neither of the two men had stubble and filthy clothing.  They stood in the sunlight with visible sweat on their faces, and both looked significantly unhappy to be on guard duty.


    Kaina started to pull out an arrow from her quiver before I put a hand on her wrist.  I gave a shake of my head and motioned back toward the jungle. With quiet steps we retreated away from the edge of the jungle so we could discuss our plan.  Though we could have gone through with Kaina¡¯s idea of hitting them from afar with arrows they probably could¡¯ve called out to their allies inside the cave.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    In the distant west the sun had reached the edge of the horizon, shadows growing long behind Taryn and I.  We stood on the edge of a cliff, the breeze a light and reassuring puff of cool air that rolled off of the ocean.  It was hard not to smile when I looked at Taryn and flashed him an okay sign. ¡°Let''s do this!¡±


    We leapt off of the cliff.


    From a light breeze of air to a gust of wind that roared past my ears, the downward descent from such a high height was definitely new to me.  To my side Taryn also hurtled downward, his feet aimed down toward the ground.


    When we neared the ground I did a flip, bringing my right foot straight into the top of the pirates head.  The impact was, for lack of a better descriptor, disgusting to feel. I immediately regretted my choice in how to take out the two pirates at the same time.  With legs numb from the strong impact with the ground I removed myself from the remains of the pirate I¡¯d landed on.


    While Taryn calmly stepped off of his pile of meat, I gingerly shook the brain matter off of my boot.  ¡°If I ever recommend doing that again stop me,¡± I told him.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Why?  It was kind of fun,¡± Taryn brushed past me toward the cave entrance, his body flattening against the side of the cliff as he peered within.


    Kaina emerged from the jungle a few seconds later, but her wide eyes and apprehension to approach us told me volumes of how she felt.  I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but I knew what it was like to encounter someone so unreal. Between my father, mother, Taryn and his adoptive mother I¡¯d run into many who were outside of the norm.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear,¡± Taryn quietly informed us.


    Kaina hesitated to step in close to us, an act that I chose to pretend didn¡¯t impact my feelings at all.  I knew that I was different now due to Taryn saving me from Nixi, yet the fact that it generated fear in others still nagged at me.  With a sigh I turned toward the cave and walked in, motioning for the others to follow.


    The stone tunnel was crude and looked ot have been hand dug, the marks on the walls too rough and messy to have been caused by the wind or waves.  I wondered why they would¡¯ve chosen to dig a cave out, but that was answered moments later when we reached the end of the tunnel.


    While the tunnel had been manmade the massive cavern we arrived at was not.  There was no conceivable way that man could have dug out a cave so large, and on top of that it was a rocky ceiling that hung over water.


    ¡°A cave cove?¡± I almost laughed at the reality of what we saw, but at the same time the presence of two boats that were loaded with burly, dirty pirates sent a slight chill down my spine.


    The three of us hunkered down near some stalagmites nearby the entrance of the cave, while we looked around.  Most of the cave was empty except for crates that they had absconded with from the town. Along the right side of the cave crude cages had been created from wooden sticks, and within them were the kidnapped people.  Women, children, young and old, for the most part they had taken everyone except for the men.


    What happened next staggered me, as my mind was almost whiplashed by the rage that blasted into it.  A splitting headache flared up immediately while all I could do was squint for a few seconds, trying to form some sort of mental block through concentration.  Meanwhile the source of my problems had already burst into action, his impetuous nature once more bared to the world.


    There had been a pirate who, a bit off from us and to the side, had a child near him.  I had heard of these types of situations before but I had thankfully evaded witnessing them.  It was, simply put, not a good sight to behold.


    However I used the term had when it pertained to the pirate because his body was already smashed against the ceiling of the cave.  Taryn had grabbed the man and thrown him with all of his power straight into the ceiling, and it was up there that he stuck into the rock for quite a while.


    ¡°What the Gods!¡± cried out one of the other pirates nearby the cages.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± I muttered, before I motioned toward Kaina.  ¡°Try to help the people in the cages, Taryn and I can handle the pirates.¡±


    Before she could respond I had already headed out to support Taryn.  A group of pirates had gathered near him, each one armed with a sword, club or even a hook.  One of the group turned in time to see me as I marched toward them, but before he could respond I had already punched him in the jaw.


    To my right one of the pirates reacted to my presence, so I grabbed ahold of his left wrist with my own left hand.  A quick jab of my right elbow into his side caused a couple ribs to break, and while he cried out and dropped his sword I decided to borrow it. While rising back up from grabbing the sword, I slashed vertically along the side of the pirate.


    Taryn had scooped up the frightened and traumatized child into his arms.  He had no need for his hands to fight off the pirates, his kicks instead more than enough to throw the grown men dozens of feet.  The sword that held his dad had been tucked into his belt temporarily.


    After we had dismantled half of the group of pirates the rest scattered, as most of them dashed for the ships.  On board the vessels more thugs had gathered, but what caught my immediate attention was a pair of them who wore armor.


    ¡°Take the kid over to Kaina!¡± I told Taryn, my eyes focused on the armored men.  ¡°I¡¯m going to need your help.¡±


    It was a comment that I knew he had never expected, but he didn¡¯t know what I knew.  The two pirates walked down the gangplank, obvious smirks on their faces. There was an air of confidence about them even though they had watched their friends get crushed.


    I shifted the sword to my left hand even as I straightened my back.  With my right hand I saluted them, arm going horizontal across my chest.  The two of them almost laughed at that, before they too did the same toward me.


    ¡°Never saw you before, you must be a new recruit?¡± the black haired legionnaire on the left inquired.


    ¡°I¡¯m Liliana Rose,¡± I informed them.  ¡°Through connections my family had me train with the Legion for a while.¡±


    The blond legionnaire on the right whistled at that, motioning toward me while he glanced at his friend.  ¡°That¡¯s Vandross¡¯ kid!¡± he informed him. ¡°You sure we want to do this?¡±


    The black haired one rubbed at the back of his neck before he gave a nod of his head.  ¡°Look, we really don¡¯t want to fight you,¡± he admitted. ¡°I mean if we kill you your father is going to hunt us down, not to mention the ice queen.  Oh man...yah, we¡¯re definitely asking for a big bonus.¡±


    ¡°Your greed,¡± I gave a small laugh at that, before I let out a long breath of air and shifted my stance into a combat ready one.  With a great deal of focus I tapped into that part of my soul where Taryn¡¯s splinter could be found, and the sense of power flowed once more through my body.  ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the Legion informs your families of why you ruined their reputation.¡±


    Blackie lifted his gauntlets up in front of him, assuming a stance reserved for boxing.  No more words passed between the three of us, instead a tension continued to mount as none of us made the first move.


    It had been a tactical choice on my part, as I could feel his presence as he drew closer.  Before Blondie even knew what had happened Taryn had rushed in close and swung a quick punch aimed at his side.  To a normal person it would¡¯ve been enough to crush their innards and leave them permanently crippled.


    Blondie on the other hand took the blow with a grunt, as he tumbled to the ground due to the force of the impact.  When he stood back up he cracked his neck, then beckoned toward Taryn with his left hand. From his waist he pulled out a short sword that was commonly used in the Legion.


    Temporarily distracted by Taryn¡¯s attack, Blackie had looked away from me.  It was during that moment I sprung into action, as I delivered a quick straight kick toward the left knee.  Much like with his friend, Blackie was unable to dodge the attack and instead took it at full force.


    My foot tingled from the impact with the armor, and as I pulled my foot back I could only frown.  His response was to punch at my head, a quick jab that I was able to easily avoid with a sway of my upper body.  The next punch came in quick succession, followed by a hail of punches that started to grow too numerous to count.


    Some of the punches I managed to avoid through pure avoidance, but a few of them required me to actually use my free hand to knock them to the side.  With each one I looked for an opening, but the speed at which his hands moved was already near the upper limit of what I could perceive. It was at a speed that easily exceeded what I¡¯d ever seen before from anyone else.


    A sudden pause in the punches arrived as Blackie started to run out of breath, and it was then that I struck again.  I swung the stolen sword toward Blackie¡¯s waist, aiming to slice him right in half. He managed to drop his arm down in time to block the sword, the blade catching in the armor.


    Blood trickled out from the incision I¡¯d managed to make in the suit of metal.  ¡°Definitely the ice bitches kid,¡± Blackie growled as he ripped his arm away from my sword.


    His words were more than enough to get a rise out of me, and when he punched at me once more I accepted the blow right to my face.  It was a strike that would have normally shattered someone''s skull, but due to Taryn¡¯s influence on my body I knew it would at most bruise me.


    He stood there shocked at the fact that I hadn¡¯t even tried to avoid the punch.  It was another opening I abused as I grabbed hold of his wrist with my left hand.  The metal groaned beneath the tight grip, almost buckling against the pressure. The sword was lifted up high, and then with every ounce of power that I had I brought it down like a guillotine onto the extended shoulder.


    The weapon cut straight through the armor with enough force to penetrate deep into his flesh, only the bones located in his shoulder stopping it.  A scream of pain came from the legionnaire as he fell to his one knee before me, his wrist still gripped in my hand. With no more strength in his arm he could not resist me as I quite calmly snapped his arm in half.


    ¡°Never sully the name of the Rose family,¡± was my cold response to the grown man before I kicked him square in the face.


    His back hit the ground, nose broken, with obviously excessive force.  The special legionnaire armor that he wore made a metallic cracking noise, most likely a fracture in it developing.  Taryn and Blondie even paused in their fight to look at us, and it was at the sight of his defeated friend that made the legionnaire hold up his hands.


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t want to fight you guys in the first place!¡± he exclaimed, almost as though pleading for his life.  ¡°I mean, we¡¯re not even the leaders or anything. The guy in charge hired us and said it¡¯d be an easy job!¡±


    He backed away from the both of us as he talked, not once taking his eyes away from the monsters in front of him.  ¡°The guy in charge?¡± I wondered aloud, as I casually tossed the chipped sword away. ¡°Maybe I can work something out with my family if you tell us everything.¡±


    There would be no other response from Blondie, as his head fell to the ground.  A few seconds later the arms and torso fell as well, each one sheared off flawlessly.  Without a word to Taryn I had already moved back away from the fresh corpse, eyes widened as I looked up the gangplank of the main ship at the newest figure.


    A man stood there, arms crossed over his chest.  He wore a black long coat, under which he wore a brown shirt and dark brown pants.  With each step down the gangplank a jingle could be heard from the fragments of a chain that hung from a collar on his neck.  Beneath a large black hat messy dark hair that needed to be cut splayed out randomly in a mess. A long scar ran down his left cheek and trailed all the way to his collar.  When he spoke his voice was loud in volume, but deep and slightly slurred.


    ¡°Looks to me like you two ruined some good merchandise.¡±

 Vol. 3 Chapter 9 - What Lies Within

    There was a moment of hesitation on my part as I stared at this new entrant, this unknown man who confidently strode down the weak looking wooden ramp.  His confident swagger, that wide grin, even the way he didn¡¯t even have a visible weapon out was enough to immediately sound alarms in my mind.


    Even the pirates who stood on the deck of the two ships had gone quiet, they did not cheer for this man but instead merely watched on as though expecting something monumental.  The fact that he had chopped done one of the traitorous ex-legionnaires didn¡¯t even cause a ripple, as though they had expected it.


    ¡°Pity that,¡± the man said in his loud voice again.  ¡°Could have made some good coin selling those idiots, people love to buy legionnaires.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have chopped him into pieces then,¡± Taryn retorted.


    The strange man stopped his approach when he reached the bottom of the gangplank.  With one finger he traced the scar on his face, while he studied me with an amused look on his face.  ¡°You may address me as Admiral Clay Yulis,¡± the man said as he blatantly ignored Taryn. ¡°I think a lot of people would be interested in buying someone who can take down a soul armor wearer barehanded.¡±


    Taryn charged toward Clay Yulis as anger once more welled up within him.  Before he reached Clay I bent down and grabbed the knocked out body of the black-haired legionnaire in front of me.  In one smooth motion I swung that body up and did a quick underhand toss right at the so-called admiral.


    Clay knocked aside the thrown body with a swing of his right hand, a casual backhand that let loose a thundercrack.  As the blow on the unconscious man landed the air around the pirate shifted, and every mental alarm started to ring out in my head.  It was a sensation I had only felt a handful of times before in my past, and I took a step backward before I even realized it.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± I whispered, unable to believe what my senses told me.  ¡°Taryn! Get away from him!¡±


    Taryn didn¡¯t listen and instead chose to punch at Clay, a strike that would easily have cracked his skull open if it landed.  However before the fist could land the arm it was attached to flew in an arc away from Taryn. A trail of blood followed, a splattering that came from the fresh stump on Taryn¡¯s body.


    From behind us a few arrows whistled past my head, precise shots that had been aimed at Clay¡¯s face.  Each of the arrows was sliced in half before those halves were in turn sliced again, a near invisible trail of something arcing out constantly from Clay¡¯s hands.


    Taryn had managed to retreat back due to the distraction caused by Kaina.  He held onto where his arm had been with his remaining hand, a grimace on his face.  Through our link I could feel a touch of the pain he felt, and also the rage at himself.  Once again he had let his hotheaded tendencies to put him into a bad position.


    Clay Yulis stood there and did nothing more to us, he simply stroked at the scar on his face while he watched our reactions.  His eyes went from across the three of us, before they settled on me. With one finger from that uplifted hand he beckoned. ¡°I promise to save him if you surrender.  Kneel, little girl.¡±


    ¡°What in the Gods was that!¡± Taryn bellowed as blood continued to flow out from his wound without pause, a dangerous amount that began to pool around his feet.


    ¡°Presence,¡± I said, though I wished I hadn''t.  ¡°He¡¯s a Presence user!¡±


    To unlock your soul, to bare it and to use it as a weapon, such was the capacity of a Presence user.  In all of the Empire there were most likely about twenty or thirty people out of millions who could utilize it, and yet here I was in the middle of nowhere face to face with one.  As Alise had put it there was danger in using Presence, but I also knew there was immense power.


    ¡°That is nothing like Alise¡¯s Presence!¡± Taryn growled, eyes narrowed as he glared at the pirate.


    Once more arrows shot past, as Kaina tried valiantly to help us deal with what she could only view as a monster. A twitch of his fingers was all Clay needed in order to obliterate the arrows again, before he lifted his right hand up and aimed one finger in my direction.


    A flash of light as something reflective was barely caught in my vision, and I heard a cry from behind.  I turned quick and saw that Kaina¡¯s bow had been severed, along with a laceration that ran along her right forearm.


    I had no experience when it came to a fight against someone who had Presence, and there was only one possible solution I could think up.  Clearly Taryn was out of the fight, if I didn¡¯t respond soon he¡¯d bleed to death. Kaina, bless her, was useless aside from a minor distraction.


    A mental wrestling occurred in my head as I struggled to figure out a way to win, and finally there was only one solution.  We would have to fight Clay¡¯s Presence with one of our own. Taryn¡¯s was too dangerous to use, his power uncontrollable and deadly, so that left us with only one option.


    ¡°Kaina stay back!¡± I warned her, as I began to focus inward.


    Within I could feel that bit of me which held a sliver of Taryn, that source of energy which fueled my very being.  With a great deal of concentration I focused entirely on it and tried to pull at it, to peel it open and let it be loosed.


    ¡°LILY! DON¡¯T!¡± Taryn roared with a voice so loud my concentration immediately snapped.  ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°What?  We¡¯re going to die if I don¡¯t do something!¡±


    ¡°Lanius said you can¡¯t do that!¡± Taryn turned his glare toward the sword at his waist, a few muttered words directed at the weapon.


    The pirates on the ship heard that shout and they responded instantly.  The entire time they had stood there, mostly silent as they eerily watched their leader face off against us.  Yet at the mention of a God they began to shout, some of them waving almost desperately toward Clay¡¯s back. Yet he didn¡¯t respond and instead stood there all bemused by Taryn and I, as he knew at that moment he had the upper hand.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± I responded to Taryn, while I wondered how long before Clay grew bored and chose to act.


    ¡°I...what...here!¡± Taryn finally said after he struggled for what seemed an eternity with what he wanted to say.  With his left hand he pulled his sword, sheath and all, out from his belt and tossed it at me.


    I could feel my eyes widen in shock at that, it wasn¡¯t often that Taryn relinquished the sword.  In all my time with him I had only seen Alise hold it two times, and I had personally been granted it a mere once.  So when he threw it I responded slowly, my hands barely able to catch it before it hit the ground.


    The black grass beneath my feet bowed beneath my weight without protest, a gentle cushion that was quite surreal to look at.  As I straightened my back and looked around I was greeted by a horizon of darkness along with a lone figure. He was a man with a familiar face, platinum hair and an unplayed violin in one hand.


    ¡°So once more I am burdened with you,¡± Lanius bemoaned.  ¡°Why do you endeavor to ignore my commands?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to die if I listen to you,¡± I argued as I waved the sword in my hand at him.  ¡°Your son will die! All because you don¡¯t want me to use Presence! What sort of dad would let their own kid die?¡±


    It was probably the first time in the history of our world that anyone had argued and chastised a God.  Blasphemy, some of the more religious ones would have declared, but I didn¡¯t care. If I was to be sacrificed or Taryn due to some silly whim by a man hiding in a sword why should I care?


    ¡°Your choice to throw your soul out there like some bauble would have caused harm to you,¡± Lanius replied in a calm tone.  ¡°Harm so foul and so lasting that you would grieve and never recover when you discovered the extent of it.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I retorted as I tried to wrestle mentally with what he¡¯d said.  ¡°How would you even know something like that?¡±


    ¡°Child, I am a God.  Your inability to comprehend my abilities only furthers to showcase how little you truly understand that fact.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to die then,¡± I collapsed to my knees, a feeling of defeat overwhelming me.  ¡°I can¡¯t fight something like that without my Presence, and Taryn¡¯s going to bleed to death.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mother, why do you lay such tribulations at my feet?¡± the God asked of the heavens, before he pointed at me with one pale finger.  ¡°Would I demand such a sacrifice from my own child? Did you already forget who I am?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What are my Totems, child?¡±


    ¡°The soul, life and...blood?¡± I paused at that, and then sharply looked at the God.


    ¡°And so you begin to grasp at a fact that should have been painfully obvious,¡± Lanius applauded me.  ¡°My son can not die from blood loss.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t stop that pirate from cutting him into pieces, though.¡±


    ¡°Once more you gripe about a problem that I clearly have a solution for,¡± Lanius lifted his violin up to his chin, a violin bow materializing in his free hand.  ¡°To that end, though, you will need to make a choice.¡±


    ¡°What choice?¡±


    ¡°The first is the one I ordered you to throw aside, to ruin yourself forever both mentally and physically,¡± Lanius began to play the violin, that odd haunting tune he had played the first time I met him.  ¡°The second will be to work with me.¡±


    ¡°Obviously there¡¯s more to it than that,¡± I glared at Lanius.  He was playing a game with me, and I wasn¡¯t very happy about that fact.


    ¡°Did you believe that you could borrow the power of a God without costs?¡± Lanius chuckled at that, his hand undisturbed as it continued to move the bow flawlessly across the violin.  ¡°Sadly Taryn has already refused, although he is wiser than he might seem in that he at least knows that I offer salvation.¡±


    I stood up once more, my despair washed away as curiosity and a hint of rage pushed to the forefront.  ¡°What¡¯s the price?¡±


    ¡°Oh, child, if I could tell you those consequences when even I do not know what they will be?  You wish for a God to tread into the realm of another. No, you will simply need to know only that the ramifications for your surrender to me will arrive at a much later date.¡±


    ¡°You are making absolutely no sense.¡±


    The violin came to a stop at that.  ¡°My totems do not deal with the future, but my price is one that will lay a curse within you which will blossom in due time.  At that point will I fully understand what YOU have caused by asking me for help.¡±


    ¡°Is that why Taryn turned you down?¡±


    ¡°Taryn believes he can still win against that man with his current power,¡± Lanius informed me, before he looked up at the sky again.  ¡°My son refuses to work with the man who left his mother to die, so unless he knows for certain he can not win he will never turn to me for help.¡±


    That was a bit of news which caused a bit of shock, but it also didn¡¯t matter at that moment.  ¡°If I say yes you promise we¡¯ll win?¡±


    ¡°You believe a God can lose to a mere fool playing make-believe?¡±


    ¡°I agree to your terms.¡±


    It was a jarring transition when I returned back to the normal world, no longer lost within the hidden one inside the sword.  I blinked, and then made certain that nothing had changed, once more amazed by how it seemed time within moved at a different rate than the time without.


    ¡°Have you finally come to realize you can not win?¡± Clay inquired, his finger once more on his scar.


    Although I should¡¯ve been intimidated by him there was no hint of fear me, but instead an understanding.  Like the time with the tangleworm knowledge had flowed from the sword and into my mind, yet it felt like it had always been there in the first place.


    Concentrate.


    The voice resounded inside my head as Lanius spoke to me.  I once more closed my eyes and focused inside, again on that central source of energy.  Unlike the last time I did not try to expose it, but instead I put all of my focus on that sliver which belonged to Taryn.


    Concentrate.


    Next to me I could feel that pale man as he put one hand on my shoulder, his mouth whispering into my ear.  If my link to Taryn was through his sliver, that sliver also served as a bridge to his dad. The focus I put onto that sliver shoved at it and tried to widen it, to not bare it but allow access within.


    Concentrate.


    When I opened my eyes I could feel a difference, my sight tainted by a hint of red.  Taryn drew in a hiss of air, while Clay¡¯s own eyes showed his surprise. He began to mouth a word of confusion, but I could only hear one voice.


    If you falter you will die, concentrate!


    The hand on my shoulder tightened as Lanius poured his power through that connection I had with him.  The air went still as a sound like a violin began to emerge, and the alabaster sword was drawn free from the sheath once again.


    You know what you need, now name it!


    What came next caused every pirate on the ship to scream in terror, to make Taryn stand up straight and back away in a hurry, to make Clay himself retreat a little up the gangplank in worry.  All around the cave the ground changed color as from every dead body, every drip and every pool it came. It came and flowed up my body like a fresh skin, an armor no one would ever believe could exist.


    ¡°Blood,¡± we spoke the word on everyone''s mind.


    ¡°Witchcraft!¡± Clay declared.  ¡°A monster!¡±


    Our first step was a hesitant one, as we were unaccustomed to this.  It was an odd sensation, a warmth that covered us, but we could also feel the force of life that had been inside the blood at one point.  Now it floated around us in a cocoon, a reminder that men had died and not even death had saved them from this strange violation.


    When we took another step it was far more confident, though our foot didn¡¯t connect with the ground.  Instead the blood blocked everything, the only points of our body exposed were our eyes and two holes for our nose.  We motioned toward Taryn with our left hand, as the sword was still in our right. ¡°Protect Kaina and the others.¡±


    Taryn nodded, the look on his face mixed between sadness and anger.  Our connection had not only remained open but felt even greater than normal, and we knew within he regretted his decision to say no to us.  It was a regret that we felt was best to ignore, as in the end we would live and that was all that mattered.


    Clay swung his hand out in our direction, once more that flicker of reflective light visible for a moment.  We knew already what the source of it was, he had learned to use the water in his own body as a weapon. All in all we found that amusing, the idea of it equatable to a toy wielded by an infant.


    With a dismissive wave of our left arm we knocked aside the water whip, the blood armor barely impacted upon.  We chose to act before he could muster up some sort of trick, how would we have felt if we told Mathias later of our failure to deal with a bug?


    A quick fluid movement forward as we hurtled across the cave toward Clay, and when he raised an arm in instinctive defense the sword swung out.  It was a cut that chopped off his arm, and as the blood shot from the fresh wound it was sucked from the air and added to our armor. Within us we felt that singular child rejoice at the vengeance, an arm for an arm, but such a thought was beneath us at that moment.


    ¡°We know that she would grant you mercy if you asked for it,¡± we informed Clay.  ¡°We, however, do not care to do such a thing. You harmed ours, and in such an act we will grant you only one thing.¡±


    The confused look on Clay¡¯s face, intermixed with a grimace of pain, only worsened as we lifted our left hand up.  The palm faced out toward his head, a seemingly pointless gesture. A moment later it became obvious to everyone why we had done it, as a spike made of blood shot forth and impaled his head.


    While the garbage fell off of the gangplank and into the water our own attention was pointed toward the pirates on the ships.  Our sword, devoid of blood, was aimed toward the morons. ¡°Your transgressions are forgivable,¡± we informed those who remained.  ¡°If you discard your pointless weapons and kneel before your God we shall grant clemency.¡±


    There response was understandable, as we were obviously their superior.  Each of the pirates threw their pointless weapons into the waters or onto the deck and knelt down, some even placing their foreheads against the wood.  If we cared for such a thing we might have even enjoyed that subservience, but that had never been what we wanted.


    With a stagger I stepped back, the armor of blood left in front of me.  I quietly sheathed Lanius¡¯ sword and it was that action which triggered the collapse of the red liquid.  Most of it fell into the water of the cove, a red wave which floated around the corpse of Clay.


    There was a monumental feeling of weakness that had overcome me, but it was a feeling I could not show to the pirates.  A single mistake here would put us back into a fight, and with Taryn¡¯s injury even he might struggle against such numbers.


    ¡°Taryn,¡± I called out to him, as I shook away the need to feel his touch.  There would be time for comfort and rest later. ¡°Have Kaina help you tie those guys up, maybe some of the villagers can help too.¡±


    Taryn walked up from behind, his hand gently wrapping around the sheathed sword.  He took it back, the weapon placed once more on his waist, and I was quite happy to have it gone from my hand.  My mind still struggled with what had happened, as I had been myself but at the same time not. It was as though I had been in a house, but not in the central room and instead off to the side, but at the same time a part of me had been in the main room.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± Taryn whispered to me, the worry obvious on his face.


    ¡°Of course, who do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡± I responded.  Even though I wasn¡¯t there was no way I¡¯d ever let anyone else present know how weak I felt.


    Taryn took the response at face value, or so I hoped, and he walked up the gangplank.  Once he reached the top he barked at the pirates and demanded some rope, while Kaina hesitatingly approached me.  The fear on her face was blatant, but there was nothing I could do to stop that.


    Instead I walked away from the two ships and took up a position near the center of the cave.  I glared at the pirates, especially any that dared to move, and put on my best act to intimidate them.  One would doubt that they¡¯d ever do anything after what I¡¯d just done, but there were a lot of crazy people out there.


    In my mind, though, all I could think about was what Lanius had said.  A curse of some sort, he had called it, one that would manifest at a later date.  ¡°I swear I¡¯ll figure out a way to kill him if he hurts my family,¡± I promised the air.


    I would never harm the family of my Disciple.

 Vol. 3 Chapter 10 - Conception of Fate

    A chill went down my spine when I realized Lanius had whispered to me when I no longer held the sword.  His mention of the word disciple also struck deep, and I knew even though I shouldn¡¯t that my deal with him had written that fact into my very soul.  Though I wasn¡¯t certain on the extent of what it meant that I was his disciple, I knew that in the future we would interact again.


    I wrapped my left hand around my own right, the shaking that had started in desperate need of hiding.  A sign of weakness at this moment could prove dangerous, as those pirates stared at me with such fear I knew why they had given up.  Even I would¡¯ve surrendered if faced with a monster like what they¡¯d just seen.


    My gaze moved to Taryn, and as I watched it became obvious that he struggled with his new situation.  A man with one arm would find tying anyone up with a rope difficult. The arm he had lost would never be returned, the fact already in my mind before I even thought on it.


    That knowledge was there and I already knew the origin of it.  Lanius may have stopped talking to me but we had spent time together, and that time had altered me.  Information had spilled over during that merge, and whether I would call it a scarring or a gift might depend on what I learned.


    I¡¯d also learned why he¡¯d stopped me from using my Presence, though I¡¯d confront that later.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± someone from behind called out, interrupting my line of thought.


    With a slight jump of surprise I turned to look at who had spoken.  It was a portly older man, his beard and hair tainted with grey and silver. While he smiled openly at me the fear in his eyes was obvious, and his body was half-turned away as though at any moment he might run.


    ¡°Your thanks is appreciated,¡± I responded, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re the leader of Vexxon¡¯s Landing?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes, my name is Phillins.¡± The old man waved in the direction of the other townsfolk.  Kaina had already freed them, but they¡¯d huddled up near the cave wall furthest from me.


    ¡°What happened to you all?¡± I asked, curious if what I suspected was exactly how it had played out.


    Phillins rubbed his hands together, his gaze turned toward the ground as though he was ashamed of something.  ¡°That pirate leader and his men showed up at our gate days ago. He just waved his hand and the whole gate was ripped apart, it was crazy.  Liam and Donal started killing the other legionnaires. I begged with the pirate, but he ignored everything and butchered every young man.¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t hear you, he was deaf,¡± I idly commented, as though it was common knowledge.


    ¡°What? How do you know that?¡±


    The knowledge I¡¯d gleaned from Lanius had included the cost Clay had paid.  ¡°It was obvious if you knew what you were looking for.¡±


    ¡°Not to sound ungrateful,¡± Phillins murmured, as he rubbed his hands together nervously, ¡°but who are you and how¡¯d you get here?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I straightened my back and turned to fully look at Phillins.  ¡°I am Liliana Rose, daughter of Vandross Rose. My friend and I were helping merchants, but pirates sank our boat, and we washed up.¡±


    The reaction from Phillins was instantaneous, as all the fear in his eyes vanished.  With a large honest smile on his face he turned to the other townsfolk and waved them toward us.  ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s the daughter of the Hero!¡±


    As though a weight was lifted from the hunched backs of the scared townsfolk, they all stood up straight and started to almost run over.  Questions started to fly at me, about my father and if he was anything like the stories they¡¯d heard.


    ¡°Is it true the hero took down a ci-¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s stronger the Ice Queen or-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s seven feet tall!¡±


    While the crowd talked over each other, eager to hear anything about my parents, one of the children tugged at my clothing with one hand.  ¡°Miss, miss, help him, he¡¯s hurt!¡± She pointed at the boat.


    She had pointed to Taryn and the bloody stump where his arm used to be.  Most of the bleeding had stopped, but every so often a little bit more would spurt out.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that, Taryn¡¯s a tough guy,¡± I told the girl in a soft tone.


    Though she smiled back at me there was that doubt in her eyes, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from looking at Taryn.  She hid behind an older lady, perhaps her grandmother, while the others continued to pester me with questions I had no interest in answering.


    ¡°Lady Rose,¡± Phillins said from the side, ¡°I am happy that you helped us, but...what do you expect us to do with your prisoners?¡±


    It was a question that I hadn¡¯t expected, and also presented a problem with no easy solution.  The Legion would have either thrown them in chains or executed them. Since they¡¯d attacked and killed legionnaires, not to mention conspired with traitors, the latter was the more probable.


    Yet if we made that clear they would fight, and with Taryn and I in our current states the fight wouldn¡¯t be easy.  Some of the townsfolk could get caught up in it, or Kaina might end up hurt. Enslavement might end up causing a problem for us as well, depending on how the pirates responded.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not disrupt your customs,¡± I responded, not admitting to the fact that I was uncertain, ¡°what do you do with your criminals?¡±


    ¡°For the minor crimes we prefer a house arrest, but for the severe crimes we tend to trade them to the Lossons.¡±


    ¡°Trade?  And who?¡± I lifted an eyebrow at that word.


    ¡°Our neighbors, the natives,¡± Phillins explained, ¡°they¡¯ve been called that all my life.  They have mines all over near where their village is, so they have the criminals do labor for them.¡±


    My attention shifted away from the townsfolk and back to the boats, as I started to think again on the problem of the pirates.  The two boats that were in the cove had dozens of men on them, far more than what we could hope to easily escort back to the town.


    Taryn and Kaina walked over while I was still surrounded by curious townsfolk. Their arrival prompted a slight retreat of the more cautious of the folk, though some recognized Kaina and called out to her.  Most of the younger women stepped over and hugged her, overjoyed to see their friend again. I barely made out the words sorry and Ernie constantly said to Kaina.


    ¡°It¡¯s not here,¡± Taryn commented to me, his eyes locked onto the boats.  He stood half-turned, partially facing me, while his remaining hand fingered at the bloody stump.


    ¡°What isn¡¯t here?¡±


    ¡°The ship that attacked us. They¡¯re a similar design but those two are built for speed.¡±


    I blinked in surprise, and then I studied the two boats.  ¡°Did the pirates tell you anything?¡±


    ¡°Most of them won¡¯t say a thing, but a couple admitted there are two more ships out there.  They run on a rotation to try and control the trade routes.¡±


    ¡°This could turn bad, we need to get in contact with the Legion,¡± I said, turning to face Kaina, ¡°Kaina, could your tribe help us escort these guys?¡±


    There were some tears in Kaina¡¯s eyes as she pulled herself away from the group of women.  ¡°Help?¡± she half-asked, and then she gave a quick nod, ¡°I go get men. Men help men.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, we¡¯ll wait here,¡± I told her, ¡°I¡¯d rather not drag the townsfolk through the jungle right now.¡±


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Hours later Kaina returned with a group of men, each of them armed with a bow and a short sword.  Since it was already too late in the day we chose to camp out in the cove, and the pirates were kept below deck on the ships.  It was only after they were locked up with Losson guards on standby that I finally rested.


    I ended up stealing the captains room, the bed in it excessively plush for a pirate.  Though Taryn joined me I had no interest in doing anything aside from sleeping, and before I knew it I fell into a sound sleep. It was in that sleep that the dream began.


    The field of dark grass rippled in the light breeze that coursed over the plain.  Above clouds of purple blotted out a black sky, a single white full moon barely visible through the coverage.  Three other people were present.


    The first was a man who wore a white suit of armor, a shield attached to his forearm.  A massive sword was sheathed on his back, one so large that no normal person could ever hope to use it.  His face was simple, so common place that you would walk past him on the street without a second thought.  His dark green eyes were half-covered by black long bangs, while his hair extended out down his back and flowed past his sword.


    Mathias.  The god of war, the forge, and .


    The second was a beautiful woman with green hair and purple eyes.  Her figure was slender, save for her chest which was exaggerated. A tight emerald dress with a short hem showed off every curve of her body, and knee high boots completed her ensemble.


    Siandra.  The goddess of emotions, will, and form.


    The final figure wore a blue shirt, dark blue pants and a simple black pair of shoes.  His hair mirrored his pants in color, a short cut that kept his silver eyes always visible.  He stood there with one hand on his hip, the other limp at his side.


    Axel.  The god of water, the sky and the heavens beyond.


    ¡°Why should I care about this silliness of yours?¡± Axel asked.


    ¡°You and I both know what¡¯s happening impacts all of us,¡± Mathias rumbled in that idiotic deep tone of his.  I often thought he used that voice simply because he thought it was impressive. ¡°If we don¡¯t act she¡¯ll take them all from us.¡±


    ¡°You mean all the people who abandoned us?  Oh! That¡¯s right.¡± Siandra pointed one finger toward Mathias.  ¡°You¡¯re still worshipped aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Mathias clenched his one fist, a look of anger flashing over his face.  ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter!¡± he growled, ¡°even without worship we can still sustain ourselves.  We can¡¯t, though, if she takes everyone from us!¡±


    I stepped forward and lifted up my violin bow, putting it into the middle of the small group of Gods.  ¡°Come now, do we really need to waste our efforts with this squabbling?¡± I calmly interjected, ¡°I believe we all understand the stakes.  Nixi has gone mad, and our food will never survive her wrath alone.¡±


    Siandra visibly cringed at the word food, a failing of hers due to how closely she¡¯d worked on the humans.  ¡°I obviously know that.¡± She flicked her hand at us. ¡°What do you think we can do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely not shattering myself like Nixi, that¡¯d be idiocy,¡± Axel said as he crossed his arms.


    ¡°No,¡± Mathias said, ¡°we alone can not finish this task.¡±


    It was a comment that caused all of us to stare at him, and for a moment I thought my brother had gone mad.  ¡°How do you expect us to stop her then?¡±


    ¡°We use the food,¡± Mathias said, and then he gave a shake of his head, ¡°no, we use the humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more insane than the idea of shattering ourselves to counter her,¡± I declared, ¡°they¡¯re nothing more than inconsequential bugs.  They wouldn¡¯t even exist without us.¡±


    ¡°I have to agree with Lanius,¡± Axel spoke up, ¡°we spun them from nothing to serve as food.  We can do so again if we need to.¡±


    ¡°That would mean leaving this rock behind,¡± Mathias pointed out, ¡°and how many of us did we lose during the last migration?¡±


    ¡°Not to mention we¡¯d barely have the power left to create a flea, let alone humans again,¡± Siandra chimed in.


    ¡°While I loathe to admit to this, you¡¯re right,¡± I conceded, ¡°but what sort of plan could you have that can fix the current scenario?¡±


    ¡°First I will make a weapon,¡± Mathias began to explain, ¡°and it will house one of us.  With the soul of a God we can easily deal with the shattered pieces, and all we need to do is find where Nixi¡¯s core is hiding.¡±


    Axel gave a laugh at that.  ¡°That counts me out, if I¡¯m stuck in the sword I won¡¯t be able to stop any asteroids from ruining our world.¡±


    ¡°That also counts you out, Mathias,¡± Siandra said, before she pointed one finger at me, ¡°and I¡¯m inept at anything to do with souls.  That¡¯s why you were given that burden, brother.¡±


    ¡°I must agree, but there¡¯s no way the food could ever hope to handle the power of a God.¡±


    ¡°That is where I must yield to the help of Siandra,¡± Mathias told us, ¡°because though I may hold one key to our salvation, you know their bodies better than any of us.¡±


    Siandra put one of her long fingernails to her cheek and slowly traced the jawline, a thoughtful look in her eyes.  For a while we stood there, knowing fully well that she would eventually figure out the solution we needed. Out of us all she had always been the smartest, though perhaps also the least eager to flex her abilities.


    ¡°We do what Nixi is doing, but to a lesser degree,¡± she finally said, ¡°between us we will help the humans discover the power that they can wield if given the chance.¡±


    ¡°Even if we show them the path, even if they grow, they¡¯ll never be strong enough to deal with her,¡± I said.


    Siandra gave a small smile at that, before she spoke her thoughts again.  The words brought a gasp from all of our mouths, and I knew that the horror of what she¡¯d suggested was visible on my face.


    I woke with a start from the dream, a vicious wrenching back to reality that disoriented me.  Rage filled me, rage at what I¡¯d heard and what I could understand, but when I rubbed at my face with my hand I found something I didn¡¯t expect.


    I almost laughed, as I pulled my wet hand away.  Quietly I climbed out of the bed, leaving behind the sleeping Taryn, and I walked over to where the sword had been left.  I picked that weapon up and stared at it, the rage once again building inside.


    ¡°I should snap you in half for what you¡¯ve done,¡± I whispered, before I threw the sword as hard as I could into the wall, ¡°but that¡¯d stain what she¡¯s done.¡±


    I walked over to the bed and stared at Taryn, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.  The idiot continued to sleep even with all of the ruckus I made. I sat down on the bed next to him and stared out the window of the ship, staring at the full moon that had risen outside the cove.


    I interlaced my fingers together over my stomach and leaned back against Taryn.  He continued to snore while I thought on the dream that Lanius had shared with me, one that had explained a bit more than I¡¯d expected.


    ¡°I promise Siandra, we won¡¯t fail you.¡±

 Vol. 3 Chapter 11 - Homeward Bound

    The next morning we gathered up the townsfolk and prisoners.  While the Losson corralled the pirates I double-checked Taryn¡¯s arm.  With a knife I cut up some of the bedding on the ship and used it to bundle the end and hide his bloody stump.  I could only hope it wouldn¡¯t bother the children anymore.


    Before we left the boats I made certain to pick up a new sword, along with a small dagger that I tucked into my left boot.  While they couldn¡¯t make up for my lost shatterblade it was far better than being unarmed.


    When we left the cove we left the ships anchored and untouched.  Phillins and I had talked about how once the Legion reinforcements showed up they could make use of the pirate ships.  At the least they could raid whatever was in the holds.


    Once we started our march to the east we put the pirates in the front, with the main bulk of the Losson guards focused around the townsfolk in the back.  Taryn, Kaina and I chose to lead the way, retracing our steps through the northern tip of the jungle.


    The progress was far slower than what I remembered, though it was due to the children we had along with us.  While we walked through the jungle I couldn¡¯t resist looking back at them, constantly worried that one of the kids would wander off into the unknown.  My time spent at the orphanage had made me realize that I rather liked children.


    It was thanks to that I noticed the pirate who decided to run for it.  Even though his hands were bound behind him he made a dash to the south, heading deeper into the jungle.  Some of his nearby companions followed after him, most likely encouraged by the first escapee.


    None of the pirates who remained made any noises and instead watched their friends try to escape.  Some of the townsfolk near the back saw the escaping pirates and yelled. The Losson, however, remained absolutely silent and made no move to stop the pirates.  For some reason a couple of them had started to draw their swords.


    ¡°Hey! Get back here!¡± Taryn cried out from next to me, which in turn drew my attention to him.


    Kaina put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from chasing after the escapees.  ¡°No go.¡±


    ¡°What?  But if we don-¡± Taryn was interrupted by screams that abruptly came from where the pirates had escaped too.


    It was for that reason that I stopped looking at Taryn and instead to the darkened trees.  The screams continued on for a while, along with other noises that could only be called wet.  A few loud cracks, as though bones had snapped, and all of the screams came to an end.


    ¡°Kaina, what was that?¡± I asked as I kept my gaze on the dark jungle into which the pirates had vanished.  I had already pulled my new sword out from the cheap leather scabbard.


    Kaina stepped in front of me, on my left. ¡°Bone hounds.¡±


    From the jungle a sort of hooting laughter came from multiple directions.  A flash of grey fur with black stripes was briefly visible, and then back into the foliage and trees it vanished.


    ¡°Get behind me,¡± Taryn said.


    ¡°No,¡± was my reply, ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection Taryn.  Those townsfolk do, though.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not the ones I¡¯m worried about,¡± Taryn muttered, though he listened and hurriedly walked off to the back of our group.


    I glanced at Taryn as he moved back to the townsfolk.  As he walked past the pirates he glared at them, which made most of the closest ones flinch away and cower.


    ¡°Keep it together you idiot,¡± I whispered, though I couldn¡¯t resist smiling.


    When I looked back at the jungle a chill went down my spine, because one of the so-called bone hounds stood confidently out in the open.  The creature stood a good four feet tall and was at least six feet in length, with a flat head and a shortened muzzle.


    The hound¡¯s fur was short, with little tufts of excess fur running down the spine.  The fur itself was a light grey with black stripes that ran vertically on the torso.  Part of the fur was a mottled mixture of different shades of grey. It stared at us with golden eyes, a long tongue lolling out of a mouth left wide open.


    In front of me Kaina¡¯s finger moved slowly over the arrows in her quiver.  After she¡¯d moved her hand over half of them she pulled one out and nocked it.  ¡°Wait,¡± she said over her shoulder to me.


    More of the hooting came from the jungle behind the hound, and then a few more of the beasts emerged into the morning light.  Blood dripped freely from scraps of flesh which hung from their mouths, and cries of fear came from the townsfolk and pirates.


    At first two more emerged, and then a third hound padded out from the shadows.  A fourth and fifth came along not long after, while from the jungle that odd hooting call sounded out from multiple spots.


    I edged my right foot slightly forward, the sword I held in my right hand at the ready.  I tried my best to focus on relaxing, while I bent my knees a little bit. I removed the sheath that I had belted to my waist and, though it was a loose leather one, I gripped it in my hand with full intent to use it for defense.


    They made no noise when they attacked, quick dark shadows that darted from the thicker part of the jungle in unison.  New ones emerged, almost as though serving as reinforcements, and soon the entire area in front of me was a mass of blackened figures.


    When the hounds were a couple of body lengths distant from us Kaina fired her arrow.  The arrow itself flew over the top of the bone hounds, though it wasn¡¯t because she missed.  Instead the arrow proved to be a bit different from the normal, as it produced a high pitched screech as it passed over the beasts.


    It wasn¡¯t only Kaina who fired a special arrow, as a couple more came off from my right and where the Losson guards were.  The response from the hounds was immediate, they yowled and ducked their heads down. Some of the more forward fell down and tumbled, only to get run into by their pack members.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    I didn¡¯t wait for the go ahead from Kaina, it was obvious enough to me that it was the time to act.  While the nearest hound floundered, crying in pain at the sound of the arrows. I dashed up to that beast and without a hint of hesitation stabbed the sword directly into it¡¯s left eye.


    I took a big step forward with my left foot, even while I ripped the sword out of the hounds head.  While still mid-step I took advantage of my forward momentum to punch at the side of the beasts face.  My fist collided with a loud crack, and I could feel the bone of the hound crunch beneath the blow.


    I snapped that same fist that I¡¯d used to punch the hound out to my left, and toward one of the other creatures.  The leather scabbard I had swung out like a poor man¡¯s whip slapped the second hound in the face, causing it to flinch.  I followed through with a quick swing of my sword and cleaved deep into the side of the hounds face.


    A couple of arrows flew in from behind and hit some of the still active bone hounds.  It was support from Kaina that I had no issue receiving, though I wasn¡¯t dumb enough to turn around in the middle of the fight to thank her.


    Instead I focused on the pack that was in front of me.  It was a precarious position to be sure, as five more of the hounds were in my vicinity.  Though a couple had been hit by Kaina their focus was entirely on me, though I could only guess as to why that was the case.


    I had no intention to draw on the power of Lanius, nor was I able to use my Presence, and so I focused inwardly on that sliver of Taryn¡¯s.  Immediately I could feel that extra power pump through my body, and I knew that my eyes had turned crimson once again. I took one step forward, a slight tremor sent out from where my foot connected with the ground due to the excess power.


    The impact on the bone hounds was instantaneous, as they backed away and gave low growls.  A couple of them hooted to the others, before they turned and took off in a dead run for the jungle.  The others nearby me followed soon after and so I was left with no more opponents to fight.


    No longer engaged with my own fight I turned my attention to the others.  I could only guess that the bone hounds had reached a few of the pirates since some of them were gone, but all of the townsfolk were thankfully huddled together further back.


    The Losson had taken up a formation where some of them were in the front and the rest stood behind them.  The ones in the front had pulled out their swords, while the back row continued to utilize their bows. A small group of dead hounds had fallen in front of them, covered in arrows and slash wounds.


    Behind them Taryn stood with a battered hound still gripped in his single hand.  Nearby him two more hounds were lain out on the ground, their bodies crushed down from what I could only guess was Taryn using the one he held as a club.


    Before I could join the fight to help the Losson their opponents stopped in their attack, their heads turned toward the jungle where new hoots sounded out.  A few seconds later the remnants of the pack scattered back into the dark undergrowth.


    ¡°Kaina,¡± I said as I turned to her, ¡°is it safe now?¡±


    ¡°Hounds scared.¡± Kaina lowered her bow and waved her hand toward the jungle.  ¡°Run far.¡±


    From behind I heard the sound of someone approaching, and then Taryn said, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I faced him, hand lifting up halfway to reach out to him.  I stopped it there though, as this was not the place for any type of cuddling or other such silliness.


    ¡°They seemed a bit smarter than the other things we¡¯ve seen here,¡± Taryn commented.


    I gave a nod at that before I said, ¡°I hope we don¡¯t need to deal with them again.  If they hit us from a blindspot they could kill a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Come,¡± Kaina called out to us as she started to walk away, pausing only for a moment to make sure we followed her.


    Though the townsfolk had been shaken they, along with the pirates, started to walk with us once more toward Vexxon¡¯s Landing.  The pirates were the ones shaken the most, and they spent the next few hours sending worried looks toward the jungle to our south.


    We only had one other incident on our march back to the town, as a Snapjaw emerged from the jungle without warning.  The monstrosity bashed through a tree and started a mad charge toward the middle of our group.


    Kaina reacted before I could, as she pulled out one of the flowers she¡¯d gathered from before.  She impaled that flower on the tip of her one arrow, and then loosed the arrow itself toward the oncoming Snapjaw.


    When the arrow hit the flower burst, a small cloud of spores unleashed near the face.  The Snapjaw drew back, inhaling deeply, and then let out a loud squeal as it shook violently from one end to the other.  Before I could even understand what had happened, it took off in a dash back into the jungle from whence it came.


    I gave a confused look toward Kaina, but she didn¡¯t even respond to me and instead continued on.  Taryn gave me a pat on the shoulder with his one hand, though he made no move to follow Kaina until after I had.  Far back behind us I could hear the sound of the villagers as they talked loudly amongst themselves, but the distance made specific words hard to make out.


    When we finally reached the wooden bridge the townsfolk began to cry for joy, though none of them made any move to run ahead of us.  In the distance the battered remains of their village could be made out, the gateway still gone thanks to the deceased pirate leader.


    With the sun having started to set we hurried ourselves along, increasing the pace even though it would be hard on the older folk and children.  Taryn and I both had no interest in camping out after the day we¡¯d had.


    The town itself was the same as how we¡¯d left it, a thankful change from the continual stressful life I seemed to live.  No strange wood monsters or large beasts lurked inside the wooden walls of Vexxon¡¯s Landing, and the townsfolk quickly set about trying to settle in for the night.


    The Losson borrowed one of the more battered houses that none of the townsfolk used, pushing the pirates into it for the night.  They talked extensively with Kaina, and then one of them went and ran off out of the town.


    It was a move that made me worry a little, though I had begun to trust Kaina and didn¡¯t want to think that she might be up to something.   The fact that none of the Losson could speak our language well had created a bit of an annoyance.


    I pushed the thought of potential betrayal to the back of my mind, and instead I set about heading over toward the sturdiest building in the town.  What I arrived at was a battered box of wood and metal, enough damage done to it that the walls had caved in. The roof had fallen in along the western side, while the door that would normally be at the front had been shattered to pieces.


    ¡°Taryn,¡± I called over my shoulder, as I knew that he had shadowed me quietly, ¡°help me clear this out.  There should be a small metal box somewhere in here.¡±


    He thankfully didn¡¯t argue with me and instead began to move the lumber.  While I struggled with some of the larger pieces he easily picked them up, and with minimal interest he discarded all of them randomly off to our sides.


    It was well into the night by the time we¡¯d made sufficient progress, most of the outer layer of the destroyed building having been peeled away.  Taryn was the one who found what I wanted to, a small box hidden beneath a broken table. The box itself was made of metal, and it had numerous knobs on it that had multiple odd symbols etched into them.


    I took that box from Taryn and gave a small cry of joy, before my hands worked on the knobs.  As Rocky had taught me so many years ago I worked the locks on the puzzle box. Taryn started to say something but a quick glare stopped that nonsense, as I needed to focus on the task at hand rather than deal with an unnecessary question.


    To be fair I might¡¯ve been a bit rude toward Taryn, but since the unlocking process took me a good twenty minutes I felt somewhat justified.  A single mistake during that would¡¯ve forced me to start over from the beginning, and only after the tumblers had properly reset after an hour or so.


    When the box made a loud click I triumphantly slipped the top open and revealed the content, a small black sphere.  ¡°Finally!¡± I declared as I scooped the sphere out of the box, and then promptly discarded the box into Taryn¡¯s hands.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Taryn asked while he put the box down on the broken table.


    ¡°How we¡¯re getting home.¡±


    I rubbed the sphere with my both my hands, letting my body heat work into the cold stone.  Once the warmth had filled it I lifted it up to my mouth. ¡°Hello?¡±


    Taryn gave me a very confused look, but right as he was about to most likely ask if I was alright the stone vibrated audibly.  ¡°This is legionnaire Rexton, identify who you are immediately.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t resist the grin that spread over my face.  ¡°I am Liliana Rose of Scintallia.¡±


    ¡°The daughter?¡± the voice on the other side of the stone sounded strangled for a moment, before a loud cough could be heard.  ¡°How can I be of assistance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m currently in Vexxon¡¯s Landing and all the legionnaires here are dead, and their boats are all gone,¡± I informed Rexton.


    ¡°Ships,¡± he corrected me, ¡°it might take me a few weeks simply to get the paperwork through to get someone out to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d mean at least a few months before a boat got here!¡± I almost swore at that, but managed to keep control of my emotions, ¡°get ahold of Sciroco.  Tell him Flower needs his help.¡±


    ¡°The high general?  I heard you were connected to him but...alright, I¡¯ll personally go now to speak with him.  He should be having breakfast soon.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make sure to keep the stone nearby for any future communications,¡± I told Rexton, and then I pocketed it.


    Done with my conversation with the legionnaire I turned my attention back to Taryn.  With a loud cry of joy I jumped at him and wrapped my arms around him. ¡°We¡¯re going to get back home!¡±

 Vol. 3 Chapter 12 - Promises Of The Future

    The next morning i woke up amongst the ruins of the old legionnaire barracks.  Nestled up next to me, and serving as a wall that I¡¯d put my back to, was the slumbering Taryn.  I moved his arm off of me, while some of the rising sun peeked over the eastern wall of the village.


    A light chill ran down my spine as I walked out into the town, enough that I wrapped my arms around myself.  Before I¡¯d gotten up some of the townsfolk had already started to work on repairing their damaged homes. Near the center of the town a small cluster of people, which included Phillins, had gathered.


    When I walked over to make sure everything was fine I was greeted by what I could only consider an odd sight.  Kaina stood in the middle of crowd alongside one of the Losson I¡¯d already met, and a third individual who everyone was interested in.


    She wasn¡¯t altogether tall, perhaps dead even with Taryn¡¯s own height, and she didn¡¯t have any large muscles.  Her dark skin and even darker hair made her obviously another Losson, and similar to Kaina she had a bit of blue instead of the usual white around the iris.  Altogether she had the look of an average woman in size and shape.


    What made her stand out most of all was that she wore no clothing.  Not even a pair of sandals were on her feet, though she did have a pouch on her right side, one that was tied about her waist. Instead of clothing black markings made of a thick paint ran in wide lines across her body.  I could tell it was meant to form a pattern, but what it meant I had no idea.


    She stood there with arms on her hips and a wide smile on her face.  Though she had garnered some unhappy expressions of the nearby villagers she showed no concern for their opinions.  In truth she was probably the boldest woman I¡¯d ever met.


    I had a good deal of experience dealing with nudity, mostly thanks to my legionnaire training, so I found it merely curious rather than anything else.  I gently touched the shoulders of the townsfolk between me and the Losson and the crowd parted, some with happy expressions and others with a hint of fear at the sight of me.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said to the kind people who stepped aside, before I redirected my next words, ¡°Kaina?  Who is she?¡±


    ¡°Lily!¡± Kaina started to smile when she noticed me, ¡°this Oph-¡±


    Kaina¡¯s words were interrupted when the mysterious woman lifted up one hand in front of her face.  ¡°Shh shh, Kaina,¡± she said before she laughed, ¡°I am the chieftain of the Losson, Ophain.¡±


    I stared at Ophain, a little surprised by how easily she spoke the language, although everyone else nearby didn¡¯t even react.  ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± I said while I tried to mentally recover, ¡°I am Liliana Rose. I was not expecting to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Few do.¡± Ophain wiggled her fingers.  ¡°I was fiddling around with a Snapjaw when Kaina came and told me about you and your man.  I heard you found a bunch of bad people you don¡¯t know what to do with?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Phillins said as he stepped in from the side, ¡°Lady Rose and her companion helped apprehend some pirates, but we don¡¯t have the manpower to guard or keep them.¡±


    ¡°Kill them.¡±


    Phillins recoiled as a flash of disgust flickered over his face.  ¡°There¡¯s no way I could do that.¡± Phillins nervously wrung his hands together.  ¡°I can¡¯t ask the girls to kill them, and there¡¯d be, no that¡¯s just a horrible idea!¡±


    I cleared my throat to draw their attention back to me.  ¡°Phillins and I were thinking of asking you to take them, in exchange for your help in guarding the town until the Legion can get new soldiers here.¡±


    ¡°So you want us to not only shelter a bunch of murderers but also waste manpower on guarding you?¡± Ophain laughed as she shook her head.  ¡°Do you even understand the basics of trade?¡±


    It was a reply that I hadn''t expected, but one that made me instantly ashamed.  I should¡¯ve thought about how I would simply be shoving the work onto the Losson for nothing.  Though they might get a little more in the way of miners they¡¯d have to feed them, shelter them, and especially watch over them.


    If anything they probably were losing out by taking the pirates.  ¡°I don¡¯t have anything,¡± I admitted, ¡°but I swear on the honor of my family that I will appease you if you assist us.¡±


    Ophain eyed me from head to toe as she leaned in, her eyes narrowing.  ¡°Your family name doesn¡¯t mean anything to me,¡± she told me bluntly, ¡°but at least you¡¯re smart enough to know you have nothing of value.¡±


    ¡°Ophain!¡± Phillin cried out in shock from the side, ¡°Lady Rose is from one of the most important families of the empire!¡±


    My skin prickled at the sensation of Ophain¡¯s gaze on my skin as her interest in me seemed to heighten.  ¡°Oh,¡± she said quietly, ¡°maybe we can figure out a deal then.¡±


    With a loud clap of her hands she straightened her back and started to walk away.  Ophain called out orders to Kaina in the language of the Losson, but she didn¡¯t even spare another glance in my direction.  The natives all moved quick enough and started to lead the prisoners out of the hut they¡¯d been shoved into and in short order they were escorted out of Vexxon¡¯s Landing.


    Not even an hour later and the prisoners were all gone while a small contingent of Losson remained near the gate.  They quietly milled around it with bored expressions on their face while the rest of their tribesmen left for the jungle.


    ¡°She¡¯s always like that,¡± Phillin told me after Ophain was completely gone, ¡°like a wild storm that blows through without warning.¡±


    It was an interesting fact to hear, but I was more concerned with what she¡¯d ask of me in exchange for their help.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    After my brief encounter with Ophain time began to slide by at a quick pace.  The townsfolk managed to patch up Vexxon¡¯s Landing and even repair the gate, while the Losson kept a close guard in case either pirates or animals attempted to attack.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    A few weeks later and everyone had fallen into a simple enough schedule.  The ladies of the town would often take some food out for the guards, while the guards in turn would consistently follow a schedule so that everyone became used to seeing specific Losson.  After a month the Losson had even started to learn how to talk, and it became obvious how much they enjoyed the attention from the ladies.


    I spent my time with Taryn throughout that long wait for the Legion to send their ship.  He took the loss of his arm as well as I could hope, though he had those moments of frustration whenever he¡¯d try to do something as simple as belting his pants.  The small things that we take for granted every day had become difficult for him, and so whenever he needed me I was there for him.


    I could tell it was hard for him to ask for my help, though, and quite often I found myself wandering to give him some alone time.  During those solitary moments I found myself on the beach near Vexxon¡¯s Landing. The clear blue horizon rarely changed and brought to me a sort of calming assurance that no matter what it would always be the same.


    By the time the Legion ship arrived I¡¯d developed a solid tan and the town had become for the most part fully functional again.  A couple of the Losson had even decided to stay around permanently, having made friends with some of the lonelier girls, and the dozen legionnaires who had been sent on the ship were greeted by a reconstructed barracks.


    It was at that time when Ophain showed up again.


    She walked into the village without fanfare, a sudden appearance that caused an immediate ripple of discussion amongst the townsfolk.  The legionnaires who had only just arrived watched on with curiosity, though I was quite sure it had more to do with Ophain¡¯s lack of clothing than anything else.


    ¡°Ophain.¡± Phillins gave a small bow to the chieftain.  ¡°As always it''s wonderful to see you.¡±


    ¡°Flattering as always, don¡¯t worry I¡¯m not here for any of your people,¡± Ophain said with a dismissive wave toward the old man, ¡°I¡¯m here for Lily.¡±


    Once again we were in the middle of the town, though the townsfolk this time had given us a wide berth as they wanted nothing to do with Ophain.  Behind me Taryn had drawn up close at the words from the Losson leader while the legionnaires kept a distance, though their curious looks made it obvious that they wanted to know what was going on.


    I gave a respectful half-bow to the chieftain. ¡°How may I be of assistance?¡±


    ¡°You promised on your family''s name that you would make our deal equatable, no?¡±


    ¡°Whatever I can do I will try,¡± I swore.


    ¡°Good.  Have your Empire consider us a proper nation and that we are the owners of these lands, save for what we have already allowed you to settle.¡±


    I went still at that request.  To be fair everyone who heard it went completely still, and a few of the nearby villagers who¡¯d overheard what she¡¯d said even cussed in shock.  The Empire had never in the entire history of it¡¯s existence granted such a status to anyone, instead it had simply smashed everyone to pieces and absorbed them.


    To that end the entire nation was a gathering of regions with lords who all swore fealty to the Emperor.  Through the use of the Legion everyone had been kept in line, though I had heard of a few issues in the past.  Yet to declare an entire continent under the ownership of another group of people?


    ¡°Most likely if I use my father I can talk to the Emperor, but there¡¯s no way I can guarantee he would even humor your request,¡± I told her as I opted for honesty.


    Ophain threw back her head and laughed at that.  ¡°Obviously! Do you think I am so stupid as to think your little leader would listen to my demands?¡±


    ¡°Then why would you ask me to do that?¡±


    ¡°Because once every year you and your family will go to him, and you will request the same thing each time until he grants it.¡±  Ophain looked past me at Taryn. ¡°Warn them also that we shall not allow anymore towns in our lands until such time as we are granted ownership.¡±


    ¡°Are you declaring war?¡±


    Ophain clicked her tongue at that question.  ¡°Child if we were at war my people would have already killed everyone here.  No, I am merely pointing out the obvious for your foolish men. Besides, I think we¡¯ve shown that your people and mine can get along.¡±


    As she finished what she said she turned to look behind her.  A couple of the Losson stood nearby some of the townsfolk, one of the guards especially close to one of the younger girls.  From the months I¡¯d been stuck in Vexxon¡¯s I already knew that the two had gotten close to the point of worrying the mother.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you agreed to the guards,¡± I said as I stared at her accusingly.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t the faintest idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Ophain said with another laugh, ¡°I can¡¯t control what my young free little lads will do when they meet sad little girls now can I?¡±


    A coil of anger began to form inside while my right hand clenched into a fist.  I started to step toward Ophain when Taryn caught me on the shoulder with his one hand.  ¡°Calm down,¡± he whispered to me.


    It was a bad sign when Taryn was the voice of reason and I immediately cooled back down.  I let out a long sigh, quite aware that my temper as of late had started to get a tad worse.  ¡°So all I have to do is ask the Emperor to grant your tribe the rights to the continent?¡±


    ¡°Except for the Ruins, they must remain untouched by all,¡± Ophain said with a small nod, ¡°I know that you probably won¡¯t succeed at this but merely planting the idea will help greatly.  Don¡¯t be afraid to point out that we also helped to save his people from the pirates, after all we¡¯re much better as an ally.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll agree to your terms,¡± I told her, though I didn¡¯t mention that my father reported to the Emperor at least once a year already.  It would be easy enough to go along with him.


    Ophain looked at me with those dark eyes for a whole minute before she spoke again.  ¡°You will also take Kaina with you. She will make certain you uphold your word.¡±


    What would she do if I didn¡¯t was what I wanted to ask, but I suspected the answer already.  I merely nodded my head and agreed to the terms. ¡°We plan to leave tomorrow morning,¡± I informed Ophain.


    The leader of the Losson gave a flippant wave of her hand.  ¡°Stay, go, I don¡¯t care, I doubt we¡¯ll see each other anytime soon.  Congratulations, by the way.¡±


    With those mysterious final words Ophain once more left the village much like how she¡¯d come.  I began to fully understand why Phillins had compared her to a storm. After she was gone I decided to focus on preparing for the next day, since soon Taryn and I would be at sea.


    The rest of the day swept by in a rush and before I knew it we had already crossed most of the ocean.  The trip across the ocean was thankfully without issue, the pirates who were still at large never once showing up.  Along the way I spent most of my time in the cabin in bed. The rocking of the waves played havoc on my stomach.


    On the final day when land was finally in sight Taryn and I went up on deck.  It was a sunny day with a light cool breeze that tickled at the back of my neck.  Along the harbor I could make out the flags of the Legion, and one specific figure who towered over the legionnaires.


    We had arrived at the port city of Waterrick.  I knew it to be a well established town in the north-western part of the empire.  The port itself had been built into a natural bay which was in the shape of a crescent.  Further back from the shoreline numerous warehouses were the first buildings visible, while deeper in the brick homes of the citizens numbered in the hundreds.


    Though I was still at least a week away from Shiadone the sight of the lands of the empire brought a smile to my face.  Between when we¡¯d first taken up the job, our shipwreck landing, the trek through the jungle, and everything else it¡¯d been about four months.


    When the ship docked and the gangplank was lowered I nearly ran down the wooden plank onto the pier.  Taryn trudged along slowly behind me while the sailors continued to work at preparing the ship for a long time at port.


    I ran up to that central figure on the docks and leapt at him, wrapping my arms around in a hug.  ¡°Rocky!¡± I yelled out, not bothering with any sort of formality.


    The High General Sciroco picked me up and filled the air with a loud booming laugh.  Though he was rare to act so openly in front of his men he, much like myself, didn¡¯t really care at the moment.  ¡°Flower, it¡¯s good to see you survived that place,¡± he told me as he set me down.


    ¡°Taryn helped me a lot, some of the time.¡± I glanced over my shoulder at him.  ¡°He lost his arm in the process though.¡±


    Sciroco offered his hand to Taryn.  ¡°I¡¯m going to assume you¡¯ve been very careful with Lily,¡± Sciroco said as he visibly tightened his grip on Taryn¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Every day,¡± Taryn replied without flinching.


    ¡°Alright alright, stop with that,¡± I said as I pushed the two away from each other.  I didn¡¯t need Rocky trying to break Taryn¡¯s only remaining hand, nor did I need Taryn trying to prove himself.


    Sciroco backed away with a light chuckle, and then he lifted one hand up and motioned toward the soldiers behind him.  ¡°Men, have the carriage brought around. We have a long road ahead of us and Lady Rose is eager to get back to her family.¡±


    The soldiers who had been still, but interested in how the famous Rock had acted so emotionally, quickly scrambled to respond to his command.  In a few seconds the pier was devoid of legionnaires except for Rocky, who once more turned to face me.


    Any further discussion we might have had was disrupted by the arrival of a new ship.  It was a tall ship with far more space for cargo than should ever be needed, and a plethora of sailors worked hard on the deck to keep the whale under control.  It slowly crept into the pier a bit down from us while the men aboard shouted back and forth.


    The flag that fluttered on the prow of the ship was the symbol of the Melbourne family, who I knew were ran the local region.  I personally knew nothing of them, but given the type of ship that had arrived my opinion of them had already started to drop.


    ¡°That¡¯s a slavers ship, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked of either of the two present.

 Vol. 3 Chapter 13 - The Burden Of Life

    People walked in a line down the ramp of the boat, each shackled and attached to the next by a long chain.  A small group of men stood watch over them, whips at the ready for any trouble. Even from the distance we were at it was easy to see that all of the slaves were already beaten into submission, their heads low as they shuffled quietly along.


    I put one hand out to block Taryn before he had a chance to act, worried he was about to run over and beat up the slavers.  ¡°Promise me you aren¡¯t going to do something stupid.¡±


    Taryn flashed a little smile at me but he didn¡¯t try to push past.  ¡°So long as they don¡¯t beat on the children I won¡¯t do anything,¡± he promised me.


    It was an answer that I had expected, yet it was one that I had somewhat feared.  I looked past Taryn to Kaina who had just gotten off of the boat. ¡°Can you keep an eye on him?  Make sure he doesn¡¯t punch anyone.¡±


    With a dazed look on her face Kaina nodded back at me, but it was obvious she hadn¡¯t adjusted to the trip over the ocean.  I made a mental note to have a small talk with her later.


    I turned to Rocky and put on my friendliest face.  ¡°Would you mind coming with me? I could use a little influence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Flower, what are you up to?¡± Rocky asked with a laugh.


    I gave a wink before I started to walk over to where the slaver ship had docked.  Rocky caught up to me quick enough given his long stride, and he purposefully intertwined his one arm with my own.  To any onlooker it would look like an old soldier escorting his younger daughter.


    ¡°Why does it seem like there are more slavers lately?¡±


    Next to me Rocky let out a grunt.  ¡°Your dad isn¡¯t helping with that.¡±


    ¡°What?  I know we¡¯ve bought some off the market before, but he isn¡¯t helping them is he?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rocky shook his head. ¡°When I was a kid nobody ever left their towns, except for the merchants and soldiers.  The Plague made sure of that, you see, if you didn¡¯t have a wall you¡¯d die. Vandross and a few others over the last forty years have been cleansing most of the Empire, so people are starting to set up houses and little villages all over the place.¡±


    It was something I hadn¡¯t thought about before, but I¡¯d already seen proof of it recently.  A farmhouse far from a village which was raided, and a child who ended up losing her parents.  ¡°That¡¯s so reckless of them though,¡± I said, ¡°why would they risk everything like that?¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you run off and leave your family behind?¡±


    I came to a dead stop at that question and glared at Sciroco.  ¡°I didn¡¯t leave them behind and you know it,¡± I managed to say through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Calm down, Flower,¡± he replied with a gentle tone, ¡°what I¡¯m saying is that they wanted to do what you did, get out into the world and make a name.  If you claim a spot in the wilderness as yours the Empire usually lets you keep it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond to him after that, and instead I thought on his words as we walked.  As we approached the slavers boat a few of the more muscular sailors noticed us. They called out to their friends, one of the sailors even going so far as to stand in our way, and very soon a large group of the sailors had gathered.


    From further back a man started to squeeze his way through the sailors, as he called out for everyone to back away.  He was a thin man, one who had an unsteady walk and a pale face, and as he emerged from the crowd he wiped at his forehead with a handkerchief.


    ¡°Everyone quiet down,¡± he told the sailors with a grimace, ¡°my name is Leonard, how can I help you?¡±


    I gave Rocky a slight nudge with my elbow and he caught on quick enough.  ¡°I am High General Sciroco,¡± he said in a confident voice, ¡°and this is Lady Liliana Rose, daughter of Vandross.¡±


    The already pale man somehow managed to go even whiter, and then he coughed into his handkerchief.  ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t take well to the sea,¡± he tried as an apology, ¡°but did you say the High General and the daughter of the hero?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rocky used his free hand to motion at the emblem on his uniform, a star with an anvil in the middle of it. ¡°I¡¯m certain that you have heard what happens to people who pretend to be a ranked officer in the Legion?¡±


    ¡°Kane¡¯s told me some stories,¡± Leonard commented as he gave a small bow, ¡°once more how can I help you?¡±


    I looked over the slaves that had already walked down the ramp.  For the most part they were men, some muscular and some thin, but a few children and women were mixed in.  What caught my attention most were the ones with a sort of metallic hair and tanned skin, a sign that they¡¯d originated from the desert.


    ¡°How¡¯d you manage to get some of the Vharani?¡± I wondered aloud.


    Leonard couldn¡¯t resist smiling at that question.  ¡°A couple of the tribes had problems getting enough food, so some volunteered themselves,¡± he said, ¡°the auction for them will be very rewarding.¡±


    I could feel the twitch in my lip at that comment, but I stamped out the feeling of disgust in order to focus on the task.  ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking to purchase every woman and child that you have here.¡±


    The silence that my request caused was sudden and absolute.  Even the sailors who had grumbled nearby turned to stare at me, eyes wide in shock.  Leonard started to visibly shake as he licked his lips, and then he started to talk only to stop. Finally he spread his arms wide and his smile widened as far as it could.


    ¡°Clearly I¡¯ll need proof of who you are before we can finalize any agreement,¡± Leonard told me, ¡°and I did plan to take them to auction so the price will need to be sufficient.¡±


    ¡°Sufficient?  I believe the normal rate for an adult is a thousand?¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Except the Melbourne family has set up an auction to celebrate their colosseum.¡± Leonard tucked his handkerchief into his pocket.  ¡°I¡¯ll need to ask for...fifteen? Seven hundred for the children, of course.¡±


    ¡°How many do you have?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure how many survived the trip,¡± Leonard chuckled as he scratched at his chin, ¡°but last I knew we had seventy men, twelve women and twenty two children.¡±


    It was a lot.  My family was one of the wealthiest in the entire Empire, a side effect from compensating my parents for their hard work.  Yet even I knew that my father would probably balk at the cost, especially given that I merely wanted to avoid a fight. One thing was obvious enough, I wouldn¡¯t be able to afford the men as well.


    ¡°You sure about this, Flower?¡± Rocky asked in a whisper as he leaned in close.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my father can use it as my wedding gift,¡± I replied with a mischievous grin.  For some odd reason Rocky turned and glared behind us.


    ¡°Do we have a deal, Lady Rose?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though I¡¯ll need you to deliver them to Shiadone.¡±


    Leonard¡¯s eyes narrowed at the mention of the town. ¡°Given all of the children...you wouldn¡¯t happen to be connected to an orphanage?¡±


    ¡°I currently live there with a friend of the family.¡±


    Leonard gave a small shake of his head.  ¡°That explains why the Legion refuses to help us,¡± he said as he looked past me, ¡°you can keep your money. I¡¯m not handing any slaves over to that silver haired bastard.¡±


    Faster than my own eyes could follow my free hand found it¡¯s way to Leonard¡¯s neck.  I yanked the thin man in close and leaned so I could whisper into his ear. ¡°You have two choices.  Either agree to my deal, or we kill everyone here and take them anyways.¡±


    He squirmed in protest, a slight squeak his immediate response, but my grip only tightened.  A few of the sailors nearby caught on to what was happening and moved in, but Rocky slipped between us and them.  With an exaggerated flourish he pulled out his sword and held it in front, though he made no move to attack.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize, but they¡¯re having a private business discussion,¡± he said to the sailors, ¡°do you really want to fight a High General of the Empire?¡±.


    One of the sailors took it upon himself to take Rocky up on that challenge.  He tried to edge around and past Rocky, but the flat of the blade slapped him in the face hard enough to welt his cheek.  That single move was enough to stop the other sailors in their tracks. Though I¡¯d had no problem seeing what he¡¯d done it was still too quick for the average person.


    ¡°This is a crime! The Legion shouldn¡¯t allow this!¡± Leonard managed to squeeze out in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°As you said, there¡¯s a reason the Legion have looked the other way,¡± I calmly whispered into his ear, ¡°now, Mister Leonard, do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I let him go with a flick of the wrist, enough strength put into the release that he not only stumbled back but also fell down.  As he flopped I glared down at him and hoped he understood how much I loathed him. ¡°I¡¯ll send a courier later. I highly recommend you don¡¯t renege on our deal.  I believe you know how connected my family is?¡±


    Leonard flinched away from both my glare and words as he rubbed at his neck.  His only response to me was a small nod of his head. Even as I turned and started to walk away he didn¡¯t speak.  I could hear the sound of the sailors as they crowded around Leonard, but not a single one tried to stop me.


    Rocky caught up quick enough with me, his sword already in the scabbard at his hip.  A few seconds of silence was interrupted when he leaned in and whispered to me, ¡°I think we need to have a talk, Flower.¡±


    I came to a stop and looked at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You went too far back there.¡±  Rocky let out a long sigh. ¡°Have you changed that much while I wasn¡¯t watching?¡±


    I cocked my head a little to the side at his question, confused at first by what he meant, and then it slowly dawned on me.  ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be that rough,¡± I admitted to him, ¡°I just got angry. I¡¯m sorry, Rocky, I know I probably put you in a bad spot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did.¡±  Rocky reached over and gently patted me on the head.  ¡°I love you, but don¡¯t do that again. You and your boy have pushed the limits.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    I could almost feel his scowl at my reply, but he remained quiet after that.  We walked back over to join up with Taryn and Kaina, even as the carriage came into view.  Soon enough we were well on our way out of Waterrick and heading to Scintallia.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    The carriage was plush on the interior, with soft cushions that made it easy to handle the long trip.  The carriage itself rarely shook due to some type of invention built into it. I¡¯d once been told how it worked but when you¡¯re ten years old you don¡¯t really care about that sort of thing.


    Guarded by a small contingent of legionnaire cavalry we made quick time.  As we moved along the main road between Waterrick and Scintallia we¡¯d stop sporadically at small villages, though a couple of times we had to camp out.


    It was about halfway through our trip, one that had been filled with silence, when Taryn spoke up.  ¡°Maybe I should head to the orphanage?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± was the only response I could think of given the suddenness of his question.


    ¡°You trying to run away?¡± Rocky chimed in from next to me.


    ¡°No!¡± Taryn exclaimed at first with a shocked look on his face.  ¡°I just think that...well, the last time I met your mother I left a bad impression.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t resist the laugh that came to me at that comment.  ¡°Do you really think she¡¯s so petty as to care about that?¡±


    ¡°Bad impression? What¡¯d the kid do?¡± Rocky asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Taryn replied grumpily as he stared out the window of the carriage.


    ¡°My mom showed up to drag me off to meet you,¡± I told Rocky inbetween giggles, ¡°and Taryn thought she was some sort of abductor or something so he picked a fight.¡±


    Rocky laughed loudly at that.  ¡°He picked a fight with Esmeralda?  I¡¯m surprised she didn¡¯t snap his neck out of annoyance.¡±


    ¡°Mom wouldn¡¯t do something that extreme!¡± I lightly slapped Rocky on the arm.  It was that act that made me pause, my laughter dying off, and instead I glanced at the unhappy Taryn and his right shoulder.  ¡°Maybe you can help me with something?¡±


    ¡°So long as it¡¯s not helping to fight your mother, I¡¯m alright with most requests,¡± Rocky said with a warm smile.


    I leaned in and whispered to him, ¡°I was wondering if you knew any way to recover a lost arm?¡±


    Rock looked from me to Taryn, and then he shook his head.  ¡°There¡¯s no way to grow it back,¡± he quietly replied, ¡°but I might be able to help.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°The smarter boys have been working on the soul armor, you see, and they¡¯ve started to figure out ways to create pieces of it.  I mean, it runs off of your soul and thoughts more than your muscles so¡­¡±


    Given who Taryn¡¯s father was I could only guess that his soul would prove highly capable of handling the armor.  ¡°That would be a favor I don¡¯t think I could ever repay.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re basically family, Flower.  Now how about you relax and tell me about what you¡¯ve been up to since we last met.¡±


    The rest of our trip went quietly, as we worked our way across the Empire.  We passed through a few more questionable towns, but the escort we had with us dissuaded everyone quick enough of attacking.  There were moments when Rocky seemed disgruntled by the fact that nobody dared to ambush us, but given all the excitement I¡¯d had in the past few months I was alright with it.


    Our arrival at the mansion was without fanfare, though the small contingent of legionnaires that came with us drew some attention.  When I climbed out of the carriage I was greeted with the sight of Vargos. He stood near the main doors of the mansion, his suit clean and crisp, and not a hint of emotion was visible on his face.


    ¡°Lady Liliana, a pleasure as always,¡± he said with a slight bow.


    ¡°Vargos, how¡¯ve you been?¡± I stepped in close and hugged him.  ¡°My mother hasn¡¯t killed anyone accidentally has she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve managed to keep her from hurting some of the more mischievous servants,¡± Vargos told me, ¡°though Diana and a few others took a vacation.¡±


    From behind Vargos a loud bang sounded, and the two servants who also served as door guards were nearly bowled over by the doors slamming open.  My mother strode out of the mansion with a look of utter rage, but when she saw me a smile started to form.


    ¡°Lily,¡± she said in a gentle tone, ¡°are you alright?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off of her stomach, which had bulged significantly since the last time we¡¯d met.  ¡°I¡¯m fine, mother. Should you be up and about?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lounge with you, I¡¯m not about to with your sibling.¡±


    While we talked the others climbed out of the carriage behind me.  The legionnaires who¡¯d ridden on horses alongside our carriage swung down from their saddles, and servants came up to help everyone in any way that they could.


    ¡°Mother, may I introduce my new friend Kaina of the Losson,¡± I said as I gestured at her.


    ¡°The Losson? The natives of the western continent?  It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡±


    Kaina¡¯s only response was a nod of the head.  She had emerged from the carriage with wide eyes, most likely still shaken by how many people and buildings there were.  While Waterrick had been an active port it was still small compared to Scintallia.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I said to draw her attention back to me, ¡°where¡¯s father?  I need to talk to him about a few things.¡±


    My mother looked at me, her hands held together in front of her.  ¡°I almost forgot. He had to go to the palace. You and your friends should come in and rest up for the night, because in the morning you need to follow him.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯d prefer to wait here for him to come back,¡± I replied, ¡°the last time I was there the Emperor¡¯s oldest son followed me everywhere.¡±


    My mother turned and started to walk back into the mansion. ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± she said over her shoulder, ¡°the Emperor himself requested your presence.¡±

 Vol. 3 Chapter 14 - The Emperor

    It wasn¡¯t the next day, nor the day after that, but three days later when our carriage arrived at Cantrium.  Though I¡¯d seen it many times in the past both Taryn and Kaina let out cries of surprise as we crested the hill near it. Outside the windows of the carriage lay the entirety of the city.  It spread off so far in all directions that one couldn¡¯t even see the end, and the main bulk of the buildings towered far higher than any they¡¯d ever seen.


    As the carriage passed through the stone pillars that marked the entrance to the city, the gates themselves were already wide open.  It was a sign that no Plague had been reported nearby. The buildings nearest the gate stretched up high enough that they blocked out the morning sun, and the street lain out in front of us had only glowstones for illumination.


    The buildings themselves were tight, shoved up against each other, with only narrow alleyways between every fifth one.  The alleys led to the other main streets of the outer circle, but with no lighting only the brave or foolish dared to enter them.


    We moved through an open plaza not long after that, a moment of light and activity, before we returned to the dark roads.  A few minutes later and our carriage brought us through another gate, one that was far thicker than the first, and gone were the homes.


    Instead what lay within the inner circle was a flat field of stone.  Every so often a trench would break the horizon, spikes embedded in them.  It was not a place for the living, instead it was the final line of defense before one reached the palace.


    The palace itself was built not for looks but rather war.  The towering outer walls were thick enough to withstand any trebuchet or catapult I knew of.  The front gate was made of a stone that I¡¯d never encountered elsewhere, a type that my mother said had been granted by Mathias as a present to the first emperor.


    When the carriage came to a stop in front of the palace I grimaced at the grotesque building.  Spikes littered the walls, there were no types of statues or anything else one might normally expect, and the front gate was guarded by a veritable wall of legionnaires.  None of them wore the soul armor, but that was to be expected given how it wasn¡¯t the easiest piece of equipment to use.


    A single old man stepped up and opened our carriage, his hand extended out to me.  He wore a white suit of armor with a golden sun emblazoned on the chestplate. ¡°The Sunguard accepts the Rose family with open arms,¡± he intoned in his usual emotionless voice.


    ¡°Thank you, Michael,¡± I replied as I accepted his hand and exited the carriage.


    I had opted to wear a simple dark blue wrap dress.  The sash that went around was of a darker hue, and the overall design was modest.  Rather than boots I wore shoes, and though it irritated me I had no weapons. On the upper left of my dress a single rose had been embroidered, a way to show to anyone who I was.


    Once I was clear of the carriage Kaina climbed out next.  I¡¯d managed to talk her into wearing a little more clothing, so while she¡¯d refused to give up on her bandeau she had agreed to put on a loose shirt.  She¡¯d also picked out some pants and chosen to wear a black cloak. When she emerged from the carriage the nearest legionnaires stirred, perhaps startled by the dark woman.


    Taryn was the last of us to leave the carriage.  I¡¯d forced him into a white doublet and the fanciest set of pants I could find.  He tugged at the unfamiliar clothing as he stepped down onto the ground, his displeasure at what he wore easy to see.  At his waist was his sword, the one that held his father within it.


    When Taryn exited the carriage the response was what I¡¯d expected.  Every legionnaire reached for their weapon while Michael calmly pulled his sword out and pointed it at Taryn, though he still had a face that betrayed none of his thoughts.


    ¡°I am concerned that the Rose family would bring a weapon to the palace,¡± Michael said, ¡°though as per rules you are allotted a chance to defend yourself verbally.¡±


    I had expected this turn of events and had been planning on what to say for quite a while.  ¡°Taryn Lucent is the bearer of a holy relic,¡± I told him, ¡°and I pledge on my soul that he will not use that weapon on the innocent.¡±


    There was no hesitation when Michael snapped his sword back into the holder at his hip.  It snapped close around the blade, leaving only the hilt exposed at the top. Michael beckoned over one of the legionnaires and whispered to him before he turned his attention back to us.  The legionnaire that he¡¯d talked to ran off in a hurry.


    Michael looked at the three of us, his face impossible to read, and his gaze came to rest on Taryn.  ¡°Mister Lucent, do you vow that you will harm none in this palace?¡±


    Taryn went to speak, but for perhaps one of the few times in his life he stopped himself and thought for a moment.  A worried glance was shot my way, one that I couldn¡¯t respond to by law, and so he had to choose himself how to handle the question.


    ¡°I can only vow that I won¡¯t harm anyone who doesn¡¯t first try to harm me or Lily.¡±


    ¡°The right to self-defense is guaranteed,¡± Michael intoned, ¡°though I will accept your vow.  If you violate it I will use the powers granted to me in order to punish you.¡±


    ¡°Uh...alright.¡±


    The sound of metal clattering on metal caught our attention and caused us to look at the newest entrant to the area.  A man who wore a heavy suit of armor, one that covered him from head to toe, stomped through the gate area. The helmet was thick and curved on the top, with no type of decorations attached to it.


    The rest of the armor was similar, while it had curves and was overall smooth in design there were no insignias, no spikes, nor anything else.  It was an armor made for battle and so it had been designed entirely for that purpose. What made it more distinct than anything else in the Empire was that it was eight feet tall.


    ¡°What that?¡± Kaina asked as she took a step back.


    ¡°A Praetorian,¡± I told her as I gave a curtsy to the armored man, ¡°good day, I am Liliana Rose and these are my friends Kaina and Taryn.¡±


    The armored man didn¡¯t respond to me and instead stood in silence in front of us.  In all my life I¡¯d never heard any of them speak. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because they chose not to or if the nature of the armor robbed them of that ability.  In either case I knew what sacrifice they¡¯d made in order to wear it.


    ¡°Lady Rose, you and your entourage may now grace the palace with your presence,¡± Michael said, ¡°though due to the weapon the Praetorian shall watch over Mister Lucent.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, may I request an escort to my father?¡±


    Michael pointed his finger at one of the legionnaires near us. ¡°Aaron can guide you, though I must request he be allowed to return once that task is complete.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    A few minutes later and we found ourselves past the main entrance and inside the palace.  The interior was as cold and simple as the exterior, the hallways themselves designed with a width and height of ten feet.  There were no easy places to hide, nor were there any decorations on the walls. Only the doors that lead to side rooms broke up the monotony of the stone.


    It was one of the many reasons that I didn¡¯t care much for coming to the palace.  Though I¡¯d always gone when requested by my parents, I¡¯d done so without a hint of happiness.  The oppressive nature of the building weighed on me as we walked through the hall.


    I was thankful when Aaron opened one door and stepped inside.  He held the door open for all of us, though the Praetorian had to maneuver carefully and duck in order to fit through.  Once we were all inside Aaron closed the door behind us, though he made no move to block our access to it.


    While what we had seen so far of the palace had been for the most part boorish, the interior of the side room was lavish.  Chairs with velvet cushions tucked into ornate wooden tables covered with fine tablecloths. A candelabra sat centermost on the main table of the room, the candles lit and barely melted.


    The stone floor was soft to the touch thanks to the presence of a white rug, the material so gentle that I had to fight the temptation to bend over and touch it with my hand.  In the corners of the room sat dressers, within which I had no idea what one might find.


    The only other person in the room was my father.  As we entered he stood up and walked over to us, his face as stoic as always.  ¡°Lily,¡± he said with a nod before he raised one eyebrow at my companions.


    ¡°Father, allow me to introduce Alise¡¯s son, Taryn, and a friend from the western continent, Kaina,¡± i explained to him.


    ¡°You remembered to bring him,¡± my father said as he glanced at the sword, ¡°is that the sword?¡±


    Taryn¡¯s eyes widened at the question.  ¡°Yes. How do you know about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the Disciple of Matthias. Though the sword explains why the Praetorian is with you.¡±


    At the mention of the armored man all of us glanced at him.  The Praetorian remained silent, his presence thin even though he was far taller than any of us.  It was almost as though there was something about him that made us forget he was there.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the real reason why you¡¯re here though,¡± my father said, drawing our attention back to him, ¡°the Emperor has formally requested you to disclose to him what happened on the western continent.  You seem to have piqued his interest.¡±


    ¡°Not that I wanted to,¡± I told him, ¡°do we need to wait?¡±


    ¡°Not this time.¡± Vandross motioned to the door.  ¡°Unless you need to rest due to the trip, or anything else, we should move on.  I¡¯d rather not keep Cantrium waiting.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I thought the city was Cantrium?¡± Taryn asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know the name of the Emperor?¡± I looked at Taryn in shock.  I knew he¡¯d grown up mostly alone, and that Alise had dragged him all over the Empire, but it was surreal to not know something I considered so basic.


    ¡°Why would I? It¡¯s not like he matters.¡±


    A statement that I couldn¡¯t think of a response to.  ¡°Emperor Cantrium is always the name of the Emperor. It has to do with avoiding the need for recognition, or so I was told by Rocky.  The Empire comes before the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°Says the demigod,¡± I retorted with a small smile, ¡°now when we appear before Emperor Cantrium remember to not say anything unless spoken to or signalled in some way. Do not speak.  Do not pull out your sword, and no matter what do not speak.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to kneel or bow or something?¡±


    ¡°No.  Alright, I believe we are as ready as we can be, father,¡± I said as I turned to Vandross, ¡°would you be so kind as to escort me?¡±


    Without another word he walked to the door and opened it, and then went through.  As we all filed out of the small waiting chamber I slipped my left arm around my father¡¯s right.  Once more we began to walk down the bare stone hallway, heading deeper into the palace. Throughout our walk we encountered no guards nor servants.  It was an absence that, thanks to my link with Taryn, I knew bothered him.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± he finally asked after we¡¯d walked for a while.


    ¡°It is customary that the palace utilizes a meager quantity of servants,¡± my father told him, ¡°as for every servant you need to realize there could be the potential for an enemy in disguise.¡±


    After what felt like an eternity of walking we reached an intersection, the only one in the entire palace.  I knew from my past experience with the place that to the left lay the barracks, and to the right one could find the royal chambers.  The servants were housed outside of the palace in a special building for them.


    What lay ahead was a large double door made of metal instead of wood.  A single Praetorian stood at guard, and our arrival prompted him to open the two doors.  What he revealed on the inside was a spacious room that could easily hold a hundred people.


    The audience chamber had a white rug that ran across the floor, glowstone lamps embedded into the walls, and large pillars which ran straight up to support a domed roof.  Paintings had been hung on the walls that showcased the different places of the Empire, but there were no statues or portraits.


    In the center of the room sat the only thing that mattered, a crescent table with the inner curve aimed at the door we¡¯d just passed through.  Along the backside of the curve were chairs, each of them the exact same save for the centermost one. That chair was a bit larger, and a Praetorian stood directly behind it.


    The chairs were for the most part occupied with men who wore flamboyantly colored outfits.  Bright yellow, orange, green, blue, and red were all blindingly on display by a multitude of men.  Only three out of the dozen wore dark colors, and they were all clustered on one side of the crescent table.


    The man who mattered most of all was seated at the center chair.  With gray in his hair and a bit of white in the trimmed beard, he was a man who wore his age on his sleeve.  A tired expression was on his face as he rested his head in one hand, his forefinger touching against his left temple.  Unlike the men closest to him he wore a simple black doublet with a silver trim, and the symbol of a sun had been embroidered onto the upper left.


    There was a moment of awkward silence as we stood there and waited, while the nobles stared at all of us.  Most of them had confused looks, though two of them grimaced with distaste at the sight of my father. I knew from my past experiences that they all represented a lord, one for each territory, and they were given permission to speak freely.


    ¡°Good day to you, Vandross,¡± Emperor Cantrium said, his voice deep, ¡°and it has been a long time, Lady Liliana.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps too long, your imperial majesty,¡± I replied with a slight bow, ¡°might I inquire as to why you¡¯ve summoned me?¡±


    The chair creaked as he adjusted himself, his hand lowered down to the armrest.  ¡°I¡¯ve heard a few tales of your exploits of late,¡± Cantrium said, ¡°and I felt the need to thank you in person.  Is it true that you helped stop the dryad invasion of Mastille?¡±


    ¡°I was a part of the defense force there, yes.¡±


    It was a reply that brought a murmur from the nobles at the table, a murmur that Cantrium ended with a single uplifted finger.  ¡°You also aided in rescuing citizens of the Empire at Vexxon¡¯s Landing?¡±


    ¡°It was a task I couldn¡¯t have done without my friends,¡± I said as I motioned to them, ¡°Taryn and Kaina.¡±


    At the mention of the both the nobles at the table all looked at them, though a few seemed far more interested in Taryn than what I¡¯d expected.  After a few seconds one draped in a brilliant green livery stood up, his chair loudly scraping against the floor, and he slammed his fist on the tabletop.


    ¡°I demand that man be seized immediately!¡± he shouted as he pointed at Taryn.


    It was a demand that nobody moved to follow through on.  The two Praetorians present had little interest in doing what had been asked of them, and as there were no other guards in the room that would¡¯ve left the task to one of the other nobles.  The Emperor turned and looked at the man in green, his displeasure at the disruption easy enough to see on his face.


    With the weight of everyone¡¯s attention on him the noble visibly shrank, but he refused to sit down.  ¡°That man is a criminal,¡± he declared, ¡°he has assaulted many reputable merchants and taken their goods.¡±


    It was a declaration that caused the Emperor to look at Taryn, his one eyebrow lifted up.  ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember attacking any merchants,¡± Taryn said in response, ¡°or stealing from anyone.¡±


    ¡°You know what you did, you attacked people like Andreas, Oliver, or even Mikael of Vicna,¡± the noble said, ¡°and then you took the slaves from them!  Hundreds of coins of value stolen in vicious attacks that left merchants critically injured.¡±


    Once more Cantrium looked at Taryn.  His response was an indifferent shrug before he said, ¡°I don¡¯t see what the big deal is.  They¡¯re just slavers.¡±


    ¡°You filth-¡± the noble started to yell before Cantrium glared him into silence.


    ¡°Mister Lucent, perhaps you¡¯d like to explain yourself?¡± the Emperor asked.


    For once in the entire time I¡¯d ever known him Taryn gave one of the most perplexed looks ever as he tilted his head.  ¡°Am I supposed to just stand there when someone is beating a crying child? With a whip? Or worse?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not your property to touch or worry about!¡± the noble declared.


    Taryn¡¯s eyes smoldered with rage at that comment, but as he went to open his mouth he paused and glanced at me.  With a sigh he instead remained quiet and waited. It was a choice that made me smile.


    ¡°Well, Mister Lucent, what say you to that rebuttal?¡± Cantrium inquired with a hint of humor in his voice.


    ¡°Children aren¡¯t property, they¡¯re children.¡±


    There was a moment of silence in the room as all of the nobles stared at Taryn.  Most of them looked at him with contempt or amusement, though a couple nodded their heads as though they agreed with what he¡¯d said.  Yet while everyone else was responding to what Taryn had said my mind had seized on something else. I¡¯d never told Cantrium Taryn¡¯s family name.


    ¡°Slaves are slaves, and you had no right to attack someone nor take their slaves,¡± the noble said, ¡°you should be taken out, beaten, thrown in shackles, and shoved into one of the pits until you die.¡±


    ¡°Hold yourself in check, Baron Gerald,¡± Cantrium said, ¡°while it is true he committed criminal acts there was at the least good in his heart when he did.  Even I do not care for harm to befall a child, no matter their status.¡±


    ¡°Good intentions? He clearly only wanted to harm innocent merchants and steal their goods,¡± Gerald retorted as he glared at Taryn, ¡°at the least he deserves a beating if not also imprisonment.¡±


    ¡°A beating? Well, if you¡¯re so insistent who am I to deny you a chance at justice.¡± Cantrium leaned back into his cushions.  ¡°Gerald, aren¡¯t you an accomplished tournament fighter?¡±


    The smile that was returned to the Emperor was a wicked one.

 Vol. 3 Chapter 15 - The Lilys Denouement

    ¡°Very well,¡± Emperor Cantrium said as he turned his gaze on Taryn, ¡°so Mister Lucent in order to expediate this are you alright with a duel?  It will last until one of you is either unconscious or has given up, though killing will not be tolerated.¡±


    Taryn started to smile but then forced himself to look as emotionless as possible.  ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with a duel.¡±


    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, what do you mean by a duel?¡± Gerald asked as his voice started to grow louder.


    ¡°Come now, Gerald, did you really think I would allow you to beat a defenseless man in front of me?¡± Cantrium gave a wave in the direction of Taryn. ¡°Or are you willing to claim you fear a one-armed man?¡±


    The baron glanced at Taryn¡¯s missing arm and then back at the emperor.  Gerald cleared his throat as he started to walk away from the table, moving over to our side.  ¡°I would be honored to receive your permission to fight this dreck, and to teach him that he is not above the law.¡±


    Emperor Cantrium made no move to stand up from his seat, and instead he seemed to try and sink even further into it.  ¡°Everyone please make room for these two, and I will brook no interference in this personal duel,¡± Cantrium said as he motioned at us to move back.


    As I walked over to the wall in order to get out of the way I gave a concerned look to Taryn.  I was less afraid he¡¯d get hurt and more that he might go too far, and the quick little grin he flashed me only worsened my fears.


    Taryn remained where he was, his distinct lack of fear in regard to the situation easy enough to see.  Meanwhile Gerald stood about ten feet away from him, rubbing his wrists as though they already ached. It was during that process that I caught a glimpse of metal bands on his wrists, bands that I knew from past experience were similar to the soul armor that the Legion used.


    Emperor Cantrium lifted up his left hand.  ¡°You may begin.¡±


    The first to move was, of course, Taryn.  Yet when I¡¯d expected he¡¯d run over and punch the baron in the face instead he walked.  Perhaps it was with the assured way he walked, or how he seemed to not be in a rush, but in either case the result was that Gerald¡¯s face turned red with rage.


    So it wasn¡¯t much of a shock that Gerald was the first to actually attack.  When Taryn got close enough Gerald went with a straight jab at his jaw, his fist moving far faster than what one would expect from a pampered noble.  Taryn swept it away with his only hand, a move that left him open for a followup from Gerald who tried to punch him in the stomach.


    Rather than avoiding the punch Taryn moved into it, and while his stomach was being hit he slammed his forehead down on Gerald¡¯s own.  I think everyone in the room winced at the sound of that skull on skull contact.


    Gerald reeled back from the blow, his hand instinctively lifting up.  It was all the opening that Taryn needed to reach out and grab the baron by the neck, whereupon he lifted the man into the air and began to choke him.  There was no happiness on Taryn¡¯s face as he squeezed the neck, no malice whatsoever in what he was doing. Even through our connection all I could feel was a slight hint of annoyance.


    The baron grabbed at Taryn¡¯s fingers and tried to pull them away from his neck, but no matter how much he struggled the grip remained tight.  In desperation he started to lash out with his feet, kicking at Taryn¡¯s open sides as hard as he could. Each blow was solid enough that everyone could hear them, yet Taryn didn¡¯t respond.


    Not even ten seconds passed before Gerald went limp and Taryn dropped him to the ground.  He hit the floor with a dull thud and didn¡¯t move, clearly either dead or knocked out. I bit at my bottom lip as I began to worry that he might¡¯ve killed the baron.


    The entire room was still as everyone stared at the fallen noble.  A few of the men at the table looked as though they wanted to get up and yell.  My father was the one who broke the silence as he walked over to Gerald and checked him for a pulse.


    Even with the situation we were in my father didn¡¯t speak, but instead he looked to Cantrium and gave a nod.  The emperor responding with a light chuckle before he tapped the top of the table with one finger.


    ¡°Would you be so kind as to remove the baron, Vandross?¡±


    ¡°Gladly,¡± my father said as he grabbed Gerald¡¯s one ankle and dragged him out of the room.


    The emperor waited patiently for my father to return before he continued with the proceedings, and for a short bit the various barons at the table whispered back and forth to each other.  I was too far away to hear anything they were saying but a lot of views were sent in Kaina¡¯s direction.


    When my father returned he quietly joined me once more near the wall.  The barons at the table grew quiet as they all gazed at Cantrium. He didn¡¯t wait long before he tapped the table with one finger.


    ¡°I hereby declare Taryn Lucent the victor of this duel, and as such he shall be clear of any retaliation from anyone,¡± Cantrium said, ¡°however, Taryn, do you freely admit that you have harmed slave owners?¡±


    ¡°Happily,¡± Taryn replied as he took a couple of steps away from Gerald.


    Cantrium raised one eyebrow at that comment.  ¡°Your lack of guilt is clear, and you committed criminal acts no matter how good your intentions were.  I am forced to declare you a criminal. Will you accept your guilt, or would you prefer a trial?¡±


    I went to step forward but my father was quick enough to stop me, his hand pressing down on my shoulder.  When I glanced up at him in annoyance he winked back down at me, though as usual he didn¡¯t smile.


    ¡°Why waste our time?¡± Taryn asked, his words drawing my attention back to the center of the room.


    Cantrium gave a little smile at that reply, which was in stark contrast to the rage that was on some of the nobles faces.  ¡°Refreshing,¡± Cantrium said as he stood up, ¡°Taryn Lucent you are guilty of assaulting innocent traders and stealing their goods, and for your crimes you shall repent with physical labor.  When the Plague is found within the realm of Lord Donnerson you will be called upon to serve as the vanguard. If you survive this for five years you will be considered innocent once more.¡±


    One of the barons who wore a muted green doublet tapped the table with one finger, an action that drew the attention of everyone.  ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, if you will accept my words, Lord Donnerson would be unhappy with you using his lands to murder someone, even a criminal.¡±


    Emperor Cantrium nodded at him and stood silent for a moment.  There was that period of time where all we could do was wait, and while that happened I studied the baron who¡¯d spoken up.  He was a thin man, with a face that made me think of a rat. His eyes were dim and he wore spectacles, while his black hair had been slicked back.  All in all he didn¡¯t seem like a man who¡¯d care about others.


    ¡°My order will stand,¡± Cantrium finally said, ¡°if we allow a soft judgement it will only encourage others to mimic his behavior.¡±


    The baron gave a slow nod of his head, almost as though bowing without the rest of his body.  ¡°Your wisdom brings shame to me, and I retract my complaint.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Emperor Cantrium settled back into his chair and motioned in my direction.  ¡°Excellent, now we can focus on the reason I summoned Lady Rose. Would you be so kind as to explain exactly what happened in regard to the western continent?¡±


    I spent a while explaining to the emperor and the barons about what¡¯d happened.  I started with how we¡¯d set out on a simple escort mission, and then we suffered a pirate attack.  I skipped over mentioning how I¡¯d lost my shatterblade, as well as some of the more personal things that¡¯d happened between Taryn and I.


    I also made certain to not mention Taryn¡¯s father, nor how I¡¯d basically signed a contract with him.  By the time I¡¯d finished the story I could tell a few of the barons didn¡¯t believe me, but unlike Gerald none of them seemed interested in trying to start a fight.


    Emperor Cantrium studied me as I spoke, his face not once betraying his innermost thoughts.  When I finished talking he reached out and tapped the table with a single finger. ¡°Your tale was informative, Lady Rose,¡± he said, ¡°yet you failed to explain why one of the Losson followed you here.¡±


    ¡°I promised Chief Ophain of the Losson to request a favor of the emperor, and Kaina was sent to make sure I did that,¡± I replied.


    ¡°What favor would that be?¡±


    ¡°Chief Ophain has requested we acknowledge the Losson as a nation, that they own what we haven¡¯t settled, and the ruins will remain inviolate.¡±


    My words brought an immediate uproar from the majority of the barons present.  A few even stood up as they shouted in protest, while only two remained silent in their chairs.  Cantrium sat in his own seat in silence as he stared at me, his gaze enough to make me feel like a massive weight had been set upon me.


    ¡°This is unwarranted and disgusting,¡± one of the barons declared.


    ¡°We should send some of the Legion to knock sense into these savages,¡± another of the barons said.


    Since my focus was on him I was one of the few that noticed the anger that slowly formed on Cantrium¡¯s face.  A wave of raw energy spread out from him, one that sent a shudder down my spine and made me kneel to the ground instinctively.  Next to me Taryn had followed suit while the barons slumped into their seats. The only ones not affected by the raw power of Cantrium¡¯s Presence were my father and the Praetorians.


    ¡°I have grown weary of all of this squabbling,¡± Cantrium said as he stood up.  With every word I could feel a little more pressure on my shoulders, and it was a pressure that started to make me panic.


    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, please relinquish,¡± I said, almost begging, as I chose to violate the law in an attempt to make him stop.  My own head had started to be pushed to the floor due to the weight of his power.


    In my next breath the pressure was gone as Cantrium retracted his Presence back inward.  I drew in a long breath, and as I looked up at the emperor I saw not a face of anger but instead softness.  He smiled down at me, a brief expression that was removed the next moment when he glared at the barons.


    ¡°We have no need of the western continent, it is dangerous and we have yet to even utilize the majority of our own lands.¡± Cantrium settled back down into his chair.  ¡°To that end I would much rather have peace and trade with the Losson. We will agree to the request of their chief, and if anyone has an issue with it I can privately talk to them.¡±


    Though there were some sour expressions at the table nobody spoke up.  Cantrium gave a nod of his head at that as he lifted one hand up. ¡°You are all dismissed.  I would like to speak with Lady Rose and her friends and family.¡±


    Perhaps because it was so sudden but a few of the barons merely looked at Cantrium with shock.  It was only as the more responsive of their group had already moved to the exit that they finally followed stirred.  None of the barons chose to speak to anyone on their way out, though the displeasure of most was easy enough to see.


    Emperor Cantrium rose up from his seat after the barons had left, his hands clapping together loudly.  ¡°Vandross, my old friend, how¡¯ve you been?¡± he asked in a jovial tone.


    ¡°Good Cant, good,¡± my father said as he walked over to the table and shook his hand, ¡°thank you for swatting down most of those barons.¡±


    ¡°Trust me when I say it was my pleasure, by the gods do I wish I could wring their necks most of the time.¡±


    I could only look at my father and Cantrium with a bit of confusion and surprise, as while I knew that they knew each other well I¡¯d never seen the emperor act so freely before.  I went to ask a question, but I closed my mouth as I didn¡¯t want to violate the normal etiquette.


    ¡°You do not need to burden yourself with concern, Liliana,¡± Cantrium said as he¡¯d noticed how I¡¯d gone to speak, ¡°besides you already broke the rules once today didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, and I¡¯m sorry for that, Your Imperial Majesty.¡±


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t do that, call me Cantrium,¡± he told me as he gave a laugh, ¡°I have no need for formality in privacy.  Though I am wondering why you chose to violate the etiquette.¡±


    I responded with a shake of my head to that.  ¡°That is a private matter I¡¯d rather not share right now.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I can talk now?¡± Taryn asked as he glanced back and forth between us.


    ¡°Yes boy, speak all you want. By the way how is Alise doing?¡±


    Taryn¡¯s eyes widened at the question.  ¡°Mother is doing fine.¡±


    ¡°Refreshing, I¡¯d rather worried about how bored she must be at that orphanage,¡± Cantrium said as he sat down on the table, ¡°when I heard you were coming I made certain to write a letter for her.  Please deliver it for me.¡±


    Taryn could only give a nod of his head at that request.


    ¡°Speaking of, Cant, why¡¯d you really summon my daughter?¡± my father asked as he crossed his arms.


    Cantrium gently tapped the top of the table with one finger.  ¡°A part of it was to play the court game. I need to appease the barons and so I gave them a chance to see the newest hero.  The other reason though was to give her a reward.¡±


    ¡°A reward?¡±


    ¡°Yes.  Whatever you request, so long as it is within reason, I shall grant it.¡±


    I was put on the spot by that as I¡¯d never really thought on what I wanted.  It¡¯d taken me a long time to realize it but I¡¯d gathered a bit of a family, between my original and the orphanage.  I looked at Taryn and smiled at the thought of how I¡¯d managed to find someone like him, Alise, Shorty, Skara, and all the children.


    Yet to think of something I wanted was a bit hard.  I had found a home, I had made a name for myself, and I¡¯d started to walk on my own path to an unknown future.  Whatever Cantrium might offer I didn¡¯t need, because I¡¯d managed to get what I wanted with my own hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything, but thank you.¡±


    Emperor Cantrium started to laugh uproariously at that comment.  He slapped his knee while tears started to squeeze out of the corners of his eyes.  ¡°Vandross how did you make one like this! Oh if only Tyreem was half as good as her I¡¯d be ready to retire already.¡±


    My father showed no emotion, though he gave a nod of his head.  ¡°Esmeralda and I are proud of her,¡± he said.


    ¡°As you should be, well let¡¯s say that I owe you a reward in the future.¡± Cantrium stood up and motioned to the door.  ¡°Now I¡¯m going to borrow your father for a bit, but you all can rest up and then return home.¡±


    It was an abrupt end to our journey to the palace, but an end that I yearned for.  While Cantrium had turned out a bit more jovial than I¡¯d anticipated I didn¡¯t care much for staying within that stone building.  There was always a hint of dread that hung over it, as it was a place built for war.


    So we all returned to the rest of the city and found a proper inn.  I wrote up a quick little letter that explained that Cantrium had agreed to Ophain¡¯s requests, and the next morning I hired a messenger to make sure it was delivered.  After that we all returned to Scintallia via the carriage.


    ? ? ? ? ?


    Four days later we¡¯d already returned to my parents¡¯ home and started to rest up.  My mother and I spent most of our time in deep conversation about the upcoming birth, and I didn¡¯t hide my excitement at finally having a brother or sister.  Meanwhile Taryn spent most of his time reading the books in the library as though trying to make up for his lack of knowledge.


    Kaina was the one who was most uncomfortable as she was in such an unfamiliar world.  I¡¯d managed to talk a couple of my maids into keeping her company, as I knew that they could not only keep her busy but also help with her language skills.  If she was to spend a long time in the Empire she would need to become much more proficient at speaking.


    When my father finally returned from the palace he had a displeased look on his face.  He kept rubbing at his temples, but when I asked him what was wrong he dodged the question time and again.  My mother had told me to ignore it but it was a bit of a worry.


    That night we had all gathered in the main dining hall and were seated.  Taryn and I sat next to each other and Kaina was on the other side, while my father sat at the head of the table with my mother opposite of him.  Vargos had requested the chef to serve us a fine roasted chicken with some lemon, along with a salad crafted from a type of lettuce I wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    ¡°Liliana,¡± my mother suddenly said after we¡¯d finished most of the dinner, ¡°what are your plans?¡±


    I¡¯d been in the middle of drinking my water, and so I put it back down on the table and cleared my throat.  ¡°What are you talking about, mother? I plan to stay here until you give birth.¡±


    The woman who had been nicknamed the Ice Queen gave a warm smile at me, one that made me smile in response.  ¡°Of course,¡± she said as she wiped at her mouth with a napkin, ¡°but I meant after that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I was planning to go back to the orphanage,¡± I replied as I started to feel nervous, and I glanced at Taryn, ¡°though in a few months I was going to come back.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that, dear?¡±


    It was the question I¡¯d dreaded to answer, but one I knew that I had to properly answer.  ¡°Because I believe that you and dad will want me to hold my marriage ceremony here.¡±


    Though there¡¯d been little in the way of noise in the room to begin with, all of that noise still stopped as every servant stared at me with wide eyes.  Even Vargos had seemed to almost stop breathing, his eyes darting between me and my mother. Taryn was the only one who showed no response, as he¡¯d already accepted that I was forcing him into a marriage.


    It was due to that silence that I could clearly hear the sound of metal as it crumpled beneath a powerful force, and I turned slowly to look at where it¡¯d come from.  My father¡¯s metal cup of wine had been turned into a thin lump, while the wine within had oozed out of the top all over the table and his hand.


    ¡°Liliana, I believe you skipped a step,¡± my mother said in a tone that held none of the warmness from before.


    ¡°I know I should¡¯ve talked to you before, but with everything that¡¯s been happening it¡¯s been hectic,¡± I said as I tried to defend myself, my eyes never once moving from my father, ¡°besides I¡¯m old enough to make my own choices aren¡¯t I?¡±


    The metal cup that my father held was dropped on top of the table, and a pair of maids stepped forward and hurriedly cleaned up the mess.  Their faces were pale as they took the lump of metal and replaced it with a new cup, and even as they poured the wine into the cup I could easily see how badly their hands shook.


    ¡°Yes, you are old enough,¡± my father admitted as he picked up the new cup, ¡°even still you should have spoken with us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologized with a slight bowing of my head, ¡°though...I suppose I should tell you one other thing as well.¡±


    My father was wise enough to put his cup down at those words.  With all of the attention of the entire room on me I nervously reached over and slipped my hand into Taryn¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

 Vol. 3 Epilogue - Five Years Later

    I sipped at the tea which had been brewed from desert plant leaves. It was a delicious floral taste which was a bit exotic compared to most tea found in the Empire. I put the cup down gently on the saucer and looked across the table at Alise. Her white and red hair had fallen down and obscured half of her face, while her attention was entirely on the letter in her hand.


    We were seated at her outdoor table. It was small and circular in design, with a hole in the middle that held a parasol. The hot sun was blocked by that, and so we could enjoy the breeze without complaint.


    Alise looked up from the letters she¡¯d been in the middle of reading, as though she¡¯d felt my gaze on her. ¡°Yes?¡±


    I eyed the letters in her hands. ¡°Good news?¡±


    ¡°Shorty sends his greetings,¡± Alise said as she looked back down, ¡°apparently they¡¯re making him the mayor of Mastille.¡±


    It was a turn of events that I hadn¡¯t expected, and I couldn¡¯t help but start laughing. ¡°I knew they were doing good rebuilding all those towns down there with his help, but the mayor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s also been bossing the Legion around,¡± Alise said as she put the letter down, ¡°oh that reminds me, did your parents decide on if Hawthorne is going to train with the Legion?¡±


    ¡°Mother¡¯s already started to train him personally,¡± I replied with a shudder, as it brought back memories of my childhood, ¡°I hope she¡¯s a little gentler this time.¡±


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s only gentle when it comes to Vandross.¡±


    Our conversation was disrupted as the sound of wood crunching filled the air. We both looked over and saw that Skara had been embedded into a distant tree, his back stuck at least two inches into the wood.


    The tall man let out a loud laugh as he tore himself free from the tree. ¡°Not bad, not bad at all! But you can do better than that can¡¯t you?¡± he asked as he started to run back at his sparring opponent.


    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s the right choice for this?¡± I asked Alise, perhaps for the fifth time that week.


    Alise reached over the top of the table and put her hand on top of mine. ¡°Trust me, Lily, out of everyone I¡¯ve ever run across Skara is the best person suited for this.¡±


    Though I trusted Alise as much as my own mother, I still had a hard time with how she¡¯d chosen Skara to train my daughter. I looked back over and watched as he tried to punch the four year old girl, instinctively cringing at the sight.


    Anne didn¡¯t try to dodge the attack, but instead she used both of her hands to redirect the punch to the side. Much like how Skara had a big grin on his face so did she, fully entertained by their training session. A small gathering of people began to form near the two as they watched what had become a daily routine for my daughter, and it was probably the first day that I noticed nobody seemed interested in trying to stop the fight.


    Everyone except for me, as even though my daughter had the strength to throw Skara around I still couldn¡¯t calm my heart. Every punch and kick from him only brought an inward moment of panic, as I wondered if it would be the one time he hit her hard enough to cause an injury.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Taryn?¡± Alise asked, her question drawing my attention back to her. I knew she¡¯d done it on purpose to distract me, and I thanked her inside my head for that.


    ¡°Oh, last I knew of he was working with Kaina near the southern jungle.¡± Though it might seem rude I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and let my mind seem to drift, and through that sliver of his soul I could feel the sensation of rain and heat. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s doing well, a little miserable but well.¡±


    ¡°She was a good choice for scouting the jungle,¡± Alise admitted, and as I reopened my eyes I saw she was also nodding, ¡°I didn¡¯t care much for the place the last time I went.¡±


    A cheer came from the crowd off to our side and I looked back at the fight. At some point my daughter had managed to knock Skara over and she was in the process of spinning around in a circle while holding onto him. It was a tactic that only a child could think of, but also one that came with a somewhat bad result.


    Skara¡¯s foot slipped out of her hands and the man was sent flying. As he arced through the air he attempted to recover, but by the time he landed he still hadn¡¯t gotten his feet under him. In the end Skara crunched shoulder first into one of the newer houses that had been built.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I almost muttered as I stood up and started to walk over to my daughter, ¡°that¡¯s enough for today! Anne, go get cleaned up at the house. Let Diana know I¡¯ll be along shortly.¡±


    My daughter saw me approaching and her happy face crumpled instantly. She started to nod, a little too enthusiastically, and ran off in the direction of our home. As I watched her run off, covered in dirt from the training, I could only hope that Diana didn¡¯t panic when she saw her.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The crowd that¡¯d so enjoyed the fight dispersed quickly enough, as most of the people here knew me quite well. I looked up at Skara, who was still on the side of the building, and gave a shake of my head. ¡°Skara, make sure you get that fixed before you eat dinner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it even better than how it was originally!¡± Skara declared as he leapt down, his impact with the ground causing a small tremor near him.


    With the shenanigans dealt with I returned back to Alise¡¯s table. She watched me sit back down with a smile on her face, but she chose not to talk to me about what¡¯d just happened.


    ¡°Are you ever going to let her train with a wooden sword?¡± Alise asked, her question not even close to what I¡¯d expected.


    That was a question that only brought up the fact that eventually Anne would inherit her father¡¯s sword, and we all knew she would need to know how to use it. I sat quietly at the table and stared into my cup of tea, my thoughts lingering on the inevitable fact that sooner or later she¡¯d encounter her grandfather.


    It was an encounter that I knew would be quite unique, but it also brought up another thought. I lingered instead on the warning I¡¯d received in the past, and it was one that didn¡¯t necessarily need to refer to me. ¡°I think I¡¯d feel better if she never touched a blade in her life,¡± I replied honestly.


    Alise stared at me in silence. After a little bit she gave a small shake of her head, and started to open her mouth to talk. Before she could speak a shout came from near the entrance to our small community, and I looked over to see what had happened.


    I saw Wumi running in our direction, while she was trailed by a few of the older kids. They were escorting a muscular man who wore a suit of light leather armor, and who had opted to also wear a wide-brimmed hat on his head. He had no visible weapons but instead had a satchel at his hip.


    ¡°Erikson, how have you been?¡± Alise asked in that soft voice of hers.


    ¡°Good, Lady Alise, quite good. My pa wanted me to ask if we could borrow a few workers for the farm,¡± Erikson told her as he reached for his satchel, ¡°and I got a letter I was told to deliver.¡±


    I already knew who it¡¯d come from and what it most likely entailed, and so I was frowning when I accepted the letter. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Donnerson needs help with another Plague outbreak,¡± I muttered as my eyes skimmed the letter.


    ¡°Dunno, I was told to wait until you gave me a reply though,¡± Erikson said as he pointed at one of the unused chairs, ¡°mind if I sit? Been a bit of a long ride.¡±


    Alise gave the smallest of waves at the chair. ¡°Of course. Do you want me to have one of the kids bring you something?¡±


    ¡°Naw.¡± Erikson shook his head as he pulled out a canteen from his satchel. ¡°I don¡¯t forgets to bring this along, not when it¡¯s this hot.¡±


    While the two of them talked I read the letter. Normally Taryn would be sent out to deal with this, but Emperor Cantrium had personally requested his assistance investigating some odd sightings in the jungle. To that end I¡¯d promised to fill in for him during his absence, but it was a promise that I¡¯d hoped I wouldn¡¯t need to follow through on.


    When I stood up and put the letter down Alise turned her gaze to me. ¡°Is everything alright, Lily?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve heard reports of a small pack near Harnz,¡± I told her, ¡°so Donnerson has asked for me to hunt it down if it¡¯s real. It should only take a week or two at most.¡±


    ¡°I could come with you if you wanted me to,¡± Alise offered.


    I smiled at her and resisted the urge to hug her, as it¡¯d be a bit improper given the current company. ¡°No, I can handle it,¡± I said, ¡°after all I am the daughter-in-law of a god.¡±


    It was probably that comment which made Erikson look between the two of us with a look of pure confusion on his face. I could only laugh as I walked away and headed over to my house, passing by the orphanage on the way.


    It¡¯d grown over the last few years as more children had been brought, though this time not by force. One of the few things Taryn had learned was to hold back in the presence of slavers, though I could only assume that they would never forget who he was. Instead we used what spare money we could gain from our work to buy any children we saw on sale.


    What we hadn¡¯t expected was that the oldest children who¡¯d gone off on their own would instead return with more. When Saris brought along a couple slave girls she¡¯d personally bought I¡¯d been shocked, and yet it was also something worth celebrating.


    I gave a wistful little smile at that thought. Perhaps some day in the future there wouldn¡¯t be any child slaves. It was a future that I hoped to see before I died.


    When I reached my house I made certain to give it a look over in case any damage had happened. While I loved Anne she had a bit of a hard time containing her excitement, and in the past she¡¯d already broken a couple of the walls running into them.


    The two-story building had been painted white, and the glass windows had dark blue shutters for when the weather turned sour. The slate roof and the wooden walls looked to be in good condition, while the brick chimney had no smoke coming out of it. All in all I was quite proud of the place, though it was a far cry from my parents¡¯ mansion.


    I opened up the door to the house and walked in, as I needed to change into a more adventure appropriate outfit, and I was immediately greeted by a naked little girl. Anne laughed as she hugged my leg, while behind her Diana hurriedly ran while carrying a towel. A clear line of water could be seen leading to the bathroom.


    ¡°Lady Anne you mustn¡¯t!¡± Diana cried as she tried to peel my daughter off of me and put the towel around her.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Diana,¡± I said in an attempt to sooth my maid.


    I reached down and lightly patted my daughter on her head, in the process making a bit of a mess of her platinum hair. She giggled as she looked up at me with the same blue eyes that I had, except that she didn¡¯t have any crimson in hers.


    ¡°Hi mommy!¡± she said, and to me it was the only words she needed to say.


    I knelt down and wrapped my arms around my daughter. Though she was wet I didn¡¯t care, and instead I merely enjoyed that moment. I wanted to share that moment with Taryn but I knew it¡¯d be bad for him to be distracted.


    ¡°Lady Liliana, I didn¡¯t expect you to come back so soon and I¡¯m so sorry that she wasn¡¯t ready yet,¡± Diana said.


    ¡°My time with Alise was cut short.¡± I released my daughter and stood back up. I took the towel from Diana and tried my best to dry Anne off, though given how squirmy she was it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°A messenger came and I¡¯ve been requested to help with a matter elsewhere.¡±


    Those words brought all of the excitement of my daughter to an end. Instead she almost glared at me, and with one finger she poked at my cheek. ¡°Leaving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told her, ¡°but mommy needs to go deal with some monsters.¡±


    Diana gave a bit of a bow to me at my words. ¡°I will make certain to set up a proper attire for you then, along with packing your supplies. How long do you believe this will take?¡±


    I handed the towel back to Diana after I¡¯d finished wiping off my daughter. ¡°I¡¯m hoping at most a week, but it might take a little longer,¡± I told her as I scooped up Anne.


    ¡°No! Too long!¡± Anne declared as she wrapped her small arms around my neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have Alise play with you while I¡¯m gone,¡± I promised her as I walked through my house to Anne¡¯s room.


    ¡°Skara!¡± Anne shouted with a giggle.


    I frowned at that, as I didn¡¯t like the idea of my daughter fighting when I wasn¡¯t around. Perhaps I could get Alise to have him tone it down a little until I came back. ¡°I¡¯m sure Skara would love to play with you too.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Diana moved on ahead of me and presented the clothing she¡¯d chosen for my daughter, a yellow sun dress along with white socks and yellow shoes. While we struggled to get Anne into her clothes, as she giggled and squirmed during the entire process, I couldn¡¯t stop worrying about leaving my four year old daughter behind. Even if it was temporary it still agitated my heart.


    It was my daughter who cut through all of that worry as she stared straight into my eyes, and with a somewhat serious face said, ¡°Can I help with monsters?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t resist leaning forward and kissing her lightly on the forehead. ¡°Not yet,¡± I told her as I straightened up, ¡°but don¡¯t worry. Sometime soon you can.¡±