ã€ŠShattered Soulã€‹


 Arc 1 - Chapter 1 - Death Shall Set You Free

    A shiver ran through Sarah¡¯s body again. Despite being burrowed under a cocoon of her blanket, she felt the cold in her bones.

    It was not like her prison cell was unheated, but the chill came from within. The emptiness and loneliness crept through her veins as she was curled up on her bed. She couldn¡¯t even remember, when she had last talked to someone, who didn¡¯t order her around like the wardens did. It could have been over a year ago as far as she knew.

    Times had changed since the early twentieth century. Ever since the first meta-humans emerged, tensions were on the rise. Meta-human was a blanket term for everyone with paranormal abilities. Abilities like telekinesis or teleportation shook society up as normal people couldn¡¯t defend themselves against them. The more powerful meta-humans didn¡¯t want to bow down to the normal humans and started revolutions left and right. It didn¡¯t take humans long to view all meta-humans as a threat and, although most of them weren¡¯t,they suffered under the same scrutiny.

    Not long before Sarah''s birth, the government put meta-humansunder special surveillance in so called Meta-Human Investigation Camps. In fact, it was one of those camps near New York where Sarah was born to a pair of meta-humans. Her mother was a rather powerful shadow walker - someone, who could melt into the shadows to stay unseen and unheard - and her father was one of the strongest registered telekinetic meta-human. But it was this heritage that made Sarah a target for everyone. The reason for that lay in the fact, that two meta-humans never had a child together, before Sarah came into being. It had never happened before, but it was Sarah¡¯s birth that shattered long known facts. Up to this point, the consensus was that meta-humans couldn¡¯t wipe out humans as meta-humans needed them for reproduction. The implications of Sarah¡¯s birth were disastrous for the government, especially if she was to inherit both of her parent¡¯s powers. After a few years, it became apparent thathad not only inherited theirabilities, but in addition, she had her own power, which was an odd combination of her parent¡¯s. She could bend shadow and darkness into places where they couldn¡¯t be, banishing all light from such a place.

    It was no surprise thatthe possibility of more meta-humans producing off-spring with similar results terrifiedthe government. They hatched a secret plan to make the meta-humans in the camps sterile. But how it always is with secrets, they will become known one day. And when it did, the real rebellion started.

    Everything that came before was only a prelude to the war that would follow. Sarah¡¯s parents were one of the first to die, when they helped Sarah to flee from the camp, when she was only fourteen. In the following years she was hunted by the government, recruited by the rebels and ultimately rose to power in their ranks. The rebellion started strong, but soon the humans developed better and better tactics to counter specific powers, which led to a war of attrition, which the meta-humans were bound to lose. Based on the high mortality rate of those partaking in the war, Sarah became the leader of the rebellion soon after her seventeenth birthday. Burdened with the responsibility to lead her people to a peaceful and autonomous future, she learned as much as possibleabout warfare, diplomacy, logistics and covert operations.She trained her skills, encouraged her people and fought her enemies.

    After two years of war, in whichthe rebellious meta-humans held part of the United States of America and Canada¡¯s east-coast, the human government started to talk about peace. Sarah was already sick of the war at that point and wished for nothing more than ending the conflict. She agreed to a peace conference knowing it would most likely lead to nothing. She knew the humans feared nothing more than an established safehaven for meta-humans, which would only grow stronger in time. But what she had not expected was a trap. The humans had found ways to eliminate meta-humans, especially when they were not on their guard, but a delegation with the most powerful meta-humans wouldn¡¯t be killed.

    Or so they thought.

    As soon as she and her delegation arrived at the designated place, their powers were suppressed. No one knew the humans had developed the technology to do that and she and her companions weren''t prepared for it. It was a quick covert op that killed all the people escorting her. They spared only herfor scientific reasons as Sarah learned later on. After all she was still the only one ever to be born from two meta-humans and the humans wanted to learn what made her special.

    And this was the story how Sarah got into her situation.

    The prodding and analyzing from multiple scientists stopped after some time because they had found what they searched for or they had hit a wall. Not that Sarah had a way to know. No one talked to her.

    She didn¡¯t get depressed about her situation, but living in a windowless isolation cell for over a year scraped on her sanity. What made her shiver at night, however, was the absence of moonlight. It was something Sarah had learned before but was painfully aware as she suffered alone in her cell. She had a connection to the moon. This was something she had told no one before because she feared her peers would call herlunatic. When things were most dire, she had even prayed to the moon for help and whenever she did,she felt stronger than before. If it was a real power boost or just her imagination, she couldn¡¯t tell.

    She still prayed every night to the moon, but ever since they had putinto her prison she couldn¡¯t feel the power around her and she felt disconnected from everything. And this created her feeling of emptiness.

    The opening of her cell door pulled Sarah out of her thoughts.She peeked from under her blanket and saw a man in a suit. She remembered his face. He had been her lawyer for the so-called trial in which a tribunal had found herguilty of treason.

    ¡°Miss Johnson?¡± He asked carefully.

    ¡°Yes?¡± She replied with a coarse voice. Not talking for a while had taken a number on her.

    ¡°I am Jordan McAllister. I¡¯m your¡­¡± he started to explain but Sarah interrupted him.

    ¡°My Lawyer. I remember you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good!¡± He said in relief.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked. They hadn¡¯t talked since after the trial, so she was unsure abouthis reasons to visit her.

    ¡°Well, I justgot visiting rights to do so. I¡¯m sorry for not coming earlier,¡± he explained.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. Didn¡¯t expect you to comeanyway. So, what brings you here? It¡¯s not a courtesy visit, I guess?¡± Sarah asked and pulled herself upwards into a sitting position. She fought the urge to crawl back under her blanket.

    ¡°Sadly, it¡¯s not,¡± he admitted and looked crestfallen. ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that the day of your execution has been decided.¡±

    Sarah inhaled sharply. She knew she was to be executed since the trial, but without a date, it never felt real.

    ¡°When?¡± She asked with a quivering voice.

    ¡°Three days from now,¡± Mr. McAllister said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t do more.¡±

    Sarah said nothing at first. She stared at the ceiling of her cell and thought about the news. Her mind wandered to her friends. Some of them were already dead, some perhaps in prison and she hoped some were still free. She knew she would never see them again.

    ¡°You think they would grant me a last request?¡± she asked without looking at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps. Depends on your wish, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I want to be executed outside. With a look on the moon and the stars.¡±

    Mr. McAllister said nothing at first but pondered at the request.

    ¡°I will try to arrange that, but may I ask why? It seems like an odd thing to ask for to be honest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been in this cell for months. When I go out, I want to smell fresh air at least. I want to look at the sky and pray to whichever gods there may be to guide me to whatever awaits me after death,¡± she explained her reasoning. ¡°Death doesn''t frighten meanymore. I justwant to be free of the shackles that bind me.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Mr. McAllister said, but Sarah didn¡¯t think he understood what she was talking about.

    ¡°Please, try to make them grant me that last wish,¡± she added and took his hand.

    ¡°I will do it. I think no one would deny a dead man¡¯s last wish. Even someone like you should get this courtesy.¡±

    ¡°Someone like me, eh?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ You know¡­¡±

    Sarah chuckled slightly.

    <hr>

    Three days later Sarah¡¯s time had come. It was interesting for her to see through how many phases of emotional upheaval one could get in just three days. Despite telling her lawyer thatshe was ready for death, she struggled with the thought until the last moment. She didn¡¯t know what would come after, and that was something that frightened her.

    Only when the prison guards escorted her outside, she finally accepted that there was nothing she could do about it. When she realized, where they were headed, a smile appeared on her face. They led heroutside to a place with a concrete wall and a wooden post before it. Opposed to it was a small stand where several important looking people and some journalists sat on improvised seating arrangements. For some odd reasonthere were no cameras or any other recording devices as she had expected.

    The guards positionedher in front of the wooden post and then chained against it so thatshe faced the spectators. An army officer walked over with a microphone in his hand.

    ¡°Sarah Marie Johnson. You were sentenced to death by firing squad, which will now be executed. Any last words?¡± The man asked and hold a microphone in front of her face.

    Sarah thought quickly, then shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Just get to it.¡±

    ¡°So be it,¡± the man said and reached for a blindfold in his pockets.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Sarah said and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t need that.¡±

    This time the officer hesitated a moment, but when he saw the conviction in her eyes, he put the blindfold back into his pocket. He then walked back to the spectators and commanded a firing squad in front of her. Sarah looked around and found Mr. McAllister at the sides. She mouthed a silent ¡®Thank you¡¯ to which he nodded.

    ¡°Make ready!¡± the army officer said amplified by the speakers.

    The row of ten gunmen chambered a round into their rifles. Sarah looked over those ten men and smiled at them. They didn¡¯t give her any response. Not that she had expected it.After all, they were most likely loyal veterans, who were eager to do the deed.

    Or she did them a disservice with this assessment. She couldn¡¯t look into their heads.

    ¡°Aim!¡±

    The gunmen adjusted their aim right above Sarah¡¯s heart. She took a deep breath and wondered why her heart suddenly pounded so fast. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t ready. Or perhaps her hearts pumped her blood defiantly through her body to show her it would stand with her to the veryend. An amusing thought, Sarah decided.

    Her eyes wandered away from the people and straight to the moon which broke through the few clouds in the sky. When Sarah saw the moon, a bright smile crept onto her face.

    Everything was going to be all right.

    ¡°Fire!¡±

    <hr>

    Sarah came back to her senses when she felt a slight tug on herself. It was like a shy little child pulling your sleeve to gain attention. Sarah didn¡¯t see where she was headed as she was more ethereal than anything else and therefore had no eyes. However, she knew she was going somewhere good. Somewhere peaceful. It felt like a blinding light, which promised everything she had ever wanted as long as she reached it.

    When Sarah was close to her destination,a firm grip from behindsuddenly stoppedher. She felt like being glued to the place where she came from. She was so close to her goal, but couldn¡¯t move any further. It felt like an eternity had passed when another tug pulled her into a different direction. It wasn¡¯t as bright or promising, but it was a better alternative than staying in limbo like she was. When she willed herself to that location instead, the grip that held her in place loosened considerably and she moved forward.

    Waking up from death is an unpleasant experience as Sarah discovered. She felt sore all over her ethereal body. She looked around and found herself in something that looked like an old Roman temple.

    ¡°Good morning, sleepy-head,¡± a soothing voice sounded behind Sarah and she swirled around in surprise. A woman in a white tunic stood before her and Sarah had to admit that she was by far the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She was a bitlarger than Sarah and had beautiful auburn curls that fell down on her shoulders like liquid. Her eyes were piercing emeralds and gave a feeling of happiness and helpfulness.

    ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you to think!¡± The woman said with a bright smile.

    ¡°You- you can read my mind?¡± Sarah asked.

    ¡°Sure. You are a transcending soul. But don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just temporary,¡± the woman answered and walked over to a bench which didn¡¯t stand there before. She signaled Sarah to sit beside her.

    ¡°Transcending soul? What is that?¡± Sarah asked her next question while placing herself on the bench.

    ¡°It¡¯s a state of one¡¯s soul, while moving between the mortal world and what comes after,¡± the woman explained. ¡°And it¡¯s a state in which divine beings like me can communicate with mortals unhindered. Hence, why I called you here.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re a goddess?¡± Sarah asked surprised.

    ¡°Not quite,¡± the woman said with a slight chuckle. ¡°But I¡¯m what people from your and a lot of other worlds would call an angel.¡±

    ¡°So there actuallyis a heaven? And hell?¡± Sarah asked surprised, and a little terrified. ¡°Oh god, did I pray to the wrong god? Will I go to hell now?¡±

    ¡°Calm down! Sheesh!¡± the woman said a tad bit annoyed. Something in her voice was relaxing despite her annoyance and helped Sarah to calm down. ¡°There is a heaven and a hell, yes. But it¡¯s not like you heard. Your worldis ignorant about those things. I won¡¯t go into details because our time is limited and you¡¯re not going to either place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not?¡±

    ¡°Certainly not,¡± the woman sighed and looked around. ¡°Do you know, why we are here? It¡¯s because you are connected to Diana, the goddess of the moon on your world. You prayed to her, didn¡¯t you? Gods often have multiple names, based on culture and language, so perhaps you had a different name for her.¡±

    She waved her hands at the temple and explained: ¡°This is the Divine Temple of the Conclave of Lunar Gods.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ the what of what now?¡±

    ¡°Eh, doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not that important,¡± the woman said and put Sarah off with a wave of her hand. ¡°What¡¯s important isthe following: When people die, their souls follow the path either through heaven or hell, depending on their actions in life. They will be stripped of their memories, emotions and all the positive or negative energy, they have accumulated throughout life. What remains is a pure soul that flows back into the River of Souls where they await reincarnation. You follow me so far?¡±

    Sarah nodded. She didn¡¯t quite get where this was headed, but at least she understood the concept.

    ¡°Okay, now we are neither in heaven nor hell, as you probably guessed, and I already mentioned. That¡¯s because you are special.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sounds familiar¡­¡± Sarah murmured with a sudden rush of sadness. Being special wasn¡¯t a good thing in her experience.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that. Your soul is not, was not, and never will be anything else than special. Wherever you go, you are destined to be different,¡± the woman said with a sigh.

    ¡°Well, I learned to accept that in one life. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard to do again,¡± Sarah replied with a shrug. ¡°But what makes me so special thatI ended up here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s simple,¡± the woman said smiling. ¡°You are incomplete. Or to be more precise, your soul is shattered. You were supposed to be born on a different world, but instead something happened, and you were broken into multiple parts. And before you ask, I don¡¯t know how that happened.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡­ what?¡± Sarah stuttered. She didn¡¯t understand what the woman meant with being shattered. She felt not very broken right now.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not something you expect to hear, is it?¡±

    Sarah didn¡¯t answer. She couldn¡¯t comprehend what the angel was talking about.

    ¡°How¡­ How does someone¡¯s soul break?¡±

    ¡°I have not the slightest idea. That¡¯s something you would have to ask the God of Death. He manages the transcendence of souls.¡±

    ¡°Can I do this? Ask a god something like this?¡± Sarah asked surprised.

    ¡°Sure. If you can find him and get him to talk to you. However, I would not advise you to search for this particulargod. He¡¯s not the nicest guy of the bunch and can be nasty, if he is in a foul mood.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re not one of his servants?¡±

    The woman raised an eyebrow. ¡°What gave you the impression I could be one of his Reapers?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you!¡± Sarah quickly tried to explain. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I died and then there you are. Escorting me to the afterlife and things.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I get, where you''re coming from,¡± the woman admitted. ¡°But to clarify things, my name is Tavariel and I¡¯m a seraph in the order of Mercy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an important position, right?¡± Sarah asked just to be sure, to which Tavariel laughed.

    ¡°You could say that,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯m a direct subordinate to the Archangel of Mercy, which is the voice of the Goddess of Mercy. So, yes. I¡¯m prettyimportant.¡±

    ¡°And what happens now?¡± Sarah asked nervously. She had seen and done quite a few things in her short life on earth, but religion and everything related to the spiritual side of things were not part of it. Everything, she had learned so far from Tavariel, turned everything she thought she knew on its head.

    ¡°Now?¡± Tavariel answered. ¡°Now, we wait for another part of your soul to arrive. She should be here any second now.¡±

    ¡°Another part? Did she die as well?¡±

    ¡°No, but I would suggest we wait with more questions until¡­ Oh, there she is!¡± Tavariel said and mentioned to a point where a ball of light came into existence and then expanded to form something akin to a human being. Only when the ghostly body was completed, Sarah noticed a few differences. The woman was young, perhaps in her early teens, and had a pale complexion with a tint of blue or violet. Even more prominent were the pointed ear tips, which prolonged her ears to double the length of normal humans. She had slightly angledeyes what gave her a rather predatory look. Her plush lips and slim figure gave a feeling of femininity, which had yet to develop. Her nearly non-existent breasts were the only factor to show her young age. Overall, the girl made an aristocratic and noble impression on Sarah.

    After the girl had materialized and was dressed in the same white tunic as Tavariel and Sarah, who only then realized her own attire, she looked around. Tavariel rose from the bench and walked over to her while she signaled Sarah to wait.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± The girl finally asked.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 2 - The Plea of a Princess

    Linea and her older sister Tarina sat across each other in a closed carriage, which was pulled rather slowly by two white horses. Linea nervously fidgeted with her fingers and occasionally looked onto the streets of Luna¡¯sindranar. The blinds of the carriage were enchanted to be transparent from the inside.

    ¡°Explain to me again; why the hell would you drag me out of bed in the middle of the day?¡± Tarina asked and yawned loudly. ¡°You know I hate it, when I don¡¯t get a full day of sleep.¡±

    ¡°I know and I¡¯m sorry, but you are the only one who was at home today. Except for mother, but there is no way I would ask her to accompany me to this.¡± Linea answered avoiding the actual question.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you want her to?¡± Tarina asked with increased curiosity. ¡°And be so kind and tell me, where we are going.¡±

    Linea sighed and continued to look outside. The occasional giant silver oaks that grew all around the city framed white glowing houses. She thought about how to explain her problem best.

    While she herself was the youngest princess of Elven queendom of Luna¡¯sindra, her sister Tarina was the oldest princess and therefore the heir apparent to the throne. Tarina didn¡¯t have the same authority as Queen Arania but for what Linea had planned, it should be enough.

    ¡°I want to perform a ritual at the great temple today,¡± Linea mumbled.

    ¡°And what kind of ritual are we talking about?¡± Tarina asked increasingly annoyed. ¡°Come on, Linea. Don¡¯t let me pull everything out of your mouth.¡±

    ¡°The Ritual of Acceptance,¡± Linea said barely audible, but caused a surprised gasp from her sister, nonetheless.

    ¡°Are you mad?¡± Tarina asked more out of shock than anger. ¡°Mother will kill you!¡±

    Both girls were silent for a short time.

    ¡°You know what? No. She will kill me, if I help you with this. What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I want to do it to show that I¡¯m worth something. Ever since my training as a void hunter was denied, because of my weakness, I thought about what I wanted to do with my life. I have finally decided that I want to become a healer. For that training, I must be accepted by the goddess as a priestess. Therefore, the Ritual of Acceptance is required. It¡¯s just a logical step,¡± Linea explained with a passion.

    After hearing all the stories about her late aunt and uncle and their adventures as Void Hunters, Linea wanted to train herself and become one of the venerated hunters. Their task was to hunt and kill monsters of the Void which were the enemy of everything that existed. Wherever they appeared, death and destruction followed and in Linea¡¯s mind, there was no nobler cause and occupation worth following.

    However, her dreams were shattered, when she applied to the Academy of Luna¡¯sindranar. In the examination, she was found ¡®unable to achieve the levels of strength necessary for Void Hunters¡¯ regardless of how much training she would put into it. It was the same examination, which found her to be exceptionally gifted with magic, but that mattered little as she had to pass both tests. The fact, that she failed to gain acceptance to the Academy, was not only a crushing blow for Linea personally, it was also a disgrace to the royal family. The nobles had a field day when it was made public.

    ¡°Linea¡­¡± Tarina started with a soft voice. ¡°I understand how you feel, but you can¡¯t just go and become a priestess. If you do that, the nobles will see it as a sign of weakness from mother. They would probably think, she arranged it for you, so she could get rid of you. They would probably even assume we bribed the temple for you to be accepted.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what some idiotic nobles think of me!¡± Linea countered angrily. ¡°What do you expect me to do with my life, if I can¡¯t even become a healer?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You could become an enchantress or something like that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right. That¡¯d be helpful, sitting in a workshop all day tinkering with some artifacts,¡± Linea replied sarcastically. ¡°No. If I can¡¯t be a void hunter, I will be a healer. So, are you going to help me?¡±

    Linea made it clear with her question that any further discussion would be futile. She was nothing if not stubborn.

    ¡°What makes you think, I will go along with your plan? Especially, when I¡¯m going to get yelled at by mother?¡± Tarina asked.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m your cute little sister and you can¡¯t deny me any wish I have?¡± Linea argued and tried to influence her sister with her puppy eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, sure. Try that again, dunce,¡± Tarina answered and rolled her eyes. ¡°I would be a pretty bad future queen, if I¡¯d be so easily swayed.¡±

    Linea crossed her arms and pouted a bit.

    ¡°When we were younger, you¡¯d do everything I wanted.¡±

    ¡°We were children back then. I¡¯m twenty-three years old now and the future queen. So, try to convince me as if you were a simple noble, and I were the queen. Make your case!¡± Tarina demanded with a slight smile on her lips.

    ¡°Urgh! Fine, have it your way!¡± Linea gave up. She paused for a minute to think about it.

    ¡°I would say the most important point is, that it is my life and I should be able to decide for myself what I want to do with it?¡± She said but turned it into a doubtful question in the end.

    ¡°Is that a question or an argument?¡± Tarina asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Not very convincing. Despite the fact that no one in our family has ever gotten their dream occupation in life¡­¡±

    ¡°If you leave out our dearest sister Senia, who was accepted to the Hunter¡¯s Academy like we always dreamt about,¡± Linea interjected sourly.

    ¡°Yeah, lucky girl, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°See? That¡¯s the point. I already can¡¯t do what I wanted. You know probably better than anyone else how frustrating that is.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do, but I also had all my life to come to terms with it. I will rule this nation one day and I will do so happily.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what I want to do as well. Not the ruling part of course but coming to terms with my future. If someone would give me a task, some expectation I could meet, then I could probably focus myself on it. But because I¡¯m the third princess, I¡¯m expected to be of use to society in some way, but still be able to rule the country if need be. No matter how unlikely that is. So instead I¡¯m floating in limbo and the only things I¡¯m allowed to do with my magic is enchanting or healing. And enchanting is just plain boring. I will not dedicate my life to something that bores me!¡±

    Linea had argued herself into a fury. Tarina on the other hand looked calmly into her eyes and thought about what had been said.

    ¡°I understand your points and I¡¯m sure even our mother would understand them, but what you wish and what you feel doesn¡¯t change the facts. You are her daughter and therefore important to the succession. This isn¡¯t something to gloss over,¡± Tarina tried to explain.

    ¡°And my feelings are something to gloss over then?¡± Linea fired back in anger. But that anger quickly turned into sobbing. ¡°You have no idea how humiliating it was, when they told me about my inability in front of all the other applicants. All my dreams were crushed just because my body isn¡¯t strong enough. All the whispers. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t hear what the nobles and even my own family say about me. I heard you and Tovandir talking last night after lunch.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eavesdrop on me or our brother!¡± Tarina scolded her.

    ¡°Not the point, dammit!¡±

    ¡°Linea! Language!¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Frustrated Linea fell back in her seat and crossed her arms again. Her eye wandered over the stalls on the market, which they were just crossing.

    ¡°Just tell the coachman to head back then,¡± she finally said in defeat without looking at her sister.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Linea asked surprised and slightly confused. She looked at her sister again as if she hoped to read from her faces why she had changed her mind.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°To be frank, you made a terrible case as a noble woman,¡± Tarina answered and a caring smile appeared on her faces. ¡°But it was a perfect case from sister to sister. Of course, I will help you. I just wanted to see how strong your conviction was.¡±

    ¡°But I gave up on arguing¡­¡± Linea pointed out.

    ¡°True, but certainly not, because you had given up,¡± her sister pointed out. ¡°I know you, sister dearest. You just would have found some other way to get what you want. Perhaps even something dangerous or illegal!¡±

    ¡°Well, probably nothing illegal¡­¡±

    Both girls chuckled. Tarina carefully stood up and sat down again beside her sister. She laid her arm around Linea and pulled her into a hug.

    ¡°So, what did you have in mind? I mean, you can¡¯t expect to just walk in there, ask some random priestess to perform the ritual and hope that my presence would be enough to hold questions at bay.¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Linea confirmed it strongly.

    Then silence set in.

    After a few moments Tarina spoke up again.

    ¡°That was your plan, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Linea admitted with a barely audible voice, while she fixated the carriage floor.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not good. We have to think of something better,¡± Tarina stated. ¡°Perhaps we could ask a friend of mine, who lives and works at the temple as a priestess.¡±

    ¡°You know a priestess?¡± Linea asked in surprise.

    ¡°Yeah, but only by chance. She is the fifth daughter of the duke of Tora. Her father caught her with a peasant boy. And you know, how he can be. Promptly disowned her and threw her out of the family. You should have heard about that. It was quite the scandal a few years back.¡±

    ¡°You are right, I remember the story. I didn¡¯t know she became a priestess in our queendom though.¡±

    ¡°Well, she didn¡¯t have much options. Scorned by her own country, she had the choice between here and Sera¡¯sindra. As a Moon Elf, she naturally came here. But on the flip-side, I can talk to her on occasion after I pray at the temple. I think, she would be willing to help, if we explain your situation. She has a weak spot for those who can¡¯t have what they want the most.¡± Tarina explained.

    ¡°Thank you! You¡¯re the best sister ever, you know that?¡± Linea stated and hugged her sister affectionally.

    ¡°Keep that in mind next time Shandir needs to tell all his exploits with the army to someone,¡± Tarina said while caressing Linea¡¯s head.

    ¡°Urgh, can¡¯t I just help you with a project or something?¡±

    Tarina just laughed.

    <hr>

    A few minutes later, the carriage stopped at the feet of a huge building. It was an impressive construction that had an entrance arch with a diameter of more than thirty meters. The arch was supported on both sides by statues of Moon Elves in robes, who seemed to hold a part of the structure upright. In reality, the sculptures had nothing to do with the static of the arch at all. They just symbolized the creed of the Sisterhood of Luna to serve and support.

    The body of the temple was nearly two-hundred meters long and topped by a barrel vault with a radius of roughly forty meters. On both sides were attachment buildings, which served as living quarters for the clergy and as stabilizers for the main building.

    Like the rest of the city, the temple was built of moonstone. The Moon Elves of Luna¡¯sindra were masters of architecture due to their ability to infuse granite with lunar essence thus creating moonstone. Not only was the resulting product more durable and could be merged with adjacent stones to create seamless walls, it also let the stone glow faintly, what lit up the city at night. Due to being nocturnal, Moon Elves mostly did their businesses at night even with the other races. For those races, the city was glowing in the silver-white light of moonstones.

    In the midst of day as Linea and her sister arrived at the temple, most inhabitants of Luna¡¯sindranar were still asleep and the square in front of the temple was empty aside from some Sun Elven guards. They were part of the city guard and worked only at daytime while the Moon Elven guards worked at night.

    ¡°We have arrived, Your Royal Highnesses!¡± A voice from outside the carriage sounded and the door was opened shortly after. Linea and Tarina mounted their veils on the clasps of their head garments. Those veils were not a religious tradition, but a necessity for the light-sensitive Moon Elves. While all men and most low born women wore simple half transparent blindfolds, high-born women wore veils mounted on intricate head garments not unlike tiaras. Those veils were enchanted to give an almost unobstructed view on the face behind it, but still blocking out part of the sun light.

    When they exited the carriage, they were greeted by their guards, who had just dismounted from their horses.

    ¡°Your Royal Highness, shall we call for the high priestess?¡± Captain Evira of the Royal Moon Guard asked and bowed before her liege.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be necessary to wake her up for this. But please get one of the acolytes and let her search for priestess Aruna. Submit her the following message. ¡®The curious crow needs the help of the fiery firebird¡¯.¡± Tarina said while keeping a straight face. Linea on the other hand chuckled lightly.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with that strange talk?¡± she asked interested.

    Tarina smiled as well and answered, ¡°We meet the first time at the University of Tali¡¯sindra. That was before she went to become a priestess. She studied water and nature magic at the agriculture department. I had a few topics in common with her in my second year when I studied agriculture as part of my statecraft studies.¡±

    ¡°And that was a code sentence you used to¡­ do what?¡± Linea probed deeper.

    ¡°Nothing I will explain to you, little sister. In a few years perhaps,¡± Tarina answered and smiled.

    ¡°Oh, come on! Spoil sport!¡±

    <hr>

    The inside of the temple was even more beautiful than the outside. Even though its beauty was at its peak at midnight when the moonlight lightened up the giant windows on the sides. The glass mosaics told the story of the Moon Elves from the Great Cataclysm to the last war between the Moon Elves and the humans. The more recent history was missing, simply because nothing of great importance had happened in the last decades. On the ceiling was a long row of paintings depicting all the high priestesses that had ever served the temple, including their name and achievements. It¡¯s was one of the greatest honors any Moon Elf could gain.

    Linea studied the paintings while they waited for Tarina¡¯s priestess-friend to arrive. They had to wait quite some time since it was nearly midday and Aruna most likely had to make herself presentable.

    She finally appeared looking dead tired. Her fiery red mane was not really tamed, and she only wore a very basic robe. Probably the first one she had in arm''s reach. Her hair color explained the nickname ¡®fiery firebird¡¯ at least.

    ¡°Tarina, you old crow. Why are you waking me up so late at day?¡± She asked slightly annoyed. Captain Evira wrinkled her nose in displeasure to the informal and highly impolite greeting.

    ¡°And why did you bring the little crow along?¡± Aruna added while she looked Linea over.

    ¡°Please, by the goddess, don¡¯t call her that,¡± Tarina replied pleadingly. ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate on so many levels.¡±

    Aruna chuckled and nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. But the question still stands.¡±

    Tarina pointed at Linea.

    ¡°She wants something, and you can probably provide,¡± she explained and looked at Linea. ¡°Go on, sister. Explain what you need.¡±

    ¡°I want to go through the Ritual of Acceptance!¡± Linea stated boldly, which earned her quite a few gasps from their guards. Evira even saw herself forced to interject.

    ¡°Your Royal Highness, does the queen know about this?¡± She asked more to Tarina than Linea. In fact, she didn¡¯t even look at Linea.

    ¡°She does not, and she will only learn of this, if my sister is accepted by the goddess,¡± Tarina explained firmly. ¡°Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness. But¡­¡±

    ¡°No contradiction, Captain!¡± Tarina interrupted her. ¡°This is something between my sister and our goddess. Even mother has no right to interfere if my sister is accepted by the goddess. If her plea is declined then nothing of importance happened today.¡±

    Captain Evira just bowed and pulled back. Aruna on the other hand smiled brightly.

    ¡°I see where this is going,¡± she said and finally took a close look at Linea. ¡°And you are sure about this? Once accepted to the Sisterhood of Luna, there will be no going back. Once you serve the goddess, you will do so for the rest of your life.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure!¡± Linea stated with all the conviction she could muster.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get to it, shall we?¡± Aruna asked rhetorically as she turned around and started to walk towards the altar at the end of the temple.

    The altar was a round moonstone with a diameter of five meters embedded in a pond of glowing water. Two liquids fell down from two ten-meter-high statues standing at the sides of the pool. Those statues depicted Moon Elves, one male in armor and one female in robes. The armored statue held a jug from which water was flowing down into the pond. It wasn¡¯t falling, but instead it was enchanted to float downwards slowly. The robed female on the other side held a shallow basin from which liquid lunar essence flowed down into the pond.

    Both statues were a gift from the goddess and absolutely unique. The liquid created by them was called Luna¡¯cala in the old Elven tongue. It had many properties like healing and strengthening. But more importantly, it allowed anyone who drank it to converse with the goddess.

    ¡°Strip naked, please,¡± Aruna requested while she walked to a side chamber to fetch something.

    Captain Evira ordered the two male guards of their group to turn around. When they had complied, Linea started to do as she was ordered. Aruna returned with a cup and a white robe.

    ¡°Put this on and sit down on the altar. Doesn¡¯t matter in which position, but you should make yourself comfortable. It could take a while,¡± she explained and held out the robe to Linea.

    Linea slipped into the robe and walked to the pond. When she reached the edge, little step stones rose from the bottom of the pond, so that she could reach the altar without getting wet feet. She sat down cross-legged and waited.

    A few moments later Aruna joined her and sat down in front of her. She gave Linea the cup filled with the Luna¡¯cala.

    ¡°I will start to chant as it is required for the ritual. That will most likely wake up some priestesses. When they see, what happens here, they will wake up the high priestess. She knows not to interrupt the ritual, but you can never know. Just keep everyone away until we¡¯re finished,¡± Aruna explained to Tarina and then looked at Linea again. ¡°And you just have to drink the Luna¡¯cala as soon as I start to sing. Close your eyes and let yourself be taken away as soon as you feel it.¡±

    ¡°Feel what?¡± Linea asked nervously.

    ¡°You will know it, when you feel it,¡± Aruna said smiling. ¡°And if you don¡¯t feel it until I¡¯m finished chanting, it means the goddess has declined your offer to serve her. Are you ready?¡±

    Linea simply nodded as she didn¡¯t trust her voice anymore.

    Aruna started her chant and Linea drank the Luna¡¯cala. When she closed her eyes, she immediately felt a tug at her soul. It was very gentle, and Linea just let herself go. Everything became light and for a second Linea feared something had gone wrong. But soon after the world around her took the form of a strange kind of temple. The building was circular with stands all around her and pillars hold up something akin to a moon way up in the sky. She couldn¡¯t even see the end of it.

    Then she heard a voice.

    ¡°Oh, there she is!¡±

    Linea looked down and saw how an ethereal body formed around her and she was dressed in a simple white tunic. She noticed a human woman and someone, who looked human, but was much more beautiful than anyone Linea had ever seen.

    However, both women definitely didn¡¯t look like her goddess.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± She finally asked.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 3 - The Grand Design

    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that this¡­¡± Linea mentioned towards Sarah, ¡°human is part of my soul?¡±

    Linea was still failing to understand, how a human could be a part of her. And how they would have gotten separated in the first place.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± Tavarial sighed exasperated. ¡°Just go over to her and shake each other¡¯s hand or something.¡±

    The angel had tried to explain Linea¡¯s situation to her for several minutes, but she couldn¡¯t believe it. The human woman was prudent enough to not interfere as she realized the abrasiveness of the Elven girl.

    ¡°Why would I shake hands with a human? And what would that accomplish?¡± Linea asked and crossed her arms.

    Tavariel groaned.

    ¡°By the name of all the gods, for once just do what a superior tells you! Or else I¡¯m gonna shoot you right down to where you came from. No talking to any goddess!¡±

    Linea blenched, and her eyes grew wider.

    ¡°But I need to talk to her!¡±

    Tavariel just pointed at Sarah and nodded towards her as an order to talk to her.

    ¡°Urgh, fine! But if I get any diseases from her, I will hold you responsible!¡± Linea stated and walked over. Sarah stood up from her bench and awaited Linea without coming towards her. Linea stopped before Sarah and they had a moment to examine each other closely.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Sarah. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± Sarah started and offered a handshake.

    Linea just looked at the hand and found it rude to just offer your hand to someone royal. But Tavariel¡¯s threat still lingered in her mind, so she sighed and shook the offered hand.

    The moment their hands touched, a moment of clarity washed over her, and a feeling of familiarity set in. It was like nothing Linea had ever experienced. She knew nothing about the woman, but at this moment Linea knew she was more important to her than even her family. It was the most disconcerting feeling she ever had.

    She recoiled from the handshake and took a step back, but the feeling remained.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly interesting,¡± Sarah said and looked at her hand.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Linea asked in confusion and looked at her hand as well.

    ¡°That is the proof that you both are part of the same soul. Can you please just accept that for now?¡± Tavarial answered while pressing her nose bridge. ¡°We¡¯ve more important things to talk about.¡±

    With a wave of her hand she created another bench where Linea took a seat. Without thinking Sarah sat down beside her. Linea frowned and wanted to object, but the sudden thought of the woman going away was even more intolerable.

    Tavariel sat down on the other bench in front of them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start with the most important thing,¡± she said and looked troubled. ¡°Linea, you need to know that Sarah has just died in the world, where she came from.¡±

    Linea¡¯s eyes grew wider, and she looked at the women at her side.

    ¡°Is that true?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It is,¡± Sarah nodded. ¡°I was executed for treason after leading a revolution.¡±

    After a short questioning look to Tavariel, who just nodded, Sarah told Linea her story. She took a while even with leaving out a big part of Earth¡¯s history. She still had to explain quite a few things that Linea couldn¡¯t understand due to her origins in a world without the advanced technology of Earth.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Linea said when Sarah had ended, and even took her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s good now. I¡¯m just happy that it is over.¡±

    Tavariel coughed slightly.

    ¡°Well. ¡®Over¡¯ is a word that seems not appropriate, I fear.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Linea and Sarah asked.

    ¡°Because we can¡¯t just put you to back together to make you whole again,¡± she explained and stop their immediate questions with a hand sign. ¡°The reason for that is, that we don¡¯t know, why or how you were separated in the first place. We must learn more about it before we try something like that. Furthermore, there is at least one more part you have to find first.¡±

    ¡°Another part? How many are there of us?¡± Sarah asked with a clenched fist.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t sure,¡± Tavariel admitted. ¡°We know of three, but there could be five pieces.¡±

    ¡°Five? That sounds rather specific.¡± Linea noticed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to explain something first. A soul that is created by the Supreme One can have multiple Soul-Aspects. Souls don¡¯t always need one, in fact most souls don¡¯t have one, but it happens often. Those Soul-Aspects give certain boosts to the trait they are tied to and there are five of them.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, we were split by Soul-Aspects?¡± Sarah interjected.

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°And what stand those Soul-Aspects for?¡± Linea asked laying her hand above Sarah¡¯s.

    ¡°The most common one is the Soul-Aspect of Strength. The elves in your world often have this one,¡± Tavariel explained.

    ¡°I guess, I¡¯m not that part?¡± Linea asked thinking about her failed examination.

    ¡°Neither of you are,¡± Tavariel confirmed with a sad smile. ¡°It is the third part of you that has this Soul-Aspect. It enhances the strength of one¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°And what Soul-Aspects do we have?¡± Sarah asked.

    Tavariel pointed at Sarah.

    ¡°You are the Soul-Aspect of Mind,¡± she said and then moved on to Linea. ¡°And you are the Soul-Aspect of Magic.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Linea said after the revelation and explained after Sarah¡¯s questioning look. ¡°I was told that I¡¯m gifted with magic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the understatement of the century,¡± Tavariel chuckled. ¡°Your soul was called to the world known as Kavaris by your goddess for a specific purpose. To fulfill that purpose, she called for one of the strongest souls and either the Supreme One created you for this task or the God of Death had you in reserve. However, your Soul-Aspects are expected to be extraordinarily strong.¡±

    ¡°I guess, the Soul-Aspect of Mind causes my abilities?¡± Sarah asked.

    ¡°Not quite. You need to understand that Magic and Psionics, as your skills are more commonly called, are different things even though they can sometimes look very much alike,¡± Tavariel explained. ¡°Linea, you should listen carefully now, because you will learn now the truth about magic. The truth no one on your world knows anymore.¡±

    Linea had already forgotten all her apprehension for the situation she had found herself in. This had evolved into the most interesting lesson, she had ever attended.

    ¡°Magic is based on Ley-Energy, which is one of the four fundamental energies that exist. Ley is the power of creation. It¡¯s the same that the Supreme One used to create everything in the universe. You can take Ley and form it into anything you want as long as you are strong enough. Even though most mortals don¡¯t even surpass the threshold from incantation magic to free magic. But I digress. The second power is Void-Energy. It is the by-product of magic. Whenever a mage creates something, it releases Void-Energy.¡±

    Linea gasped, while Sarah just raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You mean, the more we use magic the more we strengthen the Void?¡± Linea asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. More usage of Ley-Energy means more Void-Energy,¡± Tavariel confirmed.

    ¡°Okay, can someone explain to me what this Void-Energy is and why it is so bad? I mean, I get from the name it is something not good, but¡­¡± Sarah interjected and leaned forward.

    ¡°I was about to explain it, when our little princess here got all excited,¡± Tavariel said and smiled at the girl who let her head hang in shame. ¡°Don¡¯t fret about it. You¡¯re curious and that¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of.¡±

    Sarah gave Linea an absent-minded shoulder rub.

    ¡°But to come back to the topic at hand. Before the Supreme One created the universe in the Big Bang, as your scientists dubbed it,¡° Tavariel explained and pointed at Sarah, ¡°there was nothing but the Great Chaos. Everything was in constant construction and deconstruction. Everything was destroyed directly after it was created. In all this chaos the Primal One came into existence. Don¡¯t ask me how. The only one who can know that, is the Primal One himself. But I digress again. So, the Primal One had the ability to create and destroy, but since in the Great Chaos his ability of creation and destruction were inextricably linked, everything he created was destroyed immediately. Bored with this existence, he split himself into two beings. The one with the ability to destroy is still called the Primal One. But his other part with the ability to create became the Supreme One. The god of the gods.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Tavarial made a pause and took a breath.

    ¡°And the Supreme One then created the universe, I assume?¡± Sarah stated. ¡°But if so, what happened to the Primal One?¡±

    ¡°Very astute of you. Good question!¡± Tavariel said with a smile. ¡°When the Supreme One created the universe, he lived there. The Primal One on the other hand was trapped in what was left after the Big Bang. It is a place we call the Void. Nothing can exist there, except the Primal One. But he is the personification of the Void, so he doesn¡¯t count.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so we have a plane where everything exists, and a plane where nothing exists,¡± Sarah summarized. ¡°And where do these energies come in?¡±

    ¡°The Supreme One created the Ley-Energy to make it easier for sentient beings to wield the power of creation. He is and always has been the epitome of curiosity. He just wanted to see what we could come up with,¡± Tavariel said with a smile on her face. ¡°But what he did not foresee was that with bringing Ley-Energy into existence, he created the Void-Energy as well. No one knows why it happened or if it was even planned. But it is how it is. Whenever someone casts magic, the Ley-Energy used is transformed into Void-Energy, which then condenses and can be extremely destructive. When the Void-Energy destroys something, it creates Ley-Energie.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a cycle then?¡± Linea asked. ¡°Or more like a balance. If you use magic, you need to sacrifice something else to the Void to maintain the balance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how some do it, yes,¡± Tavariel confirmed. ¡°But in your world magic is just used despite the consequences.¡±

    ¡°What happens, if the balance is not maintained?¡± Sarah asked while looking back and forth between Linea and Tavariel.

    ¡°The Void corrupts living beings,¡± Linea stated tight lipped.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Void-Energy condenses and if no one maintains the balance, the Void-Energy latches to living beings and makes them aggressive. Their only target is to use the Void-Energy for destruction. If enough Void-Energy converges, it can even corrupt magical beings, who have an intrinsic protection against it. Those beings remain capable of logical thinking and avoid the use of Void-Magic to destroy something. No, they can create chaos even without it.¡±

    ¡°But what¡¯s the difference for them between destroying something with Void-Magic or without it?¡± Sarah asked confused.

    ¡°The difference is the source of energy. If a dark mage uses magic, he can create Void-Energy and corrupt even more beings. If he uses Void-Magic on the other hand, he creates Ley-Energy and brings back balance to the system.¡±

    ¡°And if a being of the Void runs out of Void-Energy it dies,¡± Linea added. ¡°A sentient being corrupted by the Void will try to avoid that as it still has its sense of self-preservation.¡±

    ¡°I think I understand the concept, but why does Earth never has seen any mages or Void-Monsters.¡±

    ¡°Because no one in your old world can use magic. No magic means no imbalance¡­¡± Tavariel explained.

    ¡°Which means no Void-Energy. Understood. But why do we have no mages? Seems too much of a coincidence if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°That is because Earth has been a laboratory for the Supreme One ever since its creation. It was the world where he created the first humanoids.¡±

    Sarah gaped at her.

    ¡°Are you trying to tell me, that those Creationists were actually right?¡±

    Tavariel snorted and looked at Sarah with a compassionate smile.

    ¡°Shocking, right?¡± She said. ¡°But to be fair, they were not completely right either. It¡¯s more like theistic evolution. The Supreme One nudged the evolution of humans here and there to test things out. But in the end, the outcome satisfied him enough, and he took the same design and implemented it in many other worlds. Some gods used the archetype and modified it.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to say, that we elves are nothing more than modified humans?¡± Linea asked wide-eyed.

    ¡°You could see it that way, but your goddess would argue that she simply made improvements to adapt you to her needs. I mean, as the goddess of the moon she had a good reason to make her chosen people nocturnal,¡± Tavariel tried to sooth Linea worries.

    Sarah put an arm around Linea but kept talking to Tavariel.

    ¡°So, Earth was a laboratory. For what? Not just for making humans, right?¡±

    ¡°No. He searched for a way to fight these corrupted mages without the use of magic. It is always a disadvantage for a mage to fight the corruption with magic because he is just powering his enemy by creating Void-Energy,¡± Tavariel outlined the initial position. ¡°And thus, he created Psi-Energy.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s what powers my abilities?¡±

    ¡°Correct. In contrast to mages, psions don¡¯t create things, they manipulate what already exists. For example, where a mage creates a fire, a psion can control it. It¡¯s the perfect skill to counter magic,¡± Tavariel explained. ¡°But on the flip-side, a psion is never as versatile as a mage. You for example only have two active skills at this moment. Since no two psions handle the same skill the same way, you need to learn everything on your own. No one can teach you psionics.¡±

    ¡°Wait, does that mean I could learn even more skills?¡±

    ¡°Sure. It may take you a while, but there are no limits to what a psion can do. In fact, the reason you already have two skills, is that you grew up witnessing your parents using them. Psions aren''t born with a pre-defined set of abilities. You learn those skills by yourself. Your intelligence most likely helped in learning them so fast.¡±

    ¡°I only understood half of that,¡± Linea stated and tilted her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Tavariel said. ¡°You can both learn about each other¡¯s skills and abilities later. Our little lesson nears its end anyway. I had to explain this, so you are prepared for what you will face. But we started this lesson with something else. Your soul parts and their Soul-Aspects.¡±

    Linea and Sarah just nodded.

    ¡°You are Mind and Magic, respectively. The part with the Soul-Aspect of Strength is a demoness called Shira. As an angel my access to hell is limited, so I can¡¯t provide more information than that. How to find her is up to you.¡±

    ¡°A demon?¡± Linea asked and put her hand over her mouth in shock.

    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t assume demons are all bad. I even have some demon friends. We meet sometimes in the mortal realms.¡±

    Sarah interjected the topic as she was more interested in something else.

    ¡°You mentioned earlier that there are five possible Soul-Aspects, but you didn¡¯t know about these.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. A soul can have the Soul-Aspects of Immortality or Divinity as well. We simply don¡¯t know if there are any of them somewhere.¡±

    ¡°How are we supposed to find them, if the only thing we know about them is that they perhaps exist?¡± Linea asked while tapping her feet.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you with them. I was instructed to set you on your path, but in the end, it is your path to follow,¡± Tavariel said and looked Linea in the eyes.

    ¡°Can you at least tell us, what those aspects symbolize? Immortality and Divinity are rather vague descriptions.¡± Sarah asked.

    ¡°That I can do,¡± Tavariel said with a smile. ¡°Immortality gives you the ability to absorb Life Force to keep yourself from dying. How you get this Life Force differs from person to person, however. While demons kill enemies or suck the Life Force out of their prey, angels are provided Life Force by the gods they are serving. These two methods are the most common ones.¡±

    Sarah just nodded to signal Tavariel to continue.

    ¡°Divinity is the last aspect. You can only have it if you have the other four. This distinguishes gods from angels, demons, other immortals and mortals. It binds you to a specific Domain to which people can pray. If you are a god and part of a Domain, you receive a portion of its power as Life Force, which in return is used to pay for the service of your minions.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s the ability to collect taxes?¡± Sarah asked with a laugh.

    ¡°You could say so,¡± Tavariel said and smiled in amusement.

    ¡°Another question,¡± Linea interrupted quite confused. ¡°What is Life Force and what is a Domain?¡±

    ¡°Life Force is what keeps living beings alive. It¡¯s hard to explain the concept, but in the end it¡¯s like Ley-Energy is to a spell. It keeps you alive. What makes it so valuable is its origin. Only the mortal realms can produce it. Neither angels, demons or even gods can create it for themselves. It makes them dependent on the mortals. This way gods are interested in helping mortals.¡±

    ¡°A clever system,¡± Sarah stated. ¡°What¡¯s about the Supreme One?¡±

    ¡°The Supreme One is the only true immortal since he doesn¡¯t need to collect life force. He creates his own and is therefore independent. He watches over all of us,¡± Tavariel explained with a dreamy voice. Her adoration for the Supreme One was obvious. ¡°But back to Domains. They are concepts or things to which people can pray. For example, I serve the goddess of Mercy. To be correct, Mercy is not her name, but her Domain. Every time you pray for mercy, she receives a miniscule amount of your life force. If she helps you, will most likely pray to her again.¡±

    Linea tried to broach the topic again, but Tavariel stopped her.

    ¡°I know, you have more questions, but our time is at an end,¡± she said and looked at her wrist, where she had some kind of watch. ¡°You came here to talk to your goddess. I kept you long enough from that. She will explain a few more stuff about your situation.¡±

    ¡°What happens to me now?¡± Sarah asked fidgeting.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tavariel asked. ¡°You go with Linea of course. You are the same soul after all. Don¡¯t worry. Goddess Luna will explain more of it when she arrives here. I will take my leave.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for everything!¡± Sarah yelled before Tavariel could disappear, but quickly blushed over her outburst.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Tavariel said. ¡°Take care you two and fare well.¡±

    She waved a last goodbye and simply faded out of existence.

    Silence set in between Linea and Sarah. Neither seem to know, what to say, so both kept silent. Linea tried to distract herself by looking around the temple. She realized that the hall with all the seats at the sides looked more like a gathering place than a temple.

    As her head turned to Sarah, she flinched slightly as she had forgotten how close they were.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Linea started, suddenly aware of the closeness with Sarah. ¡°Only humans on your world?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Around seven billion or so.¡±

    ¡°Billions?¡± Linea asked narrow-eyed. ¡°How could you feed so many people?¡±

    ¡°Technology. We¡¯re pretty good at maximizing food production. Or production in general. What about your world? Kavaris was it?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure about all the races, but we Moon Elves number around two or three million. Most of them live in Luna¡¯sindra. That means ¡®Home of Luna¡¯s children¡¯ in the old Elven tongue.¡±

    ¡°What other races are there?¡± Sarah asked almost giddy, which confused Linea.

    ¡°There are humans, obviously,¡± Linea started to list, but made her aversion about those quite clear. ¡°But also, Sun Elves, Dwarfs and various kind of beastmen. Those subdivide themselves further into types, like cat-type, wolf-type and lizard-type. But never call a Lizardman a lizard-type beastmen. If you¡¯re lucky, he¡¯ll just kill you.¡±

    ¡°Alright, never call a Lizardman a beastman,¡± Sarah noted with a smile.

    Linea didn¡¯t react further to that. She simply stared in thought at nothing in particular.

    ¡°You know, we¡¯ll probably have to share your body from now on,¡± Sarah said thinking about her situation.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Linea asked, looked at Sarah and furrowed her brows.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t return to my world and I can¡¯t go on to heaven or hell, because I¡¯m not complete. Where else should I go? I hope, you won¡¯t reject me.¡±

    Sarah looked almost pleadingly at Linea.

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. The whole situation terrifies me, to be frank. Too much information at once, you know?¡± Linea replied and let her shoulders drop.

    ¡°I know that feeling. But I think your goddess might help us get through this,¡± Sarah said and pulled Linea into a hug again.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± Linea said with a smile. ¡°And you know what? For a human you seem pretty decent.¡±

    ¡°I would like to say the same about you and elves, but I have nothing to compare you to,¡± Sarah admitted.

    Both giggled.

    ¡°I think, together we¡¯ll get through somehow,¡± Linea said and let her head fall down on Sarah¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Yeah, together.¡±

 Arc 1 - Chapter 4 - Meeting a Goddess

    Linea didn¡¯t get any more chances to talk to Sarah, as suddenly a white light in the middle of the temple blinded her. When the light subsided, a female Moon Elf stood before them. She was slightly taller than Linea, but roughly the same height as Sarah. She had the same elongated ears, but her skin was remarkably paler. It still had a hint of violet, but it would be fair to describe her skin as white. Her body was rather athletic with an above average bust-size for moon elves. Her face radiated warmth, but at the same time strength and assertiveness. Her most prominent features were her golden irises and her clothing, which was a weird mix of a dress and armor. While her shoulders and lower legs were protected by a thin, white glowing plate armor with chased engravings symbolizing the moon.

    After staring a little bit too long at the beautiful woman in front of her, Linea slowly realized who this woman had to be.

    Cursing herself, she got onto her knees, pressed her forehead against the marble tiles of the temple and stretched out her hands with her palms pointing upwards. If her goddess appeared in person before her, Linea would naturally show her the respect the goddess deserved.

    ¡°Get down on your knees, imbecile!¡± She snarled at Sarah, when she noticed that Sarah hadn¡¯t even made a move to honor the goddess.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Sarah replied still gaping at the goddess. The question however, pulled her out of her stupor, and she at least got down on one knee and bowed.

    The goddess didn¡¯t say anything at first and simply inspected the young women before her.

    ¡°Both of you rise!¡± She ordered and sighed. She walked over and offered each of them a hand. ¡°Hold my hand. I will take you somewhere else.¡±

    Sarah did as ordered, but Linea hesitated. It just didn¡¯t sit right with her to touch her goddess, but on the other hand, the goddess had asked her to do it.

    ¡°Linea?¡± Sarah asked in a whisper.

    Linea resolved her dilemma by simply taking the offered hand. The next moment they disappeared from the temple and suddenly stood inside a garden. It was a round patch of grass framed by an arcade, which also carried a transparent dome on top of it. All around them were flowerbeds with various kinds of night-blooming plants. At the edges, Linea noticed guards wearing the traditional Royal Guard armor and the Fulchar ¨C the standard one-handed saber of the Moon Elves. The Fulchar had a curved blade, which was supposed to symbolize a crescent moon. All in all, the guards looked very much like the Royal Guard of Luna¡¯sindra.

    The sky above was a beautiful look at the stars. Linea had always liked to stare at the night sky, even though teachers often scolded her, when she zoned out in the middle of a lesson.

    ¡°It looks so different¡­¡± Sarah said with a notable sadness in her voice. Linea saw that Sarah¡¯s gaze had also wandered to the sky above.

    ¡°If it is any consolation for you, we¡¯re still in the same galaxy,¡± the goddess said with a sad smile.

    ¡°I will get over it someday, don¡¯t worry,¡± Sarah replied and closed her eyes for a moment. ¡°But we¡¯re not here to talk about what I have lost, are we?¡±

    ¡°No, you are not. Come with me, my children,¡± the goddess said and turned around. Linea and Sarah followed her and realized that all the time there had been a palace behind them. Or had it? Linea decided, logic was not reliable here.

    The palace reminded her of her family¡¯s palace in Luna¡¯sindra. The fact amused her as she thought about the implications.

    As if the goddess read her mind, she explained.

    ¡°The first queen of the Moon Elves was my daughter. After my ascension, I transformed my people into Moon Elves. I wanted something that reminded me of my time with the mortals. So, I rebuild my palace here.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s true?¡± Linea gasped. ¡°We descend from humans?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the goddess said with a raised brow. ¡°The humans are the first born. The Supreme One created them to be versatile and adaptive. They are usable on so many worlds. However, make no mistake, this doesn¡¯t make them better.¡±

    The goddess led them inside the palace towards a room full of paintings. The most prominent depicted the goddess herself floating above a group of praying Moon Elves. Linea studied the painting extensively. The goddess followed her gaze and smiled.

    ¡°The day of my ascension. Of course, we were humans back then, but if you have a painting made, artistic freedom gives you a lot of leeway,¡± she explained with a giggle. ¡°I was never fond of most humans. They¡¯re fickle and unreliable. I don¡¯t trust them as far as I can throw them.¡±

    ¡°Well, as a goddess you could probably throw them pretty far, couldn¡¯t you?¡± Sarah asked with a smirk, which resulted in Linea ramming her elbow into Sarah¡¯s ribs.

    While Sarah was still rubbing her side, the goddess laughed merrily. To Linea it sounded like a choir of angels singing her favorite piece of music.

    ¡°I like you. It¡¯s hard for people to be so open around me. Most are more like our princess here,¡± the goddess explained and nodded towards Linea. ¡°But enough of that, let¡¯s make ourselves comfortable.¡±

    A big couch with a lot of fluffy-looking pillows suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.

    ¡°Finally, some time to relax!¡± the goddess exclaimed and with a snap of her fingers her clothing changed into simple black shorts and a grey top. It looked rather cozy and form fitting. Moreover, it seemed extremely indecent for a goddess as it didn¡¯t leave much for the imagination.

    ¡°You have no idea how exhausting divine politics can be. I just had to deal with the other local deities. Kava was mourning about some dwarfs torturing her again and asked Kush to make them stop,¡± the goddess groaned and then created a bell out of nothing, just to ring it and then let it disappear again.

    ¡°Who are Kush and Kava?¡± Sarah asked in a low voice to Linea.

    ¡°Kava is the goddess of our world, hence the name Kavaris. She is well liked by all races, though I don¡¯t know what ¡®torturing her¡¯ means,¡± Linea answered.

    ¡°And Kush is the protector god of the dwarfs. He created them like I created the Moon Elves,¡± the goddess continued the explanation. ¡°And for that torturing part. The dwarfs are mining too deep again. While Kush doesn¡¯t mind the dwarfs mining in his Domain, Kava does sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Kush is also the god of the Kush Mountains, where the dwarfs mostly live,¡± Linea added to clear Sarah¡¯s apparent confusion.

    ¡°Correct, but enough of this. Come here and sit down. Make yourselves comfortable,¡± the goddess said and ushered them towards the couch. She let herself fall into the pillows and released a moan of comfort.

    Sarah took the first step again and sat down on the couch, mimicking the goddess and let herself be burrowed in fluffy pillows. Linea on the other hand only managed to stand beside Sarah, while her eyes darted between Sarah and the goddess.

    ¡°It- It is an honor to meet you, Your Divine Grace!¡± Linea finally managed to address her goddess properly. She was overwhelmed by this whole situation and she just couldn¡¯t process everything so fast.

    ¡°No need to be so formal,¡± the goddess stated. ¡°I get that you are nervous and in awe, but we have important things to discuss and I have things to do. So, just keep this simple and informal. You can call me Luna.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Sarah asked while Linea was still coping with the fact that her goddess had allowed her to address her so casually.

    ¡°Multiple things. I¡¯ll just talk with you now, if you don¡¯t mind. Our little princess seems to be broken for now.¡±

    ¡°The angel also called her princess. I wondered if it was just a cute nickname, but I get the feeling there is more behind it,¡± Sarah stated and rubbed Linea¡¯s hand to calm her down.

    Luna had a small smirk on her face.

    ¡°She is an actual princess. She is a direct descendent of mine, in the main bloodline even. A fact that most of my children have forgotten.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°How so?¡± Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Mainly because most of the records got lost in the Great Cataclysm six hundred years ago. This piece of information apparently wasn¡¯t important enough to be saved.¡±

    ¡°I should probably ask about this Great Cataclysm, but we don¡¯t want to impose on your time longer than necessary,¡± Sarah said diplomatically.

    ¡°Right, right,¡± Luna agreed. ¡°I wished we would have more time, but alas.¡±

    As she said that, a servant entered the room carrying a tray with crystal goblets. They were filled with a silvery liquid. The servant placed the cups on a table, which appeared just as he wanted to place them.

    ¡°Thank you, Turnandir.¡±

    The man just bowed and left.

    ¡°Let¡¯s come to the topic at hand. Your soul was split after I requested you to be send to our world. Therefore, I feel obligated to help you regain what you¡¯ve lost,¡± the goddess explained.

    ¡°I heard that before. Why did you call us anyway?¡± Sarah asked.

    ¡°Because I need your help. The God of Fate warned me personally that the elven race on our world faces the danger of extinction. He didn¡¯t specify how or when, but if the God of Fate warns you about something, you try to do something about it.¡±

    ¡°That sounds a lot like one of those prophecies of Greek mythology,¡± Sarah countered with a smirk. ¡°Self-fulling and all. Probably we would be the reason or something.¡±

    ¡°Diana, the goddess of the moon on Earth, told me about you. A bit too clever for her own good sometimes.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m right?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but keep in mind that I was just warned about the danger of extinction. Not extinction directly. Therefore, something can be done. There is a possibility that you or one of your other parts will be the cause, but I find that unlikely, as Linea is a princess of my children. Let¡¯s say it¡¯s a risk I am willing to take.¡±

    ¡°So, what are we expected to do?¡± Linea suddenly joined in. A direct mission from her goddess would definitely restore her reputation.

    ¡°Nothing in particular. I just want you to protect the Moon Elves as much as you can. I understand that finding your other soul parts takes priority, but when your people need you, please aid them.¡±

    ¡°Of course, my goddess!¡± Linea said with a hand on heart.

    ¡°Calm down! I¡¯m happy about your passion, but I want you to help them, because you want to, not because I ordered you,¡± Luna explained. ¡°If you accept this mission, I will bestow the Blessing of Luna upon you. If both of you agree.¡±

    ¡°We will gladly accept your mission!¡± Linea answered and grinned at Sarah. ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°I guess. I don¡¯t mind helping people,¡± Sarah said while tugging at her ear. ¡°What does a blessing do though?¡±

    ¡°It will allow you to talk to me, if you pray to me at a temple. The whole process of someone drinking lunar essence and then partaking in a ritual is rather cumbersome.¡±

    ¡°True, true,¡± Linea confirmed with a sigh. Luna chuckled lightly.

    ¡°Good. For the blessing both of you just have to drink this lunar essence,¡± Luna explained to them and motioned to the cups that stood on the table.

    ¡°That¡¯s it? I expected a bit more pomp¡­¡± Sarah pouted.

    ¡°Well, I can get a choir to sing for you, if you want that?¡± Luna suggested with a grin, but Linea was fast at shooting down any additional travails for her goddess.

    ¡°That will be unnecessary,¡± she said and threw a dark glance at Sarah. ¡°We are honored by your gift.¡±

    She then took the cup and downed the liquid. Sarah just shrugged and followed suit.

    ¡°Be aware that the blessing will be visible as a symbol on your forehead as a crescent moon. At least for the first few days. You will learn how to conceal it after some time. Show it to those that serve me, and they should assist you as best as they can.¡±

    ¡°So, we can¡¯t keep it a secret for now?¡± Sarah asked with a frown.

    ¡°Not likely, no.¡±

    ¡°But why should we? It¡¯s such an honor!¡± Linea interjected and crossed her arms.

    ¡°Because it gives you more wiggle room. It¡¯s sometimes better to let people assume something than to outright confirm or deny it,¡± Luna explained to her. ¡°But it¡¯s needless to think about it, as your body is in the middle of a temple. Surrounded by your guard, your sister and a priestess of the goddess that just blessed you. I don¡¯t think you can talk our way out of this blessing.¡±

    ¡°If we ask for it, they probably stay silent about it,¡± Linea remarked.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that easy. You have been here for some time and your mother was already informed about your little escape,¡± Luna said and shrugged at Linea blenching face. ¡°Word has already spread around in the city. I would expect a lot of important people to show up.¡±

    ¡°Well, nothing we can do about it,¡± Sarah said matter-of-factly.

    ¡°No, but my blessing is a named one. I call it ¡®Guardian of Luna¡¯sindra¡¯. The priestesses will able to guess from it that you are on a mission. That in return should give you enough authority to deny some of their questions,¡± Luna explained and then looked at Linea with a stern look. ¡°Try to listen to your soul sister from time to time. I know that you can be stubborn at times, but what lies before you requires your full cooperation.¡±

    Linea gulped, but nodded.

    ¡°Soul sister?¡± Sarah asked and tilted her head.

    ¡°Well, your condition is not that usual. I just thought it to be a good description,¡± Luna argued and smiled. ¡°In the end, you may be of one soul, but right now you¡¯re still two separate personalities.¡±

    Linea looked at Sarah.

    ¡°Soul sister¡­ I think I like that,¡± she said and smiled at Sarah.

    ¡°Me too. I always wanted a sister!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not always fun, believe me,¡± Linea countered with a dry laugh.

    ¡°Good. Now that we have established that, I have a few things to tell you, which you will find useful to know,¡± Luna returned to the topic. ¡°What I can feel from you both is a curse. I was unsure on how you got split, but after seeing you before me, I¡¯m able to confirm it.¡±

    ¡°A curse?¡± Linea asked with furrowed brows. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could split a soul with a curse.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Luna agreed and sighed. ¡°And that¡¯s the problem. Souls are protected by multiple deities, most prominently Death. Either one of those gods had a hand in this or the deity responsible for this mess is even stronger. And there are only a handful of them.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling us, that a god split us apart?¡± Sarah asked. She was sitting cross-legged on the couch and folded her arms before her chest.

    ¡°Either that or a powerful immortal that traded in a favor from a deity. In any case, someone really wanted to keep you from gaining power.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡± Linea asked narrow-eyed.

    ¡°Your guess would be as good as mine. Even though you perceive me as a powerful goddess, I¡¯m just a local goddess to one of many worlds. I don¡¯t have any enemies that would make that much of an effort, just to get at me. It probably costed the responsible person more power to curse you than for me to call you here,¡± Luna explained and shrugged. ¡°But from what I can gather from the curse, I don¡¯t think the curser had the opportunity to track your soul parts. At least I can¡¯t sense any magic attached to your soul beside the curse.¡±

    ¡°I guess that means we won¡¯t be chased by some deity in the foreseeable future,¡± Sarah said.

    ¡°No, but you will have enough enemies to deal with in the mortal realms. As a piece of information, the human emperor is gearing up for war. I don¡¯t have many followers within the human population, so I can¡¯t give you more,¡± Luna revealed to them.

    Linea nodded as she remembered about the latest reports from the empire. Her mother¡¯s spies had found signs of war preparations, but having the goddess confirm it was even better.

    ¡°The last thing, I need to tell you is about your other soul sisters,¡± Luna said and frowned slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Tavariel only told you about Shira, but I guess she has her reasons and I won¡¯t interfere with that. But I want you to know that there is without question a fourth part. I promise you that she will contact you shortly after you found Shira.¡±

    ¡°The Soul-Aspect of Immortality,¡± Sarah said with wide-eyes. ¡°Do you know who it is?¡±

    ¡°I do, but I can¡¯t reveal anymore. Focus on that demon girl first. I would suggest, you try a summoning ritual. It¡¯s easier than for you to wander into hell and go searching for her,¡± Luna suggested.

    ¡°A demon summoning?¡± Linea froze and starred wide-eyed at the goddess. ¡°But that¡¯s forbidden magic! We would be executed on spot, if we even talked about it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Those stupid rules your mages came up with,¡± Luna replied pinching her nose. ¡°Well, if you get powerful enough you can probably pull it of without help, but you would have to learn to do it yourself. Or you find a different approach than a summoning. I will leave that to you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just keep the summoning in mind in case we don¡¯t find an alternative,¡± Sarah said diplomatically as Linea was again blenching. ¡°Summoning a demon definitely sounds like something you say before you are getting killed by a demon¡­¡±

    Luna rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t commented further.

    ¡°Our time seems to come to an end as it seems,¡± she suddenly said, and her gaze became distant. ¡°The ritual is taking too long and the priestesses that took over from your sister¡¯s friend are running out of power. The high priestess is the last one left and she is nearly spent as well.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the ritual is so draining,¡± Linea said and let her shoulders slump.

    ¡°It usually isn¡¯t, but I used their power to attach Sarah¡¯s soul to your body. The curse fought against that, so it took more than I anticipated,¡± Luna explained. ¡°Before you go, I will give you a few pieces of advice. Sarah is only a passenger in your body, Linea. You are in full control, while she will only be able to observe. But she can take over, if you let her or if you are incapacitated. I suggest, you get to know each other. The closer you grow, the more synergies you can achieve. Like Sarah using her psionics, while she isn¡¯t in control of the body. Right now, you are still too far apart in mind for that.¡±

    Luna stood up and walked over to Linea. She pulled the princess into a hug.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, what will happen, but try to be open to her. She will be a big help,¡± she said. ¡°Also, tell those idiots from the Academy that you will be receiving magical training. Use your new authority to force them, if necessary.¡±

    Linea just nodded, dumb-founded by the fact that her goddess had just hugged her.

    The goddess hugged Sarah as well, who had also stood up from the couch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh with her. She didn¡¯t have to go through the same as you. Teach her and guide her but let her learn for herself. Take your time to think about other usages of your psionics. You can do so much more with it.¡±

    Sarah returned the hug with smile.

    ¡°I will protect her.¡±

    Luna smiled as well and took one hand of each of the young women.

    ¡°Good luck on your journey. I¡¯ll be watching over you. Remember to talk to me, if you need to. Just go to one of my temples and pray to me. You won¡¯t be able to come here like this again as it was just an exception, but I it will let you talk to me. If I have the time that is. If you can¡¯t contact me, just try again later.¡±

    Before Linea could ask, if that was a joke, she felt the same tug she felt in the temple before. Suddenly, darkness shrouded her view. She felt that Sarah was pulled alongside her as she flew through the darkness.

    When she opened her eyes again, she noticed that she was back at the temple in Luna¡¯sindranar. But instead of Aruna, an older woman kneeled before her and chanted the same tune. Linea recognized he woman as High Priestess Nasinia. When the high priestess noticed her awakening, she stopped singing.

    ¡°Welcome back, Your Grace!¡±

 Arc 1 - Chapter 5 - An Inner Dialogue

    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Queen Arania yelled.

    The high priestess had ushered Linea and her family into a small chamber inside the temple after Linea had awoken from her trance. Her mother was furious but diplomatic enough to keep quiet while they still had been in the main hall. She couldn¡¯t risk losing her composure in front of the gathered nobility, and the lower born.

    But now they were cramped in a small room, which the priestesses seemed to use as a preparation room for messes. Linea sat on a wooden chair and tried not to seem irritated.

    Sarah was still adjusting to her new situation in Linea¡¯s body. Only being an observer was quite different. But she was not ignorant to her situation.

    ¡®Linea?¡¯ She said hoping not to startle the princess.

    ¡®Yes?¡¯ Linea replied calmly.

    ¡®Who are those people?¡¯ Sarah asked and instinctively tried to nod in the direction of the little group of people, with the expected result of nothing happening.

    ¡®Interesting. I sensed how you tried to move my head. This will need time to get used to,¡¯ Linea said absentmindedly. ¡®However, the woman yelling at us is my mother, Queen Arania. She is the ruler of our land. The man beside her trying to calm her down is my father, King Thrandodir. The woman beside us is my oldest sister Tarina, who is first in line to become the next queen. She is getting yelled at because she helped me to get into this ritual.¡¯

    ¡®Why should your mother be mad at you for that? Isn¡¯t she the religious type?¡¯

    ¡®What? No!¡¯ Linea exclaimed in her mind. ¡®She is as religious as I am. But don¡¯t get side-tracked. The young man in the corner who seems way too amused is my oldest brother Tovandir. Next to him is my older sister Senia. I have no idea why she looks so furious though. My other brother Shandir is not in the city at the moment. Just mentioning him for completion.¡¯

    ¡®And the other woman is a priestess, I guess?¡¯

    ¡®Correct. Her name is Nasinia, and she is the High Priestess of the Sisterhood of Luna.¡¯

    Before Linea could go on with her explanations, she was interrupted.

    ¡°Are you even listening?¡± the queen asked with a crimson face.

    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Linea stated more courageous than she actually was.

    ¡°You little¡­¡±, Arania pressed through her lips. ¡°First, you somehow get yourself into the examination at the Academy without asking. Then you even get rejected there and let yourself being humiliated. And now you just go ahead and become a priestess! How dare you to go over my head about such an important matter! Again!¡±

    ¡°My queen,¡± the high priestess intervened, while looking at Linea. ¡°I understand your fury, but I want to clarify that being accepted by the goddess doesn¡¯t make her a priestess. That¡¯s for me to decide¡­¡±

    ¡°I thank you for your aid,¡± Arania interrupted, but was cut off herself.

    ¡°But! This situation is much more than just Princess Linea becoming a priestess or not. It has been over two hundred years since something like this happened, but I have to point out that the princess has been blessed by our goddess. The moon on her forehead wouldn¡¯t be so present otherwise. This is something I cannot ignore.¡±

    ¡°Blessed?¡± Tovandir asked with sudden interest and he examined his sister thoroughly. ¡°The last one with a blessing was High Priestess Saria.¡±

    Now every person in the room focused on Linea.

    ¡°See?¡± Linea said and crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m not becoming a priestess. I would like to mention though, you actually have no right to deny me that.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t want to become a priestess?¡± Tarina asked from her side. ¡°I helped you and I even risked mother¡¯s anger! You got blessed, for Luna¡¯s sake! You¡¯re probably the next high priestess after Nasinia.¡±

    ¡°A blessing doesn¡¯t warrant her to become a priestess. She has every right to apply for the training now, but if I¡¯m inclined to agree to such training depends on the nature of her blessing,¡± Nasinia interjected and waved her hand dismissively.

    ¡°I wanted to become a priestess, so much is true,¡± Linea tried to explain. ¡°But just because I wanted to do something meaningful. I didn¡¯t want to become the little princess that only sits at home and drinks Famnir and talks about the newest fashion or the best actor at the theater.¡±

    Linea let her shoulders slump down.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to ask the goddess about becoming a priestess, to be honest,¡± she admitted. ¡°I- I learned a lot about myself and some of those things don¡¯t seem to make sense right now. Before I can make any further decisions, I have to process all of this first.¡±

    She looked pleadingly at her mother.

    For a second, Arania seemed to snap, but after a deep sigh she simply nodded in acceptance. There was nothing she could change now anyway.

    ¡°What? That¡¯s it?¡± Senia asked with a flushed face. ¡°That¡¯s so typical. Little Linea does something stupid and everyone just goes with it. If I would have done that, I would be grounded forever!¡±

    ¡°Enough Senia!¡± Arania shot her complaint down. ¡°We will talk about this later. Right now, I need to decide what we¡¯re telling those vultures out there.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess we will tell them the truth about the blessing. Some of them must have seen the mark anyway. So, there is no reason in denying it,¡± Thrandodir suggested while he stroked an imaginary beard. ¡°We can leave out the details, we don¡¯t know for ourselves. Tell them something along the line that we don¡¯t know more yet.¡±

    The queen sighed but nodded at the door as a signal for their departure. As the party moved out of the room, High Priestess Nasinia moved to Linea and whispered in her ear.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen what your blessing is about. Come and visit me again as soon as you can.¡±

    Linea simply nodded and followed her family outside.

    As expected, the main hall was full to bursting point. Most of the high-ranking nobles that lived in the city had of course made the effort to come to the temple, when the word came out that the princess had offered herself to the goddess. Normally such an act would have been planned, and the result would have been clarified in advance to protect the princess from humiliation.

    That the process had happened in secret was scandalous enough, but it involved the princess that had been declined by the Academy not so long ago. To say it was the scandal of the year would have been an understatement.

    Linea frowned as she noticed even common people in the back, who had put down their night work. She looked through the windows of the temple to see the night sky. When she had awoken earlier she hadn¡¯t noticed it, but her ritual had taken quite some time, apparently.

    Her mother stepped in front of the gathered crowd.

    ¡°We are honored by your attendance tonight. As some of you may have noticed or heard, my youngest daughter, Princess Linea, wears the mark of our goddess tonight.¡±

    She motioned Linea to step forward. Linea followed the order and stood before the people, her eyes darting from one random person to another. Only when her mother put her hands on her shoulders, she calmed down. A murmur went through the crowd as they could finally see Linea¡¯s mark in detail.

    ¡°After talking to High Priestess Nasinia, the outcome of the ritual could finally be determined. We are happy to announce that our princess has been blessed by the goddess!¡± The queen announced with a bright smile. Contrary to her former behavior, she now radiated happiness and contentment.

    The crowd started clapping, and some even cheered, especially the common people in the background.

    Queen Arania lifted a hand to signal everyone to let her speak once more.

    ¡°It lies within expectations for everyone to be curious what induced such a blessing and what it means to us. However, we ask you to keep questions to yourself for now as we most likely can¡¯t answer them at this point of time. I thank you for coming and wish you a good night.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    And with that, she pulled Linea to the side and the whole family left the temple through a side entrance, where Captain Evira awaited them with a reinforced troop of her guards and two carriages. While Linea¡¯s parents took the first carriage, she and her siblings tried to get on the second one, only to find it too small for them. It was the same small carriage that Tarina and Linea had used to reach to the temple.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just join mother and father,¡± Senia simply said and with a quick look at Linea, she crinkled her nose and added, ¡°Hopefully, they don¡¯t draw as much attention as certain other persons anyway.¡±

    Linea sighed as she watched her sister walk over to their parents¡¯ carriage and join them. Their mother furrowed her eyebrows as Senia explained something and shot a quick glance at Linea. She the rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t seem to comment it.

    ¡°Come on, Linea,¡± Tovandir said and gently pushed her into the second carriage.

    Inside Linea took a deep breath and closed her eyes, but fortunately neither Tarina nor Tovandir pestered her with additional questions.

    ¡®Sarah, are you still there?¡¯ she asked in her mind trying to find her soul-sister but found nothing different from before the ritual.

    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Sarah answered with slight amusement in her voice. ¡®Can¡¯t exactly go away on my own, can I?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, probably not,¡¯ Linea conceded. ¡®How are you? Are you all right being inside me?¡¯

    Sarah giggled briefly much to Linea¡¯s confusion.

    ¡®Yes, I feel fine,¡¯ Sarah reassured her. ¡®It¡¯s just like you said, it will take some time to get used to, but I¡¯ve always been adaptable. You heard Luna; that¡¯s how humans are.¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t know, if you qualify as a human anymore.¡¯

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m part of you, so perhaps I am more of a Moon Elf now.¡¯

    A short silence set in between them. After talking to each other, Linea noticed Sarah in her mind at least. It was not like she could pinpoint, where she was, but she felt her presence.

    ¡®So, is there a story behind your sister¡¯s aversion towards you?¡¯ Sarah asked, and curiosity and concern radiated from her.

    ¡®There is,¡¯ Linea admitted glumly. ¡®I don¡¯t exactly know when it started, but ever since we were young we tried to surpass each other. For me it was only a game in the start, and I liked the attention she gave me. I always thought of it like a friendly rivalry. But when we got older, she was always so focused on being better than me that she even sabotaged me in some projects I worked on with my magic tutor.¡¯

    ¡®I get that to some point. It is hard for siblings to gain attention from their parents, especially if there are not the oldest or the youngest.¡¯

    ¡®I guess?¡¯ Linea said, not quite getting what Sarah meant. If she wanted her mother to pay attention to her, she would just talk to her. It wasn¡¯t that complicated.

    ¡®But what prompted such open hostility? What you described sounded more like a silent antipathy.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s because she and I entered the examination at the Academy of Luna¡¯sindranar earlier this year. There is no real age limit for applicants. As long as their potential is great enough and they have a solid foundation, they will be accepted. It¡¯s just, even with the greatest potential, one needs time to get the needed physical and magical strength. My sister and I have trained hard to enter the Academy.¡¯

    ¡®Quick question,¡¯ Sarah interjected. ¡®What¡¯s so special about this academy? The way you talk about it, makes it seem important.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s where our Void Hunters learn their craft. They are trained in physical and magical combat to fight the monsters corrupted by the Void. The elves have to deal a lot more with those monsters than other races. We even have a name for them in our old Elven language. Navasintorra stands for ¡®Bane of the Children of the Gods¡¯. But we shortened it to Torra, which has been established as their name for the other races as well.¡¯

    ¡®I would guess that elves are the most magic-affine beings on this world?¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s true, how did you know?¡¯ Linea asked in surprise.

    ¡®Because I can add one and one together,¡¯ Sarah replied and sighed. ¡®Remember what we were told? The more magic is used, the more Void-Energy is created. More Void-Energy means more corruption. Hence, those dealing with the Torra the most, must be the ones to use magic more than the others. It is simple logic.¡¯

    ¡®That¡­ makes sense.¡¯

    ¡®Good, now that we established that, please continue with your sister. You both wanted to become Void Hunters. Sounds like a dangerous job to me. Why would your mother allow that over you becoming a priestess? Which sounds way less dangerous to be honest.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s Elven politics for you,¡¯ Linea groaned. ¡®As princesses we¡¯re supposed to produce off-spring to secure the line of succession.¡¯

    ¡®But you¡¯re not the one to inherit the throne, are you? So why does it matter what you do?¡¯

    ¡®Because we live in a dangerous world. Even though it is way safer for a princess due to guards and living in a secure city, it doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t die. There were a few instances in which our line nearly died out. After what I learned today about my ancestry, I think it is even more important to make sure this doesn¡¯t happen,¡¯ Linea explained. ¡®Anyway, as a priestess I would have taken a vow of purity, which includes never marrying or having a child.¡¯

    ¡®Seems harsh. I mean, sex is really enjoyable. You shouldn¡¯t miss on that.¡¯

    Linea gasped in shame about Sarah¡¯s candor.

    ¡°Linea?¡± Tarina interrupted their inner dialog.

    ¡°Are you feeling well?¡± She added.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked and looked into her sister¡¯s concerned face.

    ¡°You gasped loudly, and you look flushed,¡± Tarina said with a frown.

    ¡°No, everything is okay, I¡¯m just thinking about stuff,¡± she explained and looked out of the window of the carriage. Now that the sun had set completely the streets were bustling with people going to work.

    Tarina didn¡¯t look convinced but didn¡¯t pursue it further.

    ¡®You need to control yourself better,¡¯ Sarah commented with a chuckle.

    ¡®Shut up, you stupid idiot!¡¯ Linea snarled. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t have happened, if it weren¡¯t for your crassness. You can¡¯t talk about¡­ this stuff!¡¯

    ¡®Oh? So, you¡¯re more the prim princess-type.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not prim!¡¯

    ¡®So, you have already thought about a hot, muscular man pounding you with his big, hard cock?¡¯

    ¡°Sarah!¡± Linea suddenly yelled.

    ¡°Who?¡± Tarina asked confused and made Linea aware that she had said it out loud.

    She quickly thought about something clever to say, but nothing came to her mind.

    ¡°Oh, no one,¡± she tried to assure her sister. ¡°I thought about a character in a play, I saw lately. Couldn¡¯t remember the name of the character, but it just came to me surprisingly. I¡¯m sorry for yelling like this.¡±

    ¡°All right¡­¡± Tarina just commented but her brows were still furrowed. Even Tovandir looked intently at his youngest sister.

    ¡®Are you crazy?¡¯ Linea asked Sarah in their mind-speak. ¡®You can¡¯t just say something so vulgar!¡¯

    ¡®Well, I did,¡¯ Sarah countered with a giggle. ¡®And it was funny. But I promise I will hold myself back in the future.¡¯

    ¡®Please see that you do,¡¯ Linea said still fuming.

    ¡®Back to topic,¡¯ Sarah tried to defuse the situation by diverting Linea¡¯s attention. ¡®Priestesses can¡¯t have sex, and husbands, and children, which is a problem for the succession. I can understand that. But why allowing any of you to become a Void Hunter. I mean, it sounds freaking dangerous in comparison. You can¡¯t have children, if you¡¯re dead. Also, why do you and your sister even want to become one in the first place?¡¯

    ¡®Tradition mostly, but we grew up hearing all the stories of our late aunt Norana and uncle Larandir. Both were Void Hunters and pretty successful at it. They lost their life in the Great Surge of 645, but they saved thousands of lives.¡¯

    ¡®What¡¯s a surge? Why was it called the Great Surge? Which year do we live in, and why is the number of year so low? I imagined this world to be older.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s a lot of questions,¡¯ Linea noted a little unnerved.

    ¡®True, but if I¡¯m expected to help you, I need to learn the facts of this world first. So, keep going.¡¯

    ¡®Calm down, I¡¯ll explain,¡¯ Linea relented. ¡®A surge is a sudden peak in Torra activity. They sometimes flock together and attack towns, sometimes even cities. They are often signalized by a notable calm beforehand. The Great Surge of 645 has got his name as it was very dangerous and destructive. A lot of towns in the east were destroyed and a lot of Void Hunters and soldiers gave their life to stop it. We still haven¡¯t recovered fully from that.¡¯

    She remembered the last question and added, ¡®And we are currently in the year 656 after the Great Cataclysm. The goddess mentioned it if I recall correctly. Everything before got lost in the event, so we know little about the time before. And before you ask, the Great Cataclysm was a Torra surge as well. It was just so devastating that all life on Kavaris was threatened to go extinct.¡¯

    ¡®Who saved the world?¡¯

    ¡®No one knows. What we know, is that a powerful human mage was corrupted and had taken control over most of the Torra. He lay waste over the world, but one day he suddenly vanished. Without his control the Torra weren¡¯t organized anymore and easier to kill. After a few years, the world was back to normal. But a lot of advancement in technology and magic were lost.¡¯

    ¡®All right, carry on. You grew up with Void Hunter stories, but it¡¯s also a tradition for princesses to become Void Hunters?¡¯ Sarah asked to stir the conversation back to its origins.

    ¡®Yes, you need to know that our family has an inherent ability to lead. And that¡¯s nothing I just say to boast. After learning about the goddess and her ability to call souls to this world, I think she might have ensured that my family is always blessed with souls that have an ability to lead others. But I get side-tracked. Males of our family always get training in the army and often become generals. As the army is with a few exceptions purely comprising male Moon Elves, they are destined for it. The princesses that don¡¯t inherit the throne become Masters of the Void Hunter Council, which governs the Void Hunter Guild.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s rather restrictive regarding career choices,¡¯ Sarah commented dryly.

    ¡®Oh, you misunderstand me. We aren¡¯t forced to do that. We don¡¯t even have to work at all if we don¡¯t want to. Perks of being royal. It¡¯s just that everyone in the royal family is supposed to contribute to society as best as they can. I could do anything I wanted as long as it doesn¡¯t dishonor the family or endangers the country.¡¯

    ¡®Like becoming a prostitute?¡¯

    ¡®Sarah!¡¯

    ¡®Sorry.¡¯

    ¡®Anyway,¡¯ Linea continued suppressing her annoyance. ¡®Back to my sister. That I wanted to enlist at the Academy with her didn¡¯t endear me to her. She accused me of trying to steal her spotlight at the examination, which is a spectacle every year. I just wanted to not be alone in the palace while everyone was out learning stuff.¡¯

    With the last sentence, she actively had to try not to cry.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry for that,¡¯ Sarah tried to console her.

    ¡®It¡¯s not your fault,¡¯ Linea answered, but the solace Sarah radiated helped a bit. ¡®But after that and my failure at the examination, where she openly laughed at me and made fun of me, I realized that our rivalry wasn¡¯t as friendly for her as it was for me. Now she constantly complains when I get any bit of attention.¡¯

    ¡®She got some inferiority complex, perhaps,¡¯ Sarah analyzed Senia¡¯s behavior from what Linea told her.

    ¡®A what?¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s a psychological problem that stems from the feeling of inferiority. Hence, the name.¡¯

    ¡®Any idea what I can do now?¡¯ Linea asked hoping to fix her relationship with Senia.

    ¡®Well, the first step would be getting out of the carriage,¡¯ Sarah suggested and nudged Linea¡¯s awareness back to the outside world. ¡®It seems, we have arrived back at your palace.¡¯

 Arc 1 - Chapter 6 - Nora

    Linea slumped onto her bed and took a deep breath. After dealing with her family for a few hours and deflecting most of their questions, she was spent.

    ¡®That was exhausting¡­¡¯ she noted to Sarah, who sent a wave of compassion through their bond. Something she learned in the hours of questioning as she didn¡¯t want to distract Linea by talking to her.

    Linea just wanted to get out of her dress and crawl under her blankets.

    ¡®That reminds me, I still have to introduce some people to you,¡¯ Linea noted and dragged herself over her bed towards her nightstand. She grabbed a little bell and rang it. A few moments later an older Moon Elf entered the room. The woman was fairly tall and had black hair, which she had put up into a bun. She wore a long, black dress, which had a different coat of arms sewn over her chest compared to the Royal Guard.

    ¡°How may I be of service, My Lady?¡± the woman asked and made a curtsy.

    ¡®This is my chamber woman Tenasia. She oversees my chamber maids and everything else that concerns my personal chambers,¡¯ Linea explained quickly to Sarah.

    ¡°Would you be so kind and get someone to catch Nora for me? She is probably still working on that painting in our atelier and didn¡¯t sleep all day,¡± Linea asked her. ¡°And please help me out of this damned dress.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, My Lady,¡± Tenasia answered and made another curtsy. She left the room but returned soon to accompany Linea into a room next to her bedroom.

    ¡®Holy shit, that¡¯s a lot of dresses!¡¯ Sarah let out in surprise.

    Before them stood multiple rows of clothes racks with at least a hundred different dresses.

    ¡®Have you worn every last one at some point?¡¯

    ¡®Sure. Some of them only once, because they don¡¯t fit my personal style that well, but I never get a dress, if I don¡¯t have a special use for it,¡¯ Linea explained, while she let Tenasia open the clasps of her dress. ¡®In Elven high society a lot of things can be expressed through clothing. As a princess I can¡¯t be too cautious, because the wrong dress on any festivity can signal other noble houses I¡¯m searching for a husband for example. Or I could affront a duchess by wearing something too simple and thereby reveal my distaste for her party.¡¯

    ¡®Wow, that seems complicated.¡¯

    ¡®It is, if you don¡¯t grow up learning it,¡¯ Linea noted and after shedding the dress she examined herself in the mirror. Only wearing her undergarments, she looked over her body and once again sighed at the sight of her breasts.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lin,¡± an amused female voice sounded from the door. ¡°They¡¯ll grow soon enough.¡±

    Linea swirled around and looked at a young Moon Elf, who was only a year older than her. She had dark hair, which could be mistaken as black, but under the right light it glowed violet. In contrast to Linea, she had already developed a rather sizeable bust and didn¡¯t shy away from showing it with the dress she wore.

    ¡°Nora!¡± Linea said with a bright smile and jumped into Nora¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯ve got so much to tell you.¡±

    ¡°I gathered as much when I heard your brother and Senia arguing about something on the line of ¡®Linea is an attention seeking¡­¡¯,¡± Nora said but stopped short. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say your sister is cross with you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I noticed that,¡± Linea replied with rolling eyes.

    ¡°So, are you going to tell me what¡¯s going on? Did everything work out with our little plan?¡±

    ¡°Not quite as planned, but I gained a lot of valuable information from it. And something helpful, I think,¡± Linea said smiling. She hastily slipped into the light dress, Tenasia held out to her, and walked over to her bedroom. From there she walked through another door into a larger room, which functioned as a living room. The room led onto a balcony which deigned a look over the garden behind the palace.

    ¡®I need to warn you. Nora and I are in all purposes best friends. She is a court lady and in my service. She helps me with everything that doesn¡¯t fall under household stuff,¡¯ Linea explained to Sarah.

    ¡®So, she is a personal assistant?¡¯ Sarah asked.

    ¡®One could say so, but it¡¯s a bit more complicated. More importantly, she is the only person in the world I can trust completely, besides Tarina perhaps, and I would like to introduce you to her,¡¯ Linea said nervously.

    Sarah said nothing to that. Her silence seemed like a bad sign to Linea.

    ¡°Linea? Is everything all right?¡± Nora asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You completely zoned off.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all right. Give me a second to collect my thoughts,¡± Linea said and motioned Nora to take place on the couch in front of the fireplace.

    ¡®Sarah? Please trust me on this. Nora and I talk a lot about everything. Ever since I was eight years old. I can¡¯t keep this a secret from her,¡¯ Linea pleaded to Sarah.

    ¡®How can you trust someone so much?¡¯ Sarah simply asked and let no emotions out, which irritated Linea.

    ¡®We often talk in mind-speak with each other. Just like you and I do. You can¡¯t lie, if you use mind-speak. Nora never lies to me, so I trust her,¡¯ Linea explained.

    ¡®You can communicate with each other through telepathy? How?¡¯ Sarah asked, and her curiosity surfaced back.

    Linea grinned internally as she knew, she had Sarah back on the hook.

    ¡®Magic of course,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®It is the first magic any elf learns, because it allows a mentor to communicate directly with his student. We can talk about that later though.¡¯

    ¡®Well, if you insist. But I want to point out you are risking quite a lot.¡¯

    ¡®A risk that¡¯s worth taking.¡¯

    ¡°Linea?¡± Nora asked again and looked quite nervous. ¡°The last time I saw you this thoughtful was right after you failed the exam. Did something serious happen?¡±

    ¡°Serious yes, but not as negative.¡± Linea said and looked intently at Nora. ¡°The goddess talked to me during the ritual. She and an angel to be exact. They explained to me the reason why I botched the examination at the Academy.¡±

    ¡°The goddess and an angel talked to you? In person?¡± Nora asked wide-eyed. ¡°And what did they tell you?¡±

    Linea took a deep breath.

    ¡°Before I was born someone powerful split my soul apart.¡±

    Nora frowned at that.

    ¡°Split your soul? You mean a soul mage cursed you while your mother was pregnant?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, even before that,¡± Linea tried to explain. ¡°There are more parts of my soul out there and I¡­¡±

    She stopped for a moment and switched to mind-speak.

    ¡®I met one of them. Someone whose body recently died. And to top it all off that part of my soul currently lives within me. Sarah? Can you say hello?¡¯Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    A short silence in which Nora seemed to evaluate Linea¡¯s sanity, but then Sarah simply answered.

    ¡®Hello.¡¯

    Sarah¡¯s voice was distinctive and different from Linea¡¯s voice, so much that Nora had to believe her friend.

    ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable!¡± Nora said wide-eyed as she heard Sarah¡¯s voice inside Linea¡¯s head.

    ¡®No need to say it out loud,¡¯ Linea said with a stern voice. ¡®She can hear you well in mind-speak.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but I find it hard to believe there is an actual person inside your head,¡¯ Nora argued but fell back into mind-speak again. ¡®Where does she come from? Who is she?¡¯

    ¡®I come from a planet called Earth, where no magic exists and only humans live,¡¯ Sarah explained concisely.

    ¡®Only humans?¡¯ Nora went into it. ¡®Sounds kind of depressing.¡¯

    ¡®Well, it is how it is,¡¯ Sarah replied defensively. ¡®I hope, I don¡¯t need to tell you that you need to keep this to yourself. Even if Linea trusts you, I don¡¯t. At least yet.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re not beating around the bush, are you?¡¯ Nora said with a chuckle. ¡®Well, I can respect that. I vow to both of you that I will keep your secret until death.¡¯

    ¡®Thank you!¡¯ Linea said and hugged Nora. ¡®I couldn¡¯t keep that a secret from you.¡¯

    ¡®I have to thank you - both of you - that you trust me with this.¡¯ Nora said and returned the hug. ¡®But I have questions. A lot of them.¡¯

    <hr>

    It took the three of them the majority of the remaining night to go through everything that Linea and Sarah had to tell Nora. Linea did most of the talking as mind-speak over a long time was too taxing for Nora, which was why they had to switch back to verbal communication. While it took Sarah and Linea no effort at all, Nora quickly reached her limit.

    ¡°Well, if she doesn¡¯t want to talk more about her previous life, you shouldn¡¯t force her,¡± Nora said when Linea tried to pressure Sarah to tell more about her life on Earth.

    ¡®Yeah, listen to her!¡¯ Sarah added in Linea¡¯s mind and sounded annoyed.

    ¡®But we have to talk about it sometime,¡¯ Linea decided but dropped the subject for now. ¡°Okay, I will not ask again. For tonight.¡±

    Sarah groaned, and Nora rolled her eyes.

    ¡°To be honest, I would rather know more about this psion-thingy.¡± Nora said and leaned forward to take a closer look at Linea. ¡°It¡¯s like magic, but you don¡¯t need mana for it? Can you show me?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t use it,¡± Linea said with a pout. ¡°We already tried that earlier. She can¡¯t even use it while she is observing.¡±

    ¡®Think we should try to switch now?¡¯ Sarah asked. ¡®It could be useful to know, whether we can do it if necessary. And I would like to show both of you, what I¡¯m capable of.¡¯

    Linea thought about it for a moment but couldn¡¯t find an argument against it.

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s try it,¡± she said and looked at Nora. ¡°Sarah and I will try to switch now, so don¡¯t be surprised.¡±

    Linea closed her eyes and focused on herself. She did not understand how this should work, but apparently Sarah had an idea. Linea suddenly felt a pressure against her mind, which she instinctively blocked.

    ¡®Well, you got to let me in, if you want to switch,¡¯ Sarah remarked with a mental smirk.

    ¡®Sorry,¡¯ Linea answered and blushed a bit.

    The next few tries resulted in Linea blocking Sarah repeatedly. The process wasn¡¯t as easy as they thought since Linea had problems getting rid of her need to stay in control. Sarah tried to apply more pressure, but without Linea giving in, she didn¡¯t get a solid grip on their shared body.

    ¡®That¡¯s harder than I thought,¡¯ Linea said.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯d be easier, if you wouldn¡¯t be so stubborn,¡¯ Sarah quipped with a chuckle.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡¯ Linea shot back in anger.

    ¡°Not working?¡± Nora asked and yawned.

    A quick look out of the window at the sunrise made Linea realize how long they already practiced. She yawned as well and rubbed her eyes. She had been awake for the whole night and half of the day before. Naturally her body wanted to rest.

    ¡®One last try?¡¯ Sarah asked sensing Linea¡¯s fatigue.

    ¡®Okay.¡¯

    This time Linea was not as resistant as before. Sarah pressed forward, and Linea just gave up on her defense. Suddenly Sarah perception of her surroundings was more detailed than before.

    ¡®Guess it worked,¡¯ she stated while raising her hands and examining them.

    ¡®Seems like it,¡¯ Linea said, and a feeling of unease washed over her. ¡®That¡¯s very uncomfortable.¡¯

    ¡°I like it.¡± Sarah said.

    ¡°Sarah?¡± Nora asked suddenly wide awake.

    ¡°Honored to make your acquaintance,¡± Sarah answered and stretched her hand towards Nora.

    ¡°I¡¯m honored as well,¡± Nora answered with a smirk and shook Sarah¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, if I can amaze you with my skills.¡±

    Sarah stood up from the couch, raised her arms and closed her eyes. She focused on the couch and soon she noticed her psionic powers taking a hold of the furniture. The whole process didn¡¯t take more than a second, but Sarah immediately noticed that her powers reacted somewhat more sluggish than usual.

    However, the effect worked as planned. Suddenly the couch hovered and rose a meter into the air.

    ¡°Eep!¡±

    Nora hadn¡¯t realized what Sarah had planned and was surprised by her sudden flight maneuver. She tried to get off the couch before it flew too high, but she lost her balance and dropped right onto Sarah, who was too concentrated to notice Nora¡¯s struggle.

    The following crash of Nora, the break of Sarah¡¯s concentration and the subsequent falling of the couch, made a loud enough noise to attract the attention of Linea¡¯s maids. Two of them peeked inside from the bedroom, and one was even courageous enough to speak up.

    ¡°Is everything all right, Your Royal Highness?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine!¡± Sarah moaned in pain as she tried to get Nora off her. The maids chuckled for a short moment but left the room again.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Nora said half in concern, half in amusement.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just¡­¡± Sarah answered and tried to push Nora to the side but stopped as she felt something squishy in her hand.

    ¡®Sarah!¡¯ Linea yelled in shame and with a sudden push, she was in control again. She took the hand away from where it had accidentally landed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nora!¡± Linea quickly said. ¡°She didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡±

    Nora laughed and rubbed her left breast.

    ¡°I hope so, because that was kind of painful. Tell her, for the next time, I like it gentler.¡±

    ¡°Nora!¡± Linea yelled and blushed furiously.

    ¡®Looks like I¡¯m not the only one who found your weakness,¡¯ Sarah commented with a giggle.

    ¡°Both of you are insufferable!¡±

    Nora laughed hard at that and pulled Linea into a hug.

    ¡°Bah, you love me like a sister, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked and pecked Linea¡¯s cheek slightly.

    Linea crossed her arms and tried to be upset, but to no avail.

    ¡°Just because I like you doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t be insufferable.¡±

    While Nora still giggled, Sarah changed the subject to something more serious and addressed Linea and Nora with mind-speak.

    ¡®I¡¯m not as strong as I used to be, and I could only test one of my skills. I suspect that I will need more time to adjust myself to the flow of power inside this body.¡¯

    ¡®So, you two should switch from time to time, if we are just the three of us or if you are alone,¡¯ Nora suggested.

    ¡®As long as Sarah can keep her hands to herself?¡¯ Linea jibed against Sarah.

    ¡®I¡¯ll manage it somehow.¡¯

    Nora and Sarah chuckled at each other, which infuriated Linea even more.

    ¡®Nice to see that you two are coming along just fine,¡¯ she noted and rolled her eyes.

    Before either of them could answer, a knock sounded from the door.

    ¡°Come in!¡± Linea yelled and watched as the door opened. Tenasia entered with a man behind her. The man was dressed in mithril armor, which had this distinctive silver-white glowing.

    ¡°Your Divine Highness,¡± he said as his greeting and bowed deeply before Linea and addressed Nora with a smaller bow as well. ¡°Lady Nora Molana.¡±

    ¡°I have seen you before, but I have to apologize as I can¡¯t recall you name,¡± Linea said while greeting the man in the middle of the room. She offered him her hand, which he took and the placed his forehead nearly against the back of her hand, while kneeling before her. His head and her hand never came into contact, however.

    ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Sarah asked confused.

    ¡®He¡¯s paying his respect to me and my family. The kneeling is mandatory, but what he does with my hand depends on his standing. At the rank of a baron he would have only held my hand. As the son of a countess he would have done what he just did. And as a ducal prince he would have feigned a kiss on the back of my hand.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s kind of excessive, don¡¯t you think?¡¯

    ¡®I didn¡¯t make the rules,¡¯ Linea said and internally shrugged.

    ¡°Allow me to reintroduce myself,¡± the man said with a smile. ¡°My name is Lord Durandir of House Turana, second son of the Countess of Taldira. I¡¯m the squire of Lord Urundir. My Lord requests Your Divine Highness¡¯ attendance in a meeting of utmost importance.¡±

    Linea frowned slightly at the invitation.

    ¡°Will the queen or Princess Tarina be present for this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They will.¡±

    ¡°All right, tell Lord Urundir that I shall meet him as soon as I can,¡± she said and looked at Nora. ¡°Nora, find out where this meeting will take place. I don¡¯t want to search for them. Tenasia, with me.¡±

    She left the room without giving Durandir any more attention.

    ¡®Wasn¡¯t that a bit rude? He seemed nice enough,¡¯ Sarah asked surprised, while Linea was striding through her bedroom, where two of her maids were preparing her bed for the day, into her wardrobe.

    ¡®He was polite, not nice,¡¯ Linea stated matter-of-factly. ¡®There is a distinctive difference between the two. It is common courtesy to request a meeting at least a day in advance, so the invited person can prepare herself. This, however, didn¡¯t happen. Moreover, he failed to mention the subject of the meeting, which leads to me not knowing what I should wear.¡¯

    Tenasia had followed her into the dressing room and seemed to read the mind of her charge.

    ¡°My Lady, I would suggest going with your dress armor. It seems evident that the meeting is connected to Lord Urundir¡¯s position as a commander of the Void Hunter Guild. A military dress would be imperative,¡± she explained.

    ¡°Good thinking, Tenasia. I will go with your idea. Get the dress ready,¡± Linea answered Tenasia and then shouted through the door, ¡°Minara! Get the armor plates for my dress armor. They should be down in the armory.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lady!¡± a high-pitched voice sounded from the other side of the door.

    Linea was already halfway into her moon silk trousers when she let out a groan.

    ¡°And I just wanted to go to bed¡­¡±

 Arc 1 - Chapter 7 - The Calm before the Storm

    ¡®Where are we going?¡¯ Sarah asked confused when Linea left the palace.

    ¡®To the meeting with Lord Urundir in the War Council¡¯s rooms,¡¯ Linea answered absentmindedly. She looked around the courtyard in front of the main entrance and searched for a high-ranking guard, who was supposed to accompany her. But no one was to be found. She walked over to one of the palace guards.

    ¡°You there!¡± she snarled at him. ¡°Where is the guard that I asked for?¡±

    If the man was offended by her snarky tone, he didn¡¯t show it. Instead, he snapped to attention and saluted.

    ¡°Captain Tuvadunir just started his shift, Your Royal Highness. He was informed of your order and is currently overseeing the preparation of your personal carriage. He should be here shortly.¡±

    Linea groaned over this.

    ¡°Go and search for him,¡± she ordered. ¡°And tell him to leave the carriage. They are to prepare my horse.¡±

    The guard seemed to hesitate for a second, but Linea¡¯s stern look convinced him.

    As he was about to leave, Linea quickly added, ¡°And tell them to mount my travel saddle, not the sidesaddle.¡±

    ¡®Okay, are you telling me now, where we are going?¡¯ Sarah asked again after Linea had calmed down a bit. ¡®I don¡¯t know where this ¡®War Council¡¯ is, but apparently not here. And why are you so pissed?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m pissed, because those idiots just invited me to a meeting, which I don¡¯t want to attend. But because the one inviting me is important enough, I can¡¯t decline the invitation without insulting him,¡¯ Linea explained, but tried to shorten the explanation as she didn¡¯t feel like talking right now. ¡®And the War Council is a set of high-ranking nobles that often meet to discuss our military situation regarding foreign threats and Torra activity.¡¯

    Sensing Linea¡¯s petulance, Sarah opted for a quick thankful feeling and withdrew from Linea¡¯s consciousness. Linea closed her eyes for a moment trying to compose herself. She even stretched herself a bit and was happy that Tenasia had convinced her to wear her dress armor. The dress armor was a type of clothing especially common in Luna¡¯sindra and Tali¡¯sindra, two of the three Elven nations, where females had a lot more to say and often went to battle alongside the male populace. It was designed to allow mobility, while retaining enough protection, without forgoing the esthetic aspect of clothing. How much armor a woman added to her dress armor depended heavily on her fighting style. In Linea¡¯s case, she wore only a mithril breastplate for her chest, while leaving the shoulders in the open. This allowed for more agility in the upper torso. The dress itself, which was the name giving part of a dress armor, was only nominal for Linea. It just covered a bare minimum of her butt and was rather loose. This had caused a pretty harsh fight with her mother, who assessed Linea¡¯s dress armor as ¡®inappropriate¡¯. But as usual Linea had sit out the fight and had stubbornly insisted on it. She simply wanted nothing coming in the way of her movement.

    The ensemble was completed by moon silk trousers, bracers made of mithril silk and a pair of dark mithril plate boots.

    Overall her dress armor was one of the most expensive pieces of clothing in Linea¡¯s direct possession and she was extremely proud of it. The combination of Midnight Blue moon silk and silvery-white mithril gave her gravitas.

    At least in her eyes.

    For the occasion she had added a black cloak for the short ride from the palace to the keep where the meeting was about to take place.

    A few minutes later the guard returned together with a dark toned Sun Elf on horseback. The guard also led a beautiful black mare to Linea.

    ¡°Your Royal Highness, it is my honor to escort you to the keep,¡± Captain Tuvadunir said. ¡°A group of my guards is waiting outside the front gate. I was told that the squire of Lord Urundir will accompany us.¡±

    Linea only nodded and took the mare¡¯s reins from the guard, who bowed and left. Linea skillfully leaped onto her horse and caressed the neck of the mare.

    ¡°Hey girl,¡± she said softly. ¡°Missed me?¡±

    The horse replied with blowing through her nostrils and shaking her head.

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get going,¡± Linea answered with a chuckle.

    When they moved out of the main gate, the guards awaited them and positioned themselves around the princess. Lord Durandir was allowed to ride beside Linea.

    As they rode towards the keep, which was in the northern district of Luna¡¯sindranar, Lord Durandir tried to strike up a conversation with Linea.

    ¡°They toldme about your blessing yesterday, Your Grace,¡± He said with a smile. ¡°I congratulate you on this feat. It must be an honor for you and your house.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, Lord Durandir. It is an honor as you say.¡± Linea answered tersely.

    For a short time, neither of them talked, but it was Lord Durandir, who picked up the conversation again.

    ¡°I heard interesting rumors caused by your blessing. People seem to expect you to be titled as the new heiress to the throne, because of the obvious favoritism of our goddess,¡± he said and starred at Linea awaiting her reaction.

    ¡°Well, those are very interesting rumors,¡± Linea agreed and gave him a fake smile. ¡°I would be thrilled to learn, where they might come from.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say, My Lady,¡± Lord Durandir said with a sly smile. ¡°Since even the lower class attendedyour blessing, these rumors could have been started anywhere.¡±

    Linea nodded without commenting on it. She subconsciously brushed over her forehead where Luna¡¯s mark still glowed.

    ¡®Well, that was way too obvious¡­¡¯ Sarah stated.

    ¡®True,¡¯ Linea agreed. ¡®But to be fair, he¡¯s the squire of one of our greatest warriors. Not a spymaster. When we arrive at the keep, I expect higher ranking people to be present, who most likely will try to force me to reveal more about my blessing, instead of just beating around the bush.¡¯

    ¡®But why are you going then? Or why is your mother even allowing you to come?¡¯

    ¡®She is probably fed up with me, because I didn¡¯t tell her anything. Perhaps she used Lord Urundir¡¯s meeting as an excuse to lure me out of my comfort zone,¡¯ Linea mused. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t matter, I will not tell them about you.¡¯

    When Linea and her escort reached the keep of the city, they were led towards one of the bigger halls. Linea frowned as she noted that they didn''t go tothe rooms commonly used by the War Council.

    ¡®Something is going on,¡¯ she noted for Sarah. ¡®We are brought into the ¡®Hall of Heroes¡¯. That means that there aremore people involved than I expected.¡¯

    ¡®Will this be a problem?¡¯ Sarah asked concerned.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know. Mother never invited meto a meeting here,¡¯ Linea admitted. ¡®I only heard of them from Tarina. If the full War Council is summoned, the main hall is the only place big enough inside the keep. The whole council comprises over fifty people, I believe.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s a lot for a council,¡¯ Sarah noted.

    ¡®We have one of the greatest military potentials in the world, since we are bordering the human empire to the south, and another human kingdom to the north-west. We¡¯re the buffer zone between the Elven and the human realms,¡¯ Linea explained in a few words. ¡®Even though we haven¡¯t had a war with the humans or two hundred years, they will strike in the same moment we let our guard down.¡¯

    Before the two could exchange more words, they had reached the doors leading into the Hall of Heroes.

    The guards in front of the door saluted and knocked on the door. A man in fancy robes came out of the room, looked at Linea and nodded, saying nothing. He instead opened the door fully, hammered his staff against the stone floor three times and waited for the attending people to get quiet.

    ¡°Her Royal Highness, The Princess Linea, Bearer of Luna¡¯s Blessing!¡± he announced and then slammed his staff on the floor again. ¡°And Lord Durandir of House Turana!¡±

    Durandir made a bow in front of the attending people, whose attention was now focused on the new arrivals. Linea followed suit by making a curtsy even if just barely.

    The hall was round and had a lowered center in which a large table stood. Around this table, roughlyfifty people sat in three circles. Her mother and sister sat on the farthest side from her, but the closest to the table. The chair beside Tarina was empty and Linea assumed it to be for her.

    Before she took place, or someone could address her, she walked over to one statue at the walls of the hall. The statue represented a man with a bow and a woman with a sword staff. Linea got down on her knees and laid one hands on the pedestal on which the statue stood.

    ¡®Thank you for your heroic sacrifice and may your souls rest among our ancestors,¡¯ she prayed.

    ¡®Your aunt and uncle?¡¯ Sarah asked to which Linea mentally nodded. She got up and went towards her mother, her sister, and a huge man, who sat beside them.

    ¡°Lord Urundir, I have appeared as summoned,¡± she said trying to sound neutral. ¡°How may I be of help to the Council?¡±

    ¡°The queen asked me to send someone to inform you that your attendance would be necessary, My Lady,¡± Lord Urundir answered with a quick side look at the queen.

    Linea suppressed a groan.

    ¡°Forgive my confusion,¡± Linea pressed on. ¡°As I¡¯m neither part of the War Council nor doI have any military position, I believedmy individual skills or knowledge would be required.¡±

    Before Lord Urundir could reply, the queen exhaled.

    ¡°Sit down Linea,¡± she ordered, and Linea realized that her mother was much more agitated than expected.

    Linea sat down on a chair beside her bigger sister, who looked at her with an apologetic gaze. Linea just shrugged and focused at the discussion that unfolded before her when the focused shifted away from her.

    ¡°Lord Urundir,¡± the queen said and looked at the armored man. ¡°You have summoned the full War Council. Even though not all its members currently reside within the city, they all have sent a dignitary to represent them. Will this be enough?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°It will,¡± Lord Urundir stated. ¡°The problem at hand is important, but not immediately dangerous. There is still time for the honored members of this council to reconvene at a later point in time.¡±

    ¡°Very well, you may begin.¡±

    Lord Urundir gave a sign to a robed man at the side of the room. The man said a small incantation and stretched out his hand towards the table. On top of the table, a map of Luna¡¯sindra suddenly appeared as a three-dimensional construct.

    To Linea¡¯s surprise she felt the magical power flow inside the man.Even more disturbing, she felt how the warm and welcoming Ley-Energy was transformed into something cold and threatening. The energy dissipated quickly however from the mage¡¯s body.

    ¡®Was that¡­¡¯ Linea started flabbergasted.

    ¡®Void-Energy!¡¯ Sarah added as surprised as Linea. ¡®I felt that as well.¡¯

    ¡®This is the first time, I felt something like this. I didn¡¯t even know someone could feel magic like this.¡¯

    ¡®Could it be because I¡¯m with you now? Proximity could strengthen us if what Luna said is correct. Perhaps this is one of my abilities leaking to you?¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s possible¡­¡¯ Linea said, but Lord Urundir interrupted her thoughts.

    ¡°We have received disconcerting news from The Marquess, Lord Ranadir of Myrana,¡± he said and a point on the map flared up in red and the name of the city appeared. ¡°It seems that the empire has conscripted an army and positioned them at our southern border. Our spies could not find out the reason for this. Even though the army is roughly five thousand men strong, it is not nearly strong enough to be a major threat to us. The walls of Myrana and the city''s garrison should be enough to repel any attack from that army.¡±

    ¡°If there is no major threat, why have you called us then?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°I was coming to that,¡± Lord Urundir said and frowned at the man. ¡°This is the reason for summoning you.¡±

    He gave the mage from before another sign and the map got an overlay with different colors ranging from pale green to yellow.

    ¡°This is a map of Torra activity from last month,¡± he explained, and a few people nodded in understanding. ¡°As you can see, as usual at the foot of the mountains and deeper into the forest, the activity is existent, but not threatening. Around the cities the activities are less due to the Void Hunters.¡±

    He gave the mage the next sign, and the map changed its colors. Around two eastern cities, Taldira and Anir, the color changed from yellow to bright green.

    A loud gasp ran through the member of the council.

    ¡°These are the recorded activities from this month. You know, what this means,¡± Lord Urundir said.

    ¡®I can¡¯t quite follow,¡¯ Sarah admitted. ¡®Does the color green mean something bad in your world?¡¯

    ¡®No, green means less or no activity, which is a good thing,¡¯ Linea quickly explained. ¡®But the sudden decrease of activity in a region has certain implications.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, I get it,¡¯ Sarah suddenly said. ¡®Those Torra weren¡¯t coordinated, but when they disappear, then someone has his finger in the pie!¡¯

    ¡®A finger in the pie?¡¯ Linea asked in amusement.

    ¡®It¡¯s a phrase in my world,¡¯ Sarah said waved it off. ¡®It means that someone has his hands in something.¡¯

    ¡®Well, then it¡¯s on point, because a dark mage has most likely subjected all those monsters and prepares them for an attack.¡¯

    ¡®Which is bad!¡¯

    ¡®Correct.¡¯

    ¡°As you all know, I don¡¯t believe in coincidences,¡± Lord Urundir continued. ¡°In my opinion a surge is imminent, and the empire is involved somehow. I don¡¯t know yet how those two facts are tied together, but they are. We should prepare and move the Royal Army into the duchy of Avandir in case of emergency. It would allow us to send fast reinforcements to Taldira and Anir, if the dark mage attacks, or Myrana and Kandir, if the empire attacks.¡±

    ¡°Duke Tarundir won¡¯t be pleased with that,¡± a man objected and crossed his arms.

    ¡°The Duke¡¯s sensitivities should not stand in the way of our people''s safety,¡± another one countered.

    ¡°It¡¯s not only about his wishes, but deploying the Royal Army is expensive. I would suggest only sending two regiments. One to Myrana and one to Taldira. Also, the expenses should be paid by the crown,¡± the first one argued.

    Cutting the nascent discussion short, the queen raised her hand.

    ¡°We¡¯re not here today to argue about finances. Having the empire mobilizing an army at our border is disconcerting, but not threatening. At least not on this scale,¡± she said and looked at a woman to her left. ¡°Send a message to Marquess Ranadir. He is to prepare his people for temporary conscription. I will not waste money for something that most likely won¡¯t happen. Have him deal with it. Advise him to stockpile food in case of a siege. If the humans are stupid enough to attack, he will buy us the time we need to rally our armies.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Ma¡¯am!¡±

    ¡°The dark mage is of a greater concern,¡± the queen continued. ¡°Lord Urundir, I wish for the Void Hunters to send out multiple scouting parties to determine the severity of the threat. If there is a dark mage, I want to know how strong he is and how many beasts he subjugated.¡±

    ¡°Very well, Ma¡¯am.¡±

    Queen Arania looked at Linea.

    ¡°Princess Linea, is there anything you want to add to this?¡±

    The question caught Linea by surprise. Everyone looked at her and expected her to answer. It was one thing to deny her mother an answer in private, but this was a question from a queen to one of her subjects. She could theoretically keep silent, but it would make her mother appear weak. It was clear that her mother wanted to know if her blessing was in any way related to the situation.

    ¡°I have noconcrete advice to give, mother,¡± Linea answered. ¡°However, I would suggest not underestimating this threat.¡±

    ¡°So, you know something about this?¡± Queen Arania probed deeper.

    ¡°No. Like I said, I have nothing concrete at hand.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± her mother gave in after a few seconds of intensively starring at her. ¡°Lord Urundir proceed as I said. The Council will meet again in two weeks and discuss our next steps.¡±

    With her decree, the queen rose from her seat and made her way out of the Great Hall without giving Linea a second glance. Linea and her sister stayed behind, both deep in thought.

    ¡®She was not happy with that answer,¡¯ Sarah commented, and Linea had to agree.

    ¡®But what did she expect me to say? I mean, perhaps this is the threat, the goddess talked about. Or it¡¯s not. How should I know?¡¯ Linea complained.

    ¡®Try to keep calm,¡¯ Sarah tried to relax her soul sister. ¡®I suggest we get back to the palace and you get some sleep. Tomorrow you give me some lessons about the big players and our situation, and then we will decide what we can tell your mother. She strikes me as a rather impatient person.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s true,¡¯ Linea admitted. ¡®She can be very persistent. I had hoped that she would at least give me a few days.¡¯

    ¡®Nothing we can do about it now.¡¯

    ¡®But I¡¯m still angry that they called meto this charade, just because she can¡¯t wait a few days.¡¯

    <hr>

    The next night gave Linea a bit of free time. Her mother and sister were off to clear problems in the duchy of Luna¡¯sindra, which was the heart of the queendom. The queen held the title of Duchess of Luna¡¯sindra and her queendom while the first-born daughter and heir to the throne would receive the title of Countess of Luna¡¯sindra. When the heiress bore her first daughter as well, the queen would cede the title of Duchess to her own daughter, while the granddaughter would be the new Countess of Luna¡¯sindra. This system ensured that the future queens of Luna¡¯sindra would always be experienced enough to reign wisely.

    This, however, led to Linea¡¯s mother and sister being absent for now, which gave Linea and Sarah some much needed time alone. Linea had already moved to the library of the palace. It was not the biggest library in the city, but it was sizable enough for their purpose. And best of all, no one would disturb them. Since her mother and Tarina were out of the city and Senia never set a foot into the library, only Tovandir could bother her. But he had no reason to get in his sister¡¯s way. Nora had excused herself as she didn¡¯t want to ¡®be bored in between millions of books¡¯.

    ¡®Where do we start?¡¯ Linea asked unsure of what Sarah wanted to know.

    ¡®Geography,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®Most political struggles start with territorial quarrels. Would be helpful to know where we are and who is around us.¡¯

    Linea nodded and walked over to a shelf and pulled out a big atlas. She took the book tosome sitting accommodations in the middle of the library where two maids served her some snacks and wine.

    ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s all I need,¡± Linea said to them. ¡°I¡¯ll call, if I need something else.¡±

    Both women made a curtsy and hurried outside.

    Linea dropped on the couch and opened the atlas. After skimming some pages, she stopped at a big double-sided map, which was labeled ¡®Kavaris¡¯.

    ¡®This is our world,¡¯ Linea said. Before them was a painting of a big continent which was rather mountainous. ¡®To the east we have the Elven nations of Sera¡¯sindra and Tali¡¯sindra. They are separated from the remaining continent by the Nava¡¯sinkuna Mountains, which reach all the way from the Dragonlands in the south to the northern parts of Tali¡¯sindra.¡¯

    ¡®Wait,¡¯ Sarah interjected. ¡®Dragonlands? As in Dragons? Big flying fire-spiting lizards?¡¯

    ¡®Call one of them lizards and they¡¯ll roast you alive,¡¯ Linea chuckled. ¡®But yes. Even though, only the Dragon Elders can spit fire as far as I know.¡¯

    ¡®Awesome! Can we meet one?¡¯

    ¡®Can we meet¡­ what?¡¯ Linea asked flabbergasted. ¡®You want to meet a dragon? Are you mad?¡¯

    ¡®Why? I definitely want to see a living dragon!¡¯ Sarah said with conviction. ¡®How can you not want to meet a dragon?¡¯

    ¡®Because they are unpredictable!¡¯ Linea said. ¡®Besides, they have a bad history with elves. Sun Elves to be exact, but dragons don¡¯t care about this kind of difference. To them an elf is an elf.¡¯

    ¡®Well, I still want to meet one.¡¯

    ¡®If we ever have the opportunity, I will let you talk to a dragon,¡¯ Linea conceded just to shut Sarah up.

    ¡®Nice!¡¯

    Linea rolled her eyes but continued.

    ¡®Sera¡¯sindra is the Sun Elven Kingdom in the middle between Tali¡¯sindra to the north and the Dragonlands in the south. Its name stems from the Sun God Sera, which is their protector god, as Luna is ours. Their land consists mostly of plains and hills, but the north is fertile grassland, and the biggest river is the Sera¡¯aguna,¡¯ she explained and tapped with her finger on a region which was labeled Sera¡¯sindra, and then at the region in the north. ¡®This is Tali¡¯sindra. Named after Tali, Goddess of the Forests. The whole country lies within a forest bigger than Luna¡¯sindra. Its biggest river is the Tali¡¯aguna, which is around two thousand kilometers long.¡¯

    ¡®Elves are not the most creative people when naming stuff, are they?¡¯ Sarah asked dryly.

    ¡®Those names are ancient and come from a time, when our old language was still young,¡¯ Linea replied in defense. ¡®Give them some slack.¡¯

    ¡®All right,¡¯ Sarah said and shut up. ¡®But let me guess, the elves in Tali¡¯sindra are Wood Elves?¡¯

    ¡®Wood Elves?¡¯ Linea asked confused. ¡®What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡¯

    ¡®Well, the Moon Elves are devoted to the Moon Goddess; the Sun Elves are devoted to the Sun God. I thought the people living in a Forest of a Goddess of the Forests would call themselves Wood Elves or something similar.¡¯

    ¡®In that case you thought wrong,¡¯ Linea said amused. ¡®There are only Moon Elves and Sun Elves. While the population of Luna¡¯sindra consists mostly of Moon Elves or respectively Sun Elves in Sera¡¯sindra, Tali¡¯sindra is mixed. The current King of Tali¡¯sindra is a Sun Elf, however.¡¯

    ¡®And where is Luna¡¯sindra?¡¯ Sarah asked skipping to her next question.

    ¡®Here,¡¯ Linea answered and tipped on the other side of the mountain range. ¡®We are isolated from the other Elven nations. There is a large break in the mountain range, which allows us to travel to Tali¡¯sindra. We suspect that this gap was created before the Cataclysm by powerful mages, but we can¡¯t confirm this, because the records were lost. But I digress. To our west is the northern part of the Ring Mountains, which frame the human empire. Calling it an empire is technically false to be honest, because it¡¯s just a coalition of kingdoms under one ruler, who calls himself the emperor. These are the Seven Holy Kingdoms. Why they are called holy is something beyond me. They don¡¯t even have a protector god to call upon. That¡¯s just how humans are, I guess.¡¯

    ¡®It has probably something to do with power projection,¡¯ Sarah guessed, but went on to her next observation. ¡®If I read this correctly the Seven Holy Kingdoms are all scattered around this sea right in the middle of the continent.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s correct, and in the middle of the Tavarian Sea is the island of Tavaris, where the Imperial City of Tavaris is located. The city is the biggest city in the world and one of the wealthiest onesbecause of its trade income.¡¯

    ¡®Good. And what are these countries in the north of the empire?¡¯

    ¡®Directly to the north and bordering us is the kingdom of Shor Bryns. The Brynisians are a strange bunch of people. They are not aggressive towards us, but battle-hardened. You get their respect only by hitting them hard enough.¡¯

    ¡®If they are not aggressive, why are they battle-hardened?¡¯ Sarah asked in confusion.

    ¡®Because of the lizard tribes from the northern islands of Roshkalak here,¡¯ Linea tipped at a group of islands. ¡®They conduct raids now and then and sometimes even invade deep into the land. We had them at our border from time to time. ¡®The northern lizard men live in their city Eporlak and don¡¯t like foreigners.¡¯

    Linea moved her finger more to the west.

    ¡®This is Rivania. A kingdom ruled by a human king, but with deep ties to the dwarfs. It¡¯s rumored that the king himself is a half dwarf. Further down to the south is the Magocracy of Ossinga. They are ruled by a council of powerful mages. North of Ossinga and west of Rivania is the Dwarven kingdom of Kush¡¯rak. The dwarfs are the third big power after us elves and the empire.¡¯

    Linea traced her finger further to the south.

    ¡®Here we have the beastmen tribes of Verenis. They are neutral as long as no one tries to take their land,¡¯ she explained further. ¡®And even further south are the lizard men jungle tribes of Kishkalak. The southern tribes are as wary of foreigners as their northern brethren are, but they are way less aggressive. I once read a travel diary of someone, who described them as ¡®cautious but jovial¡¯.¡¯

    ¡®And what about this island here between the empire and the Dragonlands labeled ¡®The Fallen Kingdom¡¯?¡¯

    ¡®That used to be the eighth kingdom of the empire, but it got destroyed, when the king stole eggs from the dragons as a present for the Sun Elven Princess Dinera. The story says he gave half the eggs to the Sun Elves as a courting gift. Long story short, the dragons didn¡¯t like it and burnt down the whole kingdom. They even attacked the Sun Elves because the princess didn¡¯t want to give back the eggs. Her father took them away from her after the dragons destroyed a whole city. There are many ballads and tragedies written about the whole thing. It happened around two hundred years ago, I think.¡¯

    ¡®I would like to read one of those at a later point,¡¯ Sarah said in anticipation. ¡®Agood story would be nice.¡¯

    ¡®I can take my favorite one with me later,¡¯ Linea proposed.

    ¡®That would be nice, thank you,¡¯ Sarah answered, and her contentment spread throughout their shared soul.

    ¡®But back to the lesson,¡¯ Linea said with a smile and took a sip from the wine in front of her. ¡®Let¡¯s talk about domestic politics¡­¡¯

 Arc 1 - Chapter 8 - A Trip to the Temple

    ¡®How does it feel?¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s amazing! Keep going!¡¯

    ¡®How is this?¡¯

    ¡®Oh, by Luna! Yes!¡¯

    Linea let a moan escape her lips.

    ¡®I never felt this relaxed before!¡¯ she said.

    ¡®Told you!¡¯ Sarah answered with a smirk.

    Linea laid face down on her bed while giving Sarah control. Sarah was using her telekinesis to massage their body just as she was used to in her previous life. In the last days, they had spent most of their time in the library to bring Sarah up to date on Elven politics.

    The telekinetic massage was a good training for Sarah to get comfortable in the new body and the use of her powers with it. After realizing that the body structure of a psion had a strong influence on how the Psy-Energy moved through it, Sarah had requested more time for training her skills. Linea had still been a little apprehensive about not being in control, but after Sarah had given their body the first telekinetic message, she was all for it.

    ¡®It¡¯s so much better if you can do it yourself, because you know where you need it. And you can reach points, that you can¡¯t reach yourself otherwise,¡¯ Sarah explained and massaged her back right between the shoulder blades. ¡®That¡¯s useful not only for massages. If you know what I mean.¡¯

    Sarah just send a wave of lust to Linea, which immediately blushed.

    ¡®Sarah!¡¯ she said. ¡®I¡­ I never¡­¡¯

    ¡®Wait!¡¯ Sarah interjected. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me, you have never done it yourself before?¡¯

    Linea¡¯s face grew even more violet, and she decided not to dignify that with an answer.

    ¡®Okay, you need to tell me,¡¯ Sarah pressed on. ¡®Is this one of those societies, where you can only have sex when you¡¯re married? And only with your spouse?¡¯

    ¡®No,¡¯ Linea answered after a few moments. ¡®It¡¯s not like that. Lifelong monogamy is not prevalent in Elven society. But it is necessary for the nobility because it¡¯s part of our diplomacy. Marriage is one of the most used methods for forging alliances. I¡¯m expected to marry the Crown Prince of Tali¡¯sindra most likely. But I¡¯m still too young for mymother to open such discussion officially. The official courtship age starts at sixteen.¡¯

    ¡®Are you telling me we won¡¯t be able to decide, who we want to be with?¡¯ Sarah asked in shock.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m not sure anymore,¡¯ Linea admitted. ¡®The blessing gives me more importance to the country, but I don¡¯t know how much my mother will care about that. At the very least, she can¡¯t just marry me off, if I can invoke the goddess¡¯ authority. I will need to ask her if I can do that.¡¯

    ¡®Well, I¡¯ve got a few questions for her as well before we talk to your family about this whole blessing-thing,¡¯ Sarah agreed. ¡®And High Priestess Nasinia wanted to talk to us anyway. I suggest we make a trip to the temple tonight.¡¯

    ¡®Sounds good,¡¯ Linea agreed. ¡®And we should make plans about getting a teacher for my magic.¡¯

    ¡®So much to do, so little time,¡¯ Sarah groaned but with a mental smile.

    Linea smiled as well and fished the bell from her nightstand after taking back control. A few moments after ringing it, a young Moon Elf with bright violet hair entered and made a curtsy.

    ¡°How may I be of service for you, My Lady?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Minara. Perfect, I need my prayer dress. The white one.¡± Linea said. ¡°And tell the Captain of the Royal Guard - whoever is on duty - that I wish to visit the temple. They are to ready Minu with the sidesaddle and arrange an escort for me. I expect them to be set in thirty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Prayer dress, a visit to the temple, Minu¡¯s sidesaddle, escort, thirty minutes,¡± Minara listed whispering, made a curtsy again and left the room.

    ¡®She is so cute!¡¯ Sarah noticed not for the first time. ¡®Can we ask her on a date?¡¯

    ¡®On a what?¡¯ Linea asked almost choking.

    ¡®A date. Like eating together, dancing, having fun.¡¯

    ¡®I know what a date is!¡¯ Linea yelped. ¡®Why would we ask her on a date? She is a commoner! If I was to be seen with her¡­¡¯

    ¡®Ho? I didn¡¯t expect you to be so hung up on the fact that she is commoner. I thought maybethat she is a woman would be more problematic,¡¯ Sarah laughed.

    ¡®Well¡­ Yes, that as well. I can¡¯t go out with a girl. That would be¡­¡¯ Linea stopped trying to find the right word.

    ¡®Intriguing?¡¯

    ¡®Yes!¡¯ Linea agreed. ¡®Wait! No! Wrong! It would be wrong!¡¯

    Sarah giggled uncontrollably.

    Linea fell quiet and waited for Sarah to calm down.

    ¡®Are you finished yet?¡¯ she asked miffed.

    ¡®Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡¯ Sarah answered after her laughing fit had died down.

    After both hadn¡¯t said a word in the following minutes, Linea suddenly asked, ¡®Have you ever¡­ did that¡­ with a girl?¡¯

    ¡®I see, you¡¯re curious after all,¡¯ Sarah noted with a grin. ¡®To be honest, yes, I had a fling or two with women. Nothing serious, just relieving sexual tension. But I can recommend it. Sex with another woman is quite different. For obvious and not so obvious reasons.¡¯

    ¡®I¡­ I once dreamt about it. I thought I was weird.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s not the most unusual thing where I come from, but to be honest, not everyone will understand it,¡¯ Sarah tried to reassure Linea. ¡®Don¡¯t fret over it, though. You¡¯re young and we¡¯ve all the time in the world to find out what gets you going.¡¯

    Linea groaned loudly.

    ¡®Do you always have to be so crass?¡¯

    ¡®I do like to be direct, so¡­ yes.¡¯

    ¡°My lady?¡± a voice sounded behind Linea and made her jump. Minara had returned, but Linea had been too distracted to notice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to startle you!¡±

    Linea wanted to scold her purely out of instinct, but pictures of her maid naked on the bed raced through her mind. She blushed again and turned away.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, just¡­ put the dress on the bed, I¡¯ll dress myself today,¡± Linea said to Minara

    ¡°Are you sure? I can help you with the¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s good. Make sure that my escort is ready.¡±

    Minara nodded and left with another curtsy.

    ¡®That was a nice picture, you imagined there,¡¯ Sarah noted with a chuckle.

    ¡®You saw that?¡¯ Linea asked shocked.

    ¡®Yes. It seems that our minds open up even more to each other,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®It feels nice to be so close to someone. I¡­ I never had someone I could trust so much as you since my parents died.¡¯

    Taken aback by the sudden shift in Sarah¡¯s mood, Linea just pulled Sarah into a mental hug.

    <hr>

    The ride from the palace to the temple was awkward for Linea. On one hand, there was Sarah, who had been disconcertingly silent the whole ride, and on the other hand, wherever she went, people stared at her and the mark on her forehead. Occasionally, she even noticed people groveling before her on the street. As a princess she was used to reverence, but this was a different level.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    That the blessed princess was on the way to the temple seemed to animate many people to gather there. By the time Linea had made her way into the temple, a small crowd was already following her. Captain Evira, who had escorted her with four men, had already asked an acolyte to get the high priestess and had ordered one of her men to gather a troop from the city guard, as she expected even more people to come to the temple.

    ¡°It''s a surpriseto see you today, Your Grace.¡± High Priestess Nasinia greeted Linea with a bow.

    ¡°I apologize for disturbing your night work¡­ again,¡± Linea said with a wry smile. ¡°I feared if I were to announce my appearance today, it would draw too much attention.¡±

    Both looked at the people, who tried to find a place in the rows of benches. Most of them didn¡¯t even bother to hide their curiosity.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Your plan doesn¡¯t seem to work well,¡± the High Priestess noticed with a chuckle.

    ¡°I guess not,¡± Linea admitted.

    ¡°As you are wearing a prayer¡¯s clothing, I suspect you wish to pray to our goddess?¡± Nasinia noted with an inquisitive look.

    ¡°I do, but you asked me to visit you as well,¡± Linea said. ¡°So,would you prefer to talk first? If we were to seclude ourselves to one of the private chambers, chances are that the crowd will get bored and leave.¡±

    ¡°I suspect not, but it is worth a try.¡±

    Nasinia led Linea and her guards into the restricted parts of the temple where her office was located.

    ¡°Captain, would you and your men be so kind to wait outside?¡± she asked and looked into Captain Evira¡¯s troubled face.

    ¡°Only because the High Priestess is trustworthy,¡± Evira noted and looked Linea deep into the eyes to make a point. ¡°This will not become a routine.¡±

    Evira was one of the queen¡¯s most trusted guards and only she and her sister, who was the General of the Royal Guard, could get away with talking to a princess like this. After saving Linea¡¯s live twice already, when she was younger, she had earned this right.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Linea said and thanked Evira with a warm smile.

    After the guards left the room, Nasinia pulled a bottle of wine from somewhere and filled two cups. The office was full to the brim with books, scrolls, parchments and tomes.

    ¡°I will just start with the most important part,¡± she said and put one cup in Linea¡¯s hands. ¡°Your blessing throws the great houses and many commoners into confusion. Most people only remember High Priestess Saria and her blessing ¡®Healer of Mercy¡¯, which allowed her to heal a disease that had spread in Luna¡¯sindra two hundred years ago. She could even save those, who were deemed too ill to recover. It was a miracle. Now there is a young princess with a blessing and without such aclear threat. Why were you blessed? Why now? Are we in danger? Those are the questions that pop up left and right.¡±

    Nasinia took a sip from the wine and observed Linea.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it like this,¡± Linea said and looked at the cup in her hand.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t need to,¡± Nasinia said with a sigh. ¡°If there was something the goddess wanted all of us to know, she would have spoken to me as her High Priestess. Whatever she told you, is only for you to know.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think my mother would agree with you, though.¡±

    ¡°Of course, she wouldn¡¯t,¡± Nasinia said with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s her job to be aware of everything that goes on. She is our protector and she should know about any threats. My suggestion would be to talk to her in all honesty. Tell her that there are specific topics, you can¡¯t talk about. The name of your blessing ¡®Guardian of Luna¡¯sindra¡¯ indicates a major threat and you need to tell the queenthat there is something coming. Even if you don''t go into detail about it.¡±

    ¡°I could do that,¡± Linea said, ¡°but I have the feeling that my mother will not be satisfied with just that.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps not, but you need to be aware that the power structure between you and your mother has changed. As her daughter, you might have been obliged to comply with her wishes because of social norms, but now you are a chosen one. There have been only a dozen people like you in the past six hundred years. Your word carries weight even though you don¡¯t realize it yet.¡±

    ¡®But where in the social ladder does this put us?¡¯ Sarah suddenly threw in.

    Linea repeated the question to Nasinia.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the high priestess admitted. ¡°You¡¯re still her daughter and the laws of Luna¡¯sindra still apply to you. On the other hand, the goddess who created us has chosen you. Anything you say carries her authority. As long you don¡¯t break the law, you could do anything you want. And not even your mother could punish you for it.¡±

    ¡®Your mother knows this already,¡¯ Sarah noted with a grim tone. ¡®I wondered why she was so lenient with you. At first, I thought she has a soft spot for you, but this makes much more sense.¡¯

    ¡®Do you think I should be more aggressive towards her?¡¯

    ¡®No, I don¡¯t think so. But you need to present yourself as powerful. We both know you can¡¯t back it up now, but you will at some point. We don¡¯t need to antagonize your mother, but we don¡¯t need to bow to her either. I think the best course of action would be to request a formal but private meeting. Just the two of you¡­¡¯

    ¡®You mean the three of us?¡¯ Linea said with an affectionate tone in her mental voice.

    Sarah smiled for a short moment before switching back to her no-nonsense persona.

    ¡®Yes, the three of us. But your mother doesn¡¯t need to know that. I¡¯m your secret weapon. I¡¯m not so much of a secret weapon, if you tell everyone about me.¡¯

    ¡®Nora was an exception!¡¯ Linea said and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I see, you¡¯re in deep thought, hm?¡± Nasinia interrupted them and fixated Linea.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You gave me a lot to think about.¡±

    ¡°No harm done,¡± Nasinia said and put her cup on the table. She moved to one of her many bookshelves and pulled at one of the books, which triggered some kind of mechanism. The clacking sounds of the machinery only subdued when one of the shelves moved to the side and revealed a small hidden vault. Nasinia opened it with a murmur and a snap of her fingers. She fished a leather-bound book from it and closed it again.

    ¡°This is the diary of High Priestess Saria. The last known Chosen One. I¡¯ve read it and learned a lot not just about her, but also about our goddess and the machinations in the immortal realms. I have no clues onwhere exactly she got all this information from, but it is clear that you have a lot to learn and I couldn¡¯t think of a better person to learn from.¡±

    Linea accepted the book and carefully brushed over the leathery book cover.

    ¡°I¡¯m honored,¡± Linea said. ¡°I will return it as soon as I have read it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I would appreciate that,¡± Nasinia said with a small nod. ¡°In addition to the book, I will have apriestesses train you in the art of healing. You are interested in that, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Linea nodded. ¡°However, I need a magical trainingtoo. I don¡¯t know if I can manage both at the same time.¡±

    ¡°That depends on your learning speed and your affinity for whatever magic you want to learn. Also, both kinds of magic are based on the same principles. If you learn one of them first, you can skip most of the basic stuff for the other one.¡±

    ¡®Go with healing first,¡¯ Sarah suggested. ¡®No one will question it and with the basics we can learn magic by ourselves, if needed.¡¯

    Linea nodded mentally as she came to the same conclusion.

    ¡°The Academy already rejected me. It would ruffle a few too much feathers if I were to force them despite that,¡± she explained to Nasinia. ¡°And leaving the country to study magic in Tali¡¯sindranar would lure our people into a false sense of security. Therefore, I would be honored to receive a healer¡¯s training by one of your priestesses.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wiser than your mother gives you credit for,¡± Nasinia said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Aruna, if she would be willing. She seems to like you enough to provoke my anger, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll decline.¡±

    ¡°Is she in trouble, because of me?¡± Linea asked wide-eyed.

    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Nasinia reassured her. ¡°I mean, she did go around my back with the ritual, which will result in a disciplinary punishment. She knew that before she helped you and that¡¯s why she wasn¡¯t surprised. But because you were blessed, I won¡¯t be too harsh on her.¡±

    Linea sighed in relief.

    ¡®Let¡¯s thank her properly. She went through a lot of trouble for you,¡® Sarah proposed.

    ¡®That¡¯s a good idea,¡¯ Linea agreed. ¡®And if she helps us with healing magic, we have even more reason to thank her. We could ask my sister if she knows of something we could give her.¡¯

    ¡®Sounds like a plan.¡¯

    ¡°Now that we have established that, do you have any additional questions for me?¡± Nasinia asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t think of one right now, but would it be possible to talk to you like this again? I¡¯m sure, I will have questions after reading this.¡±

    Linea tapped on the diary in her hand.

    ¡°Of course. But make an appointment beforehand because I¡¯m not always free to just drop what I am doing.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Linea said and blushed over the not so hidden criticism.

    ¡°All right, then let¡¯s wrap this up,¡± Nasinia said and put down her cup of wine. ¡°You wanted to pray? Let me escort you back and I will help you with the prayer. If the crowd is not gone yet, as I suspect, I will allow you to pray on the altar instead of the usual temple prayer.¡±

    Outside the office Linea turned to Captain Evira.

    ¡°Could you keep this safe for me?¡± she asked and passed her the diary. ¡°I brought nobag with me.¡±

    ¡°Of course, My Lady,¡± Captain Evira said. ¡°Are we returning to the palace now?¡±

    Linea rose an eyebrow and tugged at her prayer dress.

    ¡°I feared as much,¡± Evira said with a sigh. ¡°The temple is bursting at the seams with people, who heard about you coming here. Even the city guard is overwhelmed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle that,¡± Nasinia said confidently.

    Together with her guard, Linea followed Nasinia back into the main part of the temple, and just as Evira had told them, the main hall was overcrowded.

    When the group entered, the whispers rose in volume and many people stood up to get a glimpse at Linea. Nasinia¡¯s face grew dark as they walked to the altar. She motioned Linea to step on the altar and prepare for her prayer.

    The whispers died down as soon as she raised a hand.

    ¡°I understand your curiosity, but I want to remind everyone that this is a sacred temple in honor of our goddess and not a circus. Behave yourself, or I will have you banned from the temple.¡±

    Linea blocked out her surroundings and got down on both knees. She spread out her dress to form a circle around her. A prayer dress was a bit special as it was form fitting on the torso but loose from the waist down. If the space allowed it, the dress could be spread out to represent the full moon.

    Linea bowed down until her head touched the dress on the floor before her and she stretched out her arms. She presented her palms to the goddess and began her prayer.

    ¡®Oh Luna! Goddess of the Moon and Balance, Bringer of Tides, Mother of the Luna¡¯sin, hear my prayer. Your Chosen One humbly asks for your wisdom. Speak to me, Divine One!¡¯

    After a few unsure moments of silence, a voice sounded in her mind.

    ¡®I can hear you, child,¡¯ Luna said and sounded amused.

    ¡®Thank you, for granting me this audience.¡¯

    ¡®Sure thing, that¡¯s what your blessing is for after all. Is Sarah here as well? I don¡¯t actually know, if she has to pray for herself to hear me,¡¯ the goddess asked curiously.

    ¡®I can hear you,¡¯ Sarah said chipper. ¡®No reason for me to get so suppliant. How is it going, Luna?¡¯

    ¡®For the goddess¡¯ sake, can you show more respect just for once?¡¯ Linea asked with a groan.

    Sarah and Luna both laughed at that.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 9 - Falling Out

    ¡®So, how is living together treating you?¡¯ Luna asked.

    ¡®It was awkward at first, but we¡¯re getting to know each other,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®Even though, Linea can be stuck up, she is fun to be with.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not stuck up, you¡¯re just vulgar!¡¯ Linea countered but wasn¡¯t overly indignant. ¡®I fear the day, when I let you talk to my mother. She will have a stroke¡­¡¯

    ¡®You can complain all you want, I¡¯m still not going to let you marry someone of whom I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s any good in bed.¡¯

    ¡®Sarah! Not in front of our goddess! Have you no shame?¡¯

    ¡®Apparently not, we have established that already.¡¯

    Luna chuckled in amusement.

    ¡®I¡¯m happy to see you two getting along so well,¡¯ she said with a soft voice. ¡®It would have been a pain in the ass to separate you again.¡¯

    ¡®No need for that,¡¯ Sarah confirmed.

    ¡®Good. By the way, it¡¯s a good timing for you to come to me. I¡¯ve struck a deal with Sariel of which I wanted to inform you.¡¯

    ¡®Who¡¯s Sariel?¡¯ Linea asked confused.

    ¡®Oh, Tavariel didn¡¯t mention her?¡¯ Luna asked surprised. ¡®Sariel is the Archangel of Mercy, Tavariel¡¯s boss. I talked to her and asked if she will aid you further than she has already done.¡¯

    ¡®It was Sariel, who ordered Tavariel to get me and bring me to Linea?¡¯ Sarah asked following her intuition. ¡®But why would she?¡¯

    ¡®She and I are friends, and as the Archangel of Mercy she tends to helppeople in need.¡¯

    ¡®So, you didn¡¯t order her to do it?¡¯ Sarah probed.

    ¡®Me ordering her?¡¯ Luna answered with a laugh. ¡®I don¡¯t think so. She is more powerful than me and hasn¡¯t any obligation towards me. The only reason, she even talks to me, is that she was a Moon Elf under my tutelage before she ascended to become a Cherub in the order of Mercy. Now she is the Sentinel of a Domain which is governed by only one goddess. She would laugh at me if I would try forcing her to do anything.¡¯

    ¡®What¡¯s a Sentinel of a Domain?¡¯ Sarah asked, because it was the only thing she didn¡¯t get from Luna¡¯s explanation.

    ¡®The strongest deity of a Domain can appoint an immortal as the sentinel of the respective Domain. If the Domain is associated withheaven, then the Sentinel''s title is that ofan archangel. In hell he or she would be a devil,¡¯ Luna explained further. ¡®And those that are appointed by neutral gods are called Sentinel.¡¯

    ¡®Okay, that means the Archangel of Mercy wants to help us and wants nothing in return?¡¯ Sarah asked conspicuously.

    ¡®Well, to be honest, she has an ulterior motive,¡¯ Luna admitted, ¡®but it doesn¡¯t collide with your goals. She will get something out of it, eventually. If you trust me, you can trust her.¡¯

    Sarah didn¡¯t seem to like the idea, but she didn¡¯t object.

    Linea picked up the conversation in Sarah¡¯s place.

    ¡®What¡¯s the deal about?¡¯

    ¡®Right, right, the deal!¡¯ Luna said and put on a wide smile.

    ¡®I thought about the summoning problem. How do you explain someone you want to learn forbidden magic?¡¯ Luna asked but answered it herself, ¡®You get an exception!¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t get it¡­¡¯ Linea and Sarah both said and looked at each other.

    ¡®The idea comes from the fact that summoning magic is forbidden on Kavaris, because a few thousand years ago a Sun Elven Emperor tried to summon the Sentinel of Life. Which ended terribly. Mortals are not great at summoning specific immortals because they don¡¯t know the person they want to summon.¡¯

    ¡®Sounds like an integral part of a summoning,¡¯ Sarah commented.

    ¡®Because it is,¡¯ Luna confirmed her suspicion. ¡®If you have nopreset connection, the summoning can get rather random. Kavaris learned that the hard way after the Sun Elven Emperor summoned the Devil of War instead. Don¡¯t ask me how he missed his target so much, but let me tell you, the result was nasty.¡¯

    ¡®Okay, so we get a ¡®preset connection¡¯ with Sariel, or what?¡¯

    ¡®No, nothing as drastic as that,¡¯ Luna said. ¡®But I think Tavariel would be helpful as well?¡¯

    Sarah and Linea both smiled at each other as both remembered the quirky Seraph.

    ¡®I thought as much,¡¯ Luna said with a smile. ¡®I have already connected you. If someone asks you about it, you can force the symbol of the Order of Mercy to shine on your right hand. It is an open rose in a circle.¡¯

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that the same symbol, the Sisterhood of Saria wears as their coat of arms?¡¯ Linea asked surprised.

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s the symbol I meant,¡¯ Luna confirmed.

    ¡®So, we can show that symbol to someone, who can teach us summoning magic, and he will help us?¡¯ Sarah asked.

    ¡®Not necessarily, but it should at least help to assure someone, who will train you, that you won¡¯t bring another demon to the world.¡¯

    ¡®But isn¡¯t that the goal behind the whole thing?¡¯ Linea asked with a frown.

    ¡®Yeah, but that¡¯s nothing they need to know,¡¯ Sarah answered for Luna, who smiled triumphantly.

    ¡®Hm, I get the idea, but it¡¯ll take a while for me to learn enough about magic to try summoning magic. Especially, because I want to learn healing magic first.¡¯

    ¡®You want to do what?¡¯ Luna asked irritated. ¡®I thought you would go straight to the Academy to learn magic.¡¯

    ¡®We discussed that, but it won¡¯t go well with literally everybody, if I force myself into it. We thought it would be more helpful to get started with healing magic and take the basics from there to learn magic afterwards.¡¯

    Luna was silent for a few moments.

    ¡®Fine, I don¡¯t like it that my children are so narrow-minded about you, but your idea seems solid enough. Just don¡¯t get stuck only healing magic because you¡¯ll need more offensive abilities in the future.¡¯

    ¡®I agree with you,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®But at the moment, she has me for the offensive. I think in a few weeks I¡¯ll be able to use at least my telekinesis even if she is in control of our body.¡¯

    ¡®Well, I won¡¯t force you, but I still think the other way would be better,¡¯ Luna said brooding.

    Sensing that the discussion would lead nowhere if pursued further, Sarah switched the topic.

    ¡®It came to me a few days back, when we were studying in the library. Why am I able to understand, speak and read Linea¡¯s language?¡¯ she asked.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t think about that¡­¡¯ Linea said and pondered about the fact as well.

    ¡®That¡¯s a little gift from Sariel,¡¯ Luna admitted. ¡®It would have been taken ages for both of you to understand each other otherwise, which would have been detrimental to your goals.¡¯

    ¡®So, she implemented the language in my mind?¡¯ Sarah asked and sounded disturbed.

    ¡®No, she connected Linea¡¯s knowledge about the languages of Kavaris with your mind,¡¯ Luna tried to explain. ¡®I don¡¯t really know how she did it, but it works, so I won¡¯t complain.¡¯

    She went silent for a second but focused back on the girls.

    ¡®My attention is needed elsewhere, so we need to wrap this up,¡¯ she said and sounded annoyed suddenly. ¡®Linea, make sure to not underestimate the dark mage who is in fact roaming in Luna¡¯sindra right now. You should be able to handle him with Sarah¡¯s help, if he crosses your path. I don¡¯t know what his plan is, so watch out.¡¯

    ¡®I will,¡¯ Linea said, but added a quick question, she needed to get answered. ¡®How far can I invoke your authority? I don¡¯t want to overstep my bounds.¡¯

    ¡®Invoke my authority?¡¯ Luna asked absent-minded. ¡®As far as you need to, I guess? It doesn¡¯t matter to me as long as you abide by the law. Don¡¯t run around and kill people.¡¯

    Linea chuckled.

    ¡®If that satisfies your need for knowledge, you might go now. Fare well!¡¯

    And with that, Luna¡¯s mind vanished.

    <hr>

    When Linea returned to the palace, her mother was already waiting for her. Linea could tell by her mother¡¯s thin lips and crossed arms that she was in trouble. Before Linea could even ask about what had made her so angry, her mother dragged herinto her private chambers.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Arania¡¯s lack of talking confusedLinea as her mother gripped her at her arm and pushed through the palace. King Thrandodirexpected them and sat in front of a desk and wrote something on parchment.

    ¡°Ah, our missing child has returned, I see,¡± he commented with a smile. ¡°Your mother and I were worried.¡±

    Looking into her mother¡¯s face, which was now red with fury, Linea snorted.

    ¡°Do you think this is funny?¡± Arania asked and pushed her daughter into a chair. ¡°For days I¡¯m trying to appease the nobles and convince them that nothing is going on and that your blessing is not a bad omen.¡±

    She walked up and down in front of Linea while gesturing wildly with her hands.

    ¡°And now I get told by Senia that my youngest daughter - who is the source of all these problems - runs off to the temple again. Without asking!¡±

    For the last words, she stopped walking and spat them directly at Linea.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but under which reasoning do you expect me to not visit the temple? It¡¯s in the city, I was escorted by the Royal Guard and I only went there for praying to our goddess. Are you implying that you want to prevent me from showing my respect to our goddess?¡±

    Taken aback by Linea¡¯s sudden aggressiveness, Arania was lost for words. Thrandodir tried to mediate.

    ¡°Linea, darling,¡± he said with a calm voice. ¡°We don¡¯t want to discourage you from praying. This is about politics and not about religion.¡±

    ¡°That may be the case for you, but if you haven¡¯t noticed, the goddess blessed me. Religion and politics are the same for me at the moment,¡± Linea countered and starred right back at her mother.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you think you¡¯re representing in this country, but as long as I am the queen, you will follow my orders. And I forbid you to leave the palace without my permission until further notice!¡± Arania said and her voice was trembling.

    ¡°I think you are overestimating your influence on me,¡± Linea stated with a cool voice. ¡°As Luna¡¯s Chosen, you don''t have the right anymore to order me around. The goddess asked meto keep myself from breaking any laws, but apart from that I¡¯m free to go wherever and to do whatever I want as long as it doesn¡¯t contradict the mission she gave me.¡±

    ¡°And what might this mission be?¡± Thrandodir asked before his wife could go ballistic on their daughter.

    ¡°Coincidentally, I was going to tell you today or tomorrow,¡± Linea admitted. ¡°I wanted to clarify a few things beforehand, but as you failed to understand that, I¡¯m inclined to not telling you anything.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t do that¡­¡¯ Sarah suddenly warned. ¡®I understand that you¡¯re angry but withholding critical information could cost innocent people their lives. Don¡¯t go down that road out of anger.¡¯

    Linea wanted to answer back, but after giving Sarah¡¯s words a thought, she had to admit that her soul-sister was right.

    ¡®You¡¯re making too much sense sometimes¡­¡¯

    ¡®Thank you,¡¯ Sarah said with a chuckle.

    Linea refocused back on her parents.

    ¡°But you¡¯re lucky that my mission kind of forbids me to withhold that information from you,¡± Linea said and decided not to look at her mother for the time beingbecause she didn¡¯t trust herself to keep her calm otherwise.

    ¡°And what, pray tell, is this damned mission of yours?¡± Arania asked nearly boiling over with anger.

    ¡°I am to protect our people from extinction,¡± Linea said and looked at her father, who blenched.

    ¡°Extinction?¡± she asked dumbfounded.

    ¡°Yes. The God of Fate warned our goddess about something that would endanger us so that we could face extinction,¡± Linea answered. ¡°You can perhaps guess now, why I wanted to try figuring things out before telling you.¡±

    The last sentence was addressed at her mother.

    ¡°But this is why I needed to know it. We wasted valuable time guessing about you, your blessing and what happens in the south and east,¡± Arania explained and rubbed her nose bridge. ¡°If this backfires and we can¡¯t prevent whatever happens, you will have blood on your hands!¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop being so overdramatic!¡± Linea cried out. ¡°I don¡¯t even know, if one of those things is related to the warning! You wanted to know because you¡¯re impatient and egoistic!¡±

    ¡°I am egoistic?¡± Arania yelled at Linea. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you even dare speaking to me like this!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, surprise!¡± Linea shouted back. ¡°How can it be that your daughter, who you try to keep under control ever since she can remember, doesn¡¯t take your shit anymore?¡±

    Slap!

    Linea¡¯s hand wandered to her cheek. Staggered, she realized that her mother had hit her.

    ¡°Arania, that¡¯s enough!¡± Thrandodir said vigorously and rose from his desk.

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Arania said and looked with a blank face at her daughter. ¡°You¡¯re forbidden to leave the palace. You¡¯re unstable and too young to even try to fight something like a war or a dark mage. This is my last word.¡±

    ¡®Linea?¡¯ Sarah carefully asked. ¡®Are you all right?¡¯

    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Linea answered flatly.

    She rose from her chair and moved towards the office door.

    ¡°And where do you think you are going, young lady?¡± her mother asked.

    ¡°I will go to my chambers,¡± Linea answered. ¡°ThenI will inform my servants to pack my most important things and then I will depart for Taldira. I have a mission to fulfill, and I will not be stopped by someone, who dares to call herself a mother.¡±

    ¡°How dare you?¡± Arania yelled and followed Linea in an attempt to detain her daughter.

    But right before she could reach out for Linea, a sudden force stopped her from doing so.

    ¡°You will never touch me again,¡± Linea said full of disdain. ¡°Mother.¡±

    She spat out the last word as if it was an insult and left the room.

    ¡®Well, that could have gone better¡­¡¯ Sarah commented trying to converse with Linea.

    ¡®Thank you for helping me with your telekinesis there,¡¯ Linea said to distract herself from the pain in her cheek. ¡®How did you do it?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure, but I was a bit flooded by your anger, which made me angry as well. I think we connected at a deeper level. We should keep on training this.¡¯

    Linea nodded mentally and steered towards her chambers.

    Only to run into her sister Senia.

    ¡°I guess, you¡¯re getting what you deserve?¡± she said with a wicked grin on her face.

    ¡°Fuck off!¡± Linea said and pushed her to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve ever done to you, but you don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore. If you want to, you don''t have to see me ever again.¡±

    Without giving her sister a chance to answer, she walked into her rooms.

    ¡°Tenasia!¡± she yelled louder than she wanted, but her anger hadn¡¯t subdued yet.

    ¡°Yes, My Lady?¡± Tenasia answered after entering the bedroom.

    ¡°I need you to pack my things. Everything I need for staying in Taldira for a while. Also, I need my dress armor, my Fulchar and Minu¡¯s barding,¡± Linea listed. ¡°And inform Nora about our departure. I¡¯ll give you one night to put everything together. We¡¯ll travel together with a priestess, some guards, if I can coax a few from General Suvira, and one of my maids. Ask them, which one of them wants to come. And send a courier to Countess Lalana that I will arrive in¡­¡±

    Linea calculated the distance between Luna¡¯sindranar and Taldira.

    ¡°I would say three weeks at most.¡±

    Tenasia seemed surprised, but in a professional manner she kept her calm and did as ordered.

    ¡®Do you think Aruna will agree to this?¡¯ Sarah asked skeptically.

    ¡®I hope so,¡¯ Linea said, ¡®but if she doesn¡¯t, there is a temple in Taldira. Someone willing to train me in the art of healing shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find.¡¯

    <hr>

    It took Tenasia the rest of the night and half of the following day to collect everything they may need on their travel. Nora wasn''t thrilled to hear about their sudden departure, but since her mother¡¯s barony was near Taldira, she wasn¡¯t sad about their destination. After a long discussion with Tenasia, she even gave in when she was told that she wouldn¡¯t be able to bring her painting equipment along.

    While Tenasia was down in the stables to make sure that their horses would be ready, Linea lay on her bed and had a rather heated discussion with Sarah.

    ¡®I thought you would calm down after some time and then back off from this,¡¯ Sarah said angrily. ¡®I didn¡¯t think, you would go through with it!¡¯

    ¡®I stand by my word! Always!¡¯ Linea replied irritated. ¡®Why would I back off? She hit me!¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, I noticed,¡¯ Sarah retorted. ¡®But what do you think happens in Taldira? Do you think you can fight the dark mage on your own?¡¯

    ¡®Well, no,¡¯ Linea admitted. ¡®But that¡¯s what I have you for, haven¡¯t I?¡¯

    ¡®Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡¯ Sarah cried out. ¡®I have no idea, if I can beat him. At least, you could have asked me beforehand! You can¡¯t decide this stuff and hope I see it the same way as you!¡¯

    Linea didn¡¯t answer. She was mad at Sarah because she had expected more support from her soul-sister. That Sarah was against her plan to go to Taldira took her off-guard.

    ¡®I understand that you¡¯re angry with your mother, but this whole situation smells like trouble,¡¯ Sarah tried to explain in a more collected manner. ¡®I promised Luna to protect you, and I will do so. But you need to let me help you. Impulsive decisions rarely lead to success.¡¯

    Linea wanted to talk back in frustration, but Sarah supported her argument with emotions like concern and fear. It made Linea realize how selfish she had acted.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Sarah,¡¯ she said. ¡®But I can¡¯t change it now. I have to stand by my words, or else my mother will never respect me.¡¯

    ¡®Yes, I thought as much,¡¯ Sarah conceded. ¡®And I will help you. I wanted to make a point that you shouldn¡¯t rush your decisions like that again. At least ask me beforehand.¡¯

    ¡®I promise!¡¯

    Linea felt better after their quarrel came to an end because she had come to rely on Sarah¡¯s opinion. And getting told that her decision was short-sighted and emotional had put a damper on her victorious thoughts.

    ¡®We should go now,¡¯ Sarah noted, while Linea was still deep in thought. ¡®The sun is going down and Tenasia said she would be ready by then.¡¯

    Linea stood up and with a last glance at her bedroom, which she had inhabited the last fourteen years, she left her private chambers.

    Down at the stables, Minu was already saddled with her travel saddle. The mare huffed and pulled at her reins when she saw Linea coming.

    ¡°Whoa! Easy, girl!¡± Linea said and with a hand sign, she stopped Minu from moving further. She walked closer and rubbed Minu¡¯s neck. The mare relaxed and huffed again.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready to go, if you are,¡± Nora said and got closer on her gelding Turanas.

    Linea nodded and looked at Tenasia, who was coordinating the servants packing the horses.

    ¡°Tenasia, do we have everything?¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lady,¡± Tenasia answered. ¡°Minara is still with her family to say goodbye to them. We will meet her at south-eastern gate.¡±

    ¡°What about the guards?¡±

    ¡°Captain Evira said she would talk to General Suvira about it,¡± Tenasia explained. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure about the outcome. Either way, she also said an escort would be ready by the time we want to depart.¡±

    ¡°If she says so,¡± Linea said unconvinced.

    ¡®I hope, mother doesn¡¯t deny me an escort,¡¯ she added to Sarah. ¡®The travel can get dangerous the farther you are from a city.¡¯

    ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± Nora suddenly added. ¡°High Priestess Nasinia sends her regards. She wasn¡¯t overly enthusiastic about the prospect of you leaving the city and taking one of her priestess with you.¡±

    ¡°She declined my request?¡±

    ¡°No, Aruna will meet us at the gate. After I heard Minara would do that, I thought it would be simpler for Aruna. Doesn¡¯t make much sense for her to ride all the way from the temple to the palace, just to ride the same way back.¡±

    ¡°All right, we¡¯re ready to go,¡± Linea said with vigor.

    ¡°Not so fast!¡± a voice suddenly interrupted. Linea swirled around to find Tarina standing before her with a rather large group of guards on horseback surrounding her.

    ¡°Tarina, please¡­¡± Linea said and feared another discussion. Arguing with Sarah was easy, because of their shared emotions they often came to an understanding, and the altercation with her mother was rather simple as well due to her anger. But Linea had always been closer to Tarina than anyone also from their family although Tarina spend most of her time either with their mother or studying.

    Tarina raised her hand to keep Linea from talking. She pulled her aside to talk to her in private.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Linea answered truthfully. ¡°But mother forced my hand. You know I can¡¯t go back on my word. And besides, I really think that my help is needed in Taldira.¡±

    ¡°I heard about itfrom mother,¡± Tarina said with a frown. ¡°I can¡¯t understand how the goddess can expect something so dangerous from someone so young, but her ways are mysterious.¡±

    She brushed gently over Linea¡¯s cheek and gave her a soft look.

    ¡°Mother is sorry about what happened. We both know she would never admit it, but she isn¡¯t perfect. Neither of us are. But I know she is sorry.¡±

    Linea¡¯s watery eyes avoided Tarina¡¯s gaze, but she suppressed her tears.

    ¡°I talked to her and Suvira, and we decided that Evira will escort you with twenty of her men. This time they will be under your command and I hope, you remember what mother told us about the responsibility of leading people.¡±

    ¡°Never assume, always ask!¡± Linea and Tarina said in a rehearsed manner. They both giggled.

    ¡°Remember to take care of them, just how they protect you.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Linea promised and Tarina pulled her into a hug.

    ¡°Please come back alive,¡± Tarina said and her voice quivered slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you like aunty and uncle. Being the hero is all fine as long as you can live to see the fruit of your effort.¡±

 Arc 1 - Chapter 10 - Alandis

    ¡°We¡¯re being followed,¡± Captain Evira said with a frown.

    Linea¡¯s group had traveled for three nights through the duchy of Luna¡¯sindra and the neighboring duchy of Alandis. They had slept the days in towns of the baronies along the Luna¡¯aguna. The river cut the country in half and was - in contrast to the rest of the country - not within the forest. The northern forest stretched along the Nava¡¯sinkuna mountains and the southern forest along the Ring Mountains. Low hills and grassland characterizedthe surrounding area of the river.

    While the baronesses, who had hosted them, were hospitable, their standard of living was lower than Linea was used to. The City of Alandis was only a few hours away and Linea already craved for a soft bed and some Famnir. Even Sarah had come to love the stimulating brew after comparing it to something called ¡®coffee¡¯. The problem with Famnir was its rarity. Famnironly grows on the foothills of the Nava¡¯sinkuna mountain range and they must be harvested when they are blooming on a night with a full moon in spring. The window for this specific set of conditions is only one night per year in which as much as possible is harvested. Since one cup of Famnir costs more than a month¡¯s salary of a normal citizen, only the richest families even bothered to stock up on it.

    Linea¡¯s mind was ripped from her daydreaming about Famnir, when she realized what Evira had said.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked and raised an eyebrow. She hadn¡¯t noticed anyone follow them and neither had Sarah.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Evira said with a firm voice and looked around. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure until now, but I think we may have been followed ever since we left the capital.¡±

    ¡°I noticed nothing¡­¡± Linea said.

    ¡°Well, to be fair, you¡¯re occupied with meditating,¡± Aruna interjected with a sly smile.

    Linea blushed as she felt caught. The first lesson Aruna had given her was about the basics of Holy Magic, which healing was a part of. To draw on the power given by the gods, one had to be tranquil in mind. Only a balanced and calm spirit could connect to the power and release it.

    And that¡¯s were Linea¡¯s problem started. The altercation with her mother still fresh in mind, she had a major problem focusing on anything. Aruna had given her the task of meditating on the way to clear her mind. A plan that had failed miserably.

    ¡°What are we going to do about our shadow?¡± Linea asked Evira, not commenting Aruna¡¯s side blow.

    ¡°Whoever is following us is not great at hiding to be honest,¡± Evira said. ¡°But he or she is good at sensing my artifacts search impulse.¡±

    Evira fished an amulet from between her breasts.

    ¡°It¡¯s meant to alert me of nearby magical signatures,¡± she explained. ¡°But the farther away the signature is, the less accurate I can pinpoint the location. And our stalker stays just around the edges of my perception.¡±

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s always the same person and that he or she is following us?¡± Nora asked. ¡°I mean couldn¡¯t it be people living in the area?¡±

    ¡°Every signature differs from person to person. This specific signature is popping up every now and then.¡±

    ¡°Can you capture our follower?¡± Linea asked. ¡°I would guess it is one of mother¡¯s rats, but I would rather be sure.¡±

    ¡°I will try it, My Lady.¡±

    And with that she let herself fall behind the group which didn¡¯t slow down. They had still a few hours to ride until sunrise.

    Half an hour later Evira caught up to them again.

    ¡°No luck?¡± Linea asked and looked at Evira, who was alone and had a frightening look on her face.

    ¡°Apologies, My Lady,¡± she pressed between her teeth. ¡°Whoever is following us has enough magical training to evade me. Not much I can do about it without a hunting party.¡±

    ¡°Well, can¡¯t you use your guardsmen for that?¡± Nora asked.

    ¡°I could, but my primary order is to keep the princess safe,¡± Evira answered and looked at Nora as if she had insulted her. ¡°I will not risk her to hunt a suspicious person.¡±

    ¡°Good thinking!¡± Nora said with a smile and quickly looked in the other direction. Linea chuckled as she had once learned as well that an angry Evira was quite terrifying.

    <hr>

    The rest of the ride to Alandis was silent. Everyone was sore after sitting on horseback for three nights straight and they all coveted a rest. They had already discussed the route beforehand, and they had planned to sleep two days in Alandis instead of one. In the night everyone was free to do what they wanted. Except for the guards, who were supposed to protect them.

    When the walls of Alandis came into sight, they subconsciously picked up the speed. Two guards in the front and two in the back raised their spears in the air. They had mounted the royal banner on those spears to announce the importance of the traveling group.

    The city gates were already open, and a troop of the city guard awaited them. Linea¡¯s party was greeted by a rather muscular Moon Elf woman, who had a claymore strapped to her back and was wearing a thick plate armor.

    ¡°Your Royal Highness, I¡¯m Lady Knight Talura of Asuni from the House of Esandi,¡± the woman greeted them. ¡°I¡¯m the military advisor of Countess Thudila. It is my honor to escort you to the palace.¡±

    ¡°Very well, lead the way,¡± Linea replied with a nod. ¡°My men and I are tired and wish to rest.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Grace.¡±

    Accompanied by the city guards, Linea and her group made their way through the city. The word had gotten around that the blessed princess was visiting the city, and so the streets were filled with people, who wanted to greet her. The guards made sure that no one came too close, but Linea smiled at the crowd and waved occasionally. It was a situation, she was used to. The enthusiasm of the people was considerably higher in Alandis, which was only natural as they weren¡¯t used to see someone of the royal family.

    ¡®Damn, the people love you,¡¯ Sarah noted surprised. ¡®Your family is well liked as it seems.¡¯

    ¡®Of course,¡¯ Linea said with pride. ¡®My family has ruled this country since its formation after the Great Cataclysm. And even before that. This admiration is the reason why I want to do something meaningful. I want them to respect not only my family name, but me as a person.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s noble of you,¡¯ Sarah noted. ¡®I¡¯m sure not everyone would think like that.¡¯

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m not like everyone.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s true,¡¯ Sarah agreed and laughed.

    They reached the palace, which seemed like a smaller version of the royal palace. Only on closer look, Linea noticed some differences in the architecture. Everything looked straighter and less playful. But the garden in front of the palace was beautiful.

    After they had passed the main gate to the palace, servants helped them with their horses. Linea gave some orders to Tenasia and Minara, and followed Lady Talura into the palace together with Nora, Evira and Aruna. Talura led them into a reception room where the countess already awaited them.

    ¡°Ah, Talura,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I see you brought me a precious flower today.¡±

    ¡°Your Grace,¡± Talura said to Linea, ¡°may I introduce to you The Right Honorable Countess, Lady Thudila of Alandis.¡±

    Linea stepped forward and put out her hand. The countess got on her knee, took the hand and leaned her forehead towards it. After paying her respect, she rose and smiled.

    ¡°It is such an honor to host you, Your Grace,¡± she said and with a wave of her hand a group of servants rushed in and placed steaming cups on a table which stood in front of the fireplace and surrounded by a big couch.

    The smell emanating from those cups was pleasantly familiar to Linea.

    ¡°Famnir. You seem to know, how to make friends, Lady Thudila,¡± Linea said with a smile and let herself be guided to the couch. Evira opted to stand at the side as it was not her place to sit down with the nobility. Nora on the other hand sat down on the couch and moaned in comfort.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Three nights on a horse,¡± she commented. ¡°This is such a nice change.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think we have been introduced before,¡± the countess noted and looked at Nora and Aruna, who seemed to be troubled.

    ¡°The bold one is my court lady, Lady Nora of the House Molana,¡± Linea introduced them quickly and motioned at Aruna. ¡°And this is Priestess Aruna, my personal mentor on Holy Magic. Please take a seat.¡±

    Aruna smiled relieved and sat down.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± Lady Thudila said. ¡°I hope you will enjoy your stay here. I will have prepared a feast in your honor tomorrow before you leave.¡±

    ¡®A feast?¡¯ Sarah asked. ¡®That seems quite excessive for a quick visit.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s polite to honor the travails your guest has gone through to meet you. It¡¯s a tradition from a time, where traveling from one city to another couldbe lethal because of all the Torra.¡¯

    ¡®Well, I won¡¯t complain, if the food is good.¡¯

    Linea chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m honored by your hospitality,¡± Linea commented.

    The talk moved on to some basic political stuff from then on. The countess was of course interested in Linea¡¯s blessing, but she was tactful enough not to demand from Linea to show her mark.

    When Thudila mentioned the looming war, thediscussion took an interesting turn,

    ¡°Duchess Orundia¡¯itsa has already conscripted an army of two thousand men. They should have departed towards Alandis by now and are expected in two weeks. I will shelter them as long as the human army stays at our border,¡± she told Linea.

    ¡°Orundia¡¯itsa expects the humans to attack us with only five-thousand men?¡± Linea replied questioningly. ¡°Marquess Ranadir should be able to handle that much.¡±

    ¡°The Duchess sees parallels to the last war with the empire,¡± Thudila explained. ¡°Back then we had been weakened by a plague and if it hadn¡¯t been for High Priestess Saria, we would have been defeated. There have been theories that the disease was not as random as one would like to think. These rumors, about how the humans infected us with the Black Blood to weaken us, are still prevalent today. It is strange that there had been no humans infected by it.¡±

    ¡°Let''s assume that this theory, which doesn¡¯t convince me, is correct, how does this relate to the current situation?¡± Linea asked. ¡°As far as I know, there is no plague around.¡±

    ¡°But there are other ways to weaken us,¡± Thudila replied. ¡°The dark mage for example. If he is controlled by the empire, then it would make sense to unleash him on us before a potential war.¡±

    Linea frowned at the implications of those assumptions.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m on my way to defeat this dark mage,¡± she said. ¡°If the humans controlhim, I will find out. Either way, the humans will not lay their hands on our lands.¡±

    ¡°Of course, they won¡¯t,¡± Thudila agreed. ¡°But the Duchy of Orundis will be prepared either way.¡±

    ¡°That is commendable,¡± Linea said with a smile. ¡°Your devotion towards our country and people honors you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your kind words, My Lady. But I would like to ask if it would be a possibility for you to stay in Alandis for a few weeks until the army arrives?¡±

    Linea¡¯s smile changed into a thin line.

    ¡°Why should I?¡± she asked. She hoped the countess didn¡¯t expect her to lead the army into the south.

    ¡°Well, if you were to give your blessing to our soldiers, they would be even more motivated in the coming fights.¡±

    Linea sighed. To bless an army was a priestess¡¯s job. Something she had no inclination of doing at the moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to decline,¡± she replied. ¡°Even though your intentions are noble, delaying the fight against the dark mage could cause additional civilian casualties, which is not acceptable. I hope you understand that.¡±

    ¡°Of course, My Lady!¡± Thudila answered quickly. ¡°It was just my duty to ask you at least. For our soldiers.¡±

    ¡°Again, your intentions are commendable, and if I wasn¡¯t on an important mission, I would have helped you gladly,¡± Linea assured the countess. ¡°But you can give a message from me to them. My heart is with them on their task to protect our country.¡±

    ¡°I will tell them your message, Your Grace,¡± Thudila said and nodded.

    <hr>

    After sleeping for the whole day in a comfortable bed, Linea felt refreshed. Her plan for the day was to visit the local temple together with Aruna. Her problems with meditating didn¡¯t seem to be solved so easily and Linea wanted to ask Luna for help.

    The temple in Alandis was smaller but impressive in its own rights. The architecture resembled the temple in Luna¡¯sindranar and Linea felt a little homesick. She banished those thoughts and focused on her task. Aruna talked to the few priestesses, who gazed at Linea in their curiosity, while Linea sat down on a bench.

    ¡®Let me do it,¡¯ Sarah intervened before Linea startedto pray. She shrugged and motioned Sarah to go ahead.

    ¡®Hey Luna! What¡¯s up?¡¯ Sarah suddenly said. ¡®Got time for us?¡¯

    Linea groaned internally as she should have expected something like this, but Sarah¡¯s unconventional prayer seemed to work, nonetheless.

    ¡®Hey Sarah!¡¯ Luna said in a chipper voice. ¡®Is Linea listening as well?¡¯

    ¡®I am,¡¯ she simply said.

    ¡®All right, what can I do for you?¡¯

    ¡®Linea can¡¯t concentrate enough for using Holy Magic. Aruna said she should just meditate, but she is a girl in puberty¡­ I don¡¯t believe clearing her mind is a workable way,¡¯ Sarah explained.

    ¡®What does my puberty have to do with anything?¡¯ she asked irritated.

    ¡®You¡¯re too emotional,¡¯ Luna said knowingly. ¡®That¡¯s why I wanted you to learn magic first, but alas¡­¡¯

    ¡®How do I fix this?¡¯ Linea asked and felt slightly insulted.

    ¡®Ask Sarah for help,¡¯ Luna answered without explaining it.

    ¡®How can I help with her emotions?¡¯ Sarah asked confused and Linea thought the same.

    ¡®You¡¯re a psion, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Luna added but waited for Sarah to make the connections, who didn¡¯t seem to get it. ¡®Never encountered a psion with mind manipulation skills?¡¯

    Sarah was silent for a second, but then it seemed to come to her.

    ¡®Oh!¡¯ she exclaimed, and giddiness flooded over to Linea.

    ¡®What? What are you talking about?¡¯

    ¡®Sarah will explain it to you,¡¯ Luna said and moved on to a topic of her own. ¡®While you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll give you a piece of knowledge about Holy Magic. Holy Magic draws on Life Force. Either of your chosen deity or your own.¡¯

    ¡®The second option sounds dangerous¡­¡¯ Sarah noted, while Linea was still trying to understand what Sarah and Luna had talked about.

    ¡®Yeah, it will weaken you, if you do it that way. For example, it will cost your body the same amount of Life Energy that would have been needed by the injured person to heal by himself naturally. Regrowing a lost limb is most likelylethal. So, for smaller stuff you can use it, but for miracles you need to access my power.¡¯

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t Aruna tell me about the option to use my Life Force?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®Because novices only learn that later on,¡¯ Luna said. ¡®They first need to learn patience. When they can draw on my power, they learn that there isa dangerous shortcut. I¡¯m telling you, because I believe you wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to try that.¡¯

    Sarah chuckled at that.

    ¡®What is that supposed to mean, Sarah?¡¯ Linea asked with a pout.

    ¡®Anyway,¡¯ Luna tried to get their focus back. ¡®I¡¯m in a hurry. I hope Sarah can help you with your problem. If not, then give it some time.¡¯

    ¡®But how? How can she help me?¡¯ Linea asked in frustration.

    ¡®I have not enough time to explain. See you, girls!¡¯

    And with that, the goddess was already gone.

    ¡®You are insufferable!¡¯ Linea said furiously.

    ¡®You like that word, hm?¡¯

    ¡®Argh!¡¯

    Sarah was amused but tried not to show it too much. She knew it would have aggravated Linea even further. Linea didn¡¯t get up from her bench for a while as she tried to compose herself.

    ¡®I hate it when people treat me like a child,¡¯ Linea said after a few minutes.

    ¡®Well, but aren¡¯t you¡­¡¯ Sarah tried to reply, but Linea interrupted her immediately.

    ¡®Don¡¯t you dare even thinking that sentence to the end!¡¯

    ¡®All right princess,¡¯ Sarah said.

    They both kept silent for a few more moments.

    ¡®Want to know how I can help you?¡¯

    Linea had her arms crossed and starred at the statue of the goddess behind the altar. Even though she still angry with Sarah, she was too curious.

    ¡®Yes. Please.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s simple to understand, but hard for me to pull off.¡¯ Sarah started. ¡®Remember after your fight with your mother, when you were so angry that it made me angry as well?¡¯

    Linea just nodded.

    ¡®Well, the idea is that if you were able to manipulate me, I should be able to manipulate your emotions as well. For example, I would put myself into a deep state of tranquility, which might pour over to you and thus calming you down enough.¡¯

    ¡®That sounds¡­ interesting,¡¯ Linea had to agree. ¡®Can you dothis?¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ Sarah admitted. ¡®I can learn it, but mind psionics are not my original field. On the other hand, I never tried it. Perhaps I¡¯m good at it?¡¯

    ¡®We¡¯ll see,¡¯ Linea noted still peeved. ¡®I will just focus on that feast tonight.¡¯

    <hr>

    Said feast was more than Linea had expected. When she heard most of the baronesses from the surrounding baronies would attend, she was forced to buy a new dress in the city. She had not anticipated a social gathering of this level and had packed nothing appropriate.

    Nora and Aruna on the other hand were happy about a little shopping tour.

    ¡°She can¡¯t wear white!¡± Nora said in a heated discussion with Aruna. ¡°She is neither a priestess nor a bride.¡±

    ¡°But she is the Chosen One of our goddess!¡± Aruna argued back.

    ¡°This is not about her blessing, it is about her station as a princess!¡±

    ¡°But being the Chosen One outranks her princess status!¡±

    Linea stood on a pedestal in her undergarments and had an attendant of the tailoring-shop taking her measurements.

    ¡®Girls will be girls,¡¯ Sarah noted in amusement. ¡®It¡¯s refreshing to see that some things just seem to be universal.¡¯

    ¡®Your findings regarding the behavior of females are laudable, but it doesn¡¯t help our problem at hand. What should I wear?¡¯

    ¡®Well, the highest-ranking nobility apart from yourself will be the countess,¡¯ Sarah started. ¡®And we don¡¯t expect to meet a duchess on our journey. So, we should keep ourselves from investing too much into this. Just enough to not affront the countess.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s what I thought as well,¡¯ Linea agreed. ¡®Verenian Silk should do the trick. But which color scheme?¡¯

    ¡®Well, you could go with both, white and dark-violet. At night your skin seems more lilac. White and violet complement that. You said this tailor uses magic for his creations, so perhaps we can make it more intricate?¡¯

    ¡®Any ideas?¡¯

    ¡®Let¡¯s go with a flower motif,¡¯ Sarah suggested. ¡®Have him make a white dress. It should be a backless neck holder. It should be close-fitting from top to your hips and from then on flare out to floor-length. The upper part should be white, but the lower part should have floral stitching in dark-violet. Your hair pinned-up, and large earrings to complement that.¡¯

    Linea paused for a second and then giggled.

    ¡®That was specific,¡¯ she noted in her amusement. ¡®I didn¡¯t deem you to be that type of girl.¡¯

    ¡®Which type?¡¯ Sarah asked confused.

    ¡®The fashion type,¡¯ Linea explained. ¡®You always seem so mature and serious.¡¯

    ¡®Just because I couldn¡¯t do stuff like this in my old life, doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want to.¡¯

    Linea knew she had overstepped their unspoken agreement of not talking about Sarah¡¯s past, but she couldn¡¯t deactivate her curiosity.

    ¡®I will go with your idea,¡¯ Linea said to distract Sarah. ¡®It sounds solid and I can give a good statement with such a dress. That I¡¯m devoted to our goddess, but still part of the royal family.¡¯

    Linea interrupted Aruna and Nora, who were still arguing. She explained Sarah¡¯s idea, and both girls seemed to be appeased by the compromise.

    The only thing still unclear was whether the tailor could provide the dress in time or not.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 11 - A Feast to Remember

    ¡°Will he be done in time?¡± Aruna asked while applying makeup to her face. At first, Linea had been surprisedabout Aruna¡¯s skills with such things, but then she had remembered that the priestess was a ducal princess in exile.

    Together with Nora, the three of them prepared in Linea¡¯s chamber for the feast. Minara searched for a dress in Nora¡¯s wardrobe and Tenasia powdered Linea¡¯s face.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Nora answered. ¡°Lady Thudila said he is the best tailor in the city, and if he promises something to be ready in time, he will move heaven and earth to see it done. That¡¯s what she said.¡±

    Aruna just shrugged, but her face gave a clear picture of her doubt.

    ¡°If he fails me, then I will mention it to the countess,¡± Linea just noted. ¡°I have dresses to fall back to, if necessary. It would only reflect negatively on the countess if her recommendation has been¡­ deficient.¡±

    Just as she said that, a knock sounded at the door. A servant of the countess entered together with the girl from the tailor-shop, who had taken Linea¡¯s measurements, and the tailor himself. He was an older-looking man, who must have been even older than High Priestess Nasinia.

    ¡°Your Grace, I apologize for my untimely arrival, but perfection takes its time,¡± the man said with a bow. He motioned to his assistant to present the dress, which was even more beautiful than Linea would have expected from Sarah¡¯s description. The floral pattern at the hem even had the royal emblem - a crescent moon of course - integrated.

    Evira entered the room behind him and looked around. A smile crept into her face as she saw Linea¡¯s face sparkle in delight.

    ¡°It looks beautiful!¡± Linea said and brushed over the fabric of the dress. Verenian silk differed vastly from Moon silk, which was more common in Luna¡¯sindra. While Moon silk was always remarkably smooth and fell down like water, Verenian silk was stiffer, which allowed for more pompous clothing, but for the same reason had to be always custom-made as the fabric would not give in to any differences in stature.

    It took them a bit of time to get Linea into the dress, but when they were finished, Linea looked unbelievably pretty. The dress took the focus from her basically non-existent breasts and put the onlooker¡¯s view on her bare back. Her jewelry comprised her royal diadem, which was more of a head chain, andlarge silver earrings with diamonds.

    ¡°I¡¯m so envious!¡± Nora said after Linea was dressed.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Linea said and smiled at Nora.

    ¡®What do you think?¡¯ she asked Sarah, who had been silent the whole time.

    ¡®It¡¯s even better than I expected,¡¯ Sarah admitted. ¡®You sure are beautiful. In a few years, you going to break men¡¯s hearts left and right?¡¯

    ¡®So, I won¡¯t break hearts now?¡¯ Linea ask in an amused, mocking tone.

    ¡®You could if you would be out to do so,¡¯ Sarah answered. ¡®But we both know you aren¡¯t interested in boys.¡¯

    Linea blushed at the innuendo.

    ¡®Shut up!¡¯

    Sarah didn¡¯t follow with another quip but chuckled in amusement.

    ¡°Well, at least the countess wasn''t exaggeratingwith her recommendation,¡± Aruna said and winked at Linea.

    <hr>

    The feast was better than Linea had expected. The dishes tasted excellent, and the cook¡¯s skill compared favorablyto what Linea was used to. The musicians regularly switched between faster songs to dance and slower songs to relax. Linea saton a seating arrangement, which allowed women like her to sit comfortable despite the rather stiff dresses. Nora brought her a cup of wine and sat down beside her.

    ¡°The wine is excellent, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked and passed Linea the cup.

    ¡°Like the last cup you brought me,¡± Linea said and raised her glass as silent thanks.

    Linea restedfrom the dancing, which had been more difficult in her chosen attire than usual. Nora tried to engage in conversation, but Linea was busy analyzing the attending nobility with Sarah.Linea wanted to use the occasion to make Sarah more adjusted to such events.

    They didn¡¯t come very far with their lesson however, as the countess and two persons, who were unknown to Linea, approached them.

    ¡°Your Grace,¡± the countess greeted her. ¡°I see you¡¯re relishing my sixty-year-old Talian wine. I hope it is to your satisfaction?¡±

    ¡°Very much so,¡± Linea said and raised her cup again as thanks. ¡°I appreciate the effort.¡±

    The countess smiled and then introduced her company.

    ¡°Your Grace, may I introduce to you The Much Honorable Baroness, Lady Saliara of Evidis from the House Esandi.¡±

    As a trained reflex, Linea stretched her hand out, which the baroness took and made a curtsy. Normally she would have gotten on her knee, but her dress was as inconvenient as Linea¡¯s and didn¡¯t allow for such movement.

    ¡°It is such an honor to meet Your Grace,¡± Lady Saliara said. ¡°I heard a lot about you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my blessing is on everyone¡¯s lips nowadays,¡± Linea said and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean your blessing!¡± the baroness corrected. ¡°Even though, I heard of it, I was referencing our mutual acquaintance.¡±

    Linea furrowed her brows at that. She couldn¡¯t remember ever having contact with the baroness or her house.

    ¡°I see you can¡¯t make the connection,¡± the baroness said and smiled. ¡°Sir Akundir, your mentor. He is working for me now as a tutor for my twin-daughters.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Linea exclaimed and smiled at the thought of her old mentor. Until her last birthday, Akundir had taught Linea everything from math, reading and writing to geographic, etiquette and basic magical education. She had a lot of good memories of the mage.

    ¡°How is the old man doing?¡± she asked out of sheer curiosity. ¡°I hope you¡¯re treating him well?¡±

    ¡°Of course, My Lady!¡± Saliara said and laughed. ¡°I have to admit that my daughters can be quite nerve-wrecking, but he has a special ability to make them focus on things, they would normally find rather boring. It¡¯s fascinating.¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose mother had similar reasons for hiring him as my tutor,¡± Linea said and laughed as well.

    ¡°Your Grace can meet him, when you¡¯re traveling through Evidis. It¡¯s only a day ride from here,¡± Saliara explained. ¡°Of course, I would like to invite you stay in my manor for a night.¡±

    ¡°We intended to knock on your door either way,¡± Linea said with a smile. ¡°But I will gladly accept your invitation.¡±

    The man beside Lady Thudila coughed slightly to arouse Linea¡¯s attention. She frowned, as she thought it to be quite rude, but didn¡¯t want to make a scene on her host¡¯s feast. She motioned the countess to introduce the man to her.

    ¡°Your Grace,¡± the countess said miffed at her guest¡¯s impoliteness. ¡°I may introduce to you Sir Fenandir. He¡¯s a knight in service of your brother, The Prince Tovandir.¡±

    Linea examined the man thoroughly. As he was not a landed Lord Knight but a simple knight, she didn¡¯t offer him a hand. Instead, she showed him her open palm, which was his sign to bend his knee before her.

    Which he promptly did.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure, My Lady,¡± he said with a charming smile which made Nora giggle for a moment. Linea on the other hand took a deep breath.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°I would assume it is,¡± she said with a thin lip. ¡°Can I help you with anything?¡±

    ¡°Not particularly,¡± Fenandir replied with a seductive voice. ¡°I just thought it to be proper to introduce myself as we will see each other more often soon.¡±

    ¡°And by that you mean¡­¡± Linea prompted him to explain further. Linea didn¡¯t miss the hidden innuendo that he would be enjoyed bedding her. A fact that didn¡¯t entice him to her, especially because he must have been more than a couple of years older than her.

    ¡°His Royal Highness sent me to monitor the problem of the dark mage and how Your Grace would deal with it,¡± he explained. ¡°He was surprised and impressed by your initiative. I have the order to not interfere but to observe.¡±

    ¡°So, he wants to see, if I can back up my words?¡± Linea asked and felt annoyed about her brother. From all her sibling she understood him the least. He could be helpful, if it was beneficial to him, but if you got in his way, he had no qualms about walking right over you. But his motivations and goals werecompletely unknown to her. At least he wasnice and cordial to his siblings. Especially he and Shandir were close.

    ¡°I would think so,¡± Fenandir said. ¡°I will ride ahead and assess the situation before you get started.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the heads up, I guess?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± he said. ¡°I wish you good luck and enjoy the rest of the evening. If you want to talk to me again, I¡¯ll be around, and I would appreciate the company.¡±

    ¡®My, My,¡¯ Sarah threw in. ¡®What a charmer. At least he can back it up with looks. Quite handsome.¡¯

    ¡®Sarah, please. Could you not?¡¯

    ¡®Sorry,¡¯ Sarah relented but quickly added, ¡®But I¡¯m still gonna look at his ass.¡¯

    Linea rolled her eyes and focused back on her company.

    <hr>

    The feast was drawing to a close when Linea decided to take a stroll through the garden of the palace. She couldn¡¯t find Evira or Aruna, so she grabbed Nora, who was flirting rather obviously with a young nobleman. She seemed peeved about being interrupted, but when they reached the garden, her mood raised again.

    The sun was rising and bathed them in golden light. It wasn¡¯t bright enough to cause them discomfort, but it wouldn¡¯t take that much longer to do so. Linea maneuvered them into a secluded area with a pavilion.

    ¡°So, you finally decided to talk to me?¡± Nora asked with a neutral tone, but Linea knew her long enough to notice that something bothered her.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Linea asked.

    ¡°About what happened between you and your mother,¡± Nora clarified. ¡°I know something happened, but you have yet to tell me about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Sarah and I already talked a lot about it. It didn¡¯t cross my mind to tell you what happened.¡±

    Nora crossed her arms and looked towards the sunrise.

    ¡°I thought as much,¡± she said after keeping silent for a few moments. ¡°It must be nice to have someone so close to you.¡±

    ¡°That''s true,¡± Linea agreed with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s like having another sister.¡±

    ¡°Good for you,¡± Nora said.

    Again, they fell quiet and Linea realized that something was off, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint the problem.

    ¡®Sarah? Any ideas?¡¯ she asked her soul-sister.

    ¡®Nope,¡¯ Sarah answered. ¡®She is your best friend not mine.¡¯

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Linea asked further.

    This situation was new to her as she and Nora never had an unspoken disagreement before.

    ¡°Nora, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Linea then directly asked as she hadn¡¯t the slightest idea what this was about. ¡°Sarah doesn¡¯t know either what¡¯s up with you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the problem,¡± Nora answered. ¡°Ever since you got Sarah, you talk less and less with me. Before Sarah, you would always come to me with your problems. Now you¡¯re brooding together with Sarah and¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just feel like, I¡¯m being replaced.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Linea just said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you disliked her so much.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± Nora replied and shook her head. ¡°I like her very much. I mean, I can¡¯t talk to her as much as you, but she is funny. However,I don¡¯t like how you¡¯re treating me lately. You¡¯re even hanging out more with Aruna than me.¡±

    ¡°Well, she is my Holy Magic mentor¡­¡±

    Nora rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Not what I meant, but¡­¡± she started but sighed. ¡°You know what? Just forget it. I have my duty towards you. If you don¡¯t need me for anything else anymore, it is not my place to complain.¡±

    She stood up and went towards the palace without even looking at Linea.

    Linea stayed seated and looked after her best friend with a dumbfounded face.

    ¡®What just happened?¡¯ she asked Sarah.

    ¡®I guess you have affronted her by spending not enough time with her,¡¯ Sarah answered. ¡®I think she made that clear.¡¯

    ¡®But I didn¡¯t mean to!¡¯ Linea said desperately. It dawned on her she may have screwed up with Nora.

    ¡®Well, yeah. Don¡¯t tell that to me,¡¯ Sarah said forcefully. ¡®Go after her, you slowpoke!¡¯

    Linea followed that order and hurried after Nora, which was easier said than done because of her dress getting constantly in the way. She maneuvered herself through the hedges of the garden towards the palace.

    Absorbed in her thoughts she didn¡¯t notice a presence, which suddenly appeared behind her. She was pushedto the side and a sudden searing pain raced through her right arm.

    Surprised by it, she fell to the ground and her hand rushed towards her arm. She noticed a warm liquid dripping down her arm and she realized that it was blood.

    ¡®We¡¯re under attack!¡¯ Sarah screamed in her mind, ripping Linea from her trance.

    Linea noticed a person standing above her with a dagger in his hand. The attackerwas a man, but apart from that his features were remarkably unrecognizable, even with the rising sunlight shining into his face. This had to be some kind of magic.

    When the dagger rushed down on her again, Sarah pushed them out of the way with telekinesis.

    ¡®Wake up, god dammit!¡¯ Sarah yelled in frustration, but Linea was overwhelmed by what happened. She sat on the grass and couldn¡¯t move an inch.

    The attacker on the other hand, even if Linea¡¯s sudden evasion surprised him, tried to attack her again. Sarah ripped the dagger out of his hand with a quick thought. The blade landed only millimeters from Linea¡¯s hand, which sparked the first sense of fear in her. Following her instincts she screamed in panic.

    The man winced shortly but tried to grab the dagger from the ground. Luckily, Sarah was faster and pushed it away. The attacker looked after his weapon in confusion, but when they heard running footsteps, he decided not to risk his skin. He ran in the opposite direction, away from the approaching guards.

    Not even seconds after he had vanished, Evira showed up, together with a mix of her own and a few of the countess¡¯ guards.

    ¡°Princess Linea!¡± Evira yelled and rushed to Linea. The other guards took the perimeter and secured the area.

    ¡°Someone, get Aruna,¡± Evira said with a firm voice. ¡°This looks like a deep wound.¡±

    Linea¡¯s sudden adrenaline rush abated, and a pulsating pain spread in her arm. The whole attack couldn¡¯t have taken more than a minute, but for Linea it had seemed like the longest seconds of her life.

    ¡°Where is Nora?¡± Evira asked worried, but her voice sounded sharp and angry. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she with you?¡±

    Linea wanted to answer but found herself without voice. She started sobbing instead.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Evira said and her tone softened up. ¡°I just need to know, if she is in danger.¡±

    ¡°She- She le-eft for the pa-palace,¡± Linea got out, but her sobbing stopped her from explaining further. Evira took the hint and sent out two guards to search for Nora. At the same time the countess arrived with even more of her guards and Aruna.

    ¡°By Luna¡¯s name! Linea!¡± Aruna cried out and ran the last meters.

    She fell down onto the grass beside Linea and examined the wound. She lay a hand over the bloody gash and murmured a few words.

    ¡°Sulani sa Sethano panu Mura fa nurathi.¡±

    Even though Linea was still shell-shocked, she felt the warm energy gather in her arm and the pain subsided shortly after. Aruna breathed heavily but looked over Linea¡¯s body to make sure Linea hadno other wounds.

    Evira helped Linea to get up and supported her with her walking as her steps were still shaky. They maneuvered Linea back to her chamber trying to avoid the still ongoing party. Linea was not really responsive apart from a few nods and head shakes when asked a question. After arriving in Linea¡¯s chamber Evira sent out everyone except the countess and Aruna. She again tried to ask questions, but Linea still could not form a coherent thought. She just sat there and stared blankly at the tapestry.

    After a few minutes in which even Sarah tried to calm down Linea with sending all kinds of positive feelings to her, Nora arrived together with Tenasia and Minara. All three gasped as they found Linea covered in blood and in a consoling hug from Aruna.

    Nora rushed to her best friend, just like Aruna had before. She took Linea¡¯s hands and looked her in the eyes.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s all right now,¡± she said with a quivering voice, which didn¡¯t sound overly confident.

    When Nora said those words when Linea completely broke down. Sarah sensed it and thought Linea wouldn¡¯t like to embarrass herself even more by crying like the young girl she was. She took over the body and Linea didn¡¯t put up any resistance.

    ¡°Everyone, please leave,¡± Sarah said with a calm voice, which irritated the present people. ¡°Except for Nora. Lady Thudila, Captain Evira, the attacker was male, a head taller than me, but apart from that I can¡¯t tell you more. He ran away but dropped his dagger, which should still be there.¡±

    The sudden mood swing confused Evira, but she didn¡¯t ask further. Instead, she ordered her guardsmen to make sure that no one was to enter the room. Together with the countess who was inconsolable about the fact that the princess had been attacked in her city, she left. On the way out, Lady Thudila assured that the city guard would find the perpetrator. A promise, which Sarah didn¡¯t trust.

    When everyone except Nora had left in the room, Sarah spoke again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nora,¡± she said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect her better. He surprised us, and I didn¡¯t expect an attack.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Nora said with a crooked smile. ¡°How is she?¡±

    Sarah connected her mind directly with Linea, who was crying heavily in her mind.

    ¡°Not good,¡± Sarah answered. ¡°She is out of her mind. I thought she was better trained than that.¡±

    The last statement was just meant to be a matter of fact, but Nora got angry about it.

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t prepared for it. She is still young. No one can teach you, how to deal with someone trying to kill you! I¡¯m sure, you weren¡¯t any better,¡± she argued and frowned at Sarah.

    ¡°When my parents and I fled from the camps, I was fourteen. Theywere killed, but I got away. On my escape, I killed a dozen of people, who all tried to kill me. So, yes. I was better than that.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Nora tried to reply but couldn¡¯t find a counter argument. ¡°But she isn¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, because I would have killed that bastard on the spot.¡±

    Nora was furious with Sarah in this moment, but she was more concerned about Linea.

    ¡°Can you call her back? She needs someone to calm her down. We can talk about what went wrong afterwards,¡± Nora suggested.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Sarah said. ¡°But that¡¯s your job. I don¡¯t wanna deal with whiney little girls.¡±

    And with that, she switched the control back to Linea, who now cried for real. Nora hugged her tightly ignoring the blood ruining her own dress. Instead, she held Linea and soothed her.

    This was going to be a long day.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 12 - Looming Shadows

    Linea awoke cuddled into a bundle with Nora under her blanket. She couldn¡¯t remember how they ended up here and when she got changed from her ruined dress into her nightgown. Nora had probably helped with that.

    The happenings of the last morning came back to her, however. A huge mess of emotions washed over her, which brought her to tears again. The assassination wasn¡¯t even the worst part to her. Her helplessness and Sarah¡¯s disappointment were far more depressing.

    She reached out to Sarah in her mind but was met with silence. Sarah only signaled that she was still there, but she didn¡¯t want to speak with Linea at the moment. This caused Linea to sob again. It was the first time she realized how much she had started to depend on Sarah¡¯s strong character.

    Her sobbing woke up Nora, who subconsciously caressed Linea¡¯s head. For a few minutes the girls just lay there, and Nora soothed Linea in silence.

    ¡°She is mad at me,¡± Linea whispered after a while.

    ¡°Yeah, I noticed,¡± Nora replied.

    ¡°I was just frozen. I couldn¡¯t do anything. She is right, I¡¯m a failure. How can I even attempt to stop a dark mage? I¡­¡± Linea babbled but Nora flicked a finger against her forehead.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Nora said and smiled at her. ¡°I understand you¡¯re shocked by what happened, but you need to realize that you¡¯re not alone in this. You were never supposed to fight all this on your own.¡±

    ¡°But Sarah isn¡¯t even talking to me,¡± Linea countered, and tears gathered in her eyes again.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about Sarah. I was talking about me. And Aruna. And Captain Evira with her men.¡±

    Linea pressed her head against Nora¡¯s body and tried to suppress her sobbing.

    ¡°Where do I go from here? I always had a plan and knew what I would do next. I wanted to become a Void Huntress. Then I wanted to become a priestess. Now I want to stop a dark mage,¡± she explained. ¡°But I realized that I have no idea how I should do that.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll hatch a plan on the way, don¡¯t worry,¡± Nora said. ¡°And I¡¯m sure that Sarah will help as well. She may be cross with you but I don¡¯t think it will last. I think she will calm down and then she will probably train you until you spit blood or something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not spit blood¡­¡±

    Nora chuckled.

    ¡°I somehow expected you to be angrier with me,¡± Linea noted. ¡°After last night, I thought you wouldn¡¯t want to be my friend anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Nora said and flushed. ¡°I was stupid and jealous. You and Sarah are close by necessity and I assumed you wouldn¡¯t need me anymore.¡±

    ¡°I hear a ¡®but¡¯ there,¡± Linea probed.

    ¡°But last night - as stupid as that might sound - showed me that Sarah can¡¯t give you everything you need. You need a friend that just is on your side at all times. And I will be that friend.¡±

    Linea¡¯s eyes watered again. She snuggled even more against her best friend.

    They lay silently in Linea¡¯s bed for a few more minutes and Linea just savored her closeness to Nora.

    ¡®Calmed down yet?¡¯ Sarah¡¯s voice suddenly ripped her from her peace.

    ¡®I guess¡­¡¯ Linea answered unsure how to deal with Sarah, who somehow still sounded angry.

    ¡®Good, because we need to talk. Not now but as soon as possible. Get up, get something to eat and then bring us to Captain Evira. I need to assess your combat readiness before we even think about going to Taldira. I won¡¯t let you get us killed because you think I¡¯ll somehow fix the problem for you.¡¯

    Linea noticed the rebuke in Sarah¡¯s order, but didn¡¯t dare to correct her. An angry Sarah was terribly scary. Sarah noted her caution, however.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, if my anger is making you uncomfortable,¡¯ she said and tried to reign in her own emotions. ¡®But try to understand my situation. I recently died after I made a stupid mistake in underestimating my enemy. When I was in limbo between the mortal realms and wherever I was supposed to go after death, I got stuck I couldn¡¯t reach the afterlife and couldn¡¯t go back. I don¡¯t want that to happen to us again, and I have no clue if we can be brought back from that again.¡¯

    ¡®I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡¯

    ¡®Of course not,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®I don¡¯t like talking about my failures and shortcomings. But we have to talk about stuff like that, because you can learn from me, which will keep us both alive. And that is my main concern right now.¡¯

    Linea understood how difficult that whole situation must have been for Sarah. From what she knew, Sarah had lived a life of constant battle and war. Just being an observer had to be hard on her.

    ¡®I will try to learn from you,¡¯ she said. ¡®But please don¡¯t be mad at me anymore.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not mad at you,¡¯ Sarah said. Her anger dissipated and was replaced with guilt. ¡®I don¡¯t want you to feel bad about this. You may have screwed up, but I was able to prevent the worst. But we must train more than before. I was just shocked about how little you are prepared. After your explanations that you have trained to be a Void Huntress, I expected you to be able to deal with situations like that.¡¯

    ¡®Hey, I have trained a lot!¡¯ Linea defended herself. ¡®I¡¯m skilled with my sword, I learned a lot of battle tactics against Torra and dark mages, and I was taught how to invoke my mana in theory. I don''t know any spells yet, because I wasn¡¯t allowed to learn it at the Academy, but that can¡¯t be too hard.¡¯

    ¡®But all those skills are for naught, if you get killed because you are frozen in fear.¡¯

    Linea went silent because she couldn''t answer that. Sarah was right.

    ¡®But how can I overcome that fear?¡¯ she asked hoping Sarah had a plan for that.

    ¡®Well, you took the first step already,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®You faced death. The next time someone tries to kill you, the feeling won¡¯t be as overwhelming or unfamiliar. We can¡¯t do much about it, because that¡¯s something that comes from experience. What we can train however is your ability to stay calm in the face of danger. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll teach you.¡¯

    <hr>

    After a quick talk with Captain Evira about the attack, Linea and her entourage were getting ready to leave Alandis in order to travel to their next destination. Enidara was a city roughly 120 kilometers to the west along the Luna¡¯aguna from where they would follow a distributary river northbound until they reached Taldira.

    Evira had considered canceling their mission in the face of recent events, but Linea had vehemently denied that notion. To ease the Captain¡¯s mind however, she had proposed for additional weapons training. Evira wasn''t convinced, but the queen had made it clear that Linea was the commander of this group. And so, she had reluctantly agreed.

    Linea had just mounted her mare when a group of armored knights approached them. Lady Saliara, who wore a dress armor like Linea, led them. Besides this, Fenandir joined them as well. He looked stunning in his silvery mithril armor and on his black stallion. Linea noted how Nora and Minara blushed at his sight, and she suspected that he was pleasing to the eyes. But to her he only radiated prowess and confidence, which were traits not to be dismissed. In contrast to the last evening, he didn¡¯t seem to be as flirtatious. A fact that Linea liked very much.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Lady Saliara,¡± Linea greeted the baroness.

    ¡°Your Grace,¡± Lady Saliara responded and lowered her head as a bow. ¡°If you would allow me and my guards to accompany you towards Evidis. As the attacker of last night has not been found yet, I see it as imperative to escort you.¡±

    Linea pondered about the offer for a second. That the attacker was able to escape without even being identified hinted at the possibility he would go for another attempt. Additional guards would be helpful. She threw a questioning look to Evira, who nodded.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Linea answered. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for your support.¡±

    ¡°Of course, My Lady. It is my honor and my duty.¡±

    Linea eyes wandered back to Fenandir.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re suggesting a similar idea regarding yourself,¡± she stated with a small smile.

    ¡°Naturally, My Lady,¡± Fenandir replied. ¡°Even though, I don¡¯t want to insinuate that Captain Evira isn''t properly equipped to handle the situation. I just want to make sure that my mission will not be hindered by the death of its main protagonist.¡±

    Linea threw a glance at her guard¡¯s captain, who gripped her sword¡¯s hilt tightly.

    ¡®Those two won¡¯t become friends,¡¯ Sarah noted with a chuckle.

    ¡°Your assistance would be appreciated but wasn¡¯t your plan to analyze the situation before I arrive?¡±

    ¡°Plans change all the time. Depending on the situation one must be able to adapt. It doesn¡¯t help me much when I analyze the situation beforehand just for you to not even arriving. It¡¯s a trade-off, but as I said, I would rather make sure you arrive in Taldira in one piece.¡±

    ¡°How can I say no to such a devoted helper,¡± Linea answered and rolled her eyes. Fenandir chuckled and winked at her.

    In the meantime, Lady Thudila had arrived as well followed by Lady Talura. While the countess was wearing a dark-violet dress with lace on her shoulders, the Lady Knight was dressed in her armor.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace,¡± Lady Thudila said as her greeting. ¡°We were unable to apprehend the assassin.¡±

    ¡°I thank you for trying nonetheless,¡± Linea answered.

    Lady Thudila made a curtsy.

    ¡°To redeem myself, I would like to ask you, to take my military advisor Lady Talura with you. She is not much of a guard, but she is versed in military tactics and an excellent warrior.¡±

    Linea examined the bulky woman, who bowed her head as much as her armor allowed her.

    ¡°Is it your wish as well to follow me on my quest to slay the dark mage?¡±

    ¡°It is, My Lady,¡± Lady Talura answered. ¡°As I see it, your little campaign could use someone with my experience and the countess doesn¡¯t have much use for me at the moment. I want to join your retinue for as long as you need me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very gracious of you, but you should be aware that my finances don¡¯t allow me to pay you right now,¡± Linea explained.

    ¡°As long as food and housing are cared for, I can finance myself.¡±

    ¡°In that case, welcome to the party,¡± Linea said with a smile. Her little group had nearly doubled in a matter of minutes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time,¡± Evira announced. ¡°We¡¯re behind schedule already and I want to reach Evidis before the night.¡±

    <hr>

    It wasn¡¯t long after they had departed from Alandis when Evira noted something.

    ¡°We¡¯re followed again,¡± she said, which sparked curious looks from their newest additions. Evira quickly explained about their little stalker.

    ¡°So, you are telling us that someone is following the princess and you only mention that now after she was nearly killed?¡± Fenandir asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Sir Fenandir, please keep your opinion to yourself,¡± Linea said in defense of Evira. ¡°I would like to deal with this bug, but unfortunately we¡¯re late already for our travel to Evidis. We can deal with him or her tomorrow.¡±

    ¡®Really?¡¯ Sarah asked surprised and the face of everyone around her, told Linea that Sarah wasn¡¯t the only one with that question.

    ¡®Not really,¡¯ Linea answered. ¡®Whoever is following me, won¡¯t suddenly stop doing so. When we make our next stop, you and I will slip away and catch that stalker ourselves.¡¯

    ¡®Are you sure about that?¡¯ Sarah asked doubtful. ¡®Your success rate in such things is not all that promising.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s what I have you for,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®I won¡¯t be able to sleep, if I don¡¯t catch him. I¡¯m sure that the one following us is the same man that attacked me.¡¯

    ¡®Well, if you say so. But I demand to take control for that. I won¡¯t risk us because you want to take that risk.

    ¡®Deal!¡¯

    <hr>

    Around midnight Evira decided to stop for half an hour. Everyone was able to relieve themselves and get a little break from riding. Even Linea, who rode Minu regularly, noted how fast she felt sore now. She would avoid riding for some time after arriving in Taldira.

    But for now, her focus was on their stalker. She took the opportunity when everyone gave her the privacy to do what even princesses do alone. It took Linea and Sarah no time at all to switch this time.

    ¡®How are you going to catch him?¡¯ Linea asked eagerly.

    ¡®First, I need to find him, which is the harder part,¡¯ Sarah said and then did something. They suddenly sensed everything in a large radius around them. Linea was able to process only a fraction of what she perceived.

    ¡®Don¡¯t try it,¡¯ Sarah warned. ¡®You¡¯ll get only a headache. It took me years to master this.¡¯

    ¡®What- What are you doing?¡¯ Linea asked and tried to ignore all the new sensations streaming into her.

    ¡®That¡¯s a telekinetic field,¡¯ Sarah explained, while she searched for their stalker. ¡®It¡¯s like a layer of Psy-Energy that I put over everything in a kilometer range. I can stretch it even farther, but it gets inaccurate fast. With the field I can sense literally everything around¡­ Found him!¡¯

    ¡®Already?¡¯ Linea asked surprised. ¡®Good, what now?¡¯

    ¡®Now this!¡¯

    Sarah pulled a knife out of Linea¡¯s bag. Linea had no chance to understand what was happening next. They stood beneath a tree in a depression in one moment, and in the next moment they vanished. Linea still saw their surroundings, but they were¡­

    ¡®Invisible!¡¯ Linea exclaimed.

    ¡®Kind of,¡¯ Sarah said with a chuckle. ¡®That¡¯s my shadow walk. We¡¯re inside of the shadows now. A technique, which is rather effective at night, when the shadow is prevalent. Let¡¯s go hunting!¡¯

    Moving through the shadows was a weird experience for Linea. They were not walking because they were not even corporeal. Instead they were floating with a constant speed. Shortly after they approached a person tending to a horse. The person was shorter than Linea¡¯s attacker and definitely female.

    ¡®Are you sure, this is our stalker?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®She is the only one around here, she is armed and rests at the same time as we do. Too much coincidences. Can I take her down?¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t hurt her, if it is not necessary. I want to know, who she is and why she follows us.¡¯

    Sarah nodded mentally and moved closer. Only after she stood directly behind the stalker, she dropped out of the shadows and immediately pressed the knife against the woman¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move, or I¡¯ll gut you like a little, squeaking pig,¡± Sarah whispered in her ear. ¡°Drop everything and turn around slowly.¡±

    The woman tensed in fear but reacted quickly. She tried to ram her elbow in Sarah¡¯s gut, but Sarah reacted with a telekinetic counter push. She kicked the woman into the back of her knees what brought her down. With a bit of telekinetic force, Sarah hindered her from standing up again.

    ¡°Last chance, missy,¡± Sarah said, while she took an arm of her victim and pressed it on her back. The woman stopped struggling after a few moments.

    ¡°Good, now let¡¯s see, who we have here.¡±

    Sarah pulled back the cape that obstructed the view on the stalker¡¯s face.

    ¡°Senia?¡± Sarah asked in confusion, and Linea thought the same. Sarah let go of the other princess and took a few steps backwards. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Linea?¡± Senia asked as confused as Sarah. ¡°How did you¡­ where¡­¡±

    ¡®Can I take over?¡¯ Linea asked.

    Sarah just shrugged mentally and gave the control back.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± Linea ordered her sister. She was curious about her sister¡¯s sudden appearance, but she still feared that the killer was nearby. Senia seemed to be too confused about her sister¡¯s ability to catch her to resist Linea¡¯s order. Together they trudged back to the group which was already in uproar after Linea¡¯s disappearance.

    ¡°Linea!¡± Evira exclaimed when she saw her arriving. ¡°Where were you? We¡­ were¡­¡±

    She gradually stopped talking as she realized that Linea wasn¡¯t alone. The rest of the group gathered as well curious about the newcomer.

    ¡°Princess Senia?¡± Evira asked wide-eyed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Senia didn¡¯t answer but instead looked to the side.

    ¡°Two princesses outside of Luna¡¯sindranar,¡± Aruna noted with a raised brow and the hint of a smile on her face. ¡°The queen is going to have a field day with that.¡±

    ¡°The queen?¡± Evira asked and grew violet fast. ¡°I¡¯m having a field day right now! What are you thinking? Does the queen know of this?¡±

    Evira was berating Senia directly without even mentioning that Linea was the one catching Senia.

    ¡°How dare you to talk to me like that?¡± Senia said and looked as furious as Evira.

    ¡°I dare it, because the Royal Guard protects the royal family. Where is your guard? Please don¡¯t tell me, you were traveling alone. Where did you sleep?¡±

    Senia avoided Evira¡¯s eyes now.

    ¡°In Luna¡¯s name! What were you thinking?¡± Evira looked like she couldn¡¯t decide whether to explode in fury or to be grateful that Senia was unharmed.

    ¡°What are we going to do with her?¡±, Nora asked trying to steer the discussion to more pressing problems. ¡°Should we send her back?¡±

    Senia threw a dark gaze towards Nora, but Linea boxed her shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare being angry at Nora,¡± Linea scolded Senia. ¡°Her question is legitimate. Do we have the means to send her back?¡±

    The question was directed to Evira, who already seemed to ponder about it.

    ¡°No, we have not. Our mission is to escort Your Grace to Taldira. I can¡¯t detail enough guards to send her back,¡± Evira explained.

    ¡°In that case, the decision is simple. We take her with us and you send for reinforcements, which can escort her back to Luna¡¯sindranar.¡±

    ¡°Well, it seems as if we didn¡¯t have an alternative. But I don''t like to have two potential heirs near a dark mage at the same time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to have her here either, but we don''t have much of an alternative,¡± Linea said and looked at Senia with a frown.

    ¡°Don¡¯t I get anything to say about it?¡± Senia asked angry.

    ¡°No!¡± Linea and Evira answered simultaneously.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 13 - Sarahs First Story

    Linea and her motley group had arrived in Evidis in the early morning. Linea was too tired to deal with Senia further even though she had decided to talk with her before they would depart in the evening. As expected, she slept rather troubled, and nightmare of another assassination attempt woke her up.

    ¡°Stupid dreams¡­¡± she murmured and looked around to check if the room, she resided in, was empty. She realized, this was not the case. On a couch on the side of the room, Tenasia slept soundly.

    Linea smiled. Her old, trusty maid was something like a second mother to her. Or more like an aunt. Linea found it difficult to describe their relationship, because Tenasia was her servant, but despite that Linea held her in high regards. Tenasia had always been there for her since she was a child. In fact, Linea had more fond memories of her maid than her own mother, who used to be away for weeks on end.

    ¡®The worst thing about being part of your body is this sleeping thing,¡¯ Sarah interrupted sounding rather grumpy.

    ¡®What sleeping thing?¡¯ Linea asked confused.

    ¡®Well, when you sleep, I sleep. When you wake up, I wake up,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®It¡¯s kind of strange not being in control of that. I¡¯m just happy that I seem to have no problem adopting your nocturnal living style because of that.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, I¡¯m sorry for waking you¡­¡¯ Linea said crestfallen.

    ¡®It¡¯s okay, I didn¡¯t mean it as a reproach,¡¯ Sarah reassured her. ¡®I just shared my observations. Did you have a nightmare?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, but no need to talk about that,¡¯ Linea sighed.

    ¡®All right, fine by me,¡¯ Sarah answered. ¡®But if you need to talk about it¡­ Nora will always be there for you.¡¯

    Linea rolled her eyes.

    Her gaze wandered through the windows of her room and the last sunrays made their way over the horizon. She decided that it wouldn¡¯t be useful to sleep any longer. She got up and woke up Tenasia. Thinking about how to approach Senia, she went with breakfast. She asked Tenasia to bring bread and some Tula, a special honey made by the Tula firefly. It wasn¡¯t as sweet as normal honey but energizing to Moon Elves.

    She made her way to Senia¡¯s chamber, when Tenasia returned with Minara and the breakfast. Tenasia had also added some Famnir, which she had acquired from the household of the Countess Thudila.

    Linea knocked on the door and after a few moments a tired ¡®Come in!¡¯ sounded from within.

    Senia still laid in her bed and looked exhausted. Linea felt bad for waking her up, but she was sure the breakfast with the Famnir would help to smooth things out.

    ¡°Is that Famnir what I smell?¡± Senia instantly asked.

    ¡°Yes, sister,¡± Linea answered and motioned her maids to put the foot down on Senia nightstand. ¡°I hoped we could start our little discussion with a nice breakfast.¡±

    Senia¡¯s face darkened, but she didn¡¯t stop Linea either.

    ¡°You may leave now,¡± Linea said to Tenasia and Minara, who both made a curtsy and left.

    In silence the sisters took a slice of bread and a strange looking stick with a fluted ball on the end. With that stick they transported the Tula from the bowl on the bread. They each took a bite and moaned simultaneously in delight.

    ¡°So, are you going to tell me, why you¡¯re following me?¡± Linea got straight to the point after they had eaten enough. ¡°I mean, it can¡¯t be the concern for my well-being, can it?¡±

    Senia avoided Linea¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°I... It was my duty,¡± she said, but Linea knew instinctively that this wasn''t all. She herself may have said the same, but her reasoning to go after the dark mage was rather convoluted.

    ¡°Which duty?¡± Linea asked.

    ¡°As a Void Hunter,¡± Senia answered and looked at Linea with a frown. ¡°The Academy accepted me. Not you. I was deemed able to fight the Torra. Not you. I¡¯m the one to lead the Hunters in the future. Not you!¡±

    The final part sounded agitated and Senia was breathing heavily.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Linea admitted. ¡°And I won¡¯t take that from you. It¡¯s your vocation. I have watched your training from time to time. I was envious, if I¡¯m being honest, but I saw how much you like it.¡±

    She stopped and looked outside where the sun had now surrendered to the night completely.

    ¡°Of course, you would be jealous,¡± Senia said with a triumphant smile. ¡°I have what you always wanted. And I¡¯m good at it. That¡¯s why you went and got yourself blessed. Just to outdo me again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous, Senia!¡± Linea answered annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m envious.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Senia answered and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°The difference is that I¡¯m happy for you!¡± Linea said, and her eyes filled with tears. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, and what you have achieved. I always saw you as someone to chase after, someone to look up to. Someone I wanted to be like. You¡¯re dedicated and sure of yourself.¡±

    Senia looked surprised.

    ¡°You¡¯re proud of me?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m sorry if I didn''t show it as much after the examination, but I was devastated when they told me I would never be a Void Huntress,¡± Linea explained, and she tried hard not to cry.

    Senia seemed to process this while Linea drank her Famnir to calm herself down.

    ¡°But that¡¯s a thing of the past now,¡± Linea said bringing that part of the discussion to an end. ¡°More importantly, I will have to fight a dark mage soon. The goddess gave me special powers to fight such a threat, and I will answer our people¡¯s call for help. That is my divine duty. If you want to be angry at me because of that, I won¡¯t try any further to stop you.¡±

    She stood up and walked towards the door. She turned around for a moment.

    ¡°You are my sister, Senia,¡± she said with a pained smile. ¡°As such, I will always love you. But if you want to be angry and mean to me, I will stop bothering myself with you. I have more important things to worry about from here on. I hope you can overcome your anger, and that we can start over again someday.¡±

    <hr>

    The next week of their ride towards Taldira was rather uneventful although a bit awkward. Senia and Linea didn¡¯t talk at all, but Linea had meant what she had said. She would give her sister anymore thoughts if she was to be angry.

    To their surprise, the Baroness Saliara had decided to follow Linea into battle against the dark mage and had even taken more of her men from her barony with her. Her force consisted now of Lady Knight Talura and twenty normal knights. Twenty-one, if one would count Fenandir as well. Together with Aruna as a priestess, Evira and her guardsmen, the group was now forty men and women strong.

    But Linea had other things on her mind. She still had her nightmares even though they had slight changes every time. Sometimes the killer would be her mother, sometimes it would be even a Torra. It made her grumpy over the course of the ride and when she and Aruna were in one of her healing lessons, she finally snapped.

    ¡°I know! I know!¡± she cried out. ¡°I get it! I get the concept! The power comes from the goddess and your mind must be tranquil to call upon her. I just can¡¯t clear my mind enough!¡±

    ¡°The meditation didn¡¯t work, I guess?¡± Aruna asked not getting provoked by Linea¡¯s outburst.

    ¡°No, it did not,¡± Linea answered still enraged. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how you are supposed to clear your mind from your sorrows and fears. It¡¯s a part of what we are. I can¡¯t simply turn that off!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to throw them away,¡± Aruna tried to explain. ¡°It¡¯s more like coming to terms with things. If you can accept them, you will see the world in a new light. It grants you enlightenment over yourself. When my father threw me out of my family, I was devastated. If it hadn¡¯t been for your sister and her letter of introduction to High Priestess Nasinia, I probably would work in a brothel now, or something. It took me years to come to terms with what had happened and what I had lost. But after I accepted everything, I moved on.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Linea had calmed down a bit while Aruna was talking.

    ¡®I know what she is talking about,¡¯ Sarah mumbled.

    ¡®You do?¡¯ Linea asked surprised.

    ¡®Yes, I can try to show you something from my memories. Perhaps it helps you understand the concept of accepting your fate. But for that we need a quiet place and a bit of time.¡¯

    When they stopped at midnight in a small village, Linea explained that she wanted to meditate and decide that the local shrine for Luna near the village would be a good choice. The shrine consisted only of a small statue of the goddess in a small chapel. She sat down in front of the statue and closed her eyes.

    ¡®Okay, how does this work?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®Just wait a bit. I need to use psionics to draw your mind into the memory I have prepared. I¡¯ve played with mind psionics since Luna mentioned I should have the ability to learn it. This is one of the things I came up with. Let¡¯s hope it works as intended.¡¯

    Linea didn¡¯t have to wait long. Her mind suddenly found itself in an unknown location. There were trees around her and she was running. She was a little confused about it, but Sarah¡¯s voice suddenly explained.

    ¡®We¡¯re in my past self, just like I¡¯m inside you. I didn¡¯t find a better way to show it to you.¡¯

    ¡®But your past self doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re here?¡¯

    ¡®Of course not,¡¯ Sarah replied with a laugh. ¡®It¡¯s just a memory after all.¡¯

    ¡®All right, where are we here?¡¯ Linea asked, while Sarah¡¯s past self still ran and turned around occasionally. It was in the middle of the night and Linea noticed that humans were terrible at seeing in the night. She could barely make out anything besides some dancing lights behind them.

    ¡®Somewhere south of Scranton, if I recall correctly,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®But that won¡¯t mean anything to you. Let¡¯s just say it was shortly after they killed my parents. I was fourteen at that point and all alone. I was running from people, who tried to put me back into the camp. Or even worse. I just told myself I wouldn¡¯t let them get me. I had been running for days and had only slept for two hours at a time, and I was hungry, tired and afraid.¡¯

    Sarah sighed mentally.

    ¡®I will synchronize us with the memory now.¡¯

    <hr>

    Sarah¡¯s feet hurt.

    She had lost one of her shoes when she had hauled herself over a large fence with telekinesis. Because of her chasers, she couldn¡¯t turn back to get it. Instead she had to throw away the other one as well as the height difference of the shoe made running uncomfortable.

    A mistake as she now realized. The soles of her feet bleed slightly as she ran through the woods. She was exhausted and hungry. It was dark, and she saw see the flashlights behind her searching for her.

    Suddenly a voice amplified by a megaphone sounded through the forest.

    ¡°Miss Johnson,¡± a man yelled. ¡°Please, surrender yourself. We don¡¯t mean you harm, but law dictates that you must be taken into custody. Don¡¯t make this harder on everyone.¡±

    Sarah stopped in her tracks as she realized that the voice was in front of her. She could probably slip by again with her shadow walk, but it would deplete her power even more. And she was already running low on that. Constant running and no time to rest was counterproductive for her powers.

    She thought hard about her next steps, but she hadn¡¯t much time as her pursuers closed in fast. Her options were limited. Stay and fight hoping to get rid of everyone following her, which would cause the government to lose her trail, or keep running. But Sarah had killed no one yet, and she was hesitant to do it.

    But on the other hand, she couldn¡¯t keep going like that. Tears ran down her face as she remembered the last words of her mother. Be strong, she had said. But what did it mean to be strong?

    Sarah walked closer to the group ahead. She used her shadow walk for short amounts of times to get closer without being noticed. She waited for the men, who advanced from behind. When they were close enough, she raised her hands and walked into the spotlight of a Humvee, which stood on a small road.

    Eight soldiers instantly raised their guns and pointed them at her. Behind her another six came into sight and did the same.

    ¡°I see, you are reasonable,¡± a man in a black suit said. Sarah recognized his voice from the megaphone speech earlier. Her eyes wandered to one of the soldiers, who had a combat knife strapped to his left leg.

    ¡°I would just like to know, why do you want to catch me?¡± She asked and tried to buy time. Carefully she unsheathed the knife with her telekinesis and let it float behind the soldier.

    ¡°Because the law states that every meta-human must stay inside the camps. You know that. You were raised there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± she admitted. ¡°But have I ever done to anyone to be imprisoned like that?¡±

    ¡°Your powers are dangerous,¡± the man explained. ¡°To yourself and others. It¡¯s important that you¡¯re supervised.¡±

    ¡°Supervised?¡± Sarah asked, and she had to suppress her anger. ¡°Do you believe the bullshit you¡¯re talking about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s how it is,¡± the man said unimpressed. ¡°It¡¯s law, and that¡¯s how we deal with it. Will you come with us, or do we have to use force?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with force,¡± Sarah answered and plunged the knife into the neck of the soldier. The man gurgled blood as the blade severed his windpipe. The other soldiers didn¡¯t hesitate and fired their weapons. Sarah hastily erected a telekinetic barrier which brought the bullets to a hold. She didn¡¯t know, if she could pull that stunt, but the bullets didn¡¯t take as much power to stop as she had expected.

    Multiple clicking sounds around her indicated that the weapons had ran out of ammunition.

    ¡°My turn,¡± she said and pushed the bullets still hanging in the air towards her enemies. She wasn¡¯t strong enough to accelerate the projectiles as fast as a gun, but it was enough to wound everyone around her. Screams of pain echoed through the forest, and all the soldiers lay on the ground incapacitated. The man in the black suit panicked as he realized that he had taken on someone, who was not to be trifled with. He fumbled as he tried to pull a handgun from his holster. Before he got a grip on his gun however, Sarah had taken control of the knife again and slipped through the shadows behind the man.

    ¡°You¡¯re not very good at overseeing people, aren¡¯t you?¡± She mocked him and rammed the knife into his lower abdomen. ¡°Didn¡¯t even see me coming¡­¡±

    The man tried to turn around with his gun in hand, but the knife in his back caused him too much pain. He dropped to the ground. Sarah grabbed his gun with her telekinesis.

    ¡°All I ever wanted was to be a normal girl. Having friends, going to school, falling in love, getting married, having kids¡­¡± she said with a sad voice. ¡°But you narrow minded humans just wouldn¡¯t let me. And now you made me a killer. Are you proud about that?¡±

    The man didn¡¯t answer with words, but simply whimpered.

    ¡°Tell me! Are you proud, you fucking asshole?¡± She screamed and pulled the trigger while she aimed at his head. A small click was everything that happened.

    ¡°Useless thing!¡± Sarah yelled and looked at the gun. The safety was still on. She pulled the switch to make the pistol ready.

    She aimed again at the man, who had peed himself and had fallen unconscious. This time the shot echoed through the woods and the man¡¯s brain splattered across the ground.

    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± Sarah said when the brain matter even splashed on her bare feet. Bile rose in her throat and she turned around. She didn¡¯t puke much, because she hadn¡¯t eaten in a while, but it wasn¡¯t pleasant either.

    ¡°This weapon is disgusting¡­¡± she noted. For the others she would use the knife to finish them.

    A few minutes later, she had rounded up the soldiers that had tried to crawl away. Some begged for mercy, but Sarah couldn¡¯t find any of that in her. Having seen her parents being killed in front of her and being hunted for days had deadened her inhibitions considerably. In fact, she realized leaving them alive would just bring the government back on her trail. It would buy her valuable time to disappear from their radar if she killed all of them.

    When the last soldier was dead, Sarah started to cry as realized what she had done. She didn¡¯t fall to the ground, but she stood there looking into the night sky and cried. She felt a mixture of relief and guilt, but also accomplishment and horror, over what she had done. What she had been forced to do.

    It took her a few minutes to compose herself.

    She took some time to take arm herself with one of the assault rifles and as much ammunition as she could carry. She also took the boots of one of the soldiers to replace her lost shoes, and even tried to drive the Humvee, but she didn¡¯t have a clue on how to drive. After trying it for some time, she gave up and walked instead.

    It would be a long walk and she didn¡¯t know where she would end up. Her freedom was the only thing that mattered, and no one would ever take that away from her again.

    <hr>

    Linea opened her eyes again and looked at the statue of her goddess. A sight that calmed her down.

    ¡®That was brutal,¡¯ she stated to Sarah.

    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Sarah admitted. ¡®But it was necessary. You had access to my feelings from back then.¡¯

    ¡®I felt your fear and anger,¡¯ Linea admitted. ¡®But how you killed them. If it weren''t for your guilt, I would have thought you to be a heartless killer.¡¯

    ¡®It is what they portrayed me as later on. It was the first, but not my last encounter with humans, who thought they could kill me with simple guns.¡¯

    ¡®Regarding that,¡¯ Linea said curious. ¡®What were those weapons?¡¯

    ¡®Firearms,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®The concept is a logical advancement from bow and arrow. You put force behind a projectile to accelerate it. I don¡¯t know how deep your knowledge of physics is, but in simple terms one could say the more power you put behind the projectile the farther and faster it flies. With guns this power comes from a small, contained explosion, which drives the projectile through a barrel.¡¯

    ¡®Sounds awfully complicated,¡¯ Linea admitted. ¡®But I think I understand what you mean by principle. Crossbows are based on the same idea of putting more power behind it.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re understanding it, because I don¡¯t think if I can explain it better than that. I¡¯m no scientist after all.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s fine. It isn¡¯t the main topic. What were you trying to show me with that?¡¯

    ¡®Multiple things,¡¯ Sarah stated. ¡®First, I hope you understand now, why I was so shocked by your inability to deal with a simple guy with a knife. I was as young as you are now when that happened. I was hunted, and those men wanted to kill me. Okay, I give it to them in retrospective that I started it by killing one of them, but they wanted to capture me, even though I had done nothing.¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t judge you or it,¡¯ Linea said.

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t need to your assurance on that. I came to terms with it long ago,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®And that¡¯s the second part. I know how conflicted you feel about your mother and our mission, but in the end, you just need to ask yourself one question: Will you be able to live with it?¡¯

    Linea thought about it for a moment, but Sarah kept going.

    ¡®If you can¡¯t then we should go back, and you should apologize to your mother.¡¯

    ¡®I can¡¯t just go back,¡¯ Linea said angry. ¡®My mission is to protect our people from the dark mage. I can¡¯t run away from my duty!¡¯

    ¡®Of course, you could!¡¯ Sarah disagreed. ¡®The question would just be again: Could you live with it?¡¯

    Linea halted in her thoughts when it dawned on her what Sarah tried to say.

    ¡®No, I couldn¡¯t look myself in the mirror again,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®And that¡¯s why I have to accept it. It was my decision.¡¯

    ¡®Good, you¡¯re reaching the right conclusions,¡¯ Sarah said with a slight chuckle.

    ¡®But what if I fail?¡¯ Linea added.

    ¡®You won¡¯t. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for,¡¯ Sarah reassured her. ¡®I¡¯m your personal guardian spirit.¡¯

    ¡®Thank you, Sarah.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t mention it.¡¯

    ¡®But I have to mention it,¡¯ Linea countered. ¡®I don¡¯t know, if I could have got through all this, if it hadn¡¯t been for you.¡¯

    ¡®Well, to be fair, you wouldn¡¯t be in this situation without me either.¡¯

    ¡®My point still stands!¡¯ Linea said vigorously. ¡®Could you just accept my thanks, Luna dammit!¡¯

    ¡®Linea, language!¡¯ Sarah said with a laugh and fake indignation.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 14 - Call of the Void

    A loud yawn escaped Linea¡¯s mouth. In the last few days her nightmares had gotten better, but she was still tired from the traveling. Nora subconsciously mimicked her and like a wildfire everyone yawned after that. Even though they only had been on the way for two weeks, most of the time they sat on horseback. Minu on the other hand didn¡¯t seem to be tired at all. On the contrary, Linea had to be cautious to reign her in whenever she wanted to gallop. But it was this temperament, which Linea loved so much about her horse.

    It was shortly after midnight as the group mountedtheir horses again after they had taken their obligatory break.

    ¡°When we¡¯re in Taldira, I¡¯ll go to bed and not leave it for a week,¡± Aruna announced and yawned again.

    ¡°I would prefer Famnir over a bed,¡± Senia said.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Linea agreed and smiled at Senia, who quickly evaded her eyes.

    ¡®Our talk didn¡¯t seem to have much of an effect,¡¯ Linea noted to Sarah.

    ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®She doesn¡¯t seem to be as aggressive as before. Perhaps she needs time to think about it? Perhaps she is just embarrassed about how she treated you?¡¯

    ¡®You think?¡¯ Linea asked doubtfully.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know. Can I try to read her mind?¡¯

    ¡®No, we don¡¯t read the minds of friends and family!¡¯

    ¡®Well, she is not my sister¡­¡¯

    ¡®But mine! Leave it!¡¯

    ¡®Fine¡­¡¯

    This was a discussion, which happened rather often lately. Ever since Sarah had learned that she was able to gain more psionic skills, she constantly tried to train herself. Some of those skills like pyrokinesis were not really a problem because it was rather simple. Sarah already managed to let a candlelight dance around her fingers. Nothing bigger than that, but it was impressive enough in such a short time.

    But when the topic broached telepathy, Linea was against Sarah¡¯s idea to try it on some of their companions. While Sarah had no qualms about it as she saw it as a necessity to learn, Linea was very apprehensive about it. They made the compromise that Sarah was only allowed to test her skills on Linea¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡± Fenandir suddenly said and stopped before he mounted his own horse. He put a finger on his lips to signal them to be quiet.

    Everybody fell quiet and tried to listen into the woods.

    ¡°I hear nothing¡­¡± Senia commented after a while.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the problem,¡± Fenandir commented and drew his sword. ¡°There should be sounds of nature. Owls and such. But it¡¯s awfully quiet.¡±

    Linea frowned about the implications, but Senia was faster in expressing the suspicion, they both seemed to have.

    ¡°Torra!¡± she said and drew her Fulchar. Upon uttering the name, a commotion broke out as everyone armed themselves and took a defensive position around Linea and Senia. Evira took control immediately.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. The faster we are in the city the better,¡± she ordered, but Fenandir objected.

    ¡°Too late! They¡¯re here!¡±

    As if by command, the sound of stampeding beasts echoed through the forest. Evira cursed loudly. Their position was lousy with no cover beside some trees. The street was rather narrow in this part of the forest and didn¡¯t allow them to maneuver well with their horses.

    ¡°Dismount!¡± she ordered her guardsmen and looked at the Baroness Saliara. ¡°Take your men and Lady Talura and flank the beast or whoever is controlling them. We¡¯ll stop them right here.¡±

    Lady Saliara nodded and with a few orders she rode into the forest away from the incoming horde.

    Evira looked around and noticed a small elevation a few meters away from the road.

    ¡°Take a position on that little hill!¡± she ordered and motioned towards her intended target. They herded the horses to their new position and then took a defensive position. Nora tried her best to hold the nearly twenty horses together, while Senia and Linea took position behind the line, which was formed by the guards. Fenandir and Aruna stood with them.

    ¡°Get ready!¡± Evira said. All the guards raised their left hands.

    Aruna invoked her holy magic as well.

    ¡°Avalithanoniva,¡± she said and all of them were enveloped in a faint golden glow. Linea looked quizzically at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s the spell ¡®Shield of the Righteous¡¯. It¡¯s supposed to prevent the Void corruption spreading through your body if you¡¯re wounded by a Torra,¡± she quickly explained.

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®supposed¡¯?¡± Senia asked with a frown.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a priestess of the Temple of Luna¡¯sindranar, not of the Void Hunter Guild. I have noexperience with this spell.¡±

    ¡°Better than nothing,¡± Linea noted.

    ¡°Now!¡± Evira suddenly shouted as a horde of boars, wolves and even a bear crossed the street and charged them.

    ¡°Talaniva!¡± All guards yelled in unison and a transparent blue wall appeared in front of them. Linea and Sarah felt the warm magical energies forming the wall, but Linea still flinched slightly as the beasts rammed the wall. A sickening crunch told them that at least some Torra had died on impact. The wall however broke shortly after when even more beasts slammed into it.

    The ensuing fight was nasty, because thebeasts fought recklessly and even though Evira¡¯s guardsmen were skilled, the Torrapushed them back. Luckily, the Torra were not intelligent enough to try a flanking maneuver. They stubbornly fought the Moon Elves head on and were sliced up by their swords. But the sheer number threatened to overwhelm Linea''s group. They must have killed twenty or thirty beasts already, but ever new enemies reinforced the horde. One wolf was able to slip by and ran towards Senia, who took a casual side-step and stabbed the beast in the back as it ran past her. Linea inspected the wolf. It had gray fur, but his eyes were completely black, and tendrils of the same all-consuming darkness stretched from them over his head.

    Linea breathed heavily as her pulse climbed up. This was so far out of her comfort zone that she had problems concentrating. But it didn¡¯t escape her notice that the Void-Energy dissipated towards somewhere behind the attacking horde.

    Before she could tell anyone though, Evira cast another spell.

    ¡°Thuracaia!¡±

    The earth trembled as the Ley-Energy streamed into the soil to their feet. But at the same time Void-Energy followed it from the same source to which the Void-Energy of the wolf had gathered.

    And with that the trembling stopped and nothing happened, apart from the Torra stopping their attack.

    ¡°It seems we¡¯ve come to a stalemate,¡± a deep, rattling voice announced its owner. A person which Linea couldn¡¯t even describe as human, stepped from behind the bear, which had yet to attack them. He was humanoid, but his ashen skin and bald head made him look like dead. His teeth were like fangs and his eyes were black as the night. He had the same tendrils coming from his eyes stretching all over his face.

    ¡®Is that the dark mage?¡¯ Sarah asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s an orc!¡± Senia said as if she had heard the question.

    ¡®It¡¯s an orc. A non-magic person corrupted by the Void,¡¯ Linea explained. ¡®They aren¡¯t that dangerous normally, but I don¡¯t know how he canceled Evira¡¯s magic or how he is controlling those Torra.¡¯

    ¡°I suggest a fair deal,¡± the orc said with a smile which made him look even uglier somehow. ¡°There is no need to kill all of you. I just want the princesses. Hand them over, and I will let the rest of you go.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Evira didn¡¯t even bother to reply as she launched another spell on him directly.

    ¡°Inalena!¡±

    For the second time, Linea felt the magic gathering, but before it could manifest, the magic was canceled. This time however, they all could see the man holding an orb which emanated Void-Energy.

    ¡®I think he is using Void-Energy to destroy the mana fueling the spell,¡¯ Linea noted to Sarah.

    ¡®Do you think my psionics will be bothered by that?¡¯ Sarah asked with glee. Linea noticed Sarah''sgiddiness about a possiblefight.

    ¡®I guess not. But be careful!¡¯

    When Evira¡¯s spell fizzled out a lot of things happened simultaneously. Another group of beasts suddenly emerged from their right flank, which was completely open, the Torra in front of them attacked again, and Lady Saliara charged from the other side of the street towards them. A lot of cursing were thrown around by everyone including the orc.

    Linea ceded the control over her body to Sarah, who instantly charged towards the right flank. Before Senia or Fenandir could even ask what her plan was, Sarah had already put up a barrier, not unlike what Evira and her guardsmen had done earlier, only that her barrier was invisible.

    With her left hand, she let her Psy-Energy stream constantly into the barrier, while she used her right hand to grip one beast after another. She lifted them up in the air one by one and slammed them into the ground with such a force that only a bloodied heap of flesh remained.

    The orc suddenly seemed to be confused and irritated by the turn of events. He obviously had planned to distract them enough to allow his second force to attack them in a pincher attack. But instead he saw his second force being obliterated by one of his targets, who was supposed to be too weak to fight. And besides that did he found himself in encircled by Lady Saliara¡¯s forces.

    He raised his orb again and the Void-Energy manifested itself in a kind of dark lightning bolts, which spread from the orb to its surroundings. The lightning bolts hit not only some of the fighting Moon Elves, but some of his beasts as well, and the effect was rather gruesome.

    One of Lady Saliara¡¯s men was hit straight into his chest and a huge chunk of his torso suddenly vanished without a trace. His face was filled with horror but then he fell from his horse and didn¡¯t move anymore. A few more of their group got hit, but not lethal. One of Evira¡¯s guardsmen lost his right arm, and some other suffered from flesh wounds.

    A high-pitched cry from behind her send a chill down Sarah¡¯s spine. As she turned around, she saw Nora falling to the ground. Linea took over control in a fit of panic, which ripped Sarah from her concentration. Her barrier collapsed and the remaining Torra attacked instantly. To Linea¡¯s luck, only a handful of them remained for Fenandir and Senia to clean up. Aruna was the first to reach Nora, who laid crouched on the ground. She examined the belly wound where some of Nora¡¯s guts were missing and the rest was spilling out. The soil beneath her soaked the blood, which was pouring out of Nora.

    Aruna didn¡¯t wait a second to cast her healing spell.

    ¡°Sulani sa Sethano panu Mura fa nurathi!¡±

    The spell had some effect, but it was not nearly enough to heal Nora completely. Aruna breathed heavily.

    ¡°Oh my god, Nora!¡± Linea said in a panic and looked at Aruna. ¡°Can you save her?¡±

    Fearing the answer, she grasped Nora¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can,¡± Aruna admitted, while still pouring the spell into the wound.¡°I¡¯m not a fully trained healer. This is way beyond my skill level. And I don¡¯t have access to enough power to just overload this spell to work a miracle!¡±

    ¡°But we need to do something!¡± Linea pleaded with tears in her eyes.

    Aruna went silent for a moment but looked at Linea.

    ¡°You need to do it. As a chosen you should have enough power at your disposal to make it happen.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t do it. I never have¡­¡±

    ¡°You want to help her?¡± Aruna asked with a firm voice. ¡°Then stop whining! Just do it!¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ll help you!¡¯ Sarah said encouragingly.

    Linea doubted herself, but she knew she had to try. She laid her hand over the wound and try to calm herself. A strange sensation washed over her when Sarah sent waves of encouragement and tranquility to her mind. It helped to bring Linea to a point where she could at least feel the Life Force of Luna inside of her. But when she tried to reach it, her concentration was broken by the ongoing fight as another Void lightning bolt slammed into one of the horses nearby. The poor stallion dropped dead instantly as his head simply vanished.

    Linea tried again, but this time she was interrupted by the pained cry of another warrior.

    ¡°I- I can¡¯t concentrate,¡± she said, tears streaming down. The fear of losing Nora due to her inability was growing stronger by the minute.

    ¡®Give me control!¡¯ Sarah ordered angrily. ¡®I¡¯ll annihilate this bastard and his minions, and then you will have enough peace to heal her.¡¯

    ¡®Please! I can¡¯t lose her!¡¯

    They switched again in an instant and Sarah looked at Aruna.

    ¡°Keep her alive as long as you can,¡± she said after wiping away Linea¡¯s tears. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I can perform this undisturbed.¡±

    Aruna raised an eyebrow but got to work again.

    ¡°But make it fast, I can¡¯t hold it for much longer.¡±

    Sarah nodded and turned towards the battle. The formation of guards was broken, and everyone was fighting on his own. Fenandir and Senia tried their best to keep the charging Torra away from Aruna, Linea and Nora, but the beasts wouldn¡¯t relent. Just as a wolf had buried its teeth into Senia¡¯s left arm, Sarah intervened. With her telekinetic powers, she gripped the jaw of the wolf and opened it again, so that Senia could free herself. After that Sarah just threw the Torra against a tree. The tree broke in half and the wolf didn¡¯t move anymore. His Void-Energy flowed back towards the orb of the orc.

    With angry steps, Sarah walked towards the orc and shredded every Torra, which came into her path. Even the bear, which tried to protect its master, was no match for her. She stopped his attack by just ripping its head of. A move that costed her more power than she had expected.

    The orc noticed her approach, but before he could do anything, the telekinetic powers got hold of him as well. But instead of just ending him, Sarah wanted to make him suffer. She put enough strength behind her telekinesis to rip his arm with the black orb from his body. The orc cried in pain and covered his shoulder with his remaining hand.

    ¡°How can you cast magic?¡± he yelled, but Sarah didn¡¯t bother to answer him. She simply severed his left leg.

    With another cry of pain, the orc fell to the ground. Instead of trying to talk himself out of the situation again, he made a last-ditch effort and reached for his orb with his remaining hand. He barely touched it before Sarah let it fly away from him.

    ¡°Too late!¡± the orc yelled and laughed manically. Sarah frowned but realized that the orc had done something with the orb in the fraction of a second he had touched it. All the Void-Energy around them, even the energy in the Torra, was taken and flowed into the orb. Sarah could feel that something bad would happen. She quickly broke the neck of the orc hoping that his death would stop whatever he had done to the orb.

    Since the Torra couldn¡¯t survive without the Void-Energy, they all suddenly dropped dead. The remaining fighting force of Linea¡¯s group was confused, but Evira was the first to realize that something strange was happening.

    ¡°Linea? What are you doing with the orb?¡± she asked walked to her.

    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t come closer!¡± Sarah replied, while the orb hovered in front of her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the orc has done to this thing, but I doubt it is something nice.¡±

    Before they could discuss it any further however, the orb crumbled, and something poured out. Whatever spilled from it was sinister and it made Sarah¡¯s flesh crawl. Judging by Evira¡¯s reaction, she must have felt the same.

    ¡®This feels like a manifestation of the Void. Like the Void lightning earlier. Just more potent.¡¯ Linea said and sounded concerned.

    Sarah tried to manipulate this Void with her telekinesis as she hadn¡¯t had the slightest idea what else she could do. To her surprise she felt that the Void manifestation was a bunch of little particles, and they reacted violently with their surroundings. Sarah finally understood what the orc had tried to do. Similar to anti-matter, which is supposed to react with matter to create energy, the Void particles seemed to react with matter and energy to annihilate everything around it.

    And the orc had just made a large chunk of this Void to avenge his impending death.

    Sarah formed a plan, but she had no idea if it would work. She created a psionic barrier around the Void manifestation and pressed it hard enough to expeleverything from within except the Void. She managed it justin time as the Void reached critical mass and tried to absorb its surrounding. Like an explosion the Void expanded a hundredfold to the size of a small house. Sarah quickly pushed it far enough away from her.

    Now a black sphere of doom was hovering in the air just in front of Sarah and the remaining group.

    ¡°What in Luna¡¯s name is this?¡± Lady Talura asked what ran through everybody¡¯s head.

    Some tried to apply some kind of first aid to the wounded, but Evira, Fenandir, Senia, Lady Saliara and Lady Talura gathered around Sarah.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to explain it properly,¡± Sarah said. To her horror the barrier ate at her power reserves fast.

    ¡®I can¡¯t hold it much longer,¡¯ she said to Linea. ¡®Any idea? I can overcharge my psionic abilities and try to squash it, but I don¡¯t know if it will work. And I wouldn¡¯t be able to use my powers for a few weeks.¡¯

    ¡®Not a good idea,¡¯ Linea answered. ¡®We¡¯ll need them against the dark mage.¡¯

    ¡®Options?¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯

    Sarah was about to ask the others for opinions when she suddenly noticed something different emanating from the sphere.

    It was dark, andhunger washed over Sarah. And yet for some reason it felt¡­ good. It invitedher. As if something was calling for her. It was confusing, but for a moment she thought about releasing the Void and let herself being dragged into it.

    ¡®Sarah!¡¯ Linea screamed loudly. ¡®Don¡¯t do it! I can¡¯t take over now, because it would explode, but you need to come to your senses!¡¯

    Sarah realized that she had been like in a trance and had slowly started to open the barrier.

    ¡°Shit!¡± she exclaimed loudly.

    ¡°What?¡± Evira asked and gripped her sword even harder.

    ¡°I¡¯m losing control!¡±

    Sarah was still confused about the Void calling for her, but now she was aware of it.

    ¡®Can you try to release it away from us?¡¯ Linea asked in a desperate attempt to find a solution.

    ¡®How would I¡­¡¯ Sarah wanted to ask but when she thought about the idea for a second, she concluded she could probably do that.

    ¡®This could go horribly wrong and we could all die,¡¯ she said to Linea.

    ¡®But if you do nothing, we¡¯ll definitely die!¡¯ Linea argued.

    ¡®Good point.¡¯

    Sarah manipulated the barrier to open itself away from the group. The Void took the opportunity instantly and exploded away from the group. The barrier broke like a dam and Sarah had to use all her strength to stop the barrier from collapsing completely.

    She managed somehow and saw, like everyone else, how a black beam with a ten-meter diameter raced through the forest on the other side of the road. The whole thing only lasted for a few seconds, but for Sarah it was like an eternity.

    But finally, the Void had depleted itself and Sarah could drop the barrier.

    The aftermath was devastating. The forest on the other side had a literal hole in it as the Void beam had cut a swathe into the forest as far as they could see. Sarah noticed a few trees, which had been damaged, fall into the gap.

    ¡°That went well, didn¡¯t it?¡± Fenandir noted with a crooked smile.

    ¡°This is not funny,¡± Senia said, but her gaze was still fixated on the devastation before her. ¡°We have dead and wounded soldiers. Some more respect, please.¡±

    That little side note pulled Linea and Sarah back into reality.

    ¡®Nora!¡¯ both suddenly thought.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 15 - The Lost Countess

    Linea kneeled beside her best friend, whose skin was pale as a ghost. Her lips had turned blue and even if Linea wasn¡¯t a trained healer yet, she imagined those symptoms to be bad.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea what you just did or how you killed them all so fast, but if I had known that, I wouldn¡¯t have tried to be so conservative with my powers,¡± Aruna commented with a wry smile.

    ¡°Yeah, it was a breeze,¡± Linea replied dripping with sarcasm. ¡°What should I do now? The same as earlier?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just be sure you can do it. When I stop my healing, her body won¡¯t make it for long.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, I can do it,¡± Linea said with confidence, much to the surprise of Aruna.

    Linea then put her hands above the wound on Nora¡¯s belly and took a deep breath. She flinched for a second, when a sweet, metallic scent entered her nose. She shook her head and focused back on her task.

    Just like before, she searched for the Life Force of the goddess inside her and when she found it, she gave a small nod towards Aruna, who stopped her healing.

    ¡°Sulani sa Sethano panu Mura fa nurathi.¡±

    The power suddenly ran through her arms and condensed before her palms. Instead of the white glow which Aruna had produced with her magic, Linea¡¯s healing manifested as a small white globe, which filled out the wound. Strands of magic extended from the globe and entered Nora¡¯s body. The first noticeable change was Nora¡¯s skin regaining its color. After that the missing organs in Nora¡¯s belly reconstructed themselves. The healing was rather fast, but to Linea, who had to keep up her concentration, it was tedious. Halfway through, the magic slipped away from her control. Noticing the mishap Linea cursed under her breath.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right!¡± Aruna reassured her. ¡°For the first time, you did extremely well. I can take over from here.¡±

    And just like she said, she funneled her remaining power into Nora¡¯s wound, which was only a flesh wound at that point.

    ¡°See if you can help the others. I have no idea how much power you have left, but perhaps you can help that poor guy, who lost his arm.¡±

    Linea nodded and pressed a small kiss on Nora¡¯s forehead.

    After looking over the group of the remaining soldiers and guardsmen, she noticed that most of them, even if battered, were not seriously wounded. Apart from the man missing his arm.

    They had lost four guardsmen and six of Lady Saliara¡¯s soldiers. Linea would pray for them as soon as she could, but first she needed to attend to the living. She made a bee-line for the armless man, who was surrounded by his brothers in arms and Captain Evira.

    ¡°Lay him down and hold him,¡± Linea ordered and gently pushed some guardsmen out of the way. One of them wanted to protest, but he realized quickly, who had just ordered it.

    They complied, and Linea got down on her knees, which sunk slightly into the blood-drenched forest soil. She looked the man in the face. To her surprise and admiration, the man looked rather composed. His face was white, and he clenched his teeth, when his fellow guardsmen lowered him to the ground.

    ¡°I apologize in advance as this might hurt,¡± Linea said. ¡°I have little experience with regrowing limbs.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt much more than it already does, My Lady,¡± the man commented, which drew a smile on Linea¡¯s face.

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s do it,¡± Linea said and hovered her hands above the stump on his shoulder. ¡°Sulani sa Sethano panu Mura fa nurathi.¡±

    This time Linea noticed how much Life Force raced through her arms into the spell. She had no comparison, but from what she had seen of Aruna¡¯s skills, the amount of power she was pouring into this man¡¯s wound, must have been ridiculous.

    Again, she saw a globe of white light enveloping the wound. White tendrils of light connected to the stump and Linea noticed how the magic guided her into extending her right hand towards the desired length of the arm. She followed this hunch, and the globe transformed into a tube. After a while the light took the form of an arm and even a hand could be discerned.

    As the spell ended the man regained his natural skin color. With wonder in his eyes, he moved the new arm and examined it thoroughly.

    ¡°It seems I missed the skin tone somewhat,¡± Linea noted as she brushed over the point where the newly created arm had sprouted from the shoulder. There was a noticeable line, which separated the two parts. The arm was not as dark has his body.

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± the man asked with glee in his eyes. ¡°I thought I never be able to take up a weapon again. What would have become of my wife and my children? This is a miracle. Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±

    Linea wasn¡¯t surprised by the man¡¯s enthusiasm, but what caught her off-guard was the hug, into which the man pulled her after sitting up.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± the man repeated, and Linea noticed a few tears dripping on her shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Linea replied unsure how to react to a commoner crying on her shoulder.

    A slight cough from behind, ripped them apart.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too comfy there, Tilandir,¡± Evira said with crossed arms. She didn¡¯t look angry, but she wasn¡¯t pleased either. ¡°It¡¯s still a princess you¡¯re hugging.¡±

    The man looked back and forth from Evira to Linea, and it finally dawned on him. After apologizing profusely and Linea reassuring him that everything was all right, Linea got up and pulled Evira with her.

    ¡°Any more casualties?¡± she asked and looked around.

    ¡°No, My Lady. The rest are uninjured apart from a few gashes. Nothing we can¡¯t handle,¡± Evira answered but hesitated. She looked into Linea¡¯s eyes. ¡°Thank you for helping him. I know, you didn¡¯t have to, but that makes it so much more honorable. We guardsmen have pledged our lives to protect you and your family. But being confronted with a crippling wound is terrifying for us. Unable to keep our vow to protect you with our lives. It¡¯s an unspoken dishonor.¡±

    Linea frowned at that.

    ¡°Nonsense. I couldn¡¯t think more highly of someone like him.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s what I¡¯m thankful for.¡±

    A smile escaped Linea, and she patted Evira on the back.

    ¡°Kind of cute, this motherly side of yours,¡± she noted to which Evira stiffened again. She looked like she wanted to dissent that notion, but as she saw how Linea poked her tongue out at her, Evira just rolled her eyes.

    <hr>

    A short time later, the group had gathered the last of the scattered horses, which had fled in panic. Tenasia reappeared after she had to chase after Minara, who had foolishly fled from the fighting in panic. The fallen had been strapped to the horses without a rider. They had decided to take them to Taldira to give them a proper ceremonial burial. As the smell of decay could become bothersome, so they had one of them guiding the horses a few meters behind them.

    Nora was still unconscious, but Aruna had placed her in front on her horse. She wanted to keep an eye on the girl.

    The rest of the night was tense as everyone half expected another attack. They send out a few soldiers as scouts, but to their relief they came up with nothing. The surrounding forest seemed quiet. Shortly after the sun had risen, they finally left the forest and saw the city of Taldira. The walls were at least double as high as the walls of Luna¡¯sindranar. The only buildings even higher were the temple and the keep.

    It took them nearly an hour to reach the city gates, in which the city had already sent an escort towards them comprising a twenty-man cavalry unit. The captain of the unit greeted the group and exchanged pleasantries with Senia. He obviously assumed that the older princess was in charge of their little group. Senia and Linea were both caught off-guard by this, but his assessment was only logical.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Senia looked quizzically at Linea, who just shrugged. The older princess played along for now and requested an immediate meeting with the countess. The captain agreed and explained that the countess was already being informed.

    After passing the city gates a large group of civilians cheered on them as they passed by them. The city guard did their best to keep the masses at bay, but it was clear that they hadn¡¯t reckoned with such a crowd.

    ¡°Those people seem overly excited to see us¡­¡± Senia noted as she closed in on Linea.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Linea agreed. ¡°Any idea why they are so¡­ joyous?¡±

    Senia shook her head but looked at her sister intensely.

    ¡°Are we talking about what you did back in the forest?¡±

    ¡°Curious?¡± Linea asked and grinned. ¡°I may not be as strong as you, but I¡¯ve some tricks up my sleeve.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to be more precise?¡±

    ¡°Not now.¡±

    Senia frowned at her, but she seemed to let the topic drop for now.

    After the group had passed the initial crowd of people, the way got clearer. The followed the Countess¡¯ men towards the keep.

    ¡°Linea?¡± Aruna caught up with her, which was difficult as Nora hindered her and the streets were rather narrow. ¡°I will take the still injured men and Nora directly to the temple.¡±

    Aruna motioned with her head towards the large building to their right.

    ¡°I¡¯m concerned that Nora is still unconscious,¡± she explained further. ¡°I don¡¯t want to postpone it to get her checked by a trained healer.¡±

    Linea just nodded, not trusting her voice. She hadn¡¯t forgotten her fear when her friend had been wounded.

    Aruna recruited some local guards to guide her and the few injured men towards the temple. The rest of the group reached the keep a short time later where Fenandir excused himself.

    ¡°I will start getting information about the current situation here before you intervene. I¡¯ve a mission to fulfill after all,¡± he explained.

    ¡°All right, thank you for your help on the way here,¡± Linea said with a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Fenandir replied with a bow. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡±

    Linea and Senia were greeted by a delegation of nobles and servants as they entered through the gates of the keep. Again, the nobles favored Senia over Linea, even if they tried to be not as blatant about it as the captain of the cavalry earlier.

    Evira and four of her guards followed Senia and Linea as they were led into the keep. Lady Talura joined them while Baroness Saliara oversaw their lodging and resupplying.

    Linea realized that the keep was also the replacement for a palace. While the keep of Luna¡¯sindranar was primarily a defensive building, the keep of Taldira also contained the living quarters of the Countess and her family.

    When they reached the parlor in which the Countess awaited them, Evira positioned her guards outside. Linea asked her and Lady Talura to wait.

    ¡°I want to talk with the Countess alone first,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°When we¡¯re planning our next steps, I¡¯ll call you.¡±

    Evira and Talura saluted, and Linea entered the parlor together with Senia. Inside a young woman in a dress armor awaited them.

    ¡°Your Royal Highnesses, it is an honor to welcome you to Taldira, even if I¡¯d wish it would be under happier circumstances,¡± the Countess greeted them. ¡°I must admit that I was not informed of two princesses coming to our aid.¡±

    ¡°That was a rather¡­ spontaneous idea,¡± Linea said and threw a small glance at her sister, who blushed slightly. ¡°On the other hand, I¡¯m confused by your presence. I expected your mother to greet us. As far as I know, the Countess Nurina of Taldira is nearly as old as our mother. And you look way too young for that.¡±

    The young woman¡¯s face fell, and she turned away.

    ¡°My mother died a week ago in battle,¡± she explained tight-lipped.

    ¡°What?¡± Linea and Senia exclaimed in unison.

    ¡°How did that happen?¡± Linea followed up with the most pressing question.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a seat, and I will explain what happened here,¡± the young Countess suggested and motioned towards the fireplace and a few armchairs around it. She also rang a bell and ordered the servants to bring them refreshments.

    ¡°You¡¯re Lalana, aren¡¯t you?¡± Senia asked straight away. ¡°Your sister is my court lady. She told my a few things about you and your mother.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I remember,¡± Lady Lalana said with a small smile. ¡°Tinia wrote me how she got that position. Mother was both angry and pleased with it. She never liked us to be too far away from her. I guess it¡¯s in the Taldirian nature to assume everything outside these walls to be deadly. How is my sister? Is she with you?¡±

    At the last question her eyes sparkled with hope.

    ¡°No,¡± Senia admitted crestfallen. ¡°I¡­ She stayed behind.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a shame,¡± Lady Lalana stated, but she didn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°Well, perhaps it¡¯s better this way. This place is most likely doomed anyway.¡±

    ¡°That sounds ominous,¡± Linea stated. ¡°Can you explain to us what exactly is going on here? What happened to your mother?¡±

    Now the smile on the Countess¡¯ face disappeared.

    ¡°Shortly after we received the news of a princess coming to our help, the Torra infested the surrounding forest. We had to evacuate all villages and baronies, and some didn¡¯t make it. The situation deteriorated quickly and soon it was like we were under siege. Torra ravaged the farms around the city with fast attacks of Torra. We didn¡¯t have enough men to protect the city and the surrounding area. We evacuated as much people as we could, but without help we will starve out, eventually.¡±

    Linea frowned. The degree of coordination under which the Torra operated concerned her. It was one thing to control a horde and make them attack a specific target. But controlling them enough to break off an attack after they went into a fighting frenzy was a whole other thing.

    ¡°We contacted Duke Turandir with a magical message to request assistance, but he brushed our concerns off as exaggeration. He decided that the human threat to the south was more important,¡± Lady Lalana explained with a dark face. ¡°What a nice uncle he is, ignoring his sister¡¯s call for help.¡±

    ¡°What happened then?¡± Linea urged her to continue.

    ¡°The situation grew worse every day. One day, the Torra slipped over the walls. They had help by the dark mage and we weren¡¯t expecting it. They caused a lot of chaos inside the city. We killed them and added a magical shield to the walls to prevent that from happening again. Our mages are now working purely on keeping that shield alive. We tried to contact the duke again, but the magic was blocked somehow. We couldn¡¯t get through. So, we sent a courier with an escort. We never heard of them again. Just like the next three couriers we sent.¡±

    ¡°They were intercepted,¡± Senia stated and Linea agreed with the idea. The orc had probably some experience in intercepting travelers on that route.

    ¡°That¡¯s what we concluded. Mother gathered our strongest fighters. The best of the guards, the Void Hunters Guild and the mages. Only a token force stayed behind. They wanted to break through the blockade and return with reinforcements. A few days later an orc emerged from the forest and¡­¡±

    She stopped and started to sob.

    ¡°He¡­ He had the head of my mother on a stick and waved it in front of the main gate until I arrived. He wanted to negotiate with me. We would be allowed to leave the city unharmed if we were to surrender.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about your loss,¡± Linea said and looked genuinely shocked about the vileness of that orc.

    ¡°That orc sounds like someone we met,¡± Senia noted.

    That pricked up Lady Lalana¡¯s ears.

    ¡°You¡¯ve encountered him,¡± she stated.

    ¡°I killed him,¡± Linea corrected her.

    ¡°Really?¡± Lady Lalana asked and tears were flowing down her face. ¡°I hope you made him suffer.¡±

    ¡°Kind of¡­¡± Linea said thinking about Sarah¡¯s grave mistake in doing exactly that.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    A short silence sat in.

    ¡°So, you followed your mother on her title?¡±

    ¡°I had to, of course. The nobles were in panic we would all die. They even urged me to surrender to this damned orc. I threatened them with execution for treason if they ever suggested such cowardice again!¡±

    ¡°Seems a bit harsh, but I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you,¡± Linea stated. ¡°Has the dark mage made is appearance yet?¡±

    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t seen him,¡± Lady Lalana admitted. ¡°But the orc said he would come for us in¡­¡± she quickly calculated the time since the orc had brought her mother¡¯s head, ¡°¡­ three days.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not much time for us to prepare,¡± Senia noted.

    ¡°Us?¡± Linea asked with a frown.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not letting you fight a dark mage alone,¡± Senia said and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve got a plan?¡± Lady Lalana threw in.

    <hr>

    Linea let herself fall down on the bed the Countess had provided her. Tenasia had helped her with her dress armor which was still dirty with dirt and blood. She had taken some time to apologize for Minara, who had panicked in the attack and ran away.

    Linea wasn¡¯t mad at her maid as the girl was never supposed to find herself in such a dangerous situation.

    Now Linea crawled under the blankets and had Tenasia close the curtains. But sleep wasn¡¯t coming so easily as suddenly Sarah made herself known again after being silent for the whole time since the attack.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Linea¡­¡¯ she said.

    ¡®What for?¡¯ Linea replied. ¡®For risking Nora¡¯s life by prolonging the fight unnecessarily? Or for letting the orc detonate that orb? Or for not talking to me the whole night?¡¯

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    Linea expected more to come, but Sarah seemed to leave it at that.

    ¡®At least, you realize that you screwed up big time,¡¯ Linea said trying to provoke a more elaborated reaction from her soul-sister, but to no avail. Sarah stayed silent.

    ¡®Come on, just admit that you messed this up,¡¯ Linea said angrily.

    ¡®I did. What else do you want to hear? I even apologized.¡¯

    ¡®Be that as it may, care to explain why in Luna¡¯s name you didn¡¯t simply rip his head off? All this drama could have been avoided.¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ Sarah admitted. ¡®It was my first real fight since I was caught back on Earth. I needed to vent some bottled-up frustration, I guess. And he hurt Nora! You can¡¯t forget that!¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think I will ever forget that¡­¡¯ Linea said thin lipped.

    They fell quiet for a few moments.

    ¡®Your healing was impressive,¡¯ Sarah said.

    ¡®Thanks, your fighting as well, I hadn¡¯t expected you to be so¡­ effective.¡¯

    ¡®Years of training.¡¯

    Again, they fell silent.

    ¡®I will address the most obvious thing here now,¡¯ Linea said after a while. ¡®What the hell was that sphere and what was that thing within?¡¯

    ¡®You felt that too?¡¯ Sarah asked surprised.

    ¡®Of course, it was only faint for me, but I noticed how it drew you in. When I noticed the Void leaking from that prison you had created, I panicked. I¡¯m just glad, I managed to pull you back. I felt you nearly leaving our body. It was scary as hell.¡¯

    ¡®I¡­ I don¡¯t know what it was¡­ And I don¡¯t know, if I want to know.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, in the end it worked out well. Somehow,¡¯ Linea tried to reassure Sarah. ¡®And to look at positive things, I learned something about us. Something that helped me to quell my fears enough to perform the healing.¡¯

    ¡®Care to share?¡¯ Sarah asked curiously.

    ¡®My biggest fear was that I may not be powerful enough to do what is expected of me. But I realized¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to fight the dark mage alone. I¡¯ve got you.¡¯

    ¡®Well, yeah?¡¯ Sarah said confused. ¡®That¡¯s what I told you already.¡¯

    ¡®Yes, but I didn¡¯t know you could actually fight the dark mage. But after seeing you fight tonight¡­ I know we can do anything. I want you to not underestimate this dark mage like the orc.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry,¡¯ Sarah said grimly. ¡®I¡¯ll not hesitate or delay a kill ever again. This sphere, whatever that was, was a warning I will never forget.¡¯

 Arc 1 - Chapter 16 - War Council

    It was not obvious to the people around her, but Linea was nervous about what waited for her. She had called in a War Council together with Lady Lalana and only after the most important leaders in the city had arrived, she realized that this would be the first War Council she would have to lead.

    From her entourage only Senia, Evira, Lady Talura and Lady Saliara were in attending. They had already taken their places in the library of the countess which would have to be enough for their purposes. Lady Lalana had also joined them ahead of time to prepare a map which her court lady had brought with her. The court lady had excused herself afterwards.

    The first to arrive were the three baronesses, whose suzerain Lady Lalana was. Two of them were not much older than Lady Lalana herself. The third one however was ancient in comparison. Her skin looked like dry parchment and she was supported by a young woman in for every step.

    ¡°My Ladies, I present to you the Much Honorable Baroness, Lady Tavana of Antina,¡± Lady Saliara introduced the first one, a woman not much older than her brother Shandir.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Your Royal Highnesses,¡± Lady Tavana greeted them. She kneeled in front of Senia and held her hand for a second. If multiple higher-ranking nobles or even royals were present, only the highest ranking would be greeted so extensively, as this would get out of hand rather quickly if too many nobles met. This presented a small problem now as Linea was the younger princess, which put under her sister in ranking. But her role as the expedition¡¯s leader and her status as a chosen put her above Senia. Apparently, the city had been cut off from communication before they were informed of that.

    Senia gave her a quick look, but Linea shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to lift that little misunderstanding until everyone was present. She hated to explain things twice or even thrice.

    ¡°I present you furthermore the Much Honorable Baroness, Lady Tira of Tivanis,¡± Lady Lalana continued.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Your Royal Highnesses,¡± Lady Tira greeted just as Lady Tavana before her. She as well went for Senia instead of Linea with her reverence.

    Linea noticed however that Lady Tira looked somewhat familiar. After racking her brain for a moment her name made something click in Linea¡¯s mind.

    ¡°You¡¯re Nora¡¯s older sister, aren¡¯t you?¡± Linea asked bluntly.

    ¡°Nora is indeed my sister,¡± Lady Tira answered with a smile. ¡°I hope she is well?¡±

    ¡°She was injured in an ambush on our way here,¡± Linea said, which led to Lady Tira blenching slightly. ¡°She wasn¡¯t in a critical condition anymore the last time I saw her. One of our group took her straight to the temple. We can go there together after this.¡±

    Lady Tira nodded tight lipped.

    ¡°More importantly, where is your mother? Lady Pinara?¡± Linea asked and while she did so, a dreadful suspicion crept into her head. ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lady Tira said with a sad voice. ¡°She was part of the group trying to break out. We assume her to be dead like the rest.¡±

    Linea clenched her fist, but also stood up from her chair and walked over to Lady Tira. She took her hand and looked her in the eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Linea said.

    Lady Tira just nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mean to be rude, but can we go on? My old bones would like to sit.¡±

    Linea looked past Lady Tira to the old baroness. Before Lady Lalana could introduce her, the woman took it into her own hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m Cali,¡± she said and then mentioned towards her companion. ¡°This is my second oldest great-granddaughter Sivala.¡±

    With that she nodded towards Senia and let herself fall into an armchair directly in front of the fireplace. Lady Lalana sighed loudly.

    ¡°This is the Much Honorable and Highly Respected Baroness, lady Cali of Calira.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I heard stories about her,¡± Senia said and looked at Linea. ¡°She was a Void Hunter in her younger years, but in the last war with the humans she joined the army together with her sister, the then-baroness of Calira. When her sister was captured by the humans together with her men, Lady Cali single-handedly fought a whole regiment to free them. But her sister had already been executed.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for reminding me,¡± Lady Cali noted dryly.

    ¡°The last war? That means she must be over two hundred years old¡­¡±, Linea calculated. It wasn¡¯t rare for a Moon Elf to reach triple digits in age, but due to their dangerous lands mostly nobles reached those numbers. But even among them, two hundred years was ancient.

    ¡°Again, thanks for reminding me,¡± Lady Cali said and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lady Sivala said and bowed before Senia. ¡°My great-grandmother has gotten unbearable after my mother died together with our old countess.¡±

    ¡°I can hear you, girl!¡± Lady Cali said from her armchair.

    ¡°I know, I spoke loud enough!¡± Lady Sivala commented and massaged her nose-bridge.

    ¡°You seem rather calm despite your loss. My condolence for you as well,¡± Linea said.

    ¡°Thank you, but my mother was a beast. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m overly sad.¡±

    ¡°A little more respect!¡± Lady Cali snarled from the side.

    ¡°Respect to those, who earn it, grandmother!¡±

    Before the two could go into an extended fight, a knock sounded at the door. A man in elaborate cyan-blue robes entered.

    ¡°Ah, perfect,¡± Lady Lalana said using the man as a distraction from the embarrassing behavior of her vassals. ¡°May I present to you the Archmage Lundir of Taldira.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Your Royal Highnesses,¡± he greeted them and bowed before Senia and looked at Lady Lalana afterwards. ¡°Bilandir should be here as well in a moment. He arrived on his horse when I entered the keep.¡±

    ¡°Perfect, we can start the council as soon as he arrives.¡±

    A few minutes later another man entered. He looked adventurous to say the least. His hair was a wild mane, and his leather armor looked like it had seen better days.

    ¡°I present to you Sir Bilandir, Guildmaster of the Taldirian Branch of the Void Hunters¡¯ Guild.¡±

    ¡°My honor,¡± he said and bowed to no one in particular.

    Senia and Linea just nodded. It was obvious that the man had other things to worry about than protocol. Linea looked at Senia and motioned her to explain the situation.

    ¡°Right,¡± Senia noted and addressed the room. ¡°To clarify things, the leader of our small expedition force is not me, but Princess Linea. I¡¯m under her command as well.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lady Lalana asked and everyone else looked as confused as her.

    ¡°Yes, really,¡± Linea answered and tried to suppress her annoyance. She knew she wasn¡¯t what they had expected, but it of hurt nonetheless. ¡°You may not have heard it, but I was chosen by our goddess to deal with such problems.¡±

    To speed things up, she presented them her mark. As the crescent moon glowed on her forehead, the attending people bowed deeply before her. Except for the old Lady Cali.

    ¡°Eh, who would¡¯ve guessed?¡± she stated. ¡°Two chosen in a lifetime. I can still remember Lady Saria. Saved my husband back then.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°And I shall follow her footsteps in saving this city,¡± Linea commented. ¡°Let¡¯s get this started. We¡¯ve got stuff to prepare. Lady Lalana, how many troops can we field?¡±

    Lady Lalana was taken aback by Linea¡¯s fast change of topic but delivered the information.

    ¡°We have roughly two thousand men under weapons. Twelve hundred half-trained spearmen, three hundred swordsmen, two hundred fifty crossbowmen and one hundred archers. The swordsmen and archers are from our standing army and city guard,¡± she listed. ¡°Cavalry-wise we only have one hundred fifty mounted knights, of which twenty are landed knights.¡±

    The feudal system allowed not all soldiers to be knights as it would be too expensive to maintain such a force in peace time. Instead every barony had a handful of landed knights, which supervised a village or in rare cases small towns. Those landed knights were the lowest noble rank and the only one where the gender did not matter. They in turn provided the most capable people with some of their land to manage. Those knights were not noble, and their position wasn¡¯t hereditary per se, but most children of knights became knights as well.

    ¡°That¡¯s not much cavalry¡­¡±, Lady Talura noted.

    ¡°True, but since the surrounding area consists mostly of hills and forests, we never focused much on light cavalry. We spent more of our resources on the Void Hunter Guild,¡± Lady Lalana explained. ¡°Our main problem is that we lack military leadership. Our most capable men followed my mother, and no one came back. The only one with notable experience in leading an army is Lady Cali, but¡­¡±

    She left the rest unsaid, but everyone knew what she wanted to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m too old for this sh¡­¡± Lady Cali started, but she was firmly interrupted.

    ¡°Grandma!¡±

    Linea chuckled. The old crow really didn¡¯t mince matters.

    ¡°The only one who has any kind of leadership experience is Sir Bilandir, but his expertise is focused on guerilla warfare against small packs of Torra,¡± Lady Lalana noted and looked with a wry smile at the man. Sir Bilandir nodded in agreement. The situation gave Linea the feeling that Lady Lalana had already asked him to take up the position of a general.

    ¡°Well, we may be able to arrange something,¡± Linea said and looked at Lady Talura. ¡°As my military advisor, do you see yourself fit to lead the army of Taldira? You have the most experience as far as I can guess.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, My Lady,¡± Lady Talura answered. ¡°I would have to inspect the troops as soon as possible.¡±

    Linea looked questioningly at Lady Lalana.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. I¡¯ll lend you my court lady for assistance.¡±

    ¡°All right, next topic,¡± Linea said and looked at the mage. ¡°How are the mages doing?¡±

    ¡°Not very well, My Lady,¡± Archmage Lundir said and looked at his feet. ¡°I¡¯m technically only the deputy Archmage of Taldira, since the actual Archmage went with the Countess. To be appointed Archmage, I would need to be assigned by the Royal Mage Council in Luna¡¯sindranar, but as we can¡¯t contact them I¡¯m limited in my actions. The other free mages don¡¯t oppose me, but they don¡¯t follow my orders without discussions every time. The Sorcerers¡¯ Guild and the Enchanter¡¯s Guild are completely under my control as I¡¯m still allowed to conscript them in times of crisis.¡±

    ¡°You could make a royal edict giving him the position in this crisis. The position would be revised after we can contact Luna¡¯sindranar again,¡± Senia suggested much to Sir Lundir¡¯s joy.

    ¡°Well, sound good to me,¡± Linea said and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Can you write something like that?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Senia said proudly.

    ¡°Perfect! Sir Lundir, please continue,¡± Linea said and looked back at the mage.

    ¡°Yes, My Lady. We have currently four free mages in the city which would fall under my direct command with your edict. The Sorcerers¡¯ Guild of Taldira consists of twelve men and women, who rotate night and day to keep the shield alive that protects us from the Torra. The Enchanters¡¯ Guild only has four craftsmen, who do their best to enchant as many weapons as they can. But there are lots of weapons and only few enchanters.¡±

    ¡°All right, they can keep up with their routine. I want you to gather the mages after this to tell them I expect them to follow your orders. I won¡¯t have any insubordination while a dark mage roams outside the city,¡± she said with a stern voice. The man nodded, and Linea switched her focus on the Void Hunter.

    ¡°How is the Void Hunter Guild?¡±

    ¡°Not good,¡± Sir Bilandir said straight away. ¡°We were the first to encounter the invading Torra, and we were the first response to it. We led the evacuations of the surrounding villages and fended off the infiltration of the city. But it came with a price. We lost our strongest members and are reduced to roughly thirty percent of our required strength. The remaining twenty-five members are divided into ten fully trained Void Hunters, who are all injured and not fit for combat, fourteen novices and myself. Right at the moment, the temple does its best to heal the injured, but our guess is that only two of them will be combat ready before the attack.¡±

    ¡°That sounds depressing,¡± Linea stated and sighed. ¡°Well, at least I might be able to help with the injured Hunters. I¡¯ve already planned to visit the temple afterwards. You¡¯re invited to join us.¡±

    ¡°Very well, My Lady,¡± he said and bowed. He smiled lightly, which was the first time he had done so since he had entered the room. ¡°But what about Princess Senia?¡±

    ¡°What about her?¡± Linea asked confused.

    ¡°Strictly speaking, she is a novice of the Void Hunter Guild. But on the other hand, she is a princess. I need to confirm the command structure. Am I supposed to follow her lead?¡±

    Linea frowned and looked at Senia, who seemed determined.

    ¡®I hope she doesn¡¯t expect me to give her the command,¡¯ Linea asked Sarah, who had stayed out of the discussion for now.

    ¡®Looks like it, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend it. She is as inexperienced as you are. And she isn¡¯t even supposed to be here,¡¯ Sarah commented.

    ¡®She won¡¯t like that¡­¡¯

    Linea held her gaze towards her sister, who had noticed Linea¡¯s hesitation.

    ¡°Keep your command, Sir Bilandir,¡± she said and Senia¡¯s face turned red in an instant. ¡°While my sister is most certainly capable and talented, you know the people and the area. Switching the leadership on such a short notice would be foolish.¡±

    Senia seem to understand Linea¡¯s reasoning, but her expression made it clear thatshe had a different opinion.

    ¡°Besides, mother would be frantic, if she knew I have endangered my sister needlessly.¡±

    The mention of their mother was meant to remember Senia of her looming punishment. And Linea was sure that their mother would be angry as soon as she got notice from Linea¡¯s messenger. Linea saw that Senia¡¯s face lost its color quite rapidly. Her tactic was working.

    ¡°I would like you, Sir Bilandir, to add Senia to your other novices and train her. I don¡¯t want her on the battlefield. If anything happens to me, she will take command. Until then she can make herself useful with the other novices.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°Good, now let¡¯s make a plan,¡± Linea said. ¡°Lady Talura, any suggestions?¡±

    ¡°First of all, I suggest that we arm every citizen with a weapon and even it is only a spear. I think Sir Bilandir will agree with that the Torra will not stop their slaughter just because they are civilians,¡± Lady Talura said.

    ¡°She is right. I think a militia as a last stand defense would be more beneficial than just let them be slaughtered,¡± Sir Bilandir agreed.

    ¡°Do we have enough weapons for that?¡± Linea asked skeptically.

    ¡°Not yet, but with the support of the free mages, we could create them,¡± Sir Bilandir answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know the capacity of those mages, but if possible, we could even create shields for them like the spearmen have.¡±

    Linea looked to the Archmage.

    ¡°Will this be possible?¡± she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°It should be,¡± he noted and scratched his chin. ¡°I must check it, but the spears alone should be possible. If we shift the enchanters from their current work to this, we should be able to provide shields as well.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t do that. I¡¯d rather have them enhancing the combat ability of the main troops,¡± Linea said. ¡°Their expertise with enchanting is more important than arming the militia.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, My Lady.¡±

    ¡°All right, Sir Bilandir? Do we have any information what exactly we¡¯re up against? Numbers and types of Torra?¡±

    ¡°Sadly no,¡± Sir Bilandir answered grimly. ¡°Our scouts were the first to be killed, but that alone tells us that the enemy is highly coordinated and large in number. From what we have seen, the enemy has subjugated a lot of the fauna in the area. Wolves, boars and some bears.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we had the pleasure of meeting those,¡± Linea noted. ¡°We also had contact with an orc. Any sightings of those?¡±

    ¡°No, but the number of simultaneous and coordinated attacks implies that there are at least three of them apart from the dark mage himself. But we can¡¯t be sure of their number, since the dark mage could have corrupted many people, we were unable to evacuate.¡±

    ¡°Well, nothing we can do about it either way. We lack the resources to find it out without your scouts,¡± Linea said and sighed. ¡°Looks like the cards are stacked against us.¡±

    The Taldirians looked sadly to the ground and Linea noticed that she should have said something more encouraging.

    ¡°But the enemy doesn¡¯t expect me. I have a few cards up my sleeves he doesn¡¯t know about,¡± she said with a happy smile on her face. No one seemed to share her enthusiasm but at least they didn¡¯t look as hopeless as before.

    ¡°All right,¡± Linea said and clapped her hands together. ¡°My idea for the fight is to hide behind our walls. The dark mage has to to invest a lot of power into breaking or overcoming them. Best case is that he grinds his forces against our defense until there is nothing left. Our archers and half of the spearman should man the walls where the enemy attacks. The sorcerer and the militia should be distributed around the whole city wall in case of a surprise attack. When the enemy forces are weakened enough, we will make a sally with the rest of the army. You will tie down the remaining forces while I¡¯ll eliminate the dark mage. The free mages will stand as reserves in case something goes wrong or the dark mage pulls something unexpected. Any additional suggestions to my plan?¡±

    Everyone seemed to think about it, but only Sir Bilandir came up with something.

    ¡°I suggest placing most of the Void Hunters with the main force. However, two of them should lead the novices, which we should position on top of the walls to provide additional defense. I don¡¯t want them on the battlefield, since they are inexperienced,¡± he explained. His last remark made Senia growl slightly.

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Linea said and nodded. ¡°I will try to recruit the priestesses to the cause. I know that the Priestesshood of Luna doesn¡¯t particularly likes to be involved in bloodshed, but I¡¯m the chosen one. Perhaps they will follow me. We could use their protection from the corruption.¡±

    Since no one had anything to add to her plan, Linea concluded the War Council with the notice that after arranging what they had decided, everyone was free to come to her, if problems arose.

    After most of the attendees had left, Linea talked to Lady Tira and Lady Lalana.

    ¡°I will go to the temple first. I want to visit Nora and you are invited to join me, Lady Tira,¡± Linea said and then shifted her gaze towards Lady Lalana. ¡°Afterwards I would like to inspect the city. The walls in particular. Can you¡­¡±

    ¡°I will show you around, of course,¡± Lady Lalana quickly said and blushed. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Linea said with a chuckle.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 17 - Taldirian Resolve

    Linea was surrounded by Evira and five men of her guard. Lady Tira and Lady Lalana rode beside her as they were nearing the temple. The temple wasn¡¯t that far away from the keep, but the citizens had seen their princess approaching, gathered and now waved at her. They didn¡¯t mean to block her way, but the inevitably did as they clogged the streets.

    ¡°I¡¯m flattered by the enthusiasm that your people show me, but isn¡¯t it a bit excessive?¡± Linea asked Lady Lalana in a whispering voice. ¡°I mean, the people in the other cities along the way were welcoming as well, but not that much.¡±

    The countess put a wry smile on her face and combed with her left hand through her black hair.

    ¡°The people may not be informed of everything happening around them, but a few things make their round. Everyone knows about the threat that looms over the city. I don¡¯t like to admit it, but they don¡¯t trust me enough yet to resolve this problem on my own,¡± she explained. ¡°And to be fair, I can¡¯t even blame them.¡±

    ¡°They already see me as their savior?¡± Linea asked with a frown. ¡°That would be quite presumptuous. I¡¯ve yet to prove myself.¡±

    ¡°I believe it¡¯s that you and your sister made your way here despite what lurks around the city. That¡¯s what makes them believe in you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I hope I¡¯ll be able to fulfill their hopes.¡±

    They went silent as they reached the Temple¡¯s Square. The temple was rather large compared to the temple of Alandis for example, but the underlying architecture was the same as for all temples in Luna¡¯sindra.

    Before another crowd could gather around them, Linea slipped inside the temple. Two of her guards were placed outside the main entrance to prevent any peasants from entering.

    Linea asked a novice of the temple to bring her to Nora. They were led through some side corridors to the infirmary, which was full to the brim with injured people. Linea suspected them to be the Void Hunters that Sir Bilundir had mentioned.

    Before she could pay them anymore attention however, a voice sounded from the other end of the room.

    ¡°Linea! Tira!¡±

    Linea looked towards the source and saw Nora sitting on a bed waving at her. She hastily walked over to her best friend and gathered her in a hug.

    ¡°I was so worried, Nora!¡±

    ¡°Well, I nearly died but didn¡¯t. Thanks to you as far as I am told¡­¡± Nora said.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have even taken you on this expedition in the first place. You¡¯re no fighter! I was just¡­ just¡­¡±

    ¡°Aw, come on,¡± Nora said and rolled her eyes. ¡°I may not be a fighter, but you need me. We both know that. Besides, I didn¡¯t die therefore your arguments are invalid.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how this works¡­¡± Linea replied but Nora flicked a finger against her forehead.

    ¡°Stop nagging, you¡­ dunce?¡± she said. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that what Tarina always calls you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and it stays like that,¡± Linea said and broke off their hug. ¡°No one else is allowed to call me that.¡±

    Nora just smiled at her and then turned to Lady Tira.

    ¡°Sister dearest!¡± she said and opened her arms in expectation of a hug. ¡°So good to see you. I couldn¡¯t write you since we were already on the move and a courier would have been not much faster than us. I wanted to write mother as soon as we reached Taldira. Is she here with you?¡±

    Tira embraced her sister, but a few tears dripping from her face signaled that something wasn¡¯t right.

    ¡°Tira?¡± Nora asked rattled. ¡°Where is mother?¡±

    ¡°Mother¡­ mother is dead, Nora,¡± Tira said and wiped her tears away.

    ¡°What?¡± Nora asked unbelieving. ¡°How? How did she¡­ Where?¡±

    Her hands were trembling as she stared into her sister¡¯s eyes. Tira sat down beside Nora and explained what had transpired in the last weeks and what most likely happened to their mother. Nora cried heavily as Tira explained that their home had been evacuated and that their father had stayed back to buy them time when the Torra had attacked.

    This part was news even to Linea. She came closer and laid her hand on Nora shoulder. Nora instinctively pressed her head against Linea and drenched her in tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Nora¡­¡± Linea said, but deep inside she felt like she couldn¡¯t find any words to describe her sadness. ¡°I promise, I will make them all pay. I¡¯ll make them pay¡­¡±

    Nora just cried more. She released Linea and hugged her sister again.

    On the other side of the room, Aruna entered and noticed them immediately.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked and looked from person to person. Linea explained it to her making Nora crying even more.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Aruna said. ¡°What are we going to do about it?¡±

    ¡°We fight of course,¡± Linea said with resolve. With the death of Nora¡¯s parents and Nora¡¯s reaction to it, the whole thing had become more personal for Linea, even though she had never met them in person.

    She looked around and saw some men and women from the Void Hunters¡¯ Guild watching them with interest.

    ¡°Aruna, do you know why those Hunters aren¡¯t healed yet?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I was told that only one fully trained healer was in the city, when it all started. And she died in an infiltration attack. The other priestesses are doing their best, but it¡¯s a slow process,¡± Aruna explained to her.

    ¡°I heard of that attack,¡± Linea said and frowned. Without a healer the coming fight would get even more difficult.

    ¡°Are you going to help them?¡±

    Linea just nodded. She went to the nearest bed where a man laid propped up by a lot of cushions.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, Hunter?¡± she asked sitting down on a stool beside his bed.

    ¡°Lilandir, Your Royal Highness.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Linea said with a nod. ¡°Lilandir, I¡¯m going to heal you now. Where are you injured?¡±

    The man hastily rolled up his right pant leg to reveal a bandage which had already blood pouring to the outside. Linea got to work in an instant and put her hand above the wound. She cast the healing spell Aruna had taught her, but surprisingly enough nothing happened.

    ¡°You need to unwrap the wound first,¡± Aruna said with a small smile and removed the bandage. The man groaned slightly as Aruna worked on his leg. The bandage was drenched in blood on the inside and it smelled horridly. Apparently, the wound wasn¡¯t healing properly.

    Linea wrinkled her nose due to the stench, but she placed her hand above the wound, nonetheless. She tried to cast the spell again and this time it worked as intended. To her surprise the spell took more power than she had anticipated. But not enough to worry her.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    After she was done, she looked at his wound again and it was fully healed.

    ¡°Stay in bed until one of the priestesses could check on you,¡± Linea ordered the man.

    ¡°Of course, Your Grace!¡± The man said with a big smile on his face. He touched his leg, where the wound had been, with care. ¡°Thank you so much, Your Grace. I feared I might lose my leg to the infection.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but I¡¯m happy to help,¡± Linea said and patted his shoulder while getting up and moving to the next patient.

    <hr>

    It took Linea more time than she had planned to heal all injured Hunters and Huntresses, but she had noticed that the whole ordeal had put only a little dent into her power reserves. It showed how much Life Force the goddess had entrusted to her.

    Because of that, Linea had decided to take her time to pray to her goddess, but to her disappointment the goddess hadn¡¯t replied this time. Linea gave up on her prayer after waiting for half an hour. Worried about the meaning of Luna¡¯s silence, she had set off together with Evira and Lady Lalana to inspect the walls.

    It was at the northern gate where Lady Lalana decided would be the best place as it had the biggest garrison.

    ¡°Captain Gahina!¡± Lady Lalana greeted the Captain of the guard. ¡°Princess Linea wishes to inspect the walls in preparation of the impending attack. Would you be so kind to conduct us?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, M¡¯ladies!¡± Captain Gihana answered with a slight accent, which Linea couldn¡¯t place. Evira looked offended by the rather casual enunciation. Lady Lana picked that up and explained immediately.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, Your Grace,¡± she pleaded apologetically. ¡°Captain Gihana was born in the Nava¡¯sinkuna east of here. The clans living there are¡­ rough and uncivilized.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, if I insulted ya,¡± Captain Gihana added with a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Linea said and waved her off.

    The Captain led them through the gatehouse to the top of the gate where some guards were sitting in a room playing cards. Two of the guards stood at the windows and looked outside.

    ¡°Attention, boys!¡± the Captain yelled and startled the men. One even pushed an unopened bottle of wine from the table which shattered on the floor. The men didn¡¯t show their sadness over the destroyed bottle and saluted instead.

    ¡°I hope ya didn¡¯t drink on duty, ya little maggots,¡±

    ¡°No, Captain!¡± they answered in unison.

    ¡°Well, ya better didn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°Tandir, report! The others keep on spottin¡¯ outside.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve nothing to report, Captain! No sightings for the whole night,¡± the man named Tandir answered promptly.

    ¡°Good thing. Any messages from the other towers on the north wall?¡±

    ¡°All clear, no sightings from them either.¡±

    ¡°Good, continue with ya watch,¡± Captain Gihana ordered. ¡°And let me catch ya with booze again up here and I¡¯m gonna flog you real hard!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Captain.¡±

    Gihana nodded towards Linea and her entourage and the left through one of the side-doors leading on top of the walls.

    ¡°This is our wall,¡± she explained with pride in her voice. ¡°Twelve meters high on average and six meters thick. The segments between each tower is one solid block of Moon Stone. If ya want to break that, ya gotta have some serious siege with ya.¡±

    ¡°Or one of those orbs¡­¡± Linea murmured and remembered the devastating effects of that black orb. She looked over the wall and inspected the moat in front of the wall which appeared to be at least two meters deep.

    ¡®Why isn¡¯t there any water in that moat, even though there is a river flowing next to the city?¡¯ Sarah suddenly noted and startled Linea for a second. Sarah had been rather quiet since the incident in the forest.

    ¡®Why should there be?¡¯ Linea asked. She knew nothing about the engineering of fortifications, but she couldn¡¯t remember ever seeing or even hearing about a water-filled moat.

    ¡®Well, on Earth when humans still built castles and city walls like this, they put water in a moat to hinder enemy troops even more in their attack. It¡¯s hard to attack a wall, if you have to wade or swim through water first,¡¯ Sarah explained.

    ¡®That sounds¡­ clever. Why didn¡¯t we come up with something like that?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®Beats me.¡¯

    Linea looked at Lady Lalana.

    ¡°I want one of the free mages to create a canal from the river to the moat. I want it filled with water. That should slow down the enemy even more,¡± she said.

    ¡°Of course, My Lady,¡± Lady Lalana said and bowed. ¡°I will see to it as soon as we return to the keep.¡±

    ¡°Very well, I think apart from that the wall seems perfectly fine. How is the shield implemented, the Archmage told us about?¡±

    ¡°See those things on the towers roofs?¡± Captain Gihana asked and motioned towards the tower on top of the gatehouse next to them. Linea followed her finger and noticed a crystal glowing in blue.

    ¡°Those are the projectors, which are connected to a central hub in the city. There the mages put the magic in and it¡¯s transferred to all projectors.¡±

    Linea nodded. It was a good idea to pull the sorcerers away from the wall and more inside the city.

    ¡°Good, and how is the morale? How are the guards doing?¡±

    ¡°Some of us were there, when the old Countess head was brought by that fucker,¡± Captain Gihana started. A small cough from Evira interrupted her for a second, but she resumed nonetheless. ¡°Word got around and the boys are afraid of what is about to come. No one knows, and that makes them restless.¡±

    ¡°So, we need to expect them to flee in panic?¡± Linea asked, in hope she misunderstood the captain.

    ¡°No, no,¡± she said and looked peeved. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean it like that. It¡¯s just, I think someone should tell them what we''re facing. And how dangerous it really is. The boys are fighting better, if ya gonna be honest with them, I think.¡±

    ¡°Mhm, thanks for your help, Captain¡± Linea just replied and turned to Lady Lalana. ¡°Next should be the city¡¯s main garrison. Or military district. I don¡¯t know, how you call it here.¡±

    ¡°Well, the keep is our military district. The army has training grounds there and barracks,¡± Lady Lalana explained.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s where we should go next!¡±

    <hr>

    Back at the keep Linea watched Lady Talura drilling the gathered army and even militia men, who hadn¡¯t even their weapons yet. They simply took turns with the spears from the regular spearmen.

    ¡°All right men!¡± Lady Talura yelled over their heads. ¡°Remember what you''re facing! We¡¯re up against Torra. Most of you probably had contact with those before, but not on this scale. Those little skirmishes and their tactics don¡¯t apply here anymore! I will teach you how to fight as one to face an enemy that is numberless!¡±

    She walked in front of the gathered crowd who were lined up in front of her. Linea noticed that the regular soldiers were disciplined and in perfectly aligned rows while the militia chattered with each other and their lines mostly resembled the walking path of a drunkard on his way home.

    ¡°You better listen, if you want to survive this!¡± Lady Talura yelled at the militia. ¡°I want to make clear to you that we¡¯re facing an enemy that is countless and relentless. They won¡¯t stop with their attack until every last one of you is dead. So, stop babbling and listen, or I¡¯ll punch you harder than a Torra could!¡±

    The militia men stopped talking in an instant. Linea didn¡¯t know if it was because of their reawakened fear of the Torra or their newly found fear of Lady Talura.

    ¡°Good,¡± she said after no sound was to hear from them. Linea took the moment to approach Lady Talura and whispered something into her ear. Lady Talura nodded and turned to the soldiers again.

    ¡°Princess Linea wishes to address all of you,¡± she announced. ¡°Be honored and don¡¯t try any stunts, or else I¡¯ll have you flayed!¡±

    She made space on her little podium for Linea, who was a bit too small even with the podium. The soldiers in the back got on their toe to catch a glimpse of her.

    Linea took a deep breath.

    ¡°Daughters and sons of Taldira!¡± she started and appealed to their local pride instead of calling them Luna¡¯sin. ¡°What you are facing is an enemy that is not to be trifled with. It¡¯s an enemy that wishes nothing more and nothing less than the utter annihilation of this city and everyone in it. An enemy that doesn¡¯t care about diplomacy at all. He will come, he will attack, and he will succeed.¡±

    She made a short break, in which the soldiers seemed to be unsure of what she tried to tell them. It was a technique, she had seen her mother using before. Instilling fear and then giving them hope.

    ¡°He will succeed, if no one stands against him. But this city will not just budge! Taldira will fight! We will fight on the walls, we will fight in the streets. We will fight with swords and spears and bows and magic. We will fight even with our bare fists if we have to! Surrendering is not an option against the Torra!¡±

    The regular soldiers stomped with their feet rhythmically on the ground in agreement. The militia joined in after realizing what the other soldiers were doing.

    Linea raised her hand to silence them.

    ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that everyone will survive,¡± she said going in all honesty as Captain Gihana had advised earlier. ¡°Such is not the nature of war. But I promise you I will fight with you! I will fight until I can fight no more!¡±

    The crowd stomped again.

    ¡°I will give my everything to save your families, and I expect everyone of you to do the same.¡±

    It took a few moments for the crowd to calm down again. Linea left the podium and talked to Talura about their battle plan.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about your plan to distribute the militia inside the city. I suggest they man the keep instead and we place all civilians inside the keep. It will be cramped, but it¡¯s easier to defend them inside the keep behind another wall instead of stretching our forces too thin,¡± Lady Talura explained.

    ¡°That leaves us vulnerable to surprise attacks from other sides, if we don¡¯t place them at the other parts of the wall,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but are you willing risk the lives of thousands of civilians on that, Your Grace?¡±

    ¡°Good point¡­¡±

    ¡®Sarah, what do you think?¡¯ Linea asked Sarah to get a second opinion.

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure, both plans have their merits,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®I would tend to your plan. If they can break into the city, the militia probably won¡¯t be able to fend them off either way. I would suggest using the militia as intended to stall any enemy trying to surprise us. But we could place the civilians inside the keep, nonetheless. Take only a token force from the militia to guard them. The rest should be enough to stall the enemy as planned.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s a good compromise,¡¯ Linea said with a smile.

    She explained that plan to Lady Talura, who agreed to it.

    ¡®Let¡¯s just hope there will be no surprise attack¡­¡¯ Linea said to Sarah.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 18 - A Chosen Secret

    ¡®Please, can you explain why we¡¯ve ordered two dozen claymores from the Enchanters¡¯ Guild?¡¯ Linea asked with a sigh. ¡®I mean, if you need a weapon, why don¡¯t you use my Fulchar?¡¯

    ¡®Because I need more mass against those Torra,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®I¡¯ve noticed back in the forest that just ripping their heads off drains a lot more power than cutting them.¡¯

    ¡®And holding twenty-four heavy swords is less taxing?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®Yes, it is,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®Connecting to an object is the exhausting part of my telekinesis. If I grab every Torra, I¡¯ll be out of power in no time.¡¯

    ¡®But holding onto the same swords all the time makes it easier,¡¯ Linea concluded.

    ¡®You¡¯ve got it.¡¯

    While they discussed Sarah¡¯s odd choice of weaponry, Linea let Minara help her get out of her dress armor. After changing into her nightgown, she snuggled into her bed. Tenasia brought her a calming tea and placed it onto her nightstand.

    ¡°Thank you, Tenasia,¡± she said and smiled at her chamber woman. ¡°That¡¯d be all.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, My Lady,¡± Tenasia answered. ¡°I wish you a good day.¡±

    Linea just nodded and took the leathery book from her nightstand. It was the diary of Saria, the first chosen, that High Priestess Nasinia had given her. Linea had read the first chapters already on their travel to Taldira. She had realized that the book was not a diary but an auto-biography. It was a well-written and structured book instead of a day-to-day listing of events.

    The first chapters had described Saria¡¯s early life. How she grew up in poverty and as an orphan. She never learned about her parents and lived in an orphanage of the Sisterhood of Luna. As she grew older, she got caught up in some nasty criminal activities, which she didn¡¯t describe further. Saria only described how she was thrown out of the orphanage at thirteen. She lived in the streets and did odd jobs for everyone, who wanted to hire her.

    If Linea was honest to herself, the first chapters were not that good as a read. It was interesting, but not ground shaking. It was only when she reached the chapter about her blessing she found something extraordinary.

    ¡®That¡¯s interesting,¡¯ Linea said to Sarah. ¡®She describes the process just as it happened to me. With the ritual and everything. But the pages about the process of her being blessed are empty.¡¯

    She skimmed through a few pages which had nothing written on them. Only a crescent moon was painted on all of them. The writing only resumed with the next chapter.

    ¡®That¡¯s odd,¡¯ Linea added.

    ¡®True,¡¯ Sarah agreed. ¡®Why didn¡¯t the high priestess say anything about it? I mean it¡¯s pretty obvious.¡¯

    Linea pondered about the question.

    ¡®What if she did not notice it?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®What do you mean? How could you not?¡¯

    Linea closed her eyes and put a hand on one page.

    ¡®I¡­ I can feel trace amounts of magic,¡¯ she noted with a frown. ¡®Perhaps there is an illusion spell embedded into these pages?¡¯

    ¡®But why can we see it then?¡¯

    ¡®Well, because we¡¯re blessed just like she was?¡¯ Linea guessed.

    Sarah was silent for a moment.

    ¡®Makes sense¡­ Try activating our blessing. That glowing thing?¡¯ Sarah proposed.

    Linea did that and to her relief, letters filled the pages.

    ¡®That¡¯s pretty clever, actually,¡¯ Sarah noted. ¡®First, she let the words disappear and then the pages themselves. Whatever she wrote there must be important.¡¯

    Linea and Sarah read through this part of the chapter and with every page their astonishment grew. When they reached the end, both went silent for a few minutes.

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t Luna mention this to us?¡¯ Sarah asked when she had ordered her thoughts. ¡®I mean Saria had the same problem as we have! A split soul and everything!¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯ Linea said and put down the book. ¡®I understand that the goddess asked her for help because of this disease that spread throughout the country. Perhaps that¡¯s why she chose Saria. A quid pro quo.¡¯

    ¡®Well, Saria wasn¡¯t the most obedient person in her early years,¡¯ Sarah agreed. ¡®This should have been a good incentive to motivate her. But why not taking someone more willing in the first place?¡¯

    Linea had no answer to that. The whole revelation didn¡¯t make much sense to her. The strangest thing was that Luna had withheld that information from them.

    ¡®We need to ask her the next time, we have the opportunity,¡¯ Sarah stated. ¡®Something is fishy.¡¯

    ¡®What¡­ What if Saria is our missing fourth part?¡¯

    ¡®How would that be possible?¡¯ Sarah asked. ¡®She died over two hundred years ago.¡¯

    ¡®Perhaps she got stuck in this limbo you told me about,¡¯ Linea argued.

    Sarah had to think about that for a moment.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think so. Luna mentioned that she would join us after we found Shira. They must have talked at some point. And I don¡¯t think Luna would be so cruel to leave her in limbo for over two hundred years.¡¯

    ¡®True¡­¡¯ Linea said. ¡®But why didn¡¯t she tell us?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, I asked that question already,¡¯ Sarah said and rolled her imaginary eyes. ¡®We need to ask her as soon as we can.¡¯

    Before they could talk more about the topic, someone in the city blew a horn.

    ¡®What was that?¡¯ Sarah asked.

    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me the attack is starting already,¡¯ Linea said and got up from her bed. She walked over to one of the small windows and looked over the rooftops of the city, but she didn¡¯t see anything.

    After a few minutes in which even more horns were blown, someone knocked at her door.

    ¡°Who is there?¡± Linea yelled through the room.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Captain Evira, My Lady!¡±

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Evira entered and with a quick look around the chamber, she verified that no one else was there and that Linea wasn¡¯t in danger.

    ¡°We have received the message that the enemy is gathering at the northern gate.¡±

    ¡°Bastard. He doesn¡¯t even wait as long as he said. And he attacks in the morning,¡± Linea complained. ¡°Minara! Tenasia!¡±

    After a few minutes her maids entered the room. They looked disheveled, but Linea had no time to reproach them for it.

    ¡°Ready my dress armor,¡± she ordered. ¡°And Evira, I need four of your men to go to the Enchanter¡¯s Guild. The enchanters promised me that the weapons would be finished in time. They need to hurry and get those swords ready. We¡¯ll meet your men at the wall.¡±

    <hr>

    On their way to the northern wall, worried citizens crossed their path on their way towards the keep. Linea picked up murmurs about doomed cities and imminent death. But no one tried to leave the city in panic as far as Linea saw. She found the Taldirian¡¯s tenacity admirable.

    When they reached the wall, they met up with the others. Lady Talura had already given orders to the army and was instructing Lady Saliara, who had taken up the role of the cavalry¡¯s leader. Her second in command was Lady Tira, who was arguing with Nora.

    ¡°No, you will not stay here!¡± Lady Tira yelled.

    ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide!¡± Nora countered just as heated.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have children yet. If anything happens to me, I need you to take up the leadership of the barony,¡± Lady Tira explained but Linea saw that Nora wasn¡¯t even listening.

    Lady Tira was about to argue further when Nora noticed Linea¡¯s approach.

    ¡°Lin! Tell my sister that I can stay at the wall. I couldn¡¯t stand to wait for both of you in the keep.¡±

    As Linea was about to answer, Sarah stopped her.

    ¡®Think twice about it,¡¯ she said. ¡®It may be lethal for us, if she gets hurt. You could panic again, and we know how that would end. I need you to stay calm and let me handle this. She can¡¯t provide us anything in battle. Don¡¯t let her stay just so she can feel better.¡¯

    Linea sighed. She felt Sarah was right, but she also knew Nora would take that personal.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nora,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t concentrate on the fight, if I have always one eye on you.¡±

    ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t need to¡­¡± Nora tried to argue, but Linea raised her hand to interrupt her.

    ¡°I know I don¡¯t need to, but I would. You¡¯re far too important for me.¡±

    ¡°But if I just stay back and just watch¡­¡±

    ¡°Nora, enough,¡± Linea said but this time she used a more forceful voice. ¡°I have decided. Please go to the keep and stay there.¡±

    Nora looked like she was about to yell at Linea, but she kept quiet. She hesitated for a second, but then she pulled Linea into a hug.

    ¡°Please, watch over my sister,¡± she said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Linea answered.

    Nora hugged her sister as well and looked back at Linea as she hoped that Linea would have changed her mind. But Linea was sure about her decision.

    After Nora had left with militia men, Linea discussed a few tactical things with Lady Talura and Lady Tira. She examined the cavalry and saw Lady Saliara and her men with them. She waved at the baroness who waved back at her. Lady Tavana and Lady Sivala were with the cavalry as well.

    The horses stood lined up behind the closed gate. The plan provided that the armored cavalry would sally through the gate as soon as the Torra would have been occupied at the wall or pushed back. In case the Torra made their way over the wall, the cavalry would dismount and fight the Torra in the city. The armored knights were in a disadvantage on the wall, but in the narrow street they would be more effective.

    Linea and her guard made their way up to the wall together with Lady Talura, who briefed her on the way.

    ¡°The free mages have already arrived together with the Hunters,¡± Lady Talura explained. ¡°Aruna and a few volunteers from the temple are already on their way. We have established a small field hospital in the gatehouse where one of the Void Huntresses will give first aid. We requisitioned a tavern down the road where the priestesses will stay to treat the more seriously wounded.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Linea said. ¡°Where is the militia positioned?¡±

    ¡°We distributed most to the other gates. Fifty men guard the keep under the command of Lady Lalana¡¯s guards.¡±

    ¡°Good. The other troops?¡±

    ¡°On their way,¡± Lady Talura said. ¡°The archers and most of the crossbowmen are already on the wall. We hadn¡¯t expected the enemy to be so early, but I placed their quarters at a central point for a faster reaction.¡±

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have expected him to be true to his word. On the other hand, he could have made his approach be more subtle.¡±

    They reached the top of the gatehouse where the Huntress already instructed different people, how they would treat and classify the different wounds. She didn¡¯t even notice Linea¡¯s entrance and Linea didn¡¯t want to interrupt. She motioned Lady Talura to get on the wall.

    On the wall were many people. From the archers and crossbowmen to mages, sorcerers, Hunters and even Fenandir.

    ¡°Look, who is still here!¡± Linea said and patted Fenandir on his shoulder. ¡°Missed me?¡±

    Fenandir snorted.

    ¡°Of course, My Lady,¡± he said and looked over the wall again. ¡°Even though, I had wished our next meeting to be slightly more romantic. With candle light, music and a good Rivanian wine.¡±

    ¡°If you survive and be useful in this fight, I could be persuaded,¡± Linea said with a wink. Not that she entertained the thought of courting the man. She saw at it more like a little game between them.

    ¡°You know what? If you kill more Torra than me, I¡¯ll give you the honor of a date,¡± she challenged him.

    He laughed.

    ¡°Is the offer limited to him?¡± Lady Lalana asked from the side, which resulted in a few more laughs.

    Linea checked Lady Lalana ostentatiously. The Countess was certainly a beauty in her own rights. She was not dazzling or flashy, but she was athletic and had sizable boobs.

    ¡°I would make an exception for you.¡±

    Even more laughs. Linea chuckled about how relaxed everybody seemed despite the threat in front of their walls.

    ¡®Well, I guess Lalana is more your type than Fenandir,¡¯ Sarah note with a mental smirk. ¡®Boobs and all¡­¡¯

    ¡®Shut up,¡¯ Linea replied. Not thinking about Sarah¡¯s remark, she gazed over the battlement and gulped.

    She had expected a lot of enemies, but what she saw exceeded even her wildest imaginations.

    ¡°We tried to count them, and we estimate them to be at least ten thousand monsters strong,¡± Lady Lalana whispered.

    ¡°That¡¯s more than I thought,¡± Linea admitted. ¡°And what¡¯s with that shimmer behind them?¡±

    She pointed at something at the right side of the enemy army. If one looked closely, a flickering, not unlike hot air breaking the light, hovered behind the horde of Torra.

    ¡°The mages aren¡¯t sure, but whatever it is, we will keep an eye on it.¡±

    Linea nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Are those people?¡± she asked confused as another gaze over the enemy made her aware of another oddity. ¡°I can¡¯t see them clearly, but there in the middle behind the army. Is that a group of humans?¡±

    ¡°Those are orcs, My Lady,¡± Fenandir interjected from the side. ¡°The dark mage must be powerful to corrupt so many people.¡±

    He came closer and whispered into Linea¡¯s ear, ¡°I suspect a few to be relatives of the natives here. I suggest eliminating them from afar before they can lower the morale of our troops.¡±

    ¡°This bastard,¡± Linea said. ¡°Thank you for warning me, but doesn¡¯t that go against your mission to just observe?¡±

    Fenandir chuckled and gave her a smile.

    ¡°If I die here, because you didn¡¯t have all the necessary information, I can¡¯t report back to your brother,¡± he explained.

    ¡°You¡¯re as selfless as ever,¡± Linea said and rolled her eyes.

    Fenandir bowed and grinned at Linea.

    Linea focused back on the enemy who still hadn¡¯t moved closer to the city. They had taken a position on the edge of the forest and waited for some reason. Linea turned away and searched for Sir Bilundir, who stood further along the wall instructing his novices including Senia.

    ¡°All right, this is it,¡± he said to the young Moon Elves, who had lined up around him. ¡°I wish we would have trained you more before this, but the enemy probably feared that. How could he win against the best that Taldira has to offer!¡±

    The novices cheered and nodded. Only Senia looked unconvinced.

    ¡°We will fight in two phases,¡± he explained. ¡°At first, we will attack together with the archers from above, when they come to the wall. Everyone should be proficient enough with the bow by now. Does anyone think that is archery skills are not enough for this?¡±

    No one raised his hand.

    ¡°Good. If the wall should be overrun by the Torra, we will pull back with the other archers and regroup. We will go into melee combat from then on, depending on where Lady Talura or Princess Linea need us.¡±

    Linea walked over to them and pulled Senia aside. She hesitated for a moment as she didn¡¯t know how to start this conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯m still mad at you,¡± Senia said and crossed her arms. ¡°Putting me with all those novices.¡±

    ¡°But you are a novice yourself. What did you expect me to do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, some special role fitting my station.¡±

    Linea massaged her nose bridge.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re supposed to be the older sister,¡± Linea said. ¡°This is not about glory. This is about survival. And not just our survival. If we fail here, the whole city will be in ruins and everyone will die. So, get your shit together and do what you¡¯re told!¡±

    Senia looked furious and turned away from Linea. Before she could leave, Linea grabbed her arm and held her back.

    ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be mad at me¡­ I just want you not to get hurt.¡±

    Senia didn¡¯t answer at first, instead she threw a glance at Linea.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try,¡± she said and went back to her group. After a few steps, she turned around again.

    ¡°Good luck, sister,¡± she said.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 19 - Angel of Blades

    ¡°There he is!¡± one archer yelled and pointed into the distance where the Torra had gathered.

    Linea rushed to the edge of the wall like everyone else. At first, she didn¡¯t see much as the sun had risen to a point, where it hurt her eyes.

    ¡°Evira? Do you have a veil or a bandage for me?¡± she asked slightly embarrassed that she had forgotten something so important.

    ¡°Of course, My Lady,¡± Evira answered and pulled a black bandage out of a poach on her belt.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Linea said with a smile and put the bandage over her eyes. The world looked darker than before and it was soothing for her eyes.

    She looked towards the enemy army again. It took her a moment and a few pointed fingers to find the dark mage, but when she found him, she gulped. It was not clearly visible on this range, but Linea noticed a staff in the hand of the dark mage. A black orb was on top.

    ¡®That¡¯s not good,¡¯ she said to Sarah.

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry too much,¡¯ Sarah answered. ¡®We have seen what this thing can do. If I¡¯m getting close, I¡¯ll just stop him from touching that orb. It¡¯s not like he can surprise us with that thing again.¡¯

    ¡®But be careful. We don¡¯t know what else he can do with that.¡¯

    Sarah nodded mentally.

    ¡°Your Grace?¡± Lady Talura pulled her from her conversation with Sarah.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°We have got a message from the other parts of the wall. There are no activities or even appearances of Torra. Should we shift the positioned militia to the main battlefield?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Linea said and looked back at the Torra army. The shimmering air behind the army still made her anxious. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised, if there would be a surprise attack while we¡¯re engaged in battle here.¡±

    Just as she said that, the enemy moved. At least one hundred wolf-type Torra advanced fast. As they closed the distance, Lady Talura gave orders.

    ¡°Archers to the front! Fire at will!¡± she yelled. ¡°Crossbows be ready. Switch with archers at my command!¡±

    ¡®Let me take control now,¡¯ Sarah said. Linea sighed but complied. It was getting easier to give up control over her body, but it still was awkward.

    ¡®Are you going to attack right away?¡¯ she asked.

    ¡®No, but I want to be ready, if something unforeseen happens.¡¯

    Sarah moved to the side into the gatehouse from where she had a better view on the wall and the field in front.

    It took the Torra not even a minute to cross the distance between their army and the wall. But the archers were skilled. As soon as the Torra came in range, the first arrows flew right in their faces. The wolves were thinned fast, but most arrows couldn¡¯t land a killing blow. The Torra seemed to be rather undisturbed by arrows sticking out of their bodies.

    When they reached the moat, water slowed them down. This gave the archers a good opportunity to hit more precisely as the targets didn¡¯t move as much. The remaining Torra climbed out of the water and with dark glowing claws, they embedded their paws into the wall. The sight of the wolves climbing the wall like that was a surprise for everyone, but now they had seen how the Torra had overcome the wall the first time.

    ¡°Crossbows!¡± Lady Talura yelled, and the archers pulled away from the battlement.

    The first line of crossbowmen stepped forward.

    ¡°Fire!¡±

    The crossbowmen fired their bolts, which slammed like a hailstorm into the Torra. Sarah saw the most forward wolves drop from the wall into the moat.

    The crossbowmen from the first line stepped back and made space for the second line. While the first line reloaded their bolts, the second line fired their volley. Even more wolves fell.

    After the third line had fired, only a handful of Torra remained. As they reached the top of the wall, they slammed into an invisible barrier. The Torra hadn¡¯t expected that and fell down. Only one the wolves had the luck to land in the water-filled moat, unlike his brethren, who all died as they smashed into the ground.

    A single arrow flew from the tower on the other side of this part of the wall and killed the last Torra.

    ¡®That was effective,¡¯ Linea noted.

    ¡®Yes, but that was only a part of the army,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®I would guess that was just a probing attack.¡¯

    Sarah left the gatehouse and joined Lady Talura. Evira and her guard were always on her heels.

    ¡°That was good work everyone!¡± she said to push the morale. The men on the wall saluted and had smiles on their faces.

    ¡°Where is Sir Lundir?¡± she asked Lady Talura.

    ¡°In the tower together with Sir Bilandir,¡± Lady Talura answered and pointed at the tower where the last arrow had come from. Sarah made her way there.

    ¡°Sir Lundir?¡± Sarah asked as she had entered the tower.

    ¡°Top room!¡± He yelled from above.

    Sarah climbed the ladder up to the next level of the tower where Sir Lundir watched outside together with some people in robes. Sir Bilandir was there too, and he had still his bow in hands.

    ¡°I guess you are the free mages?¡± Sarah asked and examined them. They all looked wealthy and pompous with all their jewelry. It stood in stark contrast to Linea rather humble appearance.

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace,¡± a woman in a yellow robe answered. ¡°We are happy to serve you!¡±

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t look like it though,¡¯ Sarah noticed as she examined the mages and their expressions.

    ¡®I guess they don¡¯t like to be on the front. Free mages are elitists to the bone. They¡¯d rather let others die for them,¡¯ Linea explained.

    ¡°Any ideas what is shimmering there in the background?¡± Sarah asked.

    ¡°We can¡¯t say for sure,¡± Sir Lundir answered. ¡°But we suspect it to be an illusion spell to hide something behind it.

    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want us to know that he has something to hide, why the shimmering?¡± Sarah asked further.

    ¡°Maybe, he isn¡¯t proficient with this concealment spell,¡± the yellow robbed woman guessed. ¡°But perhaps it is enough for him. We still have no idea what¡¯s behind that illusion.¡±

    ¡°Guessing by the size it probably is some sort of siege engine,¡± Sir Bilandir threw in. ¡°We could try to throw some spell against it. Just to see what happens.¡±

    ¡°No, I want to preserve our power as much as possible,¡± Sarah countered. ¡°I suspect the dark mage to have some kind of magic canceling ability like the orc we met in the forest. Only attack with magic if I¡¯m in combat with the dark mage or if he is otherwise preoccupied.¡±

    Before they could discuss further, someone yelled below them.

    ¡°Here they come!¡±

    Everyone rushed to the windows of the tower and they saw a large chunk of the Torra army charging at the wall.

    ¡°I count around four thousand evenly split into wolves and goats,¡± a mage in a gray robe said.

    ¡°Where did he find so many wolves?¡± Sir Bilundir said. ¡°The enemy army hasn¡¯t much of them left, but still. Over two thousand wolves¡­¡±

    ¡°I care little about the wolves,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°What are those goats? Do you know anything about them? What are they capable of?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve encountered them rarely. The Void manifests mostly in predators or other animals that can be dangerous. So many goats are strange. I can''t imagine how they are supposed to climb the wall,¡± Sir Bilandir said.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Sarah cursed internally.

    She hated not knowing her enemy.

    ¡°All right, get ready,¡± she said. ¡°Sir Bilandir, keep assisting the archers! Sir Lundir, you and your mages keep an eye on that illusion. Only interfere in the fight at the wall if we¡¯re being overrun. As soon as that siege weapon or whatever is under this illusion pops out, I want you to neutralize it if possible. If not possible, block its attacks.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lady!¡± both men said.

    Sarah left them and climbed down again. As she reached the wall again, the archers already shot.

    ¡°Stay focused!¡± Lady Talura yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t aim as much. There are too much enemies! You can''t miss! Increase your rate of fire!¡±

    At the same time for of Evira¡¯s guardsmen came through the door to the gatehouse on the other side of this part of the wall. They were huffing and sweating, but to Sarah¡¯s delight they had two wooden boxes with them.

    ¡°My weapons!¡± she said and opened the lid of one of the boxes. Neatly stacked on weapon holders lay twenty-four claymores. They had been changed to fit Sarah¡¯s needs and didn¡¯t look like claymore anymore. The blades were considerable wider, which gave the sword more weight. Such a sword was too heavy in the hand of a normal soldier, but for Sarah¡¯s psionic powers they were perfect.

    Just as she was infusing the weapons with her Psy-Energy, the wall rumbled.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Sarah asked confused.

    ¡°The goats! They¡¯re exploding down there!¡± a crossbowman yelled.

    ¡°The rest of the Torra are coming!¡± someone else cried out.

    Sarah rushed to the battlement of the wall and looked down.

    The goats reaching the wall suddenly exploded in a Void eruption taking chunks of the wall with them.

    Sarah¡¯s thoughts raced. The enemy was breaking through the wall by suicide attacks. She had to stop the goats.

    ¡°Talura!¡± She yelled over the heads of the crossbowmen. ¡°We need the spearmen down there on the inside. If they breach the wall, we need to have them contained at the chokepoint!¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lady!¡± Lady Talura yelled back and ran to the gatehouse to give orders to the infantry.

    Sarah got back to her swords. Fusing all of them to her telekinetic grip was challenging, but as soon as she had completed it, she was ready for war.

    ¡°All right,¡± she said to Evira. ¡°I¡¯m going down there!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Evira said flabbergasted. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®going down there¡¯?¡±

    Sarah raised a brow.

    ¡°I came to fight Torra and dark mages,¡± Sarah said. ¡°And that¡¯s what I shall do. Keep an eye on Senia, yes?¡±

    ¡®She is going to be so pissed at you that I left her here,¡¯ Sarah said to Linea.

    ¡®Great,¡¯ Linea answered peeved. ¡®And I can face the music afterwards? Thanks a lot.¡¯

    Sarah just grinned. She let the swords float out of the two boxes and arranged them like wings behind her. The soldiers looked at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°Glory or death!¡± Sarah roared and with a few steps on invisible treads over the heads of the firing crossbowmen she jumped down. In the middle of her fall she opened her sword-wings to slow her down. Before impact, she caught herself with her telekinesis and slammed the blades into the nearest enemies.

    Adrenaline rushed through her body as she retracted her swords from the surrounding corpses. The Torra noticed her and the wolves, who tried to climb the wall again, stopped in their tracks. The goats gave her a wide berth and rushed towards the hole in the wall. Sarah saw she had failed to protect the wall as she could see a few goats blowing up and breaching the wall. The remaining goats maneuvered towards the left part of the wall.

    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t,¡± Sarah yelled and jumped towards the goats. Her blade wings helped her in gliding over the masses of wolves separating her from her targets. When she landed in the midst of the goat herd, some of them bloated and Sarah could feel Void-Energy gathering for an explosion.

    She hurled those goats away from her with telekinesis. Some of them splashed against the wall leaving little holes here and there, but most of the goats landed in the Torra army annihilating a bunch.

    Sarah took a quick breath and let the sword circle around her like a disk saw. She sliced through the incoming goats as if they were butter. A few slipped by her, but she noticed that precise arrows fired from the gatehouse killed them before they reached the wall.

    As soon as the dark mage noticed her tactic, he sent suicide goats in jumping attacks over her defensive blade perimeter. Linea pushed them away with her telekinesis. That pulled more power from her than she liked.

    She knew she had to be more offensive with her swords.

    What followed was a massacre. It took her at least fifteen minutes to cut through all the goats even with her efficiency.

    Sarah charged into the enemy with abandon and while keeping her distance to the goat-like monsters she cut them down without mercy.

    Only when one goat came from behind, Sarah was caught off-guard. She slipped on what she guessed was a mixture of blood and mud. Her foot got entangled in goat entrails and she fell face down on the ground. She turned around and saw the goat landing on top of her and it inflated. She shot two swords at the Torra sending it flying. It exploded above her but luckily out of range to hurt. The explosion took both swords with it, however.

    Sarah spat some blood-mud-mix she had caught in her mouth. Some wolves tried to attack her, but her swords flew defensively around her swatting them away.

    ¡®No more goats!¡¯ Linea said triumphantly.

    ¡®Good,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®I need a break.¡¯

    She gathered her twenty-two swords into her wing form and flew back on top of the wall.

    The soldiers greeted her with loud cheers.

    ¡°Thanks, but stay focused!¡± Sarah yelled. ¡°Keep on firing!¡±

    Evira and Talura rushed to her.

    ¡°Linea! Are you hurt?¡± Evira asked and tried to wipe the dirt from her face.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all right. It¡¯s not my blood.¡±

    ¡°I have never seen someone fighting like that!¡± Lady Talura said with glee in her eyes. ¡°You were like a goddess of war!¡±

    ¡°Well, I had to do something about those goat-thingies,¡± Sarah tried to explain. ¡°But to be honest, it took more power from me than I had hoped. I need to leave the rest of the Torra to you. And I need water to clean myself. I stink!¡±

    Lady Talura chuckled and let Evira take Sarah into the gatehouse.

    Sarah didn¡¯t waste much time as she took a bucket of water and poured it over herself. She wiped dirt out of her face.

    ¡°Please, never do that again!¡± Evira said and pulled Sarah into a hug. Surprised by Evira¡¯s sudden intimacy, Sarah just patted her back.

    ¡°Can¡¯t promise that, but I need to conserve strength for now,¡± Sarah said. ¡°How is the situation?¡±

    ¡°The Torra lost a fair amount of their troops against our range fighters but they are pushing into the breach with sheer numbers,¡± Evira explained. ¡°They pushed us back into the city, but the small alleyways are not in their favor. Part of our cavalry has dismounted to secure the main road. We forced the Torra to fight in chokepoints.¡±

    ¡°So far so good,¡± Sarah said. That the Torra had breached the wall was a setback, but they had expected it to happen at some point and had prepared for it.

    ¡°What about casualties?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, but not that high yet. I guess we have lost one hundred infantrymen while the enemy has already lost around four thousand Torra. A third of them killed by you I might add.

    ¡°Good,¡± Sarah said with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s get down there and see, if we can support them somehow.¡±

    ¡°I would like you to stay up here.¡±

    Sarah rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t, but this time you can escort me. How about that?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    <hr>

    The fight in the city was bloody. Not for the Moon Elves but for the Torra. Corpses of boars and wolves lay scattered in the alleys. Some goats had slipped through the defenses earlier as Sarah noticed houses with circular parts missing.

    The fight had raged for an additional two hours and Sarah had only interfered when the Torra were breaking through a defensive line. Sarah couldn¡¯t help herself even though she knew she should have saved her powers. She balanced her Psy-Energy based on the number of enemies left. She expected the dark mage to have a trump card, like what they suspected to be a siege weapon.

    But Sarah wasn¡¯t convinced anymore about that. The enemy had already breached the wall. But what else could it be.

    ¡°I killed thirty Torra!¡± Lady Lalana boasted. ¡°How close am I regarding that date?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t count, but I guess you need roughly two thousand more,¡± Sarah answered with a grin. Lady Lalana hadn¡¯t seen her rampage on the other side of the wall and so she was shocked.

    ¡°What? How am I supposed to catch up to that?¡±

    Sarah laughed and floated with her blade wings towards her, but a runner interrupted them.

    ¡°My Lady, a message from Sir Bilandir,¡± he said out of breath. ¡°The eastern groups have been overrun. I barely made it through. The Torra found a tunnel and ambushed our troops from behind. They have pulled back into a walled mansion, but it will be a matter of time before they are wiped out. Princess Senia is with them and she is injured.

    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Sarah cursed. ¡°Why can¡¯t she just do what she is told? Lady Lalana, take the remaining cavalry reserve and swing over to the east. Take the main streets and ride fast. We can¡¯t have the Torra breaking through any further. Reinforce the troops that hold the position.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lady,¡± Lady Lalana answered and signaled her troops to follow her.

    ¡°Evira, find someone who knows more about the city. We need to make sure that there aren¡¯t more of those tunnels,¡± Sarah ordered. ¡°I¡¯ll save my stupid sister. We¡¯ll meet at the inn where Aruna is.¡±

    Before Evira could protest, Sarah had already taken off and flew eastwards.

    It didn¡¯t take long for her to find the mansion as it was surrounded by boars. It was luck for those trapped inside the walls of the mansion that the Torra had ran out of wolves or else those walls wouldn¡¯t have been all that helpful.

    Linea landed in the middle of the court yard where Sir Bilundir was waving at her.

    ¡°Your sister¡­¡± he greeted her, but she interrupted him.

    ¡°I know. Where is she?¡±

    Sarah was led into the mansion. In one of the bigger rooms, Senia laid on a bed. Her wounds were patched-up with bandages but those were already blood soaked. Senia was missing her left hand, her guts were ripped open and a chunk of her right thigh had been bitten off. Senia already looked like dead.

    Sarah rushed to Senia and let the swords land to her side.

    ¡®Your turn,¡¯ she said and gave Linea her body back.

    Linea instantly undid the bandage on Senia belly. Even though the wound was deep, it wasn¡¯t as bad as Nora¡¯s had been.

    Linea chanted her only healing spell and saw how the wound was closing. The next wound was the hand, which took more concentration from Linea.

    But after that Senia came back to her senses.

    ¡°Where¡­ where am I?¡± She asked.

    ¡°In the world of the living, you idiot!¡± Linea replied, and tears dropped onto Senia. Linea pressed her face against her sister¡¯s chest and felt better as she felt her heartbeat. ¡°You scared me.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Senia said. ¡°I just thought I could be as heroic as you are.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t help to be brave and glorious, if you¡¯re dead!¡± Linea scolded her.

    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­¡± Senia admitted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°My Ladies?¡± Sir Bilandir interrupted carefully. ¡°Could you discuss this problem at a later point, we¡¯re losing ground out there.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Linea said and pushed control back to Sarah.

    ¡°Can you carry her?¡± Sarah said to Sir Bilundir. The Hunter nodded and lifted Senia onto his shoulder.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Senia protested. ¡°Is that how you treat a princess?¡±

    ¡°No, but a stupid novice who can¡¯t follow orders,¡± the man replied annoyed. ¡°I told you to stay behind and give support from the back.¡±

    Senia went silent and decided not to answer.

    It didn¡¯t take Sarah all that long to fight off the encircling Torra and after fifteen minutes they had joined the main defense line. Lady Lalana had pushed back the Torra advance and greeted them only two streets away.

    Sarah was about to bring Senia over to Aruna, when she heard a deep, loud roar on the other side of the wall.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± she asked and looked into baffled faces.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 20 - Desperate Measures

    Sarah flew ahead of everyone straight to the wall, and the source of the roar became obvious. Behind the dark mage stood a dragon with emerald green scales and the characteristic black eyes of the Torra. It looked enormous as it stood roughly eight meters at the shoulder. Its left wing looked broken, however.

    The soldiers looked at her terrified and hopeful and Sir Lundir rushed from the tower to her.

    ¡®That¡¯s so awesome!¡¯ Sarah said stunned.

    ¡®Are you stupid?¡¯ Linea asked in disbelief. ¡®A Void dragon is nothing to be happy about!¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, right. Sorry. But since you told me about dragons, I wanted to see one. I didn¡¯t expect it to happen so fast.¡¯

    ¡®Please, don¡¯t try talking to him!¡¯ Linea pleaded.

    ¡®I¡¯m not that fanatical about dragons.¡¯

    ¡°My Lady, the dragon was behind the illusion!¡± Sir Lundir reported.

    ¡°I guessed as much,¡± Sarah said and rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you and your mages capable of handling the dragon?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I fear not, My Lady,¡± he admitted. ¡°Dragons are known for their tough scales. If we had someone proficient with curses, we would have cursed him, but¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have such a mage,¡± Sarah guessed and looked back to the dragon who moved towards the city. The orcs followed him in closely. It seemed the dark mage wanted to end this fight now.

    Sarah ran into the gatehouse and searched for the Void Huntress who worked here as the first aid.

    ¡°You there! Huntress!¡± She yelled through the room, and the Void Huntress rushed to her.

    ¡°My Lady?¡±

    ¡°Have you heard about a Void dragon before?¡± Sarah asked her hoping to get at least some rudimentary information.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t. As far as I know this is the first time we have encountered one of those,¡± the Huntress explained and looked out of the window. ¡°It¡¯s possible that there may have been such dragons in the Great Cataclysm, but we have no recordings.¡±

    ¡°Perfect¡­¡± Sarah noted, but she questioned the Huntress further. ¡°Can you tell me anything about this dragon?¡±

    The Huntress looked out the window and examined the green scaled monster.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a young one and should be rather strong, but it¡¯s not an elder. You should watch out for it, but I don¡¯t think he can spit fire,¡± she said.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something at least,¡± Sarah noted. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The Huntress bowed, and Sarah left the gatehouse onto the street where Lady Lalana, Lady Talura, Sir Bilandir and Evira had arrived. Sir Lundir followed Sarah out of the gatehouse.

    ¡°Listen, we have a dragon coming at us. I don¡¯t think he can fly due to an injury, but it¡¯s still a dragon. I will try to kill him, but for that I need cover from those orcs and the dark mage, in case he attacks,¡± Sarah explained. ¡°Lady Talura, you need to get rid of the remaining Torra in the city.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lady,¡± Lady Talura confirmed and rode back into the city.

    ¡°Lady Lalana, I want the knights to attack the orcs,¡± Linea ordered. ¡°Be aware they are corrupted Moon Elves and perhaps they are people you know. Show them mercy and kill them. Sir Bilundir will assist you with what forces he has left.¡±

    ¡°We shall ride in your honor!¡± Lady Lalana said and banged her armored fist against her chest. Sarah smiled and reciprocated the gesture.

    ¡°Sir Lundir, I want you to get the sorcerers,¡± Sarah continued. ¡°I don¡¯t think the shield will help us any longer as there is a hole in the wall. We may need their remaining power in the offensive.¡±

    Sir Lundir bowed as well and left.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t fight a dragon,¡± Evira said and for the first time in Linea¡¯s life, she saw the tough captain of the Royal Guard on the verge of tears.

    ¡®Hug her!¡¯ Linea said affectionately.

    Sarah felt awkward, but she had a role to play and so she hugged Evira.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t plan on dying,¡± Sarah said. ¡°But Senia might. Go back to her and protect her. I can watch after myself.¡±

    Evira wiped something from her face, and Sarah was sure she just had something in her eye.

    ¡°Please, be safe,¡± Evira said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Sarah said with a smile and floated upwards with her blade wings opening out.

    <hr>

    Sarah learned fast why fighting a dragon was considered suicide. Without her telekinesis she would have been dead already. Their fight was like a mosquito against an elephant. Sarah couldn¡¯t hurt the dragon¡¯s scales, but the dragon was too slow to hit Sarah, who was flying around him in circles. The only thing Sarah had managed so far, was to blind the dragon. Her swords had no problem gauging out the dragon¡¯s eyes as they weren''t protected by steel-like scales.

    But that was all she was able do. She noticed her Psy-Energy dropping drastically with every minute of the fight, while the dragon looked like he could go on for hours.

    ¡®We need another strategy,¡¯ Linea said.

    ¡®You don¡¯t say!¡¯ Sarah replied while she ducked under another wild swing of the dragon. She had hoped that the beast wouldn¡¯t be able to hit her anymore after being blinded, but apparently it had additional means of locating her.

    ¡®Could you rip his head off with telekinesis?¡¯Stolen story; please report.

    ¡®If I do that, I would have to focus on it. His muscles are substantially stronger than those of a human or elf,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®I would have to land right in front of him. I don¡¯t think he would let me!¡¯

    ¡®But we have to do something!¡¯

    Sarah took one step back from the fight and looked around. Lady Lalana and her troops were still in combat with the orcs, but it seemed as they were able to win this fight. What concerned her more was the inactivity of the dark mage. She had expected him to join the fight, as he saw that his dragon being stopped, and his orcs being overwhelmed, but instead he watched from afar. The only time he got active was when a spell from a Hunter missed its target and raced towards the dark mage. He raised a hand and a Void shield protected him.

    ¡®I may have an idea¡­¡¯ Sarah said as her gaze fell on the orb on the dark mage¡¯s staff.

    ¡®Please, don¡¯t do what I think you¡¯re thinking about,¡¯ Linea said in horror.

    ¡®Well, you said we need to do something,¡¯ Sarah replied.

    ¡®But not that! Do you remember how you nearly lost yourself to the Void the last time?¡¯

    ¡®I remember, but this time I''m prepared.¡¯

    ¡®This is a stupid idea! Do you even have enough power left?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯ Sarah admitted. ¡®But if I overcharge my psionic ability, I can draw on my full potential. That should be enough.¡¯

    ¡®And the drawback?¡¯ Linea asked further. ¡®There has to be side effects.¡¯

    ¡®I may fall unconscious afterwards,¡¯ Sarah admitted. ¡®I only did it once for a short amount of time. It took me three days to recover.¡¯

    ¡®Unconscious? No way, we¡¯re doing this,¡¯ Linea decided. ¡®I can¡¯t protect us in the meantime.¡¯

    ¡®All right, princess,¡¯ Sarah snarled. ¡®Come up with a better idea!¡¯

    They kept silent while Linea thought about it.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯ Linea said. ¡®But if this blows up in our face somehow, I¡¯m blaming you!¡¯

    Sarah rolled her eyes and flew back to the wall. She signaled the mages to attack the dragon to keep him busy. With a loud rumble the earth beneath the dragon caved in and buried its lower half. Ice lances and fire balls landed in its face.

    ¡°Sir Lundir!¡± she yelled as she entered the tower from which the mages cast their spells.

    ¡°Up here!¡± he yelled back between two chants.

    Sarah climbed up the ladder, her swords following her diligently. In the room above the free mage were throwing spell after spell against the dragon. The sorcerer had arrived as well but had cast nothing.

    ¡°Keep going with the spells, I want that dragon pinned down right where he is. Don¡¯t let him come closer to the city,¡± she ordered.

    ¡°We¡¯ll try our best,¡± Sir Lundir answered.

    ¡°All right,¡± Sarah said and looked out a window, but from their position the dragon covered the dark mage. ¡°The sorcerers follow me!¡±

    They left the tower and walked over to the gatehouse. From there they had free sight on the dark mage. Sarah turned towards the sorcerers.

    ¡°I want you to shot small spells at him,¡± she said and pointed at the dark mage. ¡°Be conservative with your mana. I don¡¯t need you to hurt him, but to keep him busy.¡±

    The sorcerers looked at each other and nodded.

    ¡°He will hopefully raise a black shield. I will charge at him and just before I reach him, you stop your attacks. Got that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lady!¡± a sorceress said for all of them.

    Sarah nodded and left the gatehouse again. She jumped over the wall and flew towards the dragon. Only when the first spells rained down on the dark mage and he erected his dark shield again, she turned away and flew towards him. On her way she reached the fighting orcs and knights where she cut down every orc that came into her way. She beheaded a female orc who jumped into her way, but due to her momentum, the bodiless head collided with Sarah.

    She lost control and crashed into the muddy, blood-filled earth.

    ¡®Not again!¡¯ she cursed and got up again. The stench of blood and excrements filled her nostrils, but she shook her head to banish her disgust. She picked up speed again and closed in on the dark mage. To her dismay the sorcerers hadn¡¯t allowed for the traveling time of the spells. When they stopped casting, the last spells still flew all the way towards the dark mage. Sarah feared to crash into the shield which the dark mage hadn¡¯t lowered yet and stopped in her tracks right before the shield. Her nose nearly touched it.

    But before Sarah could think about her near-death experience, the shield dropped, and she looked into the black eyes of a surprised dark mage. Sarah didn¡¯t waste a second and her swords impaled his torso and legs. Shocked he tried to stutter something, but his lungs were shredded.

    As the dark mage reached for his orb, Sarah didn¡¯t stop him, but while he activated the orb¡¯s self-destruction, his hood came off his head. The man looked young but gaunt. His skin was gray and lifeless like an orc. But the most intriguing asset was the black collar around his neck.

    Before Sarah could inspect the collar further, the orb exploded and consumed the dark mage and her swords in an instant. Sarah had already prepared the containment barrier, but this orb contained more Void-Energy than she had expected. A lot more.

    ¡®Where does all this energy come from?¡¯ Sarah asked in panic. She activated her overcharge and pumped all the Psy-Energy she could muster into the barrier. Her eyes glowed in lilac and some Psy-Energy, she couldn¡¯t control properly, discharged as violet lightning into the ground.

    ¡®The magic shield!¡¯ Linea answered as she realized their blunder. ¡®For days the sorcerers have pumped magic into this shield, and the Void-Energy had to go somewhere!¡¯

    ¡®Oh fuck!¡¯ Sarah cursed.

    Even with her overcharged telekinesis the amount of Void-Energy was barely controllable.

    More psionic lightning sparked between her hands and the barrier which buckled under the pressure.

    And then there was the feeling again. Sarah had expected it, but the gigantic amount of Void-Energy amplified the phenomenon even more.

    ¡®Come¡­¡¯ a female voice whispered. ¡®Save me¡­ Release me¡­¡¯

    The voice gave the impression of familiarity and Sarah was tempted to comply, but Linea screamed at her.

    ¡®Stop! Don¡¯t listen! Focus on my voice!¡¯

    Sarah snapped back into reality and Linea¡¯s voice helped her to stay concentrated.

    ¡®Fucking Void!¡¯ Sarah cursed.

    She forced the huge sphere of Void around to face the dragon who had freed itself from his earth prison. He was dangerously close to the city wall, but Sarah had no time to waste. The Psy-Energy that raced through her body burned her from the inside and it hurt like hell.

    After Sarah had placed the sphere between herself and the dragon she released the Void in a more focused beam than the last time. At first the beam shot over the dragon, but after a short correction, the beam cut downwards. It went through the dragon like butter, but to Sarah¡¯s horror the beam didn¡¯t stop there. She cleaved through the wall into the city.

    ¡®No, no, no, no, no¡­¡¯ she pleaded and yanked the beam upwards again into the sky. The dragon fell to the ground in to halves, but there was a three-meter-wide cut in the wall. She opened the sphere even more to let even more Void-Energy escape. After a few seconds the Void had dissipated, and it was right in time, because Sarah¡¯s overcharge just ended.

    She fell on her knees and Linea noticed that she was in charge of her body again.

    ¡®That was a stupid idea!¡¯ she ranted and slowly got up. ¡®I should have never agreed to such a half-baked plan!¡¯

    Sarah didn¡¯t respond to that.

    ¡®Sarah?¡¯ Linea asked.

    Again, she got no reaction.

    Linea probed her mind and to her shock, she couldn¡¯t find Sarah anywhere.

    ¡®Sarah!¡¯ she yelled in her mind, but she still got no answer.

    Linea heard the patter of feet closing in on her. She pulled her Fulchar, which Sarah hadn¡¯t used at all, and pointed it at what she presumed to be orcs. But instead she was greeted by the sight of Lady Lalana and a few of her knights.

    ¡°My Lady, are you all right?¡± she said as she stopped in her tracks avoiding the sword pointed at her.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± Linea half lied. Physically her body still hurt from the psionic overcharge, but Sarah¡¯s disappearance was way more disturbing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen something like this,¡± Lady Lalana said and looked at the wall.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your city,¡± Linea said with a quivering voice. ¡°And your¡­ your soldiers.¡±

    Overwhelmed by what had transpired, Linea legs gave in and she started to sob. Lady Lalana rushed to her and caught the distressed princess. Linea realized that she and Sarah had most likely killed dozens of soldiers and that Sarah was now missing. She didn¡¯t know if Sarah had died or if she was just unconscious. That she didn¡¯t feel her soul-sister anymore was alarming. It was as if a part of her was suddenly missing. Which was the case somehow.

    She took a few minutes to calm down enough to talk with Lady Lalana again. The young countess patiently caressed the princess and soothed her with kind words.

    ¡°We should go back to the city,¡± Linea whispered.

    ¡°Of course, My Lady,¡± Lady Lalana said with a nod.

    Linea looked her in the eyes.

    ¡°You can call me Linea,¡± she said and offered her the faintest of smiles.

 Arc 1 - Chapter 21 - Behind the Blockade

    ¡°My Lady?¡± Evira gingerly asked.

    She placed her hand on Linea¡¯s shoulder, which broke her concentration. Her healing spell broke while she was in the middle of restoring a mangled hand.

    ¡°What?¡± Linea replied and turned around with a frown. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m working?¡±

    ¡°I apologize, My Lady,¡± Evira answered. ¡°But I must express my concern about your wellbeing. I really think, you should take a rest at the keep.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think,¡± Linea spat. ¡°There are still injured people, and I still have energy to spend. I¡¯ll stop once there is nothing left to do.¡±

    With that said, Linea focused back on the soldier lying before her. She placed her hands above his injured hand and cast the healing spell again.

    Evira looked at Aruna, who joined them with a towel in her hands, which she used to clean her hands from blood.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± she said to Evira. ¡°I told her to take a nap hours ago. Princess doesn¡¯t listen and I¡¯m not her mother.¡±

    ¡°Can I help in any way to speed up the process?¡± Evira asked and looked around the lower floor of the Black Bear Inn where all the injured soldiers had been brought. There lay over two dozen men, who were still unattended apart from the life-saving first aid.

    ¡°Do you have any experience with injuries?¡± Aruna asked with furrowed eyebrows.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Evira admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a fair share of them but¡­ treating them?¡±

    ¡°Well, nothing you can do then. Just go around and ask the soldiers if you can bring them water or food. But only those without a belly wound.¡±

    Evira nodded and got to work.

    Linea sighed, when both women had left her alone. She most likely wouldn¡¯t sweat too much about these soldiers if it weren¡¯t for the fact that Sarah - and therefore Linea - was responsible for most injuries in this room.

    It taken her hours after the fight to heal the most dangerous wounds of those soldiers, who barely came out alive when Sarah had obliterated a part of the wall. When they told her the casualties of that little stunt, Linea had to swallow hard. Sarah had killed at least twenty-six soldiers and one Void Hunter novice. The beam had not only cut through the dragon and the wall but through the whole city behind it only missing the keep by a few meters. They had avoided a disaster only by a hair''s breadth.

    And now Sarah wasn¡¯t even there to complain to.

    A tear fell down from Linea¡¯s face, which she hastily wiped away. She stared at the hand she had healed for a few seconds, and the soldier thanked her profusely. Linea gave him a forced smile and excused herself to tend to the next man.

    She was exhausted and even the Life Force provided by Luna ran out slowly but surely. She sat down by a man missing an arm. He was unconscious much to Linea¡¯s relief. After she removed the bandage over his stump, she noticed the clear wound edge which indicated that the Void beam was the most likely cause.

    She sighed and placed her hand over the wound. The spell guided her hand as she reconstructed the arm out of nothing. She had to start over after losing her concentration midway through.

    ¡®This is so hard¡­¡¯ Linea said in her mind, but she got no answer.

    She took a deep breath and stood up again. The soldier with his new arm hadn¡¯t woken up from the treatment and Linea was thankful for it. She couldn''t deal with their gratitude at the moment.

    A quick check on her power reserves told her she had to take a break now. She had healed people for hours and now even her vast powers were depleted.

    Without talking to anyone, she left the inn and headed for the keep. Evira and her guardsmen caught up with her.

    ¡°My Lady,¡± Evira said and looked at Linea with concerned eyes. ¡°Where are we headed?¡±

    ¡°The keep,¡± Linea answered without giving Evira any real attention.

    They walked silently the whole way to the keep. Most citizens of Taldira had already returned to their houses and the word about Linea¡¯s victory over the dark mage and the dragon had spread fast. People were waving at her and thanking her for saving them. Evira¡¯s men kept them on distance, but Linea didn¡¯t even notice the fuss. Her mind was occupied with Sarah¡¯s disappearance.

    <hr>

    When they reached the keep, Linea instantly got into her chambers and let Tenasia and Minara strip her down. Minara worked reluctantly on Linea¡¯s dirtied dress armor, while Tenasia prepared a bath for Linea.

    After removing the mud from her hair with water, Linea walked into the bath and lowered herself into the bathtub. A deep sigh escaped her as she submerged into the hot water. Tenasia sat down behind her and worked through her hair with soap to clean it properly. Linea closed her eyes and tried to relax with limited success.

    A few minutes later, someone entered the bath.

    ¡°Hey Lin,¡± Nora whispered. ¡°Can we talk?¡±

    Linea sighed as she didn¡¯t feel like talking, but she knew she could only talk to Nora about her main problem.

    ¡°Tenasia, would you give us a few minutes? I¡¯ll let Nora get you, when I want to get out.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, My Lady,¡± Tenasia said and left after she had dried her hands.

    Nora took the stool Tenasia had used and placed it beside the bathtub. She expected Linea to talk to her, but Linea stayed silent and looked at the ceiling.

    ¡°Linea, what is wrong?¡± Nora asked as she realized that something was amiss.

    ¡°She is gone¡­¡± Linea whispered.

    ¡°Who is¡­¡± Nora wanted to ask, but as she said it she understood what Linea was saying. ¡°Oh, what do you mean by ¡®gone¡¯?¡±

    ¡°When we fought the dark mage, Sarah used more of her abilities than she should have. And now¡­ now she is gone,¡± Linea said fighting her tears.

    ¡°You mean Sarah is dead?¡± Nora asked shocked.

    Linea wanted to answer yes, but the problem was that she wasn''t sure.

    ¡°She said she would be unconscious for a time¡­¡± Linea admitted. ¡°But I can¡¯t feel her anymore. As if she never had been there!¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re panicking about something she warned you would happen?¡± Nora asked.

    Linea frowned about Nora¡¯s oversimplified assumption but realized that Nora had a point.

    ¡°Yes, basically. But perhaps something happened that she didn¡¯t expect?¡±

    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re confused about this, but why don¡¯t we just go to the temple after you¡¯re done bathing and ask someone, who can answer that for you?¡± Nora suggested with a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a good idea,¡± Linea admitted and looked at her best friend.

    ¡°No need to sound surprised,¡± Nora said and crossed her arms. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much. From what I¡¯ve heard, Sarah needs to rest for now. She killed a dragon! She¡¯ll be fine!¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Yeah, and over two dozen soldiers as well!¡± Linea said angrily. She didn¡¯t like that everyone was praising the killing of a dragon although so many of their own died in the same time.

    ¡°Really?¡± Nora asked. ¡°No one told me about that. People are talking about how you cut down the enemy army, killed a dark mage and cleaved a dragon in two.¡±

    ¡°You saw the path of destruction in the city?¡± Linea asked in response. ¡°We did that. How can I look those people in the eye and let myself be praised as a hero? It wasn¡¯t even me! And even if I would claim the feat for myself, how can it be heroic, if we killed so many?¡±

    Linea pulled her knees to her chin and wrapped her arms around herself.

    ¡°Lalana even comforted me!¡± she let fly. ¡°She should hate me now!¡±

    ¡°Maybe she was just happy that you saved her city?¡± Nora asked. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re sad about those soldiers, but you did more good than harm. I can¡¯t imagine Lady Lalana being angry about this.¡±

    Linea fell silent again and starred at the soap bubbles floating in her bathtub.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of the water and into something nice,¡± Nora said and smiled at her. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the temple and you pray to the goddess. You can pray for the fallen as well.¡±

    <hr>

    An hour later, Linea approached the temple together with her entourage. Apart from Nora and Evira, Senia had decided to join them as well. The sisters hadn¡¯t exchanged a single word after Linea had saved her life, and Senia didn¡¯t try to do so now. She had simply joined them without even asking where they were headed. Linea¡¯s thoughts were preoccupied with more important problems and ignored her sister for now.

    In front of the temple stood a troop of city guards protecting the entrance. They attempted to stop them.

    ¡°Why is the temple cordoned off?¡± Senia asked one guard.

    ¡°The countess wants to pray and asked to have her quiet,¡± the guard answered. ¡°We were tasked to make sure that no one interrupts My Lady.¡±

    Linea in her troubled and irritated state couldn¡¯t find the patience to discuss the situation.

    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± she growled. ¡°I dare you to deny the goddess¡¯ chosen entrance to one of her temples.¡±

    To make her point even clearer, she activated her mark. The guard hesitated for a second, but then he looked at another guard, who shrugged. The first guard didn¡¯t look all that happy, but he complied.

    Linea walked past them into the temple. She found Lalana kneeling in front of the altar in a prayer dress. Linea didn¡¯t want to interrupt Lalana and signaled her companies to stay quiet. She sat down on a bench and prayed.

    ¡®Luna, please hear my prayer¡­¡¯ she said in her mind.

    ¡®Linea!¡¯ the goddess immediately answered with noticeable relief. ¡®I¡¯m so happy to see you well. The whole city was under a blockade spell. I noticed that you prayed to me, but you couldn¡¯t hear me. I wanted to warn you about the dragon!¡¯

    ¡®You knew about the dragon?¡¯ Linea asked surprised.

    ¡®Yes, someone saw the dragon and prayed to me to protect him from the dragon¡­¡¯

    ¡®Did you?¡¯

    ¡®No, I can¡¯t directly interact with the mortal realms. Only through my devoted servants and my chosen, I can influence your world,¡¯ Luna said with clear sadness in her voice.

    Linea shared her grief. She wished the goddess could have done more to protect the city.

    ¡®Luna¡­ can you tell me, if Sarah is all right?¡¯ Linea asked as she remembered why she had come to the temple. ¡®She overextended her abilities and now¡­ she is gone.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry too much,¡¯ Luna said after a moment. ¡®She is still alive, but she doesn¡¯t have any emotions or thoughts at the moment. That¡¯s probably why you can¡¯t feel her.¡¯

    A wave of relief washed over Linea.

    ¡®But you will be on your own for a while¡­¡¯ Luna added and curbed Linea¡¯s newfound optimism.

    ¡®I will manage,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®I just need to stay away from trouble for a while.¡¯

    ¡®That could be more difficult than you think,¡¯ Luna said with a serious tone. ¡®While you fought the dark mage, the humans have attacked Myrana without a declaration of war. The attack was successful as far as I gathered.¡¯

    ¡®What?¡¯ Linea asked dumbfounded.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know any specifics as no one in a position of power is praying right now. I only know what the citizens talk about,¡¯ Luna explained. ¡®My suggestion for you would be to contact your mother as soon as possible.¡¯

    ¡®I will¡­¡¯ Linea said. ¡®Oh and please guide those poor souls Sarah and I killed into the afterlife. I know you have little to do with the process, but¡­ I feel sorry for them.¡¯

    Luna didn¡¯t answer to that. She stayed silent for a while, and then she sighed.

    ¡®All right, keep your head up,¡¯ Luna said. ¡®I have to attend other important prayers.¡¯

    Linea couldn¡¯t even say goodbye as Luna had already vanished from her mind. Confused about Luna¡¯s sudden disappearance Linea opened her eyes.

    Lalana had completed her prayer as well and walked over to Linea.

    ¡°Can you give us a minute?¡± Linea asked Nora and Senia, who had taken the seats beside her.

    Senia frowned, but Nora smiled and steered Senia away from Linea. Lalana took their place.

    ¡°How are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Better,¡± Linea said and smiled as she looked into Lalana¡¯s face. To her surprise she noticed a lot of freckles on the countess¡¯ face. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had freckles. That¡¯s unusual.¡±

    ¡°It runs in my family,¡± Lalana admitted with a blush on her face. ¡°I cover them with make-up usually. Only if I pray I go without it, out of respect to our goddess, who made me like this.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡± Linea asked. ¡°It looks so cute!¡±

    Lalana chuckled but changed the topic.

    ¡°Are you here to pray to the goddess as well?¡±

    ¡°I already did,¡± Linea confirmed. ¡°And I asked her to take care of the souls of your soldiers.¡±

    Linea looked to her feet and her hands clawed into the fabric of her dress.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about what happened¡­¡±

    Lalana didn¡¯t react at first, but after some time she pulled Linea into a hug.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± she said with a soothing voice. ¡°We¡¯re all sad about their deaths, but¡­ no one is blaming you. Especially not me. I¡¯m just happy that you saved the city. Death is part of a battle.¡±

    Linea sobbed for some time but Lalana kept hugging her and hummed a sweet little tone.

    After calming down, Linea remembered Luna¡¯s words.

    ¡°We need to contact the capital,¡± she said to Lalana. ¡°The humans have declared war and have apparently conquered Myrana.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lalana asked just as shocked as Linea had been.

    <hr>

    Lalana had organized a carriage for them, on which they drove over to the Sorcerer¡¯s Guild. The fastest way to contact Luna¡¯sindranar was a mirror communication spell. The idea behind these were simple. Two special mirrors were by a spell, and every time someone poured mana into the construct, he was able to communicate with whoever was on the other side.

    They were greeted by Sir Lundir, who worked with city officials on plans to repair the wall.

    ¡°How can we help you?¡± he asked courteous.

    Lalana explained the situation quickly.

    ¡°This will pose a problem¡­¡± The mage said with a frown. ¡°We¡¯re all exhausted from the fight and the mana consumption of this spell is immense.¡±

    ¡°How long can you keep it up?¡± Linea asked with crossed arms.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, how much mana everyone has left, but I would assume not more than ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°That has to do it,¡± Linea said and shrugged.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll send a courier to get all the sorcerer and mages,¡± Sir Lundir said. ¡°And then I¡¯ll call Luna¡¯sindranar to get the queen. By the time everyone is here, the queen should be able to get to the mirror in Luna¡¯sindranar.¡±

    Linea had to wait for half an hour before everyone was gathered. She walked up and down in the main hall of the Sorcerer¡¯s Guild, when the last two mages entered.

    ¡°Finally!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Can we start?¡±

    Sir Lundir nodded and led them into a chamber where a two-meter mirror was placed. The name Luna¡¯sindranar was engraved into the top part of the frame. The mages and sorcerers poured their mana without a chant into a crystal on top of the frame and with a rippling effect the sight of the mirror changed from Linea to someone else.

    ¡°Linea!¡± Tarina exclaimed with a big smile. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you!¡±

    ¡°Tarina!¡± Linea answered and smiled just as much. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you as well, but we don¡¯t have time to waste. Our mana reserves are low, and I think we have a lot to discuss.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Tarina agreed and her face grew darker. ¡°But two things first. Is Senia with you? And what about the dark mage?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senia is with me,¡± Linea said and rolled her eyes. She motioned Senia to step in front of the mirror.

    ¡°Hello Tarina, how are you?¡± Senia asked innocently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± Tarina yelled. ¡°Have you any idea how mad mother was after you disappeared? We have searching squads looking for you everywhere.¡±

    ¡°We sent you a courier after we found her,¡± Evira threw in with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°Did he not reach Luna¡¯sindranar?¡±

    ¡°Not as far as I know,¡± Tarina said. ¡°That¡¯s disturbing.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Linea agreed. ¡°But we don¡¯t have time for it now. I removed the dark mage as a threat, by the way.¡±

    Tarina raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Already?¡± she asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so fast.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was child¡¯s play,¡± Linea said and crossed her arms. ¡°But that¡¯s not important. What is up with the humans? Is it true that Myrana has been conquered?¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Tarina said. ¡°But that¡¯s not all. There had been reports that the humans had marched on Kandir. Mother rallied our troops and wanted to take Myrana back while the humans besieged Kandir. We haven¡¯t heard from them since they have passed Avandir. A few eyewitnesses said they were ambushed between Avandir and Myrana. We haven¡¯t heard from mother since.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, all indications are that mother, father and Tovandir have been captured or killed.¡±

    Linea stumbled as her knees gave in for a second. Senia grabbed her before she fell, but she looked just as pale as Linea.

    ¡°I have taken on the role as queen regent as long as we don¡¯t know what happened to Mother,¡± Tarina said with a hard voice. Linea knew Tarina was just as shaken as her sister, but she had to appear firm and determined.

    ¡°Good,¡± Linea got out. ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t move out of Luna¡¯sindranar without knowing, if you were alive or where Senia was,¡± Tarina explained. ¡°I need you in Avandir. We¡¯ll meet up in Avandir. Shandir will bring his troops from the north. We will decide how to proceed from there.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Senia asked eagerly.

    ¡°You?¡± Tarina replied dryly. ¡°You come back to Luna¡¯sindranar.¡±

    ¡°What? But I could help¡­¡±

    ¡°You will do as I say!¡± Tarina bellowed. ¡°You have lost every right to an opinion the moment you left the capital without Mother¡¯s permission. As the heir apparent to the throne in case of mother''s death, your place is in the capital. Remember your place!¡±

    Senia looked furious but didn¡¯t dare to give a snarky reply.

    ¡°Time is up!¡± Sir Lundir suddenly said and the picture fizzled out and the mirror showed Linea¡¯s and Senia reflection again.

    ¡°Already?¡± Linea asked surprised.

    ¡°Apologies, My Lady,¡± Sir Lundir said. ¡°This isn¡¯t an exact science. I guess we were lower on mana than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Well, nothing we can do about,¡± Linea said and looked at Evira. ¡°You heard the queen regent. Let¡¯s get ready to move.¡±

 Arc 1 - Chapter 22 - Family Meeting

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not coming with me this time!¡± Linea hissed, as she and Nora walked through the city surrounded by her guards. ¡°End of discussion!¡±

    ¡°We have talked about this before,¡± Nora argued, but switched to a whispering tone. ¡°You need me! Especially with Sarah being¡­ unavailable.¡±

    Linea stopped in her tracks and looked Nora deep in the eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare using Sarah for this¡­ non-existing discussion.¡±

    The two girls had argued the whole night about this problem. And the night before. And the night before that night. Linea had decided she would leave Taldira only when the mages had repaired the city wall provisionally. At least that had been her official statement on that topic. The truth was, she had hoped for Sarah the wake up in the meantime.

    But time was running out.

    ¡°I told you over and over again, I¡¯m sending you and Aruna back to Luna¡¯sindranar. Neither Taldira nor Avandir are safe enough, and just like Senia, you are the heir to a title. I know you don¡¯t like it, but I have to make this decision for the good of Luna¡¯sindra.¡±

    ¡°But what about you?¡± Nora asked and took Linea¡¯s hand. ¡°You can¡¯t to this alone¡­¡±

    Linea rolled her eyes and pulled her hand away from Nora.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own,¡± Linea said. ¡°Also, I¡¯ve got Evira with me. She can protect me.¡±

    Nora wanted to discuss this further, but as they reached the keep, Lalana intercepted them.

    ¡°Your Grace, we¡­¡± she started Linea raised her hand to interrupt her.

    ¡°I told you call me Linea,¡± she said with a smile which Lalana matched.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, reflex.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Linea said. ¡°You wanted something?¡±

    ¡°Yes, My La- I mean, Linea,¡± Lalana said and blushed faintly. ¡°We searched everywhere for Sir Fenandir, but to no avail. Witnesses claim he fought near the wall where¡­ you know¡­ it happened.¡±

    Linea sighed ant looked into the sky. After the fight she hadn¡¯t spared even a thought about the meddlesome knight, but when she had a bit of downtime and tried to decide, who to take with her to Avandir, she remembered him again. But Fenandir was nowhere to be found.

    Now she realized why.

    ¡°All right, thank you for your help, Lalana,¡± Linea said. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I should be on my way. I¡¯ll leave tomorrow evening.¡±

    <hr>

    Later that night, everyone of Linea¡¯s entourage met in Lalana¡¯s library.

    ¡°All right, now that we¡¯re all gathered let¡¯s begin this short meeting,¡± Linea announced. ¡°I¡¯m sure word got out already that we¡¯re at war. Our older sister is the current queen regent until we have confirmed our mother¡¯s death or freed her. In any case, I have been ordered to ride towards Avandir, while Senia will depart for Luna¡¯sindranar. I called you because we need to split up.¡±

    Everyone looked at her and awaited her next words. Linea had expected a little more protest.

    ¡°Senia¡¯s group will consist of Senia, Aruna, Nora and my maid Minara. There won¡¯t be any discussion,¡± she added seeing the forming disagreement on said persons¡¯ faces. ¡°Minara will take most of my stuff back to Luna¡¯sindranar. I will only take my armor dress and my Fulchar with me. It¡¯s a long ride and we need to ride fast.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you depart earlier?¡± Senia asked with crossed arms.

    ¡°For reasons you don¡¯t need to know, dear sister. And don¡¯t even think about sneaking off again to follow me. Tarina gave you a direct order.¡±

    Senia murmured something, but Linea didn¡¯t care enough to ask her about it.

    ¡°Evira, it¡¯s your call who do you want to escort.¡±

    ¡°I would like to follow you, My Lady,¡± Evira said with a bow. ¡°But my duty is to protect the higher-ranking member of the royal family in this time of peril.¡±

    Linea nodded and tried to hide her disappointment. She knew Evira was right, and Senia¡¯s safety had the higher priority at the moment, but she had to admit that she had grown accustomed to the fierce Guard¡¯s captain.

    ¡°A wise decision,¡± Linea just commented and focussed back on the other people in the room. ¡°I will take the cavalry of Taldira with me into war. The rest will stay here to defend the city. We don¡¯t know which and how many Torra still lurk out there, and I won¡¯t leave the city without defenders.¡±

    ¡°I will come with you,¡± Lalana said with a smile, but Linea didn¡¯t share the smile this time.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no,¡± Linea said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. But apart from that I need one volunteer to lead the cavalry in battle.¡±

    ¡°I can do it, My Lady,¡± Lady Talura said and stood up.

    ¡°I could do it too, My Lady,¡± Nora¡¯s sister Tira said and rose as well.

    Linea looked between the women. ¡°All right, you stay behind afterwards with Lalana.¡±

    After discussing a few more minor things, the group dispersed. Linea waited until everyone had left beside Tira, Talura and Lalana.

    ¡°All right!¡± she said and clapped her hands. ¡°Talura, I respect you and your leadership skills. And for that reason, I would like you to stay here and help Lalana. I fear for this city more than I fear for Avandir. When we meet with the army, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll need an additional military advisor. But Lalana does. Can you do that for me?¡±

    Lady Talura bowed.

    ¡°Of course, My Lady,¡± she said and puffed her chest. ¡°Your wish is my command.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Linea replied and looked at Lady Tira. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that I¡¯m sending your sister back to Luna¡¯sindranar.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Lady Tira said. ¡°I can¡¯t think of a better place for her to be in a war.¡±

    Linea nodded to that statement.

    ¡°And you feel up to the task leading Lalana¡¯s men into battle?¡±

    ¡°Of course, or else I wouldn¡¯t have volunteered.¡± Lady Tira answered and winked at Linea.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Linea said and patted Tira on the shoulder. ¡°Now if you¡¯d excuse us, Lalana and I have things to discuss.¡±

    Talura and Tira made a curtsy and left.

    Linea finally took the liberty and sat down on a comfy arm chair. Lalana sat down on a couch beside her.

    ¡°I really would¡¯ve liked to follow you,¡± Lalana said and frowned.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice of you, but like I said the city is still in danger. Possibly¡­¡±

    Linea stopped and looked at Lalana.

    ¡°You hid your freckles again,¡± she stated.

    Lalana blushed, but chuckled. ¡°Yes, I have.¡±

    ¡°But they were cute,¡± Linea said with a frown.

    ¡°As you have told me before,¡± Lalana noticed. ¡°But this is not about my freckles. Is there any way I can convince you to take me with you? I¡¯ve never seen someone so wise in our age group. No one with your battle prowess.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re flattering me,¡± Linea said and turned away to hide her embarrassment.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll stop¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t say it¡¯s bad.¡±

    Lalana paused for a second but then chuckled.

    ¡°Lalana, I really like you and I think we could become good friends, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But duty calls, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Lalana completed.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Linea admitted. ¡°You have a city to protect and I have a call to arms to follow. Perhaps I can visit you here in Taldira as soon as this war is over?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I would be happy to have you here!¡± Lalana said with a big smile on her face.

    <hr>

    The next evening came faster than Linea liked. She still had hoped for Sarah to wake up before she went off to Avandir, but to her dismay, Sarah still was unconscious.

    Her escort already awaited her. They had briefly entertained the idea of a joined caravan until they reached Enidara, where they could have split off, but Senia¡¯s group would be slower as they had more material to transport, because of Linea¡¯s stuff among others.

    Aruna was the first to say goodbye to Linea.

    ¡°Try to keep practicing your healing,¡± Aruna said and pulled Linea into a hug. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too hard to do in a war.¡±

    Linea smiled about Aruna¡¯s crude humor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to disappoint you,¡± she said and returned the hug. She then pulled a book out of her bag. It was the journal of Saria. ¡°Can you please return this to High Priestess Nasinia? Even though I¡¯m not completely done reading it, I feel uncomfortable carrying it with me any further into a war. I already think it wasn¡¯t a good idea to bring it here in the first place.¡±

    Aruna looked at the book.

    ¡°Looks old,¡± she commented.

    ¡°It is,¡± Linea confirmed. ¡°And it¡¯s invaluable. Keep it safe!¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Aruna said. ¡°And you greet your sister from me. Tell her, the fiery firebird wishes the old crow all the luck she needs.¡±

    ¡°What is it with you and your strange nicknames?¡± Linea asked and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°That? Oh, it comes from our time back at the university. We were four noble girls bored out of our minds in the evenings. Since we couldn¡¯t just go around and have fun with boys like all the others¡­ we had fun with each other instead.¡±

    Linea went violet faster than a lighting hits the earth.

    ¡°Wh- wh- what?¡± Linea stuttered.

    ¡°Wait, Tarina didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Aruna asked and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t!¡± Linea cried out. ¡°And I¡¯m not sure if I wanted to know!¡±

    Aruna snorted and patted Lineas head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get over it¡­ little crow.¡±

    Linea boxed Aruna on the shoulder.

    The next one to see her off was Lalana.

    ¡°Please, be safe!¡± Lalana simply said and hugged Linea just as Aruna had before. But this time, Linea felt somewhat hotter. She returned the hug quickly.

    ¡°You too. I¡¯d hate to¡­ hear something happened to you,¡± Linea said and avoided Lalana¡¯s eyes. She wondered why it had gotten so hot here suddenly.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not the one going into war,¡± Lana said. ¡°But in all honesty. Please don¡¯t do something stupid. Look out for yourself.¡±

    Lalana gave her a small kiss on the forehead.

    ¡°For good luck,¡± Lalana explained as Linea blushed.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    The last ones coming to her were Senia and Evira.

    ¡°Never take of your eyes off my sister,¡± Linea said to Evira, who bowed in agreement, which resulted in a loud groan from Senia. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to groan at me. You brought this upon yourself.¡±

    Senia rolled her eyes, but Linea didn¡¯t mind it. She had somehow come to accept her sister being just as stubborn and headstrong as she was. She pulled Senia into a hug.

    ¡°Be safe, sister,¡± she whispered. ¡°If everything goes to shit, you¡¯ll be queen.¡±

    Senia hesitated but returned the hug, eventually.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the queen,¡± she murmured.

    ¡°Neither do I.¡±

    <hr>

    Their travel to Avandir was surprisingly uneventful. It took them only six days in which they stopped only for sleeping and eating. They were reinforced in Enidara by stragglers of the army who followed the main army down south. On their way to Avandir they came upon multiple places where the army had rested, but ultimately their group only reached the army near Avandir. They had built a big fortified encampment. When they neared the camp, a small detachment greeted them to confirm their identity.

    Linea was led to the biggest tent in the camp. The Royal Guard in front of it saluted her, to which Linea respectfully nodded. Inside she found to her surprise not only Tarina and Shandir but also Tovandir.

    ¡°Linea! You¡¯re here!¡± Terina said and greeted her not only with a hug, but she also lifted her and whirled her around. ¡°I was so worried about you and Senia.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± Linea just said. When her sister let her down, she greeted Shandir with a hug.

    ¡°It has been way too long, big brother,¡± she said and snuggled herself against him.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he admitted and rubbed her head. ¡°And what did I hear about one of my sisters getting blessed without telling me?¡±

    ¡°I wrote you a letter!¡± Linea defended herself, but also let her mark glow.

    Shandir examined her forehead intensely.

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you,¡± he said with a smile.

    Her gaze fell on her oldest brother and her smile froze. He looked sick and had some bandages around his head. Also, one of his arms was in a sling.

    ¡°What happened to you?¡± she asked and sat down beside him on the little couch he lay on.

    ¡°Humans,¡± he just said.

    ¡°Can I get a little more than that?¡± Linea asked and looked at her siblings. ¡°And also take of those bandages. I can heal you.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said as firmly as he could. ¡°Like I told the healers: We need that strength in the coming fights. I will head back to Luna¡¯sindranar either way to oversee the conscriptions. I¡¯ll get myself patched up there.¡±

    Linea threw Tarina an inquisitive look, but she only shrugged.

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Linea said. ¡°But tell me what happened.¡±

    ¡°They ambushed us halfway to Myrana,¡± Tovandir explained. ¡°It was a complete disaster. They killed Suvira and her men, overwhelmed our forces and took Mother as a hostage. Father as well, but politically Mother is the bigger issue.¡±

    ¡°So, they are still alive?¡± Linea said full of hope.

    ¡°They were the last time I saw them.¡±

    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Linea asked and laid her hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°They captured me as well,¡± he told them. ¡°The humans have invented something like anti-magic shackles. They suppress one¡¯s control over his own mana. They killed nearly all two thousand men of the Royal Army on the spot. They captured the servants and put them in cages in their camp. Besides me, Mother, Father and them, they left no one alive.¡±

    Linea put her hand over her mouth. She knew humans were barbaric, but this was unbelievable.

    ¡°How¡­ How did you escape?¡±

    ¡°When they broke camp, they put me in a carriage with some surviving women of the Royal Guard. Shortly after they started moving, we passed a makeshift bridge over a small stream where the carriage slipped off and smashed into the streambed. My shackles broke somehow, and I yelled at the guards to run. We came pretty far, but then spells from their mages rained down on us. The guards protected me with their lives and with using the rest of my mana, I escaped.¡±

    ¡°Those damn bastards!¡± Linea said and Shandir nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how the humans managed all that. How did they ambush the Royal Army? What were our scouts doing?¡±

    ¡°The answer to that are beastmen,¡± Tovandir said with a grim face. ¡°I saw them at the camp. I think they were mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°Beastmen?¡± Linea asked surprised. ¡°But they hate the humans even more than we do.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. Perhaps the emperor made a deal which they couldn¡¯t deny? I would put it past him to abduct and enslave their families just to force them to do his bidding,¡± Tovandir explained.

    They were silent for a moment until Tarina looked at Linea.

    ¡°And you killed a dark mage?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not quite,¡± Linea said. ¡°He blew himself up, I took the energy of that blast and killed a Void dragon with it.¡±

    Her siblings looked disbelievingly at her.

    ¡°What?¡± Linea asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have gone, if I didn¡¯t think I could defeat him.¡±

    ¡°A Void dragon?¡± Tarina asked. ¡°There has never been a Void dragon since the Great Cataclysm!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and it was no fun fighting that.¡±

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s put that aside from now,¡± Tarina said and shook her head. ¡°How can you help in this fight? How far do your new powers go?¡±

    ¡°They go nowhere right now,¡± Linea said and crossed her arms. She quickly thought about telling her siblings about Sarah, but she hesitated to do so without Sarah¡¯s consent.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tovandir asked and straightened himself.

    ¡°I¡­ overextended my powers to deal with the dark mage and the dragon. They still haven¡¯t recovered yet,¡± Linea admitted. ¡°But I can still heal people. So, I suggest putting me with the other healers.¡±

    Tarina nodded and looked at Shandir.

    ¡°Can you show her around? The Sisterhood of Saria has their tents on the northern part. We will wait for the humans to make their move. They already reached the city but didn¡¯t capture it. They will have to attack us into a defensive position or attack the city. Both cases leave them open for attacks into the rear from either us or the cities¡¯ defenders.¡±

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll show Linea around,¡± he said and smiled at Linea. ¡°We can catch up on some things on the¡­¡±

    But he didn¡¯t come further as a messenger entered the tent and greeted the with a bow.

    ¡°Your Royal Highnesses,¡± the messenger said. ¡°The human general asks for a parley. They will meet our delegation halfway between our camps on the field.¡±

    Tarina furrowed her brows.

    ¡°That¡¯s unexpected,¡± she said.

    ¡°I guess they want to coerce us into surrendering the city in exchange for the queen,¡± Shandir suspected. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t give in. Mother wouldn¡¯t want us.¡±

    Tarina nodded, but Tovandir gave them another thought.

    ¡°But we should still listen to what they want,¡± he argued. ¡°At least it is common courtesy. We¡¯re not so barbaric to decline a parley. We don¡¯t need to accept if we don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Linea agreed. ¡°And as I see it, I should go.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Tarina and Shandir exclaimed.

    ¡°She is right,¡± Tovandir supported her and looked at Tarina. ¡°Shandir is our acting general, you are the queen regent and I¡¯m in no shape to negotiate. That leaves only Linea.¡±

    ¡°And, if the humans are courteous enough to ask for a parley, I don¡¯t expect them to ignore the most basic rules of courtesy,¡± Linea added.

    Tarina didn¡¯t seem to like the idea, but the logic was firm.

    <hr>

    The humans awaited Linea at sunrise in the grassy fields between their camps. A man in a full plate armor, but without a helmet greeted Linea and her two guards. His quite feminine looking long blond hair fell down his back. His two guards had the same steel armor with lion motifs and closed helmets.

    ¡°Greetings, Young Lady¡­¡± he said and waited for her to introduce herself.

    ¡°I¡¯m Princess Linea of Luna¡¯sindra,¡± Linea said with a harsh voice. ¡°And you have trespassed our country¡¯s border without permission or a declaration of war. You also have taken our queen as a prisoner. I accepted this parley in representation of Queen Regent Tarina. What are your terms of releasing our queen and king?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re rather outspoken for such a young girl,¡± the man said with a smile. ¡°My name is Prince Tanus Seranus, brother of the emperor of the Seven Holy Kingdoms. Our conditions are rather simple. You surrender this city to us, your army will be disarmed and taken into the empire as work or sex slaves. Depending on who wants to buy them.¡±

    Linea face got a deep violet shade.

    ¡°And here I thought, there would be a chance to discuss things politely, but as I see it, there is no sense in discussing with apes.¡±

    ¡°Careful, young princess,¡± Tanus said. ¡°You¡¯re making me angry, and you don¡¯t want me angry.¡±

    ¡°I want you dead,¡± Linea said with a low voice. ¡°But that has to wait, as you¡¯re protected by the courtesy of the parley.¡±

    Linea turned Minu around and motioned her guards to follow her.

    ¡°The fight will commence at noon,¡± Tanus yelled after her.

 Arc 1- Chapter 23 - The Battle of Avandir

    ¡°Happy birthday, by the way,¡± Tarina said as she, Shandir and Linea rode between the lines of soldiers back to their position.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Linea answered.

    ¡°I said ¡®happy birthday¡¯,¡± Tarina repeated and chuckled. ¡°Did you forget your birthday again?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Linea stuttered. Thinking about it, it was in fact the middle of the summer. She hadn¡¯t even spared a thought for her birthday. ¡°Thank you and yes, I may have forgotten my birthday.¡±

    ¡°Again!¡± Shandir said and smirked at her. ¡°It¡¯s the same as every year. You¡¯re so absorbed with something you forget important things like this.¡±

    ¡°To be fair, this year I have every reason to be distracted,¡± Linea replied without joining their amusement.

    Her siblings stopped smiling.

    ¡°Still, can we get you something for your birthday?¡± Shandir asked.

    ¡°The head of that slimy general,¡± Linea said and looked back at the human army that stood on a hill opposite side of the fields in front of the city. The humans had even pulled back all their blockading units away from the city to reinforce the main army. But to the Moon Elves'' surprise, Duke Turandir didn¡¯t send out any forces to join their army. A messenger had cleared that confusion as Turandir was still preparing his forces and would join the fight as soon as he could.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what can be done,¡± Tarina said.

    The army that Shandir had brought from the north was four thousand men strong. They were a mix of the northern part of the Royal Army and fresh conscripts from all over the country. The Royal Army was battle-hardened and highly skilled, but after losing the southern part, their confidence was shaken. The conscripts were even worse morale-wise. Their queen had been captured, and they faced an army that had bested their most experienced forces. Tarina¡¯s speech a few minutes ago had only done so much. In fact, it was Linea¡¯s appearance that gave them a much-needed boost. She was the chosen one and the knights from Taldira had spread the word of the Angel of Taldira as they called her, apparently.

    On the positive side of things, the humans had received no reinforcement from the empire yet. Their four thousand men stood in line roughly seven hundred meters away. Close enough for mages, but the humans had their own mages from what Tovandir had told them.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll head to the other healers,¡± Linea said as they reached the back of their lines. ¡°And Shandir? Keep Tira close to you. I don¡¯t want to explain Nora, how you got her sister killed.¡±

    ¡°No promises in war, but I''ll try, sister dearest,¡± Shandir replied with an unmoving face.

    ¡°I know¡­ just¡­ try to keep her out of trouble.¡±

    Linea rode further back to a tent with an open rose in a circle painted on it. She dismounted from Minu and entered the tent. Her six guards waited outside as it would have gotten rather cramped inside.

    ¡°Your Grace!¡± a priestess named Silia called for her. Linea walked over to her and the other six healers, who stood around a table.

    ¡°We¡¯re planning on how to work in this battle,¡± Silia explained. ¡°We¡¯ve never worked together and I¡¯m the only one with some kind of battlefield experience. Our hope was you would have some insight for us?¡±

    The seven healers looked at Linea hopefully.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never healed in combat before,¡± Linea admitted, ¡°but in Taldira we had two stations. A first aid station near the initial battlefield and a field hospital in an inn close by. It seemed to have worked well.¡±

    ¡°So, we should stay here and heal everyone, who is brought here, while some of us are directly at the battlefield?¡± Silia asked.

    ¡°More or less,¡± Linea said. ¡°I will do the first aid as I have a lot of power to spare and I should be able to patch up many people without them even having to go back here. Two of you and a group of soldiers will help me to transport the injured back here. One of the two will go with those transports to watch over the patients.¡±

    Linea made up this plan after she had witnessed the efficiency of this system in Taldira. The Void Huntress who had proposed this system had proven it to be effective.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± a short, dark-haired priestess said and raised her arm.

    ¡°Me too,¡± the tallest of the group said.

    ¡°All right, you will stay with me,¡± Linea pointed at the short woman, and then at the taller one. ¡°And you have the transport duty. What are your names?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Pinia,¡± the short priestess said.

    ¡°Luva,¡± the taller woman added.

    ¡°Good, I¡¯m Linea,¡± she said and some healers chuckled, but Linea looked at them with a serious face. ¡°Please, refrain from using any honorifics in battle. We don¡¯t have time for that.¡±

    <hr>

    Linea checked her eye bandage for the third time as she stood on top of the hill at Tarina¡¯s side.

    ¡°Nervous,¡± her sister asked without taking her eyes of the enemy army.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Linea admitted in a quiet voice. ¡°I have a bad feeling somehow¡­¡±

    Tarina frowned. ¡°Anything specific?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ just¡­ a bad feeling.¡±

    They fell silent. Shandir returned from their left flank where the cavalry was positioned.

    ¡°Everything is ready,¡± he reported. ¡°The humans can come.¡±

    ¡°It is noon,¡± Linea said as she checked the sun¡¯s position. ¡°He said, the attack would begin at noon.¡±

    As if she had commanded it, the enemy started moving. To their surprise instead of marching on their position, the enemy moved on the city.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Tarina asked with wide eyes. ¡°Are they stupid? They can¡¯t expect to break the city and dealing with us at the same time¡­¡±

    Shandir looked similar surprised.

    ¡°Well, in that case, we¡¯ll wait for now. Let them grind against the cities defenses first,¡± he explained. ¡°We¡¯ll intervene, if they make progress.¡±

    They watched the humans nearing the city walls. As expected they had magical shields up to protect them from the rain of arrows. After a few volleys Avandir¡¯s defenders stopped their fire as it bounced off harmlessly.

    ¡°I wished they would keep on firing¡­¡± Shandir noted. ¡°It would deplete their mana more.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more concerned that there is absolutely no magical bombardment from within the city,¡± Tarina said. ¡°What is Turandir doing?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps he wants to conserve power?¡± Linea suggested.

    ¡°For what?¡± Tarina argued. ¡°For him it¡¯s either winning or losing. He can¡¯t withdraw from the battle like us.¡±

    Out of the blue Linea got a bone chilling feeling from the human army. Something she had gotten accustomed to in the last few weeks.

    ¡°Void magic!¡± she yelled, and her eyes widened.

    ¡°What?¡± Tarina and Shandir asked and their heads jerked towards her. Linea just pointed at the human army.

    A dark lightning jumped from the back lines into the city wall in front of the human army annihilating a large chunk of the wall.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Shandir yelled.

    ¡°They have a dark mage!¡± Linea answered, and her premonition got even darker. ¡°This is bad¡­ This may be why there are no spells coming from the city. Depending on how powerful the dark mage is, he may stop them from casting altogether.¡±

    ¡°We need to attack,¡± Shandir said. He gave signs to the trumpeter at his side. A quick signal with his trumpet prompted their army to move forward.

    Linea¡¯s pulse raced as they walked towards the human army. Tanus had noticed their advance and veered his army around to face them. Perhaps he had hoped to take the city by surprise, but the approaching Elven army seemed to intimidate the humans enough to force a reaction.

    ¡°All right, Tarina,¡± Shandir said. ¡°You know the plan. Force them back from the city. Give Turandir the opportunity to join us. I¡¯ll take the cavalry to flank them.¡±

    Tarina nodded and Shandir rode away.

    It took them some time to close the distance. Linea had feared that the dark mage would prevent them from defending themselves with an anti-arrow shield, but it seemed that he had run out of Void-Energy.

    Linea and her first aid group followed the army together with Tarina. When the two armies were only fifty meters apart, another horn was blown from the left flank. It was the signal for a charge attack. The first lines started running and clashed with the humans shortly after.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Loud screams of pain and war cries echoed over the field. As Linea looked around to spot any injured being pulled back.

    Spells and arrows flew over their heads, but the shields on both sides seemed to stay strong. It ultimately came down to the infantry fighting it out on the battlefield. And here the difference between elves and humans became clear. Even though the forces had roughly the same numbers, they pushed the humans back. As the line of battle moved backwards, injured soldiers lay on the field.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get working!¡± Linea yelled to her group. The soldiers and two priestesses followed her even though she was faster on her horse. Her guards went with her and when she dismounted, one of them took Minu¡¯s reins.

    The injured soldiers were spread across the whole battlefield and Linea was unsure where to start. She looked around and the rusty smell of blood filled her nostrils. A pained scream from her left side prompted her to react. She ran over to the man, who held his hands over his stomach.

    Linea kneeled down beside him.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, soldier?¡± she asked him to distract him.

    ¡°Tul- Tuldadir,¡± he said weakly.

    ¡°All right, Tuldadir,¡± Linea replied with a forced smile. ¡°I¡¯ll heal you. Just take your hands off your wound.¡±

    He did as she asked hesitantly. Linea started her incantation, and the wound closed itself. The soldier touched his stomach in disbelief.

    ¡°That was fast¡­¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I do,¡± Linea explained. ¡°We all have to do our part in defending our lands. I heal, and you kill humans. Can you do that for me?¡±

    ¡°Of- of course!¡± Tuldadir said.

    ¡°Off you go then,¡± Linea said with a genuine smile this time. She stretched her hand out and help him get up. In the meantime, the rest of her group had arrived.

    ¡°Luva, Pinia,¡± she said to them. ¡°Take half of the men each and search for survivors. Ignore the humans, only our men. Put those with injuries that would render them unable to fight for a while on the carts. The others to me.¡±

    They spread out and started their work.

    The battle dragged on for an hour with no decisive victory on any side. The initial advantage of the Moon Elves had subsided as they had pushed the human army up their hill. But the higher position evened out their battle strength. And Shandir had not been able to break through the flank yet.

    Linea was just working on the arm of a soldier which had been smashed by something when yells started around them. Linea looked up to watch for the source of the commotion. People pointed at the city, and Linea saw the gate being opened.

    ¡°Finally, the duke honors us with his presence,¡± Linea murmured. The fight would have been easier, if the duke hadn¡¯t waited so long to make a move. At least the cavalry, which exited the city, would be helpful to end this battle.

    ¡°They come to our position,¡± one guard said.

    ¡°That idiot should go to the right flank instead,¡± Linea cursed and looked for her sister, who stood roughly hundred meters to her left with her guards. She couldn¡¯t read her expression from this distance, but Linea guessed her to be as pissed.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± the guard said confused and pointed at them.

    Linea¡¯s head jerked around and confused she watched as the cavalry charged at them with raised swords.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Linea yelled, but as the cavalry reached them a guard pushed her out of the way of a lance to protect her. However, the guard was impaled through the chest and blood sprayed all over Linea.

    ¡°No!¡± Linea cried out in horror. Duke Turandir and his men cut down the guards and Linea''s first aid troop fast and they charged even further into the back of their front lines.

    Linea pushed the dead guard away from her and pulled herself up. She unsheathed her Fulchar and looked around. A part of the cavalry of Duke Turandir had detached from the main force and came back for her. Linea saw also how the humans suddenly pushed through the lines at their left side with magical explosions.

    Before Turandir¡¯s troops could reach her however, Tarina interjected them with her guards. As the two small cavalry units clashed a lot of the horses slammed into each other taking their riders down with them. Linea looked around searching for Minu. A few feet from her, she noticed her mare¡¯s armor lying in the mud.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Linea whispered. ¡°No, no, no!¡±

    She ran over to Minu and placed a hand on her flank. She didn¡¯t breathe. Linea had no idea what was wrong with her, but it didn¡¯t matter. She chanted her incantation, but nothing happened.

    ¡°No, please¡­ Not Minu!¡± she pleaded and tried to cast the healing spell again.

    Again, nothing changed.

    Tears streamed down Linea¡¯s face as she put her forehead against Minu¡¯s body.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± she sobbed and caressed Minu.

    She kneeled for a short moment, but finally she glanced over the battlefield. They still had a war to win. Tarina was involved in a fight with a taller Moon Elf. Linea guessed him to be Duke Turandir.

    She drew her Fulchar and marched in their direction. Tarina was holding her ground as good as she could, but it was obvious that Turandir was the more experienced fighter. A fact, which should have stopped Linea from even attempting what she was about to do. With a quick look to their left flank, she saw that the lines had broken and Shandir was being pushed away from them.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Linea yelled when she looked back at Turandir. ¡°You traitorous son of a bitch!¡±

    Turandir gazed at her, and Tarina tried to use the distraction, but Turandir managed to evade. Linea reached them with a sprint and attacked the duke as well. He effortlessly parried her attack and overbalanced her with a kick against her legs.

    Linea stumbled past him and landed in the grass.

    ¡°It¡¯s sad how deep the Royal Family has fallen,¡± he commented with a smirk. ¡°You¡¯re not even worth my respect. It¡¯s time for a change.¡±

    He struck at Linea, who rolled to the side. She tried to get up, but Turandir didn¡¯t want to give her the chance. His sword came down on her and Linea had to muster all her strength to parry. The force of the blow was strong enough that her own sword smashed against her head.

    Disoriented Linea fell back on the ground.

    ¡°No, Linea!¡± Tarina yelled and attacked Turandir with abandon to protect her sister.

    Linea tried to stand up again using her sword as a crook, but the blade sank into the soft soil. She lost her balance and fell down again. The world around her started to turn black.

    As she slowly lost her consciousness, she saw how Turandir burrowed his blade in Tarina¡¯s chest. He pulled the sword back and Tarina fell on her knees.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Linea mumbled.

    With her last strength she looked at Turandir, who laughed. With a last strike he severed Tarina¡¯s head from her body. The last thing Linea saw was Tarina¡¯s head landing between them.

    <hr>

    A headache was the first Linea noticed when she woke up again. She groaned and tried to open her eyes.

    ¡°-nea!¡± a voice reached her ears. She forced her eyes open. She lay on a hard surface, which her hands identified as wood.

    ¡°Wha¡­¡± Linea croaked.

    ¡°Linea!¡± the voice called for her again. It sounded familiar.

    She raised her head slowly. Around her were metal bars and a lot of humans doing whatever.

    ¡°Where¡­¡± Linea tried to speak, but her headache overpowered her for a short moment.

    ¡°Linea, dear! Can you hear me?¡± the voice cried out for her again. Linea made the effort to identify the voice. To her right side was a cage in which someone stood looking at her.

    ¡°Mother?¡± she asked and squinted her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, by Luna¡¯s name,¡± Arania said relieved. ¡°I feared you were seriously wounded.¡±

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Linea asked still being disoriented. She tried to recall how she got here.

    ¡°The human¡¯s encampment,¡± Arania explained. ¡°What happened? Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡­¡± Linea stammered and got into a sitting position. She rubbed her head. Slowly her memories came back. ¡°Oh Luna! Tarina!¡±

    ¡°What? What is with Tarina?¡± Arania asked and her hands clenched the metal bars of her cage.

    ¡°He¡­ he killed her¡­¡± Linea said, and tears flowed from her eyes.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Arania said, and she started crying as well.

    Linea suddenly noticed something weighing down on her shoulders. She couldn¡¯t see it, but her hands felt a metal collar dangling around her neck.

    ¡°What is that?¡± she asked as her fingers examined the foreign object. She also noticed that her hands were cuffed. The mental image she created upon fumbling with the object on her neck, reminded her of something she had seen before.

    ¡°It¡¯s a disgusting invention from the humans,¡± Arania explained. ¡°They call it ¡®slave collar¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Slave¡­¡± Linea repeated and then it dawned on her. ¡°No! No, no, no!¡±

    She tried rip the collar from her neck, but suddenly a thought run through her head. She shouldn¡¯t do it. It was a bad idea. She should let go of it.

    Linea followed the thought and stopped her attempt. When she let go of the collar, the overwhelming power in her head disappeared as if it never been there.

    ¡°You can¡¯t break it,¡± Arania said with a sad voice. ¡°They can control your mind with it.¡±

    ¡°Those bastards!¡± Linea said and ran over the collar with her fingers once again.

    ¡°Tell me what happened. Why are you here?¡± Arania changed the subject.

    Linea looked at her mother and realized that she had never seen her mother in such a way. She was disheveled, dirty and had sunken cheeks. Linea explained quickly how they had tried to defend Avandir and how Turandir had back stabbed them. She told her mother about Tarina¡¯s death. She crawled over to the side of her own cage and she and her mother held each other¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mum¡­¡± Linea sobbed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect her.¡±

    ¡°Shh,¡± Arania said. ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    After a few minutes, Linea had calmed down a bit.

    ¡°Where is father?¡± Linea asked and looked around. To her left was another cage, which was empty.

    ¡°They executed him earlier,¡± Arania answered and tried not to show her emotions. ¡°The humans started talks about an armistice and wanted to make a point or something.¡±

    Linea started to cry again. In just a day she had lost two of her closest family members.

    <hr>

    The next day was sleepless for Linea. The humans walking past their cages pointed at them and made any kind of jokes. Linea just glared at them. In the evening Tanus appeared in before them.

    ¡°Look who we have here,¡± he said with a smirk. ¡°A princess caught by¡­ an ape, was it?¡±

    Linea swallowed the curses, she wanted to throw at him.

    ¡°Huh? No snarky comments?¡± He tried to provoke her, but Linea knew this was neither the time nor the place. ¡°Disappointing.¡±

    He turned around as a carriage stopped behind him.

    ¡°Ah, our other guest has arrived,¡± he explained with a smile.

    The door of the carriage was opened, and a person was thrown outside.

    ¡°Senia?¡± Linea and her mother both asked incredulously.

    Senia looked rather beaten up. She had scratches and scrapes all over her face. But what shocked Linea even more was the person leaving the carriage behind Senia. He looked rather smug and kicked Senia against the back.

    ¡°Stupid girl¡­¡± he said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t stay still the whole way here.¡±

    ¡°Fenandir, you Luna-forsaken, treacherous bastard!¡± Linea yelled.

    He winked at her. In her rage, she stood up and got to the front bars of her cage.

    ¡°Why? Why would you do this?¡± she asked, and tears gathered in her eyes.

    ¡°All for the money, dear princess,¡± Tanus answered. ¡°Why should he stay a lowly knight, if he can become a marquis and get rich?¡±

    Fenandir laughed. ¡°He¡¯s right. The emperor promised me a lot of stuff.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re disgusting!¡± Linea just said.

    ¡°Linea, stay calm,¡± Arania said from the other cage, but her face betrayed her rage.

    ¡°I nearly got you in Alandis,¡± Fenandir said, ¡°but your strange magic saved you. Well, not that you can do anything about it now.¡±

    He pointed at his hand wrists.

    ¡°Magic-suppressing?¡± Linea guessed.

    ¡°As amusing the family reunion may be,¡± Tanus interrupted them, ¡°I have negotiations to lead. Prince Tovandir seems to be rather unhelpful with that. I think I need to be more¡­ convincing.¡±

    He gave a sign to the guards. They stuffed Senia into the cage left from Linea and grabbed Arania from the other.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t persuaded by your husband¡¯s head, but perhaps yours will do.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Linea cried out and her eyes widened.

    Arania tried to get free from the grasp of her captors, but to no avail. Tanus kicked her in the back of her right knee forcing her to kneel.

    ¡°I swear if you do this, I¡¯ll hunt you and I¡¯ll torture you to death!¡± Linea threatened him, but due to her situation Tanus and the guards just laughed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you try,¡± he said and unsheathed his sword.

    Arania looked into Linea¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Stay strong, Linny¡­¡± she said with a smile. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    With a rather casual swing Tanus beheaded Linea¡¯s mother in front of her eyes.

    Linea couldn¡¯t react to it. She only stood there, her knuckles white from clenching the metal bars separating her from her mother.

    Tanus reached down and grabbed the head.

    ¡°Put that in a box and send it to their Prince,¡± he said and threw the head to a guard. ¡°Get rid of the body like the others and put a slave collar on the new one.¡±

    The guards did as they had been told and Tanus came closer to the cage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry little princess,¡± he said with a sweet voice. ¡°We won¡¯t kill you. You¡¯re such a valuable leverage.¡±

    He stroked her cheek and Linea wanted to punch him, but again an overwhelming force stopped her from doing so.

    ¡°Your sister will be my slave. You¡¯re too young for me,¡± he explained and gave her a quick examination. ¡°But you''ll make a good price on the market.¡±

 Arc 1 - Chapter 24 - Welcome to the Empire

    ¡°All right, get moving,¡± a man yelled, waking Linea in the process.

    She raised her head and squinted at her surroundings. She was still in her cage, but in front of it stood a carriage with a similar cage mounted on it. At least a dozen Moon Elves were cooped up in it and looked at her with various expressions. Most prevalent was disbelief.

    The soldier who had yelled at her to move, opened the cage. Linea got up and stepped outside the cage. The soldier motioned her to enter the carriage, which she did without resistance. As she looked out of the carriage, she noticed the dried blood in front of the cages.

    She forced herself to think about something else and examined her new companions. Five of them were male and had slave collars like her. Interestingly, only two of the eight females had one. On closer look, Linea realized that she had met these tall and lanky women before.

    ¡°Tharolil? Tenevil?¡± Linea asked surprised. The two were in their mid-twenties if Linea remembered correctly. They were twin sisters, who became rulers of their Counties of Erunil and Turanil after most of their family died in the last Torra-surge. As members of the House Nethanil they were technically under the jurisdiction of Duke Turandir, but they had always enjoyed more autonomy than other houses, which lessened his control over them

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Tenevil answered and nodded. She was easy to identify by a scar above her left eye. Linea still remembered when they had visited the capital a ten years ago and Tenevil had bragged about, how she had fought a Torra to death resulting in the scar. Later, Tharolil had ratted her sister out and explained that Tenevil had run against wardrobe and then hid herself because she had been too embarrassed. The search for her had lasted four days.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Linea asked and looked back and forth between them.

    ¡°We were about to ask you the same,¡± Tenevil said. ¡°And why Princess Senia was being pulled away.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where they brought her¡­ but I don¡¯t imagine for drinking tea,¡± Linea replied.

    ¡°Most likely,¡± Tharolil said. ¡°Excuse my sister¡¯s rudeness. We had rough days.¡±

    ¡°I can imagine,¡± Linea said and her shoulders slumped. ¡°I guess you had nothing to do with Turandir¡¯s betrayal?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Tenevil said and furrowed her brows.

    ¡°He tried to convince us to join his plot by promising us many things,¡± Tharolil explained. ¡°But we declined, naturally. Instead we tried to warn the queen. But he expected that and caught our courier. He used this to accuse us of treason. Put us in his dungeon for days. Now, we¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°So, you know what his plan is?¡± Linea asked, and her eyes widened. She still pondered how Turandir supposed to stand in power after betraying his own people.

    ¡°Only what he told us,¡± Tharolil explained. Some of other people in their carriage watched them interested. Tharolil raised an eyebrow and looked around. The others turned away instantly.

    ¡°What do you know?¡± Linea urged her to continue.

    ¡°He invited us to Avandir to discuss important matters,¡± Tharolil came closer and whispered. ¡°Once there, he pampered us with all the luxuries he had to offer. We were suspicious from that moment. I don¡¯t know, if you ever met him, but he¡¯s an egotistical and greedy bastard. It was clear that he wanted something from us.¡±

    ¡°He explained that he had gotten an offer from the human emperor,¡± Tenevil continued without missing a beat. ¡°The idea is rather simple: Break the army of Luna¡¯sindra, help the humans subjugate Luna¡¯sindra and release the duchy of Avandir as an independent kingdom allied to the Holy Seven Kingdoms.¡±

    ¡°All that, because he wanted to be a king instead of a duke?¡± Linea asked and clenched her hands into fists. ¡°I will kill him.¡±

    ¡°Could be difficult,¡± Tenevil reminded her and tipped at her collar.

    Linea took a deep breath to calm down.

    ¡°But how does he expect to stay on his throne?¡± Linea asked. ¡°He betrayed his country, and it costed thousands of lives. No one will stand for that!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but who knows about it?¡± Tharolil replied and her face grew dark. ¡°The few people, who witnessed what happened on the actual battlefield, were brought into the dungeon and tortured to death. Everyone else probably just saw the damaged wall and dead soldiers, which is expected in a battle.¡±

    ¡°As far as we know, only the nobles who were part of the plan rode into battle with him,¡± Tenevil added. ¡°Everyone else has been silenced. Permanently.¡±

    There were so many things that didn¡¯t seem to add up for Linea. What did the emperor want if not conquer the country? How had Fenandir come into play? Why did the emperor keep her and Senia as slaves instead of demanding ransom?

    ¡°That¡¯s all we know,¡± Tharolil said. ¡°What about you? How did you end up here?¡±

    Linea sighed and outlined what happened to her without going into details. All three fell silent and Tharolil even laid her hand on Linea¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Any idea where my sister is?¡± Linea asked and looked around. The carriage still hadn¡¯t moved one bit as the soldiers were still busy packing their equipment.

    Both twins shook their heads.

    <hr>

    Their travel on land was arduous, and the cramped carriage made thing even worse. Linea had lost track of time, but she guessed that their small caravan was already on its way for over eight weeks. Other carriages with more slaves had joined them on the way, but they had only human slaves. Only when they had reached Tanim, a port city at the Tavarian Sea, other non-humans were added to their group. At least two dozen beastmen and even a pair of dwarves were brought in a separate carriage even though Linea didn¡¯t understand where they might have been caught as their countries was on the other side of the sea.

    They halted at the market down by the harbor, and the citizens of Tamin gathered to catch a glimpse of the Moon Elves. The guards, who protected the caravan, held them on distance, but Linea was still disgusted. She was a princess, and they treated her like some animal. Her gaze wandered around in search for their slave trader, a man named Untran.

    ¡°Master!¡± she called for him. The word left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she had learned quickly that defiance didn¡¯t help in her situation. He wanted to be called that way, and he had ordered her to do so. And the slave collar made sure, she followed that order.

    Untran strolled over to her carriage.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked with a smug smile.

    ¡°The usual,¡± Linea said. ¡°My people have sunburns from the travel again. May I heal them?¡±

    Untran looked at her carriage and in fact all of them looked feverish and their skin had a strange purple tint.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Untran said. He didn¡¯t pamper them and only gave them the bare minimum to not starve, but he had to make sure that is freight didn¡¯t suffer too much damage. ¡°I order you to heal those in your carriage. You¡¯re not allowed to use magic or healing magic in any other way.¡±

    A rush of adrenaline rushed through her as she noticed the collar working its magic on her. Whenever Untran ordered her something, there was this need to fulfill that order immediately. If she stalled it, the feeling would grow until she could not bear it anymore and everything else became irrelevant. She loathed the man for every order he gave her though this time it was something she wanted to do anyway.

    She put her hands outside the carriage and a guard opened her shackles with his key.

    ¡°Make space,¡± Linea said to the others in her carriage. It wasn¡¯t difficult to cure a sunburn and barely drained her reserves, but it reminded her of Luna. Linea guessed that the goddess probably had a way to break this damned collar, but without a temple, Linea had no way to contact her.

    While the humans on the market slowly dispersed as the evening went on, Linea became more active. She looked around and tried to find any idea for an escape, but found nothing useful. No one was willing to help, but why would a human of the Holy Seven Kingdoms even consider something like that in the first place?

    ¡°Buckets!¡± a voice startled her.

    One of the women in their cart pulled two buckets from under the benches and brought them carefully to the back where a human slave collected them with guards watching over them.

    Linea turned away from the bucket and pressed her nose against her arm to prevent herself from smelling it. She didn¡¯t smell any better after weeks of traveling without bathing, but it was better than the smell of the ¡®poop buckets¡¯ as the others called it.

    While she was looking anywhere, she noticed a group of people marching over the market towards the docks.

    ¡°Senia!¡± she hissed and Tenevil, who sat beside her, turned around as well.

    They couldn¡¯t make out details over this distance, but Linea still recognized her sister. She walked at the side of the man Linea had come to hate even more than Turandir. Tanus talked to some officials and Senia walked two steps behind him, her stare fixated on the ground before her. They were followed by a group of servants carrying some chests.

    They disappeared behind some harbor buildings and didn¡¯t return the whole evening.

    ¡°All right,¡± Untran pulled Linea out of her thoughts. ¡°We¡¯ll now board the ship which will bring us to Tavaris. You will line up in front of the carriage, and then we¡¯ll walk down to the ship. Fall out of line, and you¡¯ll get punished. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, master,¡± the group answered unenthusiastically.

    As the group boarded the galley, Linea got another glimpse at her sister, who stood beside Tanus at the bow of the ship. But before she got a closer look, she and the others were led below deck into holding cells. Five people had to share one compartment, which were way too small for them. The air was stuffy and damp, but even worse, in each cell was one of those buckets. Linea cursed at the humans.

    Linea was placed in a cell with Tenevil, Tharolil and the dwarven pair. They were the only slaves on the ship with a collar as far as Linea had seen.

    <hr>

    The galley had two decks, one for the goods and one for the rowers. At least, Linea assumed it to be that way judging by the groaning and drumming above them. From the chats between the crewmen she had learned that the passage to Tavaris City would only take five days, which made her happy simply because the conditions on the ship were even more disgusting than on the carriage. The heat of the day made it impossible for Linea to sleep properly while she was wide awake at night.

    The twins tried everything in their power to help Linea. They offered her more space in the cell, shared their food with her and even gave her some of their water rations. At first Linea had taken it for granted, but after two days she realized that the twins suffered from it. She had immediately stopped accepting any more help from them.

    She sat with her back propped against the cell¡¯s wall. The small vibrations of water streaming alongside the hull helped her relaxing even if it was just a bit.

    It was in this moment when she suddenly heard a long-missed voice in her head.

    ¡®Urgh¡­ where am I?¡¯

    ¡°Sarah!¡± Linea shouted relieved.

    ¡°Who?¡± the twins asked startled and looked confused at her. Even the dwarfs had woken up and looked at her.

    ¡°Ah, nothing¡­ just remembered¡­ something,¡±

    ¡®Linea?¡¯ Sarah asked with noticeable confusion in her voice. ¡®Where are we? Who are those people? And what the hell smells so bad?¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s the¡­ bucket,¡¯ Linea answered dreadfully. ¡®Listen¡­ things happened¡­ bad things¡­¡¯

    Sarah kept silent for a moment, and Linea didn¡¯t force her to speak.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡®All right, I remember fighting the dragon and the dark mage,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®What did you do? How long was I out?¡¯

    ¡®A few months,¡¯ Linea answered.

    ¡®Months?¡¯ Sarah asked shocked. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect it to be so long¡­¡¯

    ¡®Well, but it happened,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®And I could have needed you¡­¡¯

    As she added that she fought back her tears. Talking to Sarah forced her to remember Tarina and her mother.

    ¡®What happened?¡¯ Sarah asked unsure how to take this situation.

    Then Linea told her. She told her everything. Every little detail she remembered. She cried when she came to the battle, but Tharolil came over to her and hugged her without even saying anything.

    ¡®Bastards,¡¯ Sarah said after Linea was finished. ¡®I would have never guessed things to go so out of control.¡¯

    ¡®Me neither,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®And I feel like an idiot for not running away.¡¯

    ¡®To be fair, I would have attacked this asshole as well,¡¯ Sarah admitted. ¡®I have seen my parents die in front of me, and if they hadn¡¯t told me to run, I would have gone on a rampage.¡¯

    ¡®So, you don¡¯t blame me?¡¯ Linea asked slightly surprised.

    ¡®How could I?¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®You did was your sister asked of you. And I was the one who went all heroic and did that overcharging. I should have focused more on us.¡¯

    ¡®No, please,¡¯ Linea intervened. ¡®Let¡¯s not blame ourselves. Maybe we should have dealt better with certain things, but in the end, there are others, who did this. Turandir, Fenandir, Tanus and the emperor for example.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re right,¡¯ Sarah said and shook off her current thoughts. ¡®Let¡¯s focus on how to fix this. What can you tell me about this slave collar?¡¯

    ¡®Not much,¡¯ Linea admitted. ¡®Without magical education I can¡¯t tell you exactly what it does. But I can describe you its effects. First, I can¡¯t destroy it. Whenever I try anything aggressive, it infuses me with a thought to stop it. This thought is so overwhelming that I gave up trying.¡¯

    ¡®Okay, what else?

    ¡®I can¡¯t attack my master,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®It creates the same effect. Oh, and whenever I try breaking it or hurting my master, one of the crystals glows.¡¯

    She skimmed the crystals on her collar.

    ¡®I noticed three crystals, is that right?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, I assume that each crystal has a specific function, but I don¡¯t understand yet what the third one does,¡¯ Linea explained. ¡®And also, whatever my master orders me to do, I must do. The collar pressures me until I can¡¯t resist anymore. But it doesn¡¯t cause the third crystal to glow, so I guess it¡¯s an enchantment on the collar itself.¡¯

    ¡®Okay, give me control,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®Let¡¯s see if I can bust this thing!¡¯

    Linea happily gave Sarah control, but to their disappointment Sarah wasn¡¯t unable to do anything.

    ¡®Damn it,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®I hoped it wouldn¡¯t affect you.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s a bummer,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®But we learned something from it.¡¯

    ¡®We did?¡¯ Linea asked surprised.

    ¡®Remember when you explained to me the different magical schools in the world, and what their focus were?¡¯

    ¡®Remotely,¡¯ Linea answered.

    ¡®You mentioned a guild in the empire focusing on soul and mind magic.¡¯

    ¡®Ah, yes. You mean the Academy of Transmigration in Torsh.¡¯

    ¡®Yes, that one! My suspicion is that the crystals implement some kind of soul magic, which affects us both because, we¡¯re technically the same soul,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®But the collar itself, which manages the orders given by a master, works on your mind. But our minds are separate, which means orders given to you don¡¯t affect me.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s something,¡¯ Linea admitted. ¡®But does it help us?¡¯

    ¡®Give me a moment, I want to see if I can gather something from the magic with my psionics. I can feel the magic through you. Perhaps I can find out what the third crystal does.¡¯

    It took Sarah and Linea over two hours to work through the enchantments. Sarah was unable to analyze the enchantments with her psionics, but Sarah¡¯s vigor animated Linea to try it herself. She tapped into the spells to find out how they worked.

    ¡®I can''t do it¡­¡¯ Linea said angrily.

    ¡®What? Why?¡¯

    ¡®That Untran guy forbid me to use magic, but apparently I use magic to analyze the enchantments without realizing it,¡¯ Linea explained. She was frustrated about her inability to help Sarah, but it was interesting for her that she was able to use magic by instinct.

    ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Sarah said but didn¡¯t explain further.

    ¡®Maybe what?¡¯

    Sarah kept silent for a long time, but Linea realized that she was doing something in her mind. She recognized it from the times when Sarah had tried mind manipulation on her before.

    ¡®Okay, try again!¡¯ Sarah said, and she sounded excited.

    Linea did as Sarah said and to her surprise, the order preventing her from using magic was only noticeable as a slight pressure before fizzling out.

    ¡®You¡¯re a genius, you know that?¡¯ Linea said laughing mentally.

    ¡®Yeah, tell me something new,¡¯ Sarah said with a giggle.

    Linea got directly back to work, and this time it didn¡¯t take her all that long.

    ¡®Well, good news is the third crystal is not too bad, even though, it¡¯s a bit weird,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®It forces us to return to our master before going to sleep, unless he or she ordered us otherwise.¡¯

    ¡®Well, makes sense somehow,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®I mean it ensures that we can¡¯t run away, but also it gives us a bit of freedom to work on stuff for the master.¡¯

    Linea agreed to her assessment.

    ¡®But how do we use that to our advantage?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®I have no idea, yet,¡¯ Sarah admitted.

    <hr>

    Tavaris City was gigantic. Linea had considered Luna¡¯sindranar to be a huge city, but the capital of the empire was more than Linea had ever expected. The ship docked not in the main harbor directly at the coast but upstream of one of two rivers. Despite Linea¡¯s distaste for humans in general, she was impressed by the sheer size of the city. Starting from the harbor, the city climbed a large hill towards a palace, which dwarfed the palace in Luna¡¯sindranar. Linea wondered how many humans lived in this city.

    ¡®That¡¯s interesting,¡¯ Sarah said as she analyzed what they saw.

    ¡®What?¡¯ Sarah asked and looked around to find what had aroused interest in Sarah.

    ¡®The architecture reminds me of the ancient Rome back on earth,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®The resemblance is astounding. Perhaps the similar climate and situation of the city call for such kind of architecture.¡¯

    ¡®Certainly interesting,¡¯ Linea said and took a deep breath, ¡®but can we focus on more pressing matters?¡¯

    They were interrupted in their discussion by a guard bumping her with the blunt end of his spear. Linea threw him an angry look, but he didn¡¯t care. Instead he motioned her to get in line with the other slaves. She followed his silent order and waited to be led where ever they were meant to go.

    Untran let them stand in the burning midday sun, while he got his paperwork done, which caused more than just one Moon Elf to collapse. Linea was assigned to heal them every time, but she could only do so much against sunstrokes and dehydration.

    Finally, Untran brought them to a market near the harbor where they were assigned a tent. Inside the air wasn¡¯t good, but at least they were out of the sun and it was not as hot. Tharolil organized water for them, and together with Linea¡¯s healing they helped them considerably. Linea even helped the beastmen and a few of the humans, who asked nicely for help. At first, she was apprehensive, but they all sat in the same boat. Only the dwarfs rejected any help.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect the beastmen to be so¡­ furry,¡¯ Sarah said as Linea helped some cat-like beastmen.

    ¡®Well, they¡¯re called beastmen for a reason,¡¯ Linea countered and eyed the beastmen up. They were predominantly human except for their shoulders and heads. From the shoulder upwards, they resembled whatever animal they represented. The cat-type beastmen around her were to a large part from the Panther-Clan as far as Linea remembered her lessons about the different clans.

    After a while, Untran returned with two robed men, who were most likely mages or at least sorcerers.

    ¡°Listen up,¡± he aroused attention. ¡°These men will check your mana capacity. We want to get the best price for you, don¡¯t we?¡±

    Linea watched as the mages pulled out different crystals from their pouches. They called each slave to a table which they had occupied and let them take a crystal. With most of the humans, the crystals didn¡¯t react at all, only a few could elicit a small reaction. When the crystals glowed in various tones of blue, the examining mage would hold a slate next to it and the other would write down something.

    When they came to the beastmen, the crystals became more active, which meant they had more magical potential than the humans.

    But it got really interesting when they examined the Moon Elves. Most of them had a basic education in magic, at least enough to have them manage their mana. It was not unusual to store your mana in crystals for someone else to use. It had the downside of making the donor drowsy for a few days, but peasants used it to earn additional money in the winter.

    The examiners were excited about their average mana capacity, and when it came to the twins one mage even squealed in excitement.

    ¡°That¡¯s around eight on the scale,¡± the leading examiner said astounded. ¡°I wish I had that capacity¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I have saved up some gold. Perhaps I can buy one of them,¡± another one said.

    ¡°Good luck,¡± his boss said and gave him a dry laugh. ¡°I heard all three archmages will be on this auction. You think they¡¯ll pass on that?¡±

    He motioned the twins to step aside and Linea to take their place.

    ¡°All right, the last one,¡± he said and checked his list. ¡°Princess Linea?¡±

    ¡°The correct form of address would be ¡®Your Royal Highness, The Princess Linea of Luna¡¯sindranar¡¯ or ''Your Grace'',¡± Linea corrected him. She knew this didn¡¯t matter to them, but she was a proud princess after all.

    The man raised an eyebrow but ignored her cheekiness otherwise.

    ¡°Take this crystal,¡± he said and gave her the biggest one on the table.

    She knew what would happen, even before she touched it, and as expected the crystal glowed in a bright blue light. The mages squinted for a second and averted their eyes.

    ¡°I have never¡­¡± the examiner stuttered. ¡°This is even higher than our scale can show!¡±

    ¡®You are more powerful than even I would have thought,¡¯ Sarah admitted.

    ¡®I¡¯m our Soul-Aspect of Magic, remember?¡¯ Linea said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just note higher than ten on the scale¡­¡± the examiner mumbled and wrote something on his list.

    The mages gave their list to Untran, who disappeared with it. Sarah guessed he would make all their data public before the auction to give potential buyers the chance to decide on what to buy.

    But they didn¡¯t have to wait all that long before they were brought outside and onto a stage. The construction of this market didn¡¯t look provisional in any way. Instead it was build as if slave trade was a common occurrence here. The viewers ranks were filled with wealthy looking people. The richest of them seemed to have gathered under the shade of some tents at the sides.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± a man in long, heavy looking robes shouted as he entered the stage. The crowd in front of him went silent. ¡°Today¡¯s auction will definitely be interesting as we have special goods for you on this fine day. I hope everyone had a good look on the list as we¡¯ll start right away!¡±

    The auction was degrading for the slaves as each of them was called forward individually and had to strip naked in front of all those people. They auctioneer started with the humans. The process was rather fast as a human only costed around ten gold pieces per person while the beastmen were sold for fifteen gold on average. The dwarven pair was sold for thirty-five gold as a package, as they were apparently master smiths and only worked together. Linea was still puzzled how they had ended up as slaves. But on the other hand, her story wasn¡¯t usual either.

    ¡°And now, let¡¯s start the part everyone has waited for!¡± the auctioneer said with a bright smile. ¡°From the far-away lands of Luna¡¯sindra, captured by the magnificent Prince General Tanus Seranus in our glorious expedition against the ghastly Moon Elves, we proudly present to you: Moon Elves!¡±

    The crowd cheered, and Linea wanted nothing more than to rip this man¡¯s throat out.

    He started with the male Moon Elves, which he praised as exceptionally strong, but also warned them to keep them on a short leash as they could be dangerous. He also advertised their newest invention, the slave collar, as an effective method to control them. Along with the females, they were sold for around fifty gold each.

    When it was the twin''s turn, things became interesting. Before the bidding could even start, an old man with a beard so long he could trip over it proclaimed that the Tavarian Mage Guild would buy them both for five hundred gold. As no one contested that, Linea assumed they had the right to snatch anyone from this auction for a set price.

    ¡°All right,¡± the auctioneer said as the twins were led off the stage. ¡°Let¡¯s end this auction with the most interesting and exotic item on the list.¡±

    He motioned Linea to step forward. Linea did what he wanted, and murmurs started in the crowd as everyone realized that¡¯s she was the princess from the list.

    ¡°Strip,¡± the man said, but to Linea¡¯s surprise the collar didn¡¯t send out an impulse. Whenever Untran gave her an order, the collar gave her a push to follow that order. Even though Sarah¡¯s block prevented her from being forced to do so, she at least noticed it.

    But the order from the man didn¡¯t have the same effect. Linea looked at him and said, ¡°No.¡±

    The auctioneer just smiled and waved for Untran. The slave trader came from backstage and gave her the same order. This time Linea felt the effect of the collar, but she was tempted to ignore it. She loathed the thought of standing naked in front of all those humans.

    ¡®Just do it,¡¯ Sarah whispered. ¡®We can¡¯t show them our ability to ignore the collar yet.¡¯

    Linea sighed and removed her ragged clothing and she blushed heavily. She heard a few whistles from the nearest buyers and a shudder ran through her.

    ¡°Princess Linea is fifteen years old and, as you can see, a real beauty!¡± the auctioneer appraised her. ¡°We know from other members of the Royal Family that she will most likely mature into someone, who will be really nice to warm your bed. Our information suggests she is also expected to be a virgin. She shows strong abilities regarding healing magic and the magical examination has revealed an astounding mana reserve to tap into.¡±

    The bidders started to throw numbers into the fray which quickly exceeded every other auction before. It raised to five hundred and higher.

    ¡°We have seven hundred and eighty, do we¡­ eight hundred, we have eight hundred, can we get¡­ yes, eight hundred fifty,¡± the auctioneer quickly said as he pointed at different people. ¡°Eight hundred and seventy-five, we have eight hundred seventy-five. Can we get¡­ Two thousand! We have two thousand gold pieces!¡±

    Linea and many bidders followed the auctioneers hand motion to a man on the side. Multiple groans could be heard.

    ¡°Two thousand! Can we get more than two thousand? Last chance for anyone to get a real Moon Elf princess for more than two thousand!¡±

    Either no one had the necessary funding for it, or no one dared to bid against this man.

    ¡°And sold for two thousand!¡±

    <hr>

    The man, who had bought Linea, didn¡¯t bother taking her with him immediately. Linea was led back into the tent from earlier where she got the chance to say goodbye to the twins.

    ¡°Keep your heads up,¡± Linea said to them. ¡°We¡¯ll find a way out of this somehow. I¡¯ll do everything I can to free us.¡±

    The twins just nodded, and Tenevil even gave her a hug.

    ¡°Watch out for yourself,¡± Tharolil said.

    The mages retrieved their goods shortly after. Linea noticed that the ownership of the collar was transferred to the old mage with the beard, but she couldn¡¯t see how they did it.

    After waiting for over an hour, a man entered the tent followed by servants.

    ¡°Ah, Brice!¡± Untran said and welcomed the man, ¡°I expected you to buy her, but I would have never expected such an amount! I guess the emperor was pleased?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the man called Brice said. ¡°He had asked me to buy her even before the auction. He would even subsidize the purchase if it got too expensive.¡±

    ¡°How come?¡± Untran asked surprised. ¡°I mean every slave captured by the army is the property of the emperor.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but he doesn¡¯t want to deal with her, apparently,¡± Brice said. ¡°But he had a restriction for me. I can¡¯t take her out of the city for some reason.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡±

    Brice just shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter it was still a good investment.¡±

    He came closer to Linea and inspected her.

    ¡°Exquisite,¡± he noted. ¡°My name is Brice Si Trenia, but you¡¯ll address me as master, understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Linea replied trying to hide her disgust from this man. He was rather tall for a human and he looked good. In his younger years he had been handsome perhaps, but Linea noticed signs of aging and drinking too much alcohol.

    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± he said and looked at her with a stern face. ¡°I¡¯ll have to train you it seems.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to proceed with the binding?¡± Untran asked and pulled a small knife out of his bag.

    With a small prick, Untran draw blood from one of Brice¡¯s fingers. He put the blood on the backside of the collar, and Linea noticed a change in the enchantment.

    ¡°Heal it!¡± Brice said and showed her his finger.

    Linea noticed the force from the collar and complied to his order.

    ¡°Perfect!¡± Brice said with a smile.

    ¡°I need to remind you due to regulations that in case you want to transfer the ownership to someone else, you need to replace the collar as it is bound to you now,¡± Untran explained.

    ¡®And there we have it!¡¯ Sarah said with triumph in her voice.

    ¡®What to we have?¡¯ Linea asked confused.

    ¡®Our way out,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®We just need to force him to resell us somehow.¡¯

    ¡®Oh!¡¯ Linea said as she understood. ¡®And if he does, they need to take the collar off!¡¯

    ¡®And then they will regret ever laying a hand on us!¡¯

 Interlude 1 - Lalana

    The sun crept over the horizon and bathed the towers along the walls of Luna¡¯sindranar in golden light. Even though Lalana was devoted to her goddess like all Moon Elves, she could deny the beauty of the sun in the morning.

    She and Captain Gihana had traveled the whole way from Taldira in a record time of two weeks. They had to switch their horses three times to keep up their speed, but it was an important mission for Lalana.

    The war had lasted only for a short time and had ended weeks ago in a crushing defeat for the Moon Elves, which shocked not only Lalana but most of the populace. Duke Turandir had send couriers to all the cities under his rule declaring Avandir a semi-independent nation under the jurisdiction of the human emperor. It had shocked Lalana at first, but she understood enough about politics to understand that he was most likely forced to agree to such things.

    Since Taldira was a county of the duchy of Avandir and would be part of the secession, Lalana had quickly realized that there was a realistic chance for Luna¡¯sindra to pull back all Void Hunters. This would have disastrous consequences for Taldira. Her mission was now to secure Luna¡¯sindra¡¯s support in those matters and her new king sanctioned it. At least until Avandir had the means to train Void Hunters themselves.

    The two women were greeted friendly at the city gates and invited to the palace.

    ¡°All right, Gihana,¡± Lalana said as she and her trusty guard waited for an audience with the newly appointed regent Tovandir. ¡°I need you to show your best behavior. Under no circumstances I can have you to insult him. Or even better, don¡¯t talk at all.¡±

    ¡°No problem, M¡¯lady,¡± Gihana replied in her thick dialect. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be on my best, ya¡¯ll see!¡±

    To reinforce her statement, Gihana patted Lalana¡¯s back rather forcefully.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I feared,¡± Lalana mumbled.

    However, Lalana got no more chances to educate Gihana, because a servant asked them to follow him to Tovandir.

    ¡°Ah, Lady Lalana,¡± Tovandir greeted her in the throne room. A lot of nobles stood around and watched her intently. The king regent sat on the throne and motioned her to come closer. ¡°I was told of your arrival, though I¡¯m unclear about your intentions. As far as I was informed, Turandir has broken off from our country. What can I do for one of his countesses?¡±

    ¡°I came to discuss important matters regarding the Void Hunters, Your Royal Highness,¡± Lalana explained and bowed. ¡°But first, let me express my condolence. Your parents and sisters will be sorely missed, especially Princess Linea who I owe a huge debt.¡±

    ¡°I thank you,¡± Tovandir said. ¡°But the rumors are rather exaggerated. Senia and Linea are still alive. Unfortunately, they are being held captive by the empire to enforce its demands on us.¡±

    Lalana eyes widened.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked. Multiple questions ran through her head in rapid succession, but she came up with the most pressing one. ¡°What is the plan to free them?¡±

    Tovandir furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°Plan?¡± he asked. ¡°There is no plan. I will not risk my country¡¯s security or my sisters¡¯ lives. The negotiations with the emperor were successful and their lives are secure for now. I have direct orders from our goddess to not intervene and risk our people!¡±

    Lalana tried not showing her anger. The notion of Linea, the savior of her city, as prisoner of the humans disgusted her.

    ¡°What negotiations?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concerns.¡±

    Lalana took a deep breath.

    ¡°I understand,¡± she said and switched the topic to her original request.

    <hr>

    Despite her successful talks with Tovandir about the cooperation of the Void Hunter¡¯s Guild with the newly formed kingdom, Lalana felt hollow. It was clear to her that it was because of Linea¡¯s situation. She had realized back in Taldira that the young princess would have a place in her heart forever, and she would do anything to pay her debt to her, but there was something more. Linea¡¯s fighting and courage had entranced her as Linea had fought on the front lines and selflessly protected the people. Because of all that she admired the princess. The only person Lalana had ever held in high regards like that had been her mother. She had to admit the princess enticed her, and the thought of her as prisoner of the empire enraged her.

    Her contemplation made it difficult for her to sleep, and after a day of insomnia she decided to do something about Linea. She couldn¡¯t let this injustice stand, and she knew exactly who to ask for help.

    She knocked on a door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± came from the inside.

    Lalana entered the room and found an atelier littered with paintings. Some were only halfway done, others were already complete. Most of the paintings depicted landscapes while a few were portraits.

    ¡°I like this one,¡± Lalana said as she stopped in front of a painting of the royal family.

    ¡°Lady Lalana!¡± Nora said and laid down her painting utensils. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°As well as I can in regard of what happened.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Nora said, and her slight smile dropped. ¡°I can¡¯t even concentrate enough to paint. My new painting is¡­ bad.¡±

    ¡°Call me Lalana,¡± she answered and looked at Nora¡¯s newest painting. ¡°It looks good to me.¡±

    Nora just shrugged and went over to a bowl with water to wash her hands.

    ¡°How can I help you?¡± she asked Lalana. ¡°Even though it would be a nice gesture from you to visit me, but I guess you have more important things to do.¡±

    ¡°I need your help,¡± Lalana said and nodded. ¡°I need to convince Prince Tovandir to order a rescue mission for Princess Linea. And Princess Senia, of course.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to the idea of helping Linea, but I don¡¯t think he will listen to me¡­¡±

    ¡°We need to try at least,¡± Lalana said. ¡°Without all those nobles hanging around, perhaps he¡¯s not as opposed as he seemed.¡±

    Nora didn¡¯t answer at first, but instead she cleaned her paintbrushes.

    ¡°I could get in trouble, you know?¡± she said as she put away the painting she had working on. ¡°Theoretically my family and house aren¡¯t a part of Luna¡¯sindra anymore. My sister is a baroness under you, and after Linea¡¯s disappearance my services here aren¡¯t needed anymore. I¡¯m only allowed to stay here as a curtesy of the prince. Getting on his bad side could get me kicked out¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­¡± Lalana said and her shoulders dropped.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Nora continued and smiled, ¡°If there is anything I could do to help Linea, you can count me in.¡±

    <hr>

    Lalana sat in the palace garden the next evening and marveled at the flowers. Some of them closed because of the sunset while other just started their nightly activity. Nora had told her she had been unable to get a hold of Tovandir the last night but promised to try this evening. Lalana herself wasn¡¯t able to sleep properly again, and it irritated her to no end. She was used to being unfazed by pressure and stress, but this situation somehow grated at her nerves.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    She waited until the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the last color vanished from the sky, but finally Nora showed up. The girl looked over her shoulders multiple times and she had her arms wrapped around her chest. She hurried through the garden until she reached Lalana.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Nora?¡± Lalana preemptively asked.

    ¡°Not here!¡± Nora hissed and gazed over the bushes surrounding them. ¡°The garden has ears¡­¡±

    Concerned about Nora¡¯s strange behavior Lalana followed her back to the palace into her room. The room was rather small, but it was spacious enough for a couch near the window. She motioned Lalana to sit down while she locked the door and searched for something in her closet and behind her paravent.

    ¡°Nora?¡± Lalana asked again and tilted her head.

    Nora sighed as she didn¡¯t find what she was looking for. She walked over to the couch and sat down beside Lalana.

    ¡°I¡­ I overheard something¡­ something terrible!¡± she explained, and tears gathered in her eyes.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lalana asked and put a hand on Nora¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What did you hear?¡±

    The things Nora then told her, let her blood freeze. It took Nora several minutes to describe how she went to Tovandir¡¯s private chambers. As she knew most of the servants and guards rather well, no one questioned her. Only the guards directly before his rooms asked her what she wanted, but a simple lie was enough to quell their curiosity. They told her that the prince didn¡¯t want to be disturbed and that he had even sent away all his servants. Nora then used the opportunity to sneak into the chambers through the adjacent and now unoccupied servant¡¯s room.

    Once inside she had found the prince in front of a communication mirror talking to someone Lalana knew rather well, her great-uncle King Turandir.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Lalana said. ¡°Why would those two use this method for communication? It¡¯s only for emergencies, because of the high mana consumption. How many mages did he have with him?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the strangest thing about it,¡± Nora said. ¡°No mages at all. He used mana crystals!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lalana exclaimed. ¡°But that¡¯s utterly ineffective. Those crystals lose most of their power if used for continuous spells.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Nora said and nodded. ¡°And the only reason, why anyone would do that¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ would be if he wanted no one to witness the talk,¡± Lalana concluded Nora¡¯s thought.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Nora agreed. ¡°At that point I was too afraid to talk to him. He would be angry if he found out I saw that. But I was too curious to just leave.¡±

    ¡°You spied on him?¡±, Lalana asked not to accuse her but to clarify things.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What did you learn?¡±

    ¡°They were behind it all!¡± Nora cried out and tears flowed down her face. She pulled her knees to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. ¡°The dark mage in Taldira, the invasion of the humans, the ambush on the Royal Army, the defeat at Avandir¡­ Turandir, Tovandir and the human emperor staged all of it!¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Lalana said and starred at Nora with wide eyes. ¡°But¡­ How? And why?¡±

    Nora quickly explained the how. The former Duke had played the role of the cornered general in distress while Tovandir had betrayed the Royal army by feeding false information to his mother.

    ¡°Their plan worked even better as they had expected,¡± Nora said. ¡°With Linea and Senia out of the capital it was easier to capture them.¡±

    ¡°They planned to capture them?¡±

    ¡°That was the deal with the emperor, as far as I understood,¡± Nora explained. ¡°Their new alliance was¡­ unstable. Both sides didn¡¯t trust each other. And Tovandir didn¡¯t want to kill his sisters. He even blamed Turandir for Tarina¡¯s death as their plan had been to capture her as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so not killing them is a good thing then?¡± Lalana huffed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he would sell his sisters out.¡±

    Nora agreed with a nod.

    ¡°The emperor now has a leverage against Tovandir, as he could just release Linea or Senia,¡± she said. ¡°His claim on the throne currently relies on the fact that none of his sisters is available at the moment.¡±

    ¡°But this leverage only works for two years,¡± Lalana noted and her gaze wandered to the ceiling as she thought about Nora¡¯s revelations. ¡°The law states that the regent can claim the crown if he¡¯s part of the line of succession and the successor is unable to receive the crown within two years beginning with her sixteenth birthday. Since Senia is already sixteen, Tovandir must wait only two years before he can claim the crown. After that he doesn¡¯t need to care if Senia or Linea get free. The question is, what does the emperor want to do with Luna¡¯sindra in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nora admitted. ¡°They didn¡¯t talk about that. But Turandir asked Tovandir about his brother. Apparently, Shandir witnessed Turandir''s betrayal in some way and escaped. Tovandir said he had already messaged his brother to keep silent about it because Tovandir wants to keep the country from making dangerous decisions.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t work in the long run,¡± Lalana noted.

    ¡°Turandir said the same,¡± Nora agreed. ¡°That¡¯s why Tovandir promised to silence all witnesses if necessary.¡±

    ¡°He wants to kill his own brother?¡± Lana asked. ¡°On the other hand, from what you told me, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡±

    ¡°We need to warn him,¡± Nora said am stood up. ¡°And I know someone who might help us.¡±

    <hr>

    It was a small group of four women who had headed out to warn Shandir. Nora and Lalana were obviously part of this group and Gihana and Evira accompanied them. They had stripped the captain of her duty and her rank after Princess Senia had been abducted right under her nose. Nora had found the woman in a tavern drinking some rather hard booze, but fortunately Evira wasn¡¯t that drunk as she had just started.

    When she had heard from Nora what Tovandir had done, she was furious and had tried to confront the prince, but Nora, Lalana and especially Gihana were able to prevent that with arguments and force.

    Their travel to Alandis took only a few days and to their luck, Shandir and his remaining soldiers still prepared to move out. Nora¡¯s connection to the Royal Court made it easy to get access to Shandir. He even greeted them in his private chambers, which Countess Thudila had provided him with, even though Evira and Gihana had to wait outside.

    ¡°Nora,¡± he said with a small smile. ¡°How long has it been? A year now? You have become even more beautiful than I remember you.¡±

    ¡°It has been too long, you charmer,¡± Nora answered and boxed him lightly against his chest. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re well. When I heard about the battle I feared all of you were dead.¡±

    ¡°It was close enough,¡± Shandir admitted, ¡°and I¡¯m certainly not proud of what happened.¡±

    He motioned his guests to take seats and sat down on a couch himself.

    ¡°I see you brought someone with you,¡± he said and looked around. ¡°Care to introduce me?¡±

    Nora pointed at Lalana and said, ¡°This is Countess Lalana of Taldira and¡­¡±

    Shandir jumped up from the couch with a hateful look on his face, and he pulled a knife from his belt.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Nora asked while Lalana backed off.

    ¡°She belongs to Turandir, the traitor!¡± he stated and appeared confused about Nora¡¯s behavior. ¡°I told Tovandir what he has done, and now you bring one of his vassals to me?¡±

    ¡°I think there might be misunderstandings and misinformation going on here,¡± Nora said and positioned herself between Shandir and Lalana. ¡°We heard of Turandir¡¯s betrayal, but not from Tovandir. Well, we know it from him to be fair, but not because he told us.¡±

    Shandir looked Nora in the eyes for a long time, but finally he put away his knife.

    ¡°Explain, please.¡±

    The following discussion was tedious for all three. Nora had to explain everything she overheard from Tovandir all over again, and Lalana had to convince Shandir why she was so invested in this matter. But it was the worst for Shandir, who couldn¡¯t believe his brother would betray his family.

    He stood up from his place and walked over to the window. Absent-mindedly he watched over the city beneath him.

    ¡°I find it difficult to believe you, because I¡¯ve known my brother my whole life,¡± he said after a while, ¡°but I have to admit that he has always been¡­ ambitious. Perhaps I don¡¯t want to believe it, but the facts add up. The ambush, his mysterious escape from the humans and his unwillingness to tell everyone of Turandir¡¯s betrayal.¡±

    He looked back at Lalana.

    ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± he asked. ¡°You are not a vassal of the crown of Luna¡¯sindra. You¡¯re Turandir¡¯s vassal. I can¡¯t imagine why you would risk everything just for an imaginary debt towards my sister. I need to know if I can trust you.¡±

    ¡°My mother died to the dark mage who was sent by this unholy alliance,¡± she stated. ¡°My city and I wouldn¡¯t have survived, if it weren¡¯t for Linea. This is no imaginary debt. I owe her everything I have left, and I will risk all that to save her.¡±

    ¡°If you trust me, you can trust her,¡± Nora said as she came closer to him. She stood beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°But what is your plan? I will take my army¡­ or what is left of it and start a resistance. The times will get difficult. Are you in?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Nora and Shandir looked at her.

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®No¡¯?¡± Nora asked.

    ¡°I won¡¯t follow you into a battle for the crown,¡± she explained. ¡°Your dedication is commendable, but Linea is my highest priority. I already thought about it on our way here. I will tell Turandir that I intend to follow the old rituals to honor the death of my mother.¡±

    ¡°You want to make a pilgrimage to the old temple in the Nava¡¯sinkuna mountains?¡± Nora asked bewildered. ¡°How does this¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, I will not go on a pilgrimage,¡± Lalana said and rolled her eyes. ¡°But it will give me the opportunity to leave the country. Cali should be able to stand her ground against Turandir without giving in to his demands if he has any. She is stubborn as an oak.¡±

    ¡°And you want to free Linea?¡± Nora concluded with a nod.

    ¡°Yes. Senia too, if possible.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, you can pull it off?¡± Shandir asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t help, if you get caught yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to save her,¡± Lalana said and looked at Shandir with determination. ¡°I¡¯ll take Gihana and Evira with me. Together we should be able to find her.¡±

    ¡°I want to come with you,¡± Nora said.

    ¡°No!¡± Shandir said. ¡°You¡¯re not a fighter. This is too risky.¡±

    ¡°I agree with him,¡± Lalana said. ¡°If things go downhill, you would be too much at risk. And I don¡¯t think Linea would like that if she found out.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t go back,¡± Nora said with tears in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back, I want to help!¡±

    ¡°Then stay with Shandir,¡± Lalana proposed and motioned at the prince. ¡°You can trust him, and perhaps you can find something to help him.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I would like that better as well,¡± Shandir agreed and pulled Nora in a small hug. ¡°I¡¯m sure Linea would like me to keep an eye on you.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±, Nora said and boxed Shandir again. ¡°I¡¯m sure she would expect me to watch over you instead.¡±

    Lalana stood up and walked over to them. She reached out her hand to Shandir.

    ¡°I swear by the name of our goddess, I will free Linea and Senia even if it costs my life!¡±

    Shandir took her hand and smiled.

    ¡°I swear by the name of our goddess, I will vanquish the betrayer and his accomplices!¡±

 Arc 2 - Chapter 1 - Deception shall set you free

    The carriage in which Linea and Brice moved through the city looked unreasonably wealthy. It had golden ornaments in form of flowers all over it. In Linea¡¯s eyes it symbolized the human greed, which she didn¡¯t understand. The route through the market district led them through another district with a tightly packed stone houses. The buildings were larger than Linea was used to from her home, but the buildings looked rather dull as she was used to the glowing Moon Stone.

    Brice was silent the whole ride, but Linea saw his gazes he threw at her from time to time.

    ¡°You¡¯re young,¡± he said at one point, but Linea didn¡¯t understand what he tried to tell her with this statement. She didn¡¯t react to his observation, and Brice didn¡¯t follow it up with another word.

    A few minutes later they based a bridge over another river and entered a district with walled mansions. Somehow, it didn¡¯t surprise Linea that Brice lived in the wealthier areas of the city. They stopped in front of one of the biggest buildings in the district. It wasn¡¯t as big as a palace, but she had seen baronesses in her country who lived with less pomp.

    The gate opened as they closed in on the mansion and the carriage stopped in front of the main entrance. A stunning looking woman and two guards stood at the door and seemed to await them. Brice gave Linea a nod telling her to exit the carriage.

    As Linea left the vehicle, the woman came over and examined her thoroughly.

    ¡°Brice, how much money did she cost?¡± she asked and looked at Brice with crossed arms.

    ¡°Not enough for you to question me, wife,¡± he said and without even spending a short view on her. ¡°Make sure she is clothed appropriately. Also, give her a room in the west wing. I don¡¯t want her living with the other slaves. When she¡¯s cleaned and clothed bring her to me.¡±

    And with that he entered the mansion while his wife sighed and gave Linea another look.

    ¡°I apologize for him,¡± she said to Linea. ¡°My name is Levi Si Trenia, and I¡¯m the Lady of the house.¡±

    Linea didn¡¯t answer her as she saw no benefit in doing so. It was only a small act of defiance, but it helped.

    ¡°I understand your dislike towards me, but you¡¯ll see in time I can be a better friend than enemy for you,¡± she explained and motioned Linea to go inside. ¡°Let¡¯s get you settled in.¡±

    <hr>

    The clothing that Levi had chosen for her was surprisingly sophisticated. It felt like silk even though Linea didn¡¯t recognize the fabric. The cut was simple as it was only a single piece of cloth with two openings for the arms. At first it looked rather unfavorable for Linea¡¯s figure, but the ensemble was completed by a golden cord which was wrapped around her to tighten the dress like clothing around her body. Linea didn¡¯t like her situation one bit, but she had to admit that Levi knew her fashion.

    Levi led Linea through the corridors of the mansion to a room which seemed to be an office. Shelves with scrolls and books adorned the walls and near the window Brice sat behind his desk going over something.

    Levi pointed at a chair in front of the desk, and Linea sat down. Brice took his time to read whatever he was holding before he looked up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick,¡± he said and looked her in the eyes. ¡°You¡¯re my property now and as a merchant I expect my property to be worth its money. As I was forced to buy you, I¡¯ll need you to work for me. As a princess I don¡¯t expect you to be capable of anything noteworthy, but I was told you have some battle experience.¡±

    He took another scroll from his desk and skimmed over it.

    ¡°Before we go over your working arrangements, I must make some things clear. These are some orders for you,¡± he explained, and Linea understood that he made it clear for the collar to work. ¡°First, you¡¯re not allowed to leave this compound unless you¡¯re accompanied by at least one guard. Wherever I¡¯ll let you work, someone will bring you there and back afterwards. Understood?¡±

    The collar tried to force this order on her, but Sarah¡¯s block worked perfectly. She nodded to signal she had understood the order.

    ¡°Answer with ¡®Yes, Master¡¯,¡± he said.

    Linea was tempted to disobey, but Sarah pressed her to put up with it.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Master,¡± Linea drawled.

    Brice sighed and continued.

    ¡°Second, if my research is correct, you normally sleep at day. Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Linea replied. ¡°Like all Moon Elves I¡¯m nocturnal.¡±

    Brice nodded as if he was proud that he knew beforehand.

    ¡°In that case, I think your work should be at night. I have options for that. I¡¯ll accommodate you in that regard, so you may sleep at day.¡±

    Linea didn¡¯t show him any appreciation for his ¡®grace¡¯.

    ¡°Third, when you¡¯re here, you¡¯ll follow all orders my wife gives you. I don¡¯t have the time to oversee my slaves. At work, someone will give you orders. That will depend on where I shall put you. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°Also, you¡¯re not allowed to use magic in any shape or form unless I or one of your supervisors gives you permission.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°And last but not least, I want you to bring me breakfast in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Brice said and clapped his hands together. ¡°You can sleep for now. You¡¯ll start working tomorrow evening. By then I should have worked out a working place for you.¡±

    <hr>

    Linea¡¯s sleep was restless, and she had a rather disturbing dream. She didn¡¯t remember its content after waking up, but she the nightmare¡¯s terror still lingered in her mind.

    It was Levi who had made the effort to wake her up.

    ¡°Get up and dress yourself, I want to show you around our home before I go to sleep in case you need something,¡± she explained.

    Linea still shaken from her nightmare got up and followed the order. At least the collar noted it as an order because it gave her an impulse.

    Levi and Linea walked through the mansion and Levi explained with patience everything Linea needed to know. At first Linea kept silent, but Levi had a captivating nature and she was kind to Linea.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    When they arrived at the garden, Linea decided to question her about it.

    ¡°Why are you trying to be nice to me?¡±

    Levi stopped in her tracks and gave Linea a pitiful look.

    ¡°I can imagine that this situation is bad for you and I don¡¯t expect you to have any sympathy for us humans¡­ but I personally don¡¯t endorse slavery at all.¡± she explained and pointed at the slave collar. ¡°And this thing is an abomination.¡±

    Linea didn¡¯t answer as she tried to think about what Levi had said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try the best I can to make your life as pleasant as I can in the light of your situation,¡± Levi promised. ¡°And I can tell you that the worst you can expect from my husband is humiliation. He won¡¯t rape you or anything.¡±

    It was one of the most pressing concerns for Linea because she didn¡¯t think she could keep up with the charade of obeying every order if he would try to violate her. And apparently Levi had guessed that.

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Linea asked trying to suppress her fear.

    ¡°First, I need to order you to keep what I¡¯m about to tell you for yourself,¡± she said. ¡°If it came out, I would get in trouble.¡±

    Linea again noticed the pull of the collar, but she knew it didn¡¯t bound her. A little victory for her again.

    ¡°Brice is¡­ not capable of sex anymore,¡± Levi whispered and blushed.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Linea asked confused. She found it difficult to imagine why Brice wouldn¡¯t be able to do it.

    ¡°There was an accident a few years back,¡± Levi explained. ¡°The healer he called wasn¡¯t able to heal him properly and shortly after this¡­ his thing fell off.¡±

    A small chuckle escaped Linea¡¯s lips, which resulted in a dark gaze from Levi.

    ¡°Cautious,¡± she said. ¡°He is still my husband.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no compassion for him.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t blame you,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°He became¡­ different afterwards. It¡¯s not like I ever loved him, but we got along well. We even have a daughter together. I¡¯ll introduce you to Tiva later. She is at the palace to visit her uncle.¡±

    ¡°The palace?¡± Linea asked.

    ¡°Yes, the palace,¡± Levi replied. ¡°Tiberius is my brother.¡±

    ¡°Tiberius? As in the emperor, Tiberius Seranus?¡± Linea asked confused.

    ¡°Correct,¡± Levi said with a crooked smile. ¡°I guess we¡¯re both princesses.¡±

    Linea was conflicted about this woman. On one hand she appeared to be nice, but on the other hand she was the sister of two men who she despised with all her heart.

    But before the two could discuss this further, Brice walked into the garden. He joined them but didn¡¯t give Linea any attention.

    ¡°Prepare yourself for a military parade tomorrow,¡± he said to his wife. ¡°Tiva will stay at the palace tonight and she will join us at the parade. Also, prepare our new slave for it. Your brother wants to present the two princesses as a trophy to the populace.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Levi replied.

    Linea observed the two more closely, and she realized that their interactions were rather chilly.

    ¡°Also, I talked with Maria, and she will work at her place starting the day after tomorrow,¡± he explained. ¡°Make her look nice and enticing, so that Maria doesn¡¯t nag about it.¡±

    Levi furrowed her brows.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t have her working as one of Maria¡¯s girls,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t mess with your decisions normally, but she is way too young for that.¡±

    ¡°This is none of your business,¡± he said and planted himself in front of her. They had a silent argument with each other before he relented. ¡°As it happens, she is only expected to work as a waitress. Having someone like her working there will draw in more costumers. She doesn¡¯t have to work on the clients.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Levi said and gave Linea a smile.

    Linea still had her suspicions about the woman¡¯s intentions, but right in this moment she was thankful. This was the first time she gave the human princess a smile. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be the last.

    <hr>

    The parade took place on the Palace Square, a rather large and open space right in front of the palace. Linea assumed by the brick-built stand at the palace side of the square that military parades occurred on a regular basis. She followed Brice and Levi to the stand where the guards made way for them. She squinted her eyes as she tried to avoid the bright sun light.

    They reached the podium on which the imperial family was seated, and Linea saw her sister standing beside Tanus who smirked at her as she entered behind Levi.

    Linea ignored him as she examined Senia who stared blankly at the floor in front of her feet. Just as she tried to address Senia, Tanus spoke to her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± he said. ¡°She has the order to stand there and remain silent. She couldn¡¯t answer even if she wanted to. Isn¡¯t that right darling?¡±

    He slapped Senia¡¯s butt and roared in amusement. Linea clenched her fists and had to use all her mental strength not to lash out on impulse. Something that was exceedingly difficult for her.

    ¡°Nothing to say, princess?¡± he said and tried to slap her butt as well, but Linea took a quick step back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t talk to apes,¡± she said and locked eyes with him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene,¡± Brice whispered to her. ¡°Stay quiet unless someone asks you something. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Linea pressed through her lips, which caused Tanus to chuckle.

    ¡°I apologize for her behavior,¡± he said to Tanus. ¡°I had no chance to educate her properly yet.¡±

    Tanus waved it off as if he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°You really need to take me on one of your hunts one day!¡±, a high voice rang in Linea¡¯s ear and she turned around to locate the source of the rather unpleasant noise.

    A young girl, perhaps two years younger than Linea, entered the podium in company of a handsome looking man. Linea saw the resemblance between the man and Tanus, and cold fury gripped her whole body. This was the man responsible for everything. Emperor Tiberius Seranus.

    ¡®Calm down!¡¯ Sarah yelled at her, as Linea was tempted to throw a punch at the man.

    Linea could barely contain herself, but after Sarah¡¯s reminder she took a deep breath and looked away.

    ¡°Perhaps I will, when you¡¯re a bit older,¡± Tiberius said with a small smile, but his gaze fell upon the already gathered people. ¡°You¡¯re either quite early, or little Tiva talked longer than I noted.¡±

    Tanus laughed.

    ¡°Oh, brother,¡± he said. ¡°You would listen to her for days, if you had the chance.¡±

    ¡°What did I miss?¡± Tiberius said after he winked at his brother.

    ¡°The younger slave princess called me an ape again, isn¡¯t that funny?¡± Tanus said and smirked at Linea.

    ¡°Did she?¡± Tiberius asked and followed his gaze. ¡°Still quite feisty, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I¡­¡±, Brice started but his wife interrupted him.

    ¡°Can we cut this crap?¡± she asked. ¡°We have more important matters to discuss.¡±

    Tiberius gave her a look which Linea couldn¡¯t decipher. It was like a mix of contempt and adoration.

    ¡°I decide when we switch topics,¡± he said and stared at his sister. ¡°And right now, I¡¯m amused by her temperament.¡±

    He focused on Brice again.

    ¡°Tell me, would you mind volunteering your new slave for a few arena show matches?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing dangerous. Only a few Torra perhaps and one or two gladiator matches.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Brice answered with a frown. ¡°She wasn¡¯t cheap, and I¡¯d rather not risk her health.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°But I must insist. Your slave has done some remarkable things, and I¡¯d love to see her in action. If anything happens to her, I shall compensate you.¡±

    Brice seemed to struggle with the decision, but Linea understood the implications of that discussion. There was no option.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Brice finally said. ¡°But if she dies, I get the full price of two thousand gold pieces.¡±

    ¡°That can be arranged,¡± Tiberius said.

    Linea also noticed the young girl Tiva watching her intently even though Linea didn¡¯t understand why. Perhaps she was curious about Moon Elves.

    The parade started soon after the emperor had taken his place and all attention was focused on the square below. Only Linea didn¡¯t have eyes for the soldiers marching and singing in front of them.

    Senia looked bad. Her expression was hollow, and on closer look Linea saw bruises. She tried to gain Senia¡¯s attention, but her sister didn¡¯t move her head one bit.

    ¡®Try this mind-speak thing you did with Nora,¡¯ Sarah suggested.

    ¡®Why?¡¯ Linea asked. She had never talked to her sister in mind-speak before.

    ¡®Well, if Tanus didn¡¯t lie, he ordered her to stay silent,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®But mind-speak is silent.¡¯

    Linea smiled and invoked her magic. Her collar tried to suppress it, but Sarah¡¯s block worked against it.

    It didn¡¯t take her long to establish the link.

    ¡®Senia?¡¯ she asked carefully.

    At first her sister didn¡¯t react, but Linea noticed Senia¡¯s joy.

    ¡®Li- Linea?¡¯ she asked.

    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Linea replied. ¡®How are you?¡¯

    Senia didn¡¯t answer directly, but due to the link between them Linea noted her hesitation to talk about it.

    ¡®Senia, we have little time,¡¯ Linea pressed her. ¡®If you want me to help you, tell me everything.¡¯

    Senia gave a mental sigh.

    ¡®He is a monster,¡¯ she simply said. ¡®He taunts me every day about how he defeated us, how he owns me¡­ and the things he does to me¡­¡¯

    Linea felt her sister¡¯s despair, and she wished she could end the man right at this moment.

    ¡®Did he¡­ you know¡­ this¡­¡¯ Linea asked unsure how to ask this question.

    ¡®I just want to die,¡¯ Senia answered and Linea saw actual tears from Senia dripping onto the floor.

    ¡®Don¡¯t say that,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®Please. I will free you. Promised. I just need to know where you live.¡¯

    ¡®How?¡¯ Senia asked. ¡®How could you free me? You¡¯re a slave like me¡­¡¯

    ¡®I can do it,¡¯ Linea repeated. ¡®Trust me and tell me where you live. Or even better show it to me. Imagine a picture of the place.¡¯

    Senia was still unconvinced but an image of a mansion just as pompous as Brice¡¯s place popped up in Linea¡¯s mind, nonetheless.

    ¡®Do you think, we can find that?¡¯ Linea asked Sarah.

    ¡®I think so,¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®I have an excellent memory. It might take a few hours, but we should be able to find it.¡¯

    ¡®Who is that?¡¯ Senia asked with an alarmed voice and notable confusion.

    Sarah and Linea stopped in their thoughts.

    ¡®Shit,¡¯ Sarah said.

    ¡®I forgot that she can hear us¡­¡¯ Linea added.

    ¡®Who is that?¡¯ Senia repeated even more pressing.

    ¡®That¡¯s Sarah,¡¯ Linea simply said. ¡®But I think we should talk about that after we have freed you.¡¯

 Arc 2 - Chapter 2 - Burning Revenge

    Linea searched for the moon as she looked outside her window, but she only saw a shimmer behind the clouds darkening the sky. She had hoped to catch a glimpse at the moon, but the darker the night was the better it would be for Sarah¡¯s plan.

    ¡®Are you ready?¡¯ Sarah asked.

    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Linea answered. ¡®I want to find her quickly.¡¯

    They switched their positions with no resistance which pleased them immensely. It was astounding how she and Sarah didn¡¯t need to talk as much as before because they understood each other through emotions and concepts. It was faster but also more prone to error as it wasn¡¯t as precise, but they settled simple topics like Sarah¡¯s request to take control in an instant.

    Sarah opened the window and used her telekinesis to fly high above the rooftops. As longs as no one looked for her, she would be invisible in the dark.

    ¡®Do you still have the picture of his mansion in your mind?¡¯ Linea asked as she tried to distinguish the buildings in the noble district they lived in.

    Sarah recalled the mental image Senia had given them and tried to match it with any building.

    ¡®How about that one?¡¯ Linea said after a few minutes. She sent Sarah an idea of the building she meant. Sarah followed her suggestion and flew closer. After circling around it, the hovered in front and above of the main entrance a few meters.

    ¡®No,¡¯ Sarah decided. ¡®The gate is way too small and the main building has only two floors.¡¯

    They resumed their search and Linea got nervous after a while. She feared that Senia¡¯s description wasn¡¯t accurate enough.

    ¡®There,¡¯ Sarah said and pointed at a compound near the palace. She closed in on the main building of the complex which was even bigger than Brice¡¯s mansion. They didn¡¯t know, where Senia lived, and Sarah had no idea how to find out without waking up every person inside.

    ¡®Let me try,¡¯ Linea said, and they switched after Sarah landed on the roof.

    Linea knew she could trace someone she had made a mind-link with, but the effect had only a short range. She sent out her magical senses, and she felt a small resemblance of a connection a few meters to her left and under her.

    Sarah learned through their connection, where Linea had found her sister, and without another word they switched again. Sarah floated down from the roof in front of the window which belonged to Senia¡¯s room. With her telekinesis Sarah unlocked the window and opened it slowly. She tried to be as silent as possible, but the window squeaked anyway. To her relief nothing else happened.

    Sarah and Linea saw someone lying on the bed in a room that looked luxurious. They approached the person carefully, and Linea saw the silver hair of her sister.

    But she also saw small blood stains on the bed sheet at the height of Senia¡¯s crotch. Sarah took a deep breath.

    ¡®All right, it¡¯s her,¡¯ she said to Linea. ¡®Now let¡¯s get a substitute.¡¯

    <hr>

    ¡®Do you really think this will work?¡¯ Linea asked as they sat on top of a roof in the harbor district. Sarah watched a group of sailors stumbling out of a tavern. Sarah had stolen a long cape from a drunken drunkard. Those sailors happened to be just as hammered, because one of them fell face first into the mud, much to the amusement of his friends.

    ¡®Of course,¡¯ Sarah said. The men moved away from the tavern through an alleyway. ¡®They are walking right into some people who are most likely a band of thugs.¡¯

    Sarah dropped from the rooftop and let her telekinesis do its work. She floated right above the sailors and when they reached the thugs, Linea had to admit that Sarah¡¯s intuition was spot on.

    The criminals were six men and two women even though calling them women was a stretch. They looked too young to do this kind of work. The two groups argued with each other as the thugs threatened the sailors with knifes. The intelligent thing for the sailors to do would have been to give their money to the thugs, but the sailors were too drunk to realize their disadvantage.

    ¡®Here we go,¡¯ Sarah said as they saw one girl pulling a knife on the sailors and stabbing one into the stomach. After pulling up the hood of her new cape, Sarah dropped down to prevent the situation from escalating further. Both groups were rather confused about her sudden appearance, but the girl with the bloody knife didn¡¯t stop as she sliced another sailors throat open.

    Sarah clicked her tongue as she hadn¡¯t planned to let the sailor die, but she didn¡¯t want to reveal Linea¡¯s healing ability. Or any other ability for that matter. These sailors didn¡¯t need to know that much, and she was not responsible for their lives.

    ¡°Oy! What do you want?¡± a male thug asked and pointed his knife in her direction. Sarah walked towards him, which he interpreted as a hostile move and attacked. He targeted her stomach, but Sarah used her telekinesis subtly to enhance her own strength. With a quick sidestep, she evaded the knife, grabbed the arm of the thugs and bend it inwards to stab him with his own knife.

    The other thugs woke up from their stupor and moved against Sarah. The following fight was brutal but short. Sarah took no chance and simply killed every thug except the girl who had killed the two sailors. With a back-hand strike against her neck, Sarah knocked her out cold.

    Silence fell on the back alley as the fighting subdued.

    ¡°Thank you for your help!¡± one of the two remaining sailors said. ¡°I¡¯m Dimanis and this is Tula. Who are you?¡±

    Sarah hesitated to answer. She hadn¡¯t planned to talk to anyone, and she was sure not to tell them Linea¡¯s name.

    ¡°Call me Nighthunter,¡± she said and turned away from them to scavenge the dead thugs for money.

    ¡°You¡¯re a woman?¡± the other sailor asked perplexed.

    ¡°Got a problem with that?¡± Sarah asked with a threatening voice.

    ¡°No!¡± he replied. ¡°Was just surprised¡­¡±

    ¡°How can we thank you for your help?¡± the other sailor asked as he gave his friend a dark glance.

    ¡°You could keep my involvement a secret,¡± Sarah said as she fished a coin pouch out of a pocket from a thug. She then picked up the unconscious girl.

    The two sailors nodded, and Sarah left the alley on foot. After the sailors were out of sight, she flew up in the sky.

    ¡®Nighthunter?¡¯ Linea asked with a hint of amusement.

    ¡®Yeah, it came to me because I was hunting, and it is night,¡¯ Sarah argued. ¡®You don¡¯t like it?¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s fine, I guess,¡¯ Linea replied. ¡®But I think we should focus on Senia now.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re right,¡¯ Sarah said and picked up the speed.

    <hr>

    Thanks to Sarah¡¯s good memory and orientation, they found Tanus¡¯ mansion without problems. Sarah entered the same room as before and Senia was still asleep in her bed. It was a bad sign for Linea that her sister slept at night because Moon Elves rarely did that.

    Sarah placed the unconscious girl on the floor and let Linea take over. Linea sat down beside her sister and gently touched her shoulder.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Senia woke up with a jolt and looked around hastily. Linea pulled down her hood and revealed her face. Her sister tried to say something but apparently her collar still prevented her from it. Instead tears streamed down her face. She burrowed her face against Linea¡¯s chest and Linea put her arms around Senia.

    Even though Sarah had designed a precise plan, Linea had to soothe her sister first. Not only because it was the right thing to do, but they needed Senia to be back to her senses. Senia needed a few minutes to calm down, and Linea waited patiently.

    When Senia had somewhat of a clear mind again, Linea explained what plan Sarah had cooked up for them without mentioning Sarah.

    ¡°So, at first I¡¯ll try to remove that collar,¡± Linea said after she had finished the explanation.

    Senia nodded and gave Linea a bit more space. Sarah took control again and fumbled for the collar on Senia¡¯s neck with her telekinetic senses. It was identical in construction as her own collar, but she realized that she wasn¡¯t blocked from damaging it.

    She found a rivet on the side which locked the collar around the neck. It was designed to be difficult to remove, and one needed special tools to do so, apparently. But Sarah didn¡¯t need tools as her telekinesis was more than enough.

    With a bit of force, she simply jerked the rivet out the collar. As the collar fell from Senia¡¯s neck, her silent crying got rather loud. Sarah quickly pressed a hand on Senia¡¯s mouthed and hissed at her.

    ¡°Quiet!¡±

    Senia looked startled but with a nod she made clear she understood. Sarah took her hand away and, even though Senia was still sobbing, she toned down on her volume.

    ¡°Should I heal you?¡± Sarah asked in Linea¡¯s stead and pointed cautiously at Senia¡¯s crotch. Senia blushed and her sobbing grew more intense, but she nodded again.

    Linea switched back into her body, and she and Sarah noticed again how easy and subconscious the process had become. Linea motioned Senia to lie down and take of her clothes.

    Senia hesitated notably as she pulled the dress over her head. Underneath the dress, Senia¡¯s body was covered in bruises and small cuts, and her genitals looked even more battered.

    Linea had to take a deep breath before healing her sister. Tanus may only be a human, but in her eyes, he was a barbaric monster. It was awkward for her, but she still laid her hands between Senia¡¯s legs and murmured her healing spell.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Senia whispered and sighed from the relief.

    Linea nodded and stood up to give Senia more privacy to change into something appropriate. She and Sarah switched again, and Sarah took the time to gather the collar and attached it to the girl. It probably wouldn¡¯t work anymore, but that wasn¡¯t her goal anyway.

    She let her victim float behind her while she got to the door and pressed her ear against it. The other side was silent. Senia followed her but avoided the floating girl eyeing it suspiciously.

    ¡°Do you know where he sleeps?¡± Sarah asked as she turned around to Senia.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Senia answered. ¡°We need to get into the main building, but there are lots of guards around. I don¡¯t think we can get inside¡­ especially with her. Why do you even have a human girl with you?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to convince people of your death, if there is no corpse.¡±

    Senia frowned and looked at the girl again.

    ¡°So, you just take a girl, kill her and you think they won¡¯t notice the difference?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we burn them,¡± Sarah explained, while opening the door and looking around. The corridor was empty. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    They followed the corridor towards the staircase under Senia¡¯s guidance, who knew her way around the building better than Sarah. Senia even took on the vanguard role and gave Sarah signs, if the path was clear, which was always the case, because everyone was asleep.

    When they left the building into the garden, they came across the first guards, who patrolled the area. Sarah was tempted to just fly over, but she had no idea if Senia would find the way from the air.

    ¡°If we were to fly over to the main building, would you find the window leading into his bedroom?¡± Sarah asked while she scanned the surroundings.

    ¡°Fly?¡± Senia asked in confusion. ¡°I guess I could. He sleeps in the west wing, top floor at the end of the corridor. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find. There is a balcony attached to it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s helpful,¡± Sarah said with a smile.

    She examined the building on the other side of the garden. To her left she saw something that looked like it could be the balcony.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± she said which earned her a confused look from Senia. Then she switched into her shadow walk. The world around them distorted ever so slightly as the shadow surrounded them.

    ¡°What in Luna¡¯s name is this?¡± Senia asked and her voice trembled.

    ¡°Nothing you need to worry about,¡± Sarah replied and led them towards the main building. They circled around it until they arrived under Tanus¡¯ bedroom.

    ¡°You used this back in the forest when I followed you,¡± Senia whispered.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to whisper. They can¡¯t hear us anyway.¡±

    She used her telekinesis again to lift all three of them upwards. She noticed Senia wincing because of it, but she didn¡¯t let go. They landed safely on the balcony and with a small mental flick she opened the lock of the balcony door from the inside.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost too easy¡­¡± Sarah noticed.

    ¡°True,¡± Senia agreed. ¡°Normally, an alarm would raise if anyone used magic around here who is not registered to the mansion. I have no idea how you avoided that.¡±

    Sarah stopped in her tracks.

    ¡°And why exactly are you telling me this only now?¡±

    Senia blinked a few times at Sarah.

    ¡°I thought¡­ I thought you knew?¡± She explained herself. ¡°I mean you got in here without triggering the alarm. I guessed you found a way to avoid it.¡±

    Sarah groaned.

    ¡®Be nice to her,¡¯ Linea said to Sarah. ¡®She had a rough time. Besides, your psionics don¡¯t seem to have triggered anything.¡¯

    Sarah didn¡¯t answer. With a small push, she opened the door and quickly scanned the room. There was a lot of space, but not much furniture. There was a bed on a stone pedestal in the middle of the room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Senia whispered as Sarah went over to the bed, where she saw Tanus sleeping.

    ¡°Why?¡± Sarah asked annoyed, but she stopped nonetheless.

    ¡°There is an invisible barrier,¡± Senia explained and snuck closer to the bed. As soon as she escaped Sarah¡¯s grasp, she dropped out of Sarah¡¯s shadow walk. Sarah followed her closely and stopped her shadow walk altogether.

    On the side of the bed was a small box with six wheels on it and on each wheel were different symbols.

    ¡°You need to enter the correct combination of symbols to deactivate it,¡± Senia explained as silently as possible. ¡°I know the combination because¡­ I¡­. have to wake him every morning¡­ for¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Just open it.¡±

    Senia nodded and turned the wheels into their correct positions. The barrier glowed shortly before it dropped.

    Sarah looked onto the bed and examined the man lying before her.

    ¡®You know I didn¡¯t understand why you hate humans so much, but when I see this man¡­ I understand it somewhat,¡¯ Sarah noted.

    ¡®After I met you, I came to the conclusion that maybe not all humans are bad,¡¯ Linea answered.

    Sarah closed her eyes for a short moment as she searched for any hidden entrances to this room with her telekinetic senses. Apart from the main entrance and a servant¡¯s entrance she found two hidden doors leading somewhere. She blocked the doors with telekinesis to make sure they wouldn¡¯t be interrupted.

    With a flick of her hand, the girl thug floated over to the bed, where Sarah dropped her unceremoniously.

    Tanus woke up from the movement, but since the girl landed behind his back the first thing he saw was Senia.

    ¡°Oh, back for more?¡± Tanus mocked her with a smirk. ¡°But I don¡¯t like to be disturbed in my sleep. Come back in the¡­¡±

    Senia didn¡¯t let him finish. Instead she made a step forward and punched him in the face.

    ¡°Ow,¡± he cried out. ¡°How¡­¡±

    But again, he was interrupted. This time Sarah forced his jaw shut to shut him up. He scratched his cheeks with his finger in confusion to why he was unable to move his mouth.

    ¡°I would love to have an extended discussion with you, but unfortunately my sister and I are on a tight schedule,¡± Sarah explained to him and his eyes went wide as he saw her.

    ¡°Help!¡± he suddenly started to yell, and despite his clenched jaw he got rather loud. A bang at the door signaled a guard running into Sarah¡¯s blockade.

    ¡°Ah, damn it,¡± Sarah cursed and rushed forward. She pressed Tanus down on the bed with her telekinesis and pressed her hand over his mouth. ¡°Senia, can you search for something to make a fire?¡±

    ¡°I could cast a magical fire,¡± Senia replied. ¡°Survival skills were the first things we learned at the academy.¡±

    ¡°Well, get going then,¡± Sarah said and nodded in Tanus direction.

    ¡°You want me to set him on fire?¡± Senia asked surprised.

    ¡°He won¡¯t do it himself,¡± Sarah answered with a groan. ¡°Could you stop arguing and do what I tell you?¡±

    Senia frowned at her and Sarah noticed disapproval coming from Linea, but at least Senia got to work.

    ¡°Sera¡¯sirra.¡± Senia murmured and the bed in front of her hands started to burn. It wasn¡¯t much of a fire, but it was enough for Sarah.

    ¡°Good,¡± Sarah said to Senia. ¡°Stand back now.¡±

    She laid the girl on top of Tanus who looked terrified at the fire.

    ¡°This is just the beginning,¡± Sarah hissed at him. ¡°You¡¯ll burn in hell.¡±

    Then she took control of the fire with her newly acquired pyrokinesis and fed it her power. It was still difficult for her to create fire from nothing, but once there was a fire she could control it easily.

    The fire spread over the bed burning his feet and legs. He screamed against her hand with wide eyes as they fixated on Sarah. The fire reached the girl as well, which woke her up from her unconsciousness. Sarah let her screams go through unhindered as she didn¡¯t fear whatever she may have screamed. Tanus on the other hand needed to be silent because he could betray Sarah¡¯s and Linea¡¯s involvement.

    It didn¡¯t take long until the fire had engulfed the whole bed. Sarah was cautious with her fire control as she didn¡¯t want to be burnt. Tanus¡¯ face was still untouched as her hand made it necessary to spare it. His tears dripped on her hand, but neither Sarah nor Linea could find any compassion for him. The girl was probably already dead, her body black as coal, but Tanus had managed not only to stay alive but even conscious.

    After a few more moments in which Sarah noticed that the fire slowly started to get out of her control, Tanus finally stopped struggling. Sarah took a step back and let the fire do the rest.

    The banging on the door became desperate and Sarah felt someone putting a lot of force against her block on the door.

    ¡°I think a mage is trying to get in,¡± she said to Senia who watched the burning room with a mesmerized look.

    ¡°He should have suffered more¡­¡± Senia stated and a single tear found its way down her cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s all I can give you,¡± Sarah said and put a hand on Senia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We should get going.¡±

    Senia took a deep breath, which was a bit difficult given the smoke, but then she followed Sarah to the balcony.

    ¡°Thank you for this, Linea,¡± Senia whispered as Sarah took them into the night sky again.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 3 - Trust

    Sarah checked to her left and right to make sure nobody was following them. To her relief the streets were still empty even though the sun shimmered behind the horizon already. She turned around and motioned Senia to come closer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check this inn,¡± she said to Senia. ¡°If this one has no rooms either, I¡¯ll bring you out of the city.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Senia asked and furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Because I trust you to handle yourself in a forest, but not in a city full of humans,¡± Sarah explained, which resulted in Senia giving her an angry look.

    ¡°Let me rephrase that: I don¡¯t trust humans to not harass you. Also, we can¡¯t risk that anyone recognizes you.¡±

    Senia grumbled, but she raised no further objections.

    Sarah sighed and stepped out of the alleyway she and Senia had used to approach the inn. She checked her cape one last time if everything was in place. One last gaze down the street and she went over to the building with a sign in form of a sail hanging over its door. ¡®The Flying Sailor¡¯ was etched into the wood.

    When Sarah entered the taproom, only two people sat at a table in the corner. They stopped talking for a short moment to check out the newcomer, but as Sarah headed towards the bar where a young girl just walked out from a backroom, the two guests lost interest.

    ¡°What can I bring you?¡± the girl asked with a friendly voice after Sarah stopped at the bar. She gave the young bar maid an examining gaze. She was around Linea¡¯s age but was at least a head smaller. However, humans seemed to be not as tall as Elves in general. The girl had raven black hair and wore a simple linen dress with a black apron protecting it. Sarah also noticed a small earring in form of an anchor dangling from the girl¡¯s right ear.

    ¡°Do you have a room for me?¡±

    The girl raised her eyebrows and Sarah saw how she tried to get a better peek under Sarah¡¯s hood. A futile attempt as she used her shadow bending skill to deny anyone to look at her face.

    ¡°We have a few rooms,¡± the girl finally said. ¡°From two silver coins to ten. Depends on the level of comfort you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the cheapest one for now,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I was up all night and only need a bed for now.¡±

    ¡°All right, follow me then.¡±

    The girl stepped from behind the counter and grabbed a key out of a box. She then walked towards the stairs on the opposite side of the room.

    ¡°Your room will be the second to the left on the second floor,¡± she explained and climbed the stairs in front of Sarah. ¡°My name is Tirell by the way.¡±

    The girl gave Sarah an expecting look, but Sarah disappointed as she simply nodded.

    ¡°Anyhow,¡± Tirell continued with a sigh. ¡°The price includes breakfast. Do you want to eat down in the taproom or should I bring it straight to your room?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the room service, if you¡¯d be so kind.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Tirell said and stopped in front of the room. She opened the lock, and they stepped inside. Tirell closed the door behind them.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be honest,¡± Tirell said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your deal is, but as I see it you¡¯re being chased or at least someone is looking for you. If you¡¯re a criminal, I¡¯d like to know.¡±

    Sarah¡¯s eyes flicked to the young girl.

    ¡®She is clever,¡¯ Linea noted.

    ¡°What made you notice?¡± Sarah asked ignoring Linea¡¯s comment.

    ¡°Please,¡± Tirell said and rolled her eyes. ¡°Who comes to an inn this early in the morning searching for a room? You¡¯re no sailor and the gates are closed at night. Therefore, you must be from the city, but why should a woman looking for a room, if she lives here?¡±

    ¡°What if I¡¯m a criminal?¡± Sarah asked getting a step closer, which made the girl flinch for a moment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are, though,¡± she said standing still. ¡°I think you¡¯re running away from your husband.¡±

    ¡®This is not good¡­¡¯ Sarah said to Linea.

    ¡®Well, we can¡¯t change it now,¡¯ Linea countered. ¡®Perhaps we can bring her to help us?¡¯

    ¡®Might as well try.¡¯

    ¡°Listen¡­ Tirell, was it?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not here because of myself. I saved someones life, and that someone is waiting outside. Can you let her stay here for a few days? I¡¯ll try to find something more permanent, but that might take a while.¡±

    Tirell smiled brightly.

    ¡°Sure thing, Miss,¡± she said. ¡°As long as you can pay, she can stay here. I¡¯ll make sure no one bothers her.¡±

    ¡°So, it depends on the money, eh?¡± Sarah noticed and gave a small sigh.

    ¡°It sure does,¡± Tirell agreed. ¡°Dad is a nice guy, but this is his business and whoever doesn¡¯t pay will get kicked out.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess that is to be expected. I should be able to provide two silvers a day somehow.¡±

    ¡°All right, you want to bring her in?¡±

    ¡°Of course, but I will smuggle her in. I trust you a little, but I don¡¯t want the two guys downstairs to see her.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Tirell said and rubbed her chin. ¡°Well, if you can get her in here with no one noticing, it would be helpful. I¡¯ll bring her something to eat. Do you want something as well?¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± Sarah said and stepped to the window. She opened it and looked around. Below her was an alley which seemed rather dirty. To her left on the other side of the main street, she saw Senia cowering behind a crate in the opposing alley. She waved and motioned Senia to come into this alley. While Senia did as ordered, Sarah turned around to Tirell.

    ¡°Would it be possible for you to run an errand for us?¡± she asked. ¡°I need to head home -¡± the word left a sour taste in her mouth ¡°- but I need to get a few things for her.¡±

    ¡°What does she need?¡±

    ¡°The usual necessities for a woman, I guess. Also, a cape just like mine and some simple clothes.¡±

    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s sure gonna be a bit pricey,¡± Tirell admitted. ¡°If I get it from some merchants that owe me something, I¡¯ll probably get it for around twenty to thirty silver coins.¡±

    Sarah grabbed the coins out of her pocket and counted twenty-three coins.

    ¡°I hope that¡¯s enough,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I can bring more later, but that¡¯s all I have on me today.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Tirell said with a smile. ¡°The clothes might be really simple, but I can take her shopping later, when you have more money.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer, if she wouldn¡¯t leave this room for now,¡± Sarah said with a stern voice.

    ¡°That sure makes sense!¡± Tirell said with a chuckle. ¡°Stupid me.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your help,¡± Sarah said and looked at the door.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ll get her stuff over the course of the day and bring them up here.¡±

    Sarah nodded and watched as Tirell left the room. She peeked outside to see Senia looking up to her. Sarah grabbed Linea¡¯s sister with her telekinesis and pulled her upwards.

    <hr>

    ¡°We have room, I take it?¡±

    ¡°For now,¡± Sarah said and closed the window. ¡°The daughter of the owner kind of found out that you¡¯ll be hiding here. Keep your eyes and ears open in case she tries anything fishy. You should be strong enough to run away at least.¡±

    ¡°Why did you tell her?¡± Senia asked while she looked around the room.

    ¡°She deduced as much herself. Seems to be a clever girl,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I gave her money so she could purchase some stuff for you. A cape for example. If you ever need to go outside, always keep your head covered.¡±

    ¡°I will do so¡­¡± Senia said and sat down on the bed. ¡°But now explain to me, who you are. After hearing your voice in Linea¡¯s head, I noticed the differences in your behavior. You¡¯re¡­ colder than her.¡±

    ¡®Ouch, that¡¯s harsh,¡¯ Linea chuckled.

    ¡®Shut up¡­¡¯

    Linea took back control over her body.

    ¡°It¡¯s a difficult topic, but you¡¯re right. From time to time we switch control over my body. It¡¯s me in most cases, but Sarah has some incredible skills, which you witnessed tonight. And even before that.¡±

    ¡°Sarah?¡± Senia asked. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like an Elven name.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Linea admitted. ¡°She was a human on a different world.¡±

    ¡°A different world¡­¡± Senia murmured and Linea could read from her face that she probably was evaluating her sanity.

    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, we could talk in mind speak again, so you could talk to both of us,¡± Linea proposed.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± Senia said and looked away from her sister, examining the bed thoroughly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can focus enough right now¡­ Let¡¯s just talk. So, why is she with you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit complicated and we don¡¯t have enough time to explain it in detail,¡± Linea said while she paced in front of her sister. ¡°The gist of it is as follows: Someone split our soul before I was born and Sarah is another part of me. She was born on another world, killed and brought to me by an angel. That happened on the day I got my blessing.¡±

    ¡°That was the thing, you didn¡¯t want to tell mother!¡± Senia realized.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Linea confirmed. ¡°Sarah has special abilities that no one else has on this world as far as we know, and we didn¡¯t want to give that away. To be honest, I¡¯m not feeling overly confident telling you about it.¡±

    ¡°What? Why not? I¡¯m your sister! You can trust me,¡± Senia complained and stared at Linea.

    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Linea replied with rolling her eyes. ¡°You had a great way of showing how much you cared about me back then.¡±

    Senia fell silent again. She opened her mouth, just to close it again. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye and ran down her cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that¡­ I should have been¡­ You shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Linea sighed. ¡°I understand that your were¡­ jealous. But you treated me like garbage the last few months before all of this happened.¡±

    Senia gulped and took a deep breath.

    ¡°I think a few weeks ago I would have yelled at you for that,¡± Senia said and a sad smile appeared on her face. ¡°But after what happened¡­ I can only ask for your forgiveness. I owe you so much that I may never be able to repay you.¡±

    Linea¡¯s expression softened, and she sat down beside her sister.

    ¡°There is nothing to repay,¡± Linea said. ¡°I told you in before, you are my sister and I will always love you. I¡¯ll do anything to protect my family.¡±

    Silence fell upon the room once again and in the spur of the moment Linea rested her head on Senia¡¯s shoulder. She didn¡¯t expect that and fell down on her back. Linea didn¡¯t mind that as she simply laid down with her and put her head on Senia¡¯s outstretched arm.

    ¡°Remember back when we were younger?¡± Senia said after a while. ¡°You often would come into my or Tarina¡¯s room early in the morning and crawl under the blanket. You always found your own bed too cold.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Linea said a blushed a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm, maybe you were too young to remember.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    They didn¡¯t talk for a few moments until Senia asked an important question.

    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡±

    ¡°Well, the most important objective right now is getting rid of that thing,¡± Linea said and tapped against her collar. ¡°Sarah already has a plan to achieve that, but I won¡¯t tell you what exactly that would entail. Because I have no idea about the details either.¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever I can do to help¡­ Just tell me,¡± Senia offered.

    Linea nodded and cuddled against Senia¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡®I hate to interrupt your sisterly bonding,¡¯ Sarah said, ¡®but the sun is almost rising and we should be back before someone looks for us.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re right,¡¯ Linea said and sighed.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Senia asked.

    ¡°We must get back before someone searches for us.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Senia said and her eyes watered. ¡°I pray he doesn¡¯t do¡­ he doesn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Linea knew what she tried to imply and gave her a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said and caressed her cheek wiping away another tear. ¡°My ¡®master¡¯ lacks¡­ the proper equipment, so to speak.¡±

    ¡°He¡­¡± Senia stammered with wide eyes.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Senia chuckled for a moment while Linea got up from the bed and switched with Sarah again.

    ¡°Tirell, the barmaid, should be back any moment with something to eat,¡± she explained and gave Senia her own cape. ¡°Take it and put it on. Don¡¯t let her see your face. I don¡¯t know if she has realized that we¡¯re not human, but if she hasn¡¯t, we don¡¯t need to give it away.¡±

    Senia nodded.

    ¡°When will you be back?¡± she asked Sarah, who made her way to the window.

    ¡°Tomorrow, if nothing happens,¡± Sarah said. ¡°We need to get money from somewhere. You stay here for now. This might get boring, but your safety is paramount.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Senia replied. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you ask, but please watch over my sister.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Sarah said as she stepped out of the window onto an invisible telekinetic platform. ¡°I always do.¡±

    <hr>

    The first sun rays peaked over the horizon as Sarah dropped her Shadow Walk inside her master¡¯s manor, where she noticed a handful of servants already bustling around. Since they had reached their ¡®home¡¯, Linea took over, and she walked through the garden towards the house. On the way, she heard someone panting and the muffled sound of metal hitting wood.

    Curious she followed the sound and found the daughter of the house in front of a target dummies of some sorts. She made sidestep to avoid an imaginary attack from her silent enemy. Unused to such a trainings method, Linea chortled for a short moment.

    Tiva turned around with visible anger on her face.

    ¡°What are you laughing about, slave!¡± she yelled and Linea¡¯s amusement vanished in an instant. ¡°Come here!¡±

    Linea was tempted to just ignore the order, but apparently the collar had other ideas. It made abundantly clear that this was an order to be followed and so she trudged over to Tiva.

    ¡°Kneel, slave!¡± the girl had the audacity to demand from her. She followed the order and put one of her knee to the ground.

    ¡°Both knees, you useless girl!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a posture I only show towards my goddess,¡± Linea explained irritated. ¡°I¡¯d ask you not to force me¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Tiva interrupted her with a kick against her shin. ¡°Get down into the dirt you belong to. I want you to press your head against the dirt.¡±

    Gritting her teeth, Linea executed the order even though her whole being rebelled against it.

    ¡°Good¡­¡± Tiva complimented Linea with a sweet voice, which made Linea shiver. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever make fun of me again.¡±

    With that she put her foot on the back of Linea¡¯s head and pressed it down hard.

    ¡°You know,¡± Tiva said. ¡°I always had some respect for Moon Elves. You were always so valiant against us humans in the past. I thought you were so strong and powerful, but also generous to not attack us humans. My mother always had a penchant for your culture, but my uncle opened my eyes.¡±

    The pressure on her head lessened slightly as Tiva adjusted her balance, but the dirt still pressed painfully against her forehead.

    ¡°He told me about it, after he found some ancient ruins beneath the city.¡± Tiva rambled on. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me what exactly he found there, but he said it enlightened him. About everything. He explained to me, how we humans don¡¯t have a protector deity, because we alone are strong enough that we don¡¯t need one.¡±

    She took her foot away from Linea¡¯s head, but only to put it under her chin to raise it up slowly.

    ¡°And now look at you,¡± Tiva continued her monolog. ¡°The mighty Moon Elven princess groveling before a human princess. You Elves are so pathetic.¡±

    ¡°I would rip you to shreds, if you¡¯d let me,¡± Linea gritted between her teeth.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Tiva asked. ¡°Did I hear defiant words from your mouth? I certainly hope not. Would you repeat that for me?¡±

    ¡°I said I would rip you apart, if I could,¡± Linea replied even louder.

    ¡°But you can¡¯t!¡± Tiva laughed and kicked Linea against her shoulder, which caused her to fall down. ¡°Because you¡¯re weak¡­¡±

    ¡°Tavi!¡± another voice yelled in shock and anger and approached them fast.

    <hr>

    ¡°What is going on here?¡±

    It took Linea a few moments to connect the voice to Levi, the Lady of the house.

    ¡°How dare you to treat the girl like that!¡± she scolded her daughter and walked over to help Linea up. She refused the help however by swatting away the helpful hand.

    ¡°She laughed at me!¡± Tiva justified her actions as if this had been an appropriate reaction.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Levi argued, while she looked over Linea to make sure she wasn¡¯t hurt. ¡°I didn¡¯t raise you to treat a human being like that.¡±

    ¡°But she isn¡¯t even human,¡± Tiva said with triumph in her voice.

    ¡°Figure of speech!¡± Levi replied and rubbed her temple. ¡°If you want to become an imperial knight, you need to learn how to treat those beneath you. She may be a slave in this household, but she is a sentient being, and she knows what pain is. Would like to be treated like that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a princess!¡± Tiva countered as if this would explain anything.

    ¡°Only technically,¡± Levi said with a sigh. ¡°Also, being a princess doesn¡¯t protect you from bad things happening to you. You can ask her about that.¡±

    Tiva opened her mouth just to close it again.

    ¡°I have a feeling, you¡¯re spending too much time with my brother lately. Perhaps I should restrict your visits in favor of more etiquette training,¡± Levi mused, while her daughter¡¯s face went red.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! I¡¯ve learned more from Uncle Tiberius than from my father!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only because you have no patience to learn his craft,¡± Levi argued. ¡°Besides, I know that you hope to become empress one day, but don¡¯t you realize that as soon one of my brothers marries and sires a child, you won¡¯t be an eligible heir?¡±

    ¡°May I go to bed?¡± Linea flatly asked in the middle of that discussion.

    Both looked at Linea as if they only remembered her presence that moment.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Levi said waving her off. ¡°I¡¯ll wake you up in the evening.¡±

    While mother and daughter argued with each other again, Linea sneaked away.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 4 - Madame Marias Palace

    Like Levi had promised, after a whole day of uninterrupted sleep, she woke Linea up as the sun started her descend. Even though Linea woke up before Levi had even entered her room, Levi apologized for her disturbance. Linea still wasn¡¯t sure why this woman was trying to be nice to her, but she didn¡¯t mind it as much as her daughter¡¯s obvious dislike.

    ¡°Something to eat for you,¡± Levi said and placed a small tablet on the small table in Linea¡¯s room. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you might like and what not. I heard Elves don¡¯t eat meat, but I wasn¡¯t sure, so¡­¡±

    ¡°There are druids, who have a deep connection with nature¡­ they don¡¯t like to kill animals just for food, if they have other means to quell their hunger,¡± Linea explained while she took a piece of bread and sniffed at it to check for anything unusual. ¡°And I guess there are a few Elves, who don¡¯t like meat for the taste, but that¡¯s more an exception. For me, a medium roasted fillet of a stag can be rather enticing.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to convince my husband to provide you with that¡­ but if there is anything you don¡¯t like, let me know.¡±

    ¡°All right¡­¡±

    ¡®I have no idea, what her goal is,¡¯ Sarah admitted catching Linea¡¯s confusion.

    ¡®Me neither,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®Let¡¯s keep an eye on her. It¡¯s suspicious.¡¯

    ¡°When you¡¯re done, get dressed and meet me at the front gate. We¡¯ll go to your new workplace in half an hour.¡±

    Linea took her time with the breakfast and didn¡¯t bother to make herself all that representable. Who would she need to impress anyway? She put her hair into a bun, washed her face with cold water from the well and then walked to the main gate.

    She and Sarah discussed on the way why Levi seemed to be so calm. They had expected her to be more distressed about her brother¡¯s death. After a whole day she must have been told about it already.

    They didn¡¯t found a good reason for it, but it wasn¡¯t that important to them as the coming task of Linea¡¯s new work was more urgent. They reached the main gate where Levi awaited her with a group of guards. They all wore a simple leather armor and had spears equipped. Only the captain had a steel helmet with some tuft of blue feathers on top. Linea had to suppress a giggle as she hadn¡¯t seen this kind of ornament on a helmet before.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going then,¡± Levi said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll walk as you most likely won¡¯t get a carriage from Brice in the future. Even though the guards know the way, I would like you to be able to navigate through the city in case of an emergency.¡±

    Linea just nodded and followed them outside.

    She noticed that the city looked quite different at day than it did at night. The most hectic time of the day had already passed, but the streets were still filled with servants running errands, merchants going back home and, the further they got, an increasing amount of beggars.

    Linea was preoccupied with her own problems at the moment, but she couldn¡¯t ignore how miserable some of them looked. It was a sight, she had never witnessed before.

    ¡®Back at home we would never leave someone to leave on the streets like that,¡¯ she said to Sarah.

    ¡®Really?¡¯ Sarah asked. ¡®Or did you not noticed it, because you lived in a castle isolated from the common folk?¡¯

    ¡®I¡­¡¯ Linea started but after a quick thought, she had to admit that she didn¡¯t know if there were any beggars in Lina¡¯sindranar. ¡®I have no idea¡­¡¯

    <hr>

    They reached a market square where some merchants still tried selling their goods. Before Linea could get a better look at what kind of products they traded here, Levi led her into a street on the side of the market. They stopped in front of a relatively impressive building. Paintings of beautiful dancers and scantily dressed women adorned the walls.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± Levi said. She knocked on the door.

    Linea noticed two separate slits in the door which were closed. However, why this door had two door-viewers - one at face level and one roughly at the height of Linea¡¯s stomach - confused her.

    A few moments later, a rustling sounded behind the door and someone opened the upper slit. A brown, snake-like eye framed by green scales appeared and skimmed them. The slit closed again, and a hiss echoed through the door.

    ¡°Yeah, meh coming!¡± another voice yelled.

    The lower slit opened and this time human-like eyes examined them. Then the door opened and Linea saw a red-haired dwarf with his braided beard waving them in.

    ¡°Come in, come in, Miss Lady Levi!¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Oh, and you brought the new lass?¡±

    ¡°Good evening, Ashul,¡± Levi replied with a kind smile. She gave her guards a sign to wait outside, which made Ashul frown.

    ¡°Meh hope you don¡¯t plan on placing them out there all the time,¡± he said. ¡°Bad for business and Miss Maria doesn¡¯t like that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Levi said and walked in followed by Linea. ¡°They will leave together with me. I trust you and Ska to keep things under control here as usual.¡±

    ¡°Meh glad about that,¡± the dwarf said and gave her a smile again.

    Linea took a detailed look around her. On the right a lizard man towered everyone present as he was at least two heads taller than Linea. His green scales shimmered due to the lamps, which were already lit.

    ¡®So cool!¡¯ Sarah commented. ¡®He looks like an alligator on two feet.¡¯

    ¡®What¡¯s an alligator?¡¯ Linea asked confused.

    ¡®A reptile back on Earth. His scales are too bright for an alligator though. And his snout is way shorter.¡¯

    The lizard man noticed her stare and grumbled at her. Linea quickly avoided his gaze and inspected the place instead. To her surprise the establishment gave a more exquisite feeling than she had expected. The main room was spacious and populated with comfortable looking couches and armchairs. On the side were small booths, separated by velvet curtains.

    She even noticed a stage on the other side of the room. The decoration was in light red colors and a lot of the paintings on the walls depicted women and men in different states of undress and various sexual activities. But despite that, they didn¡¯t come across as vulgar. Instead it seemed to aim at enticing the onlooker.

    Of course, Linea immediately blushed and tried to avoid looking at the paintings again.

    ¡®You¡¯re so cute,¡¯ Sarah commented. ¡®But I believe you should get used to it. You¡¯ll see more of that in the future.¡¯

    Linea didn¡¯t answer her but followed Levi into the room towards the bar where a red-haired girl was counting bottles.

    ¡°Eliza, darling,¡± Ashul, the dwarf, interrupted her. ¡°Would you get Miss Maria? Levi and the new lass are here.¡±

    The young woman gave Linea a quick glance and made wide eyes.

    ¡°Fancy that,¡± she said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have guessed that he would give us his little princess. Give me a second, I¡¯ll fetch Maria.¡±

    A few minutes later, Eliza returned with another woman. Linea jaw nearly dropped as she saw Maria. Even though Elves were naturally gifted with beauty, Maria outdid even the most beautiful women Linea had seen up to this date. Maria had curled brown hair, which ended just above her rather sizable bust. The rest of her body was slim, but more in a feminine way, not like Linea¡¯s own athletic figure. Her dress was crimson and showed just enough cleavage without looking cheap.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Maria said nothing at first, but instead she circled around Linea for a few times.

    ¡°You can tell your husband that I won¡¯t have someone like her working here,¡± she finally said and crossed her arms.

    Linea¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she tried to understand why this woman was so quick with that kind of judgment. Not that Linea wanted to work here, but being disregarded like that hurt her pride, nonetheless. She knew for a fact that she was regarded as one of the best looking Moon Elves of her age in Luna¡¯sindra. Or at least that¡¯s what everyone had told her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of the idea either,¡± Levi agreed but shrugged at the same time. ¡°But my dear husband has no other use for her.¡±

    ¡°He does not?¡± Maria said with a sly smile. ¡°Word got around that he bought her for¡­ what? Two thousand gold? I guessed he would like to have her for himself.¡±

    Linea saw Levi blush ever so slightly.

    ¡°He has no need for a sex slave,¡± she said. ¡°And if you must know, he bought her as a sign of loyalty to the emperor. Are we done with this discussion?¡±

    ¡°Not quite,¡± Marie replied, and the smile vanished from her face. ¡°I stand by my decision. Such a young girl will not work as an escort here. I have a reputation to uphold.¡±

    ¡°I expected that,¡± Levi said. ¡°And I discussed this with him. She may work here in any position you would like her to work in. And if it is just as a cook.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t cook,¡± Linea noted from the side.

    ¡°That was just an example,¡± Levi countered and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Then the question would be: what can you do?¡± Maria asked turning towards Linea.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Linea admitted as she didn¡¯t know what jobs were necessary in a brothel.

    Maria gazed over Linea once again.

    ¡°Are you any good at dancing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not really that much,¡± Linea admitted. ¡°My sister Senia used to dance before¡­ however, I learned etiquette and how to sing. It was something our mother was rather adamant about. Either singing, dancing or playing an instrument.¡±

    ¡°So, you are a good singer?¡± Maria pressed on and a sparkle appeared in her eyes.

    ¡°I guess?¡± Linea replied unsure. ¡°I was praised a lot about it, but the last time I sang was over two years ago.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see if we can do anything about that,¡± Maria said. ¡°Basil will love to listen to your voice anyway.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Levi said with a smile. ¡°After we have established that, I¡¯ll be on my way. Linea, the guards will bring you home when Maria is closing tonight. You¡¯re free to relax inside the manor at your leisure. We¡¯ll speak in the morning.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Linea said and was courteous enough to bow ever so slightly before her.

    Levi gave her a smile and left the building.

    ¡°All right,¡± Maria said and clapped her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s get you started then. First point on the list: you need something different to wear. I can¡¯t have you walking around like a maid or something. You need to look like a princess!¡±

    ¡°I am a princess,¡± Linea stated.

    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Maria replied and looked a bit put off. ¡°But you don¡¯t give the impression at the moment.¡±

    She led Linea into a room to the back.

    ¡°Listen,¡± Maria said. ¡°I understand that you don¡¯t like me or this place very much, but I want to make one thing very clear: Everyone working here is like family to me. Be nice to them and they¡¯ll be nice to you. All of my girls work for me on a voluntary basis. Another reason I don¡¯t want you as a slave working directly with our customers.¡±

    ¡°So, you just want me to sing for you?¡± Linea asked. ¡°I don¡¯t trust my ¡®master¡¯ and even though Levi seems to be nice, I don¡¯t like you humans. I find it hard to believe you.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Maria said and nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to anything you don¡¯t want to do. When push comes to shove, I¡¯ll put you into the basement where you¡¯ll be cleaning and such things. I have little use for you beside the singing, but since I don¡¯t need to pay you, I don¡¯t really care. It could be rather boring for you down there.¡±

    Linea entertained the idea of staying in the basement for the future, but Maria spoke the truth. It would be boring.

    ¡°Well, I could argue with you, but as singing doesn¡¯t sound too bad of a chore, I¡¯ll accept it for now.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Maria said and smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll see in time, working for me will give you some advantages despite your enslavement.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Linea said even though she doubted her.

    Maria chuckled a bit. ¡°With that out of the way, let me introduce you to the staff.¡±

    <hr>

    The group of people already gathered wasn¡¯t that big. Beside Linea and Maria, only the two bouncers, three escort girls, as Maria called them, and a guy that seemed to be highly interested in Linea. The biggest surprise for Linea was one girl, who was a Sun Elf. Linea asked herself how the girl had ended up working in a human brothel.

    ¡°All right, the rest of the girls won¡¯t be here for the next hour, so this introduction will be a bit shorter,¡± Maria said while everyone took a place around the bar. Except the lizard man, who just stood there watching over them.

    ¡°This is Linea,¡± Maria continued. ¡°As you can see, she wears a slave collar.¡±

    It was obvious from her voice and the look on everyone¡¯s face that they disliked the collar as much as Linea did. Even the lizard man let out a grunt which Linea interpreted as a sign of dislike.

    ¡°She won¡¯t work as an escort girl however,¡± Maria explained further. ¡°Instead she will help Basil with the stage entertainment.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± the creepy guy exclaimed and pumped his fists into the air.

    ¡°This is Basil,¡± Maria said to Linea with a sigh. ¡°He¡¯s responsible for all the paintings and our musical accompaniment. He will provide you with the songs you can sing.¡±

    ¡°A singer?¡± Basil said and his eyes sparkled even more. ¡°Is today my birthday? Or am I in heaven?¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop dramatizing so much,¡± the girl from the bar said and slapped his shoulder.

    ¡°This is Eliza, my right hand,¡± Maria introduced her. ¡°Whenever you need something and I¡¯m not here, you can ask her.¡±

    Eliza gave Linea a small nod.

    ¡°The other two girls are Kevira and Nisbeth,¡± Maria continued. ¡°As you can see, Kevira is a Sun Elf. I¡¯m not firm with Elven customs, but if she can help you with something, you can ask her.¡±

    Maria was right, it was rather obvious that the girl was a Sun Elf. No other race on Kavaris had this dark brown skin tone. The only odd thing about the girl were her ice-blue eyes. Kevira gave her a deep bow and Linea returned the gesture.

    ¡°Nisbeth is from Shor Bryns,¡± Maria added, probably only to give a few words about her as well. ¡°And you already met Ashul our trusted doorman.¡±

    She motioned towards the dwarf.

    ¡°More like door-dwarf, eh?¡± Ashul said and laughed. None of the girls reacted to the joke, and Eliza even rolled her eyes. Only the lizard man uttered a grunt which Linea interpreted as a laugh.

    Maria ignored the dwarf and pointed at the lizard man.

    ¡°This guy is our second doorman¡­¡± Maria said and when Ashul tried to make a comment, she added, ¡°door lizard man.¡±

    The lizard man made the same sound as before. It was difficult to read him, so Linea didn¡¯t know if he was actually amused or not.

    ¡°His name is Ska¡¯kushni¡¯narak, but as it is way too long everybody just calls him Ska,¡± Eliza added.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Maria said with a nod. ¡°And down in the kitchen Careen is already working on the canapes for tonight. You can introduce yourself to her later if you like. For now, you can go with Eliza and pass your time.¡±

    She turned to Basil, who still looked at Linea as if he had gotten a gift for his birthday.

    ¡°Basil, you can make plans with her after we are closed. I know you¡¯re burning to to work with her, but the show has top priority. I heard rumors that the cardinal might come tonight, so make sure you play some of his favorite pieces.¡±

    ¡°The cardinal?¡± Eliza asked with an raised eyebrow. ¡°He told me he would be away for at least two months.¡±

    ¡°Well, he returned earlier it seems,¡± Maria said with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s why I expect him to come by tonight.¡±

    ¡°Nice,¡± Eliza said with a smile. ¡°He¡¯s always so generous when he hasn¡¯t seen me for more than a week.¡±

    ¡°Treat him nice,¡± Maria said with a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t I always treat him nice?¡± Eliza replied which caused everyone to laugh. Linea just frowned as she didn¡¯t understand the joke.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be back in a few hours,¡± Maria said. ¡°I have an urgent meeting.¡±

    And with that she excused herself. Basil went into the back rooms while Ashul and Ska went over to the door to discuss something in the strange language of the lizard men.

    ¡°Come on, princess,¡± Eliza said and put a hand against Linea¡¯s back. She softly pushed her to follow the other two girls.

    In one of the rooms in the back, Nisbeth and Eliza placed themselves in front of mirrors and put on some make-up. Kevira however stirred Linea to the side. They sat down on a couch, which looked like one of those in the main room albeit a bit tattered.

    ¡°Your Royal Highness, it¡¯s an honor to meet you, but it saddens me to see you in such a situation,¡± Kevira said and gazed over Linea¡¯s collar.

    ¡°I would say the same, but it seems you do this work voluntarily. Or are you forced to work here?¡± Linea asked genuinely curious.

    ¡°Oh no! Nothing of the sort,¡± Kevira replied. ¡°I like my job and Maria is a great boss for this line of work. We have the unique position of being able to decide which clients we wish to work with. We make enough money of those rich men, who would like to have a different experience once in a while.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Linea said, but she had difficulties to comprehend how one could willingly sleep with strangers.

    ¡°If there is anything I can do for you, just ask me,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I understand this situation seems bad for you, but as long as you can work here, nothing bad will happen to you. Maria doesn¡¯t force people to work for her as an escort lady and Ashul and Ska will make sure no one touches you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Linea said with a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a relief to see another Elf for once, even though I didn¡¯t expect to find one here. Where are you from? And how did you end up here in Kavaris?¡±

    ¡°I was born in Tali¡¯sindra, but I lived most of my life in Ossina and here in Kavaris. My mother was a Moon Elf and my father a Sun Elf,¡± Kevira explained.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s where you got your blue eyes?¡± Linea asked. ¡°I already wondered about that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my blue eyes are the only thing I have inherited from my mother. And these,¡± she added, and with her hands she juggled her breasts a bit. ¡°They are not the biggest around here, but for an Elf they are rather impressive, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Linea was already blushing when Kevira started playing with her breasts, but the question caused her to stammer.

    ¡°Yes- I mean, sure- I¡­¡± She tried to say, but she couldn¡¯t gather her thoughts enough to form a coherent sentence.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Kevira said and let go of her breasts. ¡°I forgot that I¡¯m talking to a princess! I¡­ Oh by Tali, this is so embarrassing.¡±

    She burrowed her face in her hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Linea tried to reassure her after she had taken her eyes of Kevira¡¯s breasts, which required more willpower than she expected. ¡°I¡¯m not used to such¡­ openness yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, after working here for a while, you will get used to it,¡± Kevira said and smiled at her. ¡°I hope you do at least, because as the evenings progress, it can get rather¡­ steamy here.¡±

    ¡®I think I will like this place,¡¯ Sarah noted.

    ¡®Why am I not surprised?¡¯ Linea replied with a mental groan.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 5 - Connections

    Linea had to admit that she had not expected Maria¡¯s Palace to be such an exquisite establishment. In fact, the music and dance show which Basil and Eliza had performed in the early evening was well-performed, even if it was too indecent at the end for Linea¡¯s taste. The most surprising part were the guests, however. Linea had expected them to be male only and rather obnoxious. But instead at least a quarter of the guests were women. Some guests wore masks, which covered their upper faces and protected their identities as far as Linea could gather. It was interesting to see that some guests only stayed for the show while others arrived after the show had already ended. Linea was also sure, that she saw a couple entering together, but the man headed to the up-stair rooms with Nisbeth, while his woman mingled with other guests.

    The whole evening was an experience which Linea had not seen coming.

    ¡°Want to try?¡± Eliza asked Linea as they stood behind the bar cleaning glasses. Linea had taken glances at a table to the side of the room where three men and a woman played some kind of card game. Most guests and escort ladies had already gone by that time, but Basil was still playing a soft tune on a flute and some guests still chatted leisurely or played cards.

    ¡°They play for money and I don¡¯t have any¡­¡± Linea noted and focused back on the glass she was polishing.

    ¡°I can give you some money,¡± Eliza said and took coins out of a glass underneath the bar. ¡°Part of the tip should be yours either way.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a tip?¡± Linea asked, counting the money in Eliza¡¯s hand.

    Eliza looked a little lost at her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what a tip is?¡± she asked. ¡°Why did you think some customer¡¯s gave you more money than they had to pay?¡±

    Linea hesitated, but answered, ¡°I thought they were bad at counting money¡­¡±

    Eliza laughed and patted Linea¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯re such an angel,¡± she said and put her arm around Linea. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll introduce you.¡±

    As they came closer to the table, the card players looked up to them.

    ¡°Hey, would you mind playing a few rounds with our newcomer?¡±, Eliza asked them. ¡°Low stakes.¡±

    The players looked at each other.

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s getting late anyway,¡± one of them said. ¡°She can take my place.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Eliza said and beamed at him. She coaxed Linea to sit down on the now open seat with a bit of force, but Linea put no real resistance against it.

    ¡°Do you know the rules?¡± one player asked. He was an older gentleman, who Linea had seen playing this card game all evening. ¡°My name is Akulis.¡±

    He starched out a hand towards her, which she took after a quick moment of hesitation.

    ¡°My name is Linea,¡± she replied. ¡°And I¡¯m sure I saw enough, but perhaps you could give me an overview, so I didn¡¯t misinterpret something.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get something to drink, while you¡¯re going through the rules,¡± the other man said. ¡°And for the sake of it, my name is Tibus.¡±

    Linea nodded at him.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you my name,¡± the woman said with a smile, when Linea looked at her. ¡°But you may refer to me as Finarilla.¡±

    ¡°Or Fina, if you want,¡± Akulis said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Urgh, I told not to call me that. Finarilla is the name of a powerful mage of ancient times,¡± Fina said, but her voice sounded resigned. ¡°Either way, please excuse me for a moment.¡±

    She stood up and left them alone.

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s start with the basic stuff,¡± Akulis said. ¡°The game is called Sevur and was invented by a mage in Ossina with the same name.¡±

    He got through the basic rules rather fast, but Linea could follow him with a few questions. She even asked Sarah to help her a bit, but Sarah seemed to be in her own thoughts not listening to her.

    ¡°Are you done explaining?¡± Fina asked as she returned a few minutes later and sat down again. Tibus followed behind her with a beer in his hand.

    ¡°Almost,¡± Akulis said. ¡°A round ends when all players have run out of cards. Or if only one player has cards left since there would be no opponent left he could play against. In that case he can trade two of his own cards to steal one card from the discard deck of another. The cards the player uses for the trade are put aside and do not count for the discard deck when the cards are being counted.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Linea said with a smile. ¡°I think I got it. Let¡¯s play?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Akulis said and shuffled the deck.

    ¡°While he prepares the deck, can you tell us something about your home?¡± Fina asked and leaned towards her. ¡°I never traveled much, because of my husband¡¯s work, but I always wanted to see the world.¡±

    ¡°Even if you would have been able to travel around, you couldn¡¯t enter Luna¡¯sindra either way. We tend to keep humans out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Fina replied with a sigh. ¡°The world would be a much more interesting place to live in without all the animosity between all the races.¡±

    ¡°But instead, humans invent stuff like this to enslave people, who are more powerful,¡± Linea said and tipped against her collar.

    ¡°More powerful, huh?¡± Akulis said and grinned. ¡°I heard you were a princess. I can¡¯t imagine how much you had to fight.¡±

    ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± Linea asked and scrunched her nose. ¡°And technically I¡¯m still a princess.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± he replied. ¡°I literally can¡¯t imagine what your life was like in Luna¡¯sindra. There are few travelers who can claim to have visited the miraculous wonders of your lands. Whatever goes on in that forest is as mysterious as the ocean. I apologize if I have offended you.¡±

    He put down the deck and everyone drew a card and showed it to the others.

    ¡°I guess, I¡¯ll start then,¡± Linea said pointing at her card. ¡°I can tell you a few bits about my culture, if you¡¯re interested.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°And when he finally threw that javelin, he stumbled over his own feet and fell right on his face,¡± Linea said as she recalled a memory from her youth about her brother Shandir. ¡°Believe me, I haven¡¯t seen him so embarrassed ever since.¡±

    Fina and Tibus were chuckling while Akulis gave a small smile. They had stopped playing cards over an hour ago, because Linea had already lost all her money to the more experienced players, but Fina had offered her winnings, if Linea would keep telling about her life in Luna¡¯sindra. At first Linea was wary about the intentions of the older woman, but she never pressured Linea to tell things she thought of as too much of a secret.

    ¡°And all that in front of the girl, he tried to impress?¡± Fina asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Linea replied. ¡°If I remember correctly, he didn¡¯t talk to her for a month, because every time he saw her, he would get red like a tulan.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a tulan?¡± Tibus asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mammal with brownish-red fur with an incredible fluffy tail. About the same size as a cat.¡±

    ¡°That sounds cute!¡± Fina commented and looked delighted. ¡°Is it docile? Can you keep it as a pet?¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Sort of¡­¡± Linea replied. ¡°If you have a big enough garden with a lot of trees, you can coax them to live there and even feed them, but if you try to domesticate them, they can get rather depressed and will die fast. So, we don¡¯t force them.¡±

    ¡°I would love to see one¡­¡±

    Their little round got interrupted as someone knocked at the door. Linea looked surprised to Eliza since the day was getting laid and they hadn¡¯t expected anymore guests for this evening. Ska walked to the door and opened it. Madame Maria entered first, followed by a rather rotund man with a crooked nose and a sturdy man with an aura of a fighter.

    ¡°It¡¯s so good to be here again,¡± the fat man in his fine robes said and patted Maria¡¯s butt.

    ¡°Behave yourself!¡± Maria said with fake indignation. ¡°Or else your darling will get jealous.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me then,¡± he replied and walked over the bar where Eliza already went around to greet him. ¡°Darling! I missed you the most!¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Eliza said with a laugh. ¡°I missed you as well. Do you want to go down immediately, or can I offer you a drink first?¡±

    ¡°A bird told me you have a new face around,¡± he said and a quick glance at Linea confirmed that he meant her. ¡°I would like to have a word with her. A glass of red wine would be nice for later. But nothing too strong, I already had a fair share of alcohol tonight.¡±

    ¡°You can say that again,¡± the muscular man agreed and sat down at the bar. ¡°I have yet to see someone, who can drink the cardinal under the table.¡±

    Everyone except Linea laughed as she didn¡¯t quite get the joke.

    ¡°Let me introduce you then,¡± Maria said and signaled Linea to come closer.

    ¡°This is Princess Linea,¡± Maria said. ¡°Linea, this Cardinal Huvis. One of the more liberal officials in the city.¡±

    ¡°Your Royal Highness,¡± the cardinal greeted her and even got on his knee before her, much to Linea¡¯s surprise. She instinctively offered him her hand on which he breathed a faint kiss.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to make your acquaintance, and I would like to give my sincere condolences for your recent losses. It¡¯s tragedy that so many good lives have been lost to war.¡±

    Linea pulled back her hand and her facial expressions hardened.

    ¡°It is¡­ interesting to meet you,¡± Linea simply said.

    Cardinal Huvis nodded and gave Eliza a sign.

    ¡°If you would excuse me, I have an appointment,¡± he said with a smile and followed Eliza, who was carrying two glasses and a bottle of wine downstairs.

    Linea¡¯s eyes followed him, not sure what the meaning of all this was.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re Linea, eh?¡± The man, who had arrived with the cardinal, asked. ¡°Hey, old man! What do you think of her?¡±

    He directed his question to Akulis, who rose from his seat and walked over to the bar.

    ¡°She learns quick, but I¡¯ve no idea if she can even hold a sword,¡± Akulis explained. ¡°We only talked about social stuff so far, so there might be some secrets she didn¡¯t share with us yet.¡±

    ¡°For one thing, of course there are secrets I didn¡¯t talk about,¡± Linea interrupted them with crossed arms. ¡°And for another thing, could you not talk about me as if I wasn¡¯t here? Who are you, what are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t explain?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. I wanted to get an impression of her without revealing too much.¡±

    ¡°Sly old fox,¡± the man at the bar said and looked at Linea. ¡°Excuse my impoliteness then. My name is Joven. I¡¯m a gladiator of the old man¡¯s gladiator school, and part-time worker here at Maria¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°So, they meant it when they talked about bringing me to the arena?¡± Linea asked after she realized what the two were talking about.

    ¡°That¡¯s the last I¡¯ve heard,¡± Joven confirmed and looked at Akulis.

    ¡°Correct,¡± the old man said with a nod. ¡°In a few days, you will be brought to our training grounds, so I can test you. We can¡¯t have you put in too much danger, but without a challenge the viewers would get bored.¡±

    ¡°This going to be fun!¡± Joven said and patted Linea¡¯s back which made her recoil.

    ¡°Fun? I¡¯ve read about gladiator fights in the empire. Bloody and barbaric.¡±

    ¡°Well, of course,¡± Joven said and raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s what the people want to see.¡±

    ¡°Absolute barbaric¡­¡± Linea sighed and looked at Madame Maria. ¡°Would you excuse me? I¡¯d like to retire for the night.¡±

    ¡°Well, I have nothing to do for you, so you might as well leave. I¡¯ll get the two guards Levi left behind to escort you back.¡±

    ¡®Sarah,¡¯ Linea said in her mind and put more mental pressure behind it as she feared that Sarah wouldn¡¯t notice her again.

    ¡®Hm?¡¯ Sarah replied absent-minded.

    ¡®We¡¯re heading back to the manor. Are you done ¡®making plans¡¯?¡¯

    ¡®For the most part,¡® Sarah said with wicked delight. ¡®But we need to need to talk with your sister first, as some of those plans will include her.¡¯

    <hr>

    After heading back to the manor, Sarah and Linea wasted no time before sneaking out again to fly over to the harbor district. They found the inn where they had left Senia the night before, without problems, but upon arrival a sight they hadn¡¯t expected greeted them.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Sarah asked irritated, but also some agitation from Linea had swapped over to her.

    Tirell sat on the floor in front of the bed, a sobbing Senia in her arms.

    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Sarah asked as she stepped through the window.

    ¡®Yes, what are you doing?¡¯ Linea screamed in their mind as well.

    ¡®Calm down, I¡¯ll handle that,¡¯ Sarah reprimanded her as she couldn¡¯t have Linea¡¯s emotions influence her so much.

    Tirell looked up in surprise, and tried to say something, but as she caught sight of Sarah, she halted. She gave Sarah a quick examination, and then she smiled.

    ¡°This makes so much sense¡­¡±

    ¡°I congratulate you on whatever revelation you got, but if you don¡¯t start talking¡­¡± Sarah said without completing her threat. Instead she took over Senia from Tirell¡¯s embrace and patted her head. ¡°Shh, everything is going to be fine.¡±

    Senia actually calmed down a bit, but she still couldn¡¯t control her sobbing.

    ¡°I did nothing. I swear!¡± Tirell said as she realized what this situation might have looked like. ¡°It was just, she was wailing so loud that Other guests complained about it, as they tried to sleep. My father was angry and threatened to throw out ¡®whoever that harpy is¡¯, so I saw no other way to go in and calm her down, the best I could.¡±

    Sarah looked deep into the girl¡¯s eyes, but she couldn¡¯t see any sign for a lie. Also, what she had seen fit into Tirell¡¯s narrative.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll believe you,¡± she said and with telekinetic help, she lifted Senia from the ground and put her down in her bed.

    ¡°So, you two really are those two princesses? From the Elfwoods?¡±

    ¡°Elfwoods?¡± Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°The country¡¯s name is Luna¡¯sindra. We wouldn¡¯t call this city ¡®island village¡¯ either.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± Tirell said, but she was beaming at Sarah, nonetheless. ¡°I have never seen a princess from close up before! Or an elf! I have so many questions! Like¡­ Did you grew up in a castle? Do you have hundreds of beautiful dresses? Oh, you probably had like a lot of shoes, right? I only got two pairs, one for the day and one for when we got to temples.¡±

    ¡°Calm down!¡± Sarah ordered in a hushed tone. Senia had fallen asleep as soon as she had been laid down, and Sarah didn¡¯t want to risk waking her up. She got up, and walked over to the only chair in the room, on which she had seen a new, better looking cape. She threw on the cape and signaled Tirell to follow her. The girl gave a quick look to Senia and then followed Sarah outside.

    Downstairs in the tavern, no one was around, and Tirell went to the bar to get Sarah a tankard with beer.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got no money on me,¡± Sarah warned her, but Tirell waved her off.

    ¡°Dad won¡¯t notice one missing beer,¡± she said and placed it down for Sarah. ¡°Now, spill it. How did you do it?¡±

    ¡°Did what?¡±

    ¡°How did you free her? The whole city is talking about the princess that the prince got as a slave. How did you get her away from him, especially with that thing?¡±

    Tirell pointed at Sarah¡¯s neck, to which it was still attached.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, I have my ways,¡± Sarah said and leaned more towards the girl. ¡°But to make one thing clear: I didn¡¯t get her back by asking nicely. I don¡¯t like threatening people, but this is too important for me. You can tell no one about either of us. Or else¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like being threatened either and I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone! I swear!¡± Tirell said and made a gesture with her hand, where she made a fist and pointed her index finger upwards, just to bend it halfway down.

    Sarah tried to determine Tirell¡¯s honesty by her expression, but she felt something more was needed. She reached for the girl¡¯s mind with her psionic powers, before Linea stopped her concentration.

    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯

    ¡®Trying to make sure, she was telling the truth,¡¯ Sarah replied slightly annoyed. ¡®I would like to not have this discussion right now. She is neither friend nor family. Can we say for now that this is a matter of life and death? Because it could be!¡¯

    Linea was silent for a moment as she thought about it.

    ¡®Fine¡­ But this is an exception!¡¯

    Sarah started the process again while Tirell looked confused about her sudden silence. To her disappointment, Sarah couldn¡¯t just walk through all the memories the girl had, but the most prevalent ones that floated on the surface were easy to grasp. The first thing she noticed was a deep respect the girl had for Sarah, or Linea to be more precise. Sarah couldn¡¯t read any reason for that, but the girl was probably not thinking about her reasons for this respect. The next thing that became clear was her honesty. She didn¡¯t lie about her intentions to keep quiet about the whole thing.

    Just as she wanted to pull back from Tirell¡¯s mind, she stumbled upon a new thought the girl had. Something about introducing her to some kind of gang leader.

    ¡°Princess?¡± Tirell finally asked, ripping Sarah from her concentration.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Sarah said as she tried to sort her thoughts. ¡°I believe you for now.¡±

    ¡°Thank Kava,¡± Tirell said with a relieved laugh.

    ¡°But!¡± Sarah interjected. ¡°I have the feeling that something here is fishy and you¡¯re not telling me something. I don¡¯t know if I can trust you with my sister in the long run.¡±

    Tirell played with her fingers as she watched her feet dangling down from her barstool.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to go about this¡­¡± she said. ¡°In simple terms I know people of¡­ less than bad reputation. My father works for them.¡±

    ¡°Criminals then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But they are not all bad. They care a lot about the people in the poorer parts of the city. At least more than the nobles do!¡± Tirell tried to advocate.

    ¡°I¡¯m not judging,¡± Sarah said. She knew better than to equate illegal with immoral. She herself had done almost exclusively illegal things in her past life due to tyrannical laws.

    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s fine then.¡± Tirell said. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ I could get you acquainted with one of the higher ups of the Bone Sail Gang. I thought someone, who can snatch a slave from someone of the Imperial Family has to be good. You probably can¡¯t make much money as a slave legally. So perhaps this could be an alternative!¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t like this¡­¡¯ Linea tossed in. ¡®I¡¯m not a criminal¡­¡¯

    ¡®We killed the prince,¡¯ Sarah countered in amusement. ¡®Can¡¯t get more criminal than that. Besides, this plays straight into my plans. Not in the way I had planned it, but who cares.¡¯

    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯

    Instead of replying to Linea, Sarah focused on Tirell again.

    ¡°That would be helpful in my agenda,¡± Sarah told Tirell with a smile.

    ¡°Oh, so you have a plan to get free then? Can you tell me?¡±

    ¡°Of course I have a plan, but you have to earn more of my trust before I will tell you.¡±

 Arc 2 - Chapter 6 - An Unexpected Visit

    ¡°Are you sure, you aren¡¯t a Moon Elf yourself?¡± Linea asked Tirell as she entered the Flying Sailor Inn and found the girl behind the bar again despite the late hour. She and Sarah frequented the inn every night for the last few weeks to check on Senia and every time she found Tirell still awake.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure,¡± Tirell replied and tipped against her ears. ¡°But I¡¯m happy you¡¯re finally here. I was about to give up and go to bed.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay up so late just because of me,¡± Linea said as she sat down at the bar. She revealed her face by taking her cape¡¯s hood off after checking the tavern for other guests. ¡°I can get inside either way.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± Tirell said and fiddled with the seam of her shirt. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I¡­¡±

    Linea looked her in the eyes in hope to understand what moved the girl, but Tirell avoided her gaze.

    ¡°Out with it,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that something bothers you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to phrase it, but I¡¯m kinda¡­ fascinated? That¡¯s a good word for it.¡±

    ¡°And what fascinates you?¡± Linea probed and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You!¡± Tirell said. ¡°And your sister. Everything about the two of you screams of adventure and I¡­ even though what happened to you is bad and I feel sorry for you¡­¡±

    ¡°But you wished your life was more exciting?¡± Sarah asked with a smile.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Tirell exclaimed and then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I offend you with that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Linea said and chuckled. ¡°I understand what you mean. Believe it or not, there was a time when the thought of me sitting in the palace like a pretty little princess scared the shit out of me.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Linea replied with a shrug. ¡°Living in a palace all your life is more comfortable than a normal life, but certainly not more exciting. That¡¯s one reason I was so quick to take the first opportunity to leave. But from my personal experience adventures carry the risk of tragedy. It¡¯s a risk you must be willing to take.¡±

    ¡°I think I could handle that¡­ But it¡¯s not like I could just go,¡± Tirell said and sighed. ¡°Anyway, do you wanna check on your sister?¡±

    ¡°As usual, but I¡¯m also here today, because we have decisions to make,¡± Linea said and glanced behind her towards the stairs.

    ¡°Do those decisions have something to do with me?¡± Tirell asked with hopeful eyes.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Linea said and smirked as Tirell¡¯s face fell in disappointment. ¡°However, I would like to met this underworld person you mentioned after I have talked to Senia.¡±

    ¡°I already talked with him, and he wouldn¡¯t be opposed to help you out in trade for your services. But I guess he wouldn¡¯t meet you tonight without advance notice.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Linea said nodding. ¡°I would like to meet him here in one of the coming nights, if that¡¯s fine with him. I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll show up, because of sudden obligations.¡±

    She tipped against her collar.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to arrange something.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Linea bid the girl a good night and went to Senia¡¯s room.

    ¡®Are you sure, you want to involve her?¡¯ Sarah asked while they walked up the stairs. ¡®What she experienced is nothing short of torture. Even I can¡¯t fully comprehend what happened to her. And I have seen some shit back on earth¡­¡¯

    Linea didn¡¯t reply right away. She weighed all the options they had regarding Senia, but concluded that her participation would be inevitable.

    ¡®She doesn¡¯t know everything we plan on doing, but I have the hunch that she won¡¯t sit by idly. Better to incorporate her in our plans and give her something to do before she does something stupid.¡¯

    ¡®Wait,¡¯ Sarah said in amusement. ¡®Rational thinking? Where does that come from?¡¯

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m learning from you, you¡­ bint.¡¯

    ¡®Woah! Careful princess. Watch your manners!¡¯ Sarah replied with faked indignation.

    ¡®Ah, shut up,¡¯ Linea said and chuckled.

    As they arrived at Senia¡¯s room, Linea knocked and whispered through the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, can I come in?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Senia voice sounded on the other side.

    Linea opened the door and found her sister sitting on the window sill gazing into the night sky. She grabbed a chair and walked over to Senia to sit down with her.

    ¡°Full moon tonight,¡± she pointed out as she looked up towards the white disk hanging between the clouds.

    ¡°I noticed¡­¡± Senia replied dispassionate without taking her eyes away from the moon.

    The silence that followed was awkward for Linea, but Senia was still in deep thought and as there was no rush, Linea gave her some time.

    After a while Senia sighed and looked to Linea.

    ¡°When was the last time you prayed to our goddess?¡± she asked and caught Linea completely off-guard with the question. It was a rather personal topic to talk about your praying habits, but on the other hand, Senia had shared even more private things in the last weeks to Linea. And so, Linea took a deep breath.

    ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t prayed since the battle of Avandir,¡± she admitted and felt horrible as the words left her mouth. A few months earlier and she would have called it blasphemy, but right in that moment she couldn¡¯t explain why he hadn¡¯t prayed since then. And it was something she hadn¡¯t even shared with Sarah.

    ¡°The last time I prayed was in the first night¡­¡± Senia started to explain but she stopped as tears gathered in her eyes. She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes with her sleeves.

    ¡°It was before he violated me for the first time,¡± Senia whispered and pulled her legs closer to her body.. ¡°I prayed to her for help. I hoped she would send someone to save me. Or any other help¡­¡±

    Linea came closer to her sister and took her hand as encouragement.

    ¡°But nothing happened¡­ When the pain became unbearable and I prayed for mercy, only then I felt the touch of something divine in me. It eased the pain and helped me to retain some kind of sanity in me.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t think it was our goddess?¡± Linea asked surprised.

    ¡°No,¡± Senia replied and her face hardened at the suggestion. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me how, but I know it was something else. It felt not like our goddess¡­ even though, I¡¯m not sure how I could know the difference. But it was warm and caring. Something I needed back then.¡±

    Linea was silent as she mused about it.

    ¡®Do you believe, the Goddess of Mercy intervened?¡¯ she asked Sarah.

    ¡®Most likely,¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®She begged for mercy and we have some kind of connection to her archangel. I don¡¯t know why, but the Goddess of Mercy seems to have an interest in us. Helping your sister like this would make sense¡­¡¯

    ¡®This is confusing,¡¯ Linea admitted. ¡®There are so many things we don¡¯t know. So many things we should know about.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s true, but let¡¯s worry about such things later. We have more pressing problems to get through.¡¯

    ¡°Linea?¡± Senia interrupted them.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°You spaced out¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I was talking to Sarah.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    They both stared silently at each other for a few moments.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t wrap my head around it,¡± Senia broke the silence and gave Linea a wry smile. ¡°I mean it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t believe you, but¡­¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°It sounds impossible, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Linea said and smiled as well even though more genuine. ¡°Nora was shocked, but she warmed up to Sarah fast.¡±

    ¡°To be fair, Nora would do anything for you. She is like¡­¡±

    ¡°A sister?¡±, Linea broke Senia¡¯s train of thoughts.

    Senia eyes filled with tears as the realization hit her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said and looked away. ¡°It¡¯s not my place to say something like this¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Linea said and rubbed Senia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We had our differences, and Nora was there for me, when you weren¡¯t. You had your own stuff to get through. I don¡¯t blame you.¡±

    ¡°But my stuff was¡­ superficial and¡­ egoistical.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but someone told me girls our age tend to be like that,¡± Linea said, stood up and placed a tender kiss on Senia¡¯s forehead. ¡°Now, don¡¯t over-think all that. We aren¡¯t the girls we used to be. For the better or the worse.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Senia agreed. ¡°And what happens now? I don¡¯t just mean between the two of us, but as a whole? What do we do now? I had time to think about my life and all the decisions I made¡­ and I have no idea where to go from here. The only thing I know is that I do whatever I can to help you. I owe you.¡±

    ¡°First of all, you owe me nothing,¡± Linea said as she sat down again. ¡°We didn¡¯t save you because some idea of quit pro quo. You¡¯re my sister. My blood and honor.¡±

    ¡°Yet, here I am asking how I can help you,¡± Senia said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re a sister I don¡¯t deserve and it is up to me to show you how much I appreciate you. So, let me at your side.¡±

    ¡°And I can¡¯t dissuade you from that?¡± Linea asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Linea nodded and opened her senses towards her sister to initiate the link between their minds. Senia was hesitant at first, but she knew that this was a test of her resolve. For the last weeks she had rejected mind-speak, but if she was ready to fight their enemies, she had to trust Linea.

    ¡®I can¡¯t remember if we ever talked in mind-speak¡­¡¯ Linea mused as the connection formed.

    ¡®We didn¡¯t,¡¯ Senia answered. ¡®Apart from that one time before you rescued me¡­¡¯

    ¡®Well, that doesn¡¯t count,¡¯ Linea stated. ¡®That was more out of desperation than trust.¡¯

    Senia sighed and and gave Linea a sad look.

    ¡®Is she here as well? Can she hear us?¡¯ She asked with obvious hesitation to change the topic.

    ¡®I¡¯m listening,¡¯ Sarah answered. ¡®I always do.¡¯

    ¡®So, you¡¯re real. I didn¡¯t just imagine things?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, I do exist.¡¯

    Silence erupted between them and both sides were either reluctant or unwilling to say something.

    ¡®Could we not do that?¡¯

    ¡®What?¡¯ Senia and Sarah answered simultaneously.

    ¡®Wasting time with apprehension,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®I understand that it goes against all you think you have known, Senia, but Sarah is a part of me, and she¡¯ll always be. If you trust me, you can trust her.¡¯

    Before Senia could answer, Linea continued.

    ¡®And Sarah. I know you like to be in control of everything, but it is not negotiable we include Senia in this.¡¯

    ¡®Fine,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®But I will not hesitate to put your well-being before hers.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s fine by me,¡¯ Senia said surprisingly.

    ¡®You do?¡¯ Linea asked surprised.

    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Senia replied. ¡®My view on the world has shifted as you can imagine¡­ And when I said I would do anything to help you, I meant that.¡¯

    ¡®Good,¡¯ Sarah said with a sense of accomplishment in her voice. ¡®Now that we got that out of the way, let¡¯s get to business.¡¯

    <hr>

    When Sarah and Linea returned to the mansion in the morning, they saw a messenger arriving at the same time. He seemed in a rush and talked with the guards at the front gate in a hushed tone. Sarah wanted to find out what was going on, but Linea argued against it, since they were supposed to be in their room getting ready to wake the master. Linea headed for her room, stashed her cape under her bed and switched into the clothing which Levi had given her for housework. She then headed to the kitchen where she retrieved a tray with Brice¡¯s breakfast.

    As Linea went to his room, she noticed that the door was already open. She entered and coughed slightly to make her presence known. Brice looked up from a letter and motioned to her to place the tray on the table near him.

    ¡°Tell His Imperial Majesty that we will be there in an hour,¡± he said to the messenger who still waited at the door.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the messenger said and bowed before leaving.

    Linea was tempted to ask what was going on, but she suspected that Brice wouldn¡¯t tell her either way.

    ¡°Linea, could you search for Levi and Tiva? Tell them to make themselves presentable as we have an official appointment with the emperor.¡±

    ¡°As you wish¡­ master.¡± Linea replied with slight hesitation. She still had problems referring to Brice as her master, but she couldn¡¯t exactly not call him that.

    ¡°Good,¡± Brice said. ¡°Oh, and perhaps you want to dress a bit more appropriately as well. For a reason that eludes me, the emperor has requested your presence specifically.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Linea asked from impulse.

    ¡°Like I said I don¡¯t know the reason,¡± Brice asked irritated. ¡°Now, go and do what I ordered.¡±

    The ride to the imperial palace was a rather tense affair. Brice was deep in thought while Tiva was shooting daggers at her mother and Linea the whole time. Apparently her altercation with her mother a few weeks ago still wasn¡¯t settled. When they arrived at their destination, Tiva was the first to jump out of the carriage and headed straight towards the entrance, where she was greeted by a man in valuable looking robes. Brice followed her with Levi and Linea behind him.

    ¡°Brice, it¡¯s good to see you!¡±

    ¡°Chancellor Sundar, thanks for greeting us,¡± Brice said and shook hands with the man named Sundar. ¡°I guess he is already waiting for us?¡±

    ¡°He is. There are some good news for all of us,¡± he said and gave Linea a quick gaze. ¡°Well, most of us.¡±

    That comment made Linea anxious. What was that supposed to mean?

    ¡°I guess it has something to do with the guests that arrived yesterday?¡± Brice asked as they followed Sundar inside.

    ¡°You¡¯re as well informed as ever,¡± he said with a dry laugh. ¡°And here I thought I could tell you something new.¡±

    ¡°Knowing such things is essential for my business,¡± Brice countered. ¡°Also, it¡¯s not like they arrived in secret. Many people saw them in the harbor as they entered the carriages.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Sundar said and knocked on a door. ¡°But you¡¯ll be surprised why they are here. Considering that, I would ask your slave to stay silent and stand still while we¡¯re in there.¡±

    ¡°Do as he says,¡± Brice said to Linea.

    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Linea said with furrowed brows.

    Guards opened the door and their little group entered a large hall which was the throne room. It was much larger than Linea would have expected but there were a large group of nobles standing around at the sides. Linea suspected that so many people wouldn¡¯t have fit in the throne room of her family¡¯s palace in Luna¡¯sindranar.

    But the biggest surprise for Linea wasn¡¯t the number of people or the spaciousness of the room, but the group of Moon Elves near the throne. Most of them were nobles from Luna¡¯sindra which Linea had at least seen before, but more importantly her brother Tovandir and Aruna, the priestess. Linea was tempted to rush to them, but Sarah cautioned her to stay as her collar ordered.

    ¡°Brice!¡± The emperor greeted her master. ¡°Thank you for your impromptu appearance on such a short notice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at your command, Your Imperial Majesty,¡± Brice replied as he came closer. He knelt before Tiberius and his wife and daughter followed suit. Linea refused to do the same without being forced by the collar. She stared right into the eyes of the man on the throne. But Tiberius just had this irritating smirk on his face.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get to business,¡± the emperor said and addressed the assembled nobility. He started to a monologue about the won war and the history of bad relations between the humans and Moon Elves. Linea didn¡¯t listen to his exaggerated speech but instead studied the Moon Elves who listened to the emperor attentively. Except Aruna. The priestess had a pained look on her face and when their eyes met, Linea noticed tears in her her eyes.

    A sense of dread crept through Linea.

    ¡°And to end those conflicts in the future, we have to come together to form lasting bonds between humans and elves. Neither of us wants any more violence. Instead we should strive for harmony and peace between our races,¡± Tiberius proclaimed. The applause of the attending people drowned Linea¡¯s sarcastic snort.

    ¡°To achieve that the Moon Elves have elected the Prince Tovandir as their new king.¡±

    ¡°Wha-¡± Linea was about to explode, but Sarah quickly lifted her block off the collar which resulted in the collar forcing Linea to shut up.

    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Linea asked in her mind.

    ¡®Shut up!¡¯ Sarah just said. ¡®Your fucking emotions almost destroyed our cover. Get a grip on yourself.¡¯

    Before Linea could retort to that, Tiberius went on with his speech.

    ¡°To cement this new alliance and this start of a more peaceful future, King Tovandir has accepted that his sisters will stay in Tavaris City as my insurance. In return, I have excepted his proposal that Princess Enia, my youngest sister, will marry him and follow him to Luna¡¯sindra.¡±

    ¡®They can¡¯t to that¡­¡¯ Linea said with. ¡®How¡­ what¡­¡¯

    ¡®Take a deep breath,¡¯ Sarah said, even though she was equally confused.

    ¡°The marriage will take place here in Tavaris City in a few days and I hope you¡¯ll all enjoy the festivities. Our guests from Luna¡¯sindra shall be treated as such and I would kindly ask you to make some new connections. I think this is a great opportunity for all of us.¡±

    Linea stood frozen and her gaze was fixated on her brother while the nobles converged on the Moon Elves. Most of them seemed to be eager to follow their emperor¡¯s order. Tovandir seemed in a good mood as he talked to the nobles, but he never even looked in Linea¡¯s general direction.

    Tiberius however came over to them with a young woman at his side.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Levi said and slapped her brother rather weakly against the chest. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to talk to me about such things.¡±

    ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m the emperor and I¡¯ll decide whatever is best for my empire,¡± he said with a harsh voice, but he then became softer. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I forced this on her, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    He looked at the young woman at his side, which Linea suspected to be Enia, the younger sister of Levi and Tiberius.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± Enia said with a bright smile. ¡°Look at him, Levi. When I remember the princes that ask for my hand in marriage, I believe I came out ahead.¡±

    All eyes wandered over to Tovandir, who noticed it and gave his bride a quick and shy smile.

    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome,¡± Enia sighed in contempt.

    Levi rolled her eyes and looked at Linea, who looked enraged. Before she could ask however, another person joined them.

    ¡°Excuse my intrusion, Lords and Ladies,¡± Aruna said and bowed slightly. ¡°Would it be possible to have a few words with Princess Linea?¡±

    Brice was about to decline her offer, but Tiberius raised a hand to stop him.

    ¡°King Tovandir already informed me that your goddess has sent you here on a mission and that this alliance would be endangered if I would disrespect that mission,¡± he explained. ¡°But I need your word you don¡¯t plan on stealing her from us. It would weaken our relations quite heavily.¡±

    ¡°You have my word,¡± Aruna said with a bow. ¡°My king explicitly forbid me to do anything else than I was tasked.¡±

    ¡°Then you shall proceed,¡± Tiberius said and waved Sundar who then joined them. ¡°Sundar, would you be so kind to escort these two ladies to one of the reception rooms? And give them some privacy.¡±

    Linea looked at Brice and pointed at her throat.

    ¡°Ah, yes. You¡¯re allowed to speak,¡± he said.

    A few minutes later, Aruna and Linea stood in front of each other in the reception room. As soon as the door was closed, and they were alone, Aruna flung her arms around Linea¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she said and tears dripped from her face on Linea¡¯s back. Linea embraced her as well, at for the first time in a while she let her emotions run free. They sank down on the floor and stayed there for a while until they had no more tears to shed. Linea guessed that Aruna was most likely more devastated by Tarina¡¯s death than Linea¡¯s current situation, but it was a feeling Linea could share, nonetheless.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Linea finally asked, when they had calmed down. ¡°I suspect there to be an important reason. As far as I know it¡¯s not that common to string a priestess along with a diplomatic envoy?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Aruna said and fumbled around with a poach she had strapped to her belt. ¡°I¡¯m here because of this.¡±

    She pulled out a vial of a white glowing liquid, which Linea immediately identified as Luna¡¯cala.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 7 - Epiphany

    It didn¡¯t take Aruna long to prepare the ritual. It was surprisingly simple to arrange a direct communication with the Moon Goddess if you had Luna¡¯cala at hand. The silvery white liquid radiated power and Linea was eager to drink it. She hoped that her goddess would be able to break the chains that bound her.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Aruna asked as she handed Linea the flask with the glowing water.

    Not trusting her voice Linea nodded and drank the Luna¡¯cala in one go.

    Linea noticed her goddess presence in her mind immediately but something was off. She couldn¡¯t place it but in some way the presence felt cold. Uncaring even.

    ¡°Finally,¡± the goddess snarled. ¡°I expressed my intention to speak with you weeks ago, yet I had to wait until now.¡±

    Linea was taken aback by the abrasiveness of her goddess and didn¡¯t dare to speak. Luna was upset, and it showed in her demeanor.

    ¡°It is rather difficult for your priestesses to reach us at the moment,¡± Sarah commented. Her voice was neutral but through their connection Linea felt the same irritation she had.

    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Luna agreed and paused for a moment. ¡°I expected better from you. Both of you. I gave you all that power, but you still managed to get enslaved.¡±

    ¡°Well, to be fair we fought a Void dragon and killed it which is nothing to scoff at,¡± Sarah countered.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Luna raged, startling both Linea and Sarah. ¡°You failed your people! you failed your country!¡±

    She took a mental breath and her aura became even colder.

    ¡°You failed me¡­ I expected you to protect my children. Instead they submitted to a human. A human! And now you are enslaved to those humans by this¡­ abomination!¡±

    Linea was silent. She didn¡¯t like where this conversation going one bit. She couldn¡¯t fathom the reasons Luna would turn so hostile towards them. Her whole life the goddess had been a source of solace and guidance for Linea but now she was furious. Linea tried to calm herself down, and she noticed Sarah¡¯s emotions which twirled like a storm inside her waiting to break free.

    ¡°Are you able to lift the curse that binds our soul to this contraption?¡± Sarah asked almost dismissively.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Luna replied. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t do it either way. I don¡¯t have a use for a failed chosen. A slave. You have no idea how much disgrace you caused for me. The other gods laugh at me and me inept chosen.¡±

    ¡°So, this is it?¡± Sarah asked without a shred of sympathy in her voice. ¡°As soon as the first wind howls against you, you turn your sails around and walk away?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talking to me like that!¡± Luna yelled and her aura became even more oppressive. Linea was sure she couldn¡¯t speak even if she would have found the right words.

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Sarah countered letting her anger break out of her. ¡°You all but accuse us of intentionally screwing you over although I risked my mind to protect your people. Linea lost half her family because you failed to warn us. We¡¯re nothing but a tool for you to use, yet you¡¯re telling us how this is our responsibility.¡±

    ¡°You insolent¡­¡±

    ¡°Cut it,¡± Sarah said coldly. ¡°Linea? Do you want to say anything to her?¡±

    Linea just shook herself to get a grip on herself.

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t understand why you are mad at use for things we couldn¡¯t control, yet if you deem it necessary to punish us I¡¯ll take this punishment with honor and shall strive to do better,¡± she explained in an attempt to mend the last bridge to her home that was burning beneath her.

    ¡°I have no use for you anymore. What I need is another chosen. Someone more focused on the matter at hand,¡± Luna said.

    ¡°No¡­ please!¡± Linea screamed as it dawned on her why exactly Luna had arranged this meeting. ¡°Don¡¯t abandon us!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sarah asked as Linea¡¯s desperation spilled over to her.

    ¡°There is only one way to take back a blessing,¡± Luna explained. ¡°Linea Luna¡¯sindra! I hereby expel you and your soul sister from my followers. Henceforth both of you shall be banned from the lands of Luna¡¯sindra. All your titles shall be revoked and all your claims be naught.¡±

    Linea wanted to cry out but she couldn¡¯t think straight. Her mind was still trying to figure out what just had transpired. They both experienced a rather painful expulsion of the blessing as it lost its foundation.

    ¡°Be glad I leave it at that¡­¡± Luna said with a distinct disdain in her voice. ¡°I should have leave you be. This was the last time I help one of those Higher Gods¡­¡±

    And with that she cut the connection and threw Sarah and Linea back into reality.

    <hr>

    ¡°Linea!¡± Aruna whispered as she rushed over as Linea dropped to the floor. Silent tears dropped onto the floor while Linea tried to get a grip on herself.

    ¡°Is everything all right? What happened?¡±

    Linea gave her a sign to wait for a second.

    ¡®Ca- Can you take over?¡¯ Linea asked Sarah with a shaky voice. ¡®I- I need time¡­ to think.¡¯

    Sarah wordlessly took control of their body and looked at Aruna¡¯s worried face.

    ¡°She threw us away¡­ like garbage¡­¡± Sarah answered Aruna¡¯s question in a hushed tone. She had never been someone overly emotional, but this had caught her off-guard. Her hands trembled like leaves as she looked down on them.

    ¡°What?¡±

    After taking a deep breath to compose herself and focusing on reality, Sarah explained to Aruna what the goddess had done. It wasn¡¯t a long tale but Aruna went through all the emotions in that short time. From surprise over disbelief straight to anger.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she used me to bring you the Luna¡¯cala just¡­ for that!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be proud to have served your goddess so faithfully?¡± Sarah asked.

    Aruna picked up how Sarah had emphasized the term ¡®your goddess¡¯. She blinked and stared into Sarah¡¯s eyes for a long time before she shook her head.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Why should I follow a goddess that tosses aside one of the noblest and most faithful souls I can imagine just because things don¡¯t turn out as she would have liked,¡± Aruna asked. ¡°I would rather follow that soul instead.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Sarah asked as she realized where this could lead to. ¡°Abandoning your goddess would make you an outcast like me. Go back home! Live a life of peace and happiness. If you follow my path you can only expect war and adversity.¡±

    A tear formed in Aruna¡¯s eye.

    ¡°My happiness died with your sister¡­¡± Aruna whispered.

    ¡°My¡­¡± Sarah said and something clicked in her mind. ¡°You loved her? Were you two a thing?¡±

    Aruna rubbed the tears from her face and shook her head.

    ¡°No¡­ But I loved her. More than Xandarin.¡±

    ¡°Who is Xandarin?¡± Sarah asked trying to piece together the fragmented information.

    ¡°A peasant boy I loved when I still lived with my family in Tali¡¯sindra,¡± Aruna explained. ¡°Xandarin was the reason I got disowned. Your sister helped me in my greatest time of need and over the years I¡­ I fell in love with her.¡±

    ¡°So, what you two had back in the University of Tali¡¯sindra was more than¡­¡±

    ¡°No! Back then we just had fun,¡± Aruna deflected. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until later that I fell in love with her. Unfortunately she didn¡¯t reciprocate my feelings¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sarah said and put her hand on Aruna¡¯s shoulder.

    Aruna just shrugged.

    ¡°Don''t be,¡± she said. ¡°We stayed friends either way but I would never stop loving her one way or another. That¡¯s why I feel it necessary to stay by her sister. If you let me, I will follow you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I could use more trustworthy allies,¡± Sarah pondered. ¡°But - and I hope you¡¯ll forgive me - I can¡¯t trust you just like that. My recent experiences don¡¯t allow me to trust people that easily.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I understand¡­¡± Aruna said deflated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else I can do to prove my sincerity.¡±

    Sarah tapped her chin for a moment and then sighed.

    ¡°You would allow me?¡± she asked. ¡°I can read your mind while you swear an oath. I will see if you lie or not.¡±

    ¡°You- You can read minds?¡± Aruna asked in surprise.

    ¡°Rudimentarily,¡± Sarah replied.

    Aruna pondered about Sarah¡¯s proposition for a moment but gave in with a nod. To signal her she was about to start, Sarah placed her hand above Aruna¡¯s head. The priestess¡¯ mind was more difficult to read than Tirell¡¯s because her emotions interfered rather impetuously. One thing Sarah was absolutely sure about was Aruna¡¯s declaration of love towards Linea¡¯s sister as Tarina¡¯s face flickered through Aruna¡¯s mind at regular intervals.

    ¡°I swear loyalty to Linea of the house¡­¡±

    ¡°No house,¡± Sarah interrupted her. ¡°Just Linea.¡±

    Aruna nodded and started again.

    ¡°I swear loyalty to Linea. I shall strive to support her in every endeavor and stay by her side at all times.¡±

    Sarah sensed no dishonesty in Aruna¡¯s thoughts and nodded. Suddenly Linea took back control over her body and stood up.

    ¡®If you¡¯re going to take loyalty oaths, do it properly!¡¯ she said to Sarah.

    ¡°I accept you allegiance. In return I shall strive to protect you and your kin to all my capabilities,¡± Linea said with a strong voice. ¡°Rise Aruna, as the first of my knights and as Darkborne!¡±

    A moment of pause before Aruna raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Thank you, but¡­ Darkborne? What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°I refuse to be called a Moon Elf any longer if their goddess refuses me,¡± Linea explained with cold fury in her voice which made even Sarah shiver. ¡°We come from the darkness of our past, we¡¯re beings of the night and the moon can screw itself! We¡¯re Darkborne!¡±

    ¡°Well, I see where you¡¯re coming from but¡­ Can¡¯t we go with Dark Elves?¡± Aruna asked and chuckled.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ better,¡± Linea admitted. ¡°Damn, I should have thought of that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Aruna said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out how we want to be called later. What are we going to do about this?¡±

    She pointed at Linea¡¯s collar. Before Linea could answer, Sarah pressed Linea to stand back again. Linea wasn¡¯t sure what Sarah had in mind, but she trusted her.

    ¡°First you need to get away from Tovandir,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Try to be as inconspicuous as possible. You need to find an explanation why you won¡¯t go back to Luna¡¯sindra with them. After that go to the harbor and search for the Flying Sailor Inn. Ask for the barmaid Tirell. Tell her I sent you.¡±

    Aruna blinked a few times.

    ¡°You have been more productive as I would have thought. You already have contacts?¡±

    Sarah just gave her a smug smile.

    <hr>

    Sarah and Linea hadn¡¯t seen Tovandir or anyone else after what happened with Aruna and the goddess. When they were done Brice had brought them back to his manor and as it was nearing noon, Sarah and Linea were tired.

    Linea had gone back into her shell to think about things which Sarah could only guess. And so, she prepared for bed and waited for Linea to talk to her again.

    ¡®I¡¯m confused,¡¯ Linea suddenly spoke as Sarah watched the ceiling unable to fall asleep.

    ¡®How so?¡¯ Sarah asked.

    ¡®I should be devastated,¡¯ Linea explained. ¡®Don¡¯t get me wrong, I feel betrayed, abandoned and overall rather miserable¡­¡¯

    ¡®But?¡¯

    ¡®I feel free!¡¯

    ¡®Okay?¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®Do I need to worry? You do remember that thing around our neck?¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s not what I mean,¡¯ Linea said with a mental groan.

    ¡®Explain yourself then. If you only talk in fragmented sentences, I can¡¯t really-¡¯

    ¡®Can you just shut up?¡¯

    Sarah chuckled as she found it interesting to see Linea so outspoken towards her.

    ¡®All right, shutting up now,¡¯ Sarah said amused.

    Linea sighed but started to explain.

    ¡®As far as I can remember I always had¡­ someone telling me what to do¡­ Someone superior who I could look up to and follow. That wasn¡¯t always nice. My mother for example was quite a let down in most recent years. But I digress. I always had a goal that based on the principle how can I serve others. How can I follow traditions and bring happiness to everyone¡­¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing,¡¯ Sarah commented.

    ¡®That¡¯s true,¡¯ Linea agreed. ¡®But on the other hand, what I was allowed to do to help people wasn¡¯t what I choose. It was always something others expected of me. I remember how stubborn I tried to become a priestess because I didn¡¯t want to become an enchantress like my mother expected me to. I had to force a decision about it.¡¯

    She sighed again.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to blame others for my decisions and how my life went but now that I have absolutely no ties to anyone anymore I have this liberty in my mind. It¡¯s the first time in my life that no one looks at me and has an idea what I should be. Well, except the humans here who believe I¡¯ll be their slave forever.¡¯

    ¡®Hm, I have to admit you¡¯re much more collected than I expected,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®Somehow, I anticipated you to throw a temper tantrum when Luna did what she did.¡¯

    ¡®I- I tried to control my emotions like you do¡­¡¯ Linea said sheepishly. ¡®I realized that my emotions get in my way more often than not. Even though I think you¡¯re too cold from time to time, I understand that I need to get a grip on my emotions. In stressful situations you¡¯re always so collected and I thought¡­¡¯

    ¡®I see,¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®In that case I applaud you because you did very well in that regard this time.¡¯

    ¡®Thank you,¡¯ Linea said and radiated contentment.

    ¡®But I have to admit that I have a suspicion regarding your emotions and ability to reign them in.¡¯

    ¡®Care to share?¡¯ Linea asked curious.

    ¡®It may be a side-effect of the fact that our soul was split,¡¯ Sarah explained. ¡®From what I gathered it seems my Soul-Aspect strengthens my rational thinking. I focus on logic but I have always been more collected than others. Not that I was uncaring or unfeeling but bad or good things never moved me in the same way as my peers.¡¯

    Linea listened to Sarah¡¯s explanation, and it was in that moment when she got what Sarah was going for.

    ¡®And magic is heavily tied to one¡¯s emotions!¡¯ she exclaimed. ¡®Since I¡¯m the Soul-Aspect of Magic, I¡¯m more emotional than the other parts.¡¯

    Sarah smiled as she saw her theory at work.

    ¡®But it doesn¡¯t stop there,¡¯ she explained further. ¡®Now that we have been in proximity for quite a while we seem to balance each other. Ever since we met, I got more and more emotional. I want to believe this is a good thing but I have to admit it is slightly frightening to me¡­¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry,¡¯ Linea said with a laugh. ¡®I¡¯ll teach you how to handle your emotions if they overwhelm you¡­ Once I figured that out myself.¡¯

    Both giggled for a moment.

    ¡®But that means your presence helps me to get more control over my emotions?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®It seems that way, but that¡¯s not all. I guess you¡¯ll see an increase in your cognitive abilities and rational thinking, while I¡¯ll probably get more passionate and sympathetic to the emotional stuff of other people.¡¯

    ¡®Well, you¡¯ll not learn that if you call it stuff,¡¯ Linea noted and chuckled.

    ¡®I said I¡¯ll get there. Not that I¡¯m already at the endpoint of that journey,¡¯ Sarah countered and laughed.

    ¡®I¡¯ll be honest with you,¡¯ Linea blurted after a short silence. ¡®Despite everything Luna did or failed to do, I¡¯m grateful that she brought you into my life. I wouldn¡¯t know what to do without you.¡¯

    Sarah didn¡¯t answer straight away as she pondered about Linea¡¯s words.

    ¡®You don¡¯t give yourself enough credit. Perhaps you would have failed to accomplish what we did together but in my opinion as soon as you get some magic training you¡¯ll be a force to be reckoned with.¡¯

    ¡®We¡¯ll see,¡¯ Linea replied with a mixture of hope and resignation. ¡®But before we get to that point, we need to get free of this damned collar.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s true. And we¡¯ll start with that¡­ tomorrow!¡¯

    Then she yawned.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 8 - Alliance

    After sleeping for the rest of the day and a rather uneventful evening at Madame Maria¡¯s Palace, Sarah and Linea finally slipped away to meet with Aruna at the Flying Sailor Inn. To their surprise, they found her at the bar surrounded by men and women alike trying to get her attention. They heard questions being asked about Luna¡¯sindra and Moon Elves and some rather impudent offers being made. It was surprising to see the bar of the inn to be this crowded so late at night.

    Aruna seemed rather annoyed by the attention and rebuffed the humans as polite as possible. Tirell stood behind the bar eying the former priestess with a grin. When she noticed Linea entering the bar, she pointed upstairs. Linea just nodded and went ahead.

    After knocking she opened the door and found Senia sitting on the bed reading a book.

    ¡°Hey Senia,¡± Linea greeted her and removing her hood.

    ¡°H-Hey Linea!¡± Senia replied as her head jerked up from the book. ¡°How have you been?¡±

    She put down the book on the nightstand and walked over to Linea to give her a hug. A routine that had established itself over the last few weeks. Linea wasn¡¯t sure where it came from but she pinned on Senia¡¯s need for security.

    ¡°Good and not so good,¡± Linea admitted resulting in a frown from Senia. ¡°But I¡¯ll explain when Tirell arrives with our guest.¡±

    ¡°G-Guest?¡± Senia asked and Linea noticed a faint trembling.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Linea said with a reassuring smile. ¡°It¡¯s someone we can trust.¡±

    Another knock on the door stopped her from continuing.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Linea said and Tirell opened the door to show Aruna in.

    ¡°Princess Senia?¡± Aruna asked with wide eyes as she recognized the young woman hiding behind Linea.

    ¡°Aruna?¡± Senia replied similar.

    ¡°Before we go on, could you please close the door?¡± Linea asked Tirell who attempted to leave the room. ¡°Wait, you can stay. Just close the door.¡±

    Tirell beamed at her like the sun at noon as she closed the door and raced over to the bed only to flop down onto it.

    ¡°All right,¡± Linea said and looked at the gathered group. ¡°I think we need to have some important talks. Information need to be shared and tears to be shed, I assume.¡±

    She motioned towards the bed where Tirell made space for the rest.

    ¡°Who should start?¡± Aruna asked.

    ¡°You,¡± Linea said. ¡°Especially why you¡¯re here. Should make an interesting story for Senia.¡±

    ¡°I can but¡­¡± Aruna said and point at Tirell. ¡°Who is that human girl?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Tirell,¡± the girl said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of this Inn¡¯s owner.¡±

    ¡°I guessed as much but why is she here?¡± Aruna inquired further still looking at Linea.

    ¡°She took care of Senia when I couldn¡¯t, she is our contact to some underworld big shot in this city and she is genuinely willing to help us. I can assure you of that.¡±

    A meaningful look from Linea was enough to make Aruna understand how she was sure of this.

    ¡°All right, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you then, Tirell,¡± she said and shook the girls hand. ¡°I apologize if I offended you. I¡¯m Aruna, former priestess and first of Linea¡¯s knights.¡±

    ¡°Woah, that sounds so¡­ important!¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait¡­ knight? How did that happen?¡± Senia asked and blinked at them.

    ¡°I may or may not have been exiled by the goddess¡­¡± Linea whispered which elicited a loud gasp from Senia.

    ¡°I need more than that!¡± she said in a heated tone.

    Aruna took the opportunity and filled Senia and Tirell in with the events of the morning. Tirell was confused as she didn¡¯t understand all the implications, but Senia grasped Linea¡¯s hand midway through the story.

    ¡°How are you coping with that?¡± Senia asked after Aruna finished.

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ manage,¡± Linea answered diplomatically. And it was the truth. She was less shaken than she would have been a few months ago. She wasn¡¯t sure if she had matured or Sarah¡¯s influence showed itself.

    ¡®Maybe both?¡¯ Sarah pointed out.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this exile thing?¡± Tirell asked. ¡°I can guess it¡¯s a bad thing but if they banned me from the Church of Kava for example¡­ I would just choose another deity. I mean it¡¯s not nice when all your dedication goes down the sewers like that but you make it sound like someone died.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because in a way someone died¡­¡± Aruna said and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not widely known outside of our culture but Elves are bound to their protector deities in ways that humans can¡¯t imagine. That goes for Moon Elves and Luna as well as Sun Elves and their God of the Sun Sera. Our dedication goes beyond just praying every other day. We honor them with our very being. Every feat we accomplish is a contribution to their grace and power. In return they protect us. But the most important reason is procreation. Elves can only procreate in a five-year span after they have married a partner in a ritual blessed by their protector god.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Tirell said and stared at them. ¡°But what if you don¡¯t believe in your god?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t have offspring,¡± Senia said. ¡°You either follow or you will be cast aside and forgotten. Most leave Luna¡¯sindra and die without ever being seen or heard from again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so sad¡­¡± Tirell commented. ¡°But what about those who already have children?¡±

    ¡°Then it becomes a question of honor for the children to either chase away or even outright kill their parents.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s barbaric!¡±

    Linea sighed while Senia and Aruna looked down with flushed cheeks. This topic was not talked about much back in Luna¡¯sindra as it was a sore spot. In the rare case someone became a heathen it would spark rumors about the reasons but no one would risk their goddess wrath questioning it.

    ¡®That was news to me by the way,¡¯ Sarah said to Linea. ¡®The children stuff.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m sure I mentioned that at some point,¡¯ Linea replied.

    ¡®Not that I remember¡­ Are you okay with that? It¡¯s rather brutal to take that away from you.¡¯

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter at the moment,¡¯ Linea said and sounded calm about it. ¡®We have other things to worry about. Also, if we manage to summon Tavariel - which still seems to be an option - we can try to negotiate a divine intervention on that topic.¡¯

    She raised her hand and looked at the shimmering symbol of Mercy she had willed to show itself. Even after being exiled by Luna the symbol had stayed providing Linea with some solace.

    ¡°I know this mark¡­¡± Aruna asked as she noticed the glowing symbol. ¡°Why do you have a mark of the Sisterhood of Saria on your hand?¡±

    Everyone gazed at Linea¡¯s hand who let the glowing subside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a dragon card,¡± Linea said with a smile.

    ¡°A what now?¡± Senia asked confused causing Tirell to chuckle.

    ¡°You never played Sevur, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Should I?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fun game,¡± Linea said. ¡°I learned it not too long ago. It helps to integrate in my workplace. People give more money if they feel properly entertained.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Calling it your workplace sounds¡­ urgh,¡± Senia commented.

    ¡°Where exactly do you work?¡± Aruna asked suspicious at Senia¡¯s outburst.

    ¡°A high-class brothel, why?¡± Linea answered which made Aruna choke on her next words. After the resulting coughing fit subsided, she looked at the others.

    ¡°What the hell happened to you? Both of you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a story I can tell you¡­¡± Linea said. ¡°But first I need some news from home. What does the nobility think about the situation?¡±

    It as obvious that Aruna was curious about Linea¡¯s story but she complied either way.

    ¡°The country is split,¡± she explained. ¡°Not Only between Luna¡¯sindra in the north and Avandir in the south. Shandir has taken his troops and started a rebellion. Against his brother and King Turandir equally.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Linea asked with wide eyes. ¡°Shandir? Why would he¡­ He must have a good reason for that. Granted the fact that Tovandir claimed the crown for him in my and Senia absence is questionable¡­ It would only create a problem if Senia or I would return. In fact it makes sense to do what he did so far¡­¡±

    Senia and Aruna looked at her in confusion while Tirell seemed to have problems to follow their discussion.

    ¡°He took your crown!¡± Senia exclaimed and frowned. ¡°How can you vindicate that?¡±

    ¡°Just look at it from Tovandir¡¯s standpoint,¡± Linea countered. ¡°The country is in peril. The enemy holds both of the rightful heirs to the throne captive. One of the largest duchies has declared independence and is backed by the empire. Large parts of the army havebeen defeated, and either killed or imprisoned. I wouldn¡¯t put it past some nobles to exploit a weakened royalty¡­¡±

    While explaining the situation she made more connection of events.

    ¡°So he took the crown to give the country a ruler who could set things straight immediately,¡± Aruna said and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s about what most people in Luna¡¯sindra assumed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s either that¡­¡± Linea replied.

    ¡°Or he played a role in Turandir¡¯s betrayal¡­ and planned on getting on the throne right from the start,¡± Senia finished the sentence. She clenched her fists and stared at Linea.

    ¡°We have known him for all our lives,¡± Linea whispered. ¡°I want to say I can¡¯t imagine him to do something like this¡­¡±

    ¡°But he has always been a schemer,¡± Senia agreed. ¡°But I never would have guessed that he was after the throne.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps he wasn¡¯t,¡± Tirell threw in causing the Moon Elves to look at her. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. From what you¡¯re saying he may have been involved. But perhaps he just took an opportunity? Or he is innocent after all?¡±

    ¡®She is right, you know?¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®You¡¯re working with too many unknown variables here. Without proof you may imagine enemies in places where are none. And we have enough on our plate as is.¡¯

    ¡®What would you suggest then?¡¯

    ¡®Stick to our plan,¡¯ Sarah answered. ¡®Eventually we will get to a point where we have the means to investigate this. If he turns out to be a capable ruler who did nothing wrong why not let him keep the job? And if we find out he is guilty of fucking us over¡­ I¡¯ll rip him into pieces for you. How does that sound?¡¯

    ¡®Fine,¡¯ Linea relented. ¡®I just hope Nora is doing fine¡­¡¯

    ¡°So, she is just thinking?¡± Aruna asked while waving a hand in front of Linea¡¯s face.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Linea replied and looked around.

    ¡°Told you she sometimes zones out when she thinks about something important,¡± Senia said with a grin.

    Linea blushed slightly as she realized that they had noticed her conversation with Sarah. Yet only Senia knew what most likely had happened in Linea¡¯s mind.

    ¡°All right, what did you think about?¡± Aruna asked Linea.

    ¡°Our next steps,¡± she replied. ¡°We need to put the situation in Luna¡¯sindra to the side for now. Especially because I can¡¯t do anything about it in my current situation. So, we¡¯ll work on that.¡±

    ¡°All right, what are we going to do now?¡± Aruna asked slightly jumping up and down on the bed.

    ¡°My most important concerns are Senia¡¯s safety, freeing the twins from the human mages and getting rid of this collar,¡± Linea explained. ¡°For that we need more help. How is your combat prowess?¡±

    She looked at Aruna with an inquisitive gaze.

    ¡°I can wield a sword if I had one,¡± Aruna replied with a shrug. ¡°Apart from that not much. I¡¯m a theologian not a fighter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something we need to remedy,¡± Linea said. ¡°You want to be my first knight? Learn to fight. Whatever the future holds for me¡­ peace won¡¯t be a large part of it.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Are you sure this is the correct location?¡± Sarah asked Tirell as they stood in front of a run-down shop. She wasn¡¯t even sure if it was a shop at all. The windows were too dirty to look through. After retelling her and Senia¡¯s tale to Aruna back in the inn, Tirell had informed Linea that someone from the Bone Sail Gang was ready to meet them that night. Eager to go ahead with her plans Sarah had pushed Linea to accept the invitation.

    And the meeting point seemed to be this shop.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s one of their emergency hide-outs. It got lots of secret ways in and out.¡±

    ¡°So, he is careful about me?¡±

    ¡°I guess? I mean the only thing he knows about you is my word that you have broken into the prince¡¯s manor¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean to discredit him,¡± Sarah said with a laugh as she opened the door to the shop. ¡°If he is wary of me, he must be a smart man.¡±

    ¡°Such kind words from a beautiful woman,¡± a voice said from within the room. Tirell squeezed her eyes to make out the source but to Sarah and her night vision the man was fully visible leaning against the counter.

    ¡°An interesting statement from someone who has never seen my face,¡± Sarah noticed and walked in. She checked if the shadows were still covering her face.

    ¡°Yet, I have no reason to suspect otherwise. In fact I happen to know Moon Elves tend to be above average in looks.¡±

    Sarah shoot a quick gaze at Tirell who blenched.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t tell him!¡± she stuttered. ¡°I swear¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you confirmed his suspicion just now,¡± Sarah sighed. She scanned over his thoughts to make sure he wasn¡¯t trying to screw them over right in that moment. She only got a glimpse at his mind but it was most enlightening. ¡°Can you wait outside for me?¡±

    Tirell nodded with her head down and left the shop.

    ¡°You did your research about me,¡± she commented. ¡°Tell me what you got. I can then judge if you fit the bill.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re recruiting me now?¡± he said with a dry laugh. ¡°And here I thought it would be the other way around.¡±

    Sarah sighed as she realized that the man was playing a game with her to gauge her character. But two people could play this game. She activated her telekinetic sense and searched for any hidden weapons on the man. Of course she found multiple knives in hidden pockets of his various parts of clothing.

    Her next step was slowly floating towards him only stopping mere centimeters away from him. Sarah had to give it to him, he did not flinch as she came closer. But she noticed how he squinted his eyes ever so slightly as he tried to examine her face. Which was a futile attempt as the shadows still covered her face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make one thing clear so that there are no misunderstandings,¡± she said tapping her outstretched finger against his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t need you. And you don¡¯t need me. We both have nothing of substance to lose if either of us was walking out of here right now. You know it, I know it. Yet we¡¯re here.¡±

    The man gulped and Sarah knew, he had not expected her aggressiveness. It was one of her favorite methods of breaking the ice with someone she didn¡¯t know. Reversing expectations. Human males didn¡¯t expect women to be that forward.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t need anything from me why did Tirell arranged this meeting?¡± he asked slowly reaching for one of his knives.

    ¡°Because a cooperation between the two of us could be beneficial to both parties,¡± Sarah explained. ¡°And keep your fingers off your weapons or else this might turn ugly.¡±

    To get her point across she took the knife he was going for with telekinesis and let it float behind her.

    ¡°All right, what is it you propose then?¡± he snarled. Sarah realized that she might have gone too far with her aggression and retreated a step back. She plucked the knife from the air with one hand and handed it over to the man with the handle first. He took it hesitantly but relaxed afterwards.

    ¡°A cooperation like I said,¡± Sarah repeated. ¡°I may reach what I came for faster with your help. In return I have access to places and people like no one else. There are certainly things I can help you with which would be otherwise unattainable.¡±

    ¡°Tirell mentioned something like that,¡± he replied. ¡°She claims you stole one of Prince Tanus¡¯ belongings.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it,¡± Sarah chuckled.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you count his life as his belonging you could describe it like that.¡±

    This was the first time the man let his rather sturdy mask of toughness fall as he gaped at her.

    ¡°That was you?¡± he asked gripping the counter of the shop until his knuckles turned white.

    ¡°Certainly,¡± she confirmed. ¡°Although I expected you to be more surprised by the fact that he is actually dead. I was under the impression that the emperor was trying to hide this fact.¡±

    ¡°He can try as much as he wants,¡± the man laughed as he crossed his arms. His body language lost most of his tension for a reason Sarah didn¡¯t fully understand. ¡°But people are talking and there are witnesses who were not killed. But we¡¯ll make use of the fact that His Imperial Madness is not as invincible as he wants to make us believe.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like him much, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Neither do you, am I right?¡± he countered. ¡°We suspected some Moon Elves to show up hoping to rescue their princesses. Yet, you seem rather unfazed by the death of one of them. Unless¡­¡±

    ¡°I would suggest you keep your nose out of this thought you¡¯re having. Or else we might enter territories which would lead to blood being spilled.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter to me anyway,¡± he replied with a smirk. ¡°But I can guess what your goal is. Something I¡¯d actually be willing to help you with.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Is the name Brice Si Trenia ringing a bell?¡± he asked with a grim smile.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± she said. ¡°What of him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s somewhat of a thorn in my side for a while now,¡± the man admitted and Sarah instantly picked up how he mentioned ¡®my side¡¯ instead of ¡®our side¡¯. He was more than just a middle tier gang leader. This guy was more than met the eye.

    ¡°I won¡¯t kill him for you,¡± Sarah said outright. ¡°A pact for revenge has been made and I will not interfere with that.¡±

    The last part was a lie of course, but she hardly could explain to him why she wouldn¡¯t kill Brice. Or why she was unable to do so.

    ¡°Hm, fine. But what about sabotaging his businesses?¡±

    ¡°That I can do,¡± Sarah agreed and grinned internally. She loved it when things went her way. The man was thinking she was helping him while he was helping her with something she was planning to do anyway.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°But before we start this ¡®cooperation¡¯ I need proof, you are capable of what you¡¯re claiming. If you succeed, it will count as a favor you can call in with us. If you fail however¡­¡±

    He gave her a shrug.

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Sarah agreed. She was prepared for something like this. Trust didn¡¯t grow out of nothing. Quid pro quo was a reliable way of testing the waters. ¡°What can I help you with?¡±

    ¡°There is an artifact in the Mage Tower¡­ The home of the three archmages. I would like to get my hands on it. It¡¯s not too hard to get but the risk-reward ratio isn¡¯t worth it to be honest. It poses little risk to my gang to send you instead, but it can give us massive benefits.¡±

    ¡°Seems manageable,¡± Sarah said with a nod. ¡°Give me some details. And what should I call you by the way?¡±

    ¡°You can call me Reeve,¡± he said and stretched his hand out. ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°You may call me Nighthunter,¡± Sarah replied shaking his hand resulting in another smirk from him.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 9 - Reconnaissance

    ¡°A round of beers for me and my guests!¡± a man bellowed over the counter towards Linea and pointed to a crowd of five other men.

    ¡°Coming right up,¡± Linea replied with a raised voice to get through to him over the background noise. Madame Maria¡¯s Palace was packed and Basil was giving his best to provide some background music. The usual refined atmosphere had been replaced with a more rowdy scene. Most guests were still excited after the arena matches earlier and the adrenaline was running high. Linea had payed little attention when Maria had explained what the evening would bring but she had gotten the gist. Some upstart merchant, who happened to make a good fortune, had decided to spend most to throw a big spectacle including an enactment of some battle in the arena. Something about his family being crucial to the battle¡¯s winner.

    Linea didn¡¯t care much.

    But on a positive note the money changed hands quickly and in abundance this evening. Most wealthy people who had watched the fights came to Madame Maria¡¯s Palace to have more fun. The Sun Elf Kevira told Linea that those evenings were her favorites as she could make a killing of all the adrenaline pumped men who needed a woman to take care of them. She had winked at Linea as she said it and Linea blushed much to Kevira¡¯s delight. The woman had made a game out of making Linea flustered as much as possible. Linea just couldn¡¯t help herself but whenever someone mentioned sex to her she couldn¡¯t suppress this reaction. Sarah was of no help either. Her best idea to make Kevira shut up was to have sex with her, which Linea didn¡¯t consider doing.

    Although Linea had to admit to herself that she had stolen a glance or two at the Sun Elven woman this evening. Kevira radiated a sensual confidence which Linea felt herself drawn to. The longer she worked at Maria¡¯s the more Linea realized that she had no inclinations to be with a man in the future.

    She sighed and tapped beer from barrel behind the bar into several tankards.

    ¡°Linea?¡± Evira asked her as a rather tanked Cardinal Huvis pulled her towards the basement. ¡°Can you bring us a bottle of Grolian wine?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Linea replied. ¡°I¡¯ll just finish this order.¡±

    ¡°Awww, I don¡¯ wanna wait!¡±, Huvis whined. ¡°I wanna have fun!¡±

    ¡°Fine, she¡¯ll bring it down for us, won¡¯t she?¡± Evira chuckled and slapped the cardinals shoulder playfully, which made him sway quite dramatically. ¡°Down to the basement. Second door on the left.¡±

    The last part was addressed to Linea who nodded.

    ¡°Have fun,¡± she said and lifted the six tankards with beer as good as possible. As she walked around the bar Siril - the other girl working the bar with her that night - came back from a bathroom break and gave her a nod. Linea maneuvered herself between the tables and to her relief she got the drinks over to the table without accident.

    ¡°Makes twelve silver coins, honey!¡± Linea chirped to the guy who had ordered the beer. She had learned in the last weeks that a friendly waitress got way more money and had adopted a more outgoing persona while she worked at Maria¡¯s Palace. She had quite some experience faking friendliness from her time at the royal court in Luna¡¯sindra. Only the parlance differed which she had to get used to.

    The man put fifteen silver coins in her hand.

    ¡°There¡¯s more if you want to make some extra,¡± he said with a wide grin and patted her butt lightly. Linea forced a smile and suppressed her urge to slap him.

    ¡°Sorry, but no can do,¡± she replied and tipped against her collar. ¡°I¡¯ve got orders.¡±

    ¡°Too bad, we could have so much fun!¡± he said with a laugh and turned towards his friends.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Linea whispered to herself and rolled her eyes as she went back to the bar.

    ¡°Do we have a Grolian wine up here?¡± Linea asked Siril as she skimmed through the wine shelf to the side.

    ¡°I sold the last one an hour ago,¡± Siril answered. ¡°But we should have a few spares in the cellar. Ask Evira if you can take one of those.¡±

    ¡°She was the one who ordered it,¡± Linea said with a short laugh. ¡°I suspect she would be fine with it. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡±

    Siril just nodded and started talking with another man who wanted to order something.

    Linea made her way down through the basement into the wine cellar. She hadn¡¯t been down there often and so it took her few minutes to find the wine she was searching for. When she got to the room, she stopped for a second as she heard rather explicit sounds through the door. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

    The room was only barely lit and the main part was curtained off. Linea was about to put the wine bottle on a small table near the door, but the occupants of the room interrupted her.

    ¡°Aw, did I allow you to touch me?¡± Evira¡¯s voice came through the curtain. Her sounded sultry and a bit condescending which made Linea stop right in her tracks. ¡°You¡¯re such a naughty slave, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mistress!¡± Huvis replied and his submissive tone flummoxed Linea. Whatever was going on here, Linea had not expected it.

    ¡°I guess I have to retrain you¡­¡± Evira sighed. ¡°Not even a month without me and you¡¯ve already forgotten everything¡­ Such a shame.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Huvis cried out. ¡°I can be a good boy!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Evira asked. ¡°Yet, I still get the feeling you keep secrets from me¡­ How can you be a good boy, if you keep secrets from your mistress? So disappointing¡­¡±

    ¡°I have no secrets!¡± the man said quickly.

    ¡°Now, you¡¯re lying,¡± Evira said and huffed in disappointment. Linea heard a slapping noise and something from Huvis which seemed to Linea like an odd mixture of a moan and a groan.

    ¡°I know about the festivities regarding the wedding ceremony of the princess,¡± Evira said but this time she used an accusatory tone. ¡°And yet you didn¡¯t tell me about it. No details, nothing. How can I plan for such an event if you keep those things a secret?¡±

    ¡°I thought¡­¡± Huvis tried to answer, but another slap shut him up.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Evira snarled. ¡°You are nothing but an overgrown sex toy. You¡¯re not supposed to think!¡±

    Another slap.

    ¡°You serve me. You¡¯re my pet. My slave. Nothing more,¡± she said but then her tone changed again and got warmer. ¡°But I might forgive you¡­ if you tell me what the emperor has planned for the princess. Spill everything and I might decide pleasuring you tonight instead of punishing you.¡±

    And so Huvis told Evira everything. Linea stood motionless trying to eavesdrop on them.

    ¡°They are to be wed in the cathedral. I¡¯ll be officiating it mistress!¡± he explained. ¡°A priestess of Luna will be present, even though the original one declined to serve after some kind of altercation within the Moon Elven envoy. I don¡¯t know the details. But another one is already on her way to replace her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly interesting,¡± Evira said and did something which elicited a deep moan from the cardinal. ¡°But what about the guests and the festivities?¡±

    ¡°There is a banquet planned,¡± Huvis said short of breath. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea about all the guests but I know that the freshly crowned King Turandir will attend as well as the rest of the other kings of the Seven Holy Kingdoms.¡±

    Linea¡¯s hand gripped the bottle of wine so hard as she heard the name Turandir that she nearly broke it. Sarah stepped in by sending a few waves of calming thoughts her way.

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Evira mused. ¡°I would guess arena matches are planned?¡±

    ¡°Of course, mistress!¡± Huvis replied eagerly. ¡°The emperor boasted a little about what he has planned but he left out some details.¡±

    ¡°Well, tell me what you know!¡± Evira urged him with another slap.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be a reenactment of the recent war but the slave princess will be part of the biggest show. A one-on-one duel and a fight against something especially dangerous. But he wouldn¡¯t tell me against who or what. That¡¯s the highlight. Everything will be arranged around that.¡±

    Linea gasped ever so slightly about the information which didn¡¯t go unnoticed. She heard steps and suddenly Evira came around the curtain.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a smile but her eyes gave away her fury.

    ¡°If you ever eavesdrop on one of my sessions again, I¡¯ll make Maria reconsider her policy regarding you,¡± Evira hissed as quietly as possible and the motioned Linea to get lost.

    Linea just nodded and left the room.

    ¡®That was interesting¡­¡¯ Sarah noted.

    ¡®We have to make a plan how we can take advantage of this,¡¯ Linea agreed. ¡®Even though I have no clue how we can use the information right now.¡¯

    ¡®Me neither,¡¯ Sarah admitted. ¡®We¡¯ll come up with something, but I have to admit I didn¡¯t expect you to take advantage of all this right of the bat.¡¯

    ¡®Right off the bat? What does that mean?¡¯

    Sarah chuckled at the question.

    ¡®It¡¯s a saying from earth, sorry. It means something like immediately. I just wanted to compliment you on the fact that you¡¯re starting to think ahead.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, thank you then. I guess?¡¯ Linea said. ¡®But that saying is still somewhat weird. What has a little mammal with leathery wings to do with all of this?¡¯

    Again Sarah just chuckled.

    ¡®I¡¯ll explain that one later. You still got work to do.¡¯

    <hr>

    Linea and Sarah had to delay their scouting of the Mage Tower by one day because the excessive party at Madame Maria¡¯s the night before had gone until dawn. On the other hand they closed tonight to give everyone more rest. An opportunity Sarah wouldn¡¯t let slip away. Tonight presented a new moon, and the darkness enhanced her ability to sneak through the abundant shadows. A perfect night for Sarah.

    Their target stood before them. Tall and white a single marble tower spiraled into the night sky. Only a handful of windows still showed signs of flickering fire. Nothing overly interesting for Sarah as her first target was in the tower''s basement. A large vault filled to the brim with magical artifacts and riches.

    Reeve had given her a combination of runes for opening the vault but he hinted at some additional safeguards which he couldn¡¯t specify. A hurdle to be overcome by her imagination. He also had provided her with a sketched ground plan which she had studied extensively.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡®I expected more guards¡­¡¯ Sarah noted as she looked over the walled area around the tower from a nearby rooftop.

    ¡®It smells of a trap,¡¯ Linea agreed. ¡®Either that or they don¡¯t expect someone to be foolish enough to antagonize the mages. From what we heard, they are a major faction within the city and the empire as a whole.¡¯

    ¡®Possible,¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®But I would like to make sure there is no magic we don¡¯t see. Remember the magic Senia told us about at Tanus manor? Which causes an alarm if someone unauthorized casts magic within the area? What if the mages here have a similar thing? Or worse?¡¯

    ¡®I could try to sense if there is something,¡¯ Linea argued. ¡®I can already feel magical energies, but I¡¯m not sure if I could identify what a spell or enchantment would do¡­¡¯

    ¡®Better than nothing I would say,¡¯ Sarah said and gave control over their body back Linea.

    Linea took a deep breath and stretched her magical senses. It was rudimentary but after a couple of minutes she noticed different patterns in front of her which deviated enough from natural Ley energy to indicate a man-made purpose. It surprised her when she focused on one of those patterns that she could understand its effect. She went over the different patterns she noticed and analyzed them.

    ¡®The first two enchantments belong to the wall itself. Self-cleansing and -self-repairing. Then there is some kind of ward to prohibited physical entrance over their wall. I guess you couldn¡¯t even throw a stone over the wall.¡¯

    ¡®Impressive, girl!¡¯ Sarah said with glee. ¡®Do you see anything else?¡¯

    ¡®There is another ward inside¡­¡¯ Linea replied without reacting to Sarah¡¯s little compliment. ¡®But I¡¯m not sure if I understand the intent behind it. Something about authorization¡­ Perhaps a check who is allowed inside the compound?¡¯

    ¡®Seems impractical if they want to receive guests¡­ I would suspect it¡¯s like the one Senia mentioned. A check on who is allowed to cast magic. It would have to check for authorized magical signatures as well.¡¯

    ¡®Probably, but be careful anyway. I can¡¯t guarantee it.¡¯

    They switched again and Sarah stepped into the shadows and became invisible to everyone else. She levitated towards the wall and tried to touch the barrier Linea mentioned but while she was hidden inside the shadows, nothing stopped her. It solidified Sarah assumption that her Shadow Walk rendered her immaterial as long as she didn¡¯t leave her shadow dimension.

    Once inside she ducked behind a carriage which had been parked near the stables. She left her shadows and waited for anything to happen.

    ¡®All right, no alarms as far as I can tell. That¡¯s good¡­¡¯ she murmured more to herself. She peaked around the carriage and noticed a patrol of four guards making their round. Apart from the compound was asleep. The main entrance to the tower was illuminated which excluded it as a possible way in for her. She gazed at the first-floor windows and decided that those would serve them better.

    She waited for the patrol to pass her then she used her Shadow Walk again to close the distance to the tower. A quick levitation to the window to check if the room was unoccupied then she opened the window from the inside without making a fuss.

    As Sarah slipped inside she saw a lot of instruments and gadgets with an unknown purpose on shelves. Some of them reminded her of slave collars even if somewhat less refined. Prototypes perhaps. Some of them were too big for any meaningful use. She wished she could search for some documents about slave collars and how they worked but without a hint where those could be, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

    And so she refocused on the task at hand and went to the door. She pressed her ear against it to check if the corridor was empty.

    Silence.

    Sarah tried to opened the door, but it was locked. She sent her telekinetic senses into the mechanism and after a bit of trial and error she managed to unlock it. After a quick gaze to her left and right she slipped outside into a rather spacious corridor. While the storage room was rather simple, the corridor resembled an entrance hall of a noble mansion. Extensive use of gold, marble and purple fabrics which reminded Sarah of velvet. Plate armor was lined up in regular intervals at the walls. From the plan Reeve had given her, she knew the corridor led in a circle around the whole tower with a staircase in each cardinal direction. The vault she searched for could be reached from the southern staircase which not so incidentally was to her left. The sketch was rather detailed about this part and hinted at some insider knowledge of this part. Sarah pondered if Reeve had one of the mages work for him or if he had bribed a servant.

    The entrance to the basement was guarded by three men in mail armor and a teenager in robes. They played a card game which Linea identified as Sevur. A game she herself had come to enjoy.

    ¡®Seems as if they are occupied,¡¯ Linea pointed out.

    ¡®Yes, but they will notice if the door to the basement opens as if by an invisible hand,¡¯ Sarah replied and looked around to notice two more of those exhibited plate armors. She bent the shadows ever so slightly to dim the light of the candles the guards used to play cards. She slipped past them towards the basement''s door and checked if it was locked. Which it was, and the mechanism was more sophisticated than the one earlier.

    But it couldn¡¯t resist Sarah forever. With a quiet click the lock gave in, but the sound alerted the guard closest to the door. His companions followed his gaze.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the teenager asked.

    ¡°Could have sworn¡­¡± the guard said, but as he couldn¡¯t see a problem even after squinting his eyes to look into the darkness behind him, he shrugged and returned to the game.

    Sarah smiled and gave the armor furthest away from the door a little nudge which made it topple over. The four man jumped with hisses of anger and shock and the teen-aged boy even squeaked. She opened the door and slipped inside without being noticed.

    She followed the map from Reeve as she maneuvered herself through the maze that was the basement. Storage rooms over storage rooms and not a system of labeling those rooms.

    At least the vault was easy enough to find the given directions.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see if this rune combination is actually correct,¡¯ Sarah said as her hands wandered over the matrix of different symbols. She pressed them in the exact order as she had imprinted them into her memory and she was not disappointed. The door opened and the first problem presented itself.

    The vault had no windows and no torches or candles burned inside. Only sliver of light from the corridor illuminated only the immediate area around the entrance. The rest of the cavernous vault was veiled in darkness.

    ¡®All right¡­ How do we find the dagger?¡¯ Linea asked. It was a good question because Reeve had only told them that the artifact was a dagger and what it was supposed to look like.

    ¡®We wait a few moments,¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®Your eyes need to adjust to the darkness again after the light of the corridor. Coupled with your night vision we¡¯ll be able to see enough to find the dagger. Or so I hope.¡¯

    It took not too long before she could perceive the different shelves and feel her way through the darkness. But even Linea¡¯s night vision had its limits as they learned after some painful incidents with her shin and rather low standing stuff.

    ¡®I see some kind of weapon rack ahead,¡¯ Linea said after a while and Sarah walked towards the point to which Linea pointed in their minds.

    ¡®That¡¯s the dagger¡­¡¯ Sarah said relieved. ¡®But what are the rest of the weapons?¡¯

    ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be¡­¡± Linea murmured and jerked back control over her body from Sarah without forewarning. She touched a bow which hang on top of the rack.

    ¡°Sur¡¯elani¡­¡± she whispered as her hand traced the green wood with intricate carvings of animals and stopped atop an emerald embedded into the wood.

    ¡®What now?¡¯ Sarah asked.

    ¡®This is not just an artifact,¡¯ Linea explained. ¡®This is a legendary weapon. I have seen its depictions back at home so often¡­ It was supposed to be lost in the Great Cataclysm. We don¡¯t have many facts about the time before the event but the mosaics in the old temples tell us fragments about the great warriors who lived before us. And this bow can be seen in at least half of them in the hand of various heroes of the past. We can only guess what they fought for and against whom¡­ but this weapon has seen more victories than most living beings even had fights. It¡¯s the harbinger of change, restoration from destruction, Whisper of Wind¡­ Sur¡¯elani¡­¡¯

    ¡®Okay¡­¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®I guess we take it with us then?¡¯

    Linea looked over the other weapons.

    ¡®I recognize some of them¡­ Even if I can¡¯t quite remember their names,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®We need to take them. I can¡¯t understand why the humans lock them up instead of using them but we can¡¯t leave them here¡­ The amount of death they could bring to the enemies of the empire.¡¯

    ¡®Aren¡¯t you getting a bit over dramatic?¡¯ Sarah asked with a snort but Linea didn¡¯t sway in her opinion.

    ¡®This hammer?¡¯ she said and pointed at a larger two-handed weapon. ¡®Caia¡¯kurthanal. Splitter of Earth if I remember correctly. It¡¯s fabled to level whole cities with one strike. Those stories are probably exaggerated but even if a fraction of it is true¡­¡¯

    ¡®Okay, okay. I get it. But we can¡¯t take them all with us right now.¡¯

    ¡®We¡¯ll come back with a plan. Screw Reeve, screw our plans. We need to get those weapons out of the emperor¡¯s hands.¡¯

    <hr>

    Leaving the weapons behind - much to Linea¡¯s annoyance - Sarah made her way to the top of the tower. They had a second goal for the evening after all.

    ¡®Are you sure it¡¯s at the top?¡¯ Sarah asked as she flew through the gaps of the staircase upwards.

    ¡®Yes, I can feel one magical being inside this tower different from the others. Not as bright as we¡¯re in that regard but it¡¯s like a beacon in a sea of dim stars.¡¯

    ¡®But why only one?¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®They should be two. The mage back at the market bought both twins. So why should only be one here?¡¯

    ¡®If got no idea, perhaps he sent one away for¡­ whatever reason. I don¡¯t know. And perhaps I don¡¯t want to know¡­¡¯

    After a few silent moments They stopped on the top floor of the tower which had only three doors arranged in an equilateral triangle on the outside of the corridor. The inner ring of this floor of the tower didn¡¯t have additional rooms, but instead there was a large crystalline structure suspended in the middle of the tower. Around it a lot of runic circles glowed in a blue light.

    ¡®Whatever that may be¡­¡¯ Sarah wondered. The more she saw about magic, the more she wanted Linea to learn it. She had so many questions about what one could do with it.

    ¡®No time for that,¡¯ Linea said and took control back to check where the one twin was they were searching for. They dropped out of the shadows and Linea searched for her target.

    She had located the magical signature to her right when the whole floor lit up and the armor to the sides started to move.

    ¡®Shit,¡¯ Sarah and Linea cursed in unison. Linea looked back down the staircase where it was still dark.

    Without even thinking about a coherent plan, they switched again and Sarah went down the stairs and slipped into the shadows again.

    With a fast beating heart she heard voices on the floor above emerging from the doors. She tried to focus herself and bring her heart rate back down. After a few minutes the guards on the top floor seemed to conclude that there was some sort of malfunction and deactivate the defensive mechanism again.

    ¡®All right, let¡¯s try to enter through a window then,¡¯ Sarah commented dryly.

    Shortly after they hovered in front of a window outside of the tower. They knew where the woman had to be but some kind of enchantment hindered them to look inside. Sarah took a risk and knocked on the window and waited a moment. When nothing happened she repeated this only a little more forceful.

    This time someone opened the window and looked outside. It was Tenevil, the younger of the twin duchesses who had helped Linea on the shipment to the city.

    The woman frowned and shook her head. Sarah slipped through the open window and waited for Tenevil to close it. When she had done just that, Sarah left her shadows behind the duchess and put a hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming, which only worked to a degree. Her muffled screams where still loud enough. Sarah used the same technique to interrupt any orders coming from the slave collar on Tenevil''s shoulders. The moment she did that, the woman stopped screaming.

    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Sarah said in Linea¡¯s place. ¡°I¡¯ve disabled all but the most basic functions of your collar. Will someone check on you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Tenevil whispered as her eyes roamed all over Sarah. ¡°How did you¡­¡±

    ¡°Not now!¡± Sarah hissed as she heard footsteps. She stepped in the shadows again and sprinted for the wardrobe. She levitated herself on top of it and made herself as small as possible to avoid being hit by any possible light source directly.

    The door was opened, and she heard a male voice.

    ¡°Everything all right here?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Tenevil stuttered. ¡°I stubbed my toe. I¡¯m sorry for the disturbance.¡±

    The man just groaned and after a few moments he left again.

    ¡°Linea?¡± Tenevil whispered into the room.

    ¡°Here,¡± Sarah replied as she made herself visible again and climbed down the wardrobe. ¡°That was way too close for my preference.¡±

    ¡°Same here,¡± Tenevil said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I''m trying to rescue you?¡± Sarah said as she went to the door to check if she could hear anything, but whatever lay behind it was silent. For now. ¡°Where is your sister?¡±

    Tenevil sighed and a small sob escaped her.

    ¡°She¡­ They sacrificed her. The same day they brought here us.¡±

    Sarah took a deep breath. More for Linea than for herself but since their soul parts had started to coalesce she had more difficulties to remain calm than before.

    ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You said they sacrificed her. What for? What was their goal?¡±

    ¡°Only our master. No one else profited from it. It¡¯s a ritual to assimilate the sacrifice¡¯s magic,¡± Tenevil explained.

    ¡®Is that possible?¡¯ Sarah asked Linea.

    ¡®Hell, as if I would know.¡¯

    ¡°All right, I will get you out of here,¡± Sarah just said. ¡°I need to retrieve a lot of artifacts from the treasury down in the basement. Any idea how?¡±

    ¡°Not right now¡­¡± Tenevil replied. ¡°How can you help me with that thing around your neck?¡±

    ¡°No time to explain this. We need to move.¡±

    Tenevil stopped her as Sarah walked towards the window.

    ¡°Can you¡­ can you come and get me next week?¡±

    Sarah stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ The master wants to perform the ritual on me in six days.¡±

    ¡°Even more reason to get you out now!¡± Sarah hissed.

    ¡°I know¡­ but¡­ Oh Luna, I know it¡¯s so stupid but I think I can reverse it if you can help me. I could reclaim my sister¡¯s magic. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s all that is left of her.¡±

    Her pleading eyes locked onto Sarah.

    ¡°This is a bad idea¡­¡±

    ¡°You could take the time to come up with a method to transport what you found in the treasury,¡± Tenevil argued with a faint smile.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Sarah snapped. She didn¡¯t like the idea one bit but on the other hand it would secure Tenevil¡¯s loyalty and make her a trustworthy ally. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the block on your collar. Just see that you follow all orders when your master can check if you complied. If they find out, you can disobey¡­ It would make things difficult.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Tenevil agreed with a dark grin. ¡°In six days when the sun has sunken below the horizon. The preparation will take an hour from there. If it goes like last time, their will be three apprentices and the master. You need to neutralize the apprentices. Dead or alive, I don¡¯t care. But the Master must be alive. Not necessarily conscious but alive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Sarah said. ¡°If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll kill them all and get you out of here.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, My Lady,¡± Tenevil said and came a step closer. ¡°And thank you for coming for me.¡±

    She then embraced Sarah in a hug which she reluctantly returned.

    ¡°Just stay safe,¡± Sarah said and jumped out of the window.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 10 - Into the Arena

    With a slight tug on the blindfold Aruna had given her Linea adjusted it to cover her eyes. She and her guards marched towards the arena in the late afternoon and the sun was still burning in the sky. Linea was happy that Aruna had an enchanted blindfold as a spare because the sunlight hindered her ability to fight in her best form. And fighting she was about to do.

    After another turn Linea and her group got her first glimpse of the enormous building which had to be the arena of Tavaris City. From what she could see it was rectangular and the Temple in Luna¡¯sindranar would fit inside trice. Statues of warriors and beasts which were incorporated into the columns holding the building¡¯s roof adjourned the facade. Linea had to admit that the white marble and smooth granite let the arena go toe to toe with the palace in its grandeur.

    After circling around the arena Joven and Akulis greeted them. Linea remembered them from Madame Maria¡¯s Palace. The gladiator and his trainer.

    ¡°You can return in two hours,¡± Akulis said to the guards as Joven directed Linea to go inside.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you your room,¡± Joven said as they walked down the corridor which was barely lit. She took off her blindfold and blinked a few moments to adjust to the sudden darkness. She looked around and noticed that Akulis wasn¡¯t with them.

    ¡°He¡¯ll wait for us in the arena,¡± Joven explained after following her gaze. ¡°Come on, we only have the arena for two hours.¡±

    They reached a door which was designated as room ¡®D-2.34¡¯.

    ¡°Remember this number,¡± Joven said and tipped against the sign with the room number on it. ¡°As long as you¡¯re a registered gladiator this is your room. Your weapons and armor-sets will be stored inside here. When you are successful enough, you can hire an armament attendant. We call them squires even though they are not real squires. But they basically do similar stuff, so¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Linea replied with a courteous nod and looked inside the room. It was rather simple with only a bed, a table with four chairs, a wardrobe, a weapon rack and half a dozen figurines for parading armor-sets to visitors.

    ¡°They take care of weapon and armor. Do we have access to a weaponsmith?¡±

    ¡°There are smiths other useful artisans associated with the arena¡­¡± Joven said with a shrug. ¡°But I would suggest looking elsewhere.¡±

    Linea raised an eyebrow at that.

    ¡°The artisans around here are notoriously overbooked,¡± Joven explained. ¡°They often take more work on than they can handle. More often than not they simply delegate their excess work to their apprentices. I lost more than one friend to sub-par equipment.¡±

    ¡°Can you recommend a good weaponsmith then?¡± Linea asked and flopped down on the bed. It was filled with hay and not even close to being called comfortable.

    ¡°Master Akulis has a friend working for him in that regard,¡± Joven replied with a nod. ¡°This is rather sudden so he probably can¡¯t provide you with a custom-made weapon at first. But I¡¯m sure he has a sword lying around you could use.¡±

    Linea snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯m only trained with Fulchar,¡± she said. ¡°I doubt he has something like that lying around.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure about that. Fulchars are in high demand here in the arena.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Linea asked. ¡°How come?¡±

    ¡°They are superior in a battle against leather armor,¡± Joven explained further. ¡°They can hack right through it. If you know your enemy¡¯s preferred armor type, you can prepare for it by choosing the correct weapon.¡±

    ¡°There is a lot more strategy involved here than I expected,¡± Linea noted.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a game of Sevur sometimes,¡± Joven agreed. ¡°Holding back a specific weapon just to use it against the right enemy is just one way of getting ahead of your competition. Intrigue and espionage are also often used. Especially in the lower ends of the hierarchy.¡±

    He motioned her to follow him as he left the room.

    ¡°Hierarchy?¡± she asked him as she locked the door with the key which already stuck inside the keyhole.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Joven replied and led her away. ¡°Every big player in the empire has a stake in the arena fights here in the capitol. There are three levels in our hierarchy. The royal stage, the noble stage and the merchant stage. The emperor is officially the only one not fielding any gladiators¡­¡±

    ¡°And unofficially?¡± Linea poked.

    ¡°When the emperor sponsors an evening of fight, he exclusively works with Brice. Most people believe the emperor funds Brice more than just the usual fee for using his gladiators.¡±

    ¡°And the truth?¡±

    Joven snorted.

    ¡°You¡¯re a quick thinker,¡± he noted. ¡°Truth be told, Brice needs nobody to finance him.¡±

    ¡°I can imagine¡­¡± Linea said. ¡°So, what differentiates the three levels here in the arena?¡±

    ¡°On the royal stage only the seven royal dynasties of the empire field their gladiators. They are the most expansive gladiators because they are the best. Brice is the only one daring enough to enter this stage even though he is not of royal blood. But he can back it up with enough money.¡±

    ¡°So all of Brice¡¯s gladiator fight on that level?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Joven said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m actually the only slave gladiator on that level. And Brice only has slaves as gladiators.¡±

    ¡°Wait what?¡± Linea asked coming to a halt. ¡°You¡¯re a slave?¡±

    He raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Of course, what did you think?¡± he asked and raised his right arm showing her a brand mark.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have a collar¡­ Why are you not¡­ you know, running away?¡±

    Joven snorted at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m branded for life,¡± he explained. ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave the city even if I wanted. If I tried to build a life elsewhere, they would check and see my brand mark. Then they would turn me in to the authorities and they would either bring me back or execute me.¡±Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Bastards¡­¡±

    Joven shrugged and motioned her to keep going.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. I made peace with my fate and can¡¯t complain all that much. I¡¯m a respected gladiator, have sex with a lot of beautiful women and have a decent salary.¡±

    After this revelation they felt silent.

    Shortly after they reached a gate leading into the arena where Akulis was already waiting for them and Linea put her blindfold back over her eyes. The arena was a circular sand pit with one big gate on the north side and multiple smaller gates scattered to the other sides.

    To Akulis¡¯ side stood a weapon rack with different weapons made of wood. Linea recognized a Fulchar immediately. Apart from that she saw a longsword, a staff, a spear, an ax and something that looked like weird mix between a double-sided ax and a spear.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re here, let¡¯s get started right away,¡± Akulis said and nodded towards her. ¡°Just one thing beforehand: While training and whenever you¡¯re in the public in your capacity as my gladiator you¡¯ll refer to me as Master Akulis.¡±

    Linea tensed at the order.

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand,¡± he said raising his hands. ¡°This is not about enslavement. It¡¯s an old tradition in the empire that a gladiator calls his instructors ¡®master¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Linea replied between her teeth. ¡°But don¡¯t take it too far with me. I don¡¯t like being ordered about.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of hard to avoid?¡± Joven asked with crossed arms looking at her collar.

    ¡°There is a difference between people giving me orders and bastards forcing me to obey them through soul and mind magic.¡±

    ¡°Is there though?¡± he countered.

    ¡°Of course there is,¡± Linea replied with a dark smile on her face. ¡°The first kind might pay for it with their lives.¡±

    ¡°Well, you got fire,¡± Akulis said with a grin. ¡°Fancy a little check on your skills?¡±

    He picked up the Fulchar from the rack and tossed it towards her.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Linea replied while catching the sword. She was surprised how balanced it felt even though it wasn¡¯t made of steel.

    Joven got himself the longsword and took position.

    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, princess,¡± he said with a cocky smile plastered all over his face.

    ¡®I like him,¡¯ Sarah noted with a chuckle from the back of Linea¡¯s consciousness.

    ¡®Sure you do,¡¯ Linea sighed mentally. ¡®Why can¡¯t I shake off the feeling you¡¯re thinking about sex right now?¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t ask a question you don¡¯t want to be answered, sweetie.¡¯

    Linea groaned and positioned herself in front of Joven.

    ¡®You want to do this?¡¯ Linea asked Sarah.

    ¡®Nah. I¡¯ll try to memorize how you fight with your sword. Try to use as much techniques as possible.¡¯

    ¡®It took me years to learn this,¡¯ Linea countered. ¡®You really think you can pick up on it just by watching?¡¯

    ¡®In our case? Perhaps,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®From what I gathered so far our skills are transferring themselves passively between us. You probably didn¡¯t notice it until now, but your balance has increased quite a bit.¡¯

    ¡®Now you mention it¡­¡¯

    ¡®See? And I want to test if this effect can be strengthened if we use our connection more deliberate.¡¯

    Linea accepted the idea and focused on the gladiator before her. She took a moment to examine him. He was at least two heads taller than her and his broad shoulders made him an intimidating opponent. His muscles were bulky but not overly so. Linea¡¯s initial evaluation hinted at a heavy hitter with limited agility.

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s start,¡± Linea said and slowly approached her opponent. She swirled the wooden Fulchar over her wrist to check its balance for a last time. When she gripped it again, she took off in a sprint. Joven slashed his sword at her forcing her to evaded his attack. She ducked to the left which left him open and Linea used it to stab him.

    Or at least she tried. Joven seemed to expect this move and made a bold step forward and slightly to the side. But he didn¡¯t expect Linea¡¯s speed as the small touch of the Fulchar in his side showed. Unfazed he brought his sword in a contrary slashing motion back into the fray. Linea pulled her Fulchar back and raised it to her side in order to parry his attack.

    The impact pushed her to the side, but she remained standing. Her eyes widened as she saw that Joven went for a kick to her leg. Taken by surprise she didn¡¯t shift her weight to her other leg and got hit hard.

    She cried in pain and dropped to her knee.

    ¡°You can¡¯t give your opponent such an opening,¡± Akulis scolded her. ¡°In the arena a more serious enemy would have broke your leg.¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks for reminding me,¡± Linea hissed. ¡°Would have helped if any one of you would haven mentioned that this would be a fight not a swords duel.¡±

    ¡°What did you expect? The arena is about blood and death. We¡¯re not playing nice,¡± Joven scoffed. ¡°Get on your feet.¡±

    ¡®Now I like him a little less¡­¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®Let¡¯s switch. We need to teach them a lesson. We don¡¯t need to learn to fight. I want to learn how to duel with a sword.¡¯

    ¡®But don¡¯t kill him,¡¯ Linea said as they switched.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make something clear,¡± Sarah responded and her hard gaze made even Joven flinch for a second. ¡°I thought to learn sword skills here. If you want to test my fighting skills without explaining the rules or lack thereof¡­ I¡¯ll be happy to oblige.¡±

    Joven raised his wooden sword in anticipation but as soon as Sarah attacked he realized that he had poked a hornets¡¯ nest. Sarah couldn¡¯t give their body more physical strength through psionics but she could use her telekinesis while imitating the motions with her body. An illusion of physical strength.

    Sarah rushed at him and he raised his sword in front of him to parry her attack.

    When their swords clashed Joven¡¯s longsword slipped from his hand bending backwards hitting his head. Sarah continued her turning motion from her first attack to go lower, twirl around and punch him in the solar plexus. With another twirl she swept him of his feet. He grunted as he fell to the side.

    Sarah was quick and raised again. She towered the gladiator and kicked his shoulder to turn him onto his back and placed a foot on his breast holding him firmly down with her telekinesis.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mock me again,¡± she snarled. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care if you¡¯re the best gladiator on Kavaris. I¡¯m here to learn not to be showed up.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Akulis yelled. ¡°I won¡¯t tolerate my gladiators to injure one another in training.¡±

    ¡°He is fine,¡± Sarah said and rolled her eyes. She released Joven from his predicament and gained some distance.

    ¡°Where did all that strength come from?¡± Akulis asked as he came closer inspecting Sarah¡¯s body rather awkwardly. He didn¡¯t look lustful but his analytical gaze wasn¡¯t any less disconcerting.

    ¡°As I said I didn¡¯t expect this to be about just winning. With the weapons and stuff, I thought this was about sword skills,¡± Sarah explained. ¡°If I want to I could trounce every other gladiator with my bare hands. I simply used less strength to match him.¡±

    It was a blatant lie, but those two didn¡¯t need to know anymore.

    ¡°It makes sense¡­¡± Akulis mused. ¡°I wondered why they want to pitch you against those wyverns.¡±

    Sarah blinked a few seconds before she asked, ¡°Come again?¡±

    Akulis looked at her as if he just realized that she was there.

    ¡°A small flock of wyvern,¡± he replied. ¡°Four or five of them. At first I thought they wanted to show of some magical fight or something but then I saw the listings for the upcoming week and you were listed together with those wyverns.¡±

    ¡°Wyverns?¡± Sarah repeated. ¡°Like dragons?¡±

    ¡°Not nearly as intelligent but just as tough. Even with your strength I don¡¯t exactly how you would kill them. Or do you have some magical trick?¡±

    ¡°I killed a dragon once¡­¡± Sarah replied slowly but at his expression she added, ¡°But the method and circumstances are not given here.¡±

    Joven had finally gained enough breath to stand up.

    ¡°You¡¯ll probably need a big and heavy sword for that,¡± he interjected. ¡°Probably enchanted for extra sharpness.¡±

    ¡°And where would I get that?¡± she asked and crossed her arms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll organize it,¡± Akulis said and waved off her concerns. ¡°The question is¡­ is that strength of yours magical in nature? Or physical?¡±

    Sarah was about to say physical but Linea stopped her.

    ¡®If we say physical and Tovandir learns of it, he¡¯ll get suspicious,¡¯ she explained. ¡®He knows about my test results back in Luna¡¯sindra.¡¯

    ¡®Good point¡­¡¯

    ¡°Magical basically,¡± Sarah answered after changing her mind. ¡°What does it matter?¡±

    ¡°There is no restriction on the wyvern fights towards skills, but in the one-on-one duels between gladiators, magic is prohibited.¡±

    ¡°I guess there are plans for me to join a few duels?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Alkulis said. ¡°Perhaps even more than that. If you defeat those wyverns, many people will demand more of you.¡±

    Sarah sighed at the prospect of even more fights.

    ¡°Well, I should probably polish my fighting skills then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here,¡± Akulis said and nodded.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have so much fun!¡± Joven exclaimed with a predatory grin.

    ¡®Have fun,¡¯ Linea said with apprehension. ¡®Fighting is your job¡­¡¯

    ¡®Forget it, princess,¡¯ Sarah replied. ¡®I¡¯ll still need to learn sword fighting from you! That means you do all the training and I¡¯ll learn alongside.¡¯

    ¡®Can we renegotiate?¡¯

    ¡®No,¡¯ Sarah decided with a laugh.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 11 - An Imperial Wedding

    The Great Temple of Tavaris City was impressive to say the least. After she had left the carriage which Levi had provided for her, Linea had marveled at the enormous statue of a goddess. It was the depiction of Kava the goddess of the world they lived on and she had her arms raised to carry the world above her head.

    It surprised Linea to see such an elaborate temple for a deity which even though well-liked was not a protector goddess for the humans. Kava showed little interest in the meddling of mortals and a blessing from her was unheard of. And yet the humans apparently had started to worship her more than any other deity.

    Linea and her two guards entered the entrance hall of the temple which was adorned with mirrors to all sides.

    ¡®I have to give it to Levi¡­ she knows her fashion,¡¯ Linea stated as she turned to get a side view of herself in one mirror. While noble women in the empire only wore floor-length gowns to official occasions, the performers dressed much more liberal. She had seen the dresses for Maria¡¯s girls and they ranged between sultry and outright scandalous.

    Linea herself was somewhere in the middle of the spectrum as she was supposed to accompany the procession with a discreet song in the old Elven tongue in honor of the groom. She would be delighted to do this for her brother if it were not because he was about to marry the sister of the man responsible for their parents death.

    Her dress was purple and imitated the form of a toga. The main difference was its more form-fitting cut and its asymmetric length which made it longer to her right side.

    ¡®And it showcases those cute growing boobs of yours!¡¯ Sarah replied in order to distract Linea.

    ¡®Sarah¡­¡¯ Linea just sighed.

    ¡®What? Aren¡¯t you happy that your boobs are growing?¡¯

    ¡®I would be happy,¡¯ Linea replied, ¡®if it weren¡¯t for the fact that I¡¯m still a slave. I shudder at what Brice would decide if he were to realize this.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry so much about that,¡¯ Sarah said. ¡®I¡¯m already working on a contingency plan. Also, Levi does seem to have a certain say in this matter. I can¡¯t imagine her to give in to Brice.¡¯

    ¡®Let¡¯s just hope it doesn¡¯t even come to this.¡¯

    ¡°Hey Linea!¡± a voice rang behind her distracting her from her thoughts.

    Basil, the musician and artist from Maria¡¯s Palace, approached her with a wave accompanied by people she didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°May I introduce to you Elsie, Tirald, Musalfa, Noxra and Pulta?¡± He rattled down pointing at one person after the other. ¡°They will provide the instrumental accompaniment for today. We¡¯ll stick to the songs we practiced.¡±

    Linea gave them a nod which was reciprocated.

    ¡°The groom has requested a traditional Moon Elven wedding song,¡± Basil explained further to the musicians. ¡°Linea will lend her voice for this one as she knows the language better than me and she already knows the song. At the banquet I will provide most of the singing and Linea will provide the background voice.¡±

    The group then moved through the palace corridors followed by two guards which Levi had assigned to keep an eye on Linea. In a smaller room near the main hall they ensemble gathered and used the time go over all the songs they planned on performing.

    About an hour later a servant came in and led them to their position on a balcony above the altar. Linea overlooked the gathered crowd. She saw Levi sitting in the front row together with her husband and daughter. Levi waved at her as she noticed movement on the balcony. Tiva¡¯s gaze followed her mother¡¯s but the girl just scoffed and turned away quickly. Linea nodded towards Levi.

    She eyed the people more closely, and she counted a lot more Moon Elves than she had expected. Again she recognized most of the as part of their nobility. She drew a sharp breath as she saw a group of nobles who had to be part of the newly formed Kingdom of Avandir. This only left one conclusion.

    ¡®The bastard his here,¡¯ Linea hissed in her mind as her eyes hushed from person to person.

    ¡®Even if he is¡­¡¯ Sarah tried to say, but she didn¡¯t come far because Linea found the source of her hatred.

    Suddenly the temperature in the hall dropped a few degrees and some mages in attendance scanned the room for something. Sarah felt the magic emanating from their body but Linea was too focused on Kind Turandir to realize what she was doing.

    ¡®Linea! Cut it out!¡¯

    ¡®What?¡¯ Linea asked as the yelling from Sarah ripped her from her thoughts.

    ¡®You¡¯re using magic! Stop it!¡¯ Sarah pressed. ¡®When they realize you¡¯re able to use magic even though you were ordered not to do so, we¡¯ll be busted.¡¯

    ¡®I didn¡¯t even notice I was using magic!¡¯ Linea defended herself. After a short moment her voice became more panicked. ¡®I don¡¯t know how to stop it!¡¯

    Cursed and scrambled to lift the block on their orders. In the same moment they felt an excruciating pain from the collar which ripped Linea¡¯s mind away from her magic and thus stopping her spell. However, she went down on one knee and groaned loudly.

    ¡°Linea?¡± Basil asked and little clouds floated from his mouth. ¡°What happened? Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°I will be shortly,¡± she grunted and looked up to see the others to shiver in the cold. ¡°Sorry about that. Didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    ¡®That was unexpected¡­¡¯ Sarah said after they had calmed down. ¡®Sorry for hurting you.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry,¡¯ Linea replied. ¡®I guess I deserved that. I hate the fact that I can¡¯t control myself. Why can¡¯t I learn that from you like you learn my sword skills?¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s probably just part of puberty,¡¯ Sarah guessed. ¡®It¡¯s just a real problem because you¡¯re untrained in containing your magic when agitated.¡¯

    Linea just sighed.

    In the meantime the temple hall was filled with all guests and Basil got a cue to start. He motioned Linea to get into position as he picked up his own instrument. The ensemble started the first chords of the song as Linea stepped onto a little pedestal. As the first notes were played all eyes in the hall went towards the main door in the back. The whole scenario was timed well since the door opened at the same moment as Linea started to sing.

    The song was called ¡®Sethano valar Anuris¡¯ and extolled the strength a loving pair could achieve by standing together in unity. It was one of the few remnants of Elven culture which had persisted through the Great Cataclysm. Even until this day it was the most beloved piece of music to be sung at an Elven wedding. Linea had sung this song the last time at Evira¡¯s wedding a few years back. It was the last time she and her sister¡¯s had performed together. Linea as the singer, Tarina with her flute and Senia as a dancer.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Evira¡¯s husband had died not even a week later in an accident. Even though Evira never talked about it, Linea felt as if she had cursed their marriage with her singing and never did so again until now.

    Even though Linea didn¡¯t hate her brother as much as Turandir, his submitting to the empire came too early and too simple to not raise suspicions in her. She really wanted to believe in her brother but the fact he had sided with the emperor didn¡¯t sit well with her.

    And so she sang her song.

    Tovandir entered the main hall beside his bride who had donned a beautiful ivory dress with a rather long train trailing behind her. They slowly marched towards the altar to the rhythm of the music. Halfway through Tovandir glanced at Linea but her gaze forced him to look away. Linea was not sure what to make of it. Was he feeling guilty?

    She cursed at the fact that she didn¡¯t know. But she would find out sooner or later.

    The ceremony itself was rather elaborate with a lot of talk by Cardinal Huvis and a Moon Elven priestess which Linea didn¡¯t know. Luna blessed them but Kava kept quiet even though it was her temple. But nobody seemed to be bothered by it.

    <hr>

    They had scheduled the wedding ceremony in the evening in order to accommodate the Moon Elves and so it was rather late when the reception and the banquet started. The whole procession from the temple to the palace took a lot of time because the streets were clogged with people jubilating the newly wedded pair. I had surprised Linea when it was announced that Princess Enia would under go a ritual in Luna¡¯sindranar to adjust her sleeping cycle to match that of her husband. This was news to her.

    Basil and his little ensemble together with Linea had taken position on a little stage in the banquet hall. They provided music to the assembled nobility. At first the festivities were subdued and demure but as soon as the alcohol flowed the party got rather heated. Linea noticed Eliza and other girls from Madame Maria¡¯s Palace mingling with the crowd.

    When Linea and Basil took a small break from the singing, the bride approached them and in her wake, Linea¡¯s brother.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard much about you,¡± Princess Enia said with a big smile. ¡°Even though my husband told me he is by his goddess¡¯ orders not allowed to talk to you anymore, I feel more liberal about it.¡±

    Linea threw a glance at her brother how decidedly looked in another direction.

    ¡°I congratulate you on your marriage,¡± Linea replied with a small nod while Basil bowed deeply. ¡°I hope you enjoyed my performance.¡±

    ¡°Very much so,¡± Enia said. ¡°Sadly, I don¡¯t understand the language so I had to ask my lovely husband what the song was about.¡±

    Linea gave the young woman a small smile. Somehow she found the princess incredibly endearing. She had such a positive aura which drew Linea in.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long going tradition to have this song performed at a wedding in our culture,¡± Linea explained her. ¡°I was pleased that my brother remembered this tradition.¡±

    She gave him a pointed look, but he only clenched his jaw while ignoring her.

    ¡°I¡¯m so excited to move to Luna¡¯sindranar,¡± Enia said going over Linea¡¯s little quip. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so many tales about your homeland and culture and I¡¯m honored to be part of it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not much of my culture anymore,¡± Linea mused. ¡°Not since Luna abandoned me and had me exiled.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Enia said with a gasp covered by her hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Linea said and looked at her brother once again. ¡°Your husband can probably tell you the story how he took the burden and told me personally. Oh wait¡­ He didn¡¯t!¡±

    This time she got a reaction out of Tovandir. He looked at her with fury in his eyes and clenched his fists. Enia just furrowed her brows and switched her gaze between her husband and Linea.

    ¡°At least I didn¡¯t betray my goddess,¡± he hissed.

    ¡°Neither did I. And at least I didn¡¯t betray my people by submitting myself to the enemy without a fight,¡± Linea replied coolly and added towards Enia, ¡°No offense to you.¡±

    ¡°Non taken¡­¡± the princess muttered.

    ¡°We need to get back on stage,¡± Basil interjected the argument with a whisper.

    Linea nodded to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m required to continue my work here,¡± she explained. ¡°As I said I wish you the best in your marriage. Have a good evening.¡±

    Without awaiting their response Linea turned on her heels and her hair flicked dramatically around.

    <hr>

    As the night went on Linea found herself unable to continue singing. Her voice wasn¡¯t used to the constant strain and gave in after some time. Basil said he hadn¡¯t expected her to go on for the whole night and released her to mingle with the crowd.

    ¡®We should use the opportunity, ¡¯Sarah said as Linea strolled to the terrace which opened towards the garden.

    ¡®How so?¡¯ Linea asked.

    ¡®We have so many people of importance here,¡¯ Sarah noted and drew Linea¡¯s eyes towards all the small groups of nobles standing in the garden talking and laughing. ¡®The must be something we could overhear. Also, we might find a certain Moon Elven king in a situation where he could have an unfortunate accident.¡¯

    ¡®Are you suggesting to kill him right now?¡¯ Linea asked in surprise. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t that be¡­ obvious?¡¯

    ¡®Well, officially we can¡¯t hurt him because of the collar. It¡¯s the perfect alibi.¡¯

    ¡®Good point!¡¯ Linea agreed with glee.

    Sarah took over their body and when nobody looked, she slipped into the shadows of the hedges.

    To their disappointment King Turandir was nowhere to be found. From what they could gather the bastard had left the party rather early. Linea cursed her bad luck, but she knew it was nothing they could change in that moment. And so they kept on stalking different people.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that the archmage who bought the twins?¡¯ Sarah asked as they came across an old man in robes and a staff in his hand.

    ¡®Could be,¡¯ Linea replied as she examined the man. ¡®Want to follow him?¡¯

    ¡®Might as well¡­¡¯

    And so they followed the man to a little fountain further back in the garden. The fountain was surrounded by hedges and sheltered by a wooden canopy. The mage looked around to check if someone was following him. He even used a spell to check for hidden people which was obvious by the energy emanating from him and the glow of the stone on the top of the staff.

    Apparently he was satisfied by the result of his spell as he entered the small area of the fountain where a young man waited for him.

    ¡°What have you learned, young apprentice?¡±

    The apprentice bowed before the archmage.

    ¡°No one seems to have noticed you rise in strength since the ritual,¡± he said. ¡°Some of the other mages seem to have noted that there is a rather strong aura around here but since the incident at the temple with that slave princess everybody assumes it¡¯s her.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ Very good¡­¡± the archmage said with a smile. ¡°It would be unfortunate if someone realized something going on. When I have taken the other girl¡¯s magic as well, I should be powerful enough to take the slave princess for myself. With her power I can finally get rid of this damned fool of an emperor!¡±

    The young man visibly sweated but bit his lip to avoid saying something he should not.

    ¡°They next ritual can proceed as planned?¡± the archmage asked then.

    ¡°The Asuri Roots have been shipped as promised. Therefore the ritual won¡¯t be delayed,¡± the apprentice said. ¡°According to our sources the slave princess is no longer protected by her goddess. I don¡¯t know the details but if that¡¯s the case we won¡¯t need to wait for the next new moon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly helpful,¡± the archmage said with a smile. ¡°Even though it may be wise to get accustomed to the influx of magic. Last time was rather¡­ unpleasant. Do you have anything else?¡±

    ¡°Tiva, the daughter of Princess Levi, has asked to be taken on as an apprentice,¡± he said reluctantly. ¡°So far she has been rebuffed by all who she had approached.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± the archmage asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure but she seems to have an unnatural interest in Void magic. One mage she talked to will bring the topic up in one of the next council meetings.¡±

    ¡°Void magic,¡± the archmage spat. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what the emperor hopes to gain by using those disgusting abominations.¡±

    ¡°They were effective against the Moon Elves¡­¡± the apprentice remarked and earned a slap for it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, My Lord!¡±

    The archmage sneered at the younger mage.

    ¡°Mind your place and don¡¯t speak of things you know nothing about,¡± he reprimanded him. ¡°Now go and see if you can find out more.¡±

    The young apprentice bowed and scurried away. The archmage sighed and followed in a much slower pace.

    ¡®Well that¡¯s certainly interesting,¡¯ Sarah finally said. ¡®Our life seems to be in danger by this archmage.¡¯

    ¡®Well, loyalty only goes so far when so much power is involved.¡¯

    ¡®All right, so we stick to the plan to rescue Tenevil from this guy and wrack havoc to cover up our tracks?¡¯

    ¡®I guess?¡¯ Linea replied. ¡®It¡¯s just unfortunate that the archmage killed Tharolil. Otherwise he could make a good ally against the emperor.¡¯

    ¡®He made his bed and I¡¯ll make him lie in it,¡¯ Sarah replied grimly.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 12 - Defiance and Submission

    Sarah gazed upon the thousands of spectators slowly filling the arena. She stood behind the metal bars separating her from the sandy battleground. A barely visible smile betrayed her excitement for the oncoming fights. Sarah and Linea had both noticed this in the last few days of training. Even though both had no inclination towards fighting for amusement of the masses, they couldn¡¯t deny their shared thrill for it. But where it came from neither of them knew.

    ¡°You ready, girlie?¡± Ashul asked as he and Joven joined her.

    The dwarf had helped with her training as Maria¡¯s Palace was temporarily closed because most girls worked where the festivities were. Bored as he was Ashul had offered his and Ska¡¯s fighting expertise to train. A fact Sarah was rather thankful her as it gave her an idea of the fighting style of different races.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Sarah replied and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just curious about who I¡¯ll fight exactly. I only know about those wyverns but Akulis said I¡¯m listed for three fights.¡±

    ¡°Meh thinks you¡¯ll do fine,¡± Ashul said and patted her shoulder. At least he tried to but their difference in height hindered him.

    ¡°As long as I¡¯m allowed to use all my powers to fight those wyverns I should be.¡±

    ¡°We already made sure of that,¡± Joven said.

    ¡°For now,¡± Sarah countered and crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall to her side. ¡°Who knows what the emperor decides midway through the fights?¡±

    Joven kept silent as he didn¡¯t appear to have an answer to that.

    ¡°He may be the emperor,¡± Akulis¡¯ voice sounded behind them. ¡°But arena fights are supposed to be even matched. If he pitches you against those beasts without means to defend yourself¡­ It would reflect disrespect on him.¡±

    ¡°So, no one ever died in the arena because the emperor wished it to happen?¡± Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow as she spotted the seasoned gladiator approaching.

    Akulis¡¯ face steeled for a moment.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that¡­¡± he conceded. ¡°If that were his plan he would pitch you against opponent after opponent. Every one even more difficult than the last one. You would tire out and eventually make a mistake. Which would most likely lead to your death.¡±

    ¡°The question would be who they have pitched me against, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Sarah asked with a pointed look at Akulis.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± he agreed. ¡°My current information is as good as I could get it. Your first fight was the emperor¡¯s idea. You against a company of newcomers. I couldn¡¯t get a complete list of skills and fighting styles but that only means that most of them are actual new to all this. At least half of them are slaves with no substantial training apart from what they would have learned in the last few weeks.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still a hard nut to crack¡­¡± Joven said frowning. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I could do that. On the other hand I¡¯ve never seen a fighter with Linea¡¯s situational awareness¡­¡±

    Sarah stifled a snort. In truth Sarah had no such thing in any way or form. She had learned Linea''s sword skills but what Joven spoke of was a skill she had developed on base of her telekinesis. Something she called Field. A simple scan of her immediate surroundings and what moved inside. It had taken her two days to get it to work right as she had some difficulty to process the additional information fast enough. But her enhanced mind made it possible.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Sarah said with a smile. ¡°What about the wyverns? Whose idea was it to let me fight them?¡±

    ¡°King Turandir¡­¡± Akulis said with a calculating stare as if he expected her to explode upon hearing the name. Sarah felt Linea seething as he said this name but she managed to resist lashing out.

    ¡°How am I not surprised?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°I suspect he sponsored the wyverns as well?¡±

    Akulis just nodded and Sarah sighed.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re prepared for that,¡± she said. ¡°The sword you provided will do its job. What about the third fight?¡±

    ¡°A one-on-one duel,¡± Akulis said as he checked a scroll. ¡°A Moon Elf who was captured and sentenced to death for treason.¡±

    ¡°Treason?¡± Ashul asked and snorted. ¡°Why would the emperor accuse a Moon Elf of treason? Meh believes he has no Moon Elven citizens¡­¡±

    ¡°He has now,¡± Joven interjected. ¡°Ever since King Turandir pledged his allegiance¡­¡±

    ¡°Do we know who she or he is?¡± Sarah asked cutting Joven short.

    ¡°The name is Evira,¡± Akulis said. ¡°My sources tell me she used to work as a guard. You can expect¡­ Linea?¡±

    He stopped talking as he saw Sarah blanching and gripping the Fulchar so hard as if she tried to strangle it.

    ¡®Do you think¡­¡¯ Linea asked and her voice betrayed her fear.

    ¡®A guard named Evira getting caught and sentenced for treason,¡¯ Sarah summarized. ¡®It would be highly unlikely if she wasn¡¯t!¡¯

    ¡°Can I meet her?¡± Sarah asked trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

    ¡°No,¡± Akulis replied fast. ¡°You¡¯re confined here until your fights are all done for today. Why? Do you know her?¡±

    ¡°Most likely¡­¡± Sarah said with trepidation.

    <hr>

    Sarah had donned a custom-made full body armor of red-dyed leather. Fitted steel plates covered her shins and forearms and a chain mail provided additional protection for her upper body. It differed from Linea¡¯s dress armor as it limited her ability, but Sarah assured Linea that she could handle the additional weight.

    The news about her last opponent for the day still troubled them but Sarah had used meditation techniques to push the topic to the back of her mind for the moment.

    ¡°The emperor and his guests have arrived,¡± Akulis said as he joined her. They watched as the remnants of the last fights were cleaned up. To build up the mood of the peasant spectators, the organizers had prepared simple concurrent duels of merchant level gladiators. Nothing too impressive but it catered to the bloodlust of the common people.

    Sarah nodded and checked her blindfold for the last time. Joven and Ashul had both argued with her but one thing Sarah was absolutely adamant about was her refusal to wear a helmet. She had tried it but it was to limiting even for her.

    Ashul entered the corridor with her weapon.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Sarah said as she pulled the Fulchar from the sheath. Akulis had suggested a spear for this fight but he understood that the time frame was too short for her to get acquainted with such a weapon. But it was something Sarah planned on rectifying.

    The weapon itself was a simple steel sword with no enchantments as the rules of the upcoming fight dictated. No magic in any shape or form.

    Akulis ushered her into the middle of the corridor where she awaited the announcer to do his job.

    ¡°And now rise in honor of our most esteemed and honored ruler! Rise for His Imperial Majesty Tiberius Seranus, Emperor of The Seven Holy Kingdoms, King of Tavaris, Overlord to the Moon Elven Kingdom Avandir and Protector of Luna¡¯sindra!¡± His voice vibrated throughout the arena.

    ¡®How dare he to call himself protector¡­¡¯ Linea spat.

    Sarah ignored her soul sister and focused on her breathing. Even though she was not much concerned about the fight, Linea¡¯s emotional reaction threatened to distract her.

    ¡°To His Majesty¡¯s entertainment the first major fight of the day shall be an initiation. Several gladiators'' schools have put forth fighters who wish to be entered as gladiators. Please welcome the contenders!¡±

    Sarah opened her eyes to get a glimpse on her opponents who marched onto the battlefield in neat rows led by a heavily equipped gladiator. As they had expected a mixed group, Sarah was slightly surprised that all of her opponents were humans.

    As soon as they positioned themselves in front of the emperor¡¯s balcony they yelled the customary pledge.

    ¡°My life for the Emperor!¡±

    Sarah chuckled as she remembered the moment Brice had explained what was expected of her a few days earlier. He mentioned the pledge but had not placed it as an order.

    The gladiator maneuvered the company to the side, and the announcer got back to his work.

    ¡°At the request of the Emperor, today¡¯s initiation shall be performed differently. His Imperial Majesty has ordered that today¡¯s contenders will fight a champion of his own choosing!¡±

    The crowd went silent and Sarah could hear murmurs and whispers.

    ¡°Please welcome Linea, the Slave Princess!¡±

    This time even Sarah was raging inside. This title was absolutely degrading.

    The gate opened in front of her and with forceful steps she walked towards the balcony with her unsheathed weapon in her hand where she saw not only the emperor but also Turandir, Tovandir and his new wife, Brice and Levi and even Cardinal Huvis. Her eyes fluttered shortly at Turandir who gave her a smirk. After that she fixated her gaze on Tiberius.Stolen story; please report.

    Moments became seconds and everyone looked at her expecting her pledge. The announcer even tried to gloss over the awkward pause.

    ¡°And now the Slave Princess will give her pledge to show her respect!¡±

    Sarah snorted again.

    ¡°What respect?¡± Sarah asked with a raised voice so that all could hear her. ¡°I refuse to pay respect to a man who has not earned my respect. If he wishes to do so, I would accept a duel between him and me.¡±

    With the last words she raised her sword and pointed it at the emperor.

    The arena was silent but Sarah ignored it while starring into the emperor¡¯s eyes.

    Brice stood up from his seat and his look was furious.

    ¡°I order you to make your pledge!¡± He yelled at her.

    Sarah suppressed a grin and gripped her collar with her free hand. She faked pain as the collar send her impulses to obey.

    ¡°My life¡­ for¡­ the Emperor¡­¡± she pressed between her clenched teeth.

    She then turned around to assume her position opposed to the contenders.

    ¡°That¡­ Well¡­¡± the announcer struggled. ¡°Yes, so the rules are as follows: Neither side is allowed to use any kind of magic. Should the contenders win, all of those still alive shall be entered as gladiators. They win as soon as the Slave Princess is unable to continue fighting.¡±

    The announcer let the rules sink in before he continued.

    ¡°Get into position!¡±

    The crowd who had still been stupefied by the spectacle moments before started cheering. The contenders fanned out and the full-fledged gladiator left the arena much to Sarah¡¯s relief.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    As soon as the announcer yelled these words, Sarah dashed towards her left to the contenders¡¯ flank. Those on that side of the formation leveled their weapons towards her but as soon as she reached them she parried the first thrusts at her and slipped by their defenses. This made her realize that she had mostly untrained men as opponents. The men closest to her looked at Sarah with absolute terror which confused her. Following her intuition she smashed her weapon''s hilt against the head of the guy to her right and punched the one to her left with her left with into the stomach. Both went out cold.

    Others surrounded her, and she had to evade multiple attacks. She had counted thirty opponents earlier. Twenty eight remained.

    But there was doubt nagging in her mind. The next man to attack her was disarmed after Sarah skillfully weaved herself around his defense. She grabbed him and pressed her blade against his throat. She turned him towards his team who slowed down their approach slightly confused by her course of action.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± she hissed to the man who trembled in her grip.

    ¡°I¡¯m a slave!¡± he cried in panic. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me! I didn''t want this!¡±

    Sarah cursed as she looked at the others who approached carefully.

    ¡°All of you are slaves?¡± she asked loud enough for her opponents to hear.

    Two of them looked at each other and nodded.

    ¡°All right,¡± Sarah said as she removed the blade from her victim to knock him out. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be gentle. Don¡¯t fight it too much or else I may kill you by accident.¡±

    She could see the relief in some faces before her. She then proceeded to fight the men with utmost care not to kill them. As she employed her Field, she felt everyone around her and even after she was completely surrounded she knew where everyone was. She nimbly fought around the attacks aimed at her and worked herself through their ranks.

    It became clear after a few minutes that those man had not even nearly enough skill or even will to fight her. Especially after they realized that Sarah was not out to kill them.

    However, Brice thwarted her plan when he yelled at her.

    ¡°I order you to kill every last one of those useless bastards!¡±

    Sarah tensed as much as the contenders and looked at the man on the balcony with hate. She turned back to her opponents who watched her in terror. In that moment she decided to trick everyone.

    She fell down on one knee and pretended to be in pain by disobeying the order. She hoped that the men in front of her understood this.

    ¡®This won¡¯t work¡­¡¯ Linea commented, her voice laced with concern. ¡®You know the collar is supposed to be increasingly painful. You would have to fake falling unconscious which would make us fair game for them.¡¯

    ¡®I know,¡¯ Sarah hissed. ¡®Do you have a better idea?¡¯

    ¡®Well¡­ Kill them?¡¯ Linea asked. ¡®I don¡¯t want to sound egoistical but¡­ I don¡¯t see a way to save them without blowing our cover.¡¯

    ¡®You do a pretty shitty job at not sounding egoistical!¡¯ Sarah hissed.

    Their discussion was cut short as one of the contenders took the opportunity that presented itself. He charged at her relying on her defenseless state. More of Sarah¡¯s opponents realized his plan and followed him.

    It frustrated Sarah to no end. She understood the logic behind their attack as they didn¡¯t know she only faked the pain. In their eyes she would attack and kill them as soon as the pain became unbearable.

    She rolled to the side to avoid the first strike.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± she tried to warn him but he swung his sword towards her new position forcing her to roll away again.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± she screamed more out of frustration than anything else as she parried the next attack while crouching in front of her attacker. The man realized that his opportunity had just disintegrated.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this¡­¡± she said and plunged her sword into the man¡¯s chest. His eyes became unfocused as he tried to understand his situation. He noticed the blade and tried to say something but only blood sprayed from his mouth sprinkling Sarah¡¯s face with blood.

    She took a step back and saw him gliding from her blade onto the ground. His lifeless eyes drilled into her and with a deep breath she had to focus herself again.

    A quick glace told her that the man¡¯s companions had stopped in their tracks and starred at her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick,¡± she said and dashed towards them.

    The first man blanched and raised his sword to meet Sarah¡¯s attack but found himself overpowered fast. Sarah swatted his sword away, made a pirouette and beheaded the man with one quick strike. The remaining attackers split up. Three of them ran away in panic while the other four attacked her together.

    Sarah parried the next strike and made a side step to position the man between herself and the other three. The man took a step back from her but didn¡¯t saw his friend behind him. They stumbled both and fell to the ground. Sarah used the opening to rush towards one of the standing men and parried his strike. She used her momentum to bring him off-balance. With little resistance he fell down as well losing his weapon in the process.

    Before Sarah could kill the man, the last of the quartet intervened. Sarah noticed him inside her Field and instead of taking another step forward as the attacker had guessed she stopped. This caused him to miss her and losing his balance. Not giving him the chance to recover Sarah rammed her Fulchar into his back. He screamed in pain and Sarah noticed the distinct smell of urine.

    Without another thought she ended his life by cutting his head off. She didn¡¯t like what she was doing, and she saw no reason to prolong her opponents suffering.

    When his body lay in front of her unmoving, Sarah fixated on the guy who she had kicked down earlier only to find him petrified. Even though he had enough time to recover his sword, he had remained where she left him. A small patch of darkened sand explain the smell.

    ¡°P-Please! Don¡¯t kill m-me!¡± he pleaded as Sarah stepped closer.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Sarah said and decapitated him with a swift strike. The two others who had fallen crawled away from her.

    She followed them with her eyes but noticed something on her cheek. With her free hand she wiped it away.

    Tears.

    Tears and blood.

    Next thing she checked on the guys who had run away. They had already reached the gate from which they had entered where they tried to get it to open again. Discarding them as opponents for now she looked towards the guys who had not attacked her. One man stood in front of the group and some looked at him for guidance. He was taller and gave the impression of someone who had fought before. Which was probably the reason the others hid behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this¡­¡± Sarah said again as she approached them. ¡°But I can¡¯t disobey.¡±

    It was a half lie, but it helped her accept the situation.

    ¡°I understand but I¡¯ll try to kill you either way.¡±

    Sarah nodded and closed the distance. Instead of awaiting the impact of her attack to parry the man stepped to the side. She canceled her strike when she saw this but instead walked past him and attacked one of the other guys. If the leader didn¡¯t want to fight her, she wouldn''t wait for him.

    The man she had picked out from the group hadn¡¯t expected to be targeted and was too slow to react. Her Fulchar plunged into his chest. As his dying body slumped down, the leader moved inside her Field towards her. Another man attacked her from the front stepping over his dead ally. Sarah parried his attack, gripped him and turned him around to use him as a shield. The leader couldn¡¯t stop his attack in time and he cleaved the head of the poor man in half.

    More blood and splattered over Sarah making her wince.

    She tossed the dead body aside and made some distance between her and the group which was still standing unsure of how to react.

    ¡°Like sheep to the slaughter¡­¡± Sarah murmured and frowned.

    ¡°Ansrin!¡± the leader yelled at her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my name. Ansrin. Remember it when you kill me!¡±

    Sarah smiled at him.

    ¡°I shall remember your name, Ansrin!¡±

    ¡°You stay back!¡± Ansrin said to his men and approached her. ¡°Just you and me, Linea.¡±

    Sarah stretched her neck and shook her body to release some tension in her body.

    ¡°All right. Your move, big guy!¡± She said and raised the Fulchar in front of her.

    Instead of rushing at her, Ansrin slowly made his way towards her. When he came into striking range, he tested her defense with a quick stab which she side stepped. When she retaliated with a strike from above, he parried it with enough force to let her stumble. Sensing an opportunity he made a slashing motion towards her lower body.

    One thing Sarah had learned from her trainers in the last days was that faking openings was a skill often used in duels. A calculated risk often reaping the best results. And even though Ansrin was better trained than the others, he was no fighter with years of training and experience.

    And so he fell for Sarah¡¯s trap.

    She moved forwards in a situation in which he had not expected her to do so. His sword grazed her chain mail but ultimately fizzled out. Sarah swung her Fulchar with full strength from below. Stuck in his forward motion Ansrin tried to mitigate the blow by doing the same as Sarah and going sideways.

    His pained cry told how this didn¡¯t go well for him. Leather had protected his chest, but a Fulchar was primarily a weapon for slashing and stabbing. The blood dripping through the cut was proof of that.

    He panted heavily as he tried to regain his balance and pointed his sword towards Sarah again while his left hand clutched his wound in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to kill you,¡± she said to him, ¡°but I want you to know I respect you more than everyone of those bastards on this balcony.¡±

    She nodded towards the Emperor¡¯s group.

    ¡°Thank¡­ you¡­¡± he replied in between coughing fits.

    ¡°Ready?¡± She asked, and he confirmed with a nod.

    For her next strike she went all out on her strength and even aided it with some telekinesis. It was obvious that the man was in severe pain and she didn¡¯t want to make him suffer any longer. Ansrin took a step back not willing to test his luck by parrying. He tried this three more time before he stumbled over his own feet dizzied by his blood loss. While he managed to remain standing, he couldn¡¯t avoid Sarah¡¯s strike. He wasn¡¯t even fast enough to parry the attack.

    The Fulchar went deep into his upper body starting from his right shoulder and ending in the center. His eyes went wide and before he realized it, his body already went into a shock induced unconsciousness.

    But death wouldn¡¯t wait long for him.

    Sarah took a deep breath. How much she hated this.

    The rest of the fight wasn¡¯t a worth to be called a fight. While the crowd watched in silence Sarah went to work and struck down opponent after opponent. The rest of the men couldn¡¯t match her even if they still had any will to fight. After that the collar made it clear she even had to dispose of the unconscious fighters.

    It was a slaughter house.

    After her gruesome work was finished Sarah glanced towards the balcony. The common people had realized that this fight wasn¡¯t entertaining. Those few who just wanted to the death and blood were served what they wanted but no one cheered. Not even those responsible for it. Turandir looked rather bored while Brice and Tiberius were engrossed in a discussion. Enia and Levi had apparently left while Tovandir frowned. Only Tiva watched somewhat interested.

    Following a sudden inspiration from her life on Earth Sarah picked up a sword from one of the killed and walked towards the balcony. Even before the announcer could say anything, Sarah aimed at the table beside the emperor and threw the sword. Guided by her telekinesis as she didn¡¯t want to risk actually hurting the man in this moment it crashed into the table knocking it over. The dishes fell onto the floor breaking on impact.

    Guards rushed in front of their charge while allowing Tiberius to watch what was going on.

    The arena was absolutely silent.

    ¡°Are you not entertained?¡± Sarah screamed at the emperor who looked at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°Are you not entertained?¡± She repeated and turned around to face the crowd. ¡°Is this not why you are here?¡±

    No one reacted to this. Sarah looked back at the emperor with disgust. She threw her Fulchar to floor towards him and spat on it. She then turned around and left the arena through her gate without looking back.

 Arc 2 - Chapter 13 - Monster Unleashed

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± Akulis said as he helped strapping the leather armor back onto Linea¡¯s body.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Linea asked as the old man dragged her thoughts back to reality.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have angered the emperor like that,¡± Akulis said and pulled at one of the leather straps. ¡°A Gladiator doesn¡¯t live long if the emperor dislikes him or her.¡±

    Linea only gave him a dry laugh. As if that man would ever look favorably at her.

    The slaughter Sarah had performed earlier was still in her mind and, even if she didn¡¯t have high regards for humans, it weighed heavily on her mind. And on Sarah¡¯s mind.

    The former human was not squeamish about killing, that much Linea had learned. Yet she felt sorrow and cold rage emanating from her soul sister. She had tried to talk to her about it but Sarah had waved her off. There was nothing to talk about in her opinion. She did what she had to do.

    Now they prepared for the next fight. Akulis refrained from any more discussions for now and led her towards her gate. Sarah took over without a word and Linea let her. Even though she was used to it by now the feeling of not being in charge of your own body was disconcerting.

    They met Joven and Ashul again who admired a gigantic broadsword with blue-glowing runes etched onto the blade.

    ¡°Meh never saw such a weapon,¡± Ashul said as Sarah took the blade from them. Linea felt Sarah¡¯s powers taking hold of the sword making it lighter for her. A necessity because the blade was over two meters long, at least as wide as her hand and in consequence rather heavy. For a normal fighter in a normal fight more than unwieldy.

    Sarah pointed the sword towards the gate and held it with one hand in the air.

    ¡°Enchantments?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Extra sharp and increased hardness,¡± Joven explained and pointed at the runes. ¡°You could cut steel with that but wyvern scales are magical as well. Don¡¯t expect this thing to cut through those. Aim for the weak spots on the underside of the neck and the belly. The chest could work as well but it is slightly better protected.¡±

    ¡°The wyverns are probably slightly starved to be more aggressive towards you,¡± Akulis added. ¡°But don¡¯t let that lull you into a false sense of security. One mistake and they will eat you whole.¡±

    Sarah nodded and let the sword tip down onto the ground.

    ¡°What about fire breath or something like that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Akulis replied. ¡°Wyverns may be cousins to the dragons but they are not even close in strength and abilities. Those beasts are clever predators but that¡¯s about it.¡±

    Sarah nodded again.

    The others left her alone with her thoughts when they realized that she wasn¡¯t as responsive as usual. Linea played with the idea of distracting her for a few minutes but she feared Sarah would be better off focusing on the next fight.

    A few minutes later the voice of the arena announcer echoed into her corridor calling for the Slave Princess again. Sarah clenched her fist around the hilt of her sword. The gate opened, and she strode into the arena and this time she didn¡¯t even bother making her way to the balcony. The sword carved a line into the sand as she dragged it behind her. She placed herself in the middle of the arena facing the biggest gate where according to Akulis the wyverns would emerge from.

    ¡°And now as a treat from Kind Turandir we proudly present this matches opponents for the Slave Princess!¡± The announcer said with his reverberating voice. The spectators were on the edges of their seats as they tried to get a glimpse at the big gate as it slowly opened.

    They heard a deep growl and the earth slightly trembled as the first wyvern stuck its head into the open. Linea would have been terrified on her own but the experience between Sarah and the Void dragon a few months ago put this beast in perspective.

    The wyvern was a beauty and stood four meters at the shoulder. Its red scales had a brownish tint in the afternoon sun. The most distinguishable difference between a wyvern and a dragon became obvious when Linea saw it before her. Instead of four legs and two wings wyverns only had two hind legs while the forelegs were a mix of legs and wings.

    It was sad to see but whoever had brought the wyvern into the city had mutilated its wings to such a degree it wouldn¡¯t be able to fly. It made sense in a way but in Linea¡¯s mind it was cruel.

    The surrounding crowd screamed when the wyvern turned around and tried to climb the walls in order to attack the humans in its vicinity. The panic was replaced by cheering when the spectators realized that the beast only clawed at the magic barriers around the arena. Linea sensed the drain of magic which was surprisingly substantial. However, the most chilling was the Void energy which coalesced somewhere under the arena just to flow¡­ somewhere.

    ¡®Did you feel that?¡¯ Linea asked as she tried to follow the energy stream but she lost it after a few hundred meters.

    ¡®No. What are you talking about?¡¯ Sarah replied and blinked.

    ¡®The magic shields around this arena¡­. There was Void energy, and it followed a stream somewhere.¡¯

    ¡®Okay?¡¯

    ¡®I¡­ Just focus on the fight. We can talk about that later¡­¡¯

    Linea cursed herself. She let herself being distracted again and worse she distracted Sarah before an important fight. But whether Sarah was mad about that or not, she didn¡¯t say it.

    After the first wyvern had given up on the barrier it moved towards them. It sniffed at the air and growled again. Another three wyverns emerged each accompanied by loud cheering. One wyvern scratched at the barrier but lost interest even quicker than the first one.

    Linea had expected Sarah to attack right away but for some reason she pulled back as far as possible. She raised her hand, gripped the tail of the front-most wyvern with her telekinesis and slapped it against the head of the wyvern behind it. The effect was immediate as the second wyvern bit the tail by reflex. The first wyvern turned around in a rage and snapped at the head of the other. They growled at each other and Linea smirked to herself as she saw Sarah¡¯s plan unfold before her.

    Wyverns were big beasts with strong muscles, yet they were just beast prone to feral instincts.

    Instincts one could exploit.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Sarah stuck to the wall as far away as possible not to draw attention to herself. They watched as the two wyverns tore into each other. Both were clearly driven by their feral nature and it didn¡¯t take long for the bigger one to overwhelm his opponent. The wyvern which had left the gate first seemed to be the dominant one in that little group and it made it clear as it pushed down the smaller wyvern. Pressed onto its back a loud crack signaled breaking bones. A painful roar followed instantly.

    The smaller wyvern struggled to get its claws to the neck of his enemy but the bigger one was merciless. It inflicted gashes into the side of the pack leader but its efforts were ultimately in vain.

    Fed up with this fight the bigger wyvern sank its teeth into the exposed neck of his opponent. Blood splattered over the jaw of the pack leader and with a yanking motion he ripped his opponents throat out. He let it fall down and roared in triumph.

    The smell of blood was heavy in the arena and the remaining two wyverns sniffed at the dead body with obvious interest. Linea wasn¡¯t sure if wyverns were cannibals by nature but those three showed no restraint as they went for it. Perhaps they were just too hungry.

    When the wyverns were occupied with their feast, Sarah moved again. She didn¡¯t dare to run at them but instead she floated ever so slightly above the ground making no noise.

    The outer most wyvern on the right was slimmer than the other two and Linea suspected it to be female. Not that she had much experience in wyvern anatomy but it seemed like a possibility.

    When they reached the wyvern, Sarah ducked under the swinging tail of her target and rammed the sword into the belly of the beast above her. With a swift motion forward she cut open the female wyvern, and she heard the splattering of entrails falling out. The beast roared and stumbled in an attempt to find the source of its pain but Sarah had used the confusion to slid to the side placing the dying wyvern between the two remaining ones.

    But this had been the easy part of the fight. The wyverns were not sentient, but they were no imbeciles. Even they realized something was amiss now. The pack leader growled deeply and stretched its neck to get a better view of his surroundings.

    Sarah tried to hide behind the dying wyvern but she hadn¡¯t calculated for the resilience of her last target. Even though it was profusely bleeding and its intestines were scattered beneath it, the wyvern was adamant on punishing whoever dared to attack it. Sarah stood still and seemed to hesitate for a moment.

    The wyvern however sensing his impending doom attacked right away. It slammed its claw down on Sarah¡¯s position who only evaded by a hair¡¯s breadth. She put a bit more distance between them and the wyvern collapsed as it tried to attack her again. The blood loss proofed to be too much at that point.

    Half of the pack down, the pack leader finally caught up to what was happening. He and the other still living wyvern circled around their fallen surrounding Sarah. Both wyvern approached her slowly but Sarah wouldn¡¯t give them any chance. Looking at the pack leader¡¯s bleeding gashes, Sarah decided to tackle the uninjured first.

    She charged by flying up into the wyverns face who took a snap at her barely missing her. Sarah put a telekinetic barrier between herself and the wyverns head and was pushed aside as the teeth came too close.

    ¡®Those bitches do pack a punch,¡¯ Sarah grunted as she stabilized herself in the air behind the wyvern. She assessed the situation but before she could react the tail of that wyvern whipped at her. Her telekinetic shield was her saving grace as she slammed into the ground losing the grip on her sword.

    Sarah didn¡¯t wait this time to watch where her enemies were. She pushed herself five meters sideways, and a trembling followed by a thumping sound made it a wise decision. The wyvern lifted its claw from the ground to look if its prey was dead, but it was disappointed. It searched around and gave Sarah a growl.

    The pack leader had caught up to them by now and jump at her. Sarah lost sight of the other wyvern when she blocked the attack with her telekinesis as she was thrown against the arena wall. Linea could feel the pain of the impact and by pure instinct the control over her body reverted back to her. The telekinetic barrier fell in the same instant but the wyverns were too far away to threaten her in the second she was without protection.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to know how that dragon would have hurt if it had actually been able to hit us¡­¡¯ Sarah groaned.

    She took over again as they watched the two wyverns closing in on them.

    ¡®But the dragon never got the opportunity to do so because we didn¡¯t dare to attack it in close combat,¡¯ Linea said. ¡®Just stay focused and draw the fight out. The wounds of the bigger one don¡¯t seem to stop bleeding any time soon. Maybe he¡¯ll fall unconscious.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, I had the same idea but that bastard just won¡¯t give up,¡¯ Sarah replied and searched for the sword. It half buried in the sand between the wyverns. With a simple motion of her hand it floated upwards and shoot towards her. Just as the pack leader tried to gulp her, the sword landed in her hand and she swung it at the wyverns snout. The force of the strike reverberated throughout her whole body but apart from staggering the beast nothing happened. The scales were too thick.

    Sarah pulled back from the bigger wyvern and shifted her attention towards the other one instead. The problem was that he expected her and faced her. Due to a wyvern¡¯s anatomy their shoulders were slightly lower placed than their rear which hid all their weak point to an enemy in front of them only showing the scales on its back.

    Sarah let her sword fly from her hand and let it float behind her. Slowly approaching the beast she layered multiple barriers in front of her. As expected the wyvern used the opportunity and opened its maw trying to eat her, but it slammed into the barriers and stopped before it could reach its target.

    Sarah used the opening and let her sword fly beneath the wyvern while she landed on its snout. She punched right into its left eye and stabbed the sword into its chest. The wyvern yelped in pain and clawed at its own face to get rid of Sarah who complied and put distance between them.

    Somehow the sword must have hit a nerve or a vital organ as the wyvern suddenly slumped down and moved no more. Sarah tried to get the sword out with her telekinesis but the weight of the wyvern proved to be too much.

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s not good¡­¡¯ Sarah commentated and glimpsed at the pack leader. ¡® I can¡¯t get the sword back. The wyvern is too heavy!¡¯

    ¡®Do you need to overcharge again?¡¯ Linea asked fearfully.

    ¡®Only if I can¡¯t come up with an alternative,¡¯ Sarah replied and withdraw from the pack leader. She examined the gashes on its side but they had stopped bleeding. It didn¡¯t give Linea the impression of being overly keen on fighting at this point but they couldn¡¯t stop. They had their orders and the wyvern wouldn¡¯t just let it slide that Sarah had just killed two of its friends. Or three if one wanted to be nit-picky.

    ¡®I guess there is no other way than brute-forcing it,¡¯ Sarah murmured and charged at the wyvern. The beast took a step back cautioned by Sarah¡¯s prior successes.

    Sarah charged her right fist with her powers and simply punched the wyvern in the face. The effect was not immense, but the wyvern had to take another step back to keep its balance. Before it could react any further however, Sarah was already in its face again with another punch. A slight cracking sound signaled a bone breaking.

    The pack leader hissed and snapped at Sarah forcing her to evade. It then turned around and whipped its tail around. This time Sarah was prepared and with some telekinetic pressure she was able to deflect the attack.

    She closed the distance again and punched the wyvern again.

    And again.

    Again.

    Again.

    She packed every of her punches with every bit of power she could put into it and the wyvern was whimpering at this point. With one of her hits she had broken the left eye socket of the beast making it half blind.

    The wyvern had retreated towards the arena wall but was trapped now. It tried to escaped through the spectator ranks but the magical barrier still prevented it.

    ¡®I feel kind of bad for him¡­¡¯ Linea said.

    ¡®Me too, actually,¡¯ Sarah admitted taking a short break. She panted because of the exhaustion caused by her attacks. Her powers proved to be stronger than ever but they were still taxing on Linea¡¯s body.

    ¡®I wished this whole charade wouldn¡¯t be necessary. Nothing would give me more joy than to free those wyverns and let them loose on this god forsaken city,¡¯ Sarah added.

    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t go that far¡­¡¯ Linea said with hesitation. ¡®Most people in this city are normal people. They have no hand in this.¡¯

    Sarah grunted but didn¡¯t reply. Instead she charged the wyvern again which turned towards her but couldn¡¯t see her in time to evade her next attack.

    Another punch connected with the jaw of the beast sending its head flying against the wall. The wyvern reacted stunned by that and Linea wasn¡¯t sure if it was still conscious at this point.

    Sarah punched and punched again. The sound of breaking bones echoed through the arena satisfying the blood lust of the cheering crowd.

    When Sarah was done, the face of the wyvern looked like mush and Linea was now sure it was dead. Brain matter was mixed with bone splinters and blood which spread out underneath them.

    A shameful ending for such an apex predator.

    Again Sarah didn¡¯t even acknowledge the emperor or his guests and simply strutted out of the arena.