ã€ŠA Tale of Two Sistersã€‹


 Prologue: The Flight

    ¡°Aldos Adona.¡±

    The drakken stopped straight in his tracks as they called his name. He hadn¡¯t anticipated another squad to track him down so quickly but now he knew that he once again had to fight. He had come so close too, almost crossing the border into neutral territory. He kept his free hand onto the pommel of his sword, while his left hand remained underneath his baby, cradling it tightly against his stomach.

    ¡°To whom do I have the honor of speaking to?¡± Aldos asks, turning about face to meet his adversaries. Six of them stood there, all identical to one another. Grey haired, strong armed women that all bore the same blank, emotionless, and soulless eyes. Androids, no different from any other he had to fight through since his flight three months ago. One raised her gunblade from its holster upward, pointing it directly at Aldos. He knew that she would not dare fire, not when they wanted his baby alive even if they wanted him dead.

    ¡°I am Captain Leta.¡± The android with a gunblade states mechanically. ¡°My, you really have given the Empire quite a run. You made us chase you all the way to the border here. You were almost out, as well.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think I won¡¯t get out of this one, just like all of the previous ones?¡± He glares back to the captain. His baby remained asleep in his arms, silent, as the two sets of eyes stared at one another, one full of emotion, and the other rigid and lifeless.

    ¡°Because we are new designs, a new generation if you will.¡± The captain explains. ¡°We are the elites, and our single-minded purpose is to neutralize you.¡±

    ¡°Hah, you all look the same to me. You¡¯re all piles of scrap.¡±

    The rest of the androids raise their gunblades up, all aimed at Aldos, as if preparing to fire. The haggard father clenched the hilt of his sword tighter as he stared down the barrel of six aeternum firearms. He knew that they would not dare fire for fear of hitting his child, but one could never become comfortable with staring down the barrel of a loaded weapon.

    ¡°Surrender yourself, Aldos Adona. We do not have to make this bloody. The Empress will make sure that your execution will be swift as long as you cooperate with us.¡±

    ¡°And suppose I do not?¡±

    The other five androids start to encircle Aldos¡¯s position. He allows them to trap him, knowing that they would all lunge for him if he made a sudden move. He clicked his sword, exposing the blade from its pommel by just a fraction. Steam belched from the scabbard as the aeternum forged blade burned hot. He knew that he had to fight his way out of here, no matter the cost.

    ¡°Surrender the baby, Aldos.¡± Captain Leta declares once more.

    ¡°Take one step closer and I cut all of you where you stand.¡±

    The androids take a step forward and narrow the radius of the circle. The time is nigh.

    ¡°The baby, Aldos. This is your final warning.¡±

    ¡°Over my dead body!¡± He roars, unsheathing his sword and charging for the nearest droid. He thrusts the blade downward from above his shoulder straight for the droid¡¯s processing unit¡ªthe analogue for a humanoid skull. His blue blade hisses as it plunged through steel and circuitry, delivering a singular, fatal blow. Sparks fly from the droid¡¯s wound as she staggers backward and collapses into a complete pile of spark and scrap.

    ¡°Kill the traitor, and seize the child!¡± The captain barked as a trooper engages the father. She attempts to strike with a vertical slice but Aldos parries it easily from below. With the same movement he delivers a grazing cut to the side of the droid, searing blade once again cutting through armor and leaving behind a gash that exposed the internal wiring of the robot. Unbalanced, the droid hesitated but the veteran father would have none of it and finishes the droid with a piercing thrust to her central power core, instantaneously immobilizing the droid and rendering her effectively dead.

    ¡°You will not have me.¡± Aldos sneers menacingly as a droid from behind entered the fray, sensing vulnerability from the drakken who had his back turned. The sword master had already seen the attack coming, and immediately parries the thrust violently with an upward movement. Seizing the momentum, he redirects it into his own thrust that penetrates the droid at the neck joint. Pulling his sword out from the crippled robot, he kicks her back and finishes the steel automaton with a horizontal slice across the hip joints, severing her in two. He snarls at the remaining three droids, taunting them forward.

    ¡°Your Empress should have given you ample warning about who I am, but are all you robots incapable of taking one drakken down?! What kind of poor excuse for a human soldier are you tin-cans?¡±

    ¡°Do not force our hand, Aldos.¡± The captain warns, but the father wanted none of it. He knew she could only bluff.

    ¡°What hand?¡± He demands, screaming with rage. He had lost all semblance of the cool composure he always has. ¡°You would not dare shoot me, suppose you miss and hit my child! Would the Empress be pleased? Do you even have any programming that can allow you defy an order? Would you even so much as dare to put my child in danger even though it¡¯s clear you so desperately want her?¡±

    The remaining droids remained disciplined despite the drakken¡¯s taunt, and now they each started to advance forward in a triangular formation. Two flanked from the father¡¯s top left and right while the captain remained directly in front of him in a slow, foreboding march. The drakken remained tense and wary of the two closer droids, taking a few steps back as he raises and lowers the guard of his sword. His eyes darted back and forth between his two closer adversaries, awaiting a future attack as they began to circle him. The right droid attacked first, but the drakken stepped backward to avoid the oncoming slash. This brought him closer to the left droid who attempts a left slice to the father¡¯s neck. He foresaw the action and parries the blow just as he did before, pushing the droid¡¯s blade sideways. Angling his blade appropriately, the sword master stabs into the droid¡¯s now exposed shoulder joint, puncturing metal instantaneously. He follows his stab with a vertical slice and completely severs the arm from the hapless droid. Harmless, the father dashes around the droid and shoulders her into her ally to the right, the two of them colliding with a resounding bang, both of them stunned and staggered.

    The father realized he had limited time before the droids would outnumber him again and at once he charges for the captain. The droid captain responds with a cold stare and firmly blocks the drakken¡¯s horizontal strike, blades clashing and sparks flying from the impact. The father continues his assault with a vertical cut aimed for the head, but the droid once again parries defensively, taking a step backward before lunging for a wide thrust into the father¡¯s torso. He narrowly deflects the stab with the crossguard of his sword and uses the angle to thrust upward, delivering a gash to the captain¡¯s neck. Shock and pain fill the android¡¯s stoic gaze and the drakken father needed only the minute hesitation to finish his adversary. He pulls his sword back and then stabs the blade cleanly into the droid¡¯s neck, ending the droid¡¯s life as she crumples to the floor. Aware that the other droids have picked themselves up, the drakken steals the captain¡¯s gunblade and aims it directly at his remaining two enemies. He cocks the hammer back and the gunblade begins to glow a violent blue, the aeternum core within hissing as it exhausts heat. He pulls the trigger once, then twice.

    The drakken baby did not peep once during the entire skirmish, and Aldos only wished that one day he could give his daughter the life that she deserves. Only now did the baby quietly open her eyes and look at her father with eyes full of wonder, and the aged drakken held the baby up close to kiss her on the nose. He tickles the baby as she giggles loudly, smiling and beaming without a care in the world. She always seemed quiet and reserved even for a baby, or perhaps she knew not to cry in the midst of battle. Either way, the duo had traveled and fled for months now, hiding and running away from the new Empire that wished to hunt them down. They had taken everything away from Aldos, including his family, but he carries with him the one thing he had left to fight for. He could only go westward, far away from any sign of the Empire. He would ensure the safety of his daughter through any means necessary, and he would ensure that her life would not hold the same hardship that he had to endure. No matter the cost.

    The months in first beastkin and then human land fly by as father and daughter continue to flee westward, Aldos not approving of the safety in either domain. The beastkin obeyed only their own code of honor while the humans remained in disunity and constant warfare with one another, a life that he would not have for his child. However, as Aldos continued to persevere he finally reached the elven homeland, a unified kingdom with a strong central government and a powerful military presence that actively patroled the countryside. The Empire never achieved a proper foothold in elven land, and the ragged drakken looked to settle down, if only briefly. He passed first through Rein, the direct border city into the Midlands. Here he would initially make a shallow living as a thief, stealing money and food for his child. He cared not that he broke the law for he wanted his child to live and nothing more. Eventually, the local duke caught on to his antics as the local bakeries reported a consistent shadowy figure stealing their bread. Hearing word of it, Aldos hastily left Rein and once again made the wilderness his home.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    On the road again, Aldos realizes that even if he provides basic sustenance for his daughter, she would not have a life full of comfort. If she should stay with Aldos, she would have to live on the run, nor would she receive an education, and nor would she be safe from harm. Aldos did not mind the wilderness life as he became accustomed to it even when living in the Empire, but he would not allow his beloved daughter to share his fate. His is a wanted man, but his daughter is new and innocent, she did not deserve the life that Aldos lived.

    Now intent on finding a foster home, Aldos manages to travel into Vasal, one of the four greater cities of the elven kingdom. Immediately upon entry into the city, the aged drakken sees several battalions of pikemen march through the main streets of the city to the cheering of thousands of onlookers. Several squadron of elven knights follow the pikemen lines shortly after, their shining plate armor glimmering beneath the light of the midday sun. Civilians threw confetti from their balconies to honor the proud soldiers as they passed by, as trumpets and horns direct the march of the parade. A few mages and a lavish general held up the rear as they too receive the same applause and ovation the vanguard did. Aldos knew that Vasal likely had a rich military tradition to have such an impressive display right in the main streets of the city, but he had little care for the occasion. Only one goal remained in his mind.

    Sifting through the crowd in silence, the aged drakken travels the streets at a brisk pace in his search for an orphanage. The streets in the wake of the parade had an eerie, quiet atmosphere as the bulk of the Vasali population had left their homes to chase after it. The thundering applause from the rest of the population echoes in Aldos¡¯s ears as he sees another family on the road, a mother, and a daughter. Hoping that they would aid him, Aldos approaches the family.

    ¡°Excuse me, miss?¡± He asks politely. ¡°Can you tell me where¡ª¡°

    The mother immediately screams as she sees Aldos with a voice of pure rage. ¡°Get back, scale-face!¡±

    The enraged mother immediately pushes her daughter to the side, telling her to run. The daughter, confused, complies and scurries off.

    "Just what do you think you¡¯re doing here in our city, lizard?¡± The mother retches her words, but Aldos did not respond. He stares at the woman before taking a step backward, then spinning around. Quietly, Aldos walks back to a crossroad and then takes a wide berth around where that elven mother stood, silently cursing and swearing beneath his breath. He had forgotten why he hated most elves.

    Alone, Aldos continues to wander in the city for hours as elves took wide strides around him and his daughter. He no longer cared for the treatment the elves gave him, but he had an optimistic hope that the owners of an orphanage would have a more welcoming demeanor to him. Eventually, he finds a small orphanage located on the west side of the city, but he immediately regrets ever seeing the courtyard of it. Everything, in fact, about the orphanage looked desiccated and decayed, as Aldos looks on first to the crumbling fence and then to the building itself that had cracks in its very walls. He sees children in the courtyard playing about, but they had a somber, sallow appearance as they run around, clearly unhealthy. He spins on his heels, not even wishing to ask or question the owners of the orphanage, with tears in his eyes.

    ¡°What options remain?¡± Aldos wonders out loud, now sitting on a bench by a park with his baby in his lap. He sighs, slumping deeper into the chair as the baby clings to her father¡¯s body lovingly. He lightly brushes the child¡¯s hair, which had started to grow thicker. The two have been through so much, yet now it seemed like they had no answers or options. Aldos originally had two clear goals in mind when he entered the city, but now neither was attractive. With the state of the orphanages in this city, Aldos knew that if he dropped his child there she would turn out little more than a delinquent there. There was no future.

    Yet, the alternative was equally unattractive, as Aldos had intended to ask another family to take care of her daughter personally if the orphanage plan failed. But, Aldos cringed at the very thought of finding an elf that would be willing to take on her daughter. Finding a person willing to take on someone else¡¯s child was already difficult enough, but after his encounter with an elven mother, he had no desire to even broach the topic to any elf. Sure, maybe other cities had better orphanages, but that would involve asking an elf to take his child in. The father moans and groans at the predicament he found himself in, throwing his face into his hands as he starts to cry. What more could he do for his daughter? No path remained for her, in his eyes.

    ¡°Mommy, look, that man¡¯s crying!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother sweetie. He¡¯s a drakken.¡±

    ¡°A drakken? But wasn¡¯t there a nice lady in the newspaper today that got nobility or something that was also a drakken?¡±

    ¡°Not all drakken are like Miss Perthesa, sweetheart. Most are evil and mean. Don¡¯t ever talk to one when you grow up, alright?¡±

    ¡°Mmn¡­okay¡­¡±

    Perthesa. Could it be? The surname echoes inside of Aldos¡¯s head as he pulls himself out of his hands. The father looks around in both directions for the family that had just passed him, but their figures already passed speaking distance. Either way, the drakken stands up, his baby cradled in his hand. He needed a newspaper, and fast. Quickly, he scans the ground for any newspaper that an elf may have tossed away, and sure enough he found one flat against the ground.

    ¡°Headline here¡­Dame Maria Perthesa continues to explore the Lore of Heavens¡­It might really be her.¡± He whispers to himself as he scans the newspaper for any direct picture of the supposed drakken noble.

    ¡°¡­Known for her immense skill with rune lore, the drakken, like most of her kind, originally hails from the Celestial Empire¡­¡± His heart quickens in pace, beating with anticipation.

    ¡°¡­Professor at the Royal Magicka University. Pictured here, she lectures to her students¡­ It¡¯s her. Unmistakable.¡± Aldos cheers silently as he looks on at the picture with eyes full of hope. He knew this woman, befriended her decades ago, and she had an incredibly kind heart. He knew he had to seek her out immediately. Aldos knows that she may not even recognize, or remember him, but this was now the last chance he had to give his daughter a home. He left the city in a hurry, and sprinted towards the royal capital.

    Though the journey had taken him almost nine months to finally reach a potential home for his daughter, Aldos walks up before the mansion of Maria Perthesa. The newspaper warned visitors not to disturb her as she had a strict policy to strangers, but Aldos knows he has to take the chance that she still remembers him as an old friend. He sees an orb that vaguely glows a dim purple right before the gateway, and he assumes that this orb was her version of a doorbell, or something similar. He lightly taps it, before a crackle of energy shoots out from it, and then a raspy, malevolent voice speaks.

    ¡°Identification? Do you have a reason for being here?¡± The orb asks.

    Aldos shivers in fear and anticipation. It was now or never.

    ¡°My name is Aldos Adona. Is this the residence of Maria Perthesa?¡±

    ¡°Visitors without an appointment are refused entry. Leave.¡± The voice boomed, and the orb dims.

    ¡°No, stop, please don¡¯t go! I need to speak to her, it¡¯s incredibly urgent! Please, say my name to her, she¡¯ll remember it, I promise!¡±

    The orb remained quiet, but then momentarily glows again. ¡°You have audacity to remain when I told you to leave. I shall deliver the message to the mistress, but if she does not recognize it, I shall personally escort you off the premises.¡±

    The orb then completely fades into black, appearing lifeless. Aldos¡¯s daughter, awake from the loud, foreboding voice, gurgles as she wants to play with her father¡¯s hair, now dangling down to his chest. The drakken father gave her a light kiss on the forehead, rubbing against her endearingly.

    ¡°I promise, my daughter, this will be the life for you.¡± He whispers, as the gateway suddenly swings open with alarming speed. Aldos took it as a sign that he should approach the main doorway, and cautiously he walks forward with his baby in hand. The doorway, however, opens before he reaches it. He sees a familiar face.

    ¡°Aldos? Is that really you?¡± Maria asks, with eyes full of shock.

    ¡°Hi Maria¡­yeah it¡¯s really me. Been decades now, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Aldos replies, sheepish. He wanted to cry internally, seeing a friendly face after oceans of hostility, but he knew he had to remain strong and composed.

    ¡°What are you doing all the way out here in Ilmeiya?¡± She asks, coming down the steps. ¡°Weren¡¯t you with the Empire? And why are you carrying this baby?¡±

    ¡°Very long story.¡± He replies simply. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t really have a lot of time to talk.¡±

    ¡°Mommy!¡± A child¡¯s voice calls from the doorway. Beneath it stood a young child that looked a lot like her mother, with the same black hair. ¡°Who¡¯s that man over there?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an old friend of mommy¡¯s, sweetheart. We need to talk some adult stuff, you can go read in my library if you want!¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± The child squeaks with delight. ¡°Yay, I get to read mommy¡¯s books!¡±

    Maria watches her child run off back into the house, and then chuckles. ¡°That should take care of Selene. Children, I adore them so much.¡±

    Aldos¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Maria¡­I need a favor from you. I know it¡¯s been a while but I need it more than anything else right now.¡±

    She blinks. ¡°Of course Aldos! We¡¯re still friends after all, aren¡¯t we? Just know you¡¯re going to owe me later down the line.¡±

    Aldos laughs, coughing at the end of it. Maria really hadn¡¯t changed from how she was at the Academy. ¡°Well, you see this baby?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter, Maria. The Empire¡­they took everything from me, and I¡¯m on the run. We¡¯ve been on the road for about nine months now.¡±

    ¡°The Empire?¡± Maria shivers, terrified. ¡°Why are they hunting you? Didn¡¯t you join them?¡±

    ¡°I did, but I sided with the rebellion when the revolution happened. The royalists are back in power, and they want me dead. I¡¯m certain they still do, and I¡¯m penniless. I can¡¯t do this to my daughter, she needs to live a better life.¡±

    ¡°Oh Aldos¡­¡± Maria embraces the father with a warm, tight hug. They remain there for a few seconds as Aldos sniffs, his eyes starting to water as his old friend comforts him.

    ¡°Maria¡­¡± He says, shaking. ¡°I know this is a lot to ask, but please take my daughter. Treat her as your own, and treat her with love. I only trust you, please. Orphanages and elven foster homes, I trust none of them. None of them want my daughter, and especially not a drakken. You¡¯re my only hope, Maria. I¡¯ve been walking for so long, and I just want her to live a happy life.¡±

    ¡°Aldos¡­I¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, Maria.¡± He reaffirms. ¡°I don¡¯t care if she forgets about me. I don¡¯t care if I never see her again. Just promise to take care of her, if you do. I want her to live a wonderful life in safety, away from me. Please.¡±

    Maria sniffs, wiping a tear away from her eyes. She looks first to the young baby, and then back to Aldos¡¯s face. Her shoulders straighten, and she regains her composure. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±

    ¡°Lauriel.¡±

 Chapter I: A Premonition

    ¡°Sister...¡±

    ¡°Sister?¡± My voice echoes into the aether, bouncing forward and back several times before fading into nothing. The sudden, wispy voice woke me from my sleep as I became eerily aware that I stood in a blank, white world. It was like I was floating yet my hands and feet felt stable against invisible, see-through walls. Beyond them an empty nothingness that seemed to stretch out for eternity.

    ¡°Sister¡­¡±

    The voice calls out to me again, echoing again and again in this cage-like room. I clasp my hands up to my ears, hoping the voice would die out eventually. It feels like the voice came from all sides.

    ¡°Who are you? What are you?!¡± I scream out, my own voice reverberating in similar fashion as it gradually fades.

    ¡°Your sister¡­¡±

    ¡°I have one sister and you are certainly not her!¡±

    ¡°Twin sisters, you and I¡­¡± She continues, and her words pierce through my chest like an ice dagger. What kind of person claims to be your twin sister? Was this all a dream, or was this something worse?

    ¡°Twins?¡± I ask, tentatively. The word hangs in my throat even as I spoke it, as if a ball had lodged itself into my throat. I shiver with anticipation, not knowing what consequences my next words would have if I spoke them. ¡°How can I know that you are my twin?¡±

    The words hung in the air for a moment before she responds.

    ¡°Let me show you¡­¡±

    Then, before me a shroud of shadow appeared from nothing and forms in front of me. I jump back in surprise, colliding with the wall behind me but my eyes remain fixated on that blob of shadow as it grows a fair ways wider and larger until it resembles a large porthole. The porthole convulsed and spun, the edges of the mass of wispy shadows seemingly struggling with its own mass as it flounders in place. The rotation intensifies briefly as it expands once more, now about the size of a door, before it stabilizes itself. By now it was a large oval structure that seemed both transparent and opaque, somewhat like a black, foggy window. I attempt to peer inside it but found myself looking only at emptiness until a limb reaches out from the oval and steps foot onto the flat, white plane. Before long another limb, both limbs now clearly feet and legs, also step out. They were smoky at first, but then they start to become more visible and material as if the dark matter coalesced and converged into a solid object. Following these two legs came two hands, pale, and snowy white in complexion. Then the rest of their forearm, and then the rest of its body slowly reached outward from the black porthole. Lastly, and certainly the most eerie of all, came her face that seemed to rise out of the tar. Her eyes were closed, yet my eyes widen in shock as I realize that her face was identical to my own. Everything about her facial structure was the same, even my birthmark on the right side of my nose was there in the exact same location. It was horrifying, as if looking at a rag doll of myself.

    Slowly her eyes open, and like my own her irises were a dark, faded kind of red. She looked at me and gave a slight, ghoulish, sinister smile.

    ¡°Sister...see..?¡±

    She whispers again and it was just as unsettling as before. In appearance, she was completely identical to me. Her dark, indigo hair fell right down to her shoulders just like my own, and from what I could tell her proportions in both her arms, her hips and legs, and her body all matched my own.

    ¡°We are twins¡­¡± She stated simply. ¡°Do you know what that means..?¡±

    I shake my head, gulping.

    ¡°It means that we have to kill each other¡­¡±

    Swiftly she pulls a knife from her cloak and faster than I could react she rushed for me, thrusting the blade into my ribs. I yelp in pain as she attempts to pin me down, but I push back on her shoulders, swiping a punch against her. My fist clobbers her face sending her rolling backward, clutching her eye with one hand while the other held on to her knife.

    ¡°Do you really have to be violent¡­¡± She whispers, gripping her knife a bit tighter. ¡°If you could die quietly it¡¯d be simple¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to kill me, why would I die quietly?!¡± Once again she lunges for me but this time I sidestep. The blade of the knife narrowly cuts past my cloak, slashing through a few strands of cloth but leaving myself unscathed. Taking advantage of my position I grab her free arm, twisting it around while my other arm clasps the top of it and held her in place.

    "Why do you even want to kill me if you¡¯re really my sister?¡± I demand.

    ¡°Because¡­I hate you¡­¡±

    ¡°What for? What have I done to make you want to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­you lived a life of luxury¡­whereas instead I¡¯ve known nothing but pain..!¡±

    Her words echoing in my ear, she screams in hatred and threw her knife right at my face. I react in time to avoid it, but my grip on her arm loosens and that was the opening she was looking for. She broke free of my grip, spinning around and elbows me in the ribs. I stagger back a few steps from the blow, cursing myself. I wasn¡¯t used to fighting without armor, and certainly not someone who was this fast. Moreover, I was used to having to fight with a halberd and magical augmentations, but neither of them were with me right now. I felt incredibly vulnerable since it was clear she had the upper hand and was physically better trained in such close quarters.

    ¡°Please just lie down¡­and die¡­sister¡­¡± She said with a ghastly sort of conviction, staring at me with dead, fish-like eyes.

    "What will killing me even solve? What does hating me do? I don¡¯t even know you, or if you¡¯re even really my sister!¡±

    "It doesn¡¯t matter¡­you just have to die¡­¡± She pulls out another knife from her cloak and sprints forward, already upon me. I watched the blade shimmer and glimmer against the light in slow-motion before it met my neck and¡­

    ¡°Lau! Lauriel! Please, say something!¡±

    Someone calls my name and I open my eyes, my arms outstretched and my body drenched in sweat. Above me was a familiar face staring at me with eyes full of concern.

    ¡°R...Raye?¡± I ask confusedly, recognizing my fellow dragoon. She was dressed in her casual attire, a simple tank top and long, black pants. Her brown, chestnut hair tied and braided over her shoulder and draped against her collar bone. ¡°Where¡­Where am I Raye?¡±

    ¡°Oh Lau, you¡¯re back at headquarters! I promise, you¡¯re safe now.¡± She sniffs, pulling downward on my body to give me a tight hug. From behind her I hear a wyvern growl, and tilting my head to the side I found it came from my own partner, Guinevere, who after seeing me well bent down her own head to rub against mine. It shocked me that both Guinevere and Raye felt immensely warm, which made me realize that my body had certainly become several times colder during whatever that strange trance I was in earlier. The three of us shared this sort of embrace for a few moments before I ask, ¡°What exactly happened just now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know Lau, Guinevere arrived and sounded really panicked, crying and roaring for no reason whatsoever. When I came to see what was happening, I saw you flat against Guinevere¡¯s neck your arms and legs flailing around everywhere. It looked like you were having a seizure of some sort while you were riding her¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­that makes sense, I think.¡± My memory started to come back to me as I remember getting on Guinevere for our usual morning flight. It was a nice experience where the two of us could just have each other instead of having to deal with anyone else in the vicinity. Sometimes I would fall asleep on her and just lie up against her neck, and Guinevere would always become aware of it after a few minutes. She is a really careful and perceptive young wyvern, and flies extra carefully whenever I doze off. I imagine that¡¯s why I even survived when I had that nightmare or vision, whatever that was earlier. Either way, I knew I couldn¡¯t stay still here lying down¡ªas far as I could tell it was just an awful nightmare. I push myself up but stumble, a wave of nausea rushing over me. Raye catches me in her arms, and Guinevere similarly growled with concern.

    ¡°Lau!¡± She shouts again. ¡°Are you really sure you¡¯re alright? Here let me pick you up, you always push yourself like this¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine.¡± I grunt, trying to steady myself by using Guinevere¡¯s tail as a base, brushing Raye¡¯s hand aside. As I attempt to stand up once again, my legs caved and cracked and I drop down onto one knee.

    ¡°Lau! Goodness you¡¯re always like this. Please, just let me help!¡± Raye once again reaches out to support me, but I push her arm aside again.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, it was just a nightmare.¡± I assure her, and lean all my weight against Guinevere¡¯s tail.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lose to something that was just in my head.¡± I state firmly. Slowly, my wobbling legs begin to steady as my arms take up the bulk of my weight, eventually shifting over once I stabilize. I heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that at least for now I wouldn¡¯t be humiliated for being invalid because of a nightmare or something.

    ¡°See? What¡¯d I say?¡± I ask, giving her a slightly pained smirk. It still hurt, but I had no intention of appearing weak.

    ¡°Lau, you know I only worry about you because you¡¯re my friend and I look up to you¡ªI don¡¯t want you to get hurt because you chose to push yourself while you¡¯re in pain.¡±

    ¡°Listen Raye, I promise I¡¯m not in pain. I know my limits, and a little nightmare certainly isn¡¯t it. Besides, I got a ton of work to do today regardless.¡±

    ¡°At least let me help you out. I don¡¯t really have anything planned even though I¡¯m on break, and you can¡¯t say anything to change my mind girl.¡±

    I sigh but sheepishly smiled, appreciating the help regardless. Guinevere snorted in agreement and I gave her a reassuring pat on her snout. ¡°Thanks for taking care of me old friend.¡±

    The obsidian scaled wyvern rumbled lightly and pressed her snout against my hand endearingly before rising up onto her hind legs, her serpentine body stretched and curved upwards. Then, with a single push of her limbs she beat her wings downward and took off for the rookery further up at our headquarters. The rookery itself was to the right of our main fortress keep, which was directly carved into the mountain side. It is a large tower like structure where wyverns loved to rest in, mocking the caves that feral wyverns tended to hide and sleep in. All of our wyverns are kept there though some tend to be more aloof than others, and prefer to make their own home in the wild. These wyverns are usually called via a horn, and while they may live away from us, they are still our loyal companions. Guinevere is extremely introverted when it comes to wyverns but she enjoys my own company so she remains here so that we can remain together. I watched my partner fly upward, her magnificent body soaring through the skies above us and then past the stairs that led into first our walls and then our main castle grounds. At the top of these stairs though was yet another familiar face.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Ah. You¡¯re back. I trust everything is well?¡± Master Stefans asks, his arms crossed. He was wearing his dragoon armor like usual, and his grey eyes had that unsettling gaze only a professor or mentor could have. He was an incredibly grouchy elf, but I owe him many things including my place here in the Order.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine Master.¡± I reply with a slight bow.

    ¡°Good, because the Grandmaster would like to speak with you and me. Miss Claire, you are also requested by the Grandmaster at once.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Raye points to herself with a look of shock. ¡°Have we done something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, or otherwise he would be significantly more irritable. But his demeanor was rather grave so I suggest that the two of you head into our conference room at once. After both of you have changed.¡± He adds, noting that the two of us remained dressed in casual clothing. Raye and I share a short glance¡ªwe both had a feeling it had to be something official. Considering that both she and I were both senior dragoons in the order, it was unusual for the Grandmaster to call on us. If it was a mere exercise, it would usually involve one of us alongside a few younger knights or squires. Plus, he had also asked for Master Stefans, which indicated that he sought his counsel as well. I had feeling this was something more grave or somber than a mere exercise or minor banditry mission.

    ¡°Well, off to it you two. I shall be expecting you soon.¡± The blonde, old elf orders before spinning upon his heels back to the castle.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit scared Lau¡­it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been officially summoned by the Grandmaster.¡± Raye whispers to me.

    ¡°You get used to it. The old guy¡¯s really nice and easy to talk to, he just has a really scary aura. A lot easier talk to than that old stuck up Stefans at least. He¡¯s just super old fashioned.¡±

    She giggles, slapping me lightly on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t let him hear you say that you dumbie. C¡¯mon though, we shouldn¡¯t keep them waiting.¡±

    With that, the two of us headed quickly for the dormitories. We first hail the guard who allows us into the castle courtyard where we saw many squires being overseen by other dragoon knights. How they taught varied considerably with some acting as drill sergeants while others as kind-hearted mentors. Minor wisps of magic whizz by our heads as the squires fight, their inability to control mana still obvious but it was clear all had a distinct passion to serve the order. As I pass by them, the knights give us a slight salute to us in respect to our seniority over their own. Raye and I both had distinction in that we¡¯ve both served the Order for several decades now and it was nice having younger people look up to us.

    Once we were inside the castle we made a single right and then up a flight of stairs where our bedrooms were. Raye smiles and tells me that she would wait for me at the bottom of the stairs whenever I was ready, and then went inside to get dressed. My own room was a few more paces down, and with a light specific tap on the wood I undid the rune that sealed it shut. I was extremely paranoid about people stealing my belongings so I made sure to keep my room locked magically. It was a trick my real sister taught me before I left since she was certain I would need it eventually.

    Speaking of which, I needed to make a mental note to speak to her the next time I saw her or my mother. Both were much more skilled at magic than I was and if anything I was worried about that dream I had, at least to some extent. I¡¯ve always had nightmares, even as a kid, but my early nightmares were all explainable and involved my father. Mother described it as vague memories of my past that have started to come back to me over the decades, but this was entirely different. I¡¯ve never been assaulted by a twin, and it really bothered me.

    Either way, I knew I had to focus on what was at hand so I made my way to my wardrobe, where I swiftly rip my shirt off over my head, exchanging it for a white blouse, and then an indigo coat over it¡ªthe uniform of the dragoons. Similarly, I quickly take off my pants for the appropriate skirt to match it. Lastly, I gingerly take my personal cloak from its hanger and sling it overhead. Though it seemed silly, I would always fight with this cloak, specifically with its hood over my own head so much so that it has become almost like a symbol to me and those that knew me. Giving myself one final inspection over at my mirror to comb my hair, I step outside and reunite with Raye, who was similarly dressed in her uniform. In a few short steps we walk our way down into the Conference Room, where Master Stefans was waiting for us.

    ¡°Good, both of you look quite charming. Now, come inside. There is much to discuss.¡± He said sternly, ushering us inward. Inside was the grand table where we met any guests that sought the aid of the Dragoon Order. Surprisingly, the three other Masters were present in addition to the Grandmaster who sat right in the center of the table. All four of them looked upon our guests, who I could instantly tell were envoys from the royal capital based off their attire. There were two of them, one female, one male, and both were dressed clearly in the colors of the royal family. The female was dressed in a particularly large hat that obscured her eyes which gave me the impression that she was some sort of noble.

    ¡°Ah, our esteemed senior knights are here.¡± Grandmaster Zollern waved to us. He was a hefty man, a drakken like myself, and a veteran of a previous era. He had a magnificent aura of gravitas, a sort of voice that made any wish to pay attention to him and it was certain that he was a former officer of the old Celestial Empire. ¡°Please, take a seat next to us and let our esteemed guests fill you in on what they need from us.¡±

    Quickly, we take our own places across from the envoys. Raye sat next to her master, Vivian de Croise, whereas I sit next to an empty chair which soon Master Stefans would take after he closed the door.

    ¡°Now, would you please explain your request to our two young ladies here?¡± The Grandmaster requests, to which the male envoy would reply to the both of us.

    ¡°Miss Claire and Miss Perthesa?¡± He addresses us. ¡°Your reputation precedes both of you, and especially you, the Indigo Dragoon.¡± He said to me, giving me a slight bow of the head. It was one of those names people came up for me over the years because of my reputation. Silly, honestly.

    ¡°To put it simply, the royal family is in need of the Dragoon Order¡¯s expertise. Recently we have been receiving word of goblins trespassing the borders that we had agreed upon nearly fifty years prior when we first settled here. We were content to remain as peaceful neighbors, but lately we¡¯ve been having several border issues with their kind that ultimately erupted into raids upon several of our frontier towns. Duchess Isabelle, as you might expect, would not tolerate any such incursions onto her territory and immediately sallied forth. Since then though¡­which was about six weeks ago, she has gone missing, and we have no idea where. Her patrols have similarly also gone missing, and we can only suspect that the goblins are no longer content with remaining in their lands. None of their dignitaries have spoken to either of us, and the Queen suspects that they wish to invade us for Aeternum.¡±

    Aeternum, such a small mineral yet capable of such immense powers. The Great War was fought over it, and all races in Flua rely on this miniscule crystal. The elves use it to cast magic, and the Celestial Empire used it to power their war engines. The goblins, who are similar engineers, likewise use it to power their own powerful constructs.

    ¡°While we do not wish to plunge our country into war, something still must be done.¡± He continues. ¡°Our irregulars and patrols have always gone missing over the past month and a half and her majesty therefore asks for your assistance to solve this matter with your skilled wyvern riders.¡±

    ¡°And thus you ask for myself and Raye to fly up with you to look for the missing Duchess?¡± I ask. ¡°With all due respect sir, how do you expect us to have any more luck than your own patrols?¡±

    ¡°We will also be sending five legions to support the entire operation.¡± The envoy states. ¡°We only ask that you aid us¡ªnaturally we will provide for any expenses that you two may incur over the course of this mission.¡±

    ¡°Out of the question.¡± Master de Croise responds tersely, almost immediately. ¡°Our dragoons are not meant to be the military¡¯s dog.¡±

    ¡°Quite right.¡± Master Elan scorns, a wizened, grey haired elf. ¡°Such a mission has no honor to be gained in simply scouting. There is no glory in such an action.¡±

    ¡°Master Croise, Master Elan.¡± The Grandmaster sternly looks over to both masters with a stern gaze, to which both immediately silenced themselves. Both of them had their own issues with the nobility of the kingdom. ¡°Put aside your own personal feelings about the Crown. Our mission is to aid the innocent and to protect the peace, remember that.¡± He then turned back to the envoy.

    ¡°However, I do have my own concerns over this mission. I will not endanger some of our finest knights on a mission that we have very little information over, especially one that will pit them against an entire nation potentially.¡±

    ¡°I¡­agree with the Grandmaster and with Lau here.¡± Raye timidly spoke up, clearly still not accustomed to these formal meetings. ¡°I really don¡¯t see how just the two of us will provide anything extra to your operation at all. We might be Dragoons, but we aren¡¯t super heroes or anything.¡±

    ¡°While you may not be super heroes, the two of you still possess qualities more desirable than any of my own soldiers in my personal legion.¡± The female envoy states, adjusting her hat upward to reveal her face and identity. Upon her left eye was a large sword scar, and to the side of that eye, near her temple, was the unmistakable Cross of the Winter Lion, a simple cross that adorned every member of Ilmeiya¡¯s royal family on some part of their body that designated their supposed strength. It became very obvious who this person was, and why she had decided to remain hidden up until now. In fact, all of us except Raye, knew who this person was personally. I smile, a bit amused at seeing such a familiar ally.

    ¡°I myself am overseeing one of the legions in our operation.¡± Princess Elissa de Ilmeiya declares, taking off her hat and placing it on the table. Master de Croise and Elan both glared at her while the Grandmaster looked on with an amused expression. Princess Elissa de Ilmeiya, alongside all of the older dragoons here, including myself, fought with us at the Battle of Vasal fifteen years ago. The Dragoons have always stood for freedom and self-expression, something that Elissa and the Crown did not agree with. The royal family had extremely stringent rules and hierarchy to uphold, and as the Dragoons served briefly as an ally to the Crown during the Great Northern War, many dragoons disliked the firm, iron hand that Elissa liked to maintain over her troops. With Elissa as leader, there is no discussion involved in any tactic¡ªit was only her own tactical mind that belonged in her unit, and with good reason. Elissa, for all her service during the Great Northern War, has not lost a battle since her appointment as a general.

    ¡°My, to meet royalty again.¡± The Grandmaster nods without a hint of surprise. ¡°What an honor. It makes sense why you would request Miss Perthesa now.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± She gives me a glance, about as friendly a gesture as you could expect from her. I return it with a slight smile. ¡°I have much faith in your Order, Grandmaster, and especially in Miss Perthesa.¡±

    ¡°Then, may I ask, why you also choose Miss Claire?¡±

    ¡°You forget that I am one of your primary patrons, Grandmaster.¡± The princess explains, and she was right. While many of the older dragoons disliked her, she did not dislike the Order, and instead provided an ample amount of gold to us monthly to fund us ever since she became old enough to personally oversee her funds. Our spending revolves around her support these days.

    ¡°I keep a close eye on your knights, and the young Miss Claire caught my eye while I was overseeing possible dragoons to take.¡± The princess then looks onto Raye with firm eyes. ¡°The fastest, the most agile, the most nimble. All superlatives that describe yourself and your wyvern. All traits that are extremely valuable to this mission. That is the reason I am intrigued, as well as your closeness with Miss Perthesa. Your teamwork together would be extremely valuable to me.¡±

    ¡°Mmn¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Raye blushes a bit, looking over to me for a bit of comfort. I knew I had to speak for her.

    ¡°Princess Elissa, while my other Masters may disagree, I would have no issues working with you again.¡± I say, speaking honestly. I trusted this woman with my life, as I did before. Plus, it was an interesting mission, even if it may just turn out to be a search and rescue one as servants to the Queen. I¡¯ve never been that far north, nor met goblins in person. ¡°Though, I do wish to add something to your request.¡±

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s just the two of us, I don¡¯t see us making that much of a difference. However, if you would give us permission to form our own squad of dragoons, with semi-independent autonomy, then I would be much more willing to accept.¡±

    ¡°I am in agreement.¡± Master Vermeil nods. He was a black haired drakken who always seemed much more down to earth than the other three masters. ¡°And if that¡¯s the case, I volunteer myself for this mission in addition to two our knights here.¡±

    ¡°Vermeil¡­¡± Master Elan looked over to him, and the two men exchanged a glare. They share a sort of rivalry between one another, especially since both are the most senior knights in the order.

    ¡°I shall volunteer as well.¡± Master Stefans announces, simply. ¡°I trust that two masters leaving will not affect you negatively, sir?¡± He asks, looking over to our Grandmaster.

    ¡°None, in fact I support this notion. Elan and de Croise can remain, while you and Vermeil shall ensure the success of this operation. The only thing we now need is the agreement of the Princess.¡±

    Wonderful, everything worked much more in our favor than I expected. A personal squad would give us leverage for autonomy, and it would certainly give Raye the comfort and familiarity she definitely needed away from the Order. I knew that Elissa was not one to grant such requests freely, but I suspected that the situation was dire enough for us to have our way. She blinkes slowly, considering it for a moment, and then faces me directly.

    ¡°Very well, I accept your conditions. Muster two other dragoons for our Legion, and I shall expect to see you all by the end of the week.¡± She then stands up, satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, but her eyes remained on me.

    ¡°Lauriel, I trust that your skills have not deteriorated since we last met?¡± She asks, with the same intelligent, analytical gaze that she gave to everyone around her.

    ¡°Not one bit.¡± I assure her.

 Chapter II: From Above

    ¡°So what made you want to accompany us, Master?¡± I ask the aged elf as Guinevere and I fly across the skies leading our flight of six dragoons and six wyverns to the capital. We took about two days to prepare and choose two other dragoons, excluding the two masters, to accompany us northward and now with everything in place we¡¯ve finally set off westward for the royal capital.

    ¡°Many of reasons.¡± He responds curtly without a glance in my direction. He remains intent on scanning the landscape atop his own black wyvern, Nastrond. Compared to Guinevere, his scales were very similar in color and radiance but Nastrond was far larger in size, his wings only requiring a single beat to match three of Guinevere¡¯s. ¡°Though I will say that one of them is my own curiosity about our neighbors in the north.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never really talked to one before, only seen them as a kid on the streets of Ilmeiya. I always thought they were these grubby little monsters that only wanted to beg and snitch people, but they always paid merchants properly with sacks of gold. I always wondered where they got so much money from.¡±

    ¡°You would be a fool to underestimate a goblin, Lauriel.¡± He turns his head slightly towards me so that the edges of his angled eyes barely met my own. ¡°While they may be small they are a sentient race like ourselves. You can consider them a race equal to us.¡±

    ¡°Pah, really? Those small runts don¡¯t seem capable of beating anything in a head to head fight.¡±

    ¡°You have been alive long enough to understand just how potent Aeternum is to any species that can utilize it, Lauriel. I suggest you reevaluate your assessment of the goblins, as well as our own reliance to Aeternum.¡±

    His voice was stern and sank like knives. Nastrond belched a breath of black smoke, almost like a snort of amusement at what his Master had said to me. Guinevere also coughed, giggling.

    Yet, Master was correct about my assessment. Aeternum was and still is an incredibly powerful substance that has done much for all the various species and races in our world. For us, it is the source of our magical power through the Aeternal Flow, a mysterious force that zigzags to and from large collections of Aeternum that fuels our spells and magic. However other races utilize the crystal as a fuel source for weaponry or war machines. The drakken are best known for this in centuries past. I knew what my Master was trying to convey to me.

    ¡°Do they use Aeternum as much as we do, Master?¡± I ask tentatively.

    ¡°As prolifically as your kind used to, Lauriel.¡± He responds mechanically, his eyes looking downward again. ¡°They are monstrosities with an appetite for Aeternum unlike any other.¡±

    ¡°So they are engineers then? They use Aeternum as weapons, instead of through the Flow?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You are too young to know what the goblins are capable of, but know that while they may be diminutive in stature, their weaponry is second only to Celestial technology. I can vouch for this personally.¡±

    "Then that must be why you wanted to come on this mission.¡±

    ¡°Another reason, yes. But I still have others that I will not indulge you upon.¡±

    I contemplate this for a moment, but erratic movement up ahead catches my attention before I realize who it was.

    ¡°Hey Lau! Look what I can do!¡± Raye calls from up ahead. I watch her firmly tap Lancelot¡¯s neck, her firm, russet scaled wyvern before the two start spiraling downward in a dramatic dive.

    ¡°What on earth are you doing?!¡± I exclaim. Guinevere huffed a puff of smoke, somewhat amused.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine, I promise!¡± Raye shouts from below as Lancelot arches his body and makes a u-shaped turn. In a dramatic display, rider and wyvern once again fly back to proper altitude. Raye cheers and hugs her wyvern, the two an impressive, but unruly duo.

    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve never seen you fly like that before, Raye.¡± Master Vermeil smirks as he and his wyvern flies closer to us, now a congregation. ¡°Shall we hold a competition?¡±

    ¡°Oooh? What do you mean?¡± Raye asks eagerly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll hold a competition, based off who can pull off more flips and spins. The loser has to pay for dinner tonight.¡± Vermeil says with a wink. ¡°How about you two join in as well?¡±

    Master Stefans scoffs. ¡°Should you two really be fooling around while we are on a mission?¡±

    ¡°Well Elric, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re exactly on duty yet, you know.¡± Vermeil says with a bright smile. ¡°Come on, what do you say, Lau?¡±

    ¡°Guinevere and I don¡¯t really do stunts.¡± I say with a wry smile. Guinevere snorts in agreement.

    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Vermeil shrugs. ¡°Raye, ready?¡±

    ¡°You bet!¡±

    With that, the two dive down and engage into a series of flips and spins in the air below. I roll my eyes, watching them fly to and fro. Master Stefans, similarly heaves a clearly disappointed sigh.

    ¡°Those two are far too carefree.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re really good at it though, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    "Energy better spent elsewhere.¡± He replies simply. ¡°Though, it would seem their adventure will be cut short.¡±

    Master Stefans points onward to the west, and sure enough, I see the unmistakable white, Alabaster Walls of the capital. I could even see the two inner walls from this distance.

    ¡°You should stop their hooliganism, Lauriel. I shall notify our younger two knights in the rear of our descent.¡±

    ¡°Yes master.¡±

    Nastrond beats his wings upward and stalls backward, holding his position in place to meet our two other dragoons, Gautier and Gilles. Meanwhile, I lightly tap Guinevere¡¯s neck, coaxing her to fly downward. She listens and dives down, quickly reaching the same altitude as Master Vermeil and Raye.

    ¡°Hey you two! We¡¯re about to land soon, so stop your stunts alright?¡± I shout.

    ¡°Let me do one more Lau!¡± Raye replies and immediately Lancelot flips and then spins midair, before diving down like a corkscrew. ¡°Catch you later Lau!¡±

    Vermeil and his wyvern, clearly exhausted from the competition with Raye, flies up to me after Raye moves ahead of us. ¡°Gods, that knight really is something. I could barely keep up with her. That competition was a mistake.¡±

    I laugh. ¡°Was she really that fast compared to you?¡±

    ¡°Diving is one thing, as I¡¯m sure you know Lau, but to maneuver and spin like she does-- that takes talent and practice. She really is an exceptional knight, now that I see her in person.¡±

    I smile proudly. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have a partner like her. Very talented. Keep her in check though on this mission, you hear?¡± Master Vermeil winks, before likewise diving down to the earth. I look behind me, making sure if Master Stefans has reached the other two, and sure enough they too were beginning their descent. With that, Guinevere and I glide down to the earth, kicking up a cloud of dust as we land. Around us was a rather loosely spread suburb around the immediate outskirts of the capital city. These people mainly provided food for the people, and took a wide berth around us, wary. The rest of the group had already assembled, and Stefans was already lecturing Raye.

    ¡°¡­You put yourself in needless risk, especially when the only benefit of it is your own entertainment. Suppose you got hurt?¡±

    ¡°I understand Master¡­¡±

    ¡°I have no issue with this assuming we are not on duty, but you are a valuable asset to this mission. Do not needless endanger yourself in the future, young lady.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Master¡­¡±

    ¡°Geez, is Master Stefans always this uptight?¡± I hear Gilles whisper behind me to his brother. I stifle a giggle, as I realize Master Stefans is too far out of earshot to hear them.

    ¡°When you¡¯re that old, you¡¯re nothing but uptight, honestly.¡± His brother, Gautier, responds with a meek sigh. ¡°Just don¡¯t let him hear you.¡±

    ¡°Oi, Stefans, how about you lay off the girl? I was the one that challenged her anyways.¡± Master Vermeil interjects, defending Raye.

    ¡°Just because I am not speaking to you does not mean that I do not have anything to say to you. What kind of Master promotes hooliganism?¡± Master Stefans grimaces. I always find it enjoyable when I¡¯m not on the receiving end of his lectures, probably because I¡¯ve actually received them far too many times as his direct student.

    ¡°Lau¡­he scares me¡­¡± Raye whispers to me meekly, crawling away from Master Stefans as he redirects his verbal abuse onto Vermeil, who seems to be taking it with a broad smile. I give her a light hug.

    ¡°Is he not different from your teacher, Master de Croise?¡±

    ¡°Master de Croise is very strict and to the point¡­¡± She sniffs. ¡°But Master Stefans is even more direct because he explains to you exactly why what you did is wrong, and that you should feel bad because you did wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t I know it.¡± I pat her again on the head, comforting her a bit. ¡°Cheer up, it¡¯s your first time in the capital, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Mn, not exactly¡­last time I couldn¡¯t really enjoy it though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing really. It¡¯s in the past, you know?¡±

    ¡°Mnn, if you say so Raye. If it does bother you, you can always talk to me, you know?¡±

    ¡°I know Lau.¡± She smiles, though it looked a bit forced. I only hope that it was not something serious that would bring up bad memories or something.

    ¡°Ah, there you guys are!¡± A voice calls from the gate, and I see Princess Elissa run for us¡ªonly, it wasn¡¯t actually the Princess. In almost every way, this princess looked identical to her, except for her hair and voice. Her voice was distinctly shriller, and Elissa wore her hair in a single long braid¡ªthis woman wears it in two tails that dangled above her chest.

    ¡°Ah, the princess!¡± Raye exclaims, regaining her usual cheerful demeanor.

    The woman giggles, and I knew it caught the other dragoons off guard based on their initial meeting with the Princess. ¡°Well, I certainly am a princess but I¡¯m not the woman you¡¯re thinking of. That princess is my twin sister! My name¡¯s Princess Victoria, though you can just call me Vicky. Nice to meet you!¡± She then spins her body over to face me and gave a bright smile, one that I reply.

    ¡°Long time no see Vicky. Is Elissa unavailable or something?¡±

    Vicky twirls a piece of her hair. ¡°Yeah, something like that. I think she was running late with some awful paperwork and pretty much told me to go find you guys, though she didn¡¯t really tell me where to find you guys. I actually went to the North and South Gate before I realized you guys were probably coming from the East Gate¡­¡±

    I give her a wry smile. ¡°You really didn¡¯t think that one through, did you?¡±

    ¡°Look, she¡¯s the brains between the two of us!¡± She knocks her skull with her knuckles. ¡°This head¡¯s only good for one thing, and that¡¯s smashing it into other people!¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I laugh, beaming at the youngest princess of the royal family. I adore talking to her, though I change the subject before she lost her train of thought. She really has an incredibly short attention span. ¡°Did Elissa tell us where to meet her, and did she give us permission to enter the city? You know that the other five dragoons can¡¯t enter the city without a permit, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know? Any royal family member can give the go ahead to foreigners, including non-elves, to the gate guard to let them in. It¡¯s pretty convenient, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Master Stefans interjects. ¡°Is that a recent law change, Princess Victoria? I do not recall that being in place when I last happened to visit the capital.¡±

    ¡°Yup! It was actually an edict passed by my sister about like¡­six months ago or something? Either way, I can let you guys in without a permit, and, if we¡¯re lucky, I can get them to drop off your things at the Falcon Inn. Oh, that¡¯s where she wants to meet you guys by the way. ¡±

    ¡°You mean that big inn at Ironwater?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yeah, that place! She already booked rooms for you I think? Anyways we should get going!¡±

    Vicky spins on her heels and begins hopping towards the drawbridge, with the rest of us in tow.

    ¡°Hey, Lau?¡± Raye asks, running up next to me.

    ¡°What¡¯s up Raye?¡±

    ¡°Is that really a princess of the royal family¡­she seems so¡­unlike Elissa.¡±

    I giggle, adoring Raye¡¯s innocence. ¡°Yeah, she is. She¡¯s one of the kingdom¡¯s best swordsman too. How do you not know the royal family?¡±

    ¡°Look, I lived out in the countryside, and rarely see royalty! You can¡¯t fault me for asking¡­plus it was kind of embarrassing getting her confused for her sister.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it Raye, you really overthink things too much.¡±

    ¡°Hail to the princess!¡± A guard declares as we approach the drawbridge. Two of them uncross their pikes immediately before the portcullis, while the officer greets Vicky. The other guards on the battlements above remain on guard, holding their crossbows and patrolling about. ¡°Are these your visitors that will be accompanying you inside the city?¡±

    ¡°Yup, all six of them! They¡¯re all from the Dragoon Order, so would you guys mind taking in their wyverns to the rookery?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, we¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re well taken care of.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and would you mind taking their stuff to the Falcon Inn as well? I¡¯d really appreciate it since they¡¯re our honored guests for the day.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure, your highness. Guards, I need twelve of you down on the gates! Take their wyverns and deliver their belongings to the Falcon Inn!¡±

    The guardsmen immediately sprint down the towers and onto the drawbridge, several of them quickly taking our luggage while another six of them slowly approach our wyverns, lightly caressing them on the snout and neck, earning their permission to mount them. In the matter of a minute, all of us were relieved of our luggage and wyverns.

    ¡°I bid you all safe journey into the royal capital, Dragoons. Ah, and it is my pleasure to welcome you back to the city, Miss Perthesa.¡± He bows to me. I nod to him in thanks.

    ¡°Thanks Lieutenant, we¡¯ll be on our way now!¡± Vicky waves, ushering us forward into the immense city.

    ¡°Being friendly with royalty really does have its perks, huh?¡± Gilles asks.

    ¡°You have both our princess and our esteemed dragoon here.¡± Master Vermeil replies with a smile. I roll my eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s true, however.¡± Master Stefans remarks coldly. ¡°Elves in the capital city only care about status. I would advise avoiding nobility.¡±

    It was a sentiment I agreed with, despite my own status. ¡°Just stick inside the Merchant District after Vicky takes us to the inn.¡± I add.

    ¡°Oh, by the way!¡± Vicky asks, spinning about as we now pass underneath the portcullis. Tall apartments now pass into view immediately overhead, with merchants and craftsmen squabbling with one another on the wide, paved roads of Ilmeiya. A carriage passes us by erratically, zooming onward to the right. ¡°How many of you have actually been inside the city before?¡±

    ¡°Our first time here, actually.¡± Gilles indicate towards him and his brother.

    ¡°Mine as well.¡± Master Vermeil waves.

    ¡°Oh, then would you enjoy a little tour as we head to our destination? I love talking about the city since history is pretty much the only thing I learned at the academy.¡±

    ¡°Why, that sounds like a marvelous idea!¡± Vermeil applauds. ¡°This city is truly gorgeous, these buildings absolutely splendid. What can you tell me about them, fair princess?¡±

    Vicky giggles, bouncing a little bit in place from the compliment. ¡°Well, right now we stand on the Silver Road, which forms a large ring around the city. Most roads are like it, but the Silver Road is most notable since it connects all four cardinal plazas together. We¡¯re headed for the northeastern one, Ironwater Plaza.¡±

    We begin walking northward, and already the looming apartments shield us from the sun with their long shadows. Pedestrians sift by us without a second glance, and more carriages whirl by, carried by swift steeds. Large windows display various jewelry, weaponry, and amulets, all common craft items found in the city.

    ¡°Wow¡­They¡¯re so pretty¡­¡± Raye remarks, a bit dazed as she passes by one such display window.

    ¡°Oh, you wouldn¡¯t want to buy those sweetie!¡± Vicky winks, lightly pulling her away. ¡°Ilmeiyan quality jewels are nothing compared to Vasali. I promise you that much. These ones are very much overpriced too!¡±

    The price immediately snaps Raye to attention as she suddenly jumps back, seeing the price tags. We all share a slight laugh at Raye as she mumbles to herself.

    ¡°So here you can see these apartments and merchant buildings, yeah? Not a lot of cities are as densely populated as Ilmeiya, so they all tend to build wide. We on the other hand, have to build taller and taller since we¡¯re kind of restricted by space. People still do want to work in the city, though the cost of living is pretty high here, even for nobility, so a lot of the common folk have to live outside. You probably saw them in the suburb when you guys landed, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Quite. They look a lot cleaner than I remember. I would imagine that is thanks to your sister?¡±

    Vicky beams. ¡°Annie is an amazing queen, and she really cares for her people, even those that are just outside her city. Though they aren¡¯t technically a part of our capital, they still work incredibly hard for us. Most of them have a big dream of living inside one of these,¡± she points to a tall, rectangular building with several windows protruding from it.

    ¡°This is an apartment complex! It¡¯s basically a building with tons of mini homes inside it, where people live in. Usually a merchant owns the building and lets people rent the space, and through that, lets them acquire citizenship if they¡¯ve been working here for a few years. Some merchants don¡¯t bother though, and just make it their personal tower of sorts.¡±

    ¡°So the plan is basically to keep building taller buildings since you¡¯re running out of space?¡± Gautier asks, a hand on his chin in thought.

    ¡°Mostly, yeah. If you ask me, we need to change building material to like steel if we want to build even taller, but right now it still suits us fine and solves most of our problems.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very interesting concept. I suppose people have to put up with their small rooms in a city as large as this then.¡± Vermeil adds.

    ¡°The big, individual family homes are all in the Noble District, where Lau lives as well. I naturally live all the way in that castle over there¡­¡± She stands on her toes and then points to the massive citadel at the top of the hill, piercing the clouds with its massive towers. ¡°The Noble District is mostly people who¡¯ve been with Ilmeiya since the very beginning, back before Jeanne II was crowned.¡±

    ¡°Ah, was she not a lesser princess before she became Queen?¡±

    ¡°Yes indeed! You really know your stuff Mister¡­¡±

    "Elric Stefans, my princess.¡±

    ¡°Mister Stefans! You really do know your stuff! For the rest of you guys, Jeanne II was the first queen that shifted our capital from Mein to Ilmeiya. It was actually because of a civil war between two of her sisters, and she ardently refused to help either of them. In the end, she managed to fight off both of them and declare her status as Queen after dueling them both, thus officially raising Ilmeiya¡¯s status as the capital. It was all thanks to the walls and guards of the city that allowed her to win, and that¡¯s why we take it so seriously in the capital.¡±

    ¡°Everything looks so orderly and neat.¡± Master Vermeil notes. ¡°I guess that¡¯s an effect of having to build so carefully around three sets of walls, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much!¡±

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that up ahead?¡± Gilles asks, pointing to the clearing in buildings.

    ¡°That, my friend, is Ironwater Plaza!¡± Vicky triumphantly declares, showing us the wide clearing in the northeastern quarter of the city.

    ¡°Wow¡­this place looks amazing.¡± Gilles marvels with eyes full of wonder.

    ¡°Hmm¡­I wonder how those fountains work so precisely¡­¡± I hear Gautier muttering to himself.

    ¡°You like the scene?¡± Vicky smiles, holding out her hand proudly and guiding us closer to the center, which was the real magic of the plaza as water spouts glided to and fro. In the immediate center of the large plaza was a Winter Lion, holding an immense sword at the very top of a multi-level fountain that covered almost half of the plaza itself by the lowest floor. Various other lions stood underneath the lion, both to support it directly or at lower levels, some of them spraying jets of water into the lower levels. The lowest level was a large pool where various other lions statue raised their swords against one another. A large stairway to the southwest led to the Noble District, with a few branching paths leading to the upper terraces of the Merchant District as well.

    ¡°Ironwater is the largest of the four plazas here, and it¡¯s pretty easy to tell why it has the name it does based first the fountains, and then of the massive smelter a bit ways north. It¡¯s where most of the smoke clouds of Ilmeiya come from, but it¡¯s where elven steel is primarily manufactured at.¡± Vicky said with a grin, proud with all the information she could provide us.

    ¡°Gorgeous¡­makes me really wish I pursued my initial aspirations of an engineer, really.¡± Master Vermeil sniffs.

    ¡°Oooh, you wanted to be an engineer at first, Mister?¡±

    ¡°But of course! Look at me, I¡¯m a drakken, what else would a proud drakken father expect of his son anyways?¡± He smiles, laughing a bit, before something else catches his eye. ¡°Fair Princess, are those runic weapons I see over there?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yep! This plaza is probably exactly where your weapon was crafted, Mister uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Louis Vermeil, my princess.¡±

    ¡°Mister Vermeil! But yes, your halberd that you have strapped to your back was more than likely crafted right here in the heart of the city. If you see the smoke up above, that¡¯s from the Great Grey Smelter further up north in the city, where all the iron from Vasal and Ival gets smelted down into steel, and then later forged into proper runic weapons right here. We¡¯re very proud of Ilmeiyan steel, since we also use magic to augment it, unlike the other cities.¡± She huffs proudly, patting her own sword strapped to the side of her belt. ¡°Unfortunately, this is where we¡¯ll have to say goodbye, since I¡¯m sure my sister would prefer to speak to you guys now!¡±

    The princess waved and then gestures her hand to a large inn to the east of us, where the words Falcon Inn hanged over a sign. Sure enough, on its large frontal porch was a familiar, blue-haired noble that was drinking tea nonchalantly. This time, instead of being dressed as an envoy, the princess was wearing all the usual attire of a princess¡ªher royal cuirass with a mail shirt underneath, and a cape with a Winter Lion that proudly announced her status of royalty. She took notice of us as Vicky bid us farewell, ushering us to her with a flick of her finger while her twin sister bounded up the steps back to her castle home.

    ¡°Welcome to the royal capital.¡± The princess states officially, taking one last sip of her tea before standing up. She gestures for a maid to come, and she gives her an ample tip that made the servant bow profusely. ¡°I trust my sister was not too much of a handful?¡±

    ¡°It was nice seeing her again, your highness.¡± I reply with a quick bow, knowing that we were in public and a certain manner of decorum was to be expected. The other dragoons imitate me, following the directions I gave them before our flight. Nobility and merchants in Ilmeiya regard the royal family highly, and the Royal Legion also actively patrol the streets. Any amount of disrespect to a princess, however slight, could lead to a disastrous scene. ¡°What would you have us do now? Are we to wait here until further instruction?¡±

    ¡°Nay, though you may do as you please for today. Our legions are mustered and prepared to march onward tomorrow, but I saw it unnecessary to leave without the six of you resting beforehand.¡± She gestures her hand to the back, where a receptionist gently waves to us. A few royal legionnaires stood guard to her side, and another two step down from the stairway. ¡°The soldiers have already dropped your belongings, and I have personally paid for your expenses. You may do as you please for the rest of the day, however I expect all of you to arrive at the mustering camp in the North Gate tomorrow at dawn. Do not be late. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes your highness.¡± The six of us bow once again.

    ¡°Very well. I have my own matters to attend to. Dismissed.¡±

    The meeting was rather short, but I figure she didn¡¯t want to overload us since she wanted to give us this day off. I watch the other five dragoons begin to walk past me towards the door, but I knew what I want to do with my spare time.

    ¡°Hey Raye,¡± I ask, lightly tapping her on the shoulder. ¡°Can you check my belongings for me? Just ask the innkeeper for my key as well, I need to go do something.¡±

    ¡°Oh, um, sure!¡± Raye asks, a bit startled by my sudden request. Her eyes then narrow, realizing what I likely had in mind. ¡°You want to say hi to your family right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t seen them in a while.¡±

    ¡°You can count on me Lau, enjoy your day alright!¡± She beams before joining the other four dragoons. With that settled, I step down the inn steps and made my way to the Noble District myself, passing under the Noble Walls through an archway. The portcullis was naturally up as the city was not besieged, but the legionnaires remain ever vigilant atop the bastions. Mages, easily identifiable by their large, elaborate staves, also patrol this line of the walls among the traditional pikemen indicating the increased value the crown placed on these defenses.

    My own home was a fair ways off from the gates, tucked in its own corner along one of the Arcane Walls further to the north. My mother, though a drakken, was granted nobility status due to her premier status as a Rune Mage, which the elves sincerely lack in their magical studies. Thus, she taught as a professor at the Royal Magicka University, and granted nobility by the past queen for her personal research. She purchased her home from an impoverished noble, and refurnished it first for herself, and then for her daughter, and then me.

    Our home was unmistakable because of its large astronomy tower that protruded from its roof where mother enjoyed to spend most of her time in. Nobles pass me by as I make my way northward, most of them paying me no heed, too busy admiring themselves. I also see a few old acquaintances and bullies near their family homes, some of them even having children now. I was never particularly close to anyone in Ilmeiya, partly because I was naturally quiet and partly because I was a drakken and not an elf, so I did not bother approaching them since it was doubtful that any of them would recognize me. It was a bit sad, but I was content with the idea that while none of them may not recognize me anymore, I had achieved fame and glory while they remain squabbling in dynastic struggles.

    Eventually, the familiar black tower became visible above the rest of the roofs of the city, and I quicken my pace to the mansion. Four-thirty-three¡­four-thirty-five¡­four-thirty-seven Cerulean Boulevard, the large metal gates of our courtyard staring at me. I walk up to the gate and lightly tap the amulet next to it, a curious, little purple orb that immediately hums to life. It was our door knocker, really.

    ¡°Identification? Do you have a reason for being here?¡± The orb asks in a dark, raspy, and particularly menacing voice.

    ¡°Hi, it¡¯s me, Lamorak.¡±

    The amulet briefly glows brighter, but remains silent, as if surprised. Then it speaks again. ¡°The younger mistress¡­Enter. It is good to see you again.¡±

    The gate swings open with that, and I make my way into the yard, the gate once again locking firmly behind me as I pass through. The door to the main mansion was already open before I had even reached the steps of it. Inside the doorway was a young woman, another drakken, with jet black hair and vibrant, pink eyes. She was wearing a simple white blouse with black pants and apron over it, her hair tied in a ponytail. She must have been cooking something before I arrived.

    ¡°Sis!¡± She exclaims, and I beam, holding my arms out wide to embrace her. ¡°I missed you so much!¡±

 Chapter III: Home and Hearth

    ¡°Laaaaaaaaaauuuuu!¡± Selene yells as she runs towards me, tackling me with a hug, wrapping her arms tightly in an embrace as I squeeze her back just as hard. She was really, really warm.

    ¡°Selene¡­¡± I whisper, holding her tight. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°A while?¡± She asks. ¡°Girl you haven¡¯t been here for almost a year! You aren¡¯t even that far away from us but you always say you¡¯re sooooo busy¡­¡±

    She gives me a slight pout as I smile, embarrassed. ¡°Believe me, I do try to get home often but I don¡¯t get many days off. The days I do get off I¡¯m usually in bed and passed out.¡±

    ¡°Ain¡¯t that relatable. You won¡¯t belieeeeve how much more work mum gives me just ¡®cause I¡¯m her daughter. Like I¡¯m a professor at the university now too so I have my own stuff to do you know!?¡± She gives me a big eye roll and I giggle, knowing that¡¯s always been the case. Selene, like mother, was extremely talented with rune magic and it¡¯s no surprise that she tended to pile extra work for Selene, much to her chagrin. ¡°But anyways, this is about you! Come in, come in, I¡¯m making dinner so let¡¯s just eat a bit together alright? Mum¡¯s still upstairs working so she won¡¯t be here for a while, though I¡¯m sure Lamorak let her know.¡±

    ¡°Oh, speaking of familiars, how¡¯s yours?¡± I ask stepping into the main entrance. I then open the closet immediately to the left of the main door to hang up my cloak and jacket.

    ¡°Oh Aurianne? She¡¯s actually in the kitchen right now, cooking with me before I went to get¡¯cha. You wouldn¡¯t believe what Aurianne can do nowadays though,¡± Selene says proudly as we walk towards the kitchen. On the way, we pass through the archway that led to our smaller living room, where the fireplace was. ¡°She sparred with Vicky the other day and almost won! Almost won! A little fae knight almost beating one of the best swordsman in the god damn kingdom!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you mistress, it wasn¡¯t that close at all!¡± A pained, embarrassed, and squeaky voice yells out from inside the kitchen in response.

    ¡°Aw shut it you little green fly and just accept my praise! I was there watching you after all,¡± Selene said with a confident huff.

    Now as we enter the kitchen, Aurianne gives an exasperated look at her mistress. She was in her human form which was no more than a meter and a half tall. In her human form she had dark green hair that curled at her diminutive shoulders, and she wore only an apron since she found other clothing restrictive unless it was armor. She was holding a ladle, with one hand tapping the stove to control the heat via Flow, and the other gently stirring the lid.

    ¡°You exaggerate everything I do and I don¡¯t want to live up to higher expectations!¡± Aurianne pouts.

    ¡°Geez, you really don¡¯t want any compliments from me, do you?¡± Selene sighs shaking her head. She gives the fairy a pat on the head before moving to the oven, checking whatever she had inside it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you this before mistress, I¡¯m nothing more than your humble servant, and don¡¯t pat me like that!¡± She screeches like a young child, waving her ladle around in about as menacing as a girl of her stature could look. She finally notices me though after she was finished with her short tantrum. ¡°Ah, Lauy! It¡¯s really good to see you again, dinner¡¯s almost ready so just give me a moment to set up¡­¡±

    ¡°Still working hard as ever then, Auri?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± the fairy says inattentively as she climbed up on one of the counters to reach one of the cupboards. She struggled to reach it, as usual. Considering her short stature¡ªit was a wonder that she often did this for our family without any complaints. Selene was already preoccupied with her own food inside the oven so I went over to open the cupboard for the fairy, from which I took four bowls. Lamorak never came to dinner with the rest of us since he preferred to eat by himself, sulking up in mother¡¯s grand library.

    ¡°Oh, Lauy, you really didn¡¯t have to, I could¡¯ve managed!¡± She exclaims as she jumped down, landing back on her feet.

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure though, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I ruffle her hair and she squeaks in response, thrashing to side to side¡ªit was something she despised but nevertheless put up with it. It was a great teasing tactic anyways since she couldn¡¯t really fight back. ¡°What exactly are we having for dinner besides the soup there?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I baked some potatoes and chicken in here,¡± Selene replies, opening the oven and then taking out the large platter of chicken and potatoes. The smell of rosemary filled my nose as I sighed delightedly. ¡°However, Aurianne over here recently developed a sweet tooth so I think she¡¯s just gonna eat the cookies we have over there.¡±

    ¡°Not true!¡± She exclaims as she cut off the Flow to the stove, turning it off. ¡°I eat other things too!¡±

    ¡°Yeah okay, but can you tell me what you¡¯ve eaten over the past week that didn¡¯t have something to do with cookies, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, or ice cream?¡± Selene chides in teasing manner.

    The fairy thought for a moment and then pouted, defeated. ¡°So what!¡±

    "You¡¯re gonna get fat and ugly if you eat too many sweets, ya know.¡± Selene lectures.

    ¡°No I won¡¯t! Flying is good exercise!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you aren¡¯t exactly a particularly active fairy when you aren¡¯t sparring.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you lecture me!!¡± Aurianne shouts, stomping her feet.

    ¡°Gods you two never change.¡± I laugh as the two bickered with one another. The two were really much more like sisters as opposed to mistress and servant. Even as the two continue to fight over how much candy and ice cream could actually affect a fairy¡¯s body, they nevertheless set up the dinner table in perfect harmony. By the end of it all every bowl had soup in it, and the chicken was properly cut, and the potatoes properly seasoned.

    ¡°Oh my goodness, what¡¯s with all the ruckus?¡± Another voice came from the other doorway, where the sliding door was pulled aside. A black haired woman appears from the doorway, her shoulders a bit broad and her nose pinched by a nose ring. She wore a blouse and skirt, very similar to Selene¡¯s, though her eyes were a deep red as opposed to a bright pink. Her hair was tied up in a bun which was held by a blue butterfly ribbon. ¡°My, you two just don¡¯t ever shut up now, do you?¡±

    ¡°Hi mother.¡± I wave to her as she was rubbing her eyes, excited to see my mother again. She was probably busy doing research on the stars or runes upstairs as usual, judging from her appearance. Her bags had gotten a bit worse from the last time I¡¯ve seen her, so I could tell she was working overtime.

    ¡°Ah, Lauriel!¡± She beams as she walks over and pulls me in for an extraordinarily tight hug, something she was particularly good at doing. It felt like my bones cracked underneath her hug before she finally let go¡ªI haven¡¯t had a hug from her in a long time. ¡°How¡¯s my little knight? You really should visit your old mother and sister you know, we always love having you come back home.¡±

    ¡°Well I was finally able to come back to the capital, though I¡¯ll be leaving again tomorrow¡­¡±

    ¡°Aww, well that¡¯s too bad,¡± mother frowns. ¡°But at least stay the night here with your family, alright? We haven¡¯t seen you in so long and we really should all catch up don¡¯t you think? Come on, take a seat and let¡¯s just talk like family.¡±

    Mother guides me to the seat directly next to her, where I usually sit, with Selene and Aurianne seated directly across from us. Aurianne has already ignored her own soup that she made and was instead devouring a plate of cookies while Selene rolled her eyes, knowing her words wouldn¡¯t reach the fairy.

    ¡°Has everything been alright at the Order sweetie? This past year has been very busy for us here too, mainly with the Queen¡¯s coronation.¡±

    ¡°Man, mother¡¯s putting that lightly.¡± Selene says, positively exasperated. ¡°Everyone in the Noble District is blabbering and gossiping about what the next noble over there thinks about the Queen. Not to mention it¡¯s going to be exam season soon and I really don¡¯t want to get started with that¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it for alliances like the usual?¡± I ask, thinking about the usual noble bickering. ¡°I didn¡¯t really think that the Queen would be very unlikable, especially considering we had to live through Jeanne¡¯s reign previously.¡± Queen Annabelle III, recently coronated after her mother died two years ago, was always a very popular princess. So I found it a bit strange that the nobility would have things to say about her. Some of the peasants viewed her as a living saint since all of her work as a princess went to bettering the common people.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    "Well it¡¯s the fact that the common people adore her so much that gets people antsy.¡± Selene explains. ¡°She¡¯s a lovely person in general, but the nobility are very scared of her. That¡¯s why they¡¯re trying to form alliances in case they ever want to plot against her. It¡¯s absolutely bonkers that I even get asked what my opinion is at the University. As if I¡¯d give a public response like that!¡± Selene says, raising her arms in the air in contempt.

    "It is very tiresome.¡± Mother agrees. ¡°Do you not get asked by people in the Order, sweetie?¡±

    ¡°Nah, most of the Order really prefers to distance itself from politics. We¡¯re also all the way in Vasal, so naturally most of the people there only care about fighting and sparring since they¡¯re the bulk of our recruits.¡±

    "Man that sounds like heaven.¡± Selene bemoans. ¡°I can¡¯t stand nobility no matter how long we¡¯ve lived here.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± I sigh. ¡°It¡¯s one of the reasons I left and went to join the Order. Even though there¡¯s a hierarchy there it isn¡¯t bad at all.¡±

    ¡°You guys always seem so idealistic, yet you still get things done.¡± Selene remarks.

    ¡°Honestly, I do it because fighting is the only thing I¡¯m good at. Being thanked by people is really something special too,¡± I reply with a smile, thinking back on my past experiences.

    ¡°Hey, nothing wrong with fame and glory y¡¯know, sis? What do you guys really even do at the Dragoon Order? You¡¯re all pretty mysterious outside your whole slogan of ¡®Protecting the innocent.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Well, the Order was founded by a drakken a few decades after Empyrea fell apart by Grandmaster Claudius Draconis. He was kind of a one man army that wanted to protect people from all the bandits lurking around. His wyvern, Arcturus, was an egg that he stole from the wild but he ultimately grew fond of. That¡¯s really the start of the Order--kind of just our own independent thing.¡±

    ¡°And here I was thinking that it¡¯d be some grand, heroic legendary tale of defeating dragons dating far back.¡± Selene comments with a smirk.

    ¡°It¡¯s really just a brotherhood that wants to help everyone it can. I guess that¡¯s why Master picked me up so early.¡±

    ¡°Aww, I remember that day¡­¡± Selene smile, reminiscing.

    ¡°Oooh, is it story time?¡± Aurianne asks, having shifted back into her normal fairy form. She was now only about three centimeters tall and six centimeters wide at the wings, sitting on Selene¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything really special about it.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°¡®Anything special?¡¯ Mother, this girl thinks that fighting off a bear by herself is nothing special!¡± Selene says incredulously. I sigh, not wanting anymore praise, but mother saw it as an opportunity to give me another hug.

    ¡°Now now, maybe to you it''s not impressive anymore, miss wyvern-wrangler, Indigo Dragoon.¡±

    ¡°Mother...I can¡¯t...breathe¡­¡± I squeak from her unbearably tight hug. Thankfully, she released me before I turned blue. Selene snickered.

    ¡°Looks like sis can take down a wyvern but still can¡¯t break out of one of mother¡¯s hugs!¡±

    ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    ¡°But how about we tell that story for little Aurianne here? I don¡¯t think she¡¯s heard about it before.¡± Mother suggests, and Aurianne nodded vigorously in agreement.

    ¡°Really, I mean it, it wasn¡¯t anything special.¡± I say dismissively. ¡°A bear attacked a family in the countryside outside Ilmeiya, and I chose to fight them, all there was to it.¡±

    ¡°You make it seem like wrestling a bear is a day to day task you do nowadays. We were both teens back then you know! I didn¡¯t know any rune lore and you didn¡¯t have any training either, yet you still almost won!¡±

    ¡°Almost is an overstatement.¡± I say simply. ¡°Master saved my life, but I saved the family¡¯s lives too at least. I guess he saw something in me that day, because I was by far the youngest member of the Order when he took me in.¡±

    ¡°And look at you now.¡± Mother smiles lovingly. ¡°Both of you, you¡¯ve both grown to be wonderful, lovely young women.¡±

    ¡°I mean, we both just chose what we were good at in the end.¡± I say simply.

    ¡°Yeah and yours is apparently wrestling a bear and standing in the line of fire of a Gatling gun.¡± Selene says with a smirk, referencing one of my more recent headlines in the news.

    ¡°The media completely contrived that story, I wasn¡¯t even the reason we lived in that warehouse, it was Raye!¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, you mean that farmgirl you always talk about?¡± Selene asks, sitting up, all of a sudden more interested in the conversation.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s my partner for most missions these days.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, ¡®partners¡¯ now, didn¡¯t know you two were so much more intimate.¡± She teases, raising her eyebrows and I heave a large sigh. Selene was absolutely certain I had a thing for her even though I didn¡¯t at all.

    ¡°Oh come now Selene,¡± Mother waves a hand, ¡°Let Lauriel talk about what actually happened there at the warehouse. Usually her take on the story is a lot more interesting than how the media likes to write.¡±

    ¡°Well, the media mentioned Gatling guns when we cornered the smugglers in the warehouse right? We actually didn¡¯t know they were there at all and we almost got ourselves killed cause of it.¡±

    ¡°So you mean the usual then.¡± Selene giggles again.

    ¡°Well instead of me fixing my own stupidity it was Raye this time. She barely knows any air thaumaturgy but she managed to throw her spear completely straight to take out both Gatling guns.¡±

    ¡°Wait what?¡± Selene says amazed.

    ¡°Yeah, we broke in through a window with our wyverns and immediately one of them started firing on us. We expected them to just surrender but they must have been expecting us, not like we had any other option to us though because they were going to leave the city the next day. Both of us took a few bullets but Raye managed to throw her spear straight at one of them, giving us time to dive for cover.¡±

    ¡°Huh, so I¡¯m guessing this is where the story diverges from the news story?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the media paints it like me being a hero and just charging, but it was really all Raye. She was the one that came up with the idea, even though I wanted to disagree with it since it was so risky.¡±

    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±

    ¡°I was supposed to catch a few bullets with a stream of water to give Raye just enough cover to throw her spear. This meant that she might get shot soon after since water won¡¯t hold bullets for long, but she was willing to do so. Then I was supposed to charge and take out the gunner for good, as well as roundup the others. Thankfully, the police arrived right as I charged so I had even more backup, but obviously that made me look like the hero even though it was Raye that did the real heroic deed.¡±

    ¡°And Raye didn¡¯t want the story changed?¡±

    ¡°She hates fame, and told me not to tell them what actually happened. She really doesn¡¯t like any attention diverted to her honestly.¡±

    ¡°That was still a really good story though!¡± Aurianne cheers. ¡°Lauy¡¯s stories are always really fun and interesting.¡±

    I smile to the fairy. ¡°What about you three though? That mission was honestly the most interesting one I¡¯ve had since the rest were just fighting bandits--very dull work lately.¡±

    ¡°Agh I honestly haven¡¯t had time to do my own research really. Stupid students keeping me busy all the time, especially now that exams are coming up. I only managed to complete like...two grimoires over the past year. Pretty disappointing honestly.¡± She sighed, leaning back into her chair.

    ¡°Oh really? What were they this time?¡± I ask, always interested in my sister¡¯s magical exploits.

    ¡°Just more Lore of Nature ones, the only one I¡¯m honestly good at.¡±

    ¡°What she really means is the only dual element lore she¡¯s good at.¡± Mother smiles, lightly petting her daughter from across the table. ¡°You¡¯re quite proficient in just Water and Earth my dear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± She grumbles.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this about dual elements? Is that something new?¡±

    ¡°Oh, did we never explain it to you sweetie?¡± Mother askes, tilting her head to the side.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, no.¡±

    ¡°Well, traditional thaumaturgy only recognizes six elements, Light, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Shadow. However, in rune lore they are known as Life, Inferno, Torrent, Quake, Tempest, and Death. Master level thaumaturgy is effectively a dual element of the same element, in that Life is Light plus Light. That is what a dual element lore is.¡±

    ¡°So...instead of there being only six elements there¡¯s actually¡­¡±

    ¡°21 Lores of Magic because of dual elements.¡± Mother states with a matter of fact tone. ¡°The Lore of Nature is Earth plus Water. Does that make sense to you hun?¡±

    ¡°Kind of? I guess I¡¯d have to be a real mage to understand it a bit better.¡±

    ¡°Basically dual element lores have a lot more unexplored territory in terms of spells. Your sister is just sulking since she isn¡¯t that good at writing runes from lores other than Earth and Water.¡±

    ¡°I can hear you, mother!¡± Selene calls out, her face in her hands. She looked ashamed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it sweetie, you¡¯re still the best nature mage in the university. Nothing wrong with focusing on what you¡¯re used to.¡±

    ¡°Well, compared to you¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different, dearie. I¡¯ve had experience with magic and runes in general for more than a century now, keep that in mind.¡±

    My sister sighs, blowing a strand of hair upward. ¡°Yeah yeah I guess so.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl, now, we should probably get cleaning. It¡¯s getting pretty late.¡± Mother stretched and then points at the clock by the windowsill, and sure enough it was about thirty minutes to midnight.

    ¡°Oh, when did it get so late?¡± Selene asks, standing up and immediately stacking our bowls and plates together. I stack my own and mother¡¯s, moving them with Selene to the sink.

    ¡°Can you two girls take care of the dishes tonight?¡± Mother asks, standing up. ¡°I need to get back to my research, I think I¡¯m on the verge of creating a new rune...¡±

    ¡°Oh! Which lore? You haven¡¯t told me about it yet.¡± Selene asks, giddy to know.

    ¡°Secret.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh? Mother! Tell meeee!¡±

    ¡°Huhu, I¡¯ll be sure to show you once I¡¯m actually done, but it¡¯s still mostly experimental. If you hear any explosions I probably made a major mistake.¡± She teases with a playful smile, before standing up and then giving me another hug. ¡°When are you leaving tomorrow sweetie?¡±

    ¡°Very early tomorrow morning, actually. I came over to Ilmeiya because the Crown wanted me and a few other dragoons to do a mission for them.¡±

    ¡°Aww, guess our meeting isn¡¯t as long as I¡¯d have hoped.¡± She gave a small pout. ¡°If I don¡¯t wake up in time to see you off tomorrow here¡¯s a kiss and a good luck in advance.¡±

    She gives me another kiss on the forehead before leaving back to her upstairs study. With that, it was only me, Selene, and Aurianne in the room as we cleaned up the kitchen and dishes, putting them to the side when we were done.

    ¡°Oh yeah, sis?¡± I ask, as we headed for our bedroom at the opposite side of the mansion.

    ¡°Yeah what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I actually need to talk to mother real quick about something. I¡¯ll get in bed later, alright?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure. Don¡¯t be too long though, you did say you have an early morning tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± I smile, before running back to the kitchen and then up the stairs to my mother¡¯s office.

 Chapter IV: A Promise

    Opening the door to the library, I see the familiar, purple sort of haze that fill the entire room. Mother enjoys using Aeternum as her personal power source for her library, saying that it allows her to control the light much more freely compared to normal lights. It gives the entire library a much more eerie feeling that I think she prefers, maybe to maintain the whole mage stereotype of stuffing yourself in a tower all day without any human contact. The library has hardly changed over the years, and everything seemed largely in the same place that they were decades ago. I had only a limited aptitude with magic compared to my mother and sister, so I rarely needed or wanted to climb up here to find a scroll or book about how magic works.

    I start walking forward, taking hold of the familiar yet alien surroundings of the library. She still had something like 30 shelves across the entire first floor, and after my conversation with her in the kitchen, I could now see that of those thirty, twenty one of those exclusively covered a lore of magic. I run my hand down the spines of some of the books of one shelf, recognizing that each of them had a distinct symbol at the very bottom that looks like some elaborate apple tree. Even the scrolls had a sticker on the shelf itself that had the same tree marking, and I hazarded a guess that this shelf covered the Lore of Nature. I also see a small stool that sits at the edge of two shelves holding about six books, all of them having the same spine marking. A delicate, cursive note lays on top of all these books that read simply, ¡°Do not reorganize these, mother, I need them,¡± and I smile, knowing Selene left the note.

    The next shelf has an identical organization, only this time the spine marking had a large, blue, wave-like engraving in place of the tree from the previous one. I take a closer look at one of the books and quickly see my suspicion confirmed. First I find Fundamental Basics to Water Thaumaturgy, then Augmentations for Water Runes, and lastly Water, the Most Versatile. I never bothered to take a look at these books since I tended to play in the courtyard more often than not as a child, while Selene preferred to stay up here much more often. Curious, I take out Water, the Most Versatile from its place in the bookshelf, and open up book to see what it exactly had to say about the only element I knew how to use.

    Out of the six elements, Water occupies an extremely interesting place among all of them. Water cannot buff or brighten her allies as strong as Light can, damage and destroy enemies as Fire, defend stalwartly as Earth, offer as much offensive utility as Air, or even debuff enemies strong as Shadow. However, it is through Water¡¯s ability to perform almost all of these tasks that make Water truly the most beautiful, and by far the most versatile. Whereas the other Elements may excel in their own strength, Water¡¯s strength is spread out, and only becomes stronger if the mage should surround himself with a powerful water source. No rival mage can defeat a Water mage that fights by the ocean, no matter their skill.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as Stefans¡¯s words echo in my head. He gave the same opinion to me when he first taught me how to utilize Water as a weapon. He first told me to always keep a phial of water on my belt, which I still do to this day, in order to freely manipulate the water whenever I needed to.

    A regenerating tide, a brisk slashing current, or a frothing wall, even a simple vial of water is more deadly than a master swordsman in the hands of a master mage. A sword, a shield, and a potion, all at once, how Water is used depends entirely on its wielder. Water¡¯s most basic spell, the simple Flow I, gathers a small stream of water into your hand from a source, allowing you to manipulate it in any way you see fit.

    The book reflects everything I had ever learned from Stefans, each one of his descriptions lightly ringing in my mind. Most of the time I used water as a sort of protective barrier, forming a light ring around me, or as a light little ball. It¡¯s easy to manipulate that way, either to strike, or to shield myself from an attack. If I get the chance though, I like to use the water to empower any of my strikes, placing it right before my spear point or axe. I also tend to use water like a sort of distraction, since you can make it like some sort of familiar or ally if you use it effectively enough. Strike once with water, then strike with your own weapon, or vice versa. I found it immensely useful, and I have a lot of gratitude to Stefans for teaching me it instead of air magic, which the vast majority of dragoons tend to use.

    ¡°Younger mistress...¡± A baleful voice calls out from above me, breaking me from my thoughts. I immediately look upward, knowing who the voice belonged to.

    Above me, a strange, insect-like humanoid kneels atop one of the bookshelves to my right. His body easily stands just shy of three meters tall when fully straight, and his butterfly-like wings about twice that when extended. His compound eyes blink as they examine me slowly and analytically. Everything about him has a sort of iridescent, crystalline sort of appearance that makes him look absolutely alien. His tubed, insect-like mouth sucks upon a jar of honey that he holds with one of his scaly, crystal-like hands.

    ¡°Lamorak.¡± I say, a bit reservedly. ¡°Have I done something wrong?¡±

    ¡°The younger mistress¡­should not be up here¡­at this hour.¡± He says with the same cutting, whispering, and threatening voice. I knew he would never harm me, but his voice remained scary all the same. ¡°Why are you¡­here in the library?¡±

    ¡°I actually wanted to speak to mother about an issue I¡¯m having, though this book started to interest me and I lost track of time.¡±

    ¡°So I see¡­be on your way then¡­do not stay up too late¡­¡±

    The large insect leaps down from his perch, and takes the book with a single movement, surprising and reminding me about how much strength he possesses. He swiftly places the book exactly where I took it out from, and then pushes towards the stairs leading into the astronomy tower. He gives me a single, inquisitive glare as I look behind me momentarily.

    ¡°Be on your way¡­¡± He repeats as he fades, suckling once more on his jar of honey, before he camouflages with the environment, becoming effectively invisible, leaping back up on top of one of the shelves. I knew better than to go against the will of my mother¡¯s familiar, and obediently I climb up the spiral staircase onto the third floor.

    Mother is already by the central telescope, hard at work, pressed against the lens. The telescope itself hangs from the ceiling, but the seat she occupies is situated atop a large pedestal, with stairs leading up to her seat. All around her are large shelves filled with various instruments and sheets of paper with elaborate scribbles, each of them probably a sketch of a rune she intended to make. Other shelves had some other books she had personally taken from her lower library for research purposes, and the table immediately next to the large telescope had several open books that she kept open.  She quickly notices me as I climb up the stairs around her.

    ¡°Lauriel? Is that you?¡± She yawns, leaning back from her telescope. She rubs her eyes, weary. ¡°What are you doing up here this late? Shouldn¡¯t you be in bed?¡±

    ¡°Hi mother, I actually wanted to talk to you about a few things, is that okay?¡±

    "Oh, of course! I am a bit busy but I¡¯ll make some special time just for you.¡± She stands up and pulls up a chair from the railing, placing it across from her as she spins her chair around to face me. I take my seat at the chair, and she sits directly across from me. ¡°What did you want to talk about, sweetie?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not really sure how to start this¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it your nightmares again, dear?¡± She asks with eyes full of concern. I forgot that we¡¯ve had this conversation before.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯ve gotten a little bit worse¡­they¡¯re different now.¡±

    "How so dear?¡± She asks, very concerned.

    ¡°You know how my nightmares early on were all about like¡­my father? My real father, right?¡±

    Mother nods. ¡°What about him?¡±

    ¡°Well, this time it wasn¡¯t about him. In my nightmare I had this¡­twin, or really like, a doppelganger. So I guess I want to ask, do you know about anything like this happening before? I know you said my nightmares were like¡­memories of the past, to some extent, but this was like¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mother taps her cheek, deep in thought. ¡°What did this twin say to you, if anything?¡±

    ¡°She wanted to kill me, and she tried to do so in the nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Oh honey¡­¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t that scared, but I never had any reason for someone to want to kill me in like peacetime. It was so strange.¡± I tap my foot nervously. ¡°Do you know anything about my real father that you haven¡¯t told me already?¡±

    She shakes her head. ¡°I wish I could say yes, but you know everything about him that I do. We met at the Academy in the Celestial Empire almost two centuries ago now. He studied engineering like I did, and we were pretty close, but I chose to travel to Ilmeiya after Academy life was uninteresting, and I didn¡¯t hear from him since until¡­¡±

    ¡°He showed up on your doorstep looking like an absolute mess, right?¡±

    She nods. ¡°It was the scariest thing I¡¯ve ever seen, and I¡¯ve had my fair share with familiars.¡±

    ¡°Why was it so scary?¡±

    My mother shivers. ¡°He had this¡­wild look to him. Like a bear or wolf cornered and out of options. He had a desperate look to him that made him look like he was teetering on the edge of madness, yet the child was entirely unscathed.¡± She looks into my eyes.

    ¡°That was me, then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I saw cuts all over his clothing, clear sword slashes that barely grazed him. Yet you had no injury at all.¡±

    ¡°So he protected me through everything, even as he himself got wounded¡­¡±

    ¡°He was a devoted man and father, even if only considering how far he traveled to bring you here.¡±

    I nod, as bits of my dreams of him flit in and out of my memory. Most of them were nightmares where I simply saw a man slashing and parrying against various soldiers, all of them having the same face. As a child I always thought they were dolls of some sort that I had a fear of, but my mother explained that they were android soldiers that hunted down my father. ¡°My father really was a bit of an incredible man, huh?¡±

    ¡°He was, always was.¡± My mother smiles nostalgically.

    ¡°What about the rest of my family? Do you know anything about my mother, or a twin sister?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything about his wife, and nothing about a twin sister. It made me assume that you were an only child and that his wife was dead, because I would have thought he would mention his wife or another daughter, if anything.¡±

    ¡°Mmn¡­what could my dream mean then?¡± I ask, bringing the main subject back.

    ¡°Well¡­I imagine she was the one that claims you¡¯re her twin sister, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and she looked literally identical to me. It was like looking at a mirror.¡±

    She places a hand onto her forehead, rubbing it. ¡°It makes complete sense as to why you would experience vague memories about your father since you were about one year old when he had to flee, and those memories slowly started to come back to you¡­but I don¡¯t think this is a past memory at all. Could it be¡­¡±

    ¡°Could it be what, mother?¡±

    She shakes her head again. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s from magic either. Influencing dreams is not unheard of, but on this side of Flua, there are absolutely zero Shadow mages, and you haven¡¯t angered any either.¡±

    ¡°Shadow mages can control dreams?¡±

    ¡°Rather easily, but most find it useless. Shadow mages in history are always deranged and insane due to the corrupting power of that branch of magic, and would find tampering with dreams trivial and beneath them.¡±

    ¡°So then what could it be, mother?¡±

    "I hate to say it but¡­¡± She heaves a sigh. ¡°I really don¡¯t know sweetie. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of something like this happening before.¡±

    She rubs her temples for a moment, in thought again. I grimace, wanting just some sort of answer. ¡°Is there anything you can think of at all though, mother? I know it¡¯s just a nightmare, but they¡¯re really draining on me. This time I think I had a seizure.¡±

    She gives me a pained expression. ¡°I wish I could help but, there is simply nothing conclusive about it that I can give you. I can¡¯t think of anything that can concretely explain it.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­is there a possibility that maybe it is my twin, and that somehow I¡¯m seeing¡­dreams of her?¡±

    ¡°Mnn¡­there is a possibility¡­¡± She trails off.

    ¡°Where, mother? In what way or manner?¡± I ask, excited.

    My mother straightens her posture. ¡°The night when your father arrived here, after he gave me to you, he told me he was going back to the Empire.¡±

    ¡°Mn¡­isn¡¯t that a bit odd right?¡±

    ¡°It is, and it gets a bit stranger the more and more I think about it over the years. Why would he go back to the place that had hunted him for almost a year?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any theories, mother? I feel like you would know him best, after all.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­your father always focused on the horizon, and¡­I don¡¯t feel like he would go back just to find his wife.¡±

    ¡°So maybe he did have a twin that he left behind or something?¡±

    ¡°That would be my guess, but it still sounds so contrived and wishful. Maybe he just wanted to find her body, but prioritized getting you out of the Empire over seeing his wife again.¡±

    I nod. ¡°Yeah, I feel like that¡¯s the more believable story, but what if I really do have a twin? Like, mother, forget about the probabilities of it, but just what if that¡¯s true? Would there be any explanation for that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of people having visions, but none of them ever really led to anything definitive or particularly scientific. None of them lead to this either.¡± She rubs her eyes, weary.

    ¡°Please, mother.¡± I press her. ¡°Is there anything you can think of at all? No matter how farfetched?¡±

    My mother places her head into her hands, and slumps. She looks defeated in every way. ¡°I¡¯m sorry dear¡­I really don¡¯t have any rational explanation. Honestly, it could have just been a fluke dream, but I feel like it has to be something Flow related. Something just doesn¡¯t feel right it, the way you describe it. You wouldn¡¯t come up to me talking about just a bad dream. But yet¡­I¡¯m really not the person to ask for this. It¡¯s something that¡¯s just¡­not magic, or rune based, and I don¡¯t know anything more than that. I¡¯m so sorry honey.¡±

    My emotions flicker between a mix of fear and anger, I¡¯ve never known my mother to be incapable of answering anything incorrectly. She was always the bastion of knowledge that I relied upon, and I found it incredibly scary that not even she could figure out that dream. Maybe it really was just a dream then? Somewhere in the back of my head though, I knew it wasn¡¯t a dream. It was something real, yet unreal.

    Mother suddenly stands up and walks over to me, squeezing me into a tight hug, rubbing against my cheek with her own. ¡°Stay safe, sweetheart. Please stay safe. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t give you anything more than that right now.¡±

    I brush my cheek tenderly against hers. I know she worried deeply for me, and treated this as seriously as I did. ¡°I will, mother.¡±

    "Promise me that.¡±

    I snuggle deeper into her embrace. ¡°I promise.¡±

    We share the intimacy for a few more seconds before pulling apart. She kisses me on the forehead, and pats me on the shoulder. ¡°Well, you need to leave early tomorrow, don¡¯t you? You should get to bed, we¡¯ve talked long enough.¡±

    I nod solemnly. ¡°I will. Thank you for everything, mother.¡±

    Slowly, I make my way down her observatory and then from her library. No matter what I feel that I had come close to uncovering something, but it remained completely out of reach to me. Perhaps I should ask someone else about these nightmares, someone more specialized in it, but I knew none as knowledgeable as my mother.

    After a few minutes of pacing downstairs, I finally make my way down to my old familiar room, where my sister slept on the opposite wall. I sigh as I quietly strip myself of my clothes, and collapse into bed. I know I have to put these thoughts of my dreams to the side because I have to wake up early tomorrow, but a worrying sense of dread fills me as I worry the same dream would haunt me again soon. I¡¯ve remained safe for the past few days, but that fear of death, that came so close to me two days ago, remained ever on my mind.